Eril's Story

Day 28

It was a long and prolonged wail that brought me from slumber. Fearing for my safety, I quickly snapped to attention. Looking in every direction I saw nothing. Then a shadow enveloped me. And the sun on the horizon was eclipsed. Drifting lazily in the sky was a massive bird, calling out to another with a morning greeting. With a flap of its mighty wings the grass around me stirred - surprising given how high up it was. Without a clear sense of scale its size was hard to determine. Swooping down lower its intimidating size was revealed - thundering overhead like a storm cloud. Fortunately it appeared not to be predatory.

I sat back watching as the two creatures met up and circled each other in the sky before disappearing together over a distant ridge. Now that I was awake, trying to sleep again seemed pointless. So I spent a short time trying to sketch the birds from memory. Frustrated by my inability to capture the fresh image I had so vividly in my mind. I ended up with something adequate after a few attempts.

Stashing the remaining paper with the rest of the finished drawings, I hefted my things onto my back. The nearby river provided a place to replenish my supply of water, crystal clear and clean - fresh snowmelt from far away. As I gazed Southward the land spread far and wide, the large mountains and raised hills gradually becoming more infrequent.

Life teamed in this verdant country. Water and food were in abundance everywhere, supporting a multitude of animals. I walked among many herds of herbivores, grazing along the banks. Animals that didn't prey on others and had no fear of humans. They had no reason to.

I walked among many different types of beasts, from giant elk that looked down at me, to small packs of rodents rushing to and fro gathering seeds. They all would stare at me languidly as I passed by, going back about their eating unconcerned. Occasionally one of the more curious animals would come up to me to give an inquiring sniff or playful nudge.

Viscous animals must have been scarce in this area because an aura of peace hung over the valley. I felt comforted and less isolated than I had previously, despite still being the only person for as far as the eye could see. With the sheer number of animals around, it felt as if I was in a city. Only the people were replaced by animals, and the buildings were tall trees, with roadways of water and grass instead.

At midday I sat down for a rest and some food. Within minutes of setting my things down I was joined by an inquisitive squirrel. I broke off some little pieces of my meal, feeding him from my hand. After I had finished eating he stayed for a little while longer, looking over my things. Catching a glimpse of his reflection while looking into the blade of my spear, and preceding to parade around. The fun was cut short when he was scolded by a friend in a tree, sending him racing back home.

Chuckling, I finished my lunch and carried on. These were the moments I savored during traveling. It had been some time, and I was leisurely walking, watching a trail of ants carrying blades of grass when I saw a woman ahead of me. She was seemingly aimless, looking disheveled, and stumbling along. Concerned, I immediately rushed over to where she was. 'Are you okay?' I asked. The shorter middle aged woman replied with a sob. 'My husband, my husband, ahh...', she trailed off, barely recognizing my presence. 'What happened to your husband?' She moaned, 'Gone, just gone. But I will find him. I will.'

She was blurry eyed and in no state for further questioning so I offered her a seat on the ground, grabbing my flask of water. Meanwhile she kept calling for her husband, saying his name repeatedly and staring into the ground - she must have been out in the wild for some time given her state I assumed. Then I had a thought.

I went back to my bag and took out the bracelet I had gotten from Kristani. It would affect the wearer by bringing peace and centeredness. A thoughtful choice on her part in light of our conversation in which I had revealed my fascination with meditation.

I put the bracelet over the emaciated women's thin bony arm. The results were almost immediate. She looked up, then at me, running her hands through her wild and unkempt auburn hair. 'Who are you?' She demanded. I offered some of my food to her, saying 'I was just passing by when I saw you in distress. Is there something that I can help you with? My name is Eril by the way. I haven't even seen a village within a day of here.'

Somewhat calmer now, she spoke. 'My mind is still cloudy. I am not even sure where we are. This land looks strange to me. I was searching for my lost love who has been missing for a week now. I'm sure something awful has happened to him. I need to know. No matter what.'

I nodded. Thinking to myself that it must have been longer than a week given her appearance - there was probably little hope of finding her husband at this point. Still, I wasn't about to dismiss her in a time of need. 'Do you live in the swamp?' I asked. Naming the only possible place nearby I had seen anyone.

The woman looked off into the distance, trying to recall information that wasn't there. Then finally a soft, 'No. Home is bright and warm, a small village with people living simply.' I was invested in helping this poor woman. 'Is there a name I can call you by? And anything you can tell me about where you have wandered? I've covered some ground by now and may be of use.'

'Artis. That is my name.' She took another bite, looking at the foreign bracelet dangling from her wrist before continuing. 'There were lots of trees where I lived. We made houses in them. And the sound of water was always present. It's all in my mind clear as ever, but it's nothing like where I am now.'

I was puzzled at the vague memories, and I didn't recall any place like it that I had seen up to now. I pointed at the distant river, 'Well there is water. Perhaps further on there will be some answers.' It felt irresponsible to abandon her in such a vulnerable state and so I offered, 'I have plenty of food for the both of us, and we have a common direction. Will you join me?'

Instead of answering Artis jingled the bracelet. 'What is this? I don't think it is mine.' 'You're right', I explained. 'When I found you, you were incoherent. It was the only way to make sense of things. Whenever you feel ok you may give it back. It has a calming effect, and turns out to be quite useful for many things.' Artis sighed, turning to me and saying, 'I will find my husband. I knew things could go horribly wrong for him in the wilds, but I can't give up on him. Not while I live.' I admired her determination. 'I will help you look, but we have to find where you came from. Who knows, maybe he returned while you were away.'

I saw a glimmer of hope in her eyes that was immediately suppressed, as she replied. 'I will keep looking.' I knew I wasn't going to win over this stubborn woman, so I turned in the direction I thought her home may be and said, 'Let's start searching this way.'

She nodded and we set out at a slow pace, taking account of her frail state. Periodically Artis would cry out into the void the name of the man she loved. 'Samael!' Mournfully calling to an empty world. It started to unnerve me, especially as evening came. I tried to hush her the darker it got, regretting that the bracelet wasn't more potent.

Who knew what terrors a call in the night could summon. Even with my urging to stop and rest, she kept going. Having little choice, I followed along to protect her should anything happen. Eventually, sometime in the deep of night, exhaustion seemed to take hold of her and she collapsed, allowing me to lower her to the ground. With effort in the blackness, I made up two beds and led her to one. Then with her muttering and stirring as background noise, I fell asleep.