The Saving of Sobul -Chapter 1 - Part 2

Colias and Indra reached an opening surrounded by barren trees that stood so high they framed the sky like the eye of a cave.  As Indra rose, spreading his beam of light, the dead russet branches grew lush green leaves, followed by berries the colour of carmine and corolla petals of ghost wings.  The wings grew and grew surrounding Colias like an enormous world cloud.  He could see Indra above him as he allowed himself be seduced by the circle of dream. The music within it, one of beauty and sweetness, called the song thrushes from the forest.  The birds forming a carpet beneath Colias, brought him out of the darkness into a whitened blue sky.

He travelled north over a lush valley with steep drifts on either sides and woodlands of hazel bellowing down to an ancient stream.  Finally, the song thrushes led him to a meadow of ruby poppies and clusters of bright yellow monkey flowers, each stained with blood-drop emlets, as if the poppies were metamorphosing them into surrender.

Colias could see Indra ahead of him fighting the lips of the monkey flowers that sniped at his wings.  The circle of dream scattered as Colias regaining his earthly awareness, looked around him.  Then he saw her.  Beyond the sea of wild flowers, a magnificent red creature with tiny snowdrops above her eyes.  It had been a long time since Colias had seen a deer, and certainly never one of such beauty.  She was swift and nimble, with an air of unpredictability about her; her black diamond eyes staring across the meadow, as if sensing something different.

When she turned to retreat, the petals of the wild flowers closed behind her.  Colias wasted no time following, the speed of his movement gaining pace with his intake of breeze.  Indra freeing himself from the monkey flowers flew towards him as they both watched the graceful animal head for the stream.  Once there she slowed, carefully crossing on a path of stones, ensuring she did not touch the water.  On reaching the stream, Colias instincts told him to do the same, and once safely on the other side, himself and Indra entered the hazel forest.

Tale to be continued on later post......