Shifting Sands: The Pain of Living
Chapter 10: A World Unheard Of
'Whew off the hook.' Larn thought as she began. "It is a site better than this planet, I'll tell you that first off. It is a place of great mountain ranges, vast deserts, sprawling forests, deep lakes and oceans that connect around the globe.
The place that I come form in paticular has four seasons. The summers are generally hot and damp. Falls are windy and have the most beautiful display of colors as the trees lose their leaves. When wither strikes, the naked trees are temporarily covered in a frosting of white wile the ground is covered like a blanket. Springs are heralded by the return of the birds, the budding of the trees, and the making of Maple syurp.
Varying bodies of water can be found all over the land. Lakes, rivers, swamps you name it we have it…save ocean. The largest group of freshwater lakes to be found surround the landmass on three sides. The country side is truly a beautiful place."
He watched her as she spoke. She relaxed and even smiled during the recitation. Her gaze was focused past him as if she were picturing this place that he only ever fantasized about. When she moved on to the next part though, he noted that her look changed. It was still distant but it wasn't near as focused.
"The city though is an entirely different matter. Buildings that tower well above the tops of the clouds stretch on for as far as the eye can see. That isn't very far because of the buildings being in the way. Cement and steel are everywhere. Crime, pollution and noise abound.
The nicest refuge that one could go to was the gardens. Oh you wouldn't believe the plants that they had there. There was one particular spot that seemed to be a favorite of many. It was right next to a brook that we often would dangle our feet in. The moss under the trees there was soft and silky. It was the perfect place to lay back and wish that the stars you were looking at in the night sky were real."
Ben found himself taken back. Her very words were drawing a picture of the Temple and the Room of a Thousand Fountains. That had been his favorite place in the temple. Mostly for the reasons she was stating. He went there so often that many of his early memories were tied to it. Including one long forgotten friend from his earliest days.
She had been a wild child. Anything that the boys did, she figured that she had a right to do as well. If they peeled off their robes down to under shorts to go swimming, so did she. The Creche Masters had their hands full trying to keep her from the showers at the same time as the boys.
The more he thought of it, the more he could see little things in Larn that reminded him of that girl. She had always been free with her expressions, especially when reminded that she was to keep her emotional outbursts in check. Long before the honey blonde had reached the age of choosing, the masters sent her from the temple. They had said that she was too unstable to work as a knight and that no master would ever choose her.
He opened eyes that he hadn't even realized he had closed. He took a hard look at the woman before him. Her hair was a bit lighter, but he could attribute that to the harsh sun. Her unfocused eyes were about the same hazel as his long lost friend.
"Aristar." He breathed.
Her unfocused eyes moved to look through him. "Yes Obi?"