Home
The wind was howling harshly across his face as the sun slowly rose from behind the far mountains ahead of him. He did not know how or why. He had been blessed enough to find his way back, to this valley. This smell, it was the smell of long lost memories of his childhood, of people now lost in this battle. It smelled like home. Never had he dreamed that he would climb this mountain one more time, to inhale the sweet scent of the sand and the sun. He fell to his knees, his hands trembling. His callous fingers dug deep into the hot sand, he could feel it burn his skin. Or maybe it was just his head. It must be raining, because he saw small drops falling to the sand next to his hands. Yes, it must be raining.
How could he take one step further? He had done so many, many things. He had done what he could to keep this lands safe, and yet, he felt like a fool for thinking people would still want him. What would his woman think of him? Could he even go back to the ways of old? The wind whipped harder across his face, bringing to him the scent of lilies. They would always love him, they said. He knelt there, waiting for the harsh storm to settle and the rain to subside. Home, finally. Long ago, the sun on her face, her smile tearful and nodding. As he had asked her, lilies were what he had given her. She loved them, back then. Home. The clouds shifted, withered. He looked up, seeing a blurry sun above the mountains. That was when he stood. He brushed off the dust off his bloody clothes, limped forward. Nothing mattered but that smell that drew him to this dream long forgotten. Home.