by Ross Turner
With the Souls of the Ocean now gone, and the demonic realm forever removed, surely they, and the rest of Tamarack, could continue to live and prosper in peace.
Cole and Rose, perched high atop the tallest of the snow-tipped Kalaren Peaks, looked down upon their home, and indeed the rest of Rilako, with a certain satisfaction and contentment that is achieved only through dedication, perseverance and, sadly, sacrifice.
The air was chill and the wind was harsh, and the cold of evening was quickly encroaching, even in the now long, warm days of midsummer - for so high up in the peaks, regardless of the season, the air was always thin and the temperature low.
They were, however, unaffected by the cold. Their bodies remained comfortable and warm, simply because Cole willed them to, and the near-impossible descent below them was no issue either, as, even if Rose had been unable to navigate the jagged rocks and treacherous slopes, Cole could simply have parted a path for them to follow.
Such was their combined power, now that they had gained full control over it. And if ever the need arose for them once again to bend their wills for the hand of fate, it would be done, and they would surely be prepared.
Rose leapt with terrifying speed and cascaded down the steep mountainside like an avalanche, not so much taking strides as she was leaping between looming peaks and skidding, roaring drifts. Her enormous claws buried deep into snow and ice and rock alike and her powerful legs pumped as her body swept downwards in great arcs, now fully grown, her physical strength truly unmatched by any creature that had ever lived in Tamarack.
Soon the ground had levelled enough, though it was by no means gentle, for her to run. Her great strides churned the ground relentlessly and the hot air from her snout steamed and whipped over Cole’s head as he clung calmly to her back.
After what felt like only minutes, there was no more snow, and the gradient was levelling out dramatically. Rose ground to a halt, screeching her claws across the bare face of the stone, and even as she did so, Cole caught his breath and surveyed the mountain range and everything below it.
They looked over across the vast, darkening common that was their home, illuminated with great streaks of red and orange yellow, and even purple and violet and pink, as the sun splashed and spilled its final light of the day over Tamarack.
Somehow, Cole felt that this sunset was distinct, significant amongst all others he had witnessed. Rose also admired the sight with curious human emotion and exceptional insight, learned almost solely from her close and intimate connection with her Cole.
Roughly a thousand metres below them, Cole’s mother’s thoughts matched his own. Isabel’s eye had too been caught by the glorious and unusual sunset.
Maybe there was something distinct about it, or perhaps the three of them were simply caught up in coincidence and chance. Though, that particular argument had not held strong in the past.
And so regardless, they were all content to give thanks for, after many years of struggle, the lives they were now being given, and allowed to live out in peace.
Whoever, or whatever, it was that had once spoken to Isabel and her son, that controlled worlds, Gods, even universes, and seemed to have chosen Cole as its preferred physical vessel, had now given them their lives back entirely. It had even, through hardship and turmoil and suffering, made each of them better, stronger, more complete individuals, and they were thankful, in a strange way, for its intervention.
It was surely also the cause of this perfect moment.
Undoubtedly there was still much in store for Tamarack, and indeed the rest of this universe, but for now, Isabel and her legendary family were able to continue with their extraordinary lives unhindered, and at peace.
She and her husband, and their son and his demon, became legends throughout Tamarack, and the tales of their sacrifices were told and re-told for countless years to come, never to fade into the histories and be forgotten.
Forever the stories stayed strong, just as the wills and determination of those they spoke of remained resolute, prepared always to submit themselves once more to suffering. It was for the entirety of their mortal lives that they were ready to, if necessary, yet again surrender themselves to the self-sacrifice upon which, sadly, peace is built, and indeed relies so heavily upon.
Whether that task would once again be asked of them or not, only time would tell.
And so, at least for now, this tale of Isabel and her family comes to an end.
Thank you for reading The Tamarack Series
I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it
Look out for
The Redwoods
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Ross Turner Books
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