Terran note: Xerxes refers to Denice as “the hostess”
Xerxes - A short vignette
October 5, 2021
A DIVERSION PERHAPS FOR OUR HOSTESS? A SHORT VIGNETTE OF THAT WATERFALL AND SWEET WATER STREAM SO MANY AEONS AGO?
I SHARE THIS IMAGE. SHE WAS OLDER. LONG BROWN TRESSES LOOSLY FLOWING AND CAUGHT IN THE SLIGHT BREEZE. SHE WAS LOOKING DOWN AT HER FEET. I DID NOT HAVE THAT VANTAGE. THAT VIEW FROM HER EYES.
MY EYES WERE LOCKED ON HER THROUGH THE GREENERY. THE FOLIAGE FLUTTERING IN UNISON WITH HER IMMACULATE HAIR. HER GARB WAS A PALE ORANGE. NOT THE COLOR OF A RIPENED PEACH YET NOT AS SUBTLE AS THE HEART OF A PASSION FRUIT.
YES. WE HAD THE LUXURY OF BOTH FRUITS IN OUR ABUNDANT ORCHARDS. THOUGH YOU MAY NOT FIND A SOURCE EXTERNAL TO THIS TELLING.
I WATCHED. I HAD BEGUN THE TURMOIL OF MANHOOD. YOUTH WAS FORSAKEN NOW. I OFTEN WANDERED TO MY HIDDEN REFUGE AFTER THE RIGOROUS TRAINING WITH BROAD SWORD.
YES I JUMP FORWARD. IN PART TO ENTICE MY HOSTESS TO CONTINUE. THE SCENE OF THE WATER STIRRED A MEMORY FOR HER. THOUGH NOT SHARED HERE.
I CRAWLED FORWARD. SILENTLY AS IF I WAS A HIBERNATING SNAKE. SLOW BUT WITH PURPOSE.
I LIFTED THE BRANCH OF A SMALL OAK. SYCAMORE. IT MATTERS NOT THAT PARTICULAR DETAIL. I CAUGHT THE SCENT OF HER. FOREIGN. DELIGHTFUL. UNLIKE THE WOMEN OF OUR COMPOUND. UNLIKE ANY FEMALE I HAD EVER MET.
HER FEET WERE BARE. I DID NOT HAVE THE MOMENT TO SEARCH FOR HER SANDALS. THE HEM OF HER GOWN WAS SOAKED IN THE STREAM. DARKER THAN THE REST. A SMALL THIN SWAFT OF FABRIC DANCED WITH HER BROWN LOCKS. BUT NOT IN ANY RHYTHM I RECOGNIZED.
SHE HUMMED A TUNE. SOFTLY. ELEGANTLY. SWEETLY. TO SAY SHE SOUNDED OF THE ANGELS WOULD BE FOOL HEARTY. ALL BEAUTIES SOUND LIKE AN ANGEL WHEN THE YOUNG MALE HEART FIRST FALLS UPON ONE.
I WAITED. I WATCHED. MY HEART LEPT AS SHE SLIPPED THROUGH THE SOFT WATERS AND UP AND OVER THE OPPOSITE BANK.
SHE WAS GONE! AND THEN I WAS AFTER. THERE WAS A NOISE FROM BEHIND. I DID NOT TURN TO SEE THE MAKER. I ONLY MOVED FORWARD. INTO AND ACROSS THE SMALL EXPANSE OF COOL WATER. UP AND OVER THE TUFTS OF LONG GRASS.
SHE WAS GONE. IT WAS INSTANT. NOT A SOUND AHEAD TO FOLLOW.
IT WAS FOR ME TO RETREAT TO THE CALL OF MY BROTHERS BEHIND ME THEN. AND I LEAVE THIS MOMENT. THIS VISUAL HERE.
SO I RETURN TO THE YEARS PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED. THERE WAS SO MUCH LAUGHTER AND LOVE SHARED. AND AGAIN I SAY HOW THE CHILDREN AND THE YOUTH WERE SPARED FROM THE PAIN AND SUFFERING THAT WOULD SOON PART THE CURTAINS OF OUR ADOLESCENCE AND YOUNG ADULTHOOD.
BEFORE THE CALL TO TRAIN. BEFORE THE CALL TO SEPARATE THE WARRIORS FROM THE WORKERS. WE STAYED FIT AND FULL WITH DAYS FILLED WITH MOVEMENT AND WONDERFUL FOODS. NOT A WORRY AHEAD FOR ANY YOUNG BOY OR PERHAPS EVEN YOUNG GIRLS. ALTHOUGH I REITERATE THAT WE DID NOT WANDER WITH THE GIRLS. THE NATURAL SEPARATION FLOWED WITHOUT QUANDRY. IT WAS A SIMPLE DIVIDE OF PURPOSE AND OF PLEASURE.
IT OCCURS TO ME NOW THIS WAS PERHAPS EVEN BY DESIGN ALTHOUGH NEVER STATED. WAS IT THE GUISE OF THE ADULTS TO WHISPER THIS CONVULUTED SEPARATION WITHOUT ADVANCEMENT? PERHAPS. PERHAPS IT WAS THE NATURE OF OUR CULTURE. TO EASE THE CHILDREN INTO ADULTHOOD. TO PREPARE THE YOUTH FOR THE FORMIDABLE FUTURE.
I SHARE THIS THOUGHT NOW. PERHAPS NO ONE IS EVER FREE FROM THE DESIGNS OF OTHERS?
THIS RETROSPECT IS FRAUGHT WITH DANGER THAT SPOILS THE DIVINELY DELIGHTFUL YOUTH OF OUR DEAR PERSIA.
THERE IS MORE. YET I LEAVE YOU WITH THIS IMAGE. IN ALL THAT IS. I AM XERXES.
