Fight Your Daemons .. With These

The reasoning was important to me. I grasped onto it as if it could be the one thing I might get right. Holding it tightly .. I would need better weapons. Who better to ask?

I went strait to Aod. She looked tired .. but still gave me the feeling she was happy to see me.

She was in her wagon when I arrived and I offered to come in .. so she did not have to move ... but she tisked at me and gave me a trimming for not respecting her reputation.

Now a man knows when he is in a tight situation and I am not stupid enough to pretend as if there was no reason for me to protect said reputation .. so I apologized profusely and explained I was needing something very important or I would not have made such a smooth cheeked boy mistake. Her eyes sparkled.

We sat together at her small fire and she poured me a wooden bowl of milk .. fresh ... just the way I like it. Then she asked me to explain this great important thing that was burning a hole in my skull just waiting to get out.

I told her about my dream .. I told her about the boy who looked like another. I told her the boy asked for my protection while he hid out in the desert .. where he did not belong. I explained to her that I had given my word .. that I would protect ... and that I needed better weapons. I needed something to give me an edge in a war I did not seem to ever gain any ground in. But now it was more than just me at stake .. it was more than my word that weighed precariously in the balance. It was the life of a small boy.

It all came out rather fast .. rather intense ... and she simply watched me the entire time. Her old black eyes registering all my words and though her expressions changed very little I knew she was listening to every one.

When I was done I took a moment to catch my breath .. finally tasting the milk. Waiting .. waiting ... finally getting a little impatient I started to speak and she held up her hand to me .. bidding me to wait.

I waited.

And waited.

When she finally spoke it was not what I expected to hear .. it was not what I wanted to hear. She took a little handkerchief from where it had been tied at her waist and she spread the soft fabric over her lap .. within were several little white flowers. Delicate of stem and petal .. and she said ... "Take these."

"But Elder .. I need a weapon ... I need a weapon of great strength to battle the beasts within the desert. They are much bigger and much stronger than I am .. and I am a warrior of the Tuchuk. How can these flowers help me? They are useless to me .. how can I fulfill my promise?"

She simply smiled at me .. as frustrated as I was I could not help but see how her smile lit up her eyes and made her features glow. I felt foolish .. despite my frustrations. I nodded to Aod and I took the handkerchief and I wrapped it loosely around the blooms.

"Thank you Aod .. I will do as you say ... I will learn this lesson that you are teaching me."

I rose to my feet and I started to leave when I heard her say my name .. I turned around to find her staring into my milk bowl .. her eyes transfixed .. tears wetting her cheeks.

"Elder .. Aod ... what is it?"

She wiped at her cheeks and shook her head. "Fonce .. come to me in a hand .. no matter what happens ... return here in exactly a hand. Return here to me. Promise me... give me your word."

I was confused and stunned. "Of course Aod .. one hand. I will do this."

"No Fonce .. I am serious. Take me seriously .. give me your word you will do this."

My brow furrowed with real concern now .. but I let my thoughts wrap around what she was saying to me .. stepping aside from the frustrations with the white flowers for long enough to give her my word.

And mean it.