"And this is my ward Alesta," Arnaud spoke as he entered the kitchen with the tall stranger close on his heels. The girl could here the pride in the priest's voice and blushed.
"My lord?" She curtesied.
"No lord, young lady, but a minstrel. My name is Jayhawk"
The stranger swept her an elaborate bow, his accent was slightly old fashioned, but his words were well chosen, neither too sparse nor too flowery.
"Alesta has had a dream that worries me, my friend, for even as she dreamed I had a similar dream. It concerned her brother, Jauffre, and her husband, Danyel. The two of them are in Outremer fighting for God, but I fear somethings happened to them.
The minstrel looked at Alesta and briefly she felt drawn into the man's green eyes, she felt the world dissolve around her momentarily, then return to normal. She gasped slightly and stumbled, but before she could fall the minstrel had reached out and held her steady.
"I'm... alright... a bit dizzy..."
The tall man smiled.
"You are alright, but sit down for a moment."
As she sat, he turned back to Arnaud.
"Obviously this is what called me here. I'll need your help, though."
"Anything, my friend."
"Then after we've had dinner we should go to the ruined monastary. Bring what you need fo rtrael, but travel light."
Dinner passed quickly and wine flowed freely while the priest and the minstrel swapped stories. It was strange Alesta felt, he seems to young to have travelled so much, even stranger, he seems to young to have known Arnaud as a young man. She shook her head, the wine must be stronger than she though and she must be mishearing things.
As evening fell the three of them were nearing the over-grown ruins of the old monastery. The place was build on a spot where older temples had been before, but only one of the three travellers was aware of that fact. The misntrel led them into the abandoned church and spoke with the priest, who first paled then nodded.
Taking water from the font he traced an elaborate pattern on the floor. To Alesta's amazement the water seemed to turn into silver rather than sink into the stones floor and disappear. A soft humming reached her ears and she saw the minstrel sitting on on the old altar, his lips moving, speaking words she'd never heard before, words that seemed to flow and weave like water, like the wind.
Were they practising sorceries? Momentarily she felt scared, then thought, I've known Arnaud for all my life, he would not do something God frowns upon nor would he hurt me.
As Arnaud stepped back. the minstrel stopped his chant, the silvery lines faded slowly as a shape coalesced at their center. It seemed all pale and winged, dark eyes and pale skin.
"A...an angel?" Alesta breathed.
The minstrel's hearty laugh broke her reverie, Arnaud too smiled and said.
"No, dear one, not an angel. I would not presume to call up on a Messenger, this is a sylph, a spirit of the air, it's mostly mindless, but will obey orders.
It will take us to Outremer."
The minstrel spoke to the creature of air and darkness and Alesta felt herself wrapped in fingers, cords of air then lifted of the ground at a dizzying speed, she wanted to scream then fainted.
Several hours later, a short distance North of Tyre
Alesta felt cold water upon her lips and shivered.
"What..."
As she opened her eyes she saw Arnaud's face close to hers, offering her more water.
"You fainted."
"I...where are we?"
"Just north of Tyre, " spoke the minstrel
"Tyre? But Tyre's in ..."
"in Outremer, we're here to look for your brother and your husband."Alesta looked around in wonder at the landscape around her, it was more barren than she was used to, and even though the sun had not yet shown her orb the air seemed different.
"Outremer...Danyel..."
She smiled. Things were going to be just fine.