eternity

"On the Edge of Eternity"
By Jennifer Joy Arend

       They say the heart is a lonely hunter. I feel Artemis pulsing through my veins. A somber wind carries upon it strange voices that I cannot understand. The lace curtains stir accordingly and the sky begins to cry. I shiver and the shadows dance.
       A misty moonlight is shining into my chamber through silver clouds. I imagine the light is the spirit of a divine goddess coming to watch over me. That's a comforting thought on such a lonely night.
       I sprinkle the powder into the cauldron and the water fizzles within. I chant the magic words in a whisper, focusing all my intent on bringing forth someone who will understand me, perhaps even better than I understand
myself. I wait for something climactic to take place, but all is silent except for the storm which pounds against my window.
      I blow out the candles and creep back into my bed. Perhaps in my dreams my wish will come true. I toss and turn and finally find sleep waiting for me, but by dawn my dreams have left my range of recollection.
      There is a familiar knock on my door.
      "Miss Kenyon it's time for breakfast," calls Shala, our maid.
      "I'll be there in a minute!" I reply.
      So I get up and I get dressed all by myself. I suppose that's rather odd for a royal princess, but I've never been one to like being taken care of.
      Down the winding staircase I walk gingerly, keeping my gown from dragging upon the ground. My room is at the very top of the castle. At last I reach the dining hall.
      Breakfast conversations are always the same. Father talks of politics and mother speaks of the next grand affair to take place. This time it's in my honor. It's a ball during which I will receive courters for the first time. The duchess remarks under her breath that it's about time, but no one else takes notice and I refuse to give her the pleasure of comment.
       After breakfast I always go for a walk along the shore. The castle is built on a high, rocky cliff, overlooking the vast ocean. I have to climb down the lower edge to reach the shore. Once I've reached it I walk along the very edge of the water, just close enough to get my feet wet, and still keep my dress dry. I carry my shoes and stockings.
      On this particular morning the sky is still overcast from last night's storm. There is a slight chill in the air, and I try not to breathe too deeply. If I catch cold, I won't be allowed outside for weeks.
       I am enjoying my solitude and quiet contemplation when I see him. He is on the very eastern edge of the rocky cliff, but still far beyond the castle. He is dressed entirely in black, and I wonder to myself if he is some sinister renegade and if I should alert my father. My curiosity gets the best of me and I simply begin walking towards him.
      I reach him, but we say no words. We simply stare at each other. He looks me up and down from my diamond-studded crown to my bare feet beneath a gown of golden hue. I do the same to him, glancing from his sandy hair to his black leather shoes. Then he speaks.
      "I am the sorcerer who is called Raven. I was summoned here last night, but I do not know by whom."
      Scarlet overcomes my pale face. Then I pull myself together. Someone else must have summoned him. It could not have been me.
       "What was the message?" I ask timidly.
       He pulls from his pocket a piece of parchment. From scribbled handwriting he reads.
       "I am alone and wish very much for someone to come to me. I care not who as long as he or she shall understand me for I fear no one around me does and that is why although I am surrounded by many I am alone."
       The crimson returns to my face.
       "Then it was I who sent for you," I say. "I'm sorry if it was an inconvenience to you, noble sir. I meant no harm by it."
        A smile comes to his face and he laughs. His laugh echoes through the ocean air as if it is echoing from the depths of all ages. I notice there is something ancient and mysterious about him. It is as if he is the human
form of all my abstract dreams.
       "Come. Let us walk together," he says and takes my hand.
       We walk along the shore in silence for a while, each of us are carrying our shoes and stockings. Then we begin to talk of many things. We talk of things I thought I was the only one to understand. Peace envelops my being and the clouds disappear from the sky. A rainbow appears in the distance although it has not rained today.
       The closer we come to the castle, the more I fear he will be leaving soon. I feel as if a part of me will go with him, and I tell him so.
       "Nonsense," says he. "You can never lose a part of yourself! Even if I were to leave you here on this shore right now, I would remain in your memory and therefore can you never lose me entirely. All things exist whether in this moment, in the past, or in the future. Just because something isn't taking place right now, does not deny its existence."
      I contemplate his words, and I think to myself that I wasn't really seeking someone to understand me. I was seeking a part of myself with which I had lost touch. Just as this thought enters my mind, I turn around and he is
gone.
       The waves toss themselves onto the sand and I can hear some of the children of the kingdom running down to the shore for a swim before high tide. The day has become beautiful. I climb back up and head towards the
castle. Shala hands me a letter. I open it to find a very familiar piece of parchment. I read it aloud to myself in my bedroom.
       "By now you must have returned to the palace following our encounter. I hope that your wish was granted, princess, whatever it truly was you were seeking. If ever you are in need of wisdom or advice please feel free to
summon me and I shall appear before you without fail to unite the puzzle with its piece."
       I fold the letter and place it in a drawer. I think to myself that I must find some other excuse to summon the sorcerer back to me. Just as I think it, he appears beside me.
       "I would have it that you never leave me," I say to him.
       "Well then," he answers. "I never shall."

On the Edge of Eternity 2001 © Jennifer Joy Arend

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