The Enigma

by

Crystal

She is at once the most caring and loving of all and yet the most deadly.  Her love knows no bounds except the bounds of knowing her.  She is at peace with many, but they are not so with her because they simply can't truly know her, touch her, or be with her.  You see, her name does not exist.  There are no cars, no bank accounts, no homes, no ID cards, nothing that displays her name.  Yet she is very real and touches lives every day.

Don't get me wrong for she truly does exist, but you'll never know of her real existence except through the fleeting contacts she allows.  I am one of the very fortunate ones, one who has seen her in person, been with her, and touched her skin.  This story is but a peek, a peek into the life of one called The Enigma.  Although she lives today, the story is set back in time for that is when those of The Enigma are chosen and get their start.

There are a few in this world that circumstances in life bring to a point of ultimate decision, which is to leave a life of the knowing and lead a life of The Enigma.  This new life is one of existence and non-existence, of caring and love, and of deadly courage.  Read my account of her story below. . .

The rising sun at her back, she looks down into the valley below, the swirls of morning mist clinging for life only in the deepest parts of the valley.  Long shadows extended like bony fingers across the ground far below reaching toward the west as though paving her path.  The morning air is clean and brisk and still smells of rain from last night.

She checks the laces on her boots and adjusts the various animal skins she wears as coverings.  She sees the hawk looking at her from the branch high in the tree and she smiles saying, "No need to worry your feathers.  None of what I wear is relative to you."  She looks around her small remains of the campfire, now cold, and finds a bit of meat from her morning breakfast.  She uses the tip of her sword to nudge the meat and flick it high into the air toward the hawk as she whistles a shill sound into the still, morning air.  The hawk quickly takes flight and intercepts the offered morsel and then is swoops circles her, flying just inches from her head before streaking off into the low morning sun and vanishing into the sun's glow.  She nods her head knowing the hawk would fly into the sun so the sun would blind any who would be following behind it.  Survival instincts are good to have.

She had that way . . . that way with animals.  The wild animals trusted her, and if the stories were to be believed, the animals even came to her aid.  It's said that even the deadliest viper would let her rest in its den.  She says it's because she truly respects and trusts them and they can sense that.  She is the same way with people.  She is open, honest, and respectful.  People are apt to quickly trust her in return and are soon attracted to her.  She is easy to be with, easy to feel comfortable with, and easy to love but love is elusive for The Enigma.

She looks around her small camp where she stayed the night and is satisfied all is well for her departure.  She slips her sword into the sheath across her back and feels the steel blade slide into its sheath secured between her skin and the quiver that holds her arrows.  She would move down into the valley and head west staying in the long shadows caused by the low sun at her back.  With luck, she would arrive just before nightfall.