Warriors of the Way
Episode 22
From Cold To Hot and Back Again
The man watched me marvel in amusement then dismounted and began rolling snow into huge balls. I joined him as the two horses began exploring on their own. "What are you doing?" I asked curiously as I watched his black gloved hands work, stark against the brightness of the snow. "Making you a man of snow." he finally answered. "I am thinking you need a good husband." "Are you now?" I teased. And what would I do with a man of snow, pray tell?" "Oh, probably what you would do with any man, I imagine." he smiled back, sticking short branches in to form silly arms and dark stones to be his eyes. I steeled myself for a sharp barb or two but he paused in his crafting and gave me a tender look. "Make him melt." He said softly. And my own heart quietly melted inside me.
When the round man of snow was completed, he turned to me for approval and I hit him squarely in the mid-section with a snowball of my own. He roared and gave chase as I ran laughing, looking over my shoulder at his mock angry face. I ran behind a tree and quickly gathered enough snow to begin the battle in earnest and we pelted one another until we were tired of the game and collapsed happily with our backs against the tree. Rested, he reached for my hands. Removing first one glove and then the other, he rubbed my cold hands between his until they were warm then lifted each one to his lips, kissing it as his eyes locked onto mine. A flame blazed up in my soul and spread throughout my body and limbs until it took my breath. That beautiful, beautiful, awful flame that terrified me and took me to a place I never wanted to leave. We sat there in the snow holding hands and falling into the world we had found in each other's eyes. A world frozen in time and without end. Finally we became aware of the horses snorting on either side of us and he jumped to his feet, pulling me to mine and loudly exclaimed, "Now! Let's go swimming!"
"Swimming!" I shouted at him. "Art thou mad?" And I threw loose snow at his startled face and began running away backwards. Very gleefully and skillfully, too, until I collided with a solid object as he watched with a serious face and warnings that I ignored until it was too late. Then he stood over me laughing as I fumed, lying atop the man of snow, clutched in his little broken arms of wood. I tried to get to my feet but could not so I laid there until I felt my cloak become cold and wet then he grabbed me up and twirled me around in his arms and pointed down at his crushed and slightly melted creation. "See what I mean, Heart Melter?" he murmured against my neck. Then chuckled. "He looks slightly disappointed with his new bride!" And ran away from the pummeling he knew was coming.
He called to Redemption who had been standing by watching and swung up on the big horse's back and shouted, "Hurry! Summer awaits!" Snow and I caught up with them on the other side of a huge stand of snow covered trees and a crystal clear pond. New snow began to fall. A little deer stood near the water looking at us with wide-eyed astonishment and a pretty bird flew over and landed on the shoulder of a man made of snow. A replica of the one I had left crushed. I was stunned but did not voice my questions. Nor did I know how. I thought I heard the echo of faint laughter and realized it was our laughter left imprinted there on the scene, just like in the box. Except there had been no snowman in the box.
In the center of the glistening white trees stood two tall green trees without so much of a snowflake on them and it was between these trees that the man and horse disappeared and I hurried to follow them before I lost my bearings. My mind kept telling me that I was seeing things that were not real even if they were real. Rubbing my eyes, I followed them tentatively. Looking back over my shoulder a final time, I noticed at last that there was not one single hoof print to be found anywhere on the snow. It was as pristine as it had been before our arrival.
The warmth hit my face first and then the sun. Cloudless blue skies and brightly colored flowers and birds filled my eyes. Scents of roses and other lovely things filled my nostrils. More wondrous things than I could ever describe filled my senses. I just sat there on my horse looking first this way then that. I could not believe it! "Come." the man said, helping me dismount and removing my heavy cloak as he had removed his. "Did I not tell you?" he asked, watching me try to take it all in. "Yes, you did." I answered hardly above a whisper, not looking at him but at the beautiful surroundings. "But how...?" And he shushed me and pulled me by the hand as he hurried to show me all the incredible things in that second season of the garden. We were like small children discovering a room full of new toys. Explorers discovering new lands. Perhaps not new to him but oh, so new to me. And more and more of my doubts about him began to flee away. We explored until we grew hungry and made our way back to our supplies under a tree. The horses were gratefully munching on grass that must have been extraordinarily delicious because they took few breaks between huge mouthfuls.
We spread out some blankets underneath the flowered tree and had ourselves a lovely meal and rested sleepily for a while. Then we wandered over to the stream and sat on the banks with our feet in the water as the summer sun grew warmer and warmer upon our backs. At practically the same moment, we both stood, peeled off our clothes down to our intimate garments and jumped into the clear cool water. I dove down into a deeper part and stayed there as long as I could. When I had run out of air, I came up gasping right into two bare arms that pulled me in close. Brushing water and wet hair out of my eyes, I gave him my old customary stern glare as he widened his beautiful eyes daring me to do something. I did, of course. No dare was ever refused. I put my hands on his shoulders, pushed him down under the water and swam away as fast as I could, laughing.
He gave it a good try but I was faster and rushed out of the water and threw myself down on the blankets, drenching them. Like a cloud he hovered over me blocking the sky then fell beside me and began tickling me like I was a small child. I laughed until I hurt then curled up into a ball and begged him to stop. Then I gave him the same torture in return until we were both spent from the tickling and giggling and fell asleep in one another's arms.
Waking from a terrible dream in which I saw myself riding away from the man I was beginning to love so desperately, I thrashed around crying until he awakened and pulled me tightly against him and told me I had just been dreaming. That I was safe and secure and nothing could hurt me. I quieted but I did not turn in his arms to face him because something deep inside told me that it had been no mere dream. My mind was formulating a plan my heart did not wish to know. I was going to make a choice that would affect everything but I did not know what it was. So I let him comfort me and whisper to me tenderly until we fell asleep again.
"Wake up, Little Flower!" I heard him call from a distance and I opened my eyes to see him dressed and readying the horses for travel. "We still have much to see!" I pulled my clothes on hurriedly, ran my fingers through my tangled dry hair and grabbed up the blankets. "What shall we see next?" I asked, excitedly and he winked. "Just watch. More wonders await, my lady!"
And indeed they did. We visited the place of the Eternal Springtime, as he called it and it was magnificent. Sweet warm breezes and flowers budding and blooming right before our delighted eyes. Baby birds bursting out of their eggshells to greet happy mothers and baby animals taking their first wobbly steps. Streams and gently flowing waterfalls, the greenest grass I had ever seen, meadows full of wild flowers, and in the distance, brief glimpses of horses running wild and free. I was startled and thought to run toward them but the man held me back and said "No." "I do not know if I can explain this very well but those are "spirit horses" not flesh and blood. You cannot catch them." "But....!" I sputtered, "What if one of them is my Starshine? Can I not...?" But he shook his head. " You know, one of them very well might be but you cannot....cannot...walk with him again. You can only dream of him and watch him run inside the silver box." And I began to cry knowing somehow that his words were true. I threw my arms around him weeping and fighting every rebellious instinct in me to run after my childhood friend, my wonderful companion now released to spirit, so happy and more free than he'd ever been with me.
I could barely stand it! To just put my arms around his neck once more and feed him apples! To run my fingers through his silky black mane and feel him nuzzle my face! I wrestled and wrestled with it until I was forced to give up and give in to an impossible realization. "You have been granted a great gift." he whispered against my cheek and I sighed and steeled myself once more against Starshine's loss. "You do realize that, do you not?" he asked, putting a finger under my chin and lifting my tear stained face to his. I nodded but that was all I could do. Just nodded and held him tighter and tighter within my arms that suddenly felt once more and again so empty.
We left that magical place silently. Even the horses seem to trod more quietly and with reverence as though they walked on sacred, hallowed ground. It was very, very hard to leave. I did not look back though everything in me cried out to and as we entered the fourth part of the garden, the place of Autumn and crisp cool air and leaves falling from stately trees like orange and gold wisps of glory, I felt an arm go around my shoulders and squeeze me gently. An arm I could not see but I knew suddenly that my father was thinking of me and aware of my pain and showing me that he cared. The man on the silver horse turned to look at me as if he knew and wiped a single tear away as it rolled down my face. "You are greatly loved." he whispered and looked quickly away.
On the way back to the camp, we were quiet and thoughtful. There was a peace and a sadness and an awe for what we had seen and shared. There were no words needing to be spoken. We rode along, occasionally turning to gaze at one another or to reach out and hold hands. We missed our deer. There was a void there now between the two horses where he had trotted earlier that long day. The thought of him brought a lump to my throat and I knew I was not alone in the feeling. "All is well." my sweet friend murmured. "He's with his family...where he belongs. He's happy, don't worry now." But his voice broke on the last word and he self-consciously cleared his throat and gave me a sad smile. Twilight was nearing as we rode into familiar territory. I refused to look toward or acknowledge the forest in any way. I would not let anything spoil this day or any future memory of it. We had stopped and gathered fruits and vegetables on our way back and filled our flasks with fresh water. The horses drank their fill and were both tired and ready for a good night's rest. It had been an unforgettable adventure as promised and one I would cherish forever. However long that forever might be.
TO BE CONTINUED IN EPISODE 23..........
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This episode is dedicated to my friend David "D'Sal" Salinas, my most loyal and faithful reader and fan of this serial story. Thank you, David, for your constant encouragement and for being "a pain in my neck" to bring these characters back to life and allow them to continue their journey as we travel breathlessly alongside them wondering what it all means and where it will all end. Bless you. And bless all the readers who have followed this story from myspace, friendburst, GPlus to mewe and on this blog. I am thrilled that the story started writing itself again after a long absence. I am merely typing it out as the words come and learning more and more about myself as I read those words in print. Again, thank you all for reading. 💓 Voo Shining Stone
