Eritopia

Jod Decides

In the early morning light, with dew on the grass and a stiff breeze blowing, Jod and Not-Bear reached the Outside.

The cousins had already departed, but Jod was still undecided.

'They don't live near me anyway,' he said.

After a restless night they followed a narrow trail out of the Forest into a dry landscape of low hills. Here was long grass, with isolated groups of trees and bushes scattered about. Ahead of them, due south, stretched an airy plain.

After a short distance they stopped for a rest. Jod squatted on the grass, poking the ground with his stick. Not-Bear looked back to the green swathe of trees in the distance behind them. 'It doesn't seem that scary out here,' he said.

'It depends on your perspective,' Jod replied.

'What's perspective?' Not Bear struggled to pronounce the word.

Jod was so used to Not-Bear by now he almost expected the question. The wolf was always on the move, following trails with his snout down, or lifting his head to take in a scent. If he wasn't moving he was asking a question about the weather, the landscape, or Jod's life before they met.

'Sometimes, when you are in a certain place, or a moment in time, things look different to how you expect them to. That's perspective.'

Not-Bear lay on his side. 'Is it a name?'

'No,' Jod said. 'It's not. Well, it's the name for something, but not a name itself. It's when things you didn't think were important, when you weren't there, seems more important when you arrive. Does that make sense?'

'No,' said Not-Bear. 'Are you talking about times or places?'

'Times and places,' Jod explained. 'Think about looking over a landscape, towards a distant hill. Imagine some trees, all spaced the same distance apart, stretching back a long way. Can you picture that?'

Not-Bear nodded.

'Well, as you look further back, the trees will appear to be closer together and look like a forest.'

Not-Bear nodded, his eyes shut in concentration.

'Now if you were actually there it wouldn't be a forest, but would be trees the same distance apart. It is only looking back a long way that makes it different. That's perspective.'

Not-Bear opened his eyes. 'Words are funny,' he said. 'I can see what you mean about the trees, but I don't understand the feelings. Am I old enough to have perspective?'

'Maybe not.' Jod laughed. 'But one day you will be.' He paused. 'There's another thing I want to talk about. Now that I am here on the Outside—'

'I know what you're going to say,' Not Bear interrupted. 'That it's time for you to leave. You said you'd only come with me as far as the Outside.'

'I did say that. My original intention was come with you to the edge of the Forest and no further.' He stepped forward two paces, then turned and paced two paces back.

'Travelling with you, and the cousins again, has got me thinking. I may seem a small, frail person, but there are similarities between us. As great as these differences in appearance, age and strength are, I was once a young wolf too. Of course I didn't look like a wolf. In those days, we people sometimes described ourselves as animals. We had animal tendencies; I'm thinking of the qualities of the lamb, the tiger, or the bear. I myself was impetuous and adventurous, keen to learn. but I was also a loner, and I didn't care much for the advice or trappings of society. I often got into trouble because of that.'

Not-Bear tried to imagine this small person as a wolf. He also tried to imagine himself smaller and weaker, like a man, but his mind was not up to it.

'I could have been an Elder, in fact I was brought up as one. But not all  of us were suited to that role. Some of us became Guardians, and went into the Forest to live, to protect the Inside.'

'And the cousins?'

'Guardians too. Although they are a little more enthusiastic than me. At some point I stopped protecting others and started to protect myself. You see, there are two sides to everything, my friend; good and bad, right and wrong, breakfast and dinner.' He smiled beneath his wrinkles. 'For every act of impetuosity, something positive results, that is my philosophy.' 

'You have decided, for whatever reason, to seek the Outside. I met you, or chanced upon you, and you on me. Long ago I rejected that part of my life that involved the Outside. I chose to live on the edge of things, neither inside nor out, uncommitted, unattached. Now it seems I am driven to make a decision.' 

He stood up again. 'So...where are you taking me?'

It was the best news Not-Bear could have heard. But before he could celebrate, Jod spoke again.

'Take your time to think about it. You are at the centre of events now. We go where you need to.'

Not-Bear stared at the land ahead of him, which stretched to the horizon, although there were still trees ahead. He had thought the Outside would be barren in contrast to the Forest. An earlier conversation came back to him; "Like the Inside, only bigger." There was still shelter, but there was far more sky, for which he was grateful—an endless canopy of trees was depressing. Of course, if I am leading, I could lead back to the Inside, he thought. That knowledge reassured him. Yet it was clear the way was forward, for a while at least.

'It isn't so much that I want to go on, but I feel I must,' he concluded.

Jod nodded. 'As do I,' he said.