Legends of Belariath
Nadine
A Daily Distillation
No one had all the answers. There would be little point in life if anyone did. It was the searching, the struggling that urged all life forms to take yet one more grueling step towards what was beginning to look more and more like inevitable disaster.
She sat in the center of her room, the bed of thick pillows behind her. Ahrak was sound asleep. The rest of the camp was as well. This was her time, when everything was still and perfect. Nadi closed her eyes and lowered into position.
She stretched her legs out in front of her, making her spine perfectly straight. She bent her right leg so that the knee was towards the ceiling of the tent and her foot flat on the packed earth floor. Keeping a tight fold in the knee she dropped it out to the right, then repeated the same steps with the left leg. The soles of her feet pressed firmly together. She clasped slim hands around her toes and slowly shifted her spine forward over them. Constant pressure was kept between her heels. She slowly eased her knees out laterally to increase the stretch. Soft even breaths passed through her and she directed her gaze.
Dawn’s light was not yet daring to burn away the evening’s dew. She was tired, but content and she knew it would be some time before she had managed to fully relax. Her mind would have to cycle through the events of the day first. A cloud of blue-black hair fell around her, pooling at her bare ass and on the floor. The lamp set a few feet in front of her was silver. It had been a gift from the witch, Tanithai. The flame that sprang from its center flickered in the constant gentle morning breeze. It served as a focus.
Nadine’s dark eyes watched the dancing heat, her hands left to relax on her knees while she concentrated on her breathing for a little while longer. Deep even breaths caused her firm round breasts to heave in an almost exotic rhythm. Ahrak’s soft purring snores were filtered out of her mind, as well as the increasing chatter from early birds that nested in the trees surrounding the Alcane camp. Slowly, she sunk into her thoughts………
She had learned much from her conversation with Zoltaire, but the subject of Gods had come into play. It was expected that their backgrounds would differ, but the man was obviously a zealot. His culture had been so ingrained into him that there was no room for any other ideals. In a fashion, Nadine was the same way. She had been taught since she was a child that the Gods were dead. That they had sacrificed their existence to cleanse the world of an evil that would have enslaved them all. She did not worship dead Gods, she honored their memory.
It did lend a certain amount of freedom, knowing no one was watching from a Parthenon that had long ago been turned into a graveyard. On the other hand, it lent little comfort for the hereafter. What would become of them when they died? The mortals the Gods had protected. Was there still a heaven waiting for them? She had spoken little of her own faith to the barbarian. She had known it would only lead her to trouble. He was lucky. He had faith. Blind faith, but faith nonetheless.
Then there was Ahrak. His simple view of the world amused her and constantly shed light onto her own way of seeing things. A warm home and a full belly, beyond those, he had no other needs or wants. That was another kind of freedom. A flavor that she wished she could taste if only for a little while. He was not some wandering incognizant beast. He had his passions and ideals, virtues and expectations. She was not sure yet what had prompted his reaction to her plans for dealing with the barbarian’s intentions. Was it pure concern? Natural disgust? Or simple jealousy? Normally, the last idea would be utterly rejected, but his behavior as of late was becoming increasingly warm. Almost tender. If that were the case, she would need to keep a very close eye on him indeed. Not that she was not fond of him as well, but a jealous lover was more a hindrance than a blessing.
All in all, her first few nights on her own path had been uneventful as far as experiencing the ‘real’ world outside of camp. However, it was only the beginning of her journey.
………One by one, her concerns and thoughts were fed to the little flame dancing above the lamp. They smoldered for a few moments, then faded from her mind’s eye, leaving behind a blank slate that helped her to relax into her meditation.