I said good morning as cheerfully as I could possibly muster. Then I saw a very familiar face, it was the Author of Life, Himself. "Good morning, Rune, Comforter, would you mind allowing me to talk with Rune alone if that is alright?" He asked moving closer to me. Comforter picked up Sven and we were alone. I was not sure exactly what to do, bow kneel, or something else. I bowed instinctively. "What troubles you Rune?" He asked, looking at me with the deepest compassion I had ever seen. "My, well, uh, my training my Lord, it seems as though it all has come to an end, and all I wanted was was to serve you, and be the Pilgrim you wanted as a servant, and now, my training as stopped and Comforter is needed here, but I feel strange as it were to simply go back as if this journey meant nothing at all." I said bowing with a meekness that seemed to overshadow me from out of nowhere. "Nothing at all?" He asked, looking at me with pure confusion. "Well, the trial stopped, and I am not sure if my mettle was tested enough, am I worthy to be in service of you Lord?" I asked, looking into his eyes with tears now streaming down my face.
"What do you think it takes to be a Pilgrim in my service?" He asked, pulling his arm around me. I thought of the gravity of His words.
"To finish the trials." I said, very matter-of-factly. Looking down at my worn shoes of Peace. He allowed the words to hang in the air for a long moment.
"Have you fought off darkness?" He asked, looking into my sky blue eyes and holding me in this space of inner truth.
"Yes, of course." I said with surety framing my words.
"Have you mourned the dead?" He asked as he led me down and skipped rocks like I had the day before.
"Yes, there were so many from the plague." I responded with my body shaking from all the terrors of the first images that I saw.
"Did you clean the wounds of those who were ill with no skill and just a willingness to help?" He asked to search my soul.
"I did, My Lord. I did." I said softly.
"What do you think the trials were for?" He asked, while he skipped more rocks.
"To see if you found me worthy." I responded.
"Do you not think after everything, including murdering one of my enemies, do you think you proved your worth to be in my service?" He inquired looking at me with sincere tenderness. I could not answer, it seemed challenging for me.
"Let me ask you this question Rune, if you had a servant that left home, surrendered all his wealth, studied your truth, murdered your enemies, freed those that you created, looked after your creatures, cured the sick, buried and buried the dead. What you you say about this servant." He implored looking at me with such heart and love.
"I would say that servant was loyal to a fault and very brave." I spoke as I sighed outwardly.
"To those you have done to the least of these you have also done it to me. Rune, you have proven yourself beyond any test or trial that the Realm could have come up with, you passed the real trial of love, that is love." He said, with complete tenderness.
"Well done my good and faithful servant." He said with joy embracing me the same way he embraced me.
"What do you want me to do with the rest of my life?" I asked with love pouring out of my soul.
"I see Gunther coming up the hill just there." He said and then he walked south and was gone before Gunther reached me.
"I am getting old, Rune, it is a shame I don't have an apprentice, this plague showed my mortality like a mirror, I am not going to live forever." He said, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.
"How would you feel about me, becoming your new apprentice, if you can find a place in Earlydale for me to live that would be welcoming for Sven as well?" I asked to walk in tandem with my friend.
"I actually know a place that is not far from me." He said very-matter -of-factly, smiling.
We walked back to the centre of town and people were cheering and merry making, as soon as they saw us they carried us through the streets declaring us heroes. They said our names over and over again, the three of us had one last mug of mulled wine together.
The next morning we all walked together, knowing I would be leaving Comforter for a very long time. "I am going to miss you, you were such a good mentor." I said tears stinging into my eyes.
"I know but you will be a great help to Gunther here, and don't worry I am taking a few people who need a lot of healing of the soul to the Island of Despair, I will tell Pip, Tess, and your father where you now call home." He said, handing me a familiar bag.
"You had all of this time?" I said laughing, he nodded . I led him down to the dock and helped children on the gangplank so they would not fall. I saw a boy who looked just like me, and I told Comforter, I told my dad to adopt this one. I wanted a brother, and my father loved children.
"Already had it planned." He responded laughing. I watched the ship sail away, and wondered i I would ever fall in love and would I have children. At this moment it seemed it was not important and Gunther took me back to his house until the next morning.
"You are late again! Rooks!" I heard a very familiar sound coming from their house, and realized that one day my housekeeper would be saying the same thing as I would be taking over the doctoring in Earlydale.
When we reached the little dwelling it felt like home, and after dinner we laughed and talked and before I retired for the evening, Gunther gave me a stack full of books.
"I know you can handle it, I heard the Monastery gives you Pilgrims loads of books to be memorised." He stated, sending me on my way up the stairs with books that weighed more than a giant.
I slept well with Sven cuddled up next to me. "Between you and me Sven, you are the real hero." I said, as we cuddled up together. Earlydale was my new home and I became not the hero I imagined but a servant to the sick and dying and I would not have it any other way.
The End