“As we left the city, I kept my eyes forward, fearing my heart would stop if I looked over my shoulder at the haven of tranquility behind us. I knew there would be no rest for me until I held the woman I loved in my arms again, but I still did not know how to find her. Until now, everything I tried came to no end. Each time I found a tree, it bore no fruit. My soul lay barren as a forgotten vineyard, with only crows to pick away the bits of sustenance and hope I still clung to.”

“The road away from Mulghazanzar wound a seemingly endless path into darkness, but I held to the brotherhood Phridon shared with me and used it to light my way. Fate left me no choice but to seek my love by whatever route remained. I reminded myself God does as he wants, and men and women are at their best when they open their hearts to His will. Since the sea was closed to me, I would roam the wilds.”

“We traveled for months, spending our days between the shores and hills, so I might watch both for any sign of Nestan. Yet, I saw nothing of her. Nor did I find any man among those we met who carried news of two black Kadj sorcerers with a woman who shone like a moon. Wherever I turned, only endless forests greeted me. If another way forward existed, it remained hidden.”

“Eventually, I decided wandering in vain was pointless. My time was wasted seeking what Heaven denied me. I had been searching for my heart’s desire more than two years but found nothing other than an empty track. Grief consumed me, so I gave myself over to the wilderness which had taken root in my soul. I decided to become like the beasts and live among them. Perhaps their company would help me forget the tide of sorrow I could no longer fight.”

“I said as much to Asmath, telling her and my two loyal Knights I was giving up. Though, as my tongue had already given itself over to the way of wild things, my words were short. ‘You have every reason to speak against the course I chose, for I brought ruin on you all. I understand this and do not want to see you destroy your lives to no end. Look no more at the endless misery which surrounds my life and follow me no further. Find your own way, lest you break yourselves against the mountain of grief I carry.’”

“Yet for all my efforts to discourage their companionship, they would not leave my side. They chastised me for what I said. ‘We cannot hear what you say, for the heart we know and love is not the one speaking to us. There is no other we would call Lord or follow. If God did not turn us away from your path, why should you?’”

“Their devotion returned a measure of humanity to me. I remembered how Fate eventually makes a man lost to himself, however valiant he may be. Reminded of this, I did not send my companions away, but my wildness did not fully depart. I could no longer bear the sight of other men and stayed far from the villages and cities we passed, preferring to seek out the haunts of goats and stags. Eventually, we rode over every plain and hill until I found these caves. However, they were not empty.”

“Devi had hollowed them out with their arcane skill and made their homes here, but we did not know this. When we entered, the monsters attacked us. Our armor was unbuckled, and their evil magic killed my two faithful Knights. Yet, they could not overcome me so easily. I fought them, fiercely defending myself as I slew one after the other. In the end, I stood once more amidst the carnage of my sword, covered in their blood. I remembered my past battles, all to no purpose, and became a hundred times more bitter towards the world at the loss of my Knights.”

“Since then, I am here. Asmath is my only companion. We hold close to what is left of the sun we lost, yet we are both consumed by fire with our tragedy. She will not abandon me or leave, and I must protect her, so even death is denied to me. We are alike in this, chained to a fate we are unable to escape and forever grasping for a way to free ourselves.”

“These days, grief has made a madman of me. I roam the fields with no direction. Sometimes I forget all else in my misery, but nothing changes. I willingly court death, but God refuses my plea. No matter how much I whet my blade with the blood of others, killing myself remains beyond me. Undoubtedly, I will die here in these caves, but I still cling to the dream of finding my love.”

“This story is the sum of what you sought from me. I would give you some token to take with you to Tinatin, but I dare not part with the memories these few possessions bring me. I have only her armlet, which you have already seen, and this panther skin, which reminds me of her grace and beauty. I keep them with me wherever I go. Aside from these things, I fear she is a flower long since faded except to our memory.”

When the last words left his lips, Tariel moaned in pain as tears streamed from his eyes. His cheeks turned from ruby rose to pale amber. Forceful sobs shattered his form, and he shook uncontrollably. Avtandil and Asmath cried as well, water dripping from their eyelashes like rain from the tailfeathers of a raven. They tried to calm their friend, holding and soothing him, but it took many hours before he could speak again.

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