Asharlyn’s thoughts eased back since the events that led her from being a prisoner, to the temple in the mountains. “ I’ve learned something new about myself. The teacher as she referenced herself and that mysterious entity who never said who or what they were had taught her who she was.”
She mused, “ Vahzah!, Truth they had both said. I am to be the Vahzah Tey, True Story.” She paused in her musing, then chuckled to herself, “They were humbled when the murals of the rotunda began to write the story of those events that had been taking place between them.” What was it, yes, “Look! She writes the songs of life upon these halls; we have not seen this in ages beyond remembering. Never has it been so vivid, so much truth told.”
Suddenly, her memories were interrupted by a slight rustle of some leaves in the forest she was now traveling through. It had now been several weeks since she had left that place. She thought, “ What was it they called it? ‘The Temple of Song!’ “ Her thoughts returned to the present, “They were hunting her.” She had sense them as she made her way down from the high mountain paths that came into this old forest.” She considered, “These parts were of the northern realms of the kingdom of Rhiannon.”
Listening, she heard the footsteps of those who were tracking her. She mused, “They were relentless in their pursuit. She understood why! Too many of the Lian, those of that ancient order of elves had died during her escape from her prison by her hand.” She quietly smiled, and thought, “Yeah, they were not too happy with her right now. She had disabled or killed three quarters of the Lian that were guarding her in that place.” She paused in motion to ponder, “Why did they do that to her?” Where was her mother now? Why did they…”
A tear formed and rolled down her cheek, “What had she done to have so much anger focused on her? All those things they had done to her?” Thinking back as she continued her way through the transitioning high mountains to the lower slopped lands rising to meet the stone of this land. She considered, “All these feelings flooded her heart, threated to overwhelm her purpose, her need to survive!”
As she continued her journey down to reach the sanctuary of pine and hardwood forest, her memories of that long journey always seem to draw her back to that temple. She recalled, “ There within the halls were written in the stone, a song that read like poetry. It told a story that seemed to be missing from this land. One that invoked an understanding of life that was not understood by others. A lost understanding of the way things were meant to be. “
She considered those words written in the stone and thought about its meaning, “A song of the kingdom of Rhiannon. It evoked a profound sense of unity and hope; it’s words weaved a tapestry of shared destinies and timeless truths. At its heart, the message resonated deeply, inviting each listener to reflect on their own journey within the grand narrative of existence. “
She paused in thought as she continued to make her way down to the ridge trail along the cliffs she was currently circumventing. What was its core message? She thought to herself, “As we navigate our lives, basking in light after the shadows of uncertainty, we are reminded that we are not solitary in our struggles. “
She contemplated, “ Rather, we are part of a greater chorus, a collective of souls bound by common dreams and aspirations.” She remembered, “ The imagery of the words ‘Runes Etched Upon Our Souls’ signifies that each experience, every choice, is a thread.”
She then mused to herself, “The song unfolds the idea that our legacies are intertwined, that to stand together in love and commitment is to forge a path toward healing with renewal. The joining of two rings symbolizes a profound covenant, an acknowledgment that in partnership, we can right the wrongs of the past and embrace a future imbued with promise.”
She thought, “ I remember how it touched a chord within me. There was something that stirred alive as I read, ‘As we look upward beneath the vast expanse of the heavens, the celestial dance of stars becomes a witness to our vows.’ There’s a palpable sense of hope that shimmers like the morning light, suggesting that even in our darkest moments, we can find the strength to rise and soar together.”
Asharlyn thought back and remembered they had said, “You have proved your place in this house, you have shown to us that you, Asharlyn have the right to stand before us, before all of us who came before, whose stories are written in this temple. We apologized, but we had to be sure. The battle ahead is one where all of what is good will be either won or lost. You are the singer, the storyteller, the shaper of tomorrows for many. “
The wildlife around her went still, silence rang loudly all around her. She thought quietly, “They are near!” She sang out a set of words, “Vonun Miiraad” The fog surrounded her creating hidden paths for her. She dropped to a crouch, slid her Katana silently out of its sheath as the teacher had taught her.
She listened, then said, “Bex Fin Miiraad Wah Tahrovin” and she saw the paths open to the dangers all around her. They were confused by what had just happened and were frozen in place with fear. She thought, “I could slip away and be gone or eliminate this danger,” She paused in thought, “What would the teacher have her do?”
Asharlyn thought, “She would say, ‘Choice is a blade of grass that can bend in any direction, however once you make your decision and act upon it, the consequence of unseen paths will be set in motion” She made her decision then.
Asharlyn closed her eyes and listened to the world around her. She heard the whispers of the breeze as it danced its complex weaves that moved against, around, and past all things. She heard the heartbeat of the life that sat within the stone, the change of permanence in its spirit as it witnessed the changing of the days, the years, the decades, the ages without end.
Asharlyn connected to herself, to all that was, and within its threads she saw the pathways of possibilities, those that would bear goodness and those that would plunge into shadow and darkness. She was indeed the truth of ways, the song of tomorrows, that which would someday give birth to life that would transform the future into one of opportunity and goodness, not the frozen paths of shadow, hidden beneath its own illusion of self.
Asharlyn felt whole, it was time for choices to be made. For the wind to bend the blade towards the path she had chosen to make. With that thought, she opened her eyes. She was content knowing she would be a force for change, for transformation, for a future without the pain she had endured.