Different emotions bounced around his mind, tugging his attention back and forth. Memory and future, past and present, all jumbled up in his head. He’d thought of coming here to ease his mind, but he felt more unease now than when he’d started. Soon, he’d have to be getting back, which made it even more irritating. There were many questions he still had. At least, he thought glumly, he had a few answers. Finally, he put it all aside, determined to just move along with things, “It is to be hoped,” he said.
A different voiced hailed him from afar, “Aha! Thought you could slip away from the best, did you?”
He turned around, he spotted movement, and there, winding her way through the debris, was Pim. She was just as dust covered as he was, having tracked him through the as yet still desolate city.
“Sorry about this,” Reuben said as Pim reached him, “How did you find me?”
“A little bird told me,” Pim said as she playfully punched his arm, “Don’t worry about it. I did the same thing before I left Entigria, but don’t try it again, either. We’ve no idea about the security of this area.”
They stood there, Pim looking around, trying to guess what the place looked like. “This is it, you know,” said Reuben, a far away look in his eyes, “This was my life, this path. Endless days of trudging along, barely holding on from one day to the next. Barely wanting to either. Maybe I was just too stubborn to give up. I wondered why I didn’t just let go. Many times, I did.” There was a severity in his voice, part anger, part sorrow, all of it grim.
“Everything would be different if you had,” said Pim, concern on her face.
Reuben sighed, “I know,” he said. He shrugged and his shoulders slumped, a weariness he had suppressed getting the better of him, “Now, with things as they turned out, it does make it all worth it, somehow.” He paced back and forth, feet kicking up ash in little clouds, “I tell myself that. I believe it, even.” He stopped suddenly, “And yet, everyone is happy but me. And now…I just…coming back here I thought would help. I thought it would make sense. But it doesn’t. What now?” He closed his eyes, trying his best not to show how deeply he felt, the unspoken words of grief and loss whirling around in his mind that had never really been processed.
Pim watched Reuben, who was nearly trembling at his effort to hold it all together, and she saw there great strength instead. She didn’t know what to say; anything that she thought of sounded trite or superficial. An idea came to her mind. Slowly, she slipped her hand into one of his, “Let’s walk together,” she said.
Reuben’s eyes snapped open, and he looked at her in surprise. She was smiling bravely up at him, still concerned but encouraging. Reuben saw there an understanding, a welcoming acceptance, and he felt hope flow over him, smiling in return. Reuben’s hand closed over hers. Without another word, they headed forward on the path before them.
Also By Levi Pfeiffer
Silence Overseen
Gabe has failed. The spirit world is empty. The Lady is silent. Facing the failure of his apprenticeship as shaman, Gabe must decide whether to give up and return to his family’s farm or try once again.
For generations, the shamen in their forest have guided and protected the people of the plains with visions from the spirit world. Their wisdom and lore have brought lasting peace between the clans and with their neighbors to the south. Now, tensions are rising and the land is unsettled. Unknown to himself, Gabe is at the center of the storm. Can he break the silence and complete his apprenticeship before the storm breaks.
Available on Amazon in ebook and print.
About the Author
Fantasy author Levi Pfeiffer published his debut novel, Silence Overseen, in 2017, and continued with the release of Litany of Wrath in 2018. A lifelong fan of fantasy, Levi writes stories, full of magic and adventure and heart. After decades of reading and creating stories for friends and family, he has fulfilled his goal of writing and publishing professionally.
Levi draws on his many interests and studies, from language and psychology, to religion and nature, and more, in order to create new worlds and stories reflecting the depth of human experience. Levi lives in the American Midwest.
To connect with Levi, you can find him at levipfeiffer.wordpress.com or on Facebook.
Litany of Wrath Page 38