The island of High Summer dreaming

Posted on 26 Nov 2016 @ 7:02pm by Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim

558 words; about a 3 minute read

Allyndra lay on the cold deck of the ship. There was little else to do while everything else had gone on. Her mind drifted again to the tales of her youth. She had been gathering them into her log, but right now there was no way to make a log other than in her mind.

Still even if for a moment there might be way to drift away from this place.

"Across the scattered lands and islands of all of Akkadia there was one island that lay far to the north. It was a tiny place, rocky and barely enough to even support the tiny group of people that lived there. For only a few months out of the year was it temperate enough for the blood flower to grow and bloom and thus the people went hungry many of the time depending on the harvest.

Such was a time when one of the leanest times had come again. The winds and storms had been harsh, the high summer short with many clouds and now in low winter things were thin indeed.

The people gathered in the hall of the poor house that they shared and made merry with music and dance even though hunger nipped at their heels. As they celebrated a stranger appeared at the door. An elderly woman in rags and with a gauntness to her face.

"Come Mother!" The people all said including the matron of the house. "Come warm yourself by the fire, come share what we have even if it is poor fare that we offer. Come Mother and enjoy the music and be welcome."

The old woman partook of the what little they had, and sat in an honoured place by the fire attended like she was the Mother of the House, and even tapped her toes to the music."

At a pause, she waved the matron over and said, "How can you be so cheerful when you have so little?"

"Ah, Mother, though we have little in food, little in material wealth, each and everyone here shares what they have and in turn we have more joy then many others. Though hunger nips, and the fire is thin, they are nothing compared to the companionship we all share."

The old woman nodded and said, "You have shown me great kindness in your poverty and learned much by that. Keep that kindness when you fortunes change."

The next day the old woman was gone and the people went about their lives but something changed with the next planting. The air was warmer, the rains that had been harsh became gentle mists, the currents of the sea had shifted and brought a change. The island's bounty was great and the cold did not come, though the Twins settled lower the island remained as though High Summer lingered.

Word spread of the island that seemed to be perpetually in High Summer and visitors came to partake of the wonder. Each visitor was greeted as was the old woman for the people were convinced it was one of the gods come down to them and the people remembered the words she had said, "To keep that kindness," for they were convinced that if they should ever loose that kindness toward others then the currents would shift once again and take away their new bounty.

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