Shaping Fate Read Free Page A

I’m at a loss. She’s…led a very sheltered life,” Thane said, not wanting to spill Ria’s story to just anyone.
    “ Well, now, that’s easy enough to fix. Take her out and about, show her things she’s never seen or done before. Do things that are new to you both, so you can share in the experience. She’ll find her way soon enough. Anyway, never mind about that now. That’s not why we fish. We fish to get away from the women and relax in the majesty of nature.”  The old man glanced up at the sun, “Sadly, though, I need to get back to my beloved wife, before she decides that I can eat whatever I managed to catch instead of that pot roast she promised me. You sit here and just let your mind wander where it will, that’s how old men like us fish. You have a good ’un now.”
    Thanatos turned to say goodbye to Irvin, but the old man was gone . Figures, I just get comfortable with a mortal and it turns out to be an immortal of some sort. Just my luck.
    Thane turned back to the river and slowly relaxed back against an elm. The water gurgled merrily as an otter pair splashed and romped. A woodpecker hammered overhead as robins and finches twittered their joy; a playful breeze lovingly ruffled his hair and made the water dance. He watched as a lazy leaf floated in slow circles upon the current.
    A squirrel appeared next to him, startling Thane. He remained still as the animal looked him over carefully, then crawled onto his shoulder and started chattering in his ear. Listening, Thane summoned an acorn and presented it to the animal. After a moment of serious study, the squirrel snatched the nut and began nibbling happily, no hint of fear in its tiny body.
    Huh. Nature’s not so bad , Thane thought as he enjoyed the fruits of his brethren’s labor.
    ****
    It was so odd. Everything in the room was a shade of grey. Ria’s muscles felt stiff and sore from being abed so long. Slowly, she rose from the cot. Curiosity for the place she now inhabited led her to the window. Outside, she saw a great expanse of water; since she could barely see the far shore, she assumed it was some kind of lake.
    Turning, she saw more water, a river this time, and on the other side was more of the same grey bleakness that was on her side . Looking further down stream, she noticed the grey was lightening; bits of green were starting to appear the further she looked.
    After a while, Ria became bored . She could only look at a grey landscape for so long before everything started to blur into one giant grey mass. This was her signal that she was done looking out the window.
    Ria didn’t want to stay in the room any more, so she wrapped herself in the sheet and left. She was instantly enchanted with the stables and the animals that resided therein. Horses with burning stares whickered at her in interest while three-headed puppies yapped and growled playfully.
    But what truly ensnared her gaze were the miles of barren wood that made up the stalls and hallway posts. The warm beams called to her, begging to be cut and carved into amazing shapes… to be given life and limb. The call became deafening, filling her mind, allowing room for nothing else. It demanded her compliance.
    In a trance, she tied the sheet to her body toga-style, reached down to pull a carving knife out of a kit that appeared beside her, and walked toward a nearby stall. Puppies wriggled in joy, thinking she was going to play with them, but she merely picked one up, studied its form and build, and set it back with its littermates. She gazed blankly at the plain wood of the kennel as her hand rose of its own volition. The knife bit deep into the wood as forms and figures flashed before her eyes… the forms the beams wished to become, needed to become, to fulfill their ultimate purpose.
    Tears tracked down her face as emotions wrenched at her body : the wood’s pain at its uselessness and its joy at finally finding someone with the ability to mold it into its proper form.