Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Ogion

She put the child to sleep in the little cot in the alcove to the west, and, lighting the fire, went to Ogion's bunk, and sat down cross-legged. "No one takes care of you!" "I let them go," he whispered. His face was dark and solid as usual, but his hair was thin and white, and the dim light could not reflect the light in his eyes. "You may die alone," she said passionately. "Then help me do this," said the old man. "Not yet," she begged, bending her forehead to his hand. "Not tonight," he agreed, "tomorrow."

He raised his hand and stroked her hair gently, he only had so much strength left. She sat up.The fire was lit, and its light danced on the walls, on the low ceiling, and there were shadows in the corners of the longhouse. "If only Ged could come," murmured the old man. "Did you find him?" "Missed," said Ogion, "he is lost. Cloud. Mist envelops the land. He went West, with a bough of sorrel, into the dark mists. I lost my Falcon." "No, no, no," she whispered, "he'll be back." The two were silent.The warmth of the fire seeped in, and it made Ogion relax, and his soul wandered between waking and sleeping, and it made Tenar feel comfortable resting after a day's walk.She massaged her feet and her sore shoulders—for Therru was panting from trying to catch up, and she carried the baby up the last stretch of the hill.

Tenar stood up, boiled some water, and washed away the travel dust.She warmed some milk, ate the bread she found in Ogion's cupboard, and sat down beside him.When he fell asleep, she sat, thinking, watching his face, the firelight, and his shadow. She thought about how there used to be a girl sitting silently and meditating in the dark: Long ago, far away, a girl in a windowless room was taught that she was a devoured person, the dark and ancient force of the earth. Priestess and servant; a woman, waking in peace and quiet, thinking, alone for an hour in the farm after her husband and child had fallen asleep; At the bedside of the dying, waiting for someone to return.Like all women, any woman, doing women's things.But Ogion called her not servant, wife, or widow; neither did Ged, in the darkness of the Watch; Neither is the mother who gave her the impression of brown and red fire, and the mother who gave her the name.

"I am Tenar," she whispered.The fire melted a section of withered pine branches, and sparked golden flames. Ogion's breathing became rapid, and he struggled for air.She helped him as much as she could, until he got a little comfortable.Both of them fell asleep for a while, his dizzy and misty silence was occasionally broken by strange words, and she fell asleep beside him.Once in the middle of the night, as if meeting a friend on the road, he called out, "Are you there? Did you see him?" When Tenar awoke to build a blast furnace, he spoke again, but this time as if facing Memories of people from years ago told, in childish voices: "I tried to help her, but the roof of the house came down on them. It was the earthquake." Tenar listened.She has also seen earthquakes. "I tried to help!" the boy in the old man's body said in pain, and then began to struggle hoarsely for breathing again.

It was just dawn when Tenar was awakened by what seemed to be waves of the sea.There was a flapping of wings.A flock of birds flew low, their wings clattering, their shadows blotted out the windows as they flew by.They seemed to fly around the room, then disappeared without a trace, without making any calls or singing, and she had no idea what they were. That morning, a visitor came from the north of Reyabai Village, far from Ogian's residence.A shepherdess came, a woman came to milk Ogion's sheep, and others asked what could be done for him.Moss, the village witch, touched the alder branches and hazel branches outside the door, looking hopefully through the door, but even she dared not step in.Ogion lay on the bed and yelled, "Tell them to go! Tell them to go!"

He looked stronger and more comfortable.When little Therru woke, he spoke to her in the flat, kind, peaceful way Tenar remembered.When the child was out playing in the sun, he said to Tenar, "What does that name you call her mean?" He knew the Word of Creation, but never learned Karg. "'Therru' means to burn, to light a flame," she said. "Ah, ah," he said, his eyes bright and his brow furrowed.For a moment he seemed to be searching for the right words. "The child," he said, "the child, people will be afraid of her." "They're afraid of her now," Tenar said bitterly.

The mage shook his head. "Teach her, Tenar," he whispered. "Teach her everything! Don't go to Roke, they're afraid... Why did I let you go? Why did you go? To bring her... Is it too late?" "Calm down, calm down," she said softly, as he struggled for air and words, but found neither.He shook his head, panted: "Teach her!" and lay down quietly.He refused to eat and only drank a little water.At noon he fell asleep.In the evening, he woke up and said, "It's time, daughter." He sat up. Tenar took his hand and smiled at him. "Help me up."

"No, no." "Yes," he said, "outside. I can't die inside." "where are you going?" "Anywhere is fine. But if you can, go to the forest path." He said: "Under the tree on the grassland." Seeing that he was able to get up, she was determined to go out, so she had to help him.The two walked out the door together, he stopped and turned around to inspect the only room in the house.In the dark corner to the right of the door, his long wizard staff leaned against the wall, glowing faintly.Tenar held out her hand to bring him the wand, but he shook his head. "No." He said, "Not that." He looked around again, as if looking for something lost, forgotten. "Come on," he said at last.

A pleasant wind blew from the west and brushed against his face. He looked at the vast and high sky and said, "It's very comfortable." "Let me find some people from the village to help you make a soft sedan chair and carry you up." She said, "They are all waiting to do their best for you." "I want to walk," said the old man. Therru appeared from behind the house, watching Ogion and Tenar solemnly as they walked step by step, stopping every five or six steps to let Ogion catch his breath.They crossed the lush grasslands and walked towards the forests that climbed from the inside of the cliffs along the steep mountains.The sun was hot and the wind was cold, and it took them a long time to cross the prairie.Ogion's face was gray and his legs trembled like blades of grass in the wind when they finally reached the foot of a young giant tree just a few feet from the beginning of the trail.He slumped between the roots of the big tree, leaning his back on the trunk, without moving or speaking for a long time, while his heart was beating and decaying, shaking his body.He finally nodded and whispered, "Okay."

Therru followed them at a distance.Tenar came to her, hugged her, and talked to her.She returned to Ogion. "Therru will bring the blanket," she said. "not cold." "I am cold." A smile flickered across her face. The child came dragging a goat wool blanket.She whispered something to Tenar, and ran away again. "Heather will let her milk the goats and take care of her," Tenar said to Ogion, "so I can stay here with you." "You're never thinking about just one thing," he said with what little he had left of his breath. "True. At least two, usually more," she said. "But I'm here."

He nodded. For a long time, he didn't speak again, but leaned against the tree and sat silently with his eyes closed.Tenar watched his face and saw him change slowly with the western light. He opened his eyes and looked at the western sky through a gap in the trees.He seemed to be looking at something, a certain deed, or deed in that distant, clear, golden light.He said once in a low, hesitant manner, as if uncertain: "Dragon..." The sun goes down and the breeze stops. Ogion looked at Tenar. "It's over!" he whispered joyfully, "everything has changed! Changed, Tenar! Wait... wait here, wait..." A tremor gripped his body like a branch shaking in a high wind.He took a quick breath, closed and opened his eyes, and looked across her.He put his hand on hers, and she leaned over.He told her his real name so that the world would know the real him after his death. He held her hand tightly, closed his eyes tightly, and struggled to breathe again until he was breathless.He lay like the root of a tree when the stars peeked out and lit up from among the leaves of the forest. Tenar sat with the dead through the evening and into the night.A lantern glows across the grassland like a firefly.She covered the two of them with a blanket, but the hand holding him became as cold as holding a stone.She pressed her forehead against his hand again, then stood up, stiff and dizzy, as if her body was not her own.She stepped forward to greet those who came holding the light. Ogion's neighbors were with him that night, and he did not send them away again. The mansion of the white lord of Ruiya is located on a prominent rock vein on the side of the mountain above the high mausoleum.Early in the morning, before the sun had fully passed the top of the mountain, the wizards under the lord's command had already descended through the village.Immediately afterwards, another wizard, who had set out from the port of Gont at night, also labored through the steep mountain road.Had news of Ogion's dying reached their ears, or were they strong enough to know the Archmage was dead. There are no warlocks in Rui Yabai Village, only mages; there is also a witch, who is responsible for low-level tasks that villagers dare not bother mages, such as searching, repairing, and setting bones.Aunt Moss was a recalcitrant, unmarried like most witches, slovenly dressed, with gray hair tied in a strange knot, herbal-smoky red eyes.It was she who carried the lantern across the meadows, and kept watch with Tenar and the others at Ogion; what should be done.Before touching Ogion's body in preparation for the burial, she glanced at Tenar as if asking permission, and went on with her work.Village witches are usually in charge of performing what they call the "Returning of the Dead" until the time of burial. Aunt Moss dared not look at her bloodshot eyes when a young wizard from the lord's mansion came, with a silver-pine staff in his hand, and another middle-aged wizard from Gont uphill with a short yew staff. He stared, bowed and stepped back, putting away the shabby spells and props. When she placed the corpse in the left kneeling posture according to the custom, she put a small spell bag wrapped in soft sheepskin and tied with colorful strings in her open left hand. Hit it away. "Has the grave been dug?" asked the wizard of Gontport. "Okay," Wizard Reyabai replied, "It's in my master's family cemetery." He pointed to the mansion on the mountain. "I see," said the Gont Port wizard. "I thought our mage would be buried with honor in the city he saved from the earthquake." "My master has this honor." Wizard Rui Yabai said. "But it seems..." The wizard of Gont Harbor hesitated, because he didn't like arguments, but he didn't want to submit to the young man's rash decision.He looked down at the dead man. "He must be buried without a name." He said regretfully and bitterly: "I drove all night, but I was still late. It's just worse!" The young wizard said nothing. "His real name was Ahar," said Tenar. "He wished to be buried here, where he now sleeps." Both looked at her.Seeing that it was a middle-aged village woman, the young wizard turned his head away.The man from Gont Port stared for a moment and said, "Who are you?" "People call me Goha the Widow of Firestone," she said. "I suppose it's your duty to know who I am, but I'm under no obligation to tell." Hearing this sentence, Wizard Rui Yabai finally condescendingly glanced at her. "Woman, pay attention to your attitude towards Son of Strength!" "Come on, come on," said the wizard of Gontport, patting the wizard Riabai to appease his indignation, his eyes still on Tenar. "Are you...you were his adopted daughter?" "Friends too," Tenar said, turning her head away, standing silent.She heard the anger in her voice when she said "friend."She looks down at her friend, a corpse ready for burial, dead and still.They stood above him, alive and full of strength, but did not extend a hand of friendship, only contempt, strife, anger. "I'm sorry it was a long night. I was with him when he died." "It's not..." began the young wizard, and, unexpectedly, old Aunt Moss interrupted him, saying aloud, "She's right. There's only her and no one else. He's coming for her. He's sending the sheep-seller Called her, walked around the whole mountain, and he held on until she came, with him, and then he died. He died where he wanted to be buried, right here." "Then..." the older man said, "He told you...?" "His real name." Tenar looked at them, the disbelief of the older man and the contempt of the younger man, and she couldn't help but respond with contempt. "I said it, do I have to say it again?" She saw with astonishment from their expressions that indeed they had not heard Ogion's real name, for they had not noticed her. "Oh!" she said, "times are corrupt, and such a real name should not be heard, falling to the ground like a stone! Isn't listening a power? Listen well: his real name is Ahar. His real name after death is Ahar. If anyone were to write a ballad for him, in the ballad he would be Ahar of Gont. He was a silent man, and now he is very silent. Maybe there will be no ballads, only silence. I don't know .I'm tired. I lost my father and my best friend." She stopped abruptly, a sob locked in her throat.She turned around to leave, and saw the small spell bag made by Aunt Moss on the forest path, she picked it up, knelt beside the corpse, kissed the open left palm, put the small bag in, and continued to kneel.She looked up at the two of them again, and spoke softly. "Will you take care of it here," she said, "and let his grave be dug right here, where he wishes?" The older men nodded first, then the younger men. She got up, smoothed her skirt, and walked across the grass in the morning light.