The Conclusion

The next day Oswin was kissed awake in his hammock by the warm sun. He got out of his car and greeted the day with a stretch. Lisith sat on a rock within the stone circle in the middle of the clearing. Oswin sauntered over and interrupted the woman with her huge hat. “Well, I was meditating…” Lisith proudly announced to Oswin. “…and I feel I shouldn’t waste Knamuperna’s gift on a trivial question. I have to see the plateau; maybe something there will remind me of who I am or how I got there and then maybe I’ll know what kind of answer I’m looking for.”Oswin didn’t like that thought, so he kept his mouth shut. Knamuperna, who had just come out of her hut, strolled to the clearing’s stone circle, bringing with her a pot, a ladle, and three cups. Lisith eagerly poured herself a drink. It smelled of ginger, apple mint and sage. Knamuperna, noticing the erupted silence, took the opportunity to ask, “What were you two talking about?” Lisith, thinking of travelling with this mysterious man, enjoyed the thought of not having to travel alone. So she asked, “What do you think Oswin, will you show me where you found me?” Trying to let the moment pass, Oswin chucked down his tea. “This journey is not without its dangers, let’s talk about it tomorrow.” He hastily poured himself another cup. Lisith protested, “No! I’ve been here for 8 months and I feel lost and frustrated. Maybe someone is looking for me.” Oswin’s face darkened and Knamuperna nudged him in the side and looked at him worriedly. Lisith was so engrossed in her speech that she didn’t notice the interaction. “Besides, I’ll go alone if you don’t take me with you. Would you make me stumble through places I can’t even remember?” She looked at Oswin and Knamuperna, his expression defeated and his mother’s beaming with a touch of pride. “Wonderful, yes wonderful.” said Knamuperna “She’s right, my son, show her the world, teach her what I taught you. And as a bonus, I’m getting the tranquillity of my home back.” Knamuperna nodded to confirm her decision, then turned and walked away with an extra dash of glee. Lisith stared at Oswin, who shook his head. “Well argued. It seems I don’t have a choice.” Happily, Lisith jumped up and hugged the man, excited to experience something other than the clearing. “Oh, thank you, Oswin, thank you. I started to believe that I had to find myself all by myself.” On the same day, they packed their things and with a hearty farewell, they set off in the afternoon. Oswin casually mentioned that they couldn’t take the fastest route to the plateau and would have to find another way. Lisith was a bit confused about this and asked why. Oswin began a monologue about the politics of the region’s two cultures that quickly exhausted Lisith. They were halfway out of the woods when she said, “Please! Stop this torture! We’ll take your way, where do we go first?” Oswin rolled his eyes. “To the wooden market, it’s controlled by the Dowagers, the nation of these lands. The wooden market is in the bog that surrounds this forest.”