~*Revanche swooped and nabbed the letter, leaving a trail of happiness as she went. She didn't tell Friend what she had added to the letter; that was her special secret. She flew home....but changed her course at the last instant. She flew to the apple forest, as she called it, and landed on a branch....and her hunch was right. Friend was here, pruning the trees, collecting ripened apples. He had a large basket filled to the brim with beautiful, delicious ruby-red apples. The scent of apple blossoms filled the warm air, traveling on the wind as if scent had it's own wings....Revanche liked to think that color had a scent to it....for her, 'red' smelled like 'apple'....which was easy to understand, if one knew what color was. She watched as Friend lifted, with minor difficulty, the basket of apples and placed them in a pull-cart. Then, he went to the front....or the back, she wasn't sure how that worked....placed a harness over his shoulder and lifted with his right arm, pulling the cart slowly but steadily. Revanche decided to fly to the room and wait for him there, knowing that for some reason, Friend preferred to garden by himself...*~
VD pulled the cart slowly, resting whenever he needed to. He had even more surplus of apples now, so perhaps he'd go into town to sell some....even though he didn't really need the money, it would be nice to socialize for a while, break the 'reclusive hermit' habit....he walked barefoot over the spongy grass, letting his calloused feet feel the soft caress of the velvety grass. Green. Renne had said his Brother had green eyes....color was an amazing thing, really. It could be proved scientifically, VD was certain, but....he didn't want to know how color appeared. He liked to think that color was a magical thing, something that had sight, texture, taste, smell, and sometimes, sound....all five senses could appreciate color in some way. For example....grass was green....when healthy. And when healthy, it was soft, sometimes a little moist from morning dew. Grass had a taste, depending on where it grew and what fertilizer was used. And sound....VD wondered if he was an odd sort, because he often enjoyed just sitting in a grassy field and listening to the wind create a chorus with the grass, passing through tall blades and small. Grass had a sound, too. And you couldn't describe it as anything except, 'The sound grass makes when wind blows through it'....So, 'green' could be 'grass', in a word....
As he walked, the sun bore down upon him, which raised an interesting question; if VD was always out in the sun, why was he always so pale" He wasn't aenemic, and he certainly spent enough time outside to tan even a dwarf....VD, whenever he was asked....and he wasn't asked often....attributed this to his heritage. Not many knew his heritage. Even VD didn't know everything, but that was due to a combination of time and the desire to forget. Gold. For some reason, he'd informed Renne his eyes were gold....VD knew gold was a type of metal, but metal was cold, uncaring, and had a value. A price. No, VD thought of the color 'gold' as....a ray of sunlight. The warmth of it, the feel of the sun's warmth on the skin, the smell of warmth....really, it all boiled down, with sunlight, to warmth, so 'gold' was 'warm sunlight'....a warm, cozy feeling, one you could almost wrap yourself in like a blanket....brilliant, able to both be blinding and dull, depending on if you didn't polish it, or keep it fresh. And VD had golden eyes, courtesy of...
No. We've been over this. You don't bring those memories up anymore, old man...
He picked up the pace. He knew it would have been easier to have a horse, or mule, pulling the cart, but VD enjoyed the exercise, the wonderful feeling of life coursing through his veins. Passing by a bubbling brook of fresh, mountain water, VD paused and took a sip of it, using a hollowed-out gourd. Water....when using paints, or describing oceans, one usually said 'blue'....in several shades, at that. Sky blue. Azure. Deep sea blue. So many ways to SEE blue....but what sort of texture did it have" VD puzzled for a moment, his train of thought picking up speed. Blue had several shades, but in general, VD believed that it had a fluidity to it....the sky was massive, and never ending....and so, really, was a running stream. Of course, if the water stopped, so did the river....and the sky had an end....beyond it was that great unknown, space....the place where stars are born, and die, where planets spin and circle each other. No, come back to the ground, space was black to VD....empty, cold, unfeeling, unending....Blue was cool, smooth and easy to feel....easy to hear. Rain, a babbling brook, an ocean wave....blue was a loud color. But also a calming color....rain helped the crops. The oceans gave birth to legends and dreams. And rivers provided drinking water. True, too much of a good thing was devastating, but that was the beauty of 'blue'....blue, as well as a loud color, was also a powerful color. You both needed it....and in some instances....feared it.
Continuing his walk to the barn where he stored the fruits before sorting them, his toes began to rip a few blades of grass up, exposing the dirt below. Rich, fresh soil, the scent that hits your nostrils in an instant....VD loved the smell. It just said, 'brown'....light brown, dark brown, brown was a RICH color. Soft....or hard as rock. Smooth....or jagged like a mountain. The sound was like grains of sand falling through an hourglass....or a rockslide in a gorge. The taste was as tangible as the smell, something you felt you could hold in your hand....and really, pick up some fresh soil, breathe in the scent, and tell yourself you're not holding the smell and taste of good, rich earth. Or find a rock, one rich in minerals, and hold it; tell yourself it's not strong, determined, powerful. Carve it, and it's still stone, just in a different form. Grind it; it's still rock, just in the form of sand. Yes, brown was certainly a rich color, full of life and silent strength...
He realized he was procrastinating, and hurried to the barn to put things away. Revanche would be back soon, if she wasn't already....Revanche....life. Did life have a 'color'" Perhaps it did. Perhaps the color of life....was red. You could, 'see red', and be angry. You could, 'be red in the face', and be embarrassed or shy. A red rose generally meant you loved someone. The rising sun was red, the beginning of a new day....and at times, the setting sun was red, the closing of a day, the beginning of the night. A red moon was an ominous omen. Rust was a reddish color, fading life, the sign of neglect. Staying in the sun for too long....for anyone other than VD....turned your skin red, punishment for ignoring the power of the sun. And blood....for many creatures....was red. Yes, red, the color of life, in all it's forms....and the color of flame. It provided warmth, it cooked meals, and pierced darkness....but stray too close and it's tender caress would remind you why 'your old flame' could burn you still to this day. VD was certainly in an interesting mood today! He shrugged the harness off and decided to sort the apples later....he entered the house. Yes, color was everywhere, if one knew how to find it...
He went upstairs and found Revanche quietly waiting. VD smiled and stroked her feathers warmly.
"Hey Revanche! Good to see you!" Revanche preened under the praise, ruffling her feathers happily. Hmm, he was certainly happier today, wasn't he" VD opened the letter and read it's contents aloud. Revanche was puzzled; how could Blue One not know what green was" She was so confused, she transformed and asked VD just that.
"Fuh-rend. Ha-ow Buh-loo W-un no know what guh-reen is?" Day and night she practiced her speaking, and day and night she became frustrated. Would she ever learn properly, she wondered"
"Hmmm....I have a hunch, Revanche, that Renne is blind....the raised ink was a primary clue....like I had thought, if he wrote in it, that was how he read things....so, I used raised ink to write to him. When he did not tell me he didn't need raised ink, I kept using it....and now he says he does not know what the color green is....so perhaps....he is blind." VD explained his theory aloud to Revanche, and she nodded.
"Ha-ow tell buh-lind w-un what cuh-lur is?" Revanche asked. VD blinked softly, and then smiled pleasantly. Exactly what he'd been doing outside when he was bringing the apples in! Speaking of which...
"Revanche, go find my pupil and have him sort out about ten fresh apples into a basket for one of the owls to carry. Also....ask him if he finished with the project I asked him to do for me, please?" Revanche nodded, changed back and flew off to perform the request. Once that was done, VD sat down and began to write a letter to Renne.
Renne,
I completely understand when you tell me that your duty is your honor. I, too, have many 'duties' I perform by choice, because it is something I enjoy, or because it brings joy to others. My gardens, for example. And by the way, I am sending you ten of my finest apples, please tell me how they taste. I hope they taste good. I am also sending you a gift, something I think you would appreciate. It will be in the same basket as the apples. Reach into the basket and feel under the apples for it. You'll know it when you find it.
Renne, please forgive me if I am prying, but are you incapable of vision' By which I mean, are you blind with your eyes" I suspected it when I first received one of the letters by accident and it had raised ink....and when I sent it back with raised ink, you did not tell me to stop. Now you tell me you do not know what the color green is....if you'd like, I will gladly tell you, in my next letter, what I think colors mean. To me....colors have a feel to them, and a smell. Sometimes they also have a sound and taste....there was a time when I was temporarily deaf....my hearing returned to me, but I will admit, it was difficult getting around when all my life, I had ears that worked....were you born blind? Again, forgive me if I am asking too many personal questions.
Being blind is no shame, as it is. It is not a disability, to me, anyway. Being 'blind' simply means you have to learn to use your other senses to get around....but I will be the first to admit, the thought of losing my eyes is a frightening thought. All my life, I have had all my senses, and losing one, or having one lessen, isn't easy for me....but at the same time, it intrigues me. I suppose you could say I have an addiction to learning....and to be honest, that had cost me much over the years....more than some might guess...
He paused, giving his shoulder a gentle rub....yes, more than some might guess...
You say you like to read books. Be careful that you do not become too curious about some things. Take it from me....some things are best left unknown. I do not say this to dissuade you from learning all you can, nor do I mean to scare you, and if I have, please forgive me....simply remember, if your friends warn you of something, take heed. I do not think you need to be told this, but I made that mistake long ago, and paid dearly for it.
But enough about depressing subjects. I just harvested many apples from my orchard....I love the smell of apple blossoms....in fact, I will send you some apple seeds, and an apple blossom, so that you may grow your own apple tree. It requires a lot of effort at first, but if you stick to it, and show the same love and compassion you obviously have for your friends Chee and Sir, the tree will grow tall, and strong, and give you many apples. And if you enjoy growing an apple tree, I can send you other seeds as well. Perhaps you will enjoy gardening. If not, that is perfectly fine; not everybody likes it.
I do not know if I have told you, Renne, but I enjoy our letters. They help me to feel connected to the world again. I have been living in the mountains for so long, and rarely go out....I haven't visited Golden Horn in many, many days. Perhaps I will go there later on. I wanted to thank you for your companionship, and hope we continue to be friends through our letters. For now, I shall end this letter. Remember; if you'd like, I can share with you what I think colors are like...
Your friend,
VD
~*The letter was long today....but he was sure Renne wouldn't mind....Revanche came in, perched on the shoulder of JL. VD's pupil handed him a basket of ten apples, as well as a small, cloth-wrapped object. VD nodded and thanked him, placing the object under the apples as his letter explained it would be. Once done, he took a small vial, and had JL fill it with apple seeds....with a note explaining what was in it....he checked and made sure at least one of the apples had a blossom attached to the stem. Then, giving a shrill whistle, a huge tawny owl flew in, giving VD a curious glance. VD explained that he was to follow Revanche and deliver this basket, and in exchange, the owl would be welcomed to some pork and mice. The owl screeched it's acceptance, and flew to perch on the basket. JL rolled the letter up and tied it with a blue ribbon, handing it to Revanche. She took it and, after getting the attention she so loved, flew out the window with the owl following her...*~
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When Renne received the letter and basket, and after reading said letter, when he follows the instructions and puts his hand under the apples, he'll feel the cloth-wrapped object VD mentioned....the note attached was very simple; 'Open me'. Well, should he do that, he'd find...
A pan-pipe. A simple one, sure, but there it was, hand-made by JL with another note attached.
Renne,
I hope you like this. I had my pupil make it for you. Be sure to practice on it and in no time at all, you'll be able to make beautiful melodies.
Your friends,
VD, Revanche, and JL
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"We're all a little mad here..." -Cheshire Cat