Symphony is again the last to leave, sitting with him a while to speak of Ty'riel and orphanages. He asks advice - not a common occurrence, and she offers words of wisdom before taking her leave. He starts to walk to his bed, stops; Tyra is sleeping there so she can see Ty in the morning, which means couches and cushions for the night. He leaves the wine glasses and empty mugs on the tables for now and slumps in the pillows to reflect.
He told his story with his usual performer's flair followed with some music, but was more than rivaled by Daniel's heartfelt recounting of finding faith and Timulty and Tyra's tag-team recollections of harvesters, golums, ghosts, trapped elementals, and long-lost signet rings. And for all that, Symphony's powerful and emotional retelling of one of Gypsy Belle's stories - first shared, he discovered later, in the very spot by the fireplaces that Symphony had just stood - took the emotional prize. She shed a few silent tears for her friend as the story unwound. He promised to thank the wind the next time it blew across him, and meant it.
Tonight he will let the candles spill tallow icicles and burn out on their own. He has something else pressing to do. His most recent songbook is taken out and propped on the pillows and he sprawls, his mind on love - his love - and a song, just for her. He begins to hum and his quill scritches far into the night.
