“Excuse me, Elder, it's starting to get late if we cut this short and send the little ones to bed?”
I look up from the book closing it.
“We will gather again tomorrow at the same time. Now children, please tell me what you have learned?”
It took a while for a lot of the young ones to speak. A zebra filly lifts her hoof.
“Yes, little one?”
The zebra filly giggles
“I learned you should always be open about how you feel and not treat others around you like they’re a threat because they’re open-minded. Before we leave, will we learn why your friend did what she did?”
I turn to the tree, sighing and nodding. Peach flies down from the tree taking the book back to my home. I put my hoof on the tree again looking back at the crowd and smiling weakly showing what I learned did hit me.
“You will learn yes and when you do please don’t hate what you learn about her. She did what she felt was right. She did what she could and what the world would let her do. I will say this to us zebras: yes she did fulfill her spiritual gift to the world.”
The crowd leaves and I sigh standing there at the tree hearing hooves behind feeling a large furred body holding me and large hooves holding me to the body.
“Are you finally able to tell the community about the one who told you to seek me in marriage?”
I chuckle looking at the large zebra stallion behind me.
“Yes and…I hope someday the one who told me to go down there returns someday. I haven’t seen her since that day. I want to tell her to thank you for helping me get over myself and heading down to speak to Malla.”
The stallion laughs.
“I am sure she knows I am sure all those who came before we know and will watch us as the spirits do. These trees grew because of your friend. I have a feeling it’s protecting us with magic at least in my opinion.”
I chuckle
“Come on big guy let's get home and I will make you something to eat.”
He chuckles
“Na the other Elders want to speak to you. I will make dinner for you at home.”
I turn to the stallion, kiss him and smile.
“Thank you Star Watcher. “
I stood back on my hooves heading to the elder's house and when I went inside the other elders looked at me. The oldest stallion motioned me over with his hoof and I sat down with the others.
“Elder Glyph, I would like you to keep talking about the truth. I would have said otherwise but things are starting to make sense now. At least in this area, you have done so much for us and the others respect you. Since you proved yourself and like you said you would tell us fifty years later after the dragon did what she did.”
I sigh deeply.
“There is a but in this ain’t there?’
The elders look at each other and the older elder is taken aback by my words.
“No there is no but just it’s hard to accept most of what you’re saying. But like the elders of old, you didn’t care half of what the others said and allowed others to beat on others for their ways of thinking. We would like you to go deeper into it. Go as far as this Battle Creek war and I am sure there are stories of each of the founders other than just Malla.”
I gulp deeply.
“Sir, what happened in the Battle Creek war wasn’t pleasant and the little ones might not enjoy what they hear.”
A female griffin elder sits beside me patting my shoulder with her claw.
“Why not lead them into it? I know it won’t be as simple as you think. Maybe tell them how it leads into the story and then ask the parents if they wish their children to learn about the battle to come.”
I think for a second smirking
“I could make it into arcs the next story I tell them I could tell them it’s a lead up to the Battle Creek war even so from what I remember Malla telling me it took place like year five in the life of Dragon’s Rest.”
The others look at each other.
“Does that book have every year of Dragon’s Rest?”
I shake my head.
“No, I sadly couldn’t remember everything I read. I couldn’t read everything and when she passed someone took all her books including her journals and I don’t know why they took them. I am guessing it was the one who sent me down there in the first place.”
The others look at each other and the older elder nods.
“Do what you can even if you can’t explain everything, do what you feel you can. Maybe someday more of these books will be found so we can learn more about the history of Dragon’s Rest. Now go home to your family. I hope someday we won’t need these trees and your friend to protect us from the outside world.”
I sigh I wish I could understand why we are given such protection. Maybe something happened to our area, maybe Malla did everything or maybe it’s just fate. Fate wishes to be kind to us. I doubt it’s just all Malla’s. If it is, I am happy for her.
I stood up looking at the other elders.
“Anything else?”
The other elders shake their heads and I head outside of the elder's hut looking up to the sky. I do see some of the stars but again the very trees are doing all they can to block us from seeing the sky fully.
When I got home Star Watcher set the table and he was there waiting for me as I sat at the table to eat and it was a silent dinner. Our children are older now and most of them have left to live in other areas of the world.
“I am going to go to bed, my love. When I tell the young about the stories to come, I got much to think about.”
Star Watcher smiles.
“Of course I got a few more stars to watch.”
I stood up from the table kissed Star Watcher and headed to our bed and lay into the bed laying there sighing. Oh, Malla, if only I could make your life and the life of your friends more peaceful. I can't lie to the little ones or the families who wish to know. I will do what I can in your memory my friend.
I close my eyes, falling asleep to let the rest of this night pass me by.