Blind

Druid couldn’t believe it. It was a bit frustrating to watch Sirona push light into the little bird and not understand how she was doing it. He remembered the first time he’d healed a creature and how he had slept for days after. It had taken years to build up his magical reserve to be capable of the feats he could achieve now.
Yet Sirona had healed the little bird and didn’t seem tired at all. Her inner light was still burning like a star. If anything, it seemed to have gotten brighter from healing the bird.
Sirona was special, but no matter how he asked or tried to discern an answer, why she was special continued to elude him.
It wasn’t like his god to keep him so in the dark about anything. It was clear that he was meant to support her on her path in some way, but he didn’t know, exactly, what that path entailed. It didn’t seem like she was simply meant to find peace with him. He was almost compelled to teach her about magic and the world around her, but why?
He sighed. Perhaps he would find some understanding through prayer. He stood.
“Let’s get going.”
Sirona nodded as the bird hopped up onto her shoulder and chirped. It rubbed its face against her cheek, tweeted, and flew away. She watched its rainbow rings throw off a trail of gossamer multi-color light as it soared through the trees and grinned.
It was more beautiful than she imagined.
“I think you made a friend,” Druid said. “Pretty soon, you’ll be humming the birds and beasts to sleep.”
She chuckled thinking about it, “I don’t think I could ever manage to do that.”
He shrugged, “You never know. Perhaps people will give you a title as well.”
Sirona laughed and followed Druid, curious about where he could be taking her. They walked for a while through the forest as it grew uncanny around her. She had no idea where they were going and couldn’t make sense of the way they came either. When she turned back, she didn’t see her footsteps. It was almost as if the forest was shifting around her and obscuring her path. It was an eerily familiar feeling. She squinted at a tree nearby, certain that they’d passed this tree a few steps ago, almost as if every tree was the same.
“Where are we going?”
“A sacred place,” he smiled, “Perhaps you might find a sense of peace there. Many before you have.”
He chuckled and turned, “And if not peace, then certainly some wonder.”
“Are all the trees supposed to seem to be the same?”
He sighed, “You are more a wonder by the moment, Sirona.”
Slowly, they got through the forest until she saw what looked at once like a temple and a ruin. The columns seemed older than any building she’d ever seen. The building was made of old stone bricks and was much larger than the little altar-building dedicated to Arawn in the other town. There was the faintest trace of gold at the top of the columns that glinted in the fading light of the day. Veins of translucent green gem stone carved their way through the grey stone, leading to the jewel steps that seemed untouched by time. The walking path was paved with more of the same green stone.
It reminded her of an old ruin that she and her father used to go to when she was young. It had been before Haron’s reign of religious zealotry had begun. Once it had become clear that Haron had fallen in with the cult of Anu, they had stopped going.
As they grew nearer, she saw little orbs of light floating around the steps. A bird was nestled on top of the structure and a four-legged creature that seemed to be made out of foliage unfurled from its place beside the dark opening of the temple.
“It’s beautiful,” Sirona said, “What are those?”
The orbs of light floated towards Druid then towards her. They looked almost like tiny people made of various colors of light.
“We call them fairies,” Druid said, “They’re very old beings who hang around old temples.”
He pointed up at the bird, “That is a simural. Beautiful, dangerous, protectors of old temples.”
He pointed at the foliage creature as a flower began to bloom on its head. It came up to her and offered her its head.
“She likes you. Go on and take it.”
Sirona winced a little fearful before reaching out to take the bug. It didn’t snap free but seemed to glide into her hand before the creature vanished.
“That was a miran, spirits of nature. They help keep these places hidden.”
She marveled at the little flower in her hand and tucked it behind her ear as he gestured ahead of him into the darkness of the temple.
“Shall we?”
Sirona nodded and drew closer to him. They walked a few steps out of the fading light of the day and it soon became too dark to see. She stopped hearing Druid move around in the darkness with purpose. She couldn’t see anything in front of her.
“Sirona? What’s wrong?” His voice sounded further away than she thought possible given the size of the outside of the building.
Was everything bigger on the inside in Berth?
“Where are the torches?” Sirona asked.
“What do you mean? Are you cold?”
Sirona looked into the darkness strangely, “No. It’s dark. I can’t see anything in here.”
“… oh.” She squinted as she heard his footsteps coming back towards her.
Sirona blinked, frowning into the darkness as he walked out of the darkness and rubbed his head. “Well, I suppose I could look for one.”
“There aren’t any torches around?” Sirona asked, frowning up at him. “But how do you—”
She broke off, covering her mouth in shock.
“You’re blind!” Sirona cried and winced at how it sounded more like an accusation than a realization.
He chuckled, low and wry, “Well… surprise?”
“B-But you… the bear and the cave—the mountain! You’ve been leading us all this time, but you’re blind?”
That was impossible. What kind of place was Berth that a blind man climbed mountains and fought off fire-breathing bears?
“My apologies, Sirona… I tend to forget that my blindness isn’t typical.” He sighed and took a seat, “Sit with me?”
She sunk onto the bench beside him, staring into the shadows of his hood.
“I have never had true sight,” he said. “From the time I was very young until now, I have been blessed to see through divinity.”
He sighed, “I know what my first and last true sight will be.”
“What does that mean?”
“As I said, my visions are of the future. You know that I can wield magic and know the movements of the earth. The cost of my gifts has always been my true sight. When the divine sight leaves me and my eyes work, it will be my death day.”
She gasped, horrified, “But, that’s so…”
Terrible was the word she wanted to use, but it didn’t seem big enough. As far as she could tell, Druid had spent his entire life using his divine sight and his gifts to help people and lie a good life. How could it be that after all of that he would gain true sight and lose his life all on the same day?
He shook his head, “I am blessed and grateful for all of these years. Divine sight has allowed me to navigate this world in ways that true sight could not. It’s allowed me to help so many people. A few hours of true sight before my death are a small gift in comparison to all the good I have done.”
That may be true, but Sirona’s heart ached at the thought. She figured asking for details about what he could see would be rude, but she wondered if he knew the joys of colors or if everything was just a shade of grey. He could pick out different herbs and flowers, so it seemed likely.
What about people? Did he even know what she looked like or did everyone seem sort of human-shaped to him? He seemed so calm about the giant spiders. Was that because he couldn’t see how scary they were or he just didn’t care?
Druid was such a mystery. She didn’t think she could spend every day with him for the rest of her life and figure him out completely.
She smiled at the thought. Her father would say that was the only thing that kept any relationship interesting. She wondered, for a moment, if her parents’ relationship had been interesting for them both.
She shook thoughts of her parents away. It would only make her sad, and she had resolved not to worry herself about things she couldn’t change.
“You are quite amazing, Druid,” she said.
He chuckled, bumping shoulders with her, “As are you, Sirona.”