Circle of Fire

The glow of the fire was what drew me. That and the smell of fresh meat. I had been hunting, but I had found nothing. I crept to the edge of the camp. I must be careful to see whether it was a friend or foe. There were three men sitting around the fire. One was young, still a child; another was a man about my age, kind of looked like me too; the third was older, much older. He had the look of great sorrow that only a tough life can give to a person. For some reason, I was afraid of that man. “You can come out; we knew you would come.” I gave a start; how did they know I was there? I had been quiet as a mouse. I stood up and walked into the camp. The young child barely glanced at me; he was busy putting an intricate design on a bow. The man that looked like me gave me a glance and said gruffly, “I ‘spect you’re hungry, we have enough for you. We knew we would need it.” I looked at him for a moment, but all he did was point to the fire where a pot of stew bubbled happily. The older man continued to look at me in a way that made my blood freeze, and chills go up my spine. It was like he was looking into my very soul, and somehow, someway, he could take it from me just by looking. I stepped into the circle of light cast by the fire and began to fix myself a plate. I was starving. With slow precision, I began to eat. As I did so, I watched the rest of the camp, making sure nothing escaped my eagle eye. Suddenly, the young boy stood up and went to stand by me. I glanced up at him, not really paying him much mind, when I saw the color of his eyes. They were a deep, deep blue, the color of the ocean I had seen once long before. They were startling in their color, but it was the light that seemed to shine behind them that really captured me. It was a light that pierced right into the heart of you, and made your thoughts turn to brighter, happier times. The boy handed me the bow, and whispered, “I give this to you because you are a part of me. On the journey you must have a weapon that is strong and true. It must be fashioned by the hands of innocence and youth. Keep the bow until you have need of it, and then give it to the one that needs it next. God’s grace to you.” Then the boy sat down and stared into the fire. I looked, bewildered, at the other two men. The older man was now gazing into the night, seemingly lost in thought, but the younger man was staring at me. Slowly, he stood up and began to walk toward me. “You have a gift for me too? “I tried to joke. There was something wrong here, but what, I had no idea. The man stood before me, casting his shadow over my face, and said nothing. Not a word. I began to ask him my question again, when he raised his arm, and held out his hand. I looked at it, and slowly, the hand opened. Inside was a necklace of incredible beauty. It had a fine, filigree gold chain, and the trinket was the most beautiful jewel I had ever seen. I stared at it in wonder as all the colors of the rainbow seemed to be in it, and a light seemed to shine from within. I knew it to be a jewel, but what type I had no idea. The man went to his haunches and stared into my eyes. His eyes were startling too. Not because of what they did to me, although they unsettled me as well. But because they were the exact shade of my eyes, a golden brown my mother had often told me was “lion's eyes”. He took my hand, and he put the necklace into it. Then he whispered, “As you journey you will need this. I cannot tell you what for, only that one person truly deserves this and do not be fooled by the one that would trick you. This is the most precious of all jewels and whomever has control of it will either rule the world or destroy it. Choose wisely who deserves to wear this.” Then he stood up and went back to his place to gaze into the circle of fire.