9.Graceful Strategies

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"Move swift as the wind and closely-formed as the wood. Attack like the fire and be still as the mountains." -Sun Tzu, The Art of War

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Song: Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: I. Prelude by Johann Sebastian Bach
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It had been a couple of days since Fiona Clarke had been detained and Ophelia had no clue that her mother sat in the cells in the basement of the castle.

Ophelia had been having the time of her life. Every morning Zeus and her would go to the garden and eat breakfast on the cliff. It was becoming quite the tradition. She had been able to play all sorts of games on the fancy computer, usually she sat with him in his office or she baked with Eunice while he worked. Ophelia was itching to move and had even found the most perfect small empty room to do so.

The two mates were just finishing a small lunch together when Ophelia bravely asked Zeus if she could use the room to dance. Of course Zeus agreed. He had even set her up with a fancy music player, which she didn't understand how to use at all. It wasn't like she could read the name of the songs, but it was the thought that counted.

"I am just going to be in the private meeting room next to my office, okay?" Zeus wished he could stay and watch her but Poseidon was supposed to come in the evening to discuss important matters.

"Okay!" Ophelia didn't stutter. In the past few days her stutter has lessened when she is with Zeus alone.

First she stretched a little bit to help her move and open up. She reached for her toes, sat in her split and folded over so her nose touched her knees. She felt her joints loosen. Ophelia felt good and after about ten minutes of stretching. She then practiced a couple leaps and twirls until she was finally ready to figure out how to work the music.

Ophelia was terrified of breaking the gift from Zeus. She didn't understand how to really work the piece of technology, at home she just had a bunch of cds and would press the triangle button to play and the two lines to stop. She looked at the fancy music player and just hit a random song like Zeus showed her how to do. Just with a click of a button music played through the room. She quickly set it down softly on the floor.

She closed her eyes, listening to the first few notes of a cello. Ophelia smiled and after five seconds she knew it was by Sebastian Bach and within eight seconds knew exactly which song was playing and in which key.

Ophelia had come to learn, memorize and love classical music. Ophelia's father would play it while she did her chores throughout the day and quiz her on who composed the piece and what the name was.

She listened closely to the notes to refresh her memory of all the twists and turns. When the song ended it started to play again.

It was fast and short but so was Ophelia.

She started to let herself fall into another world. The music was the only thing that registered in her mind. Her body just did whatever felt right. Her movements were precise but flowed like the cello flowed from note to note.

Ophelia felt free. It was the first time in a long time, she was able to dance without being interrupted by her mother.

The notes ranged from high to low. Weaving through the emotions.

Her heart was steady. She was in a euphoric state. When she leaped she felt like she was soaring.

The song came to a close and she ended her dance out of breath, just to start again.

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