Emilen and Thorik had stopped short of the bridge while the rest of the group had moved on. Emilen continued telling him about how the Mountain King once stood proud with his hands out in front of him and how they would decorate the animal statues around the lake during festivals, even the ones on bases that required swimming out to.
She reminisced about her growing up near the lake. “On cool days like this my friends and I would swim over to that statue of the dolphin and play for hours. We had a rope tied onto the end of its nose allowing us to swing way out and drop into the lake. Afterward we would all sit on its tail to relax.” She finished and smiled at the statue and her memories.
He glanced out at the dolphin statue as it arched forward toward the Mountain King. Its tail was half submerged as though it was pushing itself out of the water. The statue’s square base sat a foot above the water’s surface like a large mat ready to catch the dolphin should it fall backwards. It was the same base that all the statues had. Some animals stood on the bases, some were stepping off of them, while this one had the tail hanging off the side and dipping into the water.
Emilen’s face brightened as she spied a rope that had been left around the dolphin’s lower jaw of its open mouth. “Come on, we’re going for a swim,” she insisted as she started removing her gear.
“What? Now? We’re already behind the rest of the party.” Nervous, he darted his head around to see if anyone was looking their way. Ambrosius and Grewen could be seen beyond the bridge, walking toward the city, while the rest were much closer to the city’s perimeter. “I’m not sure that this is the right time. We need to get to the city.” Watching her out of the corner of his eye, he tried not to stare as she removed her clothes and reached back to tie her hair up tight.
She turned toward him with her hands still fiddling behind her hair knot and looked at him in a questioning way. “I would suggest you undress before getting into the water.” Laughing, she left her scattered clothes on the shore and walked into the warm inviting water. Sighing, she relaxed a moment before turning around.
Thorik was extremely uncomfortable about the situation and tortured himself with guilt as he slowly undid his shirt. As much as he wanted to just rip off his clothes and jump right in, he was conflicted whether or not he should.
“It’s not against the Rules of Order to swim.” She watched him slowly undress. “Also, the Scrolls of Wisdom talk at length about the beauty of our bodies and not being ashamed of them.”
“I’m not ashamed of my body.” His hands shook nervously. “Aren’t you concerned about being caught?”
She looked around at the open valley. The only other people were out of sight due to the light veil of mist rising from the lake. “No, I’m not. And even if they did, we aren’t doing anything wrong. We’re just swimming.” She smiled. “Perhaps they’ll join us.”
The thought of the whole party frolicking in the buff did not appeal to Thorik at all, as he removed his shirt and folded it properly before setting it square on his backpack. Still conflicted, he started with his pants until he noticed Emilen watching him. He hesitated and looked around the lake one last time for a reason not to continue. “Perhaps the party is returning to see if we’re okay.”
No such luck.
His heart raced, chest tightened and emotions upset his stomach. Terrified to follow her lead, he had the same level of desire to let go of his self-inflicted inhibitions and be free. As he watched her swim away, he swallowed hard and chose the latter. He removed the rest of his clothes and neatly folded them before setting them between his shirt and backpack. He then made a mad dash for the water, diving head first, and returning to the surface with a sigh of relief. It felt like nothing he had ever experienced before. Freedom, openness, total relaxation. He couldn’t describe to himself how great it felt to conquer his anxieties and be free of his fears.
After floating in the warm water for a bit he wondered if he had ever truly relaxed before that moment. It was a new feeling for him and he soaked it up. The lake was more than warm water; there was something special about it. Something spiritually uplifting. He also began to take notice of the pleasant tingling sensations around the souvenirs left by the thrashers on his sides.
“Enjoying yourself?” Emilen asked with a chuckle as he floated on his back with his arms straight out to his sides. Seeing him smile without opening his eyes for his response, she laughed at his reaction to the warm water. “These waters will prevent your wounds from souring and will even heal our bodies if we stay long enough. We’ll revive ourselves for a bit before we enter the city.”
Grabbing his hand, she led him toward the statue. They parted from each other halfway there and began to swim the remaining distance due to the depth of the water. Emilen quickly out-swam Thorik and headed to the far side of the dolphin’s statue, out of sight.
Not nearly as strong of a swimmer, he slowly approached the dolphin and worked his way around, holding onto the base to help him move along. As he rounded the second corner he saw her lying on the statue’s giant half-submerged tail that had a slight cupping on both sides. This gave her some privacy without preventing her from seeing the Mountain King side of the valley. She folded her hands behind her head as she leaned back in the tail fin, far enough down so that her body was still mostly in the water, as a thin layer of steam coated the water’s surface. She was a vision of beauty with skin that looked of silk. Her soul-markings fell from her neck and down the center of her chest. The misty sunlight glistened on the clear water as it warmed her exposed neck and arms with each passing wave. Her calm and natural state put Thorik at ease as well.
Working his way over, he lifted himself onto the giant tail next to her. He also put his hands behind his head as they both looked up at the headless Mountain King statue, across the lake, towering over the valley. It was sad, actually, to look upon it in its current condition. The King looked so helpless and betrayed, and yet it couldn’t break the overwhelming feeling of harmony of the valley and the lake.
Emilen sighed loudly as she gazed up at the statue and then rolled over and snuggled up to Thorik. “You know what’s unfortunate about this?” she asked, resting her head on his shoulder.
He couldn’t think of anything at the moment. He had never felt so peaceful and relaxed in his entire life. So he stayed mute to listen to her answer.
“I never really appreciated seeing the Mountain King while I lived here. He had always been watching over us and I guess I assumed he always would be. But now it’s gone and I never really treasured it.” Her heartfelt tone helped set the mood.
Thorik listened while running his finger along her arm that rested on his chest. “How could you not see the magnificence in it? Even now it’s overwhelming and is by far the most impressive monument to our faith that has ever existed. I don’t understand.”
She lowered her head onto his chest as the warm water and mist covered most of their bodies. “It’s like seeing a cloud out your window every day of your life. Never a day without it. It becomes lost in the background and you just assume that it always is going to be there,” she paused to look up into his eyes, “Haven’t you ever had that happen?”
He gave it some thought. “The only thing I can compare it to is my parents. I suppose I had assumed that they would always be there for me. So I never truly cherished what I had while they were alive.” He inhaled deeply and pulled her in tight as he recalled their faces.
“I’m sorry to hear about your parents. You’ve never told me what happened to them.” She then rested her head on his chest again.
Thorik swallowed at the thought. “It was an accident that nearly killed all three of us. We had befriended a traveler. A man named Su’I Sorat, who told of great treasures in the mountain’s valleys. He had ancient maps of the valleys and canyons but no references on how to get there.”
He continued after a few moments of thinking about his past. “My father was a skilled hunter, far better than I am. Mum had a keen eye for tracking. When I wa
s little I would often join them on hunts, learning the trade. By the time I was of age, I was able to hold my own. Yet, my parents wouldn’t allow me to travel with them when Sorat was there. Instead, I had to be watched like a hatchling by my Uncle Brimmelle in Granna Gluic’s house.”
“It was during one of their travels, we had a big storm in Farbank. Biggest one I had known. Thunder woke me from a nightmare of my parents in trouble. Somehow it seemed more than a dream, though. I don’t know why, but it was so real to me. However, Brimmelle refused to believe me and escorted me back to bed. I couldn’t help believing that my parents really were in danger. So, it wasn’t long before I quietly snuck out from their house. I had spent so much time looking at Sorat’s maps; I knew them by heart. I also knew that my father was planning to check out a valley across the King’s River past Spirit’s Peak. So off I went in the middle of the night to find them. Fortunately the rain began letting up enough that I could find my way. After crossing the river, I walked hard all through the night, the next day and into the next rainy night before I reached the valley.” Thorik paused and looked into the missing face of the Mountain King.
Waiting for an answer, Emilen asked, “Did you find them?”
“Yes.” He took a long deep breath. “But I was too late. There had been a rock and mud slide during the storm and had flooded the valley and littered it with mud, boulders, and tree limbs.”
Continuing his story, he added, “Eventually I was able to find my mother unconscious. But during my attempt to free her, she was swept away in a river of debris. Grabbing a still rooted tree, I clung to it as I reached for the safety. It was still too far for my weakened body to reach the mud-free canyon walls. I couldn’t pull myself out. I just didn’t have the strength. My parents had been killed and washed away and I feared that it would be the end of me as well.”
Thorik straightened up and finished his thoughts. “That’s when Brimmelle reached in and saved my life. He had figured out where I was going and followed me up the mountainside, and had just caught up with me. He was so angry, I’m not sure he will ever fully trust me again. He didn’t talk to me for days as we recovered my parent’s bodies and buried them nearby. He didn’t even say goodbye to them as I set up stone markers. I think he was as angry with them as he was with me.”
Thorik sighed and remembered his parent’s laughter and hugs. “I sure do miss them. What I wouldn’t give to have one more day with them. Just one more.” Tears of sadness and happiness of his thoughts ran down his cheeks.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.” She started to pull away to give him some space.
He didn’t allow her to go far as his arm behind her stopped her from leaving. “No Em, its fine. I’m okay. It’s just that this is the first time I’ve talked about it.” His other hand started to gently touch her face as he stared into her green-blue eyes. They were the same color as the lake and gave him the same calm feeling as the water. He continued to look deep into her eyes as he softly traced the lobe of one ear.
“We don’t have to talk about it anymore if it upsets you.” Knowing that after all they’ve been through lately, he was emotionally tired. So, she changed the subject. “I think you will like my parents. My father is a Fir, but is nothing like Brimmelle. And my mother is a lot like me.” She smiled, hoping to get on a more pleasant conversation.
“Your parents?” Thorik squeaked out, wondering how they would feel about him swimming naked with their daughter, within eyesight of the city itself, no less.
She could see that he was anxious again and realized that it was time to leave. “It’s okay, Thorik. We can go. Thank you for talking with me. We don’t seem to get the opportunity to be alone much.”
Thorik realized how important it was for her and softly nudged her back to him. “Em, we can talk a little longer before we have to go.” Not even his anxieties could shake him from this dream, as he held her tight in the water, resting on the tail of the dolphin, looking out at the Mountain King statue.
She talked about all the things she and her friends used to do around the lake while growing up. They continued for another half an hour before making the short swim back to land. After they dried off they get dressed and headed out.
Once at the bridge, Thorik noticed an area on the right side railing that was damaged and went to investigate. He looked at the debris and tried to determine what could have caused the destruction of the railing. Peering over the edge he looked down and saw Ambrosius’ wooden staff with the antler trim, the one that Thorik had worked so hard on to make sure it supported all of his needs. But obviously it didn’t and it was not needed anymore as it lay tossed against the rocks like any other branch that had been washed up on shore.
Emilen looked to see what was so intriguing and quickly realized what it was. She placed a hand on his shoulder and comforted him. They left the stick lay and moved on toward the city. It didn’t matter anymore for this journey was coming to an end anyway. “We should keep moving. Now that our group has reached the city, my family will be out looking for me.” Trying to distract him from the thoughts of the staff, she held his hand and led him off the bridge.
Neither her words, nor the walk, relieved his disappointment.
Fate of Thorik Page 16
