Welcome to my seemingly endless journey.
A trip that will take you to places I might have visited many moons ago.
It´s a tale that came back to me when I meditated on one of my past lives. A life I told you about in my unbelievable true story.
As promised in that story I will now share this story with you.
Chapter 84
The three of us turn around. Three of the four men have their arms hanging limply at their sides, but the fourth suddenly has his bow at the ready. Reiko and I grab our bows, which we had slung over our shoulders, but a miracle would have to take place if we wanted to shoot before the soldier. In a lightning-fast movement, the bow is in my hand, and as I aim, I hear the string of a bow relaxing. It's clear from Reiko's attitude that it wasn't him.
A cruel smile appears on the red-haired soldier's face. Cabilah still sings although the fear in her voice is audible. The arrow leaves the bow and only has to travel about twenty meters before it hits the woman. A targeted shot like this, at such a close range, is deadly.
In my mind, I'm already starting to say goodbye. Before the arrow hits the woman in the neck, an enormous shadow descends. At least that's how it seems because of the bright light of the setting sun I'm staring into. Then I realize what is going on. Retsj didn't wait; as soon as he saw the soldier's bow, he sprinted and got between Cabilah and the arrow with a huge jump. The arrow penetrates the forest man's stomach.
Reiko relaxes the string of his bow, and the arrow penetrates the temple of the red-haired soldier, who collapses like a soufflé.
Retsj is still standing with his hands clasped around the arrow and a radiant smile on his face. He turns to Cabilah, who is deathly pale and no longer sings.
In the meantime, I hold the remaining soldiers at Bowpoint. Reiko also reloads his bow and aims at the three remaining soldiers, who are unarmed and dazed, trying to awaken from their state of hypnosis.
“Dear Cabilah, thank you for opening my heart. I love you," Retsj speaks softly, while his knees seem to become weak, and he can no longer hold his ground.
Sitting on his knees, he is the same height as Cabilah. They look each other straight in the eye. They don't speak a word. Rech pulls the arrow from his stomach, and Cabilah walks towards him. She wraps her arms around the enormous shoulders of the forest giant.
While a large stream of blood runs from the corner of his mouth, Retsj looks at Cabilah. “It makes my life full now that I dared to love another person again. I wasn't allowed to enjoy it for long, but there was nothing I wanted more. This is what I have silently longed for all these years. Which I thought I would never dare to do again.
You gave me the strength and confidence to open my heart to people again. You all helped me achieve this. Although I would have preferred to enjoy this for an eternity. My goal was achieved. You shouldn't ask too much of life, because then it can only disappoint you. I will take my place in the firmament, as a star I will watch over you every night. I will do my best to be of support in the further journey, everyone....”
That's all the enormous man said. His body fell forward, and a growing pool of blood served as a surface for his head. Cabilah fell to her knees and turned her head away.
Everything in me stood still, the image in front of me froze my body and my thoughts, it was so unreal. Not that death was unreal, nor the fact that a giant like Retsj could die.
It was simply that this should not have happened this way.
We were on a journey that was supported and considered important by our ancestors. We had miraculously defeated superior numbers without losing a single life. Now that the battle was won, one of those bastards managed to send one of us back to his ancestors. This giant had just started living again, he had loved again. In a few seconds, everything was taken from him.
“Believe him, Martio; his circle was complete. This life could only disappoint him. What should he have done in a big city? He wouldn't have been happy there. I don't know for sure, but I believe he wanted to make Cabilah his wife. Cabilah also loves Retsj, but not in that way. She recently told him this in careful terms. I think he understood and decided he didn't have to own her to love her. He put her life above his own because she was proof of his completeness. His heart made this choice,” Numico spoke softly, and his words held such wisdom.
For a moment, I had felt responsible for the death of one of us, the responsibility Oniko had asked me to let go of.
He had been right. The fact that we had dealt with this situation and that the majority of the group made it out of this cramped position alive does not make up for the loss.
It does tell me that we acted at the top of our abilities. That I will have to accept the losses, no matter how great, when I have a greater goal in mind. My head knows, but my heart has a hard time accepting this, it struggles to see the infinite circle of life.
