A Twist of Eternity
By Paul R Glazier
Copyright 2012 Paul R Glazier
To Richard and George.
May you have found the answers to all the questions.
Chapter 1 A Dinner Date
Extract from ‘Men and Monks’ by Solin De’Teinde.
Most believe they were the first race; their history seems to go back through the millennia, further than any lore of others. Some say they were once a great people, they had dominion over the entire world, but they fell from grace and were all but destroyed from within. Following their great demise, the survivors lived in small communities, many of these survive to this day as monasteries. The order of monks is ancient; no one can be sure how old, but records at some of its monasteries go back many millennia proving that man has been on this world for many ages past. I can assume that what is written in those records still holds true today, for the ministries were set up to provide sanctuary, protection and learning, places to seek and find and perhaps to contemplate and remember.
To us, human kind seems a strange race for they are akin to no other. Individuals have varied temperaments, a mix of all the other races, neither failing nor excelling in any art or design. Quick to learn but equally quick to forget.
History records that in older times human individuals lived longer, some recorded as being alive for more than five hundred years. But now perhaps because of the great age of humanity their blood has become diluted. Too many generations have weakened human kind through the long ages. Thus they are fewer now, no longer great builders of cities, renowned merchants or revellers of great designs. Some say that is why they die, each becoming bored with life itself, for out of all the races human kind can count the years they remain in the world to no more than one hundred and fifty and many do not reach that age. For as time travels onward the years dwindle and fade, for the fate of humans is to age whilst they are on the earth until in death they return to it.
But in my experience they remain a great people, true and strong, wise and learned, reliable and trustworthy. There is hope for them yet of that I am sure.
~
I had the day off!
My tutor, within whose class I was scheduled to learn some arcane science, had to travel away for a few days to attend a meeting of the governing counsel of the various monastic orders across the region. I could have used the free day to read up on that same arcane science. I could have spent the time studying the varied languages of the races. I could have whiled away the hours pawing over the many books in the library. No doubt this would have been expected of me.
But I couldn’t shake off a feeling of lethargy. I felt guilty, I knew I would suffer stern words for my laziness, but no amount of self-correction and chastising was going to change my mind. No, I was going to waste this time given me in pure self-indulgences. Oh happy day it was! I found myself wandering in the woodlands around the abbey grounds, caring for little, thinking even less. I would go to visit the wonderful waterfall that gives the abbey its name and walk in the woodlands, for it is only in amongst the trees that I found I could truly relax and enjoy the luxury of having time to myself.
The sun was warm, shafts of bright light penetrating through the trees above, I could discern the mottled flashing of sunlight through the leaves as they danced about in the warm breeze. I let out a long sighing breath. The woodlands brought fond memories, those of my home, a reminder that I had not returned there for many years. At times like this I missed my father, the fun and laughter of my own people, of being amongst those of my own culture, the T’Iea.
“Minervar,” I heard my name called.
“Minervar,” again, but closer.
“Minervar?” Closer still, with a questioning lilt.
A mischievous thought entered my mind. I shall hide, a smile formed on my lips. I knew that voice calling to me. I shall have some fun.
“Mini, where are you, if your hiding I shall not forgive you.”
A brief smirk crossed my features, he knows me well, too well perhaps and I can’t help feel kindness wash over me. I ducked down listening, he was still a little way off but heading my way. So stooping as low as I could, I made my way around to the far side of the small mossy hillock on which I had been lying.
After several scurried dashes around the side of the hill I guessed he must have walked to the top and now I must be at his back. I risked a look up the hill, but alas he wasn’t to be seen. I felt sure of his position, the sound of his voice, I felt I could pin point it to the tiniest measurement. I stood slowly and was immediately whisked off my feet by strong arms. I stifled a scream, and kicked my legs but to no avail, the grip that held me was a vice, two iron arms had me held as I tried to kick and struggle.
The voice behind me saying in a soft but steady tone, “Mini stop kicking so, I thought your training was in the arts of healing, not in the fighting disciplines and ways of a Monk.”
I relaxed, I knew he wouldn’t release his grip until I had stopped my struggling, how kind this human whom I had gotten to know. He will not put me down until he is sure I will not injure him, or more importantly in his thoughts, not injure myself in my struggles. So I was turned and placed once more on my feet to face my captor. I looked sternly into his face, he a quizzical look upon his features, looked into mine. A handsome face I thought, moustached and with a slightly greying well-trimmed beard, as is the habit and fashion of humans. So unlike the T’Iea, for our men folk have little body hair apart from that upon the head. His hair also tinged with grey, long to his shoulders with fronds gathered from above his ears tied into a simple plait at the back of his head. I let a kindly smile slowly come over my face; he continued to look slightly bemused.
“Hello Jondris” I said, “good to see you.”
He cocked his head to one side and asked, “What were you doing creeping around like that?”
“ummm …. I ……. I was trying to creep up behind you.” I confessed the truth as I couldn’t think of anything else to say. I was rewarded for he laughed out loud, a laugh I love to hear. Humans seem so serious, and to hear one laugh is a good thing, especially for a T’Iea who make a language out of laughter. “Alright,” I was resigned, “I know I’m not good at that kind of thing, if I wanted to be expert at stealth I would have become a ranger, and not chosen the druids path and become a healer.”
His smile broadened further, he looked a little confused. “But Mini you are a superb healer,” your faith and learning is second to none that I have ever come across.”
I smiled, for he was kind. But alas I knew my teachings were far from complete. Yes, my druid masters seemed pleased with my progress, but I had yet to prove my prowess in the field, yet to prove to myself that I was able to stay focused, healing those in battle, relieving them of their pain and suffering as they fight to vanquish all kinds of foe. Yes, even make those beyond help live their last moments in peace, allow them the time to make their amity before the Maker. Many evil things are present in this world, a multitude of ways to die. I know, for I have studied most of them. I ask myself constantly, could I heal in battle? Could I in an instant, decide what ails my comrades, choose from the library of knowledge at my disposal which to use, what to choose, and all in an instant to save a life? Could I focus that much? Call upon the arcane energy, with the heat of battle all around me? Could I disregard threats and attacks delivered close by, even at me directly, to ensure the health of the ones that matter, those who bravely fight, the warriors, rangers and guardians and yes, even monks? I shuddered at the thought.
“You’re cold,” he said.
“No, it’s nothing Jon,” I smiled quickly, shrugging off the feeling of melancholy. “What did y
ou want anyway, calling me so?”
“Well, I just thought you might like some company, my duties for the day are done, and I was going to find something to eat. I looked for you at the abbey but found out that Tutor Hatloss was away at the Assembly of the Cloisters and his class was disbanded until his return. You weren’t in the library, so I put two and two together and looked for you here. I thought you may like to join me, seeing as you were probably at a loose end.” He smiled broadly, cocking his head and raising one eyebrow in a knowing way.
I giggled, “what a wonderful idea Jon.” So I took his arm and gripping his hand in mine we started to saunter in the direction of the local village of Corbond.
It was a pleasant evening, we walked side by side, we didn’t rush, preferring to walk unhurriedly enjoying the relaxed moment, for the night gates of Corbond would remain open for a good few hours yet and the stroll was very pleasant with the sunlight still shining down through the trees highlighting abstract patterns on the leaf littered floor of the forest. We walked in silence for the most part, one thing I did learn from humans, especially human males, is that they do not say an awful lot. I smiled thinking of how I would mock poor Jondris about this fact and the sighs he would make at my taunting. I remembered how when I first met him, I let out a smirk remembering the trouble Jondris had with pronunciations in my language. To many tongue twisting syllables. I was to be placed here to learn from these quiet thinking humans, to study with them the arts of inner self awareness, and above all focused spiritual discipline.
I sniggered at the word discipline, there is no equivalent translation of the word into the T’Iea language, the nearest I can think of is I’ren’nualle which means to pay attention. All T’Iea are impetuous and flighty by nature, we love to play and to make fun, pranks and tricks of all kinds are a delight to us. I quickly found that playing tricks on these serious humans was indeed much fun, for their reaction to such things I found highly amusing. My masters also deemed it a good idea to send me to this place to subdue my playful disposition, or at least to give me an alternative to channel my thoughts. Had it worked? Perhaps the future would decide. I smiled to myself thinking it was impossible to remove the fun from any T’Iea, the two are inseparable. Seeing Jondris’s smiles and laughter today made me think that some of the T’Iea may be rubbing off on him after all. A good thing I thought, for the student learns from the master, but it would be a sad day when the master in turn, did not learn anything from the student.
I hummed a favourite tune to myself as I glanced from side to side, the rhythm of doing this made me want to dance and I spun around a couple of times on my toes, trying to pick up the vibrant rhythms of the forest. Jondris looked down upon me in this usual way, a look of puzzlement on his face, this made me laugh out loud, but I stopped when he glanced at something past me and placed a finger to his lips. This simple act coupled with the seriousness of the expression on his face made me fall silent immediately. He was looking into the forest, I followed his gaze. At first I could see nothing, but there, a way distant, something was also moving, keeping track with us, a white shape appearing and disappearing amongst the trees. The shape was obviously animal. Watchful eyes glanced our way between the trunks. Then it was gone almost as soon as I saw it.
I turned to Jondris; a question upon my lips, his eyes dropped to look at me.
“A wolf,” he said.
I shrugged; it was quite rare, but not totally unknown for wolves to be prowling these forests close to the abbey and the town of Corbond, that was partly the reason for the night gates and the stockade around the town. But I had never had any trouble from them, in all the time I had been there. But then I had never glimpsed a pure white wolf either, if indeed Wolf it was.