Landsbyen -Into the North- An Epic Poem 7

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A new day begins and new promises made The child guiding his way Finally warmed he seemed less afraid As through the snow they slowly made headway ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Who is this child?” he whispered to himself, and, “how did he get out in the middle of nowhere?” As the warmth of his body slowly warmed the boy he began to stir and mumble words he did not understand. At their next rest stop he laid the child atop the cloaks bundling him tightly against the cold. He then turned to build a fire and started preparing dinner. When the vegetable soup was cooked to his satisfaction he drew a cup, threw back his hood so as not to spill the broth on it and sat down to rest by the fire, the deer laying down beside him. The boy's eyes opened and he jumped to his feet frightened and ready to flee. The bright sapphire of his eyes gleamed in the dusky light. He looked at the man calmly sitting by the fire in front of him. The man made no move to stop him. He just watched. They looked at each other for long moments. Then he noticed the deer and his fear somewhat subsided. The man held out a cup and spoke calmly to him. “Drink, it is warm. Not much taste but it does offer sustenance.” Hunger evident on his face, the boy cautiously stepped around the fire and took the soup. He gulped it down, choking softly on the dried vegetables. “There is plenty more,” the man said, “Help yourself,” gesturing, with his pipe, to the pot beside the fire. He seldomly smoked the pipe but in his youth he found it to be a source of comfort holding it between his teeth. His mother, always after him to throw it away, finally acquiesced; when, after she admonished him one day, he chuckled and said, “It's more manly than sucking my thumb, don't you think?” Sticking his thumb in his mouth. His mother laughed and playfully slapped him on his shoulder, exclaiming loudly, “Men! You're just like your father!” He smiled at that but did not inquire any further about him. The boy dipped the cup into the small pot but this time slowly nursed the hot soup, periodically blowing on it as it cooled. He sat beside the fire as the man slowly stood lifting one of his cloaks and gently wrapping it around the still cautious boy. “No need for you to freeze to death, now, young man.” The child giggled, young man he thought. Looking up at the person in front of him he noticed the shape of his face, the color of his cheeks, the intense deep blue eyes. He reached up and followed the edge of his ear. It was round with just the hint of a point at the very top. He touched his own. A smile spread across his face as he rose and walked over to the hreinin deer. The deer's eyes grew wide as the boy whispered into his ear, all the while staring at the man he had known for so long as if he were seeing him in a new light. Sprinteren leapt to his feet giving the man a deep bow, then, turning away to the north he galloped at full speed into the misty darkness. “Wait, Sprinteren...!” the man yelled but he was gone. “What did you say to him?” he demanded of the boy. The boy smiled, “I simply told him to tell them, we are coming home.” The boy lay down in the warmth of the cloak. He slept. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Prophecy, prophecy who knows the prophecy It is written of old, he will come so bold To enlighten the world of its fallacy In songs extolled his legend grows with each story told ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The eeriness of the boy's words left him feeling unsettled but peaked his curiosity all the same. 'We are coming home.' He knew nothing of this land. In fact he was unaware of any people who inhabited areas this far north, only the old tales that he listened to as a boy. They continued traveling, following the edge of the water. Two circles of the moon around the top of the earth came and passed, the child reluctant to speak but happy to guide him through hidden paths past boulders and cliffs, across ice bridges that seemed too weak to hold his weight, but the boy assured him each time that they were safe. He knew somehow deep inside that he spoke the truth. The progress was much quicker now with no storm and following the path the boy laid out for them. He was surprised at how bright and intelligent this young boy was. Looking no more than in his early teens, he had the intellect of a wise old man. Thinking of his own situation, appearances can sometimes be very misleading. As they walked along, memories of his young life flashed into his mind, the boy reinforcing all but forgotten images of his father. His father, the man he barely knew, was rather small in stature but was slim making him seem much taller when viewed without reference. His height was perhaps only 172 alen, if that; whereas, his own was around 188 or more. He was a bit above average when compared to other men. His mother told him he took after her northern relatives when it came to this aspect of his appearance, but he was slim like his father and had many of his facial features, including his light skin and always rosy cheeks. He also had the same slightly curly hair, although his father's was much darker, and similar ears; but of all of his features, she never let him forget his eyes. She said they were exactly like his father's, deep blue with an eternal glint and sparkle, always bright and gleaming especially when he laughed. Those eyes were what initially attracted her to him. When she spoke of them, her mind seemed to wander away and the most endearing, beautiful smile would gently caress her lovely cheeks. No one he ever knew spoke of his father except her, and she only reluctantly. When she did, she would tell him he was good. She would tell him he was beautiful and kind and that he loved every living creature. She would never say an unkind word about him.