Beyond Doubt: Whispers of the Unseen - Chapter 92

Welcome to my seemingly endless journey.
A trip that will take you to places I might have visited many moons ago.
It´s a tale that came back to me when I meditated on one of my past lives. A life I told you about in my unbelievable true story.

As promised in that story I will now share this story with you.

Chapter 92

When the dusk started to settle Dadrie stopped, dismounted, and tied his horse to one of the low trees. We followed his example, together we walked towards a cliff. It was such a relief to walk after riding so long, funny this morning I was so happy with these horses and now I am glad I am walking again.

Guess you will always have a longing for those things you can not have I, and I felt a mile curling my lips.

"If I'm not mistaken, it should be here," Dadrie speaks, his voice sounding a bit dull. Which isn't strange we have been on the road so long we all probably feel the pain and the relief of arriving at the next place.

I for one sure feel that pain in all my muscles and dread setting up camp. But the idea of being able to lie down and close my eyes is motivation enough to want to get started without complaining.

When we have reached the edge and are looking down on a valley I forget about the pain for a second. Despite the diminishing light, it is significantly greener than the rest of the landscape. A flicker of a last ray of sunlight explains why. A tiny stream flows in the middle of the valley; you don't need a horse to wade through it, a good jump would be enough. But by the lively colors of this little oasis, it clearly carries enough water this way to properly irrigate the land.

The entire valley is a large plantation with a barn or house here and there. Everything is divided into large rectangular areas separated by narrow roads.

A beautiful piece of work.
Very unnatural, but beautiful to view from above.

This system probably has many advantages, especially when you see how many farmers would be needed to cultivate this land. All fenced-off areas would have their own planning, and the farmers would know which area to work on and when.

In addition, you don't have to walk long stretches through your land with your crops, but carts could reach the barn via the paths. No, this system is efficient, impossible for the strangely shaped pieces of land that belong to our village, but it creates the opportunity to seriously consider whether things could not be done more efficiently.

At the same time, it reflects the straightforwardness of the owner, probably Kreytu's father. Straightforwardness would be a good thing in our situation, let´s hope that the saying is true; "like father..."

Dadrie was right that we have a good view of the mansion from here. It is huge, with wings on either side. Probably one for stables and one for staff.

From where we are, I look diagonally at the front of the house and the right wing. Judging from the windows, it has two floors and a sloping roof with black slate slabs. Something Dadrie has to tell me since I have never seen them before. They seem to come from the north, but it doesn't mean much to me.
The image of it all tells even more than the surrounding grounds did. It is colossal but tasteful, and it clearly shows what achievements these people are capable of, besides waging war.

The realization that this house was built by killing gives me the creeps. It is paid for with the lives of those who died during the conquests. Reason enough, despite its splendor, not to have a good feeling about the signs of prosperity created by war.

"Keep the fire low, in a hole at least ten meters from the edge, that will prevent it from being visible from the house. I'm going now so that I can get to the house before dark; I'm sure I'll have a lot to do tonight. I don't like having to lie to a friend, but there is no other option," Dadrie looks tired. I feel for him, and at the same time, the tiredness and his gray skin would visually support his story.

We can do nothing but wait and watch things from the edge. If it gets dark soon, we might be able to follow what is going on in the illuminated rooms. But we will not receive any more contact or information in the near future.

Once again, I will have to be patient, something that is slowly but surely becoming less difficult for me.

We don't see Dadrie for quite some time, then a rider appears on the easternmost trail. That should be Dadrie. There is something majestic about the way he rides. It is as if he is saying, “Woe to anyone who stops or bothers me.”

I am happy to see that he is finding himself again and wonder what his friend's reaction will be. They haven't seen each other in over two years.

Time turns out to be no obstacle for both to wrap their arms around each other's shoulders and not let go of each other for quite some time. These are the last images we witness, and then the door closes.