The Enchanted Path (Book 1 of the Dreamfarers' tales)

Ch. 30.1 - Interlude V

"Mother? Why is Chief Alder so mad at Father? He said vile things...he called Father 'traitor'."

"I know. Some creatures just can't understand. Not right away."

What are they talking about? Father...a traitor? Who's Chief Alder? Was he the Deer Chief before Oak?

Once again, Dianthus' dream took him back to the Forest; now more than ever his home and family felt distant. Only a part of the family, Dianthus reminded himself. I'm closer to Leirion's location now...I hope.

In his ethereal form, Dianthus approached the two mares sitting by the weeping willow. More time must have passed, for Leirion was almost their mother's size. Dianthus wondered how long it had been since the time of his last vision. The evening air was chiller than what he was accustomed to, which meant it must have been autumn or early spring, but the glade was also surrounded by evergreens, so Dianthus couldn't be sure.

Dianthus gingerly approached the pair and sat close by. It was strange, really, being so close in space but so distant in time.

"Do you know why Chief Alder behaved so?" Thalia was asking her first child.

"Because Father helped the wolf clan today," Leirion answered gloomily, her ears pulled back. "Instead of ousting them, taking advantage of their weakened state," she continued, the contempt in her voice taking Dianthus by surprise.

The older mare nodded slowly. "What do you think your father should have done, Leirion?"

Leirion's ears perked up and her eyebrows knitted together. "Father did the right thing!" the princess replied fiercely. "He couldn't let the wolves die, could he?"

"Of course not. It is what healers do," Thalia said with a much calmer tone. "And yet, what would you do if you were the leader of a herd, with does and fawns to look after?"

"Well, I..." Leirion paused; her ears dropped slowly. "I guess I would protect them..." she conceded. "But to ask Father to get rid of the wolves is just...wrong."

"Chief Alder did not have the privilege to demand such services," Thalia agreed. "Nor does your father have the right to oblige them, and he knows it. It would have been simply cruel to turn his back on the wolves, but he had to let the deer down instead."

"But it would have been wrong!" remarked Leirion.

Thalia's eyes gleamed serenely like the moonlight shimmering on the surface of the pond at their hooves. "No one is to deny that. However, your father's job can be a tough one. To be a healer means to choose. To choose often means to fail someone. You see, my daughter, your father is aware of the fact that those same wolves he helped could, one day, leave their territories and attack us all out of hunger...or maybe not. The chance exists, but no creature has a better right to live than another. To hunt out of hunger is no more wrong than eating grass as deer do and as we do. It's Nature's Law."

Dianthus nodded silently along with his sister. That was one of the very first lessons he'd learned.

Thalia continued: "No matter which name you call it —Gaia, Ouranos or Oceanus— Nature's Law is always the same: from the moment you appear on this Earth, you have the right to exist, to defend yourself and your kin, pursuing your own nature." Then Thalia stayed silent, allowing her words and the implication behind them to set in before her daughter's eyes. As they did, the younger mare's expression shifted in shock and realization.

"But this means...are you saying that Chief Alder was legitimated to chase the wolves away? You just said that it would have been wrong and cruel!"

"It was wrong of him to ask your father to do so, instead of doing it himself," Thalia specified. "And yes, Nature's Law often appears cruel and merciless. Apparently, the strong shall rule the weak."

Leirion tilted her head to the side. "I think I'm confused..."

Her mother hummed softly. "To choose is never easy. It's just not meant to be. You see, Nature shows us two faces: one of them we know as the circle of life, ruled by Nature's Law; the second face we can see only reflected in the single living being, in good or bad. I'm talking about our conscience, Leirion. The other half of each and every being's own nature. It's like another great Law one must necessarily follow. Those two great Laws are bound to conflict with themselves on almost every little thing. Sometimes you aren't aware of it, and some other times it's evident, even painful. Let us say then that what is truly cruel is forcing someone to disown their own nature."

Thalia shook her lustrous midnight-black mane and cast her lilac gaze on the surface of the lake, reminiscing.

"Let me tell you a story, Leirion, so you can understand better. A long time ago—I didn't even know your father back then—a terrible drought hit the land.

"It was an incredibly hot summer where the heat prolonged into autumn. The soil was dry, the plants weak and fragile. I was greatly debilitated myself, the pond before you had dried up too, and our fair willow was not in better shape.

"One night, without realizing it, I traced back the creek bed, pushing myself into wolf territory; there, I finally found a pool of water, and by the time I bent over to drink, I noticed a black wolf staring back at me. I could tell he was thirsty and probably as weak as I was. We stared at each other. I was so exhausted that he could have just shown his fangs to make me flee...but he didn't. To his perspective, I could have easily chased him away with my magic, but I didn't. He cast his yellow gaze down first and lapped at the water, allowing me to relax and do the same. Once we were both finished, he didn't pursue me. He left without a word.

"That same wolf I had to chase away the next spring to protect a family of hares rushed right here to seek shelter. He was likely hunting to feed his pups, and I was defending the hares. Who was right then? Doing so, it's expected to believe the wolf left to hunt down some other creature. It's hard to accept, but it's both Nature's Law and Heart's Law, and to deny either of them can only lead to woe, sorrow, and remorse. If there happens to be an overpopulation of hares, Nature will send something to restore the balance; in the same way, if you fail to do what's right in your eyes with the knowledge to do so, you'll feel it clearly.

"According to that, you, my daughter, must understand even Chief Alder's point of view. What would you be willing to do for your loved ones? Maybe even trying to convince the local healer to refuse your 'enemy' the aid they ask for and do something ethically unjust. It was up to your father to decide, and he made up his mind."

"Like when he brought Madame Griselda here?" asked Leirion. "Even then Chief Alder wasn't too happy..."

Thalia nodded. "Yes." Then she smiled softly. "Compassion and generosity are two basic traits of your father's personality. He couldn't be any other way. Chief Alder will understand, eventually, and in the meantime, your father certainly won't refuse him his services because of those unfair words. Always remain true to yourself, Leirion, and in the end you won't regret it."