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 85
Despite the victory, everyone seems defeated. No one says anything as we lead the soldiers to our house. Once they arrive, they are tied up by Reiko, who does this so roughly that I see the soldiers' faces contort in pain several times.
Reiko interrogates them almost immediately; apparently, his old position towards the soldiers has not lost any strength. Just threatening certain actions appears to be enough to force the bastards to talk.
He tells how a messenger has been sent to the advisors to ask permission to kill us. But also that no answer is awaited; this seems unnecessary as the non-commissioned officer thinks he knows what's going on.
He feels it necessary to track us down as quickly as possible before we can go into hiding somewhere. It was also reported that the prisoners had escaped. The officer stated that they had all been killed during the flight. This would ensure that there was no serious stain on his newly acquired position.
They don't have any more information, and we don't need any more. It had been a smart move for the officer to have us declared dead. In the end, we were pretty unimportant and certainly not worth risking his career for. But now it had become our advantage.
No one, except these three here, knew of our existence. It would be a small effort to also dress up Reiko in such a way that he would be unrecognizable. With his hair shaven short and his beard straggly, in combination with old clothes, it quickly made a poor devil of the stately man.
Now that we are dead, we should finally be able to reach the city.
Absorbed in silence around the campfire, we remember Retsj, whose smoke begins its journey before our eyes to its place high above us. We had dropped the rest of the bodies into the gorge; they did not deserve to reach heaven.
They could remain glued to the earth, which would hopefully offer them a new chance for a next life. But since she didn't believe in that, there was a good chance that their souls would continue to wander here on the 'battlefield'. This would continue until they realized that only by willing can they open a door and start a new life.
“My tribe,” I say, “has a ceremony....”
Everyone looks up at me; my action was unannounced and surprised my companions.
"It's to support the deceased on his long journey, we recount the deeds that stayed with us during the life we shared with him or her. If you are okay with it, and since it was my idea, I'll start."
"The beauty of the forest you ruled Retsj has remained an inspiration to me. That a person can become so one with nature, after his own world has turned its back on him, is brilliant. Many would be bogged down in hatred and sadness. Self-pity at the very least. They are forces that easily deceive a soul. It would be impossible for many to rule in the fragile balance of life and death like your forest."
For a few heartbeats, it remains silent, then Reiko speaks: “Even though I didn't know you long, the impression you leave behind will be difficult to erase. If you had served in my army, you would have been a hero. No one there would have given their only life for another soldier. After all, that doesn't accomplish anything. I have only one word for your action. Friend."
Numico looks up; “I agree with Reiko. Bye, friend."
Cabilah cries, "You shouldn't have done this Retsj, you shouldn't have sacrificed your life. But I won't blame you for the act, I respect your choice. Even though I don't know if I deserve this. You knew that."
"As you knew and understood so much. You opened my eyes, which were skittish and scared because I stepped into a world that separated me from the world I knew. Living in a world where I tried to make myself invisible out of fear, I entered a world where I was allowed to be visible. With people who explained to me that I was worth being seen."
"Even though you seemed imposing, it was you who made me feel like I could care about myself. You all supported me, but I can only say that you were the first to break through my defenses. Made me feel something other than fear."
"You said that I helped you complete your circle. You were the one who started my circle, thank you, friend.”
It took a while for everyone to be at ease with the sharing, but what started with a few words did not end. What began with remembering the giant slowly started to include others who had influenced our lives. We all became more involved in the lives of our companions, about whom it turns out we knew very little.
This night we bonded what was already there into something unbreakable. I can't shake the idea that Retsj is largely responsible for that.
When I wake the next morning I notice the sun has already risen above the ridge. Reiko's tight schedule and the emotions of the previous day took their toll and I guess I compensated for them with a good night's sleep. I realize that this is the first day in a long time we did not have a plan.
Reiko seems to feel this way too. At least that's what I deduce from the fact that he's quietly cleaning his weapons and equipment. Sitting at the edge of the forest, he gives me a thumbs up to sign that all is going well.
It´s a weird situation after so many days of fleeing all of a sudden no one knows where we are. To not have to worry about any pursuers, to sit here and realize that all but one of us is dead.
