Instruments of Heroes

Arabella tested the Rock to see if the paint was dry. Once she was sure she scrambled up to sit cross-legged at the top. When she was there she took her flute from its holder on her back and a slow, plaintive melody filled the air. Most people left her alone while she did this, even though she was in the middle of a college campus. They were used to her. This was her favorite place to play. There was something peaceful about this tiny point of land, despite the fact that it was surrounded by roads. It was almost as if the island had a glass case around it, broken only when people came to change the designs on the Rock on which she was sitting on. Then she opened her eyes, and realized that she wasn't the only one there. A tall girl, with a wooden practice sword strapped to her waist was standing a few feet away, watching her. The girl's long blank hair was held back in a low pony tail and she wore faded jeans and a black tank top. Arabella put down her flute.

"Hello."

"Hello." The black haired girl replied. Her fingers were caressing the hilt of the sword, almost as if searching for patterns that weren't there. "You play beautifully."

"Thanks. I've been playing since I was seven."

"Cool." The other girl's voice was low, and somewhat husky. "You don't mind if I practice here, do you?"

Arabella shook her head. "Why would I? This isn't my park."

"That's not what the people I know say." The girl said as she began to stretch.

"Mmmm."

"That's an interesting flute you have."

Arabella looked down at the wooden flute in her hands. The patterns carved in it were worn from age and handling, but distinct never the less. "It's been in my family hundreds of years, or something like that. Since the Middle Ages even I think."

"Hmmm." The black haired girl began to run through moves. Suddenly she stood straight and rested the sword tip on the ground. "I know I've seen those patterns somewhere before." She said abruptly.

"Hmm?" Arabella asked, setting down the flute she had started to play again.

"The patterns on your flute. I've seen them somewhere else." The girl looked straight at Arabella. "I'm Rose Montgomery, by the way."

"Arabella Barister."

The two girls shook hands. Arabella could feel rough calluses on Rose's hand and noticed that her grip was stronger than a normal girl's.

"Been using a sword for awhile?" Arabella laughed. She knew her own hands were soft and slim, not very used to work, but limber from playing the flute. Rose nodded.

"Since I was five." Then her eyes lit up. "That's where those symbols are!"

"Huh?"

"Wait here." Rose said, dropping the practice sword as she sped off, her long legs taking her away in a black blur. Within minutes she had returned, and a real sword was slung over her back. She took it off and offered it to Arabella, scabbard and all.

"Look at the blade." She panted, resting her hands on her knees to catch her breath.

Arabella put her flute back in it's case on her back and looked at the sword for a minute before drawing it from the scabbard.

It was a slim blade, obviously silver under the black scabbard. The hilt too, was black, with a red jewel set in the pommel and a smaller purple one near the crosspiece. Some white stone was twisted around the whole hilt, like a snake, finishing curled around the red jewel.

"Look at the blade." Rose repeated. Arabella obeyed and slid the scabbard off. The arcane markings that ran down the length of the blade were the same ones that were carved into her flute.

"That dates back to the middle ages too." Rose said. "It was handed down through my mother's family. There's some sort of legend behind it, but no one ever told it to me." She chuckled a bit ruefully. "Anyway, it's a bit too late now."

"What?" Arabella asked, looking up at the girl standing in front of her. Rose shrugged.

"My mom's dead, Dad's raised me for the past eight years, but he went kinda…crazy. So I'm stayin' at Ozone House now."

"Oh." Arabella wasn't quite sure what to say. She was a little off base, the girl was too open. It was weird. Rose just kept going.

"It's not that bad. I got out before anything disastrous happened. Nothing worse than a few scrapes and bruises." She laughed. "I ain't the type to put up with that more than once, and I could tell i' would happen again. So I left. Probably the smartest thing I've ever done. 'Course I took mom's sword with me."

"I'm sorry." Arabella said quietly.

"Why?" Rose asked. "I'm not. This way Dad gets help, which he's always needed, and I get to live my life. It's not like I had to quit school 'r anything and my dad's still somewhat sane. He sends me money every week. 'M saving up for an apartment."

"Where do you go to school?"

"Community. You a Pioneer kid?"

Arabella nodded timidly, worrying that Rose was one of those Community kids who thought that all Pioneer kids were snobs, but Rose just smiled at her.

"Thought so. Now, about the sword and the flute?"

Arabella took out the flute and held it next to the sword.

"Same craftsmanship." She muttered. "Probably same period too, we'd need an expert to tell us that. They could just be the same artisan, though I wouldn't think an swordsmith would do instruments too, but it's possible." She looked up from the two objects to the girl looking expectantly at her. "Or they could have been meant for each other, have some specific use together. Do you have any clue of what that legend was about?"

"Wow." Rose breathed. "The girl's smart." She thought for a minute, staring blankly at the blue eyes of the girl in front of her. "Mom's ancestor used the sword for something special," She said finally, "I know that much. Then something got lost and the sword never worked properly again." She shrugged. "That's all I remember."

"Maybe…" Arabella murmured, her eyes looking from the sword to the flute and back. She handed the sword back to Rose. "Hang on to this a minute." She moved the scabbard off her lap and lifted the flute to her lips. A simple version of 'Amazing Grace' drifted into the air, and both girls found themselves staring at the sword, which now glowed with an ethereal purple light. Arabella set down the flute quickly worried about attracting attention.

"Wow." Rose breathed.

"I guess they do go together." Arabella said quietly.

Rose nodded. "Cool."

"Why now, I wonder." Arabella mused.

"Huh?"

"Do you think there's a reason we met? I mean, are we supposed to do something?"

"I dunno." Rose said shrugging. "But I'd like to try it out a bit more."

"The Arb then, maybe?" Arabella suggested. "We can probably find somewhere we won't get noticed in there."

"To the Arb then." Rose laughed, reaching for the scabbard to sling the sword back on to her back. "Ya wanna go get some ice cream first? Get to know each other on the walk? Besides," She looked a bit sheepish as Arabella slid off the Rock, "I'm hungry."

"To Stucchi's then." Arabella said. Sliding her flute back into its holder. Rose looked down at the practice sword she had dropped earlier.

"I'll get it later." She sighed. Then she smiled at Arabella. "Let's go…Arabella."


ok...Commie is an alternitive school, not normal, Pioneer is a normal one. and Ozone house is a place for people to go if they don't have anywhere else, not homeless, kinda like a battered teen shelter, sorry I can't explain it better.
I have a cool idea for a sequal so it'll be up someday.
Tell me what you think!

Isabella
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