Susan Grays (book 1)/ The tale of trust

Chapter 20: The last lesson

It was a few hours before dawn when Master came to her room and asked her to follow him. They had taken a narrow bypath which went up the mountain from behind the village. 

After 2 hours of hard clamber on a winding and dangerous road, they reached the rocky peak. There, above the world which had been covered by twisting white and gray clouds, they stood and looked to the east. The dark colors of the night had changed to a shade of gray. A few strong stars were still visible in the clear sky which was getting lighter every passing second.

Susan looked at Master. He had closed his eyes and his face was calm and content like always. A smile was on his lips. The wind was blowing and moving his long white hair. "Don't trouble your mind. Ask your question." He said without looking at her. 

"Why are we here?" asked Susan. She really couldn't understand why they had come there. "To see the sunrise." said Master and then opened his eyes and looked at Susan who was looking at him with disbelief. His smile grew wider and he laughed. "Come, child." he said and patted Susan's shoulder and passed her. 

The small flat area of the peak was covered with huge and big rocks. Master sat on one of them and looked at the east. Susan sighed and went and sat near him. In the year that had passed, she had become sure that all of his deeds had a purpose, so she just sat there silent and looked around. 

The silence was in the air and the ground. The only sound was the cold wind which was blowing, sometimes hard that could move the strands of hair which had been come out of her short braided hair and sometimes like a soft breeze that only caressed her face. The air smelled like a mixture of water and soil and herbal plants that had been grown here and there on the holes between the rocks and had raised their flowers proudly to the sky, dancing on their slim stems on the wind.

"What can you see?" asked Master and Susan looked at him. His eyes were wide open and light of wisdom was obvious in his eyes. 

Susan looked ahead again and took a deep breath. "A beautiful Scenery. A gray world." she murmured. Master watched her intently. Her brows had been knotted from thinking. "Some people think the gray world is gloomily and cold, but that is not how I see it. It's beautiful in its own way. Its coldness can open the mind and there is peace, floating it the air which is soothing, a peace that does not exist in daylight. nothing evil is in it. It's all hopeful." she explained.

Master nodded and looked ahead. "The hope for the light which comes after." he said in agreement. 

Slowly the colors returned to the world. The sky became light blue which turned to white in the east. Light pink slowly crept at the edges of the clouds and the white fluffy pieces of dense steam began to shine brightly. 

As a herald of the morning, a wind blew which was different. It was refreshing and the old man smiled. Soon the rays of the morning sun impaled the sky and the bright jewel raised from the line of the clouds proudly and its light fell on them. 

Susan relaxed and let the warm rays of the sun to warm up her body. After a few moments, she chuckled bitterly. "I think I understood why we are here." she said and glanced at the old man beside her. "It was me, wasn't it?" she said and Master smiled. "The process that I went through to become who I'm now."

"You are so sharp. I like it." said Master with a warm smile. ''You've come a long way and passed so many hard things to reach this moment, my child. Your training has ended. It's time for you to stand against the storm." he said and put his hand gently on her shoulder. "Your sun has raised, Susan Grays. It's time you light up the world with your power." he said and then stood. "I just want to give you one more lesson, the last and most important lesson you should know." he said and peered into Susan's eyes. "Each life is valuable, Susan. Each one has a part in this world, has a goal. Almost everyone has those who love them and will grieve in their loss. Never take a life so easily. Think twice before pulling the trigger, see if it can be redeemed like you yourself." he said and then left the thoughtful Susan to sat there and think.