Day Write - Man in the Woods

"Well that is a song that I haven't heard in quite a while."

Ariana froze a second, not knowing that anyone had heard her whistling. She had hoped this was the one place that no one would hear her. She quickly turned around to find a man walking out from amidst the trees, into the same clearing as she. He had old beat up straw basket attached to his back and clothes that could have walked to the river and watched themselves. His smile was large and showed gaps were teeth had been broken or were completely missing.

"I didn't know that anyone was listening. I thought I was by myself," Ariana stammered

"Well you were until a few minutes ago," the man replied, tromping closer to Ariana, "I was out on my daily walk and heard you whistling. Thought I would come by and see who it was. Been quite some time since I have heard anyone hum, whistle, or sing that song."

"You have heard it before?" Ariana asked, her eyes getting bigger. Perhaps this man had answers. At least one answer. Ariana would have settled for that or maybe pointing her in the direction where she could find answers.

"Of course. My grandmother used to sing it to me and my brothers all the time before we went to bed. Every night right before she tucked us in. People don't really sing it any more though. Almost like it died with all the old folk, you know."

Ariana rubbed her sweaty palms on the front of her pants. No one knew the song where she was from. She had always been told never to sing it, no matter how many times it played in her head. She never understood what was so wrong with it in the first place. At first, Ariana believed it was song that she made up. Something from her dreams that had remained after she woke up. That was until she was scolded for humming it. And scolded again for asking what was so wrong with it.

"Do you happen to know what the song is about? I never learned the lyrics and no one else I know seems to know them either."

The man tapped his chin, "Let me think. I'm sure my grandmother explained it at least once. It was something about the priestesses from the mountains who could wield the True Voice. Honestly, I never really paid attention to the words myself. It was just a nice little song to whistle."

Ariana paused, repeating the words out loud to herself, "...could wield the True Voice."