A Difficult Parting

Lost in thought, I reflected on our situation. Quite the adventure I’ve gotten myself into now. The ship to Turingard was fortunately uneventful. I’ve seen the sea many times though I had never taken a vessel upon its fickle fortunes. I wasn’t altogether sure of what brought me up the cursed mountain, at least that is how the dwarves saw it, to become locked behind the Candlenox Door. A name I now understand much more clearly as we wait now, hoping to exit again on Candlenox next year, a year.

Dragons, a pair of foully magical doorknockers and a garrison of wicked drow had demonstrated some of the cruel interest in this artifact we sought, this Eye of the Avatar. The price was nearly two of our lives, mine included. Where will this take us? And now….now what shall a year in a cold and dreary cave bring to us, alone and yet together?

A full month had passed since our victory and our entrapment. We thought we knew the price when we entered this enchanted dark, but the full realization of an entire year lost in this lonely cave began to settle upon us. The last pride and rush of battle well-fought and the satisfaction of the spoils, legend though they may be, had dwindled to little more than a reminder of our inability to go on. In fact, the certainty of escape was slowly becoming less sure every day.

I did my best to console my companion, who liked even less her fate of subterranean life. I never should have brought her here. What place has a hawk, no matter how noble or loyal, in a place such as this? Her agitation continually mounted and I began to fear for her mind. No words or actions I take now can soothe the ache for the sky of any of Narduna’s winged believers. Ah, Dame, what can be done for you? Watching your plight does naught, but increase my own.

“Oberon. Would you walk with me a bit?”

“Where would you have me walk Victor? You know the boundaries of this place as well as the rest of us.”

“Only to talk, away from barrels of dried food and the almost warmth of the torchlight. Would you talk with me?”

“If that is what will console you then, let us make another circuit of this hole.”

We walked away from the storage area of our enemies, which we now saw fit to make our own encampment and wandered back towards the dragon’s lair under a shrouded light of an everburning torch.

“What weighs on your mind, Victor, other than the dark, cold, and prospect of a year in it? What do I have to offer my friend?”

“It is exactly that which I wish to speak to you of. Friendship. I know that still you do not know me fully though we have bested much evil together. I also know that perhaps our faiths cross swords, if still unacknowledged. Do you really call me friend?”

“Victor, what question is this? You have thrown trustingly into our lot, the outcome of which we do not even know. You have bravely fought at our side. Were it not for your thrown axes, we may have never left that icy pass outside.”

“I know of my facility to a group, Oberon. That is no deeper bond than necessity and shared hardship. I am no coward, nor traitor to a just cause. These are not things I need reminder of at present. I wish to penetrate the walls of foreignness and estrangement. I wish your friendship and of all the party. I feel that there may be even more than that between us. I am an outsider. You are all family, nobility, born and raised in another country in a different life, my prayers go to a different deity, my age even, sets me slightly apart and yet I feel…..well, connected, I suppose.”

“It is my belief that you have our friendship and even that of our families not with us, whether living or no. Why do you ask these things of me?”

“It is with you most Oberon, that I feel a distance and a solidarity. A brotherhood of spirit and respect yet a nod of disapproval for a wayward soul. The others, less….religious, laugh and jest with me. Their acceptance is much nearer than yours. Would you honestly look into the eyes of another faith filled friend and tell me that you do not judge me according to the will of Elos?”

We entered the larger opening now, where the slow current of the water just over the edge farthest from us could hardly be discerned. I might have thought the sigh was that of the water had Dame’s head not abruptly turned towards Oberon.

“Victor. Were it my simple lot to judge others, life would be far easier. Elos teaches not judgment, but goodness and hope for all creatures, to live and love under his guiding sun. I would be lying to you though if I said that it does not hang on my heart to see you sit off in your own prayers when the rest of us come together, or that you do not utter thanks to Elos for our safety or the simple blessing of our food. I do not mean to be so brash as to sit in judgment as if I were a god myself.

You must understand, Victor, you are not only an outsider, you lead a different way of life that we have never been exposed to until we were forced to leave our home under duress. Your words of our upbringing and nobility ring close to my heart. For I understand more now that knowledge, custom, and family are but a part of wisdom and understanding in this world. For my part, I can say that I respect your faith and your truths and in time I hope to call you friend as you mean it in your question now.”

“Thank you Oberon. Your words are fair and kind and gladden my heart in this darkness when I need it most. I sense in you a depth, akin to that of Elissa, but, I don’t know how to say it, deeper. Now, as my friend I ask your help in a difficult task before me.”

“What task faces you in this place, Victor?”

“You spoke truly when you said that I knew the boundaries of this place as well as any and now I tell you perhaps more so. I have spent many long hours wandering in the dark, in part to quiet my restlessness and in part to calm my companion, Dame.
Shortly after the boons of your healing arts aided my strength’s recovery I found something of interest. Nothing that would greatly interest the party, but something that has grown on my mind as Dame’s spirits have been sinking.”

“What is it Victor? Why do you speak as if some evil thing were afoot? Dame looks as fabulous as ever. Long have I envied your connection to the animal world. All creatures that fly, swim or walk under his light touch near to the heart of Elos, whom I also love. You speak as if she is sick yet I sense no malaise. Though my arts are seldom practiced on animals, I have a sense when there is pain or dis-ease. Speak plainly now, what is wrong?”

“Ah, was her malaise that which could be healed by magic or herb. I have senses too, as you have noticed, with regards to Narduna’s cherished. No, no, she is not sick, not yet, though I know in my heart that she will not make it a year trapped with us. Not for lack of love, but for lack of the life of a hawk. I need to let her go, Oberon. Many years has she been with me, long before I met all of you. She has been my only friend until now. How can I free her?”

“Surely, Victor you do not mean to kill her? In that, I cannot help, if that is why you called me. I will do no harm to things not wicked whether in mercy or not. That is not the will of Elos.”

“No, Oberon, no. Never could I bring myself to harm her, nor could I ask such a treachery of another. Perhaps I have done her much harm already, but now I will make amends as I can. See there.”

With that I gestured towards a small point on the far side of the cavern, past the cliff’s edge and over the water, high above us.

“What do you point at, Victor, I don’t see anything there.”

“Wait, let your eyes adjust after I shroud the torch.”

A few seconds passed and in the darkness there grew a faint light, almost imperceptible even in darkness. One would think it was just a trick of the eye after blinking, but no, there it was growing still a bit brighter.

“What is that? How did you see it?”

“I told you I have walked much in the dark and a still mind can notice such anomalies. As for what it is, I am no stone-worker or cave dweller, but I know it to be your god’s rays shining forth. How and why, I do not know and it is not our concern. What I do know is that no man could climb there though some tiny creature might. A creature that wants, no, needs freedom and the sky.”

The torchlight grew as I lifted the shroud from it again and stroked Dame’s neck.

“She would fly to it now, if not for our friendship, our bond. I brought you here, Oberon, as one who can understand the need for ritual and solemnity and now also as a friend. There are words that I could say alone, taught to me by a greater man, to release her from my service. I do not wish to be alone in the dark watching my friend leave to a better home than I could give her.”

“I understand. What would you have me do?”

“Here underneath her outer feathers are softer ones, not quite downy. After I ask her pardon for taking one, I would ask your blessings on her. She will not miss it, but it is not something a friend asks lightly for.”

“I am afraid I do not know the traditions of Narduna as I might sometime like to. I do not know what to do. What blessing would you ask that I could give?”

“I ask you to give the blessings that you know. Ask your god for her safety as I will of mine. Please, give her what you can.”

“Yes, Victor, I will do that.”

With that I plucked one feather from her underside and she almost snapped at me. Regaining herself, her claws kneaded my arm quizzically, annoyed.

As I held the feather up to Oberon, he softly began to chant. I didn’t know what he was saying as my heart welled with sadness, but I knew it was right. I whispered gently into Dame’s ears the words I knew would hurt me forever more.

I raised my arm towards the small opening I had found and bade her fly away. As she lifted off towards the little light, I felt she was grateful and I knew that I was truly her friend and her companion now.

“Go now little one. Go back to her. Fly back to your goddess….”

With Oberon’s soft chanting in my ear, I looked at my new friend and back to my old….

“…..and to your god. It is done. Thank you for your grace my friend.”

“Any time Victor, any time.”


-- by Jon Bohrer