03 - Memories and Mystery

Cedar reminisces on his family history and discovers strange things about his friend, Sagebrush.

Chapter 3 -Memories and Mystery

            Dawn had come and gone, and still Cedar had not slept. This was not from lack of trying. Cedar had tried and tried to drift off, but tonight, sleep withheld its soft embrace, and so Cedar sat, awake and alone and thinking. He thought, as usual, of many things in passing, but mostly of the blade.

            He held the blade in his hands as he thought, one hand firmly holding the hilt, the other caressing the blade. Inevitably, his eyes gravitated towards the small, delicate lettering on the hilt. He wondered about this writing, and if what it meant to him might be true. As he thought, he swung his legs over the edge of a round, smooth rocky cliff near his village, by the Wall. There were many of these, but he had picked this one for a particular reason. It held memories for him, dark memories that always lingered in the back of his mind. Not always did they occupy his thoughts, but they were always there.

            He could still see, in his mind’s eye, his father’s broken body at the bottom. He could still hear his mother’s cries for help as she dangled over the ledge, swaying like wheat in the wind. He had not been strong enough to save them. Shocked, he had watched her tumble over the cliff to join his father. In the privacy of his mind, he still blamed himself.

            Through all of this, he had never been afraid of heights. He thought perhaps he ought to, and was ashamed not to be, but he had never feared high places, not for a moment. His feet dangled over the edge, and he wondered, for a moment, what it would be like to fall over the edge. He involuntarily leaned forward, looking down at the ground below "

            “Whatcha doing, Cedar?”

            Cedar jumped, almost falling off the cliff, and he teetered on the edge for a few seconds. Then he was pulled up onto solid ground. He took a minute to catch his breath and looked up at the person across from him through unfocused eyes (his eyesight was not the best, though it wasn’t the worst by far). It was a girl from the village, about his age. She had her arms crossed, her head cocked to the side and a playful look on her face. After a moment, his eyes focused and he saw who it was.

            “Hey, Heather. What are you doing here?”

            “Apparently, to keep you from getting yourself killed,” Heather said.

            Heather was the baker’s daughter, and Cedar and she had been friends since they were toddlers. She had light brown hair, almost blonde, and a perky nose. She wore a maple leaf shirt and skirt. She smelled of baking bread, but not unpleasantly; it was a sweet aroma, which he liked. Her eyes were hazel, and they stared straight at Cedar’s, demanding an answer.

            “No, I was just… thinking.” Cedar’s eyes wandered down to the cliff’s edge again.

            Heather tilted her head so that their eyes met again. “Hello? Anyone in there?”

            “Sorry. So why are you up here again?”

            She glared at him, annoyance in her eyes, and turned away. “Well, if you don’t want me here, I’ll just go.”

            “No, that’s not what I meant!” Cedar sighed inwardly. Heather had a hot temper, quick to flare up and always close to the surface. Some would say it was part of her bubbly personality. Cedar could agree with this at times, but in other situations, Heather could be sort of annoying. Annoying in an endearing way, like a little sister. No, not like a sister… ugh. He was so confused. Most girls tended to do that to him. Just a normal thing.

            She turned back around and grabbed his arm, leading him at a full run. He struggled to keep up at first, and stumbled over the rocks underfoot. Then he caught up with her and ran alongside. Eventually they reached a small patch of meadow. The songs of birds overhead rang out in the sun. Tired from the run, Cedar fell down in the grass and lay there until Heather pulled him up into a sitting position. She looked at him, hazel into blue.

            “I figured this would be a good place,” she said, “to talk about last night.”

            Cedar was instantly on his guard. Looking away, he said, “It’s nothing. Whatever you saw "“

            “What, like you going into Sagebrush’s hut and coming out with a sword? That could’ve been a lot of things, but it definitely wasn’t ‘nothing’.“ Her eyes locked onto his, refusing to look away. After a few moments, he sighed and glanced around them, making sure they were alone. Then, he eyed her again.

            “You really want to know?” he inquired. She nodded vigorously, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth despite the solemn situation. Cedar smiled too, in spite of himself. Focus, Cedar, he chided himself. Pulling himself into a more serious demeanor, he began the tale.

            Telling the tale from start to finish took longer than expected, and even though it was only late afternoon when they had arrived, the first tendrils of approaching dusk were creeping towards the horizon by the time he finished.

            Heather stood up and scrutinized Cedar’s expression, pondering his story. Eventually she spoke.

            “Well, it sounds like complete and utter nonsense to me,” she said. Before he could respond, she spoke again. “I said it sounds like nonsense,” she repeated. “But I’m prepared to believe you because we’re friends. So, what now?”

            Helped up by Heather, Cedar also stood. Brushing himself off, he said, “You know, Heather, that’s about the only thing I don’t know.”

***

            Heather and he parted with a friendly wave and a fresh loaf of bread, straight from the baker’s hut. Hungrily, he crunched into it and thought. Lately, he had thought a lot, he realized. Then, Ugh. I can’t believe I just rhymed. Walking home, he walked past many acorn huts, past the weaver, past Sagebrush. Cedar waved at him, but the old man must’ve been too distracted to hear him, as he just kept on walking. Confused, Cedar paused for a moment, then walked after him, careful not to let Sagebrush see him.

            Sagebrush kept casting nervous looks behind his back as he strode on. Cedar would always hide behind something or mingle with the crowd when one of these nervous glances fell near him. What has he got to hide, Cedar thought, that’s this important? They walked on, to the edge of the village and beyond, through meadows, fields and barren dirt grounds; the moon, a small sliver of light, was almost at its peak by the time Sagebrush arrived at his destination. By the moonlight, Cedar could make out a large evergreen tree, towering way above him. Sagebrush approached this sleeping giant, and spoke.

            “I’m sorry, old friend. I should not have been so rash. Please forgive me,” he implored the tree. Cedar thought this was a little strange, and for the first time questioned the sanity of his good friend. Sagebrush laid down a small flower near the tree and covered its base with rich soil, and now Cedar noticed the wildflowers growing all around the evergreen. The man then knelt at the tree’s roots and was silent.

            Cedar knew that whatever this strange ritual had been was over, and as he began the journey home, quiet feet over barren dirt grounds, fields, and meadows to his village.

            He only realized when he had arrived at his home and laid down in his bed, when he was already drifting off to sleep, that the tree had been a pine.

Reviews

[louwilding]

i think i am now officially hooked, will there be more? i do hope so

[Aarea]

Ok I have just finished reading all your chapters you have so far. This story is great. The mystery and strange setting make you want to keep reading to figure out just where, what, and who Cedar is, and what is beyond the Great Wall. Your writing is also phenomenal. Although you repeated a few words or phrases sometimes, overall your writing is good enough to be published. I hope you are considering that with this book, because you could do very well with it. I am interested to read more. Message me when you get more chapters and I will continue to read them and give you reviews. :)