Standing in the woods alone with shock upon his face

the old man checked to see if anything was out of place

but far from feeling cursed, he overflowed with energy

so much that he started to run forward childishly

He waved his hands and magic like he’d never seen before

was summoned from his fingertips with such a mighty roar

the power he’d been given wasn’t easy to believe

the magic that he wielded now was harder to conceive

But even more a shock to him was what the fairy said

the answer to the question of his life still lay ahead

he wondered what the fairy meant by ‘answers found alone’

should he seek advice from one with questions of their own

The forest was a place of peace, but now he had a quest

to find the meaning granted him, and face this final test

it’d been a long time since he saw the world of man

but even now he couldn’t stop a quest once it began

He walked toward the rising sun until he met the sea

then walked along the coast until he found society

although at first he feared that he might still be recognized

with his big white beard the man was well enough disguised

He wandered down the street and marvelled at the buildings there

“was such a place here all along, how was I not aware”

the streets were clean, and smiling faces were not hard to find

but then he noticed people unrelated to mankind

Here and there, among the crowd of humans in the town

members of their ancient enemy had settled down

he almost failed to keep his calm while reeling in surprise

the sight of them at peace together resting on his eyes

everywhere he went he found the people in good cheer

most of whom were living well without a single fear

the more he looked, the more he had no choice but to believe

no inhuman person there was being asked to leave

Several people looked at him with curiosity

wondering what such a rugged man at come to see

“excuse me sir, if you need help, I’ll take you to an inn

were you lost in the woods a while, you’re looking very thin”

A kind young man approached him with some worry on his face

he spoke with caution to the member of a northern race

“Those ears you have must mean you’re from a tribe quite far from here

is it not uncommon for one like you to appear”

The young man laughed and pointed to the long ears on his head

“I can’t imagine how much of a hermit’s life you’ve led

my kind have been here for generations, don’t you know

now and then, we do surprise a country bumpkin though”

The old man laughed and thanked the man for offering a hand

“I’ll be fine, I’ve always been too slow to understand”

he carried on, enjoying all the city’s sights and sounds

he felt like he was walking on the king’s old castle grounds

He found himself within a town where merchants came by sea

and sat inside little shop that served delicious tea

the shop was old enough to to seem familiar at first

he ordered something simple to alleviate his thirst

He asked the man who served his drink if he could stay a while

the man agreed and welcomed him with his contagious smile

the pilgrim was confused at first, to see the old man’s face

in his eyes, of pain or loss, he couldn’t find a trace

He asked the man about his life, inviting him to sit

the owner of the shop said he would love to talk a bit

“I’ve been living by the port since I was just a boy

it’s been a peaceful life of doing what I most enjoy”

“What of when the war was raging all across the land

how you’ve lived so peacefully I just can’t understand”

he worried that the old man might not wish to speak of war

but was soon surprised to see the smile the man still war

“That’s the first time anybody asked me such a thing

there are few still living who remember anything

my father told us stories of the empire in those days

but he was born long after the empire was set ablaze

You might find an elf or two still living who recall

but elves have not been seen for years, if they survive at all

tell me honoured elder, why the interest in such tales

there’s much more talk in town of ships that travel without sails”

The pilgrim now was speechless at the story he had heard

he felt he should believe it but it sounded too absurd

had so many years gone by since he had held a sword

was the world so different than the one he ran toward

He thanked the owner of the tea shop kindly for his time

“thank you for your story, and the tea was quite sublime”

despite the shocking revelation, he would carry on

and so he went to find a ship that he could sail upon

~