"I wasn't always the flamboyant and well dressed chap you see before you today, though I was always handsome" smirked Bart. Topher rolled his eyes.

"I was born in a family of peasants and was just one of my father's many sons, and I wasn't eldest, strongest or the brightest either; fact is, I was nothing special and felt constantly ignored." said Bart sighing.

"I'm sorry to hear that Bart, but if it makes you feel any better, being the eldest and strongest, like I am, isn't a walk in the park; there's a lot of responsibilities and unwanted attention that gets placed on you. But the grass is greener on the other side I suppose. What about your mom? Did she give you any attention?" said Topher sympathetically.

"My mom..." Bart mused "truth be told I never knew my mom, she died of illness when I was too young to remember. I was raised mostly by my brothers, with my dad sometimes featuring in." he said resentfully.

"That sounds rough, being raised by a bunch of guys, and I know this because apart from mom who gave me an emotional outlet, I lived in a rough and masculine world" added in Topher.

"Yeah, it was, besides being forced to work in the fields, I was mostly left to my own devices, with my dad and brothers caring more about their own lives than my own. Dad sometimes even forgot my name, though he never forgot to whoop me if he found me lagging in my farm work." Bart sniffed, and Topher sighed.

"Even though I never knew my mom, I have positive and warm emotions associated with her, a vague gentleness and coziness, like she was the only person who cared for me and loved me for me" smiled Bart wistfully.

"I'm sure your dad and brothers cared Bart; they did feed and clothe you after all." Topher commented.

"Umm Topher, I slaved away on a farm without wages. Food and clothing was the least I could expect all things considered" said Bart whiffed irritated. "Be that as it may, I craved attention and recognition. I knew I was good-looking, and so I worked on seducing whatever girls that would be interested in me, and with practice I became more and more charismatic so that hooking with girls became as easy as snapping my fingers" said Bart while snapping his fingers.

Topher laughed "I buy it! you're charismatic, and the prettiest lad I've seen; it must have been nothin' but a thang; but how and why did you become a musician? And where did you get that magic lute?" he asked curiously.

Bart glanced at Topher shyly, blushing. Topher was shocked: "This is the first time i've seen your shameless ass ever blush, what the hell happened?!"

"Well.. you see.. while seducing women became easy and I got sex and recognition at whim, it became boring and soulless, there was never any love. The girls were using me for my well toned body and I was using them for theirs; I was fine with the arrangement. I wasn't under any delusions that any of this was worthwhile. Then one day the craving for love and actual warmth became too much, and I knew in order to find it I would have to venture from my village and perhaps court an older woman.

My reason was simple: older women had more experience in sex and romance than girls my age, but they also wanted attention, recognition, and conversation. They were as lonely as I was, despite the fact I could get what I wanted whenever I wanted.

I traveled to the edge of the woods where I saw a crone, picking herbs and flowers. I complimented her on gray hair, and told her that it looked cute when her hair curled around her ears and past her cheeks. Her wrinkled face became even more wrinkled as she smiled and laughed; her laugh was wholesome like honey, and her eyes were filled with a happy spirit and warmth, not to mention she had most of her teeth and they were white and in good shape.

She politely thanked me, and asked if I would like to come to her hut for some herbal tea. I smiled, and complimented her on her hospitality, and she led me by hand to her house. I was excited, because this was a new experience, because the girls I had sex with would usually cut to chase and were never very hospitable.

Her house had a beautiful front garden with strawberries growing in them, and her porch was decorated with flowers. It was a stone hut, and she led me to her living room where a cozy fire was burning. We sat on chairs facing opposite to one another, and she poured me some tea before pouring some for herself.

She asked me my name and occupation, and then asked me how I was doing, and what I had going on in my life. Normally I would lie about who I was, to make myself seem more desirable, but something about her eyes and beaming face made me tell the truth.

She smiled, and told me I had nothing to be ashamed about, and that she admired how I put up with the indignities of my life, and that while I was handsome, I was also sweet and kind. I was honestly taken aback and was almost weepy, though I didn't show it. No one had ever looked at me beyond my body; not my family that used it for work, or the girls who used it for sex. I opened up more about how the life I lived wasn't much of a life and of how much I wished my mom was around to make me feel special"

Bart's face turned pink, his supple lips began to tremble gently, and his doe-like eyes began to water. Topher punched him lightly on the arm, smiled kindly and spoke in a gentle tone: "It's alright Bart, It's alright now, it's completely fine. You're really brave to open up like this"

"Thanks Topher, I appreciate it," said Bart, wiping his tears. "What happened next was that she gently stroked my hair, and kissed me and told me she would make me feel special, and give me all the attention I needed. We went into her bedroom which was small, but had a decent sized bed, and fragrant lavender incense to make the place smell nice.

She undressed and so did I, and we made love. It was one of the most wholesome moments I've had. She was so gentle and accommodating, and I tried to match her pace. It actually went on for a few hours before we fell into a blissful sleep".

"Wow Bart!" said Topher amazed "that was an experience wasn't it!" he chuckled.

"Haha yeah it was" said Bart bashfully "When I woke up she was cooking in the living room. After I had gotten up, I found that she had made me a nice breakfast of milk, strawberries, and some wheat biscuits with a honey swirl on top. I was very touched.

She then went on to say that this was the most memorable time she's had in years, and that as a token to the night we spent together she was giving me this lute with runes etched in around the sound hole.

I was surprised at her present, since runes were strange, and the present of a lute stranger. She went on to explain that she was a witch, and was better at reading people than the average person. That was why, she explained, she was focusing on my face the entire time, as she could read my personality by the shape of my face and the light of my eyes. She also told me that I was so very delicate and shy during the sex, like a startled cooing dove, and that it was amazing.

She further told me that she sensed I was at heart a good person hungry for love and warmth, and that my womanizing front was just a cover to hide my pain and emptiness. She told me that she could make my life better with this lute. It would guide my hand, and play beautifully according to my emotions, all I had to do was to be true to it, and treat it decently, like I was wooing a lady, and not hooking up with some wench.

I was very surprised at this revelation and asked her if I could ever meet her again.."

Bart looked down sadly: "She said that since her cover had been blown, she had to go elsewhere, as she didn't want unwanted attention from the village folk.

I begged her to stay and that I wouldn't tell a soul, but she smiled sadly, and said that I would one day find love, but it wasn't meant to be, since she was magical and I was not.

I never saw her or her hut again, and i've always cherished this lute, which can play whatever I feel, and can blast compressed soundwaves when i'm in danger" Bart sighed ending his story.

There was a pregnant pause, where both men looked into the fire, having grown closer after hearing each other's struggles. Topher broke the silence:

"That was a very touching story Bart, thank you for telling me stuff about such a sensitive topic. But what happened after and how'd you end up in Fair n' Square?"

"After experiencing so much love and compassion, I knew I could do better than be a slave to my dad and brothers, living a loveless worthless life where I felt like a nobody. So I took my show on the road, and played at taverns and inns. I made decent money through tips and bought my (now ruined) bardic attire. I traveled the entire continent, went to cities and experienced all sorts of worldly success in money and sex. I was travelling through Fair n' Square as a transit from one kingdom to the next.. And then you know what happened" said Bart sheepishly

Topher guffawed: "Yeah, I sure as hell know what happened!"

"Yeah, I got distracted by the world, and went back to whoring, but I always treated my lute right, because it reminds me of the only woman who gave me respect and treated me like I imagined my mom would. I don't care much for the rest of these wenches" Bart said glumly.

"Well, we've certainly had quite a night of story-telling, and we need to get our sleep, since there's this fetid swamp we need to trek tomorrow through. Nighty night Bart" said Topher politely.

"Yeah, you too man, thanks" replied Bart.

Our two protagonists went to sleep blissfully, having been unburdened for a little while of the baggage of the past. And dreamed a dreamless sleep of the events to come.