Lessons
(Evey Reborn - V For Vendetta Soundtrack)
"I can never seem to get the trees right," the young man grumbled to himself.
The tree in question was one of those great and ancient things that defied the passage of time with its presence, its roots long-grown into the bones of the earth itself. Its branches were wide and sturdy and numerous, covered with leaves, twigs, and some kind of nut that he couldn't be bothered to identify. It was nestled, if such a massive thing could truly be nestled, in the middle of a rolling meadow filled with gentle hills and valleys. At one point, the ground had been liberally covered with green grass and a riot of colored plants as far as the eye could see. Now, all of that had been blasted brown and dry beneath his influence, excepting the monstrously large tree before him.
"That's because you always insist on using brute force." The answer came from the woman standing behind him. The young man looked over his shoulder, startled. "I didn't know you were awake," he replied, trying to keep his voice even. The woman shrugged slightly, but otherwise remained still. "Brute force," she said again, accenting her words with a nod towards the tree. "You can't do it that way." Then she tilted her head. "Would you like me to show you how?"
The young man slowly turned to regard her, sparing the tree another quick look as he did so. "You would do that?" The woman shrugged again, her hands clasped in front of her. "Of course." Around them, the air had grown still, and the insects in the field no longer filled the air with their song. The young man did not notice, however, so intent was he on the moment. "Show me," he said after a lengthy pause, his face eager.
The woman smiled with one corner of her mouth and started smoothly forward, her bare feet making no sound upon the earth. "You wish the tree to be filled with your warmth," she murmured, halting her advance only when she was close enough to touch the tree itself. "You cannot fill a thing from without." She raised one slender hand to caress the tree trunk's surface, her fingertips lightly splayed. The young man grew closer, his eyes riveted on what she was doing. Instinctively, he reached out and placed his own hand against the tree, willing the warmth from the sun into it. Almost immediately, he felt the surface of the tree grow warmer beneath his hand, and he was elated.
Only then did he realize that her other hand was on his back, gently resting between his shoulder blades. In a flash, he understood that it wasn't the tree that had grown warmer. It was his hand that had cooled. He turned his head to find her watching him, that corner of her mouth still upturned. "What of the tree?" he rasped, already feeling his body begin to break down.
"Don't worry," the woman answered as she ushered his fading remains to the wind. "It's next."
"I can never seem to get the trees right," the young man grumbled to himself.
The tree in question was one of those great and ancient things that defied the passage of time with its presence, its roots long-grown into the bones of the earth itself. Its branches were wide and sturdy and numerous, covered with leaves, twigs, and some kind of nut that he couldn't be bothered to identify. It was nestled, if such a massive thing could truly be nestled, in the middle of a rolling meadow filled with gentle hills and valleys. At one point, the ground had been liberally covered with green grass and a riot of colored plants as far as the eye could see. Now, all of that had been blasted brown and dry beneath his influence, excepting the monstrously large tree before him.
"That's because you always insist on using brute force." The answer came from the woman standing behind him. The young man looked over his shoulder, startled. "I didn't know you were awake," he replied, trying to keep his voice even. The woman shrugged slightly, but otherwise remained still. "Brute force," she said again, accenting her words with a nod towards the tree. "You can't do it that way." Then she tilted her head. "Would you like me to show you how?"
The young man slowly turned to regard her, sparing the tree another quick look as he did so. "You would do that?" The woman shrugged again, her hands clasped in front of her. "Of course." Around them, the air had grown still, and the insects in the field no longer filled the air with their song. The young man did not notice, however, so intent was he on the moment. "Show me," he said after a lengthy pause, his face eager.
The woman smiled with one corner of her mouth and started smoothly forward, her bare feet making no sound upon the earth. "You wish the tree to be filled with your warmth," she murmured, halting her advance only when she was close enough to touch the tree itself. "You cannot fill a thing from without." She raised one slender hand to caress the tree trunk's surface, her fingertips lightly splayed. The young man grew closer, his eyes riveted on what she was doing. Instinctively, he reached out and placed his own hand against the tree, willing the warmth from the sun into it. Almost immediately, he felt the surface of the tree grow warmer beneath his hand, and he was elated.
Only then did he realize that her other hand was on his back, gently resting between his shoulder blades. In a flash, he understood that it wasn't the tree that had grown warmer. It was his hand that had cooled. He turned his head to find her watching him, that corner of her mouth still upturned. "What of the tree?" he rasped, already feeling his body begin to break down.
"Don't worry," the woman answered as she ushered his fading remains to the wind. "It's next."
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