Dead Hand of the Past

The Amber Forest

5

Ichiro's mood never improved and only slightly when they reached the crest of the mountains overlooking the Amber Forest. The sight was one he never tired of. As the sun was setting on the forest it glistened giving off an Amber glow. The glow of the amber filled the sky as it turned from day into night. He decided to camp there and send a runner down to ask Princess Amberley for her permission to enter the forest. He had never been refused passage before, but the need to protect her people from Leander's forces might prove there was a first time for everything. He would have to wait and see. He worried about being invited into the forest he and Amberley had a past. What would the girls do if they knew?

The next morning Ichiro decided to give the girls a treat. He would wake them up before dawn to see the beauty of the Amber Forest. It was the first time Ichiro had been close to anyone other than Azakia since they left the last temple. He could tell by the intake of breath they were able to appreciate the beauty of the rising sun on the forest. Azure turned to him forgetting that she had wanted to make him miserable for taking away her freedom. She asked him for the story that he always seemed to have about the places they were.

"I have never seen anything like this in my world there is nothing to come close to this. Tell me what you know about this place of beauty."

He was pleased by her question. He was pleased they seemed to have regained a bit of closeness they had lost as a result of his wanting to protect her. As soon, as he began, to tell the tale of the forest all of the maidens gathered around to hear it was like old times.

"The Amber Forest is a place of great beauty from all perspectives. It is never visible in the same way for very long. As the sun moves throughout the sky. The brilliance of the shimmering amber shifts to different locations as the sun moves through the sky. The forest is run by the fairies and the forest dwellers. Princess Amberley is the one in charge of the Amber Forest."

He paused and pointed out among the forest.

"The amber is not a hard stone as we will find in the temple. It is a sticky substance coating the leaves of the trees and plants giving off a shimmering effect when the sunshine is upon it. Even the rocks you find in the waters of the Amber Forest are made of this sticky substance. Because of the coldness of the waters, it hardens and so even the water glistens with the beauty of the amber. It is said the son of a sun-god wanted to drive the chariot that brought the sun up in the morning. God decided to let his son give it a try, after all, he would someday take his place. The father gave him special instructions and warned him about going too close to the planet. The young god chose not to heed his father's warning of coming too close to the planet of Lantea with his chariot of fire. He was put to death by Jouten himself because of the catastrophes he inflicted on the people of Lantea. When his mother and sister heard what had happened to their beloved brother and son, they came down to Lantea to weep for the loss of their loved one. Because they had cried so much over the loss their bodies became rooted where they stood. Their clothing turned to bark and their bodies into trees that would forever be weeping their amber tears of sorrow."

After Ichiro finished telling his story no one spoke but enjoyed the beauty of the moment. Then it was time to move on. Word had come from Princess Amberley they would be permitted to enter the Amber Forest. It took the better part of the day to get down the mountain and enter the forest. When they reach the forest floor, they were greeted by Princess Amberley's royal squadron of fairies. None of the girls had ever seen a fairy and had only guesses of what they were like. To everyone's amazement, they were told not all fairies were alike. The Amber Forest Fairies could change the size and disguise their wings if they wanted to. They could blend in with other creatures of Lantea.

As they traveled through the forest, the girls were yet again touched by its beauty. When they reached the spot, they would be camping for the night, everyone was amazed by how beautiful their surroundings were. It was a shame they had to set up their tents and disrupt the scenery.