Llhaesa was not well seasoned in performing before large audiences. There had been a few concerts – 8 to be precise, before the heavy hand of government took notice of her social and political commentary, and then denied her access to the best concert facilities.

While she lived to play, llhaesa was always a bit apprehensive prior to taking the stage. The jitters disappeared once she began playing, as adrenaline and the music carried her off on a journey – one she just happened to let others witness.

And that was the deep secret of her music – how she could leave this world and recreate it such that the travails that befell and impaired Arrhazonan folk were left behind for a few hours.

Four months had passed since the banning. No one from the government ever spoke with her, the banning just showed in her electronic mail as an official notice. Eager – itching – to play, she relished the thought of Nenseru Woods, relished the thought of being let loose, of being free.

She was also itching to speak her mind.

Llhaesa loved living with M’traliel, but they were no longer lovers; that had ended by the start of her third year of school. With M’traliel more than a year out of school, aside from their political outlook, they had found each other to be quite different. Llhaesa, even as she was politically engaged, was free of spirit, one who found a cloud and rode along for a while just to enjoy the day and the view.

M’traliel by contrast was intense, sometimes succumbing to a burning anger within. She would get in the face of someone who defended Arrhazon gender inequities, challenging them to prove her wrong. Llhaesa would set with them, not only hear their point of view, but leave the person thinking she was hanging on every word, occasionally politely nodding. Their point spent, an air of having prevailed washing over them, llhaesa would calmly ask if they had considered other alternatives.

She would frame a whole range of options, from minor change to wholesale change, then run through the pros and cons of each one. By the time she was done, few would ever doubt they had not only just been bested by someone of substantial depth, they grudgingly conceded she had a point – several of them.

On this day, llhaesa had spent 3 hours working out, 6 hours practicing mostly keyboards, some guitar thrown in. Now she was done with that part of her day, and she was taking a moment to relax with a glass of wine.

In 2 days she was to meet with Djellrin and Hrilleae Khentavra at their home in city north. Olterian had assured her they were equalist activists, and were the moving force behind the Nenseru Woods show. The Khentavra’s sounded like an intriguing couple, who were in turn creating an intriguing scenario. Llhaesa would meet them alone, as M’traliel had a prior commitment which would keep her away for a couple of days. That was ok, they could dispense with formalities and more fully engage and interact. M’traliel was hardly a problem, just that numbers alone shifted the dynamics of a first meeting.

Llhaesa suspected there would be more talk of political agendas than of music, and that was ok – given she was equally adept with either subject.

What she did not know was that a fourth would in fact be there – the 18 year old daughter of Hrilleae and Djellrin, and upon leaving their home, the most prominent subject in her thoughts would not be music, not activism, nor Hrilleae or Djellrin, rather it would be their dark haired, green eyed, quiet but contemplative, daughter.