Before We Say Goodbye

Time was about to set for one resident of Albia: Orgoch, Kaw, and Ellidyr all rested together on the desert island. Yet the two elder Norns were hardly all that old! Nearing twelve hours of age, Kaw was more fertile than ever, and it wasn’t long before he and Orgoch decided to bring another egg into Albia. I fretted over the pregnancy, wondering if Kaw would ever catch a glimpse of this egg, or if Orgoch would even live to lay it. Ellidyr, too, looked like he was much too tired for anything but sitting about with his favorite honeypot.

As I scanned the garden for any rotten carrots or unruly Norns, I stumbled across someone I barely recognized. Taran was recently ill, and his life force was heavily depleted. Yet I hadn’t thought it would mean his early entrance into old age! There he stood, though, at just about five hours old, with the tell-tale white tufts erupting from his ears. It was odd to see the baby of this generation already in his final life stage… A new generation would be coming soon, but I still wasn’t ready for Taran to mark the imminent end of this one. At least he looked content with his change! His expression was simply adorable.

The last remaining bit of youth resided in Orwen. Those bees surely knew the secrets of eternal life! She loved her endless supply of honey, although it was a rather lonely scene. I wondered if she would even recognize her beloved Taran, if he ever decided to return to the beehives. I was careful to give Orwen a little extra attention, since she was so introverted. Her eating skills had deteriorated a bit, so the one-on-one time gave me a chance to remind her of a very important habit. Presently, she decided that there was a much more pressing matter to attend to: The bouncing of the ball!

When I visited the island to check on Orgoch’s pregnancy, I was met with a sad scene. Ellidyr, the friendly and heartwarming Grendel, had passed on. He had lived over twenty hours and had plenty of children to carry on his memory, yet Albia suddenly seemed so empty. I missed those faded red eyes, and the silly Grendel noises. I pondered over how to introduce a Grendel: Would I hatch a few of Ellidyr’s children? Or would a new Grendel make more sense? I put off the decision temporarily, for everyone needed a little time to grieve over the loss of Ellidyr. I could just imagine his spirit finally reuniting with Achren, whom he had loved and cherished always. And then I, too, had to say goodbye.