Song Drabbles: Bayard Hauteclere

(Stole this idea from a friend and basically altered it to my purposes.  The basic idea here was to take a character, turn on music player and set it to shuffle, and then write a scene related to that song during the space of the time of the song playing.  Some scenes are more related than others.  Titles are links to the songs.)

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“Redefine” by Incubus

“But the Holy Mother teaches us to love all men,” he said.

Ulrich sighed.  ”Not all men are worthy of her love.  Haven’t you been listening, Bayard?”

“That—that’s only a half-truth.  None of us are worthy of her love, but she loves us regardless.  That is what redeems us.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, boy,” the old man growled.  ”There are the worthy, and there are those who cannot be saved, cannot be redeemed.  Their souls are black and empty things, and they will infect others with their sin—”

“No!” Bayard shouted and smacked his hand against the rough wood of the table.  ”You’re wrong!”

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“What You Need” by INXS

The town square was a swirl of bodies and song.  Bayard stood back in the long shadows of the bonfires and chewed at his lip.  Festivities always left him feeling so…  outside of all this.

“Such a dour expression doesn’t suit you, friend.”  

He turned, brows arching, as Galen came up beside him and handed him a warm cup of cider.

“Looks like you need a drink.”

Smiling softly, he sipped.  ”Yes.  Thank you.  Just what I needed.”

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“Lightning Crashes” by Live

Resting his head on his arms, he watched the water dripping off the edge of the roof.  The storm had subsided, but the clouds were still dark and thunder shook the stones of the old chapel.  It would come rolling back in.

Ambroise stirred behind him.  ”Bayard.”  His voice was wheezing, strained and wet, barely audible above the din of the storm.

Bayard knelt.  ”Hush—you must rest.”

The older man smiled, his teeth tinged red, and mumbled, “O, is it your turn to command now?  Not even anointed yet.  You always were an uppity thing.”

Bayard pulled the blanket up and tucked it tighter around him.

“Look at me, boy.”

He struggled to pull his eyes from the rough wool to those soggy blue eyes.  The man shivered.

“Don’t cry.”

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“Bury Me with It” by Modest Mouse

Sniffling and rubbing at his eyes, he stopped here and there along the river to pick up stones.  He flicked and flung and tossed them into the dark rolling.  He did not bother to stop.

“Hauteclere!  Ser Hauteclere!”

He paused and clenched his jaw.  Glancing over his shoulder, he saw her.  Her tanned cheeks were stained with tears.  He stared ahead, and she came up quietly beside him.  Neither spoke.  She took his hand and pulled it open.  The chain and charm fell against his palm.

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“Hearshot Kid Disaster” by Coheed and Cambria

Coated in sweat, he panted.  The linens and padding he wore were melded to his flesh.  His helmet stunk with his breath, the stink of his body.  Everything was heavy, but he couldn’t feel the arrows embedded in the chinks in his armor anymore.  His gauntlets were locked shut, and his sword was chained to him.  Through the narrow slits, he could see the bloody point were it rested on the cobbled street.

Everyone was screaming.  The words all bled into one deafening roar.

No more, he prayed.  Please—no more.  This had to be enough.  He had naught left to give.  No more heart, no more strength, no more soul…  he was but this stinking body in a suit of armor emblazoned with Her holy symbols.

And none of it meant anything to him anymore.

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“Orestes” by A Perfect Circle

Everything hurt.  None of it made any sense.  Squeezing his eyes shut, he tensed and tried to will his body to stop shivering, himself to stop crying.  The sobs kept building up in his chest, and it was all he could do not to scream.

Fingers touched him, and he lifted his head.  His eyes were so swollen.  Was that—?

“Lay still,” Galen said.

Bayard laid his head back down.  For a few moments, he content himself to do as Galen said as those gentle hands washed him.  But the sobs were still building.

Sitting up, he threw his arms around the other man and pulled him close.  Bayard pressed his face into Galen’s neck and began to cry.

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“Amen” by Paula Cole  (only live versions, so sorry!)

“Come on,” the other boy hissed.  ”Don’t be a coward.”

“I’m not a coward!” Bayard insisted.

The boy only held out his hand again.  Grumbling under his breath, Bayard took it.  The boy helped him climb up onto the roof of the monastery.  Bayard stood there, at the edge, looking down, but the boy was looking up.  He tugged at Bayard’s tunic, and Bayard turned to scowl at him.  The boy only smiled and pointed up.

“Look,” he whispered.

So Bayard did.  Dark clouds slowly rolled over a full, tinted moon.  He watched as the clouds slipped by and patches of stars twinkled.

“It’s pretty, but I don’t—”

The boy leaned over suddenly and kissed Bayard on the cheek.  His dark eyes grew almost as full as the moon.  The boy smiled.

“You’re kinda dense, you know?”

“I…”  Bayard shrugged.  ”What’s your name, anyway?”

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“Naked as We Came” by Iron & Wine

One of the novices came at last and tugged on his sleeve.  ”She’s dead.”

“No—just sleeping,” he said and then again began murmuring The Mother’s Prayer.

The novice just shook her and then lifted her up.  She fell back.  Her  head hit the wall, and she crumpled to the side.  Bayard stared into her blank eyes—the same dark brown as his…  Nodding, he clenched his jaw and reached over to shut her eyes.

“We have to burn her body.”

He blinked and nodded.

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“Banana Pancakes” by Jack Johnson

He woke to the sound of rain.  Grinning slightly, he stretched out across his half of the bed.  ”It’s raining,” he said hoarsely.

Galen only grunted.

Chuckling, Bayard snuggled up behind him and kissed at the nape of his neck.  ”This is good,” he mumbled as he snaked arms around Galen and squeezed him gently.

He rested a hand on the back of Bayard’s arm.  ”Is it?  I thought we were due in—”

“Delayed by rain,” Bayard said and then bit lightly at Galen’s shoulder.  ”We got stuck.”

“Where did we get stuck?”

“Right here,” he smiled.

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“Send the Pain Below” by Chevelle

The bishop’s words still rung in his ears.  Every step was harder than the last, like walking through mud, like trudging up that hill in the snow with Ambroise…  His chest tightened, and he stopped short.

“Is there a problem, Brother Bayard?”

He did not lift his eyes from the stones.  They would know.  They would read it in his eyes, on his face.  They would know, and then he would be punished.  Ambroise had asked him—ordered him…

He struggled to take a breath and shook his head.  He felt light in parts, heavy in others, and it was all he could do to remain up right.

“Come, then, the cardinals are waiting.”

“This is what he wanted,” he whispered to himself.  ”He knew…”

“What was that?”

His eyes finally snapped up, and he shook his head.  ”Sorry.  I am ready.”