Essence awoke with a start. The screams of her father still rang in her
ears as she woke from yet another haunting dream. The images still
tormented her sleep even now.
It had been at least four months since she had fled her home, yet each and every night she would wake in a clod sweat as the memories of that night played over and over in he mind. Some nights she was afraid to return to her slumber. This was one of those times.
She sat up and wiped the tears from her face with her trembling hands. Her arm had healed now, although it was still not as strong as it was. She looked around in the gloom of the night. The moon and stars shone brightly above, casting elusive shadows all around.
A sudden noise made her jump. It sounded like some kind of animals cry, a whimpering of sorts. Essence scanned the shadows among the trees which stood all around. It sounded again, it was very close. Essence's muscles tensed as her keen eyes darted from shadow to shadow, trying to pin point where the noise had come from. The cry sounded for a third time, followed by another, more familiar noise. It was the soft murmurings of Geomyr's voice.
Essence moved closer to the sleeping ranger, to try and figure out what he was saying. As she drew towards him, his words became clear:
"Do not cry sweetheart....Father is here....do not worry..I am here..I will not leave you Neisa." His face then contorted, as if he were in pain. "No, no..I cannot...I will not leave you....cannot leave you...reach for me..hurry Neisa!.........no, no, NO!"
Geomyr sat bolt upright, sweat dripping off his face, gasping for breath, shaking all over. He drew his knees up to his chest, buried his face and wept. Essence moved close and put her arms around him. He clung to her, his tears still flowing as she tried to calm him.
His tears subsided and he let her go. "I'm sorry Essence. Did I wake you?"
"No, but what caused you to awaken so suddenly?"
"Just a dream." The ranger said avoiding the Melenet's eyes.
"It sounded more like a nightmare! Who is Neisa?"
Geomyr looked at Essence, his eyes were brimming with tears again.
"My daughter." He said in a low voice.
"Daughter? I did not know that you have a daughter."
"Had a daughter." He corrected her.
"You mean she is."
Geomyr nodded slowly and let out a trembling sigh. "She was four years old."
Essence sat in a stunned silence for a moment. "What about her mother? Where is she?"
"They departed this life together." Stated the ranger.
"What happened?" Asked the Melenet, taking one of his hands in hers.
"It was two years ago, when I had a small home of my own with my wife Kareswen and our beautiful daughter Neisa, in Rohan. Nothing big, two rooms that's all. It was a cold winter's night, Kareswen and Neisa were asleep in the bedroom. I was sitting by the fire, when there was a knock at the door. I answered it to find my neighbour, he said there was a fight going on in one of my fields and asked me to go and help him sort it out. So I went in to Kareswen and told her I was going out and that I would not be long. Gave her and Neisa a kiss and left.
"It took a lot longer than I expected, there were several men fighting over something, I cannot remember what. I must have been out there for at least two hours. When I turned back towards the house I noticed smoke rising from the hole in the roof. Thick smoke, and an orange light. I had never run so fast in my life as I sped towards the house.
"When I got there I tried to get in through the door but there was no way in, the fire had spread across the floor, blocking the doorway. I could just see into the bedroom. See Neisa standing there-"
He paused, gathering himself as tears began to roll down his face.
"-she was crying her eyes out, backed into the corner. I ran to the side of the house, where the only window to the bedroom was. The fire had spread into the bedroom, onto the bed. Kareswen was lying on the bed, burning before my eyes. My daughter had to stand and watch her own mother burn."
He began to weep once again, through his tears he continued:
"I told Neisa to look at me. 'Look at Papa', I said. Her green eyes were so wide, she was petrified. I told her I would not leave her and told her to walk to me. She was so scared that she just stood there, so I told her again, 'Walk to Papa sweetheart'. She was only a few feet from the window, but each step took a lifetime. I lent in as far as I could, reaching for her. She was so close, so close I could almost feel her. Just two more steps would have done it.
"The roof began to creek and groan, I saw large pieces of it fall about her. She stopped where she was, too scared to move. Larger pieces began to fall. She was screaming for me 'Papa, Papa!' Just then I felt someone grab me from behind and my neighbour pulled me to the ground, dragging me away. Saying it was too dangerous. Neisa was crying louder than ever 'Papa, Papa, where are you?' I fought my neighbour off and ran back, her little hands were grasping the window ledge, reaching out for me. Then it happened, it all collapsed. A burning heap. A tomb. I heard her scream so loudly, such pain, so young. My only child. I had no choice but to stand here and watch her burn. Watch my only child die in front of my eyes."
"I am so sorry." Said Essence as she put her arms around him.
"Do not be. There has not been a day since then that I have not felt the tremendous guilt of what happened."
"Guilt? Why?"
"I was the one who left the fire burning! Me!"
"You were not to know!"
Geomyr just shook his head. "That is why I became a ranger. So I could escape from the memories of a home. Well, try and escape."
"I am glad that you told me. You did not have to."
"I know, but I feel I can tell you anything. Thank you."
"What for?"
"Just listening. I feel so much better, I had not told anyone since it happened."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Well I can listen more if you like, tell me about your life with your family."
So he did. Geomyr told her everything, every detail, just for the sake of re-living those good memories. Memories he had almost forgotten.
It had been at least four months since she had fled her home, yet each and every night she would wake in a clod sweat as the memories of that night played over and over in he mind. Some nights she was afraid to return to her slumber. This was one of those times.
She sat up and wiped the tears from her face with her trembling hands. Her arm had healed now, although it was still not as strong as it was. She looked around in the gloom of the night. The moon and stars shone brightly above, casting elusive shadows all around.
A sudden noise made her jump. It sounded like some kind of animals cry, a whimpering of sorts. Essence scanned the shadows among the trees which stood all around. It sounded again, it was very close. Essence's muscles tensed as her keen eyes darted from shadow to shadow, trying to pin point where the noise had come from. The cry sounded for a third time, followed by another, more familiar noise. It was the soft murmurings of Geomyr's voice.
Essence moved closer to the sleeping ranger, to try and figure out what he was saying. As she drew towards him, his words became clear:
"Do not cry sweetheart....Father is here....do not worry..I am here..I will not leave you Neisa." His face then contorted, as if he were in pain. "No, no..I cannot...I will not leave you....cannot leave you...reach for me..hurry Neisa!.........no, no, NO!"
Geomyr sat bolt upright, sweat dripping off his face, gasping for breath, shaking all over. He drew his knees up to his chest, buried his face and wept. Essence moved close and put her arms around him. He clung to her, his tears still flowing as she tried to calm him.
His tears subsided and he let her go. "I'm sorry Essence. Did I wake you?"
"No, but what caused you to awaken so suddenly?"
"Just a dream." The ranger said avoiding the Melenet's eyes.
"It sounded more like a nightmare! Who is Neisa?"
Geomyr looked at Essence, his eyes were brimming with tears again.
"My daughter." He said in a low voice.
"Daughter? I did not know that you have a daughter."
"Had a daughter." He corrected her.
"You mean she is."
Geomyr nodded slowly and let out a trembling sigh. "She was four years old."
Essence sat in a stunned silence for a moment. "What about her mother? Where is she?"
"They departed this life together." Stated the ranger.
"What happened?" Asked the Melenet, taking one of his hands in hers.
"It was two years ago, when I had a small home of my own with my wife Kareswen and our beautiful daughter Neisa, in Rohan. Nothing big, two rooms that's all. It was a cold winter's night, Kareswen and Neisa were asleep in the bedroom. I was sitting by the fire, when there was a knock at the door. I answered it to find my neighbour, he said there was a fight going on in one of my fields and asked me to go and help him sort it out. So I went in to Kareswen and told her I was going out and that I would not be long. Gave her and Neisa a kiss and left.
"It took a lot longer than I expected, there were several men fighting over something, I cannot remember what. I must have been out there for at least two hours. When I turned back towards the house I noticed smoke rising from the hole in the roof. Thick smoke, and an orange light. I had never run so fast in my life as I sped towards the house.
"When I got there I tried to get in through the door but there was no way in, the fire had spread across the floor, blocking the doorway. I could just see into the bedroom. See Neisa standing there-"
He paused, gathering himself as tears began to roll down his face.
"-she was crying her eyes out, backed into the corner. I ran to the side of the house, where the only window to the bedroom was. The fire had spread into the bedroom, onto the bed. Kareswen was lying on the bed, burning before my eyes. My daughter had to stand and watch her own mother burn."
He began to weep once again, through his tears he continued:
"I told Neisa to look at me. 'Look at Papa', I said. Her green eyes were so wide, she was petrified. I told her I would not leave her and told her to walk to me. She was so scared that she just stood there, so I told her again, 'Walk to Papa sweetheart'. She was only a few feet from the window, but each step took a lifetime. I lent in as far as I could, reaching for her. She was so close, so close I could almost feel her. Just two more steps would have done it.
"The roof began to creek and groan, I saw large pieces of it fall about her. She stopped where she was, too scared to move. Larger pieces began to fall. She was screaming for me 'Papa, Papa!' Just then I felt someone grab me from behind and my neighbour pulled me to the ground, dragging me away. Saying it was too dangerous. Neisa was crying louder than ever 'Papa, Papa, where are you?' I fought my neighbour off and ran back, her little hands were grasping the window ledge, reaching out for me. Then it happened, it all collapsed. A burning heap. A tomb. I heard her scream so loudly, such pain, so young. My only child. I had no choice but to stand here and watch her burn. Watch my only child die in front of my eyes."
"I am so sorry." Said Essence as she put her arms around him.
"Do not be. There has not been a day since then that I have not felt the tremendous guilt of what happened."
"Guilt? Why?"
"I was the one who left the fire burning! Me!"
"You were not to know!"
Geomyr just shook his head. "That is why I became a ranger. So I could escape from the memories of a home. Well, try and escape."
"I am glad that you told me. You did not have to."
"I know, but I feel I can tell you anything. Thank you."
"What for?"
"Just listening. I feel so much better, I had not told anyone since it happened."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Well I can listen more if you like, tell me about your life with your family."
So he did. Geomyr told her everything, every detail, just for the sake of re-living those good memories. Memories he had almost forgotten.