 |
The borders of Taviora seem welcoming on this day as I stare across the open expanse of the meadow I've come to adore. It holds all the herbs a healer could dream of and more and the edges of Taviora holds the rest. I can practice my craft here as long as I please. It truly is a heaven send. And Coza's presence here makes it even more so. I trot over the borders with a feeling of wonder I haven't felt in quite some time. Everything I could ever need waits for me back home but today I feel like newness and adventure. Today I'll be reckless. Coza treats me like a china doll. He sees only the fragile me, the one that's aging and may fall dead of some strange illness any time now. I still think of myself as the young Moth, the Moth that ruled over Saw Tooth for years. The Moth that traveled to Courage and met a wolf named Titan and fell head over heels, the same Moth that lost him upon finding out he was an alpha and then found support and love in the Beta who stood by her side through the grief, Acheron. The Moth that came to Moladian with Acheron and lost him two years later in a bad blizzard while he tried to save another member of the pack. The Moth that birthed many children who grew up to be great. The Moth that left so much behind in Blossom, so many good and bad memories. I find myself at the crags before I even know where I was supposed to be going. I sniff the air and find nothing familiar and yet my heart is leading me here. Something is here. I walk to the edge of the crags and look out over the edge, my heart in my throat as I take in the height from up here. A fall would be death, for sure. And yet memories of another night never to be forgotten swim in my head. I came to grieve one night, howling my distress to the heavens when I thought I could never get over Acheron. I thought I would be alone forever and Yojimbo came to me that night like a beacon of hope. I surprised him more than anything when I jumped off. I swam in the stormy waters that night and Yojimbo jumped in after me. We slept the night away on the shore and I never really talked to Yojimbo again after that. He came to me in Taviora once but it feels like so long ago now. I think he just wanted to make sure I was okay. I hope he liked what he saw. I close my eyes briefly, drinking in the pleasant breeze from up here. Ths now beneath my feet can be slippery and if I'm not careful, a fall could be expected. But I'm not here to grieve or risk death today. I'm here to live, to live like there's no tomorrow. |