The Calls of The Lark

When The Sun Gleams Over the Meadows

Before the story begins I would like for my readers to acknowledge that some of the lore has changed. Because these first few chapters are old, my representation of the story isn't accurate. I apologize for the inconvenience, hopefully I will be able to redo some soon. -Liyebre (The Author)

"When one's story dies another is born, tis the start of the Lark's journey. Stories begin with farewells. Places forget, stories remember. With their forever dancing melodies, the stories will last on." Remarked the Storyteller, reaching their hands out to the Bellringer, grins smearing across their faces as did the clouds over the dawned sky.
"The fear of being forgotten is no more. Nor should it have ever been draped upon us and the other Harkers. I find the Lark's presence calming, knowing I have predicted right about our future. Places do forget, but with their presented stories, the people will remember." The Bellringer responded, taking the Storyteller's hands gently and turning the other direction to face the opposing sun.
The hayfields hummed softly as did the cicadas in the summer. The warm breeze rustled the straw drapery over the Storyteller and chimed and bells of the Bellringer like the wind chimes that hung over the houses' doors. At peace, they both gazed away, watching the stars vanish and the sun light up the atmosphere.

The sun graced its frail fingers among Cole's face, opening their eyes to greet the gleaming light. They slowly emerged from their bed, their skinny arms moving slowly over the tossed bedsheets. With cold fingers, they moved the strands of blonde hair covering their vision.

"Good morning, honeysuckle!" Greeted a warm voice from behind, a voice Cole longs to hear each morning until they part ways. Of course, that won't happen for a long while, yet still, being with someone and something so sweet and passionate is something to cling to.
"Good morning, Clemente." Cole replied, turning to see them.
Their head tilted to the side and their smile widening with their golden locks bouncing softly in the wind from the opened windows. Their silver eyes glowed like the stars the night before as the sun rested on their blonde lashes. Something about them seemed to glow even in the dark, even just their voice had the feel of a warm embrace.
Clemente picked up their head and their smiled widened more before letting out a laugh, they placed their fingers on their chin and then tucked more hair behind their ears. Cole gazed into their eyes before standing up and facing towards them.
"You seem exhausted, how did you sleep last night?" Clemente asked, dropping their smile a bit to look Cole wide in the eyes.
"Not very well but I'll be fine for today, how about you?" They responded.
"I'm just fine! We are rehearsing in the hayfields today whenever you are ready!" Clemente answered, placing their hands on their shoulders, "I'll be heading to the kitchen, see you in a bit."
Cole sat back down on their bed and watched the barren curtains dance in the warm breeze. They stood back up, placing their feet on the non-creaking floorboards. They reached for the wardrobe and slid off their nightwear. The bare skin against their arms before sliding on the first layer of their outfit.
"Oh, Cole, its burning outside, you'll get over heated in that today! Just wear something simple today." Cried a voice by the door. Peregrine stood perched against the door frame of their room.
Their hair unbraided yet still silky, their gaze directing reaching into theirs as if pulling out their thoughts. They wore their usual ruffled dress but without their sleeves, the front pieces of fabric swayed slowly. Their legs were bare as long as their feet.
"I don't want you to get heatstroke, we need you able to preform." They remarked before throwing clothing into Cole's arms and leaving the room before they could say anything.
Cole finally slid on a tunic that went to their thighs with long flowy and loose sleeves. They wrapped their belt around their thin waist, slipped on a thin pair of socks and brown boots, and grabbed their mask before entering the kitchen where everyone was sat down.
"Oh, Cole! Come with me!" Clemente cheered, grabbing both of their hands and leading them back to their room, sitting them down in front of a mirror.
"Clemmie, what is it you are doing?" Cole asked as they grabbed a brush from a drawer.
"I want to braid your hair to match mine!" They stated, twisting and twirling stands of hair.
Cole sat there, feeling something they had always longed to have. Love. They had it, yet they where always wondering how to return it. This everlasting wonder led them to silence which they eagerly awaited to disappear.
"Apologizes for being quiet today." They finally let out.
"Do not apologize, you just woke up after all. As long as you are happy then I am happy too so there is no need to say sorry for such silly things." They argued but with that cheery and warm tone in their voice that made one feel so special.
Clemmie finished four braids that twisted in each direction and straightened Cole's bangs with their frail little fingers. They smiled warmly before putting both their hands on Cole's rosy cheeks which made them smile a bit more. They sat up, intertwined fingers, and stepped into the kitchen and the other two awaited them.
"What took you so long? I'm ready to go!" Kingsley cheered, their brown curls bouncing as they leapt around the kitchen, nearly knocking over a tea kettle that was boil water.
"Kingsley, I find it would be quite wise of you to stay out of the kitchen while having dancing sessions, especially when I'm trying to make myself a cup of tea." Spoke a calm, soothing voice.
Mx. Playwright stood at the kitchen's entrance, their shoulder leaning against the wall as they pushed up their glasses, a very small smirk planted on the side of their lips. Kingsley sprang around and away from the kitchen utensils before bowing before them.
"Sorry Mx. Playwright."
They laugh a bit before turning to grab the kettle, pouring the burning water into a small glass. Kingsley spins back around to everyone, their feet sliding on the wooden floors. Peregrine stares at them with a blank expression, trying to hide their amazement about how they get no splinters from doing that.
"Anyways, we will be heading towards the hayfields now. We will be back perhaps a little after noon. Most likely before the sun sets, it's burning outside so I don't plan on staying long as should all of us. See you later, Mx. Playwright." Peregrine concluded, grabbing the door and stepping into the tall grass.
"Very well then children, behave yourselves and try your best. Don't push yourself too hard either, I can not afford to take care of a child with heatstroke before I publish a book. Farewell all of you." They respond before they close the door as all of them rush out into the greenery.
Fingers still twined together like vines to a fence, Clemmie glanced over at Cole with a smile as they greeted the blazing sun. Cole looked over at Clemmie before their face flushed red, they quickly swiped their bangs away from their face again before looking puzzled into their eyes.
"D-Did I do some-something wrong?" They asked nervously, glancing at the ground and back into Clemmie's eyes, finding eye contact stressful.
Clemente was always was good at that. Once they were admiring something, they couldn't take their eyes off. It felt as if they were calling it's soul out of whatever they were looking at, wanting a conversation without words. Of course, Cole failed to do this unless they were exhausted and where zoning out.
"I'm just excited to rehearse with you today! I also think you look very nice this morning!" They cheered.
Cole grabbed one of their braids and then look at what Clemmie was wearing.
"I think-" Cole began.
"No no! Don't complement me! I want today to be about you! You seemed upset this morning, perhaps your night terrors again? But besides that I want to be here for you, you don't worry about having to return the love I have given to you-"
"Clementine Dearworth... you are too sweet for humankind. I am well aware I could never return the love you gifted me with." Cole interrupted, smiling a bit before dropping their hand to run up and walk with Peregrine.
Clemmie froze, their legs stuck to the grass around them. They always had deep love for Cole, but they were misinterpreting everything. Clemmie meant this all in a sweet way, Cole just couldn't focus on that. Their insecurities where blocking them from seeing the meaning behind Clemmie's words.
"Clemmie, play with me!" Kingsley shouted, prancing out of the bushes and grabbing onto their arms. Clemente couldn't help but smile, not wanting to put their burdens on such a spirited child.
Peregrine stopped for a second, swerving their head back to look at the younger two, her eyes narrow as their hair swayed off their shoulders and behind their back. They had this motherly, sassy, yet powerful look to them that one could easily fall for.
They spun around on their heels with their hands on their hips, like one of those jewelry box music cases. They tilted their head back around after narrowing their eyes at Kingsley and Clemente. The two caught on, stopped in their tracks, and waited for them to say what they needed to say.
"We aren't even on the trail yet and both of you are diving into bushes and tall grass like ocean divers. Not only is gravity a beings' worst enemy but I also don't want you getting lost before we even arrive in the hayfields." They speak, voice deep and mature, tongue slicing one's ears with the most wise words to ever come out of a child.
"Sorry, Peregrine!" Clemmie replies with their sweet and gentle tone, their smile gleaming as bright as the sun during summer, gorgeously painful.
Peregrine turned around, grabbing both their braids and putting them over their chest again then continuing on with heavy footsteps, they seemed like they did not want to deal with the young two's trouble making today.
Once they finally arrived, Cole sat down on a smooth boulder-like rock in the middle of the fields. Curling their legs up to pick the guitalele and swiping their hair away from their eyes to put on their hare mask. The cold wood reaches their skin and they feel a hint of relief from the stabbing sun.
"Okay, I'm ready whenever you guys are!" Clemente chimed, moving their curls back away from their mask.
"Yeah, we all are except for Kingsley. Yet again, they have wandered off. I assume they are catching crickets but we have no time for this nonsense. When he hears us he will probably come back, realizing he shouldn't have ran off." Peregrine predicted, their tone raising and lowering with each sentence like the rocking of the gentle waves of the beach.
Cole began plucking a few random notes, strumming whatever sounded nice to them. Clemmie started the song, their sweet voice carrying throughout the melody. Cole found it most beautiful whenever they tried to sing low which such a high voice. They where quite good at it. Its like a flute playing as low as a clarinet, gorgeous sounding.
"Finndu mig í framtíòinni..." They whispered.
Peregrine decided to take their turn their, bellowing yet harmonizing words along with Kingsley who heard their strong and loud voice and jumped out of the bushes.
"Malayang Maya... Malayo Layo..." They sung.
Clemmie added a few more lyrics which Cole joined in on, already knowing just what they were going to be singing.
Clémente always keeps a journal by their bed. Every night, before they turn over to kiss Cole goodnight, they write in the journal. Sometimes it's just a few scritches of their pencil, other times, it's like they have to write an army report to a general.
Cole would always turn over to watch them, looking at the smile that never seems to go away. Sometimes they would hum a tune, sending Cole into sleep before they could even say goodnight. Other times, they would sit quietly with their other hand resting on Cole's head. Whatever they were writing, they would wait for them to finally blow off the candle and hold them like a baby until their eyes fell heavy. When they woke again, sometimes they were still in that position. Other times, they were finishing up another entry.
"Clem, what is it you are always writing?" They would ask, rubbing their eyes, sitting up, and leaning their head on Clemente's shoulder.
They always wrote in cursive, the kind that was small and took much effort to read. Always tired in the mornings and evenings, Cole could never read what they were writing.
"Don't worry about it my honeysuckle, get some rest, dear!" They chimed in the evenings, swiping their thumb under Cole's eyes and across their cheek.
In the mornings, they would simply close the journal and stand up quickly, Cole would fall back on the bed. They would throw off the thin bed covers, grab Cole's arms, and spin them around like a baby doll.
One morning, while Clemmie had already gotten up, they read the journal. They forced their eyes to take in every word. It was mostly song lyrics, beautiful ones never mentioned before. Other times, they would stumble across a chapter with a note specifically telling Cole not to read if they found it. Cole respected that, not wanting to invest in their partner's privacy.
Not realizing they were tuning in on Clemmie's part while singing in the hayfields, they glanced looks of confusion towards them as they plucked the guitar.
the song ended and Clémente looked over at Cole with a strange expression, as if trying not to say anything but also a bit surprised. The color strained from their face as well did their smile which startled the Lark.
"Clemmie, are you alright?" Peregrine asked, quickly grabbing onto Kingsley's arms before they dived into another bush, still maintaining eye contact with Clem.
Cole looked up to meet their eyes. Their face flushed red and they realized what a mistake they had made.
They sat there for a while, they knew Clémente loved them so, maybe they were just a bit surprised. Cole could not stop overthinking, the few seconds felt like hours before Peregrine screamed.
Peregrine ripped off their mask, the string keeping it held to their face snapped and scratched at the skin on their face. For the mask's string was made of left over guitar strings Cole didn't need. Peregrine crashed to the ground, yelping with every movement as they crawled behind the large rock Cole sat on.
"Peregrine! Are you alright-" Clemmie began, running behind the rock.
"Those people! They think I'm a real moose!" The shouted through their stuttering, looking up at Cole with their chestnut brown eyes shaking in fear as they pointed ahead.
Cole leapt off the rock, throwing their guitalele into the tall yellow grass. They threw off their mask as well and put their hands up, showing to them that they are not animals. The men road on horse back, holding back arrows in their hands. Cole scanned the ground as everyone hid behind the rock, multiple arrows had been shot yet they didn't notice until Peregrine screamed.
"Cole, we must return back if they pose a threat!" Clementine cried as they picked up their mask and guitalele for them, grabbed their shaking arms and kept them around their shoulder as they ran.
The men on horseback paused, realizing they were shooting at children, they headed back in the opposite direction as the children continued to scream in terror.
When they finally arrived back at the cabin they were all drenched in their own sweat, blood dripping off Peregrine's face and hands, crickets leaping from Kingsley's pockets. Cooper answered the door and just stared at them for a while before even attempting to handle the current situation.
"Quest, the children are... oh dear... knells of the bellringer!" Cooper exclaimed, walking back into the house and throwing their hands in the air in confusion.
Mx. Playwright came running from the kitchen, their hat falling off as they sprinted. Without saying a word, they pushed the children inside, plucked all the crickets from Kingsley and tossed them out the window, turned on a small fan in the kitchen for Clemmie and Cole, and took Peregrine aside to tend to their wounds.
Peregrine sat on the bathroom counter as The Playwright took a wet wash cloth and wiped the blood of their hands and face.
"Care to explain what happen, will you?" They began as the cold cloth reached Peregrine's face.
"Yes... A group of hunters mistook me for an actual moose. My mask's string broke and it slit my face because of the sharp material is it made of. I also tripped while trying to hide from the arrows being shot towards me which explains my bloody palms. Everyone else is safe, just a bit startled. I don't think I'll be going to the hayfields for a while." They explained as small strips of sticky gauge were placed on their wound.
"I see, I find that choice of yours to be quite wise of you." The Playwright admitted as they picked Peregrine and set them down on the floor.
        Peregrine smiled at the Playwright and trotted out of theirs and Cooper's room, joining the other Lark who were all huddled around the one fan their cabin contained like it was a camp fire.
        "Welcome back Peregrine, are you alright?" Clemmie asked with that cheery tone that always shone through their high voice despite their worries.
         "I'm quite fine, thank you for asking. But oh Harkers! It's hot!" They exclaimed, leaning back to lay on the floor, staring up at the ceiling.
          "Yeah!" Kingsley agreed, laying back as well.
          Clémente giggled at this, took Cole's hand and laid on the floor with everyone as well, closing their eyes as the sun shone over their bright face.