Ranger

Epilogue

Jewel

I gathered with everyone else in the town square. The statue of Kroger was all that I had hoped it would be. Weeks earlier Misha and I had met with the most skilled sculptor in the kingdom. Misha had wanted it made because Kroger had delivered the killing blow in the war. Without their leader to inspire them the remaining enemy troops had quickly lost their will to fight. But it was more than that, Misha had said. Kroger had given his life to protect a friend, which was one of the most noble deeds anyone could ever do. He lived up to the ranger ideal of doing whatever it took to keep others safe.

Kroger's body had been burned beyond recognition, so we had to rebuild him from my memory. I described him to the sculptor who then sketched him on paper. The sculptor had wanted Kroger to look stoic, but Kroger had never been like that. Instead I asked for his mouth to be open with his tongue hanging out like he was laughing and his tail to be raised so it looked like he was wagging it. I asked for the tip of his one ear to be missing like it had been when he died. Misha agreed with the sculptor that these things went against the tradition of capturing one in a formal pose without imperfections, but she agreed with me more that they were the right decisions. I also thought it would be best to have him dressed in his ranger uniform which he loved to wear.

As for Kroger's actual body, it had been destroyed. This was not hard since it had already been basically cremated. It was only a matter of breaking it down into dust that I then scattered in the wind over the mountain plains where he had loved to run free. This was suggested by Misha who was concerned that someone might try stealing him to conduct experiments on for some nefarious purpose. The last thing I wanted was some evil army of twisted wolf creatures terrorizing the world.

Near the statue of Kroger was a larger statue of the king and a collection of boulders. Each of the rocks had the names of those who had died in the war etched into it. There were so many that giving all of them markers in a cemetery would not have possible. Yes it was a compromise, but I felt like it still properly honored everyone who had given their lives.

Once everyone was gathered, Misha walked up onto the stage that had been set up in front of the statues and boulders. "I know that all of us have suffered greatly," she began. "We have lost our friends, family members, homes, livelihoods, and more. But we would have lost everything, including our freedom, were it not for the sacrifices of many of you and those who are honored in stone behind me. These brave men and women went into battle prepared to give their lives for our kingdom, and many of them did. Our hearts are full of sorrow for their deaths, but also joy for what they have granted to us: The chance to continue our way of life. Our homes are destroyed, but we will rebuild them. Our crops are ruined, but we will regrow them. Those we have lost will live on in our memories as the heroes they became when their kingdom needed them the most. Together we can remake our kingdom. But not the way it was before. No, we will make it even better than it was. We will usher in a new age of peace and prosperity."

The crowd cheered. Misha smiled.

I wondered what I was going to do with my life now that the war was over. I could return to the church, but I was not sure.

***

That night I dreamed I was standing by a waterfall cascading down into a pool of clear water. A woman sat stroking the fur of a dog lapping water from the pool. It was Kroger.

He turned around. "Hey Babe." His fur was pristine again. His eye and ear were whole. I bent down and hugged him. He licked my face.

The bone I had given him was in my hand. I threw it as far as I could. He brought it back in his mouth. He laid down in the grass and gnawed on it.

"He is at peace here." Celeste stood next to me watching Kroger chew on his bone. "I know you both miss each other, but you will be reunited one day."

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