Journey to the North or "Fernando"
The Journey to the North, one of the later adventures of Fernando the Vagrant Shrew.
I have left the end of this particular tale up to the reader.
Time can almost be forgotten when you travel for long periods. The days meld together seamlessly as you go.
Fernando was used to this feeling and had been alone for a good portion of his life. As far as he knew, it was Year 487 of the Age (an Age which would come to be known and remembered as the First Age, the Age of Darkness). He was middle-aged, but he was hardy. As a vagrant shrew, there was no other way. Fernando was fairly small as comes with being one of this species, but this made him no less fierce a warrior. His foe, this time, would not be so simple to beat: the hyperboreal weather of the north mountain. Dressed in a black coat, hooded poncho, brown furred leggings, leather gauntlets, and mukluks, Fernando carried on, sword at his side, ready for whatever may come in this forgotten hinterland. He did carry with him some rations, but he worry that it may not be enough.
For three days and three nights Fernando traveled the mountain, searching for a way to pass over to the other side, but to no avail. There were hopeful signs now and again; tracks in the snow and in the green-hued dirt that didn't belong to him. The howling winds often cut to the bone, and the pine trees roared with this wind. Somehow, it felt like the land itself was alive here. This wind carried with it, occasionally, the smell of smoke and fume, telling Fernando that somewhere out there, life yet dwelled
.
It was on the fourth night that Fernando had eyed a possible passage visible in the moonlight, though it was treacherous. A narrow path on the mountainside led around the mountain; however Fernando could see that, in several small areas, the path had given way to the elements and so would require no small amount of courage and dexterity to cross. He thought to himself, "This may be it," and so said a prayer and a blessing to himself: 'Oo may lai ma lay ma dos, kan oh toi peren go.' Roughly translated, this means: 'Guide me to the dawn of tomorrow, or carry me to whence I came.' It was one he had made for himself in dark times, and often has he said it.
Fernando closed his eyes and thought of the brilliant golden plains of the southern land, how he loved and yearned now to feel the warm sun upon him and to hear the mighty drums of the bear folk and the dancing of the foxes, mystic they both were. No more, as he knew why he had come all this way: The southern lands had been invaded and taken over by raging monsters that came as if from nowhere. All of them of different sizes and shapes, but they all had evil eyes and wrought hell-fire upon the southern lands. They bade Tareik, strong of earth magic and spirit, to halt the advance of these hellish demons, and long did he hold his ground against their advance, and win time for all creatures and peoples to escape. So, all scattered north and some further south still. All knew, though, it would not be enough to win the day against the onslaught.
Fernando opened his eyes and looked up to the cloudless sky filled with stars and glowing moon. It gave Fernando a sense of connectedness with this world the likes which he could not describe. However, this much was true: light was changing to shadow and each would have to find their way through. The vagrant shrew returned his attention to the task at hand and drew his sword. To fall is to die, to turn back is to burn. Forward was the only way now for him, and for all.