(2016)

He no longer new what day it was nor the year for he had long ago lost any sense of time, but there was pain, so much pain to fill the void. He was grateful beyond comparison for the sounds that traveled to his ears, carried by the unique acoustics of the manor. The servants gossip, the masters schemes, the crackling of fire, and the hassles of an everyday life he doubted he would ever know again. As he lessened his ears detected a new sound softer, less sure, but quick. It faded down the hall after stopping for a moment. He faded, in and out of consciousness Intel he heard another sound, cold and hollow in comparison to the others. The only face he saw was one that brought him pain though it had no name that he knew. Amidst the pain he heard the sound again and once again it paused.

The one, who made the sounds that were been carried to the master's prisoner, was indeed small. Meany thought her a fair maiden that had happened upon bad luck, but she herself did not think so. She thought that she did indeed have very good luck. The master had been kind to her to allow her to work off the debts left to her by her late father. And now she had this beautiful tapestry to look at for the duration of her stay. A forest took up most of the scene with beasts of every sort peering out and above it all was a dragon the king of the beasts. In all forms that he had seen this majestic creature it all ways looked regal and proud but hear it was depicted withering in agony as if bound by invisible chains unable to soar above its kingdom any longer.

She had thought it to be this sad beast that uttered the cries of pain when she first passed by. The sound had come again when she came back. It had reminded her of when she was a child and had come down with a fever. Her mother would often hold her as she sang her to sleep. Some part of the girl could not stand to see such a magnificent creature in such a state. So she had come back when the rest of the house was asleep to see if by some miracle she could soothe the poor beast.

She thought she could see the glint of a tear rolling down its cheek, but logic told her that it was just the light of her candle reflecting off the various jewels that adorned its head. After studying the tapestry a moment longer, she took a deep breath drawing her shoulders up straight. Then it out as a long sweet high note and another and another till they formed a melody. After a few bars she began to add words and as her mother had done before her she sang a song, one in language that only the young and innocent can understand. She did so quietly, but sill the sound carried like a leaf by the wind though corridors, passage ways, and crakes so that even the master hidden away in his chambers could hear the whispers of it and had to smile. But it went as the wind itself to one particular cell, where the prisoner hangs from his chains.

He lifted his head to better catch the sound and smiled. Further down another resident sat up and walked to the door of his cell. If he lessened he could make out the humming of the crazy man who heard voices. It was the first and most beautiful thing he had heard in years, but as the night went on it faded away and he fell back to sleep. In the morning the girl wants know what all the fuss is about. A kitchen maid tells her it's a prisoner who died in the night. The villagers are angry because his crime never proved to be true. The girl watches as the take the body away before returning to her duties. Later that day she stops by the tapestry. The dragon no longer has the look of a bound animal but that of one who has taken they're first steps in to freedom and is ready to fly above his domain once again.