Ranger's Apprentice; The Final Pieces

A light in the darkness

The white shafts of daylight had passed, gone were the shadows of evening. The dry tinder in the yard was lit and the flames rose boldly against the black sky. Every eye reflected the flickering of the candles, each iris contained a small picture of the stars in the sky.

It was New Year's Eve, and the whole of Redmont Castle, Wensley and closely located villages were out to celebrate it. The crowd was so jubilant, singing the songs that belonged to the inebriated and joyful. They rubbed shoulders never minding that their toes were often trodden on or that they were in closer proximity to these strangers than they usually were to friends or even family. The atmosphere was one of elation, the cold winter air occasionally punctuated by whoops and hollers. Just like every year.

And just like every year had long candles and torches been placed along all paths, lighting up the streets in the dark night. The lights were arcs of brilliant gold in the blackness, smoothly working together with the stars to light up the last night of the last month.

The lingering light was obliterated by the rapidly falling night. The once salmon and purple sky transformed into a vast expanse of jet-black that engulfed the streets. A canopy of luminous stars materialized amongst the ocean of blackness. Some were dull, merely flickering into existence every now and then, but there was an adequate amount of shimmering stars to illuminate the dark night; the moon being big and bright.

Under a sky of perfect midnight velvet, under stars so brilliant they drew the eyes heaven bound, the lyrics of Starry Starry Night played softly in Will's mind. As the light twinkled and the unheard music played, his steps fell lightly over the rutted path. Will looked to his left, where Alyss walked. Her face was lit up by the hundreds of lights, her eyes were glistening a soft silver.

She smiled amusedly as she felt his loving gaze and turned her head to face him, one eyebrow gracefully and playfully raised.

"Shouldn't you be looking around to keep a watching eye on the crowd, instead of staring at me?" she said, her voice soft and barely hearable through the sounds of laughter, talking and greeting. But it was the only thing Will's ears registered and he grinned widely.

"In all honesty, yes, I should. But nothing has ever happened on New Year's Eve and I'm pretty sure nothing will happen this year. If there is a problem, then Halt and I are both close enough to help," he replied easily. Alyss smiled and linked her fingers into his hand, as they continued their walk over the rutted path. Everyone around them enjoyed one another's company and wherever you looked there was pure happiness on every face.

On the side lines of the paths and streets the candles flickered  in their glory, and those with mesmerizing candles in their hands added to the enthralling atmosphere. Adults and children alike participated in the glorious events, gaily expressions on each and every face.

As they walked down the path, Will thought about the many, many times he had almost lost this. Happiness.

As a Ranger, living was hard. Times of suffer where frequently part of his life, times when his whole world was a hurricane of ice, every light switching off. There would be nothing to look forward to, except a skinny love, shallow and brief, before finding a reason to excuse the flight. But maybe that was the way it had to be, one light to follow, no choice but to walk toward truth. Perhaps the road toward heaven should feel like hell. In those times of suffer he'd feel as empty in mind, body or soul as one could, never so bereft of any comfort. In those times he'd feel  so worthless or disposable, so wretched and cold. For hours would he have no emotion, only an urge to move fast; then all at once he'd be on the floor, shaking with a grief that bled from his bones. He knew those times all too well.

But the happiness of the night was infectious. It started as a tingle in his fingers and toes, much like the feeling he had when he was anxious, but instead of worrisome it was warm. Will felt it pass through him like a warm ocean wave, washing away the stress of the day to leave him refreshed inside. As the wave faded he savored the memory of its gentle touch. The feeling was a blissful evocation of time spent when he was younger. How he loved those days when they walked over the paths and simply talked, laughed and made silly jokes. Moments of emptiness still came like an ambush, yet in company of a true friend a real smile could return, a real laugh, real warmth. Alyss.