Cal lifted the beer to his lips and took a long pull. The chosen blood that ran in his veins wasn’t pure enough to stop the effects of alcohol entirely, especially not after a few hours of steady consumption, so he had a warm little buzz going which he had every intention of keeping up. Raff sat to his right and Ned to his left. Flance had gone home with Gretchen maybe an hour back, leaving Mary and Sabine sitting across from them. The two girls were having a wonderful time backing Ned into a corner about the number of tumbles he’d had in the hay. The longhaired boy got redder and redder, until he finally blurted out that he didn’t like hay in the slightest and wouldn’t be caught dead rolling around in such a flea-ridden bed!

The girls and Cal had a good laugh at this, and Ned soon joined in too. Sabine’s eyes flicked to Raff and suddenly she excused herself. Mary took the cue and followed, bending her head to whisper as the shifting crowd swallowed them. Cal looked to the right, wondering what in the world his friend was doing that would make the girls want to leave. Raff sat as he always did, splayed out in the chair, arms and legs taking up as much room as possible. There was a window nearby and his friend stared out it.

Cal poked him in the ribs. “So?”

Raff didn’t even move, just grunted.

“Sooo?” Cal prodded again.

Raff swung his head around, looking annoyed. “So what?”

Cal gave him a sly grin. “When are you making your move?”

“What?” Raff said, looking confused.

“Your move,” Ned said. “With Sabine.”

Raff sputtered as if he was choking. “What?”

“It’s so obvious,” Cal said, giving him a slap on the back. “She’s been stealing looks at you all night.”

Raff pulled away and lifted an arm to indicate the center of the bar. “Did you guys not hear her before with Trell? She was ready to rip my head off.”

Cal couldn’t help but laugh.

“That’s already forgotten,” he explained. “Girls don’t hold onto things. Once it’s over, it’s over.”

Raff seemed dubious. “Then why does your mom remind me every year about that cup of hers I broke when I was six? Like it’s some sort of damned anniversary?”

“Oh, it’s different when they’re old and wrinkled,” Cal said. “Then they don’t forget anything. But when they’re young…”--Cal lifted his hands, cupping them out in front of his chest--“and healthy.” Ned sniggered and even Raff’s lips twitched a smile before he covered it with a frown. “It’s a whole different story.”

Raff looked away. “I don’t know…”

“Shut up!” Cal whispered. “Here they come.”

The girls moved through the crowd, touching a shoulder here, an arm there, clearing a path in front of them. Sabine stepped from the mess of bodies first, and Cal instantly noticed the shawl she had wrapped around her shoulders.

“Het,” he cursed, bringing his cup up to hide his disappointment. The other two boys glanced at him, but he kicked them under the table, and they looked back at the girls. Raff, of course, gave him a firm return kick.

Sabine came to a stop in front their table, a sad smile on her face. “I’m sorry, but I think it’s time we head home.”

Before anyone else could speak, Cal took over. “Of course,” he said, nodding his head and putting his mug down. “It has grown late.” He turned to his two companions, who followed his example. Raff even went so far as to make a thoughtful noise in his throat.

Ass.

Sabine seemed slightly flustered by their reaction. “Well, yes…we’d stay if we could...”

Cal waved a hand. “No, no, it is far past the time for bed, and there is much to do in the morn.” He gave her a sorrowful look, putting his arm over Raff’s shoulders. “It has been wonderful seeing you. Just wonderful.”

Sabine twisted her hands. “Yes, yes it--”

Cal bowled right over her, speaking too loudly, watching in satisfaction as her eyes narrowed. “We wish you a good life, full of happiness and joy.” Cal turned to Raff. “And…”

Raff looked at the girls. “Happiness.”

Cal slapped the table with his off hand.

“Yes!” he cried. “Double happiness for you two. Two such beautiful girls.”

Sabine pursed her lips. “Goodnight then.” Mary echoed her.

“May Silver be sweet to you, as sweet as you have been to us!” Raff and Ned said something too, but Cal paid it no mind. He watched the girls turn and begin to walk away. He let them take four full steps before he lifted his voice. “My ladies?”

The girls paused, turning their heads, but not their bodies.

“Yes?” It was Mary who spoke this time.

Cal lifted his arm from Raff and leaned forward in his seat. “Normally, I wouldn’t ask such a thing, but seeing as tomorrow is the Festival and then we depart the very next day for Kellingherth, it would seem I have no choice.”

“Yes?” Mary said again.

He saw excitement flick in her eyes. She hadn’t been the one who wanted to leave. He knew it.

“Might I ask a boon? Something special?”

Sabine stepped in front of Mary, giving him a level look. “What is it, Cal?”

“A dance,” he said, smiling simply.

Sabine barked a laugh--it was one of the most unladylike things he had ever seen her do. “You always want to dance. How will that be special?”

Cal laughed along with her. “Oh no, the dance is not for me, but for my lifelong friend.” He turned to his right. “For Raff.” Cal watched his friend visibly stiffen.

“Raff wants to dance?” Sabine said, her tone doubtful.

“Of course he does!” Cal said. “It was all he could speak of while you two were away. But you know him! He is so shy when it comes to these things. That is why I tell you now. He asked me to, knowing that he had not the courage.” Cal got three swift kicks underneath the table, which he ignored with some effort. It was fortunate that he had been drinking.

Sabine smiled, but then shook her head. “There is no music, nor room to dance.” She glanced at Mary. “And it has grown late, too late…”

She was trying to convince herself, and there was no way he was going to let that happen. “Let me, my lady.” Cal grabbed his beer and stood up on his stool, ignoring the protests that Sabine and Raff started to make. “Ladies and gentlemen!” he belted through the room. “Ladies and gentleman, might I have your attention!” The common area slowly quieted and men and women turned to look at him. Cal swung his mug into the air. “First, let me thank you for the wonderful send-off!” A great cheer went up, and Cal smiled at the roar. “My friends have requested of me a song, strum from Master Belkin’s lyre that I do so love to use.” He pointed at the beautiful instrument that sat on a peg behind the bar. “But I am at best an amateur and tonight they deserve much more. Is there anyone here of talent who would be so kind as to give my friends a song?” He indicated Sabine and Raff, both of whom froze uncomfortably.

Patrons swung their heads left and right, and it wasn’t long before a fat man stumbled from their midst.

“I shall play, I shall play.” Master Belkin himself had answered the call, just as Cal hoped he would; even sloshed the man could carry a fine tune. “Hand it here, Robin,” he said to the bar girl. No sooner was the lyre in his grasp than he began to pluck the strings: simply at first, but then in ever more complex patterns, until the refrain from The Sounds of Summer could clearly be heard.

A few tables over, a man pulled a shepherd's pipe from his belt, joining the innkeeper’s melody, and it wasn’t long before a chorus of voices swelled alongside the instruments, filling the room with song.

Cal looked down at Raff and jerked his head at Sabine. His friend briefly glared at him, but with so many people watching, Raff had no choice but to get up from his seat and walk with Sabine to the small open area that people had cleared nearby. The two reached the middle and stood staring at each other, but then Raff awkwardly took her hands in his and began to slowly move in a square-step. The gathered people cheered and started dancing all around, their feet pounding against the wooden floorboards while the musicians and singers pushed themselves louder so that they might still be heard.

Cal sat back down on his stool, enjoying the whirl of excitement he had created.

“You are just awful,” Mary said, as she swished over, her voice raised against the din.

“You don’t like music?”

Mary gave him a look. “You know what I mean.”

Cal smiled. “Well, I couldn’t just let you go without a fight.”

“You could have skipped right to the dancing bit. All the rest didn’t matter.”

“What fun would that have been?” Cal said, leaning closer.

Ned twitched uncomfortably, and Cal was about to suggest that he go get another round when a rather pretty stick of a girl swept by and asked him to dance. Cal would have watched the exchange, but Mary was talking again.

“So where is Trish? I thought you two were a pair.”

“As did I,” Cal said, pouting. “But it turned out that she was only using me to get back at Trell and cared for me not at all.”

Mary touched his hand. “You poor thing.”

He kissed her palm and watched her smile. “Let’s dance.”

She gave a thrilling nod, and they swept into the revelry, twisting and spinning through the press of people.

“Now this is a Festival of Birth!” Cal shouted. He turned and saw that his tall friend Flance was back, clothes rumpled and dancing with a new girl. “Did you already make your contribution?”

“Twice!” Flance replied with grin

Cal let out a hearty laugh just as Ned and his partner whirled by. Then he spotted Raff and Sabine off to the side, both of whom actually looked to be enjoying themselves now that they were no longer the center of attention, which put a huge smile on Cal’s face. He laughed again, picking Mary up and twirling her around.

Music, drink, dance, and friends. This was all life should be.