The gray mist had turned blue before them when Penny Rose opened her eyes and unclasped her hands from Lucif's fur. She glanced nervously over the edge. "What lies there, Lucif?"
Lucif looked at her for a moment, its quiet a weighing of time against the answer. "It's not always the same, child. Some say there is a harbor below us, others that there is only nothing. Some say that there is a land on the other side."
"And what do you think?"
"In my days, the people said there is a bridge that stretches from here to there. But you must be on the other side to see it."
"So how did they know?"
"They said that was where they came from."
"But no one kept a map?"
Lucif looked at her curiously. "I know of only one. But it was... lost. Long ago."
Penny Rose glanced again into the stillness ahead of them. "And what lives in the land on the Other Side now?"
Lucif sighed. "Our tales live there. And our dreams."
Penny Rose didn't know what Lucif meant, but she reached out a hand to caress Lucif's head, now bent in memory. "We'll get them back, Lucif," she said, not realizing she had said it until it was spoken. Lucif looked down into her eyes, and then snuffed, nudging her with its muzzle.
"I do believe you could, child."
Lucif stood, and walked slowly toward the edge, staring into the lightened haze. For one terrifying moment, Penny Rose thought it would not stop before the edge, but Lucif stilled and looked far and long. "What do you see?"
Lucif turned toward her, its eyes deep pools. "I am not sure. But I have never seen so far before."
Penny Rose gazed into the distance, but she could make nothing out, and shook her head. "I can't see anything."
Lucif took a deep breath. "Lucif?"
"Yes?"
"Where are we going now?"
Lucif walked back to her, and lay down in front of her. "Sit with me here awhile, child."
Penny Rose sat down, happily, the sunshine and the long night making her endlessly sleepy. She curled into Lucif's warm, soft form, and it leaned into her. "You must read me a story."
Penny Rose was mid-yawn. "Read you a story?"
"Yes, Reader, a long tale."
"But I am tired. And I have no book."
"Exactly," replied Lucif, as if it were clearly the best time to tell tales, especially with no literature at hand.
Penny Rose frowned into her lap. A story, a history. A history. Perhaps read back from memory? "Well... Centuries ago the ancients lived in the land; they made many monuments and..."
Lucif stopped her. "No, not that history, child. The History."
Penny Rose's hand, as it did in times of worry, had unwittingly wandered to her pocket, where the Box lay. She started as her fingers touched it and found the surface more than warm - even hot, and quivering. Under her finger tips she felt the small ridges of letters running through it. How long had it been doing that?
She drew it out and watched it shine bright, even in the sunlight. Lucif's breath purred a moment of satisfaction at the sight. "Yes, The History," it said, its mirrored eyes transfixed by the moving letters. They reflected and multiplied there, and Penny Rose began to read a different tale there than in the letters of the box. A tale of long days and long battles. Of blood, and memory and more that Penny Rose could not read, as Lucif's eyes turned back to her and then closed resolutely. "That is not The History either, child," it said quietly, but with what sounded like regret. "And not a tale you should have to bear so early."
Penny Rose's gaze moved back to the box, whose script had slowed and become smaller in the absence of her attention, but under her curious comprehension the letters fattened, became clearer, shined brighter, moved faster. She watched as they seemed to start hovering over the surface of the box, and as she read them it lit more from inside, hovering over her hand. "Read to me," prompted Lucif gently, and Penny Rose drew a breath to begin.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Monday, March 4, 2013
The Edge
Penny Rose awoke to Lucif's voice almost purring in her ear. "We're here, child," it murmured, it's tufted ear tickling her forehead as it turned its head back to speak to her. The sound of foreboding it the words were clear, even as it was gentle.
Penny Rose raised her head from the warm, soft back, and her eyes filled with unbidden tears, feeling the warning tension and knowing the journey must go on, despite the deep sleep that had rested on her for a moment. She stretched and carefully slid from Lucif's high back, it kneeling to let her descend. The soft grasses cushioned her feet, but even so the ache in her joints spoke of her exhaustion, and Lucif's nose snuffled her ear comfortingly, stroking its forehead against her a little. Penny Rose looked up at it and smiled wanly, reaching for its shoulder again. "Where is here?" she asked, almost to distract herself from what was surely the next challenge.
"The Edge of Dawn. Look." And Lucif stepped to the side to let her see over the edge that was just before them.
Over the precipice Penny Rose could see - nothing. The drop seemed infinite, ending in a gray mist, before them a gray mist - lightening ever brighter in the Dawn. Lucif was tense, but it sat gracefully nonetheless, glancing at Penny Rose. "It has been gray for a long time. The dawn has not broken for years."She looked back and reached again for its shoulder as she stepped nearer the edge and peered over it. Suddenly, a paw planted itself in front of her, keeping her from wandering too close and when Penny Rose looked up, startled, she saw the worry between Lucif's brows. "Not too close, child," it said, using its paw to then draw her close. Its tail was twitching, but Penny Rose stood and leaned against it, and heard the deep, unbidden purr from its chest.
Suddenly, a bright gold lit the entire deep gray mist before them, and an orb broke free of the waves of gray below them, shining. Penny Rose heard Lucif draw in its breath, startled. The orb grew and grew, rose before them, and flew into the sky. As it moved past them, it expanded and Penny Rose saw the surface of it as it shot past. It was lit from within, like a lantern, the brightest lantern, shining through the translucence of reflective gold. But it was the shapes running over it that made her draw her breath. The characters ran and jumped about on it, burning and emerging, disappearing. Foreign and then familiar, Penny Rose sensed rather than read their meaning. It spoke of hope and the tales of history that were the heart of the light.
Lucif watched it, transfixed. The reflection in its mirrored eyes lingering longer than it seemed the orb was in front of them.
Lucif's purr had stopped in awe of the light that had risen in front of them. Now it turned its enormous head, and gazed at Penny Rose, as if transfixed. Penny Rose looked back, unflinching. "That was beautiful," she breathed, her eyes sparkling. Lucif nodded, but said nothing. It simply laid its head on its paws before her in a deep bow, the second time on this longest of days.
She looked at it, a frown of confusion between her brows. "You are the Reader," it said solemnly, "but you have done more than ever I expected. You have brought back... hope. For you can read the histories and know their meaning. It is clear, now." Then the eyes rose to her level once again, and the nose snuffled her ear in a gentle, sympathetic nuzzle. "But you are young, my dear - so young. So young and so brave."
Penny Rose blushed. She wasn't sure what it meant, but she realized the weight of Lucif's words and she hoped - and feared - it was right. The mirrored eyes reflected back Penny Rose's wide ones. The creature circled behind her, its large paws nestling on either side of her as it sat down behind her. "It's all right to fear, child. But you must know what you are - brave and good."
Tears came to Penny Rose's eyes and she turned into Lucif's furred chest, the blazon of white catching her tears as she wrapped her arms around the beast and let herself cry. A comforting purr flowed beneath her cheek, and a large head bowed to shield her.
The girl and the creature stood upon the edge, the morning light shining on their embrace.
Penny Rose raised her head from the warm, soft back, and her eyes filled with unbidden tears, feeling the warning tension and knowing the journey must go on, despite the deep sleep that had rested on her for a moment. She stretched and carefully slid from Lucif's high back, it kneeling to let her descend. The soft grasses cushioned her feet, but even so the ache in her joints spoke of her exhaustion, and Lucif's nose snuffled her ear comfortingly, stroking its forehead against her a little. Penny Rose looked up at it and smiled wanly, reaching for its shoulder again. "Where is here?" she asked, almost to distract herself from what was surely the next challenge.
"The Edge of Dawn. Look." And Lucif stepped to the side to let her see over the edge that was just before them.
Over the precipice Penny Rose could see - nothing. The drop seemed infinite, ending in a gray mist, before them a gray mist - lightening ever brighter in the Dawn. Lucif was tense, but it sat gracefully nonetheless, glancing at Penny Rose. "It has been gray for a long time. The dawn has not broken for years."She looked back and reached again for its shoulder as she stepped nearer the edge and peered over it. Suddenly, a paw planted itself in front of her, keeping her from wandering too close and when Penny Rose looked up, startled, she saw the worry between Lucif's brows. "Not too close, child," it said, using its paw to then draw her close. Its tail was twitching, but Penny Rose stood and leaned against it, and heard the deep, unbidden purr from its chest.
Suddenly, a bright gold lit the entire deep gray mist before them, and an orb broke free of the waves of gray below them, shining. Penny Rose heard Lucif draw in its breath, startled. The orb grew and grew, rose before them, and flew into the sky. As it moved past them, it expanded and Penny Rose saw the surface of it as it shot past. It was lit from within, like a lantern, the brightest lantern, shining through the translucence of reflective gold. But it was the shapes running over it that made her draw her breath. The characters ran and jumped about on it, burning and emerging, disappearing. Foreign and then familiar, Penny Rose sensed rather than read their meaning. It spoke of hope and the tales of history that were the heart of the light.
Lucif watched it, transfixed. The reflection in its mirrored eyes lingering longer than it seemed the orb was in front of them.
Lucif's purr had stopped in awe of the light that had risen in front of them. Now it turned its enormous head, and gazed at Penny Rose, as if transfixed. Penny Rose looked back, unflinching. "That was beautiful," she breathed, her eyes sparkling. Lucif nodded, but said nothing. It simply laid its head on its paws before her in a deep bow, the second time on this longest of days.
She looked at it, a frown of confusion between her brows. "You are the Reader," it said solemnly, "but you have done more than ever I expected. You have brought back... hope. For you can read the histories and know their meaning. It is clear, now." Then the eyes rose to her level once again, and the nose snuffled her ear in a gentle, sympathetic nuzzle. "But you are young, my dear - so young. So young and so brave."
Penny Rose blushed. She wasn't sure what it meant, but she realized the weight of Lucif's words and she hoped - and feared - it was right. The mirrored eyes reflected back Penny Rose's wide ones. The creature circled behind her, its large paws nestling on either side of her as it sat down behind her. "It's all right to fear, child. But you must know what you are - brave and good."
Tears came to Penny Rose's eyes and she turned into Lucif's furred chest, the blazon of white catching her tears as she wrapped her arms around the beast and let herself cry. A comforting purr flowed beneath her cheek, and a large head bowed to shield her.
The girl and the creature stood upon the edge, the morning light shining on their embrace.
Dawn
The rest of the dark night, Lucif and Penny Rose made their way calmly through the Marshlights - the deep indigo lights sparkling beautifully in the distance, but never again nearing them. The golden light glowed yet in Penny Rose's skin, and Lucif glanced at her every now and then, while Penny Rose floated through the dark and damp pathways, following the mazing trail quiet and fearless, the warmth deep in her blood.
Lucif and Penny Rose finally reached the end of the swamplands, the tall, rush grasses thinning against the darkness, and the sky lightening as they stepped onto solid ground. Penny Rose's tired head was drooping even as the gray of the morning sky swept above them. Ahead of them, a sea of grasses seemed to stretch out to the horizon, and Lucif circled behind Penny Rose to pad silently behind her, its shoulder nudging her gently forward. "Come, child, you are tired I know but we must continue - just to the edge."
"The edge?"
"Yes, the edge of the dawn. It is just there."
Penny Rose's eyes widened, as she looked harder at the end of the grass field, and realized that rather than moving into the horizon, the grasses simply ended. And from the edge, the gray was lightening ever brighter.
They trod on, and as Penny Rose's steps became slower, Lucif paused to kneel and allow Penny Rose to climb onto its back. Penny Rose grasped the thick, marled fur, and laid her cheek against the warm softness, laid over the power of Lucif's strong, graceful spine. Even as they walked into the unknown, Penny Rose closed her eyes and let the creature take her toward the end.
"Lucif?"
"Yes, child."
"Will you stay with me?"
Lucif paused, and the silence stretched ever louder, only broken by the slight whuff of Lucif's paws as they trod over the soft grass, now a silver in the dawning light.
"I will stay with you, child."
"How long?"
"As long as you need."
Penny Rose's breath ruffled against Lucif's fur, as she buried her hands further into the thickness, even her elbows tightening against it. Lucif's mirrored eyes showed nothing, but it said not a word, just continued on, neither slowing nor wavering, toward the horizon.
Lucif and Penny Rose finally reached the end of the swamplands, the tall, rush grasses thinning against the darkness, and the sky lightening as they stepped onto solid ground. Penny Rose's tired head was drooping even as the gray of the morning sky swept above them. Ahead of them, a sea of grasses seemed to stretch out to the horizon, and Lucif circled behind Penny Rose to pad silently behind her, its shoulder nudging her gently forward. "Come, child, you are tired I know but we must continue - just to the edge."
"The edge?"
"Yes, the edge of the dawn. It is just there."
Penny Rose's eyes widened, as she looked harder at the end of the grass field, and realized that rather than moving into the horizon, the grasses simply ended. And from the edge, the gray was lightening ever brighter.
They trod on, and as Penny Rose's steps became slower, Lucif paused to kneel and allow Penny Rose to climb onto its back. Penny Rose grasped the thick, marled fur, and laid her cheek against the warm softness, laid over the power of Lucif's strong, graceful spine. Even as they walked into the unknown, Penny Rose closed her eyes and let the creature take her toward the end.
"Lucif?"
"Yes, child."
"Will you stay with me?"
Lucif paused, and the silence stretched ever louder, only broken by the slight whuff of Lucif's paws as they trod over the soft grass, now a silver in the dawning light.
"I will stay with you, child."
"How long?"
"As long as you need."
Penny Rose's breath ruffled against Lucif's fur, as she buried her hands further into the thickness, even her elbows tightening against it. Lucif's mirrored eyes showed nothing, but it said not a word, just continued on, neither slowing nor wavering, toward the horizon.
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