I walked across the beach; blood still stained its surface from the battle.
I made my way to where I had seen my future disappear, killed by an arrow.
I kneeled in the spot; tears flowed freely onto the white sand, cleaned by
the forgetful ocean tides. My father had always said the sea has no memory,
I wished for the tides to wash away my pain and anguish, but that wouldn't
happen ever. The sea has no power really, I felt my tears join with the
great sea, but no pain followed with them.
I looked down the beach to find our ship gone into the sea, the mast sticking up from the waters glowing in the red light cast by the rising sun. I could see a trail of footprints, bloodstained, leading from where it had run ashore. Seeing them reminded me of the weasel, I hoped he and his sister were all right and happy, maybe there was something left here. I looked at the spot where Celeste had fallen, what would she want, what did I want?
All I had ever wanted since I had woken up in the mountain was to follow Celeste, to somehow follow her to the gate of the dark forest and be at peace with her. Now I had second thoughts. I knew her well enough to know that the one thing she had always cherished was life. She wouldn't want me to join her so soon and for such a dumb reason as I wasn't strong enough.
I followed the footprints into the forest, hoping to find the weasel. I knew I couldn't make it without someone; I'd never been leader. Always the follower, probably why I hadn't resisted Ulnan on the ship, tried to get him to avert his plans for the war against Salamandastron. Looking back, it hadn't even been a war; it was too short to be one, just a few blows and we had fallen. After being in the mountain I knew that they had many more beasts then us, a few times more.
I looked to the mountain again, the sun had begun climbing high into the sky, bathing it in golden light giving it an almost beautiful lively feel, except for the feelings I had about it, the feeling of doom. The mountain not only stood as a defender of the shore, it stood for the lives of many beasts who were now dead and gone for the mistakes of a few, a chance happening and the inability of others to have the courage to stop it.
I stood there, at the edge of the forest, about to disappear into its grasp in search of new beginnings, full of hope and weighed down with the burden of carrying the memories. I had hopes of seeing Hallan again and maybe even the hare healer, Meryl again. I hoped for her safety and happiness, I hoped she would heed my words and just keep herself well. For me the mountain stood a reminder of loss, for he it was home and all those she knew and cared about, I took out the small knife I had taken from her.
She didn't need it; she cherished life and had no needs for the means to end it. She had plenty of hares to look out for her anyway; I turned to the forest and began making my way along the trail of footprints of my friend, on my way to a new horizon. Lessons of the past will guide me and with any luck I could find new happiness and some semblance of peace within myself. A last glance at the great fire mountain and I disappeared through the forest due east towards unfamiliar horizons and the future.
I looked down the beach to find our ship gone into the sea, the mast sticking up from the waters glowing in the red light cast by the rising sun. I could see a trail of footprints, bloodstained, leading from where it had run ashore. Seeing them reminded me of the weasel, I hoped he and his sister were all right and happy, maybe there was something left here. I looked at the spot where Celeste had fallen, what would she want, what did I want?
All I had ever wanted since I had woken up in the mountain was to follow Celeste, to somehow follow her to the gate of the dark forest and be at peace with her. Now I had second thoughts. I knew her well enough to know that the one thing she had always cherished was life. She wouldn't want me to join her so soon and for such a dumb reason as I wasn't strong enough.
I followed the footprints into the forest, hoping to find the weasel. I knew I couldn't make it without someone; I'd never been leader. Always the follower, probably why I hadn't resisted Ulnan on the ship, tried to get him to avert his plans for the war against Salamandastron. Looking back, it hadn't even been a war; it was too short to be one, just a few blows and we had fallen. After being in the mountain I knew that they had many more beasts then us, a few times more.
I looked to the mountain again, the sun had begun climbing high into the sky, bathing it in golden light giving it an almost beautiful lively feel, except for the feelings I had about it, the feeling of doom. The mountain not only stood as a defender of the shore, it stood for the lives of many beasts who were now dead and gone for the mistakes of a few, a chance happening and the inability of others to have the courage to stop it.
I stood there, at the edge of the forest, about to disappear into its grasp in search of new beginnings, full of hope and weighed down with the burden of carrying the memories. I had hopes of seeing Hallan again and maybe even the hare healer, Meryl again. I hoped for her safety and happiness, I hoped she would heed my words and just keep herself well. For me the mountain stood a reminder of loss, for he it was home and all those she knew and cared about, I took out the small knife I had taken from her.
She didn't need it; she cherished life and had no needs for the means to end it. She had plenty of hares to look out for her anyway; I turned to the forest and began making my way along the trail of footprints of my friend, on my way to a new horizon. Lessons of the past will guide me and with any luck I could find new happiness and some semblance of peace within myself. A last glance at the great fire mountain and I disappeared through the forest due east towards unfamiliar horizons and the future.