Birds of a Feather // Steve & Sybil
It felt quite odd to be putting on such a light-hearted play during such a serious time. Since King Dominic’s passing, the swathes of white that blanketed Nore did put a bit of a damper on things. But Sybil was nothing if not a consummate performer, and despite any misgivings she felt, she kept them expertly hidden. And besides, if she could bring a smile to someone’s face this evening, it would be well worth the discomfort.
It was a folktale from the deserts that they put on this day, one that had Sybil playing the part of a shaman. Dressed from head to toe in feathers and bones, she was a rather intimidating sight -- but it was little more than deception.
The end of the play saw her costume falling away, revealing her to be a goddess in human form. The crowd was in awe of her magic in action, clapping thunderously as she changed from a humpbacked elder to a beautiful, young lady. She met the lips of the story’s hero, granting him the gift of the gods for helping her through countless trials. And when their story was finally at an end, she looked out to see countless, smiling faces.
It gave her great joy to see the happiness she brought the Norn people. Their homeland could be harsh, and she was glad to lessen their burden from time to time. And after the crowd began to thin, the actress took leave of the stage to change back into her usual attire -- a thing which did not take long, given her magic.
It took only the briefest of moments for Sybil’s form to shift back into its usual shape. Once, it had taken hours, but years of practice had made her swift. Throwing a cloak round her bare shoulders, she stepped from the backstage area to catch a glimpse of the remaining crowd. There was excited chatter among them, and she thought a quick greeting might be in order.
But as she walked, she came to stumble over something. And upon further inspection, she realized the thing she’d tripped over was a man. “Oh goodness!” she exclaimed, a hand clapping over her mouth. “By Alva’s beard, are you alright, my Lord? I hadn’t even seen you there!”