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Lessons in slumber The tavern was dark; the mistress of the establishment was perhaps little too careful with her coin, refusing to light more than one candle once the sun had set. The ale served was cheap in both price and quality, yet this did not bother the regular patrons in the slightest. One man was slouched up against a wall, his head tilted back and his eyes staring at the ceiling. How had he come to arrive here? At this tavern, and at this place in his life? From humble beginnings as a wheat farmer he had evolved into a prosperous merchant, marrying the daughter of a nobleman and raising a family of his own. Now, he travelled from tavern to tavern, no matter how dingy, making a living selling buttons. Buttons! He had not seen his family in months. Bad investments and misplaced trust were to blame for the deterioration of his life, and he had come to believe that the people of his kingdom were a foul bunch indeed. The man sighed, stretching his legs out in front of him. His bones were weary, his stomach empty and his heart heavy. He needed to rest. Placing his mug of ale on the floor beside him, he closed his eyes and let himself slide out of the waking world. The stars were bright; above, below, to the left, to the right - they shone so brilliantly that the man had to shield his eyes lest his sight became impaired. <b> Was he flying? He was no longer sitting uncomfortably on the wooden floor of the tavern. He wasn't sitting on anything at all. He seemed to be enveloped within the stars, a cradle relieving the aches and pains he had gathered from his travels here and there. The man knew that he must be dreaming, yet he had never before remembered feeling more alive in this state of consciousness. He felt alive, he felt awake, he felt exhilarated. <b> The stars were shifting. He looked on curiously as they moved to form patterns in the dark sky that surrounded him. A single tear spilled from the corner of his eye when he realized what the stars were creating: the image of his wife, newborn snuggled in her arms, and two young boys standing at her shoulder with wide smiles on their faces. His family, his dear family, he wondered how they were coping by themselves. His greed for fortune had drove him from their arms and into despair, and he was ashamed. He could never return to such a beautiful family, could never show his selfish face again... could he? The man glanced around at the stars, eyes full of emotion. They shimmered for a moment, giving the illusion that his wife was nodding her head, and that was all he needed to make his decision - he could return, he would return! He would repair the damages made by his foolish choices and live again as an honest man. <b> The stars begin to fade. <b> ... The man is smiling as he is roused by the tavern mistress the next morning. The large, boisterous woman looks at him in askance, her eyebrows raised. 'And why do you be so 'appy, eh?' she booms. The man stifles a yawn with his hand as he stands, the smile never wavering. 'I have learned a great lesson, good woman, a great lesson!' he says as he spontaneously kisses her on the cheek, flings his pack over his shoulder and bounds out of the door into the sunshine. He chuckles to himself as he skips along the path, thinking of what will come to be, and for the first time in the longest while, he is happy. By Amyrlin. | |