Second chapter of "Mountain Sage and Desert Tiger"
It takes place somewhat after the first. People seem to like the first, so here's the next one.
-drawn from the weeds-
After looking for a few minutes, Gerik finds the particular sage he's looking for. Surprisingly--or not-so-surprisingly--he's in the branches of a rather well-known tree.
People have been coming here for around two weeks, usually at evening or morning but sometimes at a different time of the day. He's seen Eirika, Natasha, Ewan of course, and Myrrh; even L'Arachel and Lute have come here on occasion, just to sit under this exact tree. It took him a while to realize that they weren't just sitting in the shade.
They come here, unwittingly it seems, because of Saleh. Whether or not they know he's there, that's their business. But he wouldn't be surprised if they didn't--Saleh's cape, his boots, even his hair blends in with the branches and leaves. Forde mentioned once that Saleh's quote-unquote "energy" was like a beacon of calm. But now that he's here, he realizes why the cavalier says that.
There is a profound feeling of peace surrounding this tree. Unlike what L'Arachel says, it doesn't make him feel all that carefree--Saleh's too serious for that anyway. But it definitely makes him feel something.
He wonders, for a moment, just why Saleh finds sitting in a tree so appealing. He heard Ewan talking to him once about always having to find a quiet place for Valega; it must be why there's such a feeling (aura, more like) surrounding this spot. Is it simply because it's quieter up there, that Saleh would go through the trouble of scaling a tree that he probably won't see again once he's back in Caer Pelyn? Is it because he lives in the mountains, rather than the level ground everyone else lives on?
But then he looks closer at the sage--at his closed eyes, his calm, detached expression--and shakes his head. It's not out of convenience or familiarity that Saleh goes up there, so much higher than anyone else.
He goes there because nobody else does. Because they can't find a way up, or they're too afraid to look, or they don't know they can even get there in the first place.
He's the only one who wants to.
Eventually Gerik realizes that he's sitting with his back against the tree, right below the branch Saleh's sitting on. He looks up again, needing a moment to distinguish Saleh from the leaves, and speaks for the first time since coming here.
"Saleh?"
No answer--is he asleep? He doesn't seem to have moved for a while, but maybe he's too caught up in meditating.
"Saleh..." he stops for a moment, then continues. "You can say it if you want to."
Saleh opens his eyes. He looks down at the mercenary, with a thoughtful sort of look that leaves Gerik in the dark as to what he might be feeling.
But he doesn't say anything.
-drawn from the weeds-
After looking for a few minutes, Gerik finds the particular sage he's looking for. Surprisingly--or not-so-surprisingly--he's in the branches of a rather well-known tree.
People have been coming here for around two weeks, usually at evening or morning but sometimes at a different time of the day. He's seen Eirika, Natasha, Ewan of course, and Myrrh; even L'Arachel and Lute have come here on occasion, just to sit under this exact tree. It took him a while to realize that they weren't just sitting in the shade.
They come here, unwittingly it seems, because of Saleh. Whether or not they know he's there, that's their business. But he wouldn't be surprised if they didn't--Saleh's cape, his boots, even his hair blends in with the branches and leaves. Forde mentioned once that Saleh's quote-unquote "energy" was like a beacon of calm. But now that he's here, he realizes why the cavalier says that.
There is a profound feeling of peace surrounding this tree. Unlike what L'Arachel says, it doesn't make him feel all that carefree--Saleh's too serious for that anyway. But it definitely makes him feel something.
He wonders, for a moment, just why Saleh finds sitting in a tree so appealing. He heard Ewan talking to him once about always having to find a quiet place for Valega; it must be why there's such a feeling (aura, more like) surrounding this spot. Is it simply because it's quieter up there, that Saleh would go through the trouble of scaling a tree that he probably won't see again once he's back in Caer Pelyn? Is it because he lives in the mountains, rather than the level ground everyone else lives on?
But then he looks closer at the sage--at his closed eyes, his calm, detached expression--and shakes his head. It's not out of convenience or familiarity that Saleh goes up there, so much higher than anyone else.
He goes there because nobody else does. Because they can't find a way up, or they're too afraid to look, or they don't know they can even get there in the first place.
He's the only one who wants to.
Eventually Gerik realizes that he's sitting with his back against the tree, right below the branch Saleh's sitting on. He looks up again, needing a moment to distinguish Saleh from the leaves, and speaks for the first time since coming here.
"Saleh?"
No answer--is he asleep? He doesn't seem to have moved for a while, but maybe he's too caught up in meditating.
"Saleh..." he stops for a moment, then continues. "You can say it if you want to."
Saleh opens his eyes. He looks down at the mercenary, with a thoughtful sort of look that leaves Gerik in the dark as to what he might be feeling.
But he doesn't say anything.