"If you would rather, Miss Esther," answered the swordswoman, "I can set you down. I assure you, however, that I can bear your weight for some time." It certainly seemed to be as such, as she trudged through the underbrush of the forest.<br/><br/>As they went further into the woods, Cyrille began to sing a rather tranquil, yet uplifting song, a little louder than just being under her breath.<br/><br/><i>Been here before a long time ago<br/>
But this time, I wear no sandals<br/>
Ages past, I gave all you people<br/>
Food and water<br/>
Three feet tall, so very small<br/>
I'm no trouble<br/>
I bring thunder, lightning<br/>
Sun and the rain<br/>
For all the people  in the land<br/>
<br/>
A message of love<br/>
I bring you from up above<br/>
All you children gather around<br/>
Come join your hands and sing along</i><br/><br/>Many of the creatures of the night who had once been silent began to chirp and hoot and whistle along, though they weren't entirely in tune.<br/><br/><i>They call me Mad the Swine<br/>
I guess I'm Mad the Swine<br/>
I've come to save you, save you<br/>
Mad the Swine<br/>
Mad the Swine<br/>
So all you people gather around<br/>
Hold out your hands and praise the lord</i><br/><br/>Some kind of scratching, not unlike that of a bear clawing a tree could be heard, going in rhythm to the song.<br/><br/><i>I walk upon the water, just as before<br/>
I'll help the meek and the mild<br/>
And the lepers and the blind<br/>
And all the creatures great and small</i><br/><br/><i>Let me take you to the river <br/>
Without a ford<br/>
Then one day you'll realize<br/>
You're all the same within his eyes<br/>
That's all I have to say<br/>
Just like before</i><br/><br/>This time, a wolf could be heard, far in the distance, howling as best it could to match the notes that Cyrille was hitting.<br/><br/><i>They call me Mad the Swine<br/>
Mad the Swine<br/>
I've come to save you, save you<br/>
Mad the Swine<br/>
Mad the Swine<br/>
So all you people gather around<br/>
Hold out your hands and praise the lord</i><br/><br/><i>So all you people gather around<br/>
Hold out your hands and praise the lord<br/>
Don't ever fail me</i><br/><br/>By now, the forest was teeming with the voices of nature trying to do something that, by their standards, was unnatural, but they couldn't seem to help themselves, following along as though they were a rough, ill-trained choir.<br/><br/><i>Mad the Swine<br/>
Mad the Swine<br/>
I've come to save you, save you<br/>
Mad the Swine<br/>
Mad the Swine<br/>
So all you people gather around<br/>
Hold out your hands and praise the lord<br/>
Hands and praise the lord<br/>
Praise the lord</i><br/><br/>As the song faded, so did the voices of the forest. Slowly but surely, things died down until only the crickets and nocturnal birds could be heard. "The song is called<i>Mad the Swine</i>. It speaks of an oracle of Pelor from a time long past, one who exorcised a demon from a man, and the spirit left by cursing a pig farmer, who had summoned the demon out of spite, striking his animals insane. They fled the area and flung themselves into the sea, every last one of them."<br/><br/>There was only a short walk between then and finding a trail that led upwards and into the hills. It was wide enough to have been for wagon traffic, leaving more than enough space for Aerylinne to walk on her own without worry of ruining the hem of her dress, and so Cyrille planted her on her feet. "We should be able to reach the gap in the mountains before sunrise. 'Tis only another mile or two," she said, her voice still having traces of sing-song from her earlier display. She offered her arm, elbow bent, and asked, "Shall we?"<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>