The Realm of the Sun

The Vast New World

            When Tara awoke on the cold, hard floor beside poor Nessie, she felt a new wave of grief and fear. It struck her all again like an arrow straight into the center of the wooden targets she had seen the day before. How could she go on? All she ever had was Nessie and now she was truly alone, surrounded by tall trees and a war-torn world full of strangers and unknown evils. Sitting up slowly, she drew her hand immediately to her back, which ached from having lain on the hard, unforgiving floor for hours. She took Nessie's cold, lifeless hand in her own and once again the tears rested in her eyes. These were the hands that carried her to safety as an infant, the hands that tucked her into bed and made her supper every night and held her own hand whenever she was frightened. The silence of the forest was insufferable. She could practically hear the rustling blades of grass on the eastern moor.

          Tara looked down at Nessie's gaunt, drawn face. Her eyes were slightly open, but not looking anywhere. A hazy film covered their blue irises that once sparkled a pale sky blue. This helped to persuade her to let go of Nessie's cold hand; it was no longer her Nessie. Gently, Tara closed her caretaker's eyes completely, unable to process the fact that Nessie was fully herself and well just hours before and now, all that remained of her was this pallid stranger in the center of the floor. She could not possibly lift her on her own and though she was in a deep state of shock, she knew she would have to find a way to bury her cherished guardian.

          Tara spotted a piece of fabric strewn on the floor nearby. She blinked as she tried to figure out what it was without reaching for it. Slowly, her hand inched toward the cloth as if Nessie were only sleeping for a while and any small noise or feeling could wake her abruptly at any moment. Tara's fingers touched the cotton and instantly remembered it was the embroidered handkerchief. She studied once more the frilly—and slightly messy—"N" stitched with thread she had dyed blue with berries. The little piece of cloth was truly Nessie's most revered possession. Tara's eyes burned with salty tears again as she recalled Nessie's warm smile when she gave her the gift at the age of ten. She thought she had no more tears left and though her eyes were raw from crying and her head aching with dehydration, she cried still more. 

          Suddenly, she heard the sounds of men's voices and marching in the distance. Her tearful eyes lifted from the floor. Neglecting to bring her shawl or basket or even slip on her leather shoes, Tara ran straight toward the edge of the forest again. It was a grey morning, the threat of rain looming over the trees like a dark spell.

          Eyes fixed straight ahead, Tara ran as fast as she could, allowing herself no time to think. She made it to the training grounds in half the time she had the day before and in a panic ran out asking all of the soldiers for Cú Chulainn. Tara was clad in her torn dress from the previous day, her hair unkempt and her face ashen and tear-stained. Eyeing her strangely, the men chose to ignore her and they moved on.

          "Please," she tried again, unaware of the bleeding cuts on the soles of her feet, "Does anyone know where I can find Cú Chulainn? I must speak to him—I need help," she explained over and over. One tall young man with a kind disposition noticed her distress and demonstrated more compassion than the others.

          "He's likely on the northern grounds of camp with the archers," he explained, kindly. In his eyes, she could see him curiously trying to figure out where she might have come from looking like a dirty, ragged child of the forest.

          "Can you tell him I must see him? It's urgent..." she explained, panting still from her race to the training grounds.

          "Sure, sure, Miss," he replied, with a sweet smile to mask his judgments.

          "What is it you want now?" came a familiar, aggravated voice. Tara turned around to see Cú was emerging from another part of the camp with a soldier who must have seen her raving frantically and fetched him.