Tree stood upon the summit of Mountain for untold eons, watching Valley below bloom to life every spring and return to a peaceful sleep winter after winter. Tree loved Valley as a parent loves his child, having been a small twig when Valley was born from Mountain’s side. In many ways Tree cared for Valley more than Mountain ever had.
Valley, lush and green with a steady flow racing through River, watched Mountain and smiled up to Tree as always. Valley had much energy right now, with many animals and even some humans within her boundaries. Those energies mixed and swirled with Valley, to form a kind and compassionate aura that even high on Mountain, Tree could feel deep within his roots.
As Sun slid down behind Mountain the shadows began to fill Valley, and one by one fires were lit along the lazy shore of River. Tree, seeing the last rays of Sun for the night, whispered his calming mantra to the evening energies, and then looked into Sky hoping to see Moon and Cloud above.
Moon, only a sliver of white against a background of shining stars, smiled down upon the world below. Her old friend Tree, regal as always, shimmered of love and light high upon Mountain.
Tree looked form horizon to horizon for Cloud. Stars twinkled and Moon beamed, but Cloud was nowhere to be seen. Tree looked to Mountain and asked if Mountain knew where Cloud may be tonight, but Mountain had not seen Cloud for days. Tree asked Valley if Cloud had been low to the ground, hugging River as sometimes happens in early morning hours. Valley had not seen Cloud, nor had River.
Tree looked back to Moon and asked again, knowing that Moon could see further than even River, and River ran for thousands of miles from the High North to the Dry South. Moon said that she could feel Cloud, but could not see her tonight.
Tree, worried for his love closed his mind to the energies around him and reached out to Cloud with all that he was. From tip of root buried deep within Mountain, almost to Valley below, to the highest leaf upon the lithest branch in the Sky above, he called out to Cloud.
Memory and soul combined to call out, no ear could hear this plea, no throat could make this sound, but Cloud could feel it deep within her, as if her heart had awoken. She stirred and coalesced from the nothingness that she had become. Drop by drop she called the moisture to herself in the Sky above Tree until she hung there between Tree, Sky and Moon.
“Ah, there you are, my dear.” Tree thought to Cloud.
“I was with you all the while, in you, around you, for you.” Cloud thought back to Tree with love and appreciation.
Tree smiled up at Cloud, Sky and Moon and knowing that Mountain, Valley and River below were well, he slept at peace.
Author’s note: A lovely sister piece to mine is Shore, Wave and Moon by Susan Fujiki. We chatted about my story and she mentioned that she would like to write something in this vein, she is amazing. Please read it and comment on her site.