The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - The Lonely Star -- Chapter 4

mark12_30 · 11-05-2002, 01:48 PM

Kesha wandered away from Gamba and the four little ones, and ambled over to Phura and Azraph. Azraph looked up and smiled, and Kesha put his young arm around Phura's shoulders as he wept, and did not ask questions.

Gamba watched him go, and nodded; Kesha always stayed with Phura whenever he could. He was tempted to join Phura and Azraph, but cascades of laughter from Roka and Asta turned his head, and he saw them racing towards a flock of birds on the hillside. Maura and Ban followed hard after them, and Cami watched with a smile. Gamba sprinted to catch up.

For the next several hours, the children raced back and forth between Gamba and Cami, bringing them all kinds of barely imaginable things. Gamba shook his head in wonder as the children brought him different shapes and colors and kinds of leaves, flowers, bugs, twigs, bird eggs, butterflies, moths, brightly colored mushrooms, grasses, weeds, and even a rather panicked baby mouse.

With the memory of Esta coloring everything he saw, he ached for her; but he wondered nevertheless, and revelled in the new sensations; and the delight in the eyes of the children did not escape his notice. They immersed themselves in every sight, sound, texture, and smell. Maura tasted almost everything, much to Gamba's dismay and Cami's amusement. However, Cami did prevent him from tasting mushrooms she was uncertain of, and the insects, and the mouse.

Eventually they found their way into a pine grove, and the smell hypnotized Gamba. Cami beckoned him over to a certain tree with low, easy branches, and began to climb it. It only took a moment for Gamba to catch on, and soon he was far higher than she wanted to go. Noticing Asta and Roka in the lower branches and Maura and Ban reaching for them, she descended in a hurry. Gamba stayed high, feeling the wind in his face, and Cami watched him climb outwards along the branches, bending them, feeling the pine needles with his hands. He went further out.

"They can break, Gamba, " she warned him.

"What?"

"The branches. They can break. It's a long way down."

To her complete astonishment, he considered her words, and moved in a little.

After a while, he came down, and they moved on to some new trees. These were beeches. Cami smiled.

"Elves like these trees, " she said.

"Really?" That intrigued him greatly. He studied them, touching, smelling, and looked for one to climb. The branches were further apart, but he struggled partway up. He touched the bark, the leaves, he gazed up at the sky. He laughed. And then he wept, a little.

Hours, and innumerable trees, leaves, twigs, bugs, and butterflies later, they returned. Cami and the four children followed Gamba, who went to Phura immediately, and began to pour out descriptions of all the wonders he had seen. His words tumbled out faster and faster, and Phura smiled, listening, with an air of sadness that Gamba missed in his excitement. The children interrupted, adding details, and still Phura listened, and Azraph held Phura's hand.

When Gamba finished, Phura rested his hand on Gamba's shoulder, and they all sat together looking out at the water. Gamba searched for a stone to toss. He found one, and drove it straight and hard into the water.

Nobody said anything for a moment, and then Gamba burst into tears, and turned, and looked behind him, scanning the mountain. "I wonder where the graveyard is," he choked.

Cami considered the mountainside, carefully, thinking about where the boats had landed, turning this way and that to get her bearings, and then she turned towards the water, thought for a while longer, and pointed. "Under there. It's far, far below the surface of the water, way down. But the graveyard is under there."

Phura, seeing Gamba's face fall into even deeper sorrow, began to get up. But Cami was ahead of him. She stepped to Gamba's side, and before she even had her arms around him, he buried his face against her. She held him tightly.

The storm passed. Knowing that it was the first of many, Cami released Gamba, who then turned from her, embarassed by his outburst, and walked away from her. Phura shot her a grateful look, and wondered how she had gained his trust.

She wondered too.

[ November 05, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

[ November 09, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

11-05-2002, 01:48 PM	#371
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	Kesha wandered away from Gamba and the four little ones, and ambled over to Phura and Azraph. Azraph looked up and smiled, and Kesha put his young arm around Phura's shoulders as he wept, and did not ask questions. Gamba watched him go, and nodded; Kesha always stayed with Phura whenever he could. He was tempted to join Phura and Azraph, but cascades of laughter from Roka and Asta turned his head, and he saw them racing towards a flock of birds on the hillside. Maura and Ban followed hard after them, and Cami watched with a smile. Gamba sprinted to catch up. For the next several hours, the children raced back and forth between Gamba and Cami, bringing them all kinds of barely imaginable things. Gamba shook his head in wonder as the children brought him different shapes and colors and kinds of leaves, flowers, bugs, twigs, bird eggs, butterflies, moths, brightly colored mushrooms, grasses, weeds, and even a rather panicked baby mouse. With the memory of Esta coloring everything he saw, he ached for her; but he wondered nevertheless, and revelled in the new sensations; and the delight in the eyes of the children did not escape his notice. They immersed themselves in every sight, sound, texture, and smell. Maura tasted almost everything, much to Gamba's dismay and Cami's amusement. However, Cami did prevent him from tasting mushrooms she was uncertain of, and the insects, and the mouse. Eventually they found their way into a pine grove, and the smell hypnotized Gamba. Cami beckoned him over to a certain tree with low, easy branches, and began to climb it. It only took a moment for Gamba to catch on, and soon he was far higher than she wanted to go. Noticing Asta and Roka in the lower branches and Maura and Ban reaching for them, she descended in a hurry. Gamba stayed high, feeling the wind in his face, and Cami watched him climb outwards along the branches, bending them, feeling the pine needles with his hands. He went further out. "They can break, Gamba, " she warned him. "What?" "The branches. They can break. It's a long way down." To her complete astonishment, he considered her words, and moved in a little. After a while, he came down, and they moved on to some new trees. These were beeches. Cami smiled. "Elves like these trees, " she said. "Really?" That intrigued him greatly. He studied them, touching, smelling, and looked for one to climb. The branches were further apart, but he struggled partway up. He touched the bark, the leaves, he gazed up at the sky. He laughed. And then he wept, a little. Hours, and innumerable trees, leaves, twigs, bugs, and butterflies later, they returned. Cami and the four children followed Gamba, who went to Phura immediately, and began to pour out descriptions of all the wonders he had seen. His words tumbled out faster and faster, and Phura smiled, listening, with an air of sadness that Gamba missed in his excitement. The children interrupted, adding details, and still Phura listened, and Azraph held Phura's hand. When Gamba finished, Phura rested his hand on Gamba's shoulder, and they all sat together looking out at the water. Gamba searched for a stone to toss. He found one, and drove it straight and hard into the water. Nobody said anything for a moment, and then Gamba burst into tears, and turned, and looked behind him, scanning the mountain. "I wonder where the graveyard is," he choked. Cami considered the mountainside, carefully, thinking about where the boats had landed, turning this way and that to get her bearings, and then she turned towards the water, thought for a while longer, and pointed. "Under there. It's far, far below the surface of the water, way down. But the graveyard is under there." Phura, seeing Gamba's face fall into even deeper sorrow, began to get up. But Cami was ahead of him. She stepped to Gamba's side, and before she even had her arms around him, he buried his face against her. She held him tightly. The storm passed. Knowing that it was the first of many, Cami released Gamba, who then turned from her, embarassed by his outburst, and walked away from her. Phura shot her a grateful look, and wondered how she had gained his trust. She wondered too. [ November 05, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ] [ November 09, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ] __________________ ...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.