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Winter’s Crest in Whitestone is a grand and joyous event, a whirl of twinkling lights and warm drinks combating the dark and chill outside and around. Speeches and dancing and friendly competition fill the streets and ballrooms late into the night, of course always accompanied by song. Young Percival’s favorite is an old and simple melody, but one that grows and weaves beautifully as more voices join in. He always likes to choose the most complicated accompaniment to follow, of course, but he will gladly lead a little sibling if they ask. Every year under the glittering Sun Tree, the whole De Rolo family sings together and ten voices dip and weave and swell in harmony to follow the carol. Percival sings out proudly, his heart swelling with joy, and together their voices seem to rattle the stars.
~ ~ ~
Winter’s Crest alone is cold and dark, both inside and out. Percy never spends more than a few days at any one town before moving on. He can’t let them find him. Not yet. He doesn’t even know if they’re still looking. His project is so near completion, so close to being ready. The sinister voice in his mind urges him ever on. That night the village inn’s few rooms are all occupied, so he retreats to the woods to make camp. He looks up at the moonless sky strewn with stars, and with a jolt realizes the day. The small campfire doing little to cut the chill of the night, Percy sings his favorite carol. He hears his quiet voice thin and alone in the dark, the simple melody becoming frail with no other voice to chime in. In that moment the fullness of his loss hits him, and just for the night he allows the kernel of hatred in his heart to melt into grief, and he mourns.
~ ~ ~
Winter’s Crest in Westruun is unfamiliar. Percy now has friends at his back, but new enemies lurk around every corner and the tides of politics seem to be moving dangerously against them. As the party walks down the street, Percy’s heart catches at a familiar old melody. He whirls around to find the source, a small troupe on the street corner, but slows his pace as he approaches. The words are all wrong, the harmonies are out of place. Westruun’s carol is not his own. Scanlan gives him an odd glance as Percy drops a few silver into the hat but does not press it as Percy moves on.
~ ~ ~
Winter’s Crest is approaching once more, and Whitestone is newly freed. Percy spends most of his time organizing the chaotic situation in the castle as his friends help with rebuilding efforts. As he visits his old workshop and immerses himself in the task of making it once again usable, he begins to quietly sing to himself. An old melody, simple on its own. Unexpectedly, he finds it met with a quiet harmony, hesitant, almost whispered. He looks up to see Cassandra in the doorway, clutching at a shawl around her shoulders and tears spilling from her eyes. She begins to trail off but he shakes his head and smiles, redoubling his voice and encouraging hers. Cassandra steps forward as her voice strengthens and weaves around his, and he pulls her into a hug as the last of the De Rolos sing through their tears.
~ ~ ~
Winter’s Crest is coming to a close, and Percy hums an old and simple melody as he looks up at the Sun Tree newly festooned with twinkling lights and fluttering ribbons. Although feeble compared to the grand balls of his youth, warmth and light once again diffuse through the city and cut through the dark and chill. He feels a nudge at his leg and a soft “Oi,” and turns around to see Scanlan at his side and the rest of his friends waiting expectantly behind with, surprisingly, Cassandra.
“You know, it’d really be a shame to let a musical tradition die out,” Scanlan said gently with a twinkle in his eye. Before Percy could gather a coherent thought, Scanlan turned and signaled to the group and Vox Machina launched into song.
It was quite possibly the worst rendition of the carol that had ever been sung under the Sun Tree. The twins couldn’t carry a tune to save their lives, Keyleth kept the tempo guessing, and Grog seemed blissfully unaware of most of the lyrics. Of course Percy joined in wholeheartedly, and once again he and his family sang out to rattle the stars.