Aaron was hanging from the ledge, caught in a battle of strength. Ryan had
a tight grasp on Aaron's arms, but the shadow enveloped his entire lower
body. Ryan pulled with all of the strength he had, and he was weeping in
pain. After a few moments, he could stand no more, and he used his last bit
of strength in one firm tug, but the shadow was relentless. Under the
terrible strain, Ryan's muscles from the shoulders to the fingertips gave
out, and viciously tore. He screamed hoarsely, and Aaron slipped away. Ryan
was beside himself, numbing him from the pain in his arms and mind. Aaron
let out a terrible shrill, and disappeared into the darkness.
"No!" Cried Ryan. "Aaron!" He lay there by the ledge for what seemed like hours, crying into his hands.
A few minutes passed, and he heard another ball of light being cast into the fire below, followed by a deafening howl. Aaron's scream penetrated Ryan as deeply as Darren's had. He mourned and prayed there for Aaron, as his light was diminishing in the fiery abyss. When the ball of light was consumed, there was silence, except for the crisp crackling of the fire.
Then, a great dagger of flame rose hundreds of feet over the eye of the mountain, so that for a moment, Mount Sirus was a torch raised over the land. When reason returned to Ryan, he fled. He rose up off the ground, and raced down to the stairway. When he came to it, he ran as fast as he could down the stairs, skipping three steps a stride, nearly stumbling a number of times. When he reached the base of the mountain, he looked toward the shrubbery, but found no horse. It had escaped and run off, and Ryan was left with only his feet.
He ran past the prairie muttering to himself reassuringly, "No! This is a dream. It is all a dream." Then he shrieked suddenly, and fell to the ground, crying intensely into his hands.
But he quickly came to feel that he was not yet out of peril. Fear returned and overcame him, and wiping away his tears, he forced himself back onto his feet. He continued running through the Isil Forest, which was much darker than before, for the sun now hung low and was preparing to set. He did not stop running until he reached the end of the forest, where he stopped to rest. He hadn't looked back once during his flee.
As he lay under an oak tree, he made a decision. After resting, he would go to the Bella Crescent to inform Aaron's father of his demise, and then he would return home to his parents. He would go to Darren's home as well, but his parents died from plague long ago, and he had lived alone in his house in Anchorage.
Ryan let his mind rest, and in the warmth of the setting sun and the green of the grass, he felt safe and happy; happy to be alive.
-----
Ryan woke at nightfall, and he felt ready to face the father of Aaron. As he came over the bridge to the Bella Crescent, he thought about the exact words he would use. He reached the farm, and found a path of dirt that led him to the doorstep of the main house. There was a candle lit in the living room, and the shadows it projected through the window and on the porch, sent a chill down Ryan's spine. He loathed what he was about to do, and he dreaded the inevitable reaction from Aaron's father. He took a deep breath, and knocked on the door. Pyaren's footsteps crept closer to the door, and a large silhouette shone through.
Pyaren opened the door, and Ryan was on his knees, his clothing mere rags; dirty and torn. When Pyaren saw the anxiety in Ryan's eyes, he knew that something had happened to his son.
"Forgive me, father of Aaron. Your son is lost."
-----
Ryan stayed with Pyaren in the main house and mourned with him for two weeks, far longer than he had originally intended to stay. Of course, he did not forget about his parents in Oakton, and he sent them a letter explaining the events that took place, and that he would be staying with Pyaren for the time being. He felt sorry for the old man who, now alone, could not maintain his farm and would lose his business.
"I'm finished." He told Ryan the afternoon following his son's death. "I have no one to help me in the fields, and without my business I'll have to move into the village, and work in an inn."
Ryan looked sympathetically, but not condescendingly, into the Pyaren's eyes. "I can stay here with you for a bit, if you need any help!"
Pyaren smiled at the young, strong hearted, man. "That is most gracious of you, but- I'm afraid- I shouldn't keep you from your parents."
"It is no trouble! I have been searching for work for a long time, and they would be overjoyed if I could work for you!" Said Ryan, who was at the edge of laughter.
"We shall see."
"I at least will stay with you for a short while!" Pleaded Ryan. "Until you find someone to help you permanently in the fields."
Pyaren laughed. "You are kind! Why should I stop you? I would enjoy your company! But," he said softly. "The next two weeks, I shall not work. I shall only mourn for my son."
"I will mourn with you. He was my closest friend."
And so it came to be that Ryan stayed with Pyaren, and after the mourning period ended, Pyaren took him out to the fields and taught him how he could help run the farm. Ryan had been given the job permanently, for, as he said, his parents were overjoyed that he could work for Pyaren, and they sent him word that he should stay and learn to work in the fields. Ryan was eager to learn, and he listened carefully and attentively to Pyaren's instructions, and thus he earned the job and filled the void left by Aaron.
-----
"No!" Cried Ryan. "Aaron!" He lay there by the ledge for what seemed like hours, crying into his hands.
A few minutes passed, and he heard another ball of light being cast into the fire below, followed by a deafening howl. Aaron's scream penetrated Ryan as deeply as Darren's had. He mourned and prayed there for Aaron, as his light was diminishing in the fiery abyss. When the ball of light was consumed, there was silence, except for the crisp crackling of the fire.
Then, a great dagger of flame rose hundreds of feet over the eye of the mountain, so that for a moment, Mount Sirus was a torch raised over the land. When reason returned to Ryan, he fled. He rose up off the ground, and raced down to the stairway. When he came to it, he ran as fast as he could down the stairs, skipping three steps a stride, nearly stumbling a number of times. When he reached the base of the mountain, he looked toward the shrubbery, but found no horse. It had escaped and run off, and Ryan was left with only his feet.
He ran past the prairie muttering to himself reassuringly, "No! This is a dream. It is all a dream." Then he shrieked suddenly, and fell to the ground, crying intensely into his hands.
But he quickly came to feel that he was not yet out of peril. Fear returned and overcame him, and wiping away his tears, he forced himself back onto his feet. He continued running through the Isil Forest, which was much darker than before, for the sun now hung low and was preparing to set. He did not stop running until he reached the end of the forest, where he stopped to rest. He hadn't looked back once during his flee.
As he lay under an oak tree, he made a decision. After resting, he would go to the Bella Crescent to inform Aaron's father of his demise, and then he would return home to his parents. He would go to Darren's home as well, but his parents died from plague long ago, and he had lived alone in his house in Anchorage.
Ryan let his mind rest, and in the warmth of the setting sun and the green of the grass, he felt safe and happy; happy to be alive.
-----
Ryan woke at nightfall, and he felt ready to face the father of Aaron. As he came over the bridge to the Bella Crescent, he thought about the exact words he would use. He reached the farm, and found a path of dirt that led him to the doorstep of the main house. There was a candle lit in the living room, and the shadows it projected through the window and on the porch, sent a chill down Ryan's spine. He loathed what he was about to do, and he dreaded the inevitable reaction from Aaron's father. He took a deep breath, and knocked on the door. Pyaren's footsteps crept closer to the door, and a large silhouette shone through.
Pyaren opened the door, and Ryan was on his knees, his clothing mere rags; dirty and torn. When Pyaren saw the anxiety in Ryan's eyes, he knew that something had happened to his son.
"Forgive me, father of Aaron. Your son is lost."
-----
Ryan stayed with Pyaren in the main house and mourned with him for two weeks, far longer than he had originally intended to stay. Of course, he did not forget about his parents in Oakton, and he sent them a letter explaining the events that took place, and that he would be staying with Pyaren for the time being. He felt sorry for the old man who, now alone, could not maintain his farm and would lose his business.
"I'm finished." He told Ryan the afternoon following his son's death. "I have no one to help me in the fields, and without my business I'll have to move into the village, and work in an inn."
Ryan looked sympathetically, but not condescendingly, into the Pyaren's eyes. "I can stay here with you for a bit, if you need any help!"
Pyaren smiled at the young, strong hearted, man. "That is most gracious of you, but- I'm afraid- I shouldn't keep you from your parents."
"It is no trouble! I have been searching for work for a long time, and they would be overjoyed if I could work for you!" Said Ryan, who was at the edge of laughter.
"We shall see."
"I at least will stay with you for a short while!" Pleaded Ryan. "Until you find someone to help you permanently in the fields."
Pyaren laughed. "You are kind! Why should I stop you? I would enjoy your company! But," he said softly. "The next two weeks, I shall not work. I shall only mourn for my son."
"I will mourn with you. He was my closest friend."
And so it came to be that Ryan stayed with Pyaren, and after the mourning period ended, Pyaren took him out to the fields and taught him how he could help run the farm. Ryan had been given the job permanently, for, as he said, his parents were overjoyed that he could work for Pyaren, and they sent him word that he should stay and learn to work in the fields. Ryan was eager to learn, and he listened carefully and attentively to Pyaren's instructions, and thus he earned the job and filled the void left by Aaron.
-----
