The Lotus and Sword

The rain fell hard and fast for over an hour before we were able to set off again through the woods. Luckily as the trees made a decent canopy our continued journey through the forest path wasn’t quite as muddy as I expected. Don’t get me wrong, at one point I did step into a giant patch of mire which sank me to my knees. My walking stick helped save me, but the mud did nothing for my outfit. By the time we had made it to the other side of the forest, it had been three hours more of hard trekking, and our bodies were just exhausted. The first day of travel probably only netted us about six miles from our old town, but we were still glad to be free of it.

At the end of a long day, our feet and legs were sore beyond belief. Our bodies were not used to this amount of travel. So we were glad to find a nice clearing at the end of the forest, and to declare it time to set up camp for the night.

And rest.

To just sit by the fire and warm our clothes, bodies and souls was the comfort we needed at the end of this day. As we had passed few other travellers earlier on the main road, and literally no one on the forest trail, the day was mainly uneventful. However, the rain, thunder and lightning earlier certainly added something to remember. Mostly we travelled deep in our own thoughts.

My thoughts in particular strayed to remembering my younger self, so full of dreams and ambitions before I knew the harsh realities of the world. I recall asking my papa if I could be the next king. He laughed and said girls can’t be king. He said to work hard but also make time for hobbies that I loved. He also said remember to always take time to read and journal. And so it is, I’m still journaling. My poor papa died when I was yet little. A horrible flu caught him and weakened him, leaving him too ill to work, and to weak to get out of bed. I think he passed from despair as much as any actual illness. May God rest his soul.

And now I look over and see my best friend gently practicing a sad tune on her lute. She is tired too. Before I close my eyes and whisper goodnight to the darkness, I’ll spend a few minutes cheering up my friend. For the day has been long, and now night is here. There is no more work we can do, but just rest.

So future reader, I hope that your night’s dreams bring you hope and joy, and may your sleep be a restful restoration of your body and spirit.