Most of us long to "Be" but when the path gets too costly, or steep, we take solace in what we "Have." Remove the trappings of what we own and then what is the sum of us?
They were the survivors, abandoned by the allies who swore to protect, in...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The following day the weather had lifted somewhat, though the wind was still blustery, ensuring it would be a hard, cold ride; but Aurianne impatient to locate her enemies' whereabouts was up early saddling her horse. The hoarfrost crunched under Isabou's sturdy hooves, her eager chestnut mare covering the arid desert easily. The signs of the climatic turmoil lay everywhere to be witnessed. The frozen dead littered the frigid earth, beast and plant alike. Leafless trees and shrubs dotted the stark landscape, their twisted interlaced branches devoid of the birds and reptiles that had once called them home.
That first excursion yielded little clue as to the location of those she sought, and Aurianne was deeply disappointed. Returning as the evening drew in to her modest shelter and the comfort of the fire. Aurianne was weary, but she had no desire to sleep, her dreams of recent evenings making rest seem an unpalatable option. She sat looking into the depths of the burning wood dying to embers until she could keep her heavy lidded eyes open no longer.
The next day the wind had died completely, the plains above lifeless, silent and still. The young woman had never explored the terrain this far from her village, she noted every landmark no matter how subtle judiciously, lest she lose her way. Aurianne gazed up at the sunless sky, the heavy gray cloud cover still held sway, it had seemed forever since she had seen sun, moon, or stars, and she missed them.
It was nearing midday when she rode through the ruins of a ransacked village. The settlement had not seen signs of life for a very long time, the blackened timbers and twisted iron silent sentinels to those who were long gone.
She halted her horse, and slid from the saddle, this would be a good moment to rest her ever eager mare and maybe explore a little. Isabou's breath plumeing in the cold as the statuesque woman gazed about her. Nothing moved, rusted car bodies and old appliances dotted the surrounding landscape, the central well had been pushed in and now appeared unusable. A pity she thought, her mare could have done with a refreshing drink before they moved on.
Aurianne meandered through the twisted and burned wreckage deftly, avoiding sharp metal, twisted wire, and broken glass. A faded child's doll sat on one of the broken buildings' doorstep, and further away a beloved pink teddy bear lie half buried amongst shattered bricks from a collapsed wall. The shine of brass of a bullet casing caught her eye, a 30.30 caliber. Shreds of torn clothing and household items scattered willy nilly in the streets; in between the buildings, and spilling from the broken windows. Much violence had occurred here, and Aurianne inadvertently shivered.
Other signs of the long ago slaughter were still apparent. Stark white bones littered the ground, some charred, most broken and scattered by wild beasts. Aurianne did not have to look too closely to see the majority of the remains were human. Though a dog skull and what looked like horse bones were laying there as well. Her mare stamped restlessly tossing her noble head, eager to be on the move, pulling impatiently on the bit. She remounted and let her horse have her wish, the great mare stepped forward deftly avoiding the sharp twisted iron and the charred wood with her immense hooves.
