The Drums - War Games AU
The sound of the drums invades the soldiers' sleep, makes them walk in time even when there's no marching orders. Spirit never quite learns the rhythm.
Wind learns it easily; it's no different to a hauling song. Salt and spray make voices cracked and harsh, but everyone on a ship learns the words, and if you don't know the words yet you still mumble along. One song for pulling halyards. One for the anchor haul. One for lifting, one for swabbing, one for cold nights on deck when you just need to feel less alone.
Soldiers have their songs, too. Marching songs and drilling songs, wake-up and bed-down tunes that everyone listens for with half an ear. Songs about homes left behind, songs about what's to come. Songs that sound like gibberish but really all they mean is "I'm here, I'm here, don't forget me. Sing with me. We're all in this together, none of us need to be alone."
Spirit learns the tunes, but there's a skip in his step that always makes him march out of time with the rest. There's a part of him that wants to rush the conductor.
Wind keeps perfect time.
Spirit learns to play the harmonies. He learns to dance around the melody the others are playing, throwing in his own trills and flairs. But he needs an anchor. He needs a steady downbeat to keep on track, or he starts to rush the tempo.
Phantom knows how to be that metronome for him.
~~~~~
