Remembering and Looking Forward
“Tell me,” Adlai spoke at last, “After everything we’ve gone through—everything we must still do—why was this celebration so important to you?”
“It’s Tradition,” The Beast answered simply. “And Tradition must be upheld.”
“Yes, but now—what, when all the world is in peril?”
“Especially now.”
“But why?”
“Tradition is not simply for feasting and frolicking, but for Remembering. Tell me, do you know what is it that we are remembering this night?”
“I—I can’t say I know entirely,” Adlai faltered sheepishly.
“The tree in full bloom—that is meant to commemorate Isadore, the Tree of Life. Everywhere there are signs that Earth is dying, and that the world of Men is coming to an end. Hearts everywhere have need of hope, now more than ever. The blossoming tree is a reminder that Isadore will yet bloom again, and that after the death of this world, a new Earth will be born, one which shall never see death or decay. The Immortals shall again return, and the Faithful shall live in peace under the reign of Him to which there is no end. That is what makes Tradition so important—for bound up at the heart of Tradition is the seed of Hope… And Hope keeps alive, even after all else is dead.”
Both fell silent for a few moments.
“That’s truly thought-provoking,” Adlai pondered. “I guess I honestly never gave it that much thought before.”
“It is a sad thing that the significance of tradition is often lost to merry-making and too much wine. Traditions are meant to bind us together, the new generation together with the old, in one common hope and purpose. It is the thread that weaves our lives together into a great tapestry… Tradition recalls to mind those things which have been, things which are to come, and what manner of persons we ought to be, in light of such things.”
“You almost sound like my history professor,” Adlai smiled slyly. “I never knew you to be so given to sentiment.”
“It’s not about sentiment,” Gunar replied frankly. “Without tradition, we not only forget history, but we forget who and what we are—we lose our identity.”
There was something very sobering about his words. Perhaps it was the total conviction with which he spoke them. Growing up in the cold confines of Dombrey, she had always felt an outsider to the festivities of others. She’d had no part or place in their celebrations, and the gaiety of others only served to remind her of how alone she truly was, to the point that she bitterly resented them. But the way Gunar described tradition now made her feel as though she herself held a unique place in the making of history, and that it was a holy privilege which ought never to be wasted nor taken for granted. Upholding the virtue of Tradition was his way of passing on the torch to her, for her to pass on to others. Inwardly she vowed that from then on, she would never again forget its significance.
Book II, Blood Covenant
C.A.CLARK, Copyright
“It’s Tradition,” The Beast answered simply. “And Tradition must be upheld.”
“Yes, but now—what, when all the world is in peril?”
“Especially now.”
“But why?”
“Tradition is not simply for feasting and frolicking, but for Remembering. Tell me, do you know what is it that we are remembering this night?”
“I—I can’t say I know entirely,” Adlai faltered sheepishly.
“The tree in full bloom—that is meant to commemorate Isadore, the Tree of Life. Everywhere there are signs that Earth is dying, and that the world of Men is coming to an end. Hearts everywhere have need of hope, now more than ever. The blossoming tree is a reminder that Isadore will yet bloom again, and that after the death of this world, a new Earth will be born, one which shall never see death or decay. The Immortals shall again return, and the Faithful shall live in peace under the reign of Him to which there is no end. That is what makes Tradition so important—for bound up at the heart of Tradition is the seed of Hope… And Hope keeps alive, even after all else is dead.”
Both fell silent for a few moments.
“That’s truly thought-provoking,” Adlai pondered. “I guess I honestly never gave it that much thought before.”
“It is a sad thing that the significance of tradition is often lost to merry-making and too much wine. Traditions are meant to bind us together, the new generation together with the old, in one common hope and purpose. It is the thread that weaves our lives together into a great tapestry… Tradition recalls to mind those things which have been, things which are to come, and what manner of persons we ought to be, in light of such things.”
“You almost sound like my history professor,” Adlai smiled slyly. “I never knew you to be so given to sentiment.”
“It’s not about sentiment,” Gunar replied frankly. “Without tradition, we not only forget history, but we forget who and what we are—we lose our identity.”
There was something very sobering about his words. Perhaps it was the total conviction with which he spoke them. Growing up in the cold confines of Dombrey, she had always felt an outsider to the festivities of others. She’d had no part or place in their celebrations, and the gaiety of others only served to remind her of how alone she truly was, to the point that she bitterly resented them. But the way Gunar described tradition now made her feel as though she herself held a unique place in the making of history, and that it was a holy privilege which ought never to be wasted nor taken for granted. Upholding the virtue of Tradition was his way of passing on the torch to her, for her to pass on to others. Inwardly she vowed that from then on, she would never again forget its significance.
Book II, Blood Covenant
C.A.CLARK, Copyright
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