The Enemy Within
Leaves slowly began to fall to the ground in the palace garden. The once green and luscious trees had turned to orange, yellow and red. The beautiful flowers had now wilted and the change of the seasons had made its toll to the grounds.
Below the trees on the bench where she spent much of her time sat Calina, who over the years had grown into a beautiful young woman. Her beauty came more with her age with her hair still gold as it was the day Galatin met her and her eyes still sparkling of emerald green. Showing maturity in her face the years had introduced the woman from the girl.
She was alone as she was most days, but unlike before she carried a smile of joy which was shown brighter each day for the past nine years. Ever since she met him their relationship with one another grew stronger every time they were together. Upon her lap she carefully handled the flower he had given her the first time they had met. It had withered but still kept its color since she had pressed it with in a book to preserve it.
Time with her friend Galatin however had been lowered as the search for him became stronger. Sethal had raised the cities superstition and before anyone knew it, the search became a hunt. Still, Galatin always seemed to manage to get passed them and into the city to make a visit ever so often or at least leave a blue rose or letter.
Today was like any other day for Calina, everyday she would await in the garden from where they had their first encounter and long for him to come. Holding the flower closely in her hands she would re-live their meetings a million times over wondering of how it would all end.
For one reason or another she felt at times a sense of connection between the two of them, an understanding of their separate situations. The boy she grew to know over the years had become her closest friend. And yet at times she wondered if he was hiding something from her. Perhaps the mystery was what intrigued her or perhaps it was curiosity to see what would come in the end.
Miles away and deep in the forest a young handsome and matured Galatin aimed for his target and fired. The arrow flew through the trees until finally it hit a moving swallow almost completely out of sight for the average marksman. He lowered his bow, Galatin had also changed with age, his ears had pointed out to maturity and his hair had grown long and wavy which he had fixed in a nice respectable ponytail. His face was chiseled and well built, he was now forty years old and looked of a strong lad of eighteen. He had passed sixteen years of training and was confident in his skills which showed much in his sparring and tasks.
Walking back to the hut with his kill he couldn’t stop pondering about the fair maiden who he had met years before. He had never felt more for anything or anyone as he had felt for her, a feeling of comfort and trust, something that he only had experienced lightly with Cornelius. This however was different. He wondered if she felt the same for him at times and wished he could tell her how he felt for her but feared he would lose what trust he did have.
Upon reaching the cabin he laid down the dead bird onto a rock next to the fire pit where he and Cornelius always prepared their food. Cornelius arriving from the opposite direction with an armful of wood approached the fire and threw them lightly to the side.
Sitting down and drawing his knife, Cornelius closely inspected Galatin’s kill. He looked up at his young charge with a smile and complimented on his accomplishment, “I will say this much, those Elf eyes of yours are something I envy, could use a pair myself.”
“You know Cornelius, looks aren’t everything,” Galatin smiled a sarcastic smile as he hung his satchel and bow gently on a branch.
Cornelius chuckled slightly under his breath, “One thing you don’t lack my son is confidence.”
“Comes with practice, perhaps I will teach you one day,” Galatin said with a smirk as he opened up another satchel and retrieved some salt.
“The student becomes the teacher; I must warn you my young charge I am not an easy old goat to teach.” Cornelius slowly cut a slit down the middle of the fowl and carefully cut out the innards.
Galatin laughed once more as he placed the small bag of salt next to the fir and sat down close. Carefully he began to clean and polish his sword as he discoursed with his mentor. The blade was already perfectly shined so that Galatin could see his own reflection on its blade; he would polish the sword everyday however regardless. For some reason it brought peace to mind within the young Elf. For one reason or another he had much on his mind.
He looked closely into the reflecting blade. Staring at his own face Galatin felt a feeling of incomplete within his heart. Though this was a usual emotion he had experienced today was different for some reason in Galatin’s mind. Other then feeling a sense of unwanted or banished Galatin felt a sense he had never felt prior, a sense of unsatisfied. Even if she did feel for him they could never have a future together. There seemed to be no answers. Was this to be his life? He thought.
Deep inside he knew be didn’t belong here and that perhaps somewhere out there was something greater waiting. Yet at the same time he yearned for a chance to live in peace, to have a normal life, a life full of freedom and tranquility.
For a moment he thought he could see how his life could have been as the forest disappeared around him in his imagination and transformed into the great courtyard of Havalon. White Flowers gradually fell from overhead while townsfolk passed by and continued their daily duties. Dressed as a noble he stood alone with no care in the world as he walked down the granite walkway and touched the walls as he passed by.
Slowly he turned toward the central garden and there sitting under a white tree was her, hair as gold as he remembered, skin as beautiful and fair as it was, and her emerald green eyes sparkling as she looked toward him.
“Daydreaming again are we?” Cornelius’s voice broke through the vision. Slowly the forest began to reappear and reality returned.
“Only a bit,” Galatin sat back and silently and kept his thoughts to himself. Looking up toward the cloudy sky he wondered if anyone else was in a similar situation. His heart sank deep within his chest. How could there be happiness when there is so much pain? He thought.
“You keep spending your days dreaming and the high priest will have you dead without a challenge.” Cornelius said as he arose and began dressing the meet carefully.
“When will it end?” Galatin asked, now in a more serious tone than before. “Will it ever end in joy or am I destined to face a dark conclusion?”
Cornelius paused and thought deeply as he listened. Softly he sighed and carefully set down the meet on a spit over the fire. He knew there had to be a chance for Galatin but at times he feared the worst would come.
There hadn’t been open diversity amongst the races in centuries. Had he taken him to live in the human kingdoms he would have been shunned, viewed as a freak of nature and never find acceptance. There was only one way and this was it.
Reverently he walked to the youth and sat down beside him. “Nothing lasts forever Galatin, suffering and pain may endure throughout the night but the sun never ceases to rise.” Lightly he placed his hand upon Galatin’s shoulder. “No matter how dark it gets, there is always light. There is always forgiveness for ourselves and the ones who wrong us.”
“Forgiveness for what!?” Galatin jumped to his feet in a furious rage. “Why must I continue to suffer and wait for them to change!? My whole life I have waited here only to see the city so close and can only wonder what it would be like to live among them. If not there why stay here? There is a whole other world out there that I have never laid eyes upon.”
Cornelius sat quiet and pondered over the remarks, for the first time it seemed he had nothing to say. What he said was true, perhaps it would have been better had they left the realm. But had they had done so he would have never been able to return and would live his life alone. Perhaps either way he would be alone but a small chance was better than any.
“Sometimes in order to accept the future we must accept the past Galatin.” Cornelius spoke softly, “what has happened has happened, there is nothing we can do about it but move forward.”
“You speak of these things and yet you don’t know the pain I know!” Galatin said furiously.
Standing to his feet Cornelius looked into Galatin’s eyes with compassion, “I know Galatin; I too have been cast out. In the end of it all, after years of hatred and revenge to the ones responsible I learned who the greatest enemy really was.”
Humbly the monk walked away toward the fire to check on the meat. Silently he seasoned it and poured water lightly over the top.
Galatin shamefully approached his mentor, “Who was it? The real enemy you discovered.”
There was silence for a few seconds as Galatin intently listened. Finally Cornelius spoke in a manner Galatin had rarely if not never heard, a sad and painful tone was in his voice almost a sense of regret, the voice that mirrored the emotions and images that had now come to revisit the monk that very moment, thoughts of history long gone, “The enemy was within.”
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