3. The journey home and news from the south
It was already 10 p.m., and Amer had been leaving his home for the last two years without knowing when he would be back. His luggage included just a medium-sized wheeled bag and a shoulder bag. He never had that much luggage with him.
“Just why now? Rain god please, what did I do today that I need to go through? “Poor guy sighed, it was heavily raining, so he took out his old umbrella without a button and tried to open it. After the epic fight between human and ancient umbrella monster, he opened it and covered himself with it. You will ask why he has such an old and useless umbrella? First mister perfect is a miser when it comes to himself and second, this umbrella was the old type which covered a person completely with a larger bending point making it as an inverted bowl protecting much more than the new fashionable ones like a plate. What is the use if you cannot protect yourself from rain?
He was leaping over puddles and the small water canals that the capital was full of for water storage. The best thing was that the central station was near the old city where the dormitory was. He ran into the station and shook his umbrella and closed it, holding it a bit aside.
The train was already at the platform. This was the only train which was going to the mountain range side – the Lavine express, even though it did not reach the village. Still around 5 km to walk through the woods and between the mountains. This train is always quite full in the beginning for a couple of hours but after that, there are fewer stops and no cities on the way. The greatest thing about this train is that for people who are traveling more than 10 hours there are sleeping places which normally are half empty. This time Amer was lucky enough to be alone in his carriage, that means more sleep and good views without running kids and drinking men. The interior of the train was wooden panels from redwoods that were made near to the north border before the mountain range. That was the only place where it was grown and then processed into stunning panels, benches, and tables for this train. It was the only train with redwood interiors.
After 10 minutes, the train started.” This swift shaking of the carriages and sound of wheels always made me sleepy. Probably it’s time to just relax and enjoy those sweet sleep hours”. He was somewhat worried about Raven and how he is because of the war situation. His friend was going to the south-east to take Betty with him.
His concern was that the war started from that side, and that zone is still unsafe. He was just praying to all the gods that he would be safe, and they would meet soon. He bent down, took his bag, and started to search for something in it. He took out a long green book. This was the “Story of the Valley” book. He put his bag on the bed, used it as a pillow, and lay down. This book and its stories always made him calm, as if it were some sort of meditation. He opened it in the middle where his bookmark was and started to read.
The chapter that he was reading was describing protectors and gods of fertility from his village. “Elemendis, Redeonis, Meredis… Meredis? The one who Aunt Elly believes in the most.” Every person in the village believed in the protector that was connected to their clan. He was from the Rente family, which was a long time ago considered to be part of the clan Orso that took care of medicine in the village. Aunt Elly was also part of this clan, and their protector was Meredis. In the book, he was described as “Tall white deer with bear and other animal features that can vary depending on his mood. His eyes are blood red in rage or dark blue when he is peaceful. His saliva is no less than a chemical weapon that can kill people and melt objects; it has a strong smell and color of rust. He is the most violent and at the same time merciful of all the protectors and gods.” This deity could destroy the world or give eternal peace, which was his power, and that made people fear him. Amer always asked him for protection and had no fear of punishment because he knew that he would be fair in his judgment.
He remembered the baby deer that Munny wrote about. “Probably it’s a sign that we are doing the right thing, that’s why this small Meredis type baby was found near our home. He should be much bigger than when they found him. Hmmm… If his parents were killed … I do not understand why hunters do not spare even those magical animals that do not look like average ones? There are enough other animals that give birth more often than deer or other big animals, which are already decreasing abruptly.” Guy just put the bookmark on the place where he stopped and put it back into his bag. He pushed his bag under the bed and decided to prepare for sleep. He lay down and, after half an hour of thinking about everything and praying, fell asleep. This was the most peaceful sleep that he had had in the last 3 months because of all the lab work and exams. Even a long journey like this can bring peace to mind and soul.
The train was running on the rails deep into the night covering all the problems of this country and deaths which caused this war, that has no real enemy, just payment for sins that the king and his ministers tried to cover up.
It was already early morning; the sun was slowly gliding up through clouds. After 9-hour sleep Amerdin woke up and already could see that drastically different world outside the window without even looking too far away. Frost painted beautiful roses and snowflakes on the extensive window of the cabin. He always associated these frost paintings with roses and snowflakes. Guy had a crow’s nest instead of hair and face with sleep marks because he had been sleeping on his hand. After a minute the ticket checker came into his cabin. There was almost no one on the train and the station should come in a couple of hours probably that is why… Or just because he was bored?
The older man in his late 40s sat on the opposite bank.
“Aren’t you Elliandra’s son? I remember her with a boy like you but much smaller and also there was a small girl with dark brown eyes” man scratched his chin and looked at the guy questioning him.
“Yes, that right, Ellen aunty is our mother who took us after our parents passed away, do you know her??”
The man laughed shortly and smiled at the guy.
“Yeah she was my love for a long time but didn’t muster the courage to tell her that and ask her out but anyhow now I have family and kids ha-ha…Life is a strange thing, don’t you think so, kid?” he chuckled and patted the guy on the head, it was visible that the old man was remembering something.
” True. I did not know that I would go home so soon. This situation in the country and so less information. Sometimes it seems like there is no enemy that our country is facing. Just some gossip that complete villages in the South were burned down and just torn but no one knows by whom. It is just strange and somehow scary. ” Amer looked a bit lost and confused. It was visible from his eyes, which turned more mixed but separate showing both colors on their peak.
The man just sighed and started talking.
” Politics and wars are made by big people who do not know how normal people live and what they go through. I hope just that our king is smart enough to understand where to stop.” He paused for a second, and then his eyes looked straight into the eyes of Amer.
” I heard from colleagues that used to go to South Side that the most thrilling thing what they saw when going near to the attacked area trees were covered in blood like so etching exploded and also melting trees, I can’t even believe that I am saying it, but yeah melting trees”
Amer’s eyes grew showing his shock.
” That’s just insane! That is not possible! Only if they used some chemical weapons. There are elements and compounds which can melt things but then it will be impossible to carry around and use.”
The old guy just shrugged his shoulders and waved his head.
” That can be true or not but that’s what I heard. I hope it is not but let’s see what happens. Everything in the Arms of our gods and king.” he just looked at his watch and remembered something.
“So, I need to go, the next station is coming and yes I completely forgot! Unfortunately, after two stations is the last stop. There was a call from headquarters and they said to stop in Lasden and then come back because of preparations in case of war.”
The ticket checker stood up and put his hand on the guy’s shoulder and leaned down a bit.
“Good to see such young people, probably our future is in good hands. It was nice speaking with you! I am sorry that today you will need to walk 5 km more. Just take care, kid, and tell your aunt that I would like to meet her someday to talk and drink some tea together. I remember that on the last station in Hamem, they made amazing milk tea, it had some name to it, what was it? Ch… Something. I am getting old, my memory is not working at all. ” he continued to laugh.
” yeah, it is called Chai, it’s good you should drink it at old Harrens place near the station, they bake best pastries with Keshav nuts”, Amar was telling about it and already was imagining himself there but not this time because he will need to go from laden to the mountains to get home faster, that was upsetting.
” I will remember this, young man. I am going now. Please enjoy the rest of the time. Bye” man went out and looked back smiling.
“Bye, sir, please take care!” Amer shouted to him and waved his hand. It was pleasant to talk at least with someone before he could reach the station. Guy stood up and went to wash his face and prepare for a long walk. Good that he could take his wheel bag also as a backpack, which will help in crossing the mountain. The important thing was to wear snow boots and prepare for deep snow when he is closer. It was no longer the capital anymore where plain boots were enough. He could see through the window how high the snow is. It was magnificent. Even though it is the end of March, it still has so much snow. Lasden had less snow than their village because it did not receive as much cold and had lower humidity levels. His village always had snow at the beginning of spring because it was between 3 mountain ranges. That’s why it was also dangerous to live in the valley, but that made their village the most protected and mysterious place because the snow melted really rarely and not every single year. But on the mountain range edges, it was always spring, everything blooming, which was an unusual and strange phenomenon, knowing that it was much colder up there. Probably, thermal waters inside the mountains heated the peaks more than everything else.
books chapter-1 childhood-memories environmental fantasy fiction horror letters nature romance sentimental short-story winter writing
The Singh & AI 
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