Journey to Hope-Chapter 17

Notes:

• This is the final chapter. But more fanfics are in the works!

• Once again, let me know if I got anything wrong with Clovenfast, Esben’s den, ect. ect.

Chapter 17 The Beginning

At the words, ‘Esben’s den’ an even heavier silence fell over the company.

“This is where Papa lived?’ Leeli asked.

“Yeah. And there are some things inside that you all need to see.” Kal took Nia and Leeli by the hand and Janner held Artham’s. When Artham felt Janner’s warm skin touch his own, Artham once again thrilled at his hands. They were normal again, just right to hold a quill. He no longer had to hide them or be afraid of them. Artham Wingfeather was free from the feathery beast inside him, but he still felt grief going into the place where Esben had lived when he had been lost in the darkness. They rounded the turn in the path to a cluster of large, tall boulders. Janner and Kal looked at each other and took a deep breath, preparing themselves for what was to come. They led their family into Esben’s den. The early morning sun, shining through the thickly clustered trees, was bright enough for Esben’s paintings to be perfectly visible, vibrant even in their sparse use of color. Artham was the first to fall to his knees, gazing around him at what had once been his life. The paintings on the walls drew him in, reminded him of an Anniera long gone. Esben’s paintings had always been able to do that. The rest of the family soon followed, kneeling or sitting down, absorbing everything around them. Esben’s love and longing for them seemed to radiate from the walls, from the care he had taken in painting each one of their faces. They sat in silence for a long while when Janner began to speak. In this place where Esben had lived and grieved, where he had seen the vision from Leeli’s music that had at last led him back to his family, Janner told of his time with the Maker and with Esben. He told them what Esben looked like, and to his best ability, what the Maker’s country had looked like. At his description of Esben, Nia’s face wore an expression of familiarity and love. He told about how they sailed, how they had seen Rudric, Podo, Wendolyn and even Nugget. Leeli was delighted by that last part. He finished by telling them Esben’s messages for each one of them. Janner knew that Esben had chosen his words perfectly, because Janner could see in the faces of the family that his messages had touched their hearts.

“…and he’s up there now, with the Maker, waiting for us. When I died, I was just passing into another place, a better place. It was amazing,” Janner finished. The family sat in silence for a long time. Kal sniffled and Leeli wiped her eyes and smiled. Then she began to sing. It was the very same song that she had sung for Esben in Ban Rona so long ago. Janner knew that Leeli’s magic could not pass the barriers of the Maker’s land. That place could only be reached by the Maker’s will and by death. But as the Wingfeathers stood up and each walked to a different area of the den, thinking about Esben, Leeli’s music connected them. It bound their hearts together with their shared grief and with the strength of their love. The familiar words of her song seemed to stretch into the sky as they all thought about Esben. Artham walked slowly around the den, his fingers gently brushing over many of the paintings. He paused at the painting of his own face. He smiled softly in remembrance of years gone by and thought back to the man he had been, then again to the man he was now. The Maker had worked greatly in the lives of every person there in Esben’s den. Kalmar looked around him. His heart soared with every sweet note of Leeli’s song. Surrounded by his family, all healed and whole, surrounded by the demonstrations of his fathers love, Kalmar’s heart filled to overflowing with hope and joy and peace. He looked over to Janner, who was reaching out gentle fingers to trace the sailboats bobbing on the wall’s painted sea. Kal remembered the day Janner had died. Kal had felt like Janner’s death was the end of everything he knew, even as it healed him. Kal thought back on all that had happened over the past year or so, and knew the Maker still had so much more in store for them. This was not the end, in fact, it was just the beginning.