Finding Those Not Lost

Home under the sun

     It took us far longer to leave the underground world we had been led to, than our arrival.  So thorough was the destruction of what was initially a small avalanche that it caused quakes and tremors throughout the area.  Raven had to lead us around many fallen in tunnels from its destruction.  We rested briefly within the now destroyed village of the Brotherless. The once beautiful falls and lake now in ruins.  The lake seemed to have seeped deeper within the earth.  Leaving a great plain of mud.  The once multi falling waterfalls now seemed to be more concentrated as if some were closed from debris, and others were widened from the destruction.  As we rested Raven looked over her once home and duty.  I did not see any dead.  And wondered if they had made their escape to the surface.

     We  kept going most of the day.  Our trip back to longer with many delays and turns.  Many times I thought we would never make our way back to the surface again.  Yet the mood was lively as we walked.  I think we all felt that euphoria from surviving a dangerous ordeal.  William talked my ear off about all sorts of subjects.  But I was enjoying each story and laughing through most.  Sunrise and Raven seemed like they had never been sundered.  They talked of all the things that make a person.  Of adventures, friends, food, and loves.  Sunrises stoic surviving warriors seemed changed men.  They were laughing as well as they walked together.  It was wonder being able to see this side of a people so despairingly spoken of by the periodicals of the time.  Preston was the most quiet of the party.  Not for any soul searching.  Or survivors anxiety.  But Professor Martz could not stop speaking of the contrast and beauty of the city's he had seen.  I think Preston understood it was a way to keep the details. In the hope that they could both eventually put the information down onto paper.  So that they could both collectively examine the memories for further evidence of the moth man.

     I was never so relieved as when we reached the surface.  The sun was just rising, but it already had the feel of warm day before us.  Yet time had become so disorienting for us that we had been walking long hours already not knowing what time it was below ground.  After that the rest is anticlimactic.  We eventually reached the once home of Sunrises people.  The valley had also suffered from the earthquakes caused by our escape.  Almost all of the hieroglyphs were  destroyed that had once adorned the walls of her home.  Our horses had not gone far after our adventure.  Many were together in the valley eating from the sheltered valleys grass.  Though it took us some time to get them back into order.  When we left or new friends our departures were brief.  For most of our words had been spent on our journey to the surface.  I did give Sunrise and embrace.  I asked her to write.  Giving her Preston's shops address.

     "Where will you go now?" I asked Raven and Sunrise.

     "We have kin among the other tribes.  They will welcome us among them I am sure." answered Sunrise.

     "I have been so long away from home.  But now that I am with my daughter again I feel like I am already home." answered Raven.  I could not help my self.  I smiled and embraced her.  She returned it.  We all wished each other well and parted.

     We began our journeys home as well.  Our party was only Me, Preston, William, and Professor Martz as we rode back to Virginia City.  Luckily for us William was a excellent guide in this region and got as home in a day or so.  For we rested sparingly.  Anxious to be back in civilization.  William talked of a cold beer and whiskey.  The Professor talked of food.  Only Preston seemed like he would miss the starry skies and the campfires of our adventure.

     When we did finally reach Virginia City it did not disappoint.  We ate, drank, like we hadn't in years.  My nights were spent with William.  So much so that eventually Preston asked for a room farther down the hall.  Me and William did part.  For we were boarding a train the next morning east.  He said he would visit, but we both knew it was unlikely.  But I enjoyed the kindness of our parting.  He said he would use some of the money he had earned from Sheldon's hire to move further west and north.  He said he wished to see the ocean.

   Our trip east took time.  But we enjoyed and shared several times on our time back.  Professor Martz eventually on our trip confessed a couple of secrets to us.  One was that he would not be publishing anything about what he called the greatest discovery made by man.  He said with out proof he would be the laughing stock of his colleagues and university.  I tried to cheer him up as we made our way back home to Boston.  He seemed accepting with the decision.  He and Preston said they would continue their research as best as they could and promised to keep in touch with any details.  Which they both continued through the years.

     The second secret was his knowledge of Sheldon.  He told us that Sheldon confessed that he was not going to leave with me once we had reached you within the tunnel.  He had told the Professor his intention to join Richard within the city and learn more of the Achay.  During the fight he had snuck passed back down the tunnel during the chaos.  He had no idea if he survived.  We finally arrived home and returned to our normal lives.   Which was mostly spending time at Preston's shop while we waited for our next adventure. 

     We would find out that indeed Sheldon did live.  But that is another tale for another time.

The end.