The Test of Time

By Chris Warren

I would not say that I am living. One would eventually have to die to have ever lived, would they not? Some call me demon, some seraph. Others yet call me a sorceress, goddess, or fae. I suppose I am all of these things, but I simply call myself Lenore.

Many things have hardened my heart. I've lived thousands of centuries, survived many hardships, and seen much suffering. I am the Immortal; thus is my fate for the remainder of eternity. It is my task to watch over the Earth. Sometimes I aid someone in need or stop something bad from happening. You might call it divine intervention. None know the heaviness of my heart, the exhaustion life brings me, or the lonliness I must endure. My only companion is the whisper of the wind. Rarely does it speak to me, though sometimes it makes an exception when I am particularly tired.

No longer do I endear myself to other than the wind. I've learned that the breeze, though inconsistent, will always be there. We have grown old together, weary and vigilant over the planet. I'm allowed contact with Earthen people, but I dare not involve myself in their affairs. Involvement leads to feeling and feelings leads to loss. It will only bring me pain in the end - if I ever find an end. My memory never falters, so for every companion I find, I also find a part of me that will always be lost. Everyone and everything dies eventually, and no time can heal my pain. I may find peace after some time, but my wounds run too deep to heal.

Long ago, when I was only a few centuries new, I learned that I could not love others. I lived in a cavern by the sea, mothered by the elements of the land. I had the appearance of a young Earthen woman: long brown hair, large brown eyes. I age so slowly that I seemed only two and twenty. Very few people found my cave among the crags of the mighty cliffs. Very few dared climb their treacherous heights.

I had a comfortable ledge I could step onto to overlook the ocean and a small, seaside village while feeling the sea air on my skin. From my ledge, I watched the bustling of the villager's daily lives. Sometimes I would wrap myself in an intricately woven cloak I had received from a traveller. He had stumbled, sick, upon my cavern years ago. I'd brought the old man back to health and he revealed to me the amazing talent he had for embroidery.

Wearing the cloak to cover my head and shoulders, I would climb down the cliffs and visit the village. There was a strange old woman who was a bit funny in the head, but she spoke stories of perilous adventures and wonderful travels full of danger and magic. She claimed to be a sorceress but had never shown any hint of magical powers, so it was assumed that she had just lived too many years and had too many hardships to keep her a mind. Only a few poor children stopped to listen to her as she sat on the corner of the street; but even adults could have found joy in her fiction.

One day, as she told us a story of a sea battle, I noticed someone else listening to her tale. It was a man, probably not more than five and twenty, with tired, gray eyes. His hair was a soft brown and pulled back into a ponytail with some whisps falling free around his face. He seemed too weary and wise for his years, a few light lines etched prematurely around his eyes and on his brow. He stood nearby in front of a potion shoppe, his head turned in the old woman's direction. He looked like he might have been daydreaming, only staring into space, but there was a glint of interest in his eyes and I could tell he was listening.

I continued to study him. This young man had the air of one who had lost, whose youth had been stolen at a young age. I was immediately drawn to him; he seemed like me- lonely, like something may have been keeping him from people. Was it fear? Shyness? The more I thought about it, the more it intrigued me. I was lost in my thoughts until the children were long gone. I did not realize I was the only person left until I noticed that the storyteller was watching me.

"What ails ye, child? Need ye a magic spell, a pendant? Some herbs, perhaps?" she asked in her raspy voice, revealing yellow teeth in an eerie smile.

I managed to shake my head and rise to my feet. "It is simply a lost thought for another day, my good lady." I turned and left.

Upon arriving back at my cavern, I suddenly found myself feeling inexplicably tired. Removing my cloak from my shoulders, I walked slowly to my bed of straw and lay to sleep another night. The wind sang softly to me of the day's travels until I dreamt of my own journeys.

Early in the morning, before the rise of the sun, I was awoken by a sound. The moon was at such an angle that it lit the opening of the cave. There was a person there, climbing inside slowly as if his bones were still and cold. I sat alert for many moments, holding my breath and watching. He found a space by the wall which he settled against. I could not see his face, but I was sure that he was closing his eyes to rest.

Not until did I hear his breaths become long and slow in sleep did I move. I knew that dawn approached, so I decided to find some fish for breakfast. I went down to the stream and made do with a magical harpoon. I returned a few hours later with a couple of sufficient trout. As I climbed closer to my cave, the sun touched the horizon. I took the last step to my ledge and found my guest knelt over a pack, tying it closed. When he looked up, I could see that it was the man I'd noticed the day before, listening to the woman's tale. "Good morning," I greeted him. He looked a bit confused, so I introduced myself. "My name is Lenore. I live here in these caverns," I told him, brushing some of my dark curls away from my eyes.

He paused for a moment. "Ah. I am sorry; I did not know. My name is Rune. I was only stopping to rest for a few hours. I was just leaving. I hope I did not inconvience you."

"It is no quarrel," I told him dismissively. "My home is open to travellers. Those who need shelter may always find a friend here." I noticed that he seemed to be looking at the fish I'd brought. "Hm. I seem to have caught more fish than I can eat," I said slowly. "I would not want to waste them."

"I really should be going..." Rune began.

"Please stay and eat with me. Could you not spare a few hour's time?" I asked.

"All right. But I must move on before midday," he told me. "I must keep on the move."

"That is unfortunate," I said. And it was; I longed for some company. I had not had a traveller come to my cave in a very long time. "What brings you away?" I inquired.

He looked away out over the sea. "A curse," he said. "A curse that follows the night and has condemned me."

We spoke no more of his travels until after we'd cooked the fish. He ate hungrily, and I watched him quietly. "Where are you going?" I asked.

He stopped eating and looked thoughtful. "Well, I suppose I really don't know, miss. I'm going wherever the wind takes me."

"The wind is a wonderful guide. But what is your hurry? Need you always have the world at your heels?" I asked with a smile. He stood without answering and I spoke again, my voice softer. "Or are you running from something?"

Again, he did not answer. Gathering his cloak, he swung his pack over his shoulder. He looked at me complacently, brushing his windswept hair from his brow. "Thank you for your kindness, good lady. Farewell."

"Farewell, Sir Rune," I said. "May you be safe on your travels and may good fortune be with you." I accompanied him to the mouth of the cave and watched him go.

I was about to turn and go back to the darkness of my cavern when Rune, who was now a good twenty yards away, become the target of what must've been a dozen arrows. He looked frantically about for the sorce of the attack and leapt behind a boulder. He took out his own bow, pulling an arrow from his quiver.

I looked to my right and saw a group of men moving closer, shooting at Rune. They appeared to be local farmers. I wondered what quarrel they would have with Rune. "Sir Rune!" I called to him. "Come back!"

He made his way back towards me, ducking behind the shelter of boulders along his way. He reached the cave and hurried inside. As he came in, I raised my hand and muttered a word of ancient languange. We remained quiet as the farmers hurried by, the opening in the cliff gone unseen.

Rune was watching me. "Magic?" he asked.

I nodded. "A disguising spell. To them, they seem to have only walked by a pile of rocks. They cannot see inside the cave."

Days passed and Rune stayed in the caverns with me. The cliffs were constantly guarded by armed men. During the days that I spent with him, it came to seem that Rune and I could stay like this forever, enemies nearby or not. I found him to be most enjoyable company. We laughed, sang, drank, and told stories. The only things we didn't discuss were his affairs with those men... or my immortality. We had a sort of silent agreement that we would keep such things to ourselves.

One stormy evening, he stood in silence by the mouth of the cave, looking out at the ocean and the near-full moon roughly reflected in the breaking waves. He spoke softly, not turning, the wind brushing his soft hair. "I must leave. Even if I shall risk the wrath of these men, I must go."

I was more surprised than I should have been. I'd been pulled into the flow of the days, grown accustomed to spending my time with him. I suddenly realized that more than ever, I did not want to be alone again. I could tell by the distant look in his eyes that he didn't want to tell me why he had to go. "I would like to help," I said quietly.

He looked at me and nodded. "I would owe you many favors and thanks," he said, turning to look at me.

I smiled. "We will meet again, Sir Rune. Get a good night's rest; we will be leaving midday tomorrow. I will accompany you to the top of the cliffs with an invisibility spell."

***

The next day had come in a whirlwind and Rune and I were readying ourselves for our climb. I held my hand over his heart. Whispering words of magic, we were cloaked from others' view. "Are you ready?" I asked softly. He nodded, sweeping his pack up and over his shoulder. Going quickly, we moved along the crags of the cliffs. Not far from the cave, we passed two men talking.

"There hasn't been a sign of him in over a week. Maybe he's moved on." One said.

The other shook his head. "No. I can feel it in my bones... He's near, and we're going to get him."

I looked at Rune questioningly, but remained silent.

We reached the top of the cliff and found ourselves standing at the edge of the forest. We were safe at last. After removing the invisibility spell, we turned and looked out over the expanse of ocean that lay before us. I suddenly felt such a sense of peace that I couldn't help smiling to myself. The sun was setting over the water, the sky around it red with a soft glow.

"Lenore," Rune said softly. I looked to him. "I can't tell you how thankful I am." He looked down shyly, then reached up and touched my cheek gently. My heart beat a little faster. "I fear I may never see you again. I... I will not forget you."

"We will meet again. We must," I said quietly.

"... I love you, my lady Lenore," he told me. He leaned closer and I closed my eyes. He kissed me softly, but it lingered even after he pulled away. "Forgive me... I couldn't leave without something to remember you by. I must go," he whispered. "Farewell." Pulling away, he turned to enter the forest.

I stood there, trying to recover from my numb shock. I couldn't let him leave. "Wait," I said. He looked back at me. "Don't go. Stay with me. I love you."

He shook his head. "You don't understand. I'm not..." Rune stopped, his widened eyes gazing past me in fear. I turned around. I saw nothing but the setting sun and the full moon peeking over the horizon.

"What is it?" I asked. "You aren't what?" I turned back, but he was doubled over. His pack fell from his shoulder and his back was hunched. His body was rigid, his knees bent. His hair began to grow darker, longer, and thicker, spreading over his face, neck, and hands. His shoulders were narrowing and he fell down on all fours. His ears were growing long and pointed, and now his face began to resemble that of a dog's. As the sun was finally hidden, the moonlight fell on Rune's fur.

He was no longer a man; he was a werewolf.

I was frozen in fear. The wolf looked up, his eyes gold and icy. He bared his teeth, snarling, and leaned back, getting ready to leap. I didn't know what to do; I didn't want to hurt him. He pounced, his claws stretched towards me. I shut my eyes and held up my arms to block myself.

His paws hit me, scratching me, his weight pushing me down to the ground. I grabbed a handful of dirt and flung it in his eyes, hoping to distract him for a few precious moments in which I could find some other means of stopping him. He closed his eyes tight, howling in pain, but did not move off of me. I tried to reach a fallen branch nearby, but it was too far.

Blood was dripping down my arms and my hair was dirty and falling in my eyes. I wiped at my face and moved my hair out of the way. Just as I found myself able to see the wolf again, an arrow struck his side. Then another came, and then a third to the heart. The wolf was silent, wide-eyed, rigid for only a moment. He stumbled off of me, blood soaking his dark fur and dropping to the earth. He swayed for a moment, then closed his eyes and fell. He was dead before he hit the ground. He was transforming back, becoming a man again, cold and pale with death. I felt tears gathering in my eyes.

"Rune," I gasped. I struggled and pulled myself to my knees, crawling to him. "Rune..." I touched his arm gingerly, my own blood leaving my arm and mixing with his own. My voice left me and the tingle of tears was replaced by an emptiness that felt as if it penetrated my bones.

Someone called to me. I didn't look, and I don't quite remember what happened, but a few men accompanied me back to my cave. I went silently, saying nothing, and allowed them to clean and wrap my wounds. I never spoke a word, never made a noise. I could not cry; my pain was beyond tears. When they left, I walked slowly to my bed, my body aching. I found a note on the floor. I picked it up slowly, my hands trembling as I unfolded it. I read:

May we meet again, if not in life, then in heaven.

-Rune

He must have written it before we even left, I thought, feeling as if I was being hit again when I was already wounded.

But he did not know. I would never go to heaven. I would never die. It was my duty to watch over Earth for eternity. I would not see him ever again.

Now I felt tears sting my eyes. I leaned back against the cold cave wall, realizing how alone I truly was. I had known him for a short time, but I felt as if we'd been together forever. And now forever was over. I finally knew what love was and it had slipped from my grasp.

The wind sang mournfully to me as I cried. It is for the best, it is for the best.

***

And now I am still alone, and I will stay alone. I don't believe I could ever bear that happening again. Rune, after all this time, is still fresh in my mind as if he were here beside me. Unfortunately, ours was a love doomed from the beginning. We were both cursed, you might say. He could not help being a werewolf, and I could not help being immortal. Neither of us ever had the kind of life one deserves; his was too short, and mine unending. Life is something someone should not take for granted, and death is something to be embraced when the time comes. I envy those who will live to grow old and die happy.

I would not say that I am even living. One would eventually have to die to have ever lived, would they not? Life is a wonderful thing, but it is not meant to last forever.

The End.