He didn’t get to reminisce about his homeworld often. There were few who could understand all that they had lost, and even those who might have remembered were not the company with which Lyndin would have talked about what he’d done as a child.
There was something relaxing about talking to the younger generation; for all of his legacy and prowess that he carried with him, he could allow himself a moment’s reprieve from such a position. He felt like he could relax–just a bit–to share his old memories with them.
“I don’t know if I had a favorite part of Velenia. I liked all of it. And now, those memories are so distant I cling to all that I have. Sometimes I can still dream of them.”
He took a moment to soak in that--the memories that he held in his heart, and the ones he was fortunate enough to have leak into his dreams.
“Velenia was more beautiful than any planet I’ve ever seen. In all the years we were traveling, well before you three were born, I visited many places. None of them had the same charm or beauty as Velenia. There was a kindness there that I think has died out in other worlds.”
Maybe it had died out in them, too. But he remembered, anyway.
“We lived peaceful lives, harmonious. The animals of the land trusted us. There was such a variety. I’ve read some of the old textbooks about Velenia, and it’s a silly thing, what information they have and what gets left out. You can read about the chemical composition of fruit, but it doesn’t tell you how sweet it was. It doesn’t give you a flavor. Flowers, who smell has been lost to the universe. The Olygoff, you’ll never know how soft they were. You can read about how we sheared them, but even before their fur was processed, it was so soft.”
He leaned back thoughtfully, but there was no easier clarity in the answer. What was his favorite part about Velenia? All of it, probably. He’d have loved any of it, if he could have but a moment to be there again.
“The sheep here aren’t as soft as they were, nor as friendly, so far as I can tell. The water was so fresh and clean. Cool, and rejuvenating. Velenia was a paradise. I was young when we lost it, I never grew old enough to find anything to dislike about it. Growing up there was something I wish I could have given you. There was safety, security. Warmth. A community, resources. I wanted for nothing and worried for little. Caedus was the troublesome one, I spent a lot of time being his shadow,” he mused.
The sigh that fell from his lips was slight, but he must have had to make a mental note to move away from the topic.
“Sometimes, we’d sneak off to play in one of the pools. One of my favorite fruits grew at the top of very tall trees. Well, tall for a child. I used to train myself to climb to the top. I fell, a lot. But there was a pool underneath, and I always enjoyed the water. Even failure had no consequences. I miss that, when there were no stakes.”
The smile on his face had a shadow of sadness, but there was too much fondness in how he spoke for him to have been sad. “In my younger days, after we’d established Velencya, I tried to create a hologram to replicate such things. Other things took priority and I never went back to it. I hope that in my life time, I’ll be able to show you the best places on Velenia. I suspect they will need help healing, but all good things are worth cultivating.”
He was aware of how much he’d spoken, but it was as much for his indulgence as it was theirs; a break from his work was nice–a reminder of what they were here for. He could never regret time spent thinking of home.
Guine
Sunshine Alouette
Kyuseisha no Hikari
