Someone To Blame: Part 1

Someone to Blame

         The soft crunch of footsteps carried through the still air around Tywin. He casually cast his gaze around the forest. Orange-red leaves smothered the spongy soil. With every step Tywin took, the faint smell of moist earth floated on the breeze rustling through the leaves clinging to the twisted branches. A sharp crack rang out behind Tywin, causing him to glance nervously towards the disturbance. Seeing nothing but a large chipmunk nibbling on a small acorn, Tywin let out a brusk sigh of frustration. Just once I wish that I would find someone out here. It's been almost a month since they ran me out, and the nearest I've had to company is a stray squirrel, Tywin thought as he clenched his fist and swung his knuckles into the trunk of an oak tree along the path. The rough bark bit into his hand, drawing a small trickle of blood. "Damn it" Tywin cursed under his breath, shaking his hand in pain.

         Tywin was a simple man, wearing a plain loose fitting cream colored shirt with a leather strip laced up the front covered his strong frame. A burlap sack swung over his broad shoulders served as a backpack. Tywin gazed longingly at the canopy, his deep blue eyes hoping to see some form of civilized life. Spotting nothing but empty forest, Tywin shook his head in dfeat. His thick sandy brown hair settled back into its normal place about half an inch above his eyes.

         It doesn't make any sense. How could they think that I am guilty? I have never been anything but loyal to the village. The more he thougth about it, the heavier the day weighed on his mind. To believe I called them family! After all of my service, they turn on me in the blink of an eye! His feet began to fall with an angry thud, creating deep imprints in the forest soil. Quickening his pace, Tywin stormed deeper into the lonesome woods. Tywin's chest rose and fell at a heightened pace, as his muscles grew more and mor taut with each stride. The flood of emotions he had been holding back came roaring towards him with merciless abandon.I dedicated my life to helping others! I swore a sacred oath to never harm a living creature. I have never waivered from this path, yet they accuse me without abandon! The Elder was like a father to me! A single warm tear trickled down his cheek.

          "He loved me like a son." Tywin whimpered alound as he crumbled onto his knees, enjoying the soft ground under his body. The tears fell freely from his eyes, hitting the ground like broken souls. "And the last thing I said.." He managed to gasp as his whole body heaved with the grief that gripped him. Leaning forward, Tywin placed his hands on the ground to support his dejected frame. "The last thing I said to him..." Tywin stammered between gasps. He dropped his torso lower, resting on his elbows, and buried his forehead in the dirt. Tywin prepared to finish the statement, but the memory was too painful. Embracing the solidary silence of the forest that was his prison, Tywin allowed himself to feel for the first time since the event.

          Regaining composure, Tywin lifted his head from the ground and brushed the tears from his puffy eyes. He slowly lifted himself from his position. As he rose up, it was as if a burden had been lifted. The forest, while still lonely, was not as secluded. The air seemed fresher, crisp with the brisk autumn winds that whistled through the trees. A man of healing, all of his time in the forest had been spent collecting plants to make medicine. While he could quickly identify the various herbs for a poultice, Tywin had never actually noticed the beauty of nature. The way the crisp green pine needles scattered the sharp mid-day sunlight. The knotted bark of the maple trees made naked by the season. How did I never notice any of this before? he thought. The nature lost its beauty as it dawned on Tywin that his new found appreciation for nature's beauty was derived from his forced banishment.

         After a while Tywin came across a small field. S​lowly walking across the dew covered grass, he stopped to enjoy the soft chirping of the sparrows as the sun glistened over the horizon. Tywin began to wonder what it was that drew him to this field. The soft grass on his feet relaxed him, and allowed him to find a refuge from the hardships of survival. Tywin let himself become lost in the beauty of the scene around him. His shoulders dropped from their tense position, releasing the nervous energy he had been holding for much too long. Free of the burden from his responsibilities as a healer, Tywin finally let himself breathe. Matching the natural song of the nature surrounding him, he took deep breaths.

          In. Out. In. Out.

          These kinds of moments in a now darkened life allowed him to keep on fighting for survival. The moment passing, Tywin reclaimed the stress that had become a part of him over the last few months and began to wonder about food. Seeing some bright red berries in a nearby tree on the edge of the field, he decided to investigate. He wrapped his arms around a sturdy branch a few feet above his head and hoisted himself up into the tree, climbing about twelve feet up to where the berries were. Upon reaching the intended location, he was disappointed to find that the red berries were merely the feathers of a red bird. Taking a quick survey of the land he noticed a large scouting party to the south, led by Wyte himself.