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  1. Journals

Calliope - Session 13

Song
My Friends
(Tune: a very simple and upbeat children’s song, designed to be sung with a tambourine accompaniment - written for Stelios)

Here in the Oldwoods,
I’m happy as can be.
I look after all my friends,1
And they look after me.

We do our best to get along,
And never hurt each other.2
They don’t make fun of me,
Or request I hurt another.

Even though this is true,
They shouldn’t be afraid.
If someone tries to harm them,
I’ll come to their aid.

Here in the Oldwoods,
I’m happy as can be.
I love all my friends,
And they all love me.3

Footnotes

1Braz has been doing his best to make friends with the young people we rescued, speaking to them and reassuring them. They seem to be doing well, considering. All chatting away and teaching Braz some new slang. I can’t be sure, what with it being over 500 years since I was a teenager, but I am fairly certain it was mostly nonsense! I don’t think it will do any harm though - he seemed to have fun and, honestly, who is going to challenge an 8ft Minotaur over what “cricks” means? 


2Stelios is so sweet! For all his size he has a fairly good rhythm and he plays the tambourine with such joy I can’t help but smile. I can’t believe those awful people taking advantage of his good nature like that. Hopefully they’ll reconsider their life choices and be better people for this ‘scare’ they had! I guess that is pretty unlikely, but at least Stelios might be able to find some happiness in Woodhike.

He seemed to struggle with the concept of friends being nice to each other and being able to say no to hurting other people for them though. So I thought maybe putting the lesson to music would help - it is what Siren’s do for nestlings all the time! Next time we are in the area I should have the rhythm for this song sorted and I’ll teach him it.


3Goodness, love! I’d almost forgotten, with him leaving for Estoria, but Loreus is smitten with Alke! He is trying to hide it, but he is doing such a poor job of it! The way he looks at her is utterly adorable, and it makes me miss Versi something awful. 

Although, and I am ashamed to admit this, as much as I want to see her, the smallest part of me is hesitant. I just can’t bear the thought of upsetting Versi with the news of her sister; with news of what we have done. I can’t help but think that the longer I stay away, the longer I spare her the pain. But, then, if she finds out some other way, that is surely worse...