28. The Eagle and The Hedgehog

The four woke up the other day refreshed. Caoilainn tended to her wound and they went down to have breakfast. As they ate, a man approached their table and said:
- "Excuse me, young people" - the four lifted their heads to look at the man. He was in his forties, bald and smiled at them. He used simple garbs and a large necklace with beads painted like eyes. - "I'm sorry for interrupting, but I noticed you have a staff" - he looked at Caoilainn - "do you happen to be a magician?" - Mazanlold was wary and got silently ready to act. Caoilainn said:
- "Actually you are looking at a great magician, I'm Caoilainn" - at this moment Isabella kicked both Caoilainn and Mazanlold under the table. - "err, so yes, I am a magician." - the man replied:
- "That is actually marvelous." - he let a small smile - "you see, I live in a fishermen village close by" - he now seemed sad - "and one of our children there is quite ill" - he hesitated - "you see, we tried everything we had, but he is not getting better" - he paused again - "and a magician would really come in handy" - Caoilainn's eyes were teary:
- "Sure, I will help you" - she looked at the horizon - "I can't let a suffering boy down" - Isabella signaled to Mazanlold to keep calm and the man answered:
- "Thank you, thank you, thank you! We live west of this town, you can follow the beach until you find us!" - he bowed - "I am sorry for interrupting your breakfast, thank you again" - and he left. Mazanlold waited to say:
- "Caoilainn, I know you want to help, but isn't it a bit risky? We don't even know who he is..." - she promptly answered:
- "That's why you are gonna go with me" - Mazanlold lifted his pointer finger to say something but hesitated and got silent. Isabella said:
- "Well, do you accept that, Mazanlold? It is pretty reasonable, I must say" - she paused - "Me and Richard can stay back to care of our things." - Richard said:
- "Yeah, okay for me." - then Mazanlold replied:
- "I wield, it's acceptable" - he laughed - "but you two take care" - he turned to Caoilainn - "and I won't take my eyes off you!" - Caoilainn replied:
- "Please, do look at me, always!" - she laughed.

They finished their breakfast, and Caoilainn and Mazanlold set out to the village. Still sitting down, Isabella noticed that Richard moved his fingers on the table and that he was tapping his foot. She asked:
- "Richard, are you anxious?" - he answered:
- "Yes, a bit. I am worried for them, last time we separated it was not good."
- "I understand, but let's take it easy. Trust them, and if necessary we can help them."
- "Yes" - he hesitated - "but this is something easier said than done."
- "Indeed" - she replied - "so, what do you think about taking a walk on the beach?" - he leaned his head and she continued - "we have some free time and my father used to say that there are no thoughts that cannot be walked away from."
- "Well, let's go I guess" - and so they left the inn.

Reaching the beach, Isabella took off her shoes and socks and Richard kept his black boots. The sea water was cold, so they chose to stay away from it. As they started the stroll, Richard was still moving his fingers restlessly and wasn't paying attention to the sights, or to the wind, or to the sounds. Isabella said:
- "Hey, Richard! You are still thinking about them!" - she rushed to his front and stopped him - "You need to relax." - waves surged along the beach.
- "Yes, but I simply can't right now." - the waves crashed down against the rocks.
- "Of course you can! Let's play a game! We are just gonna ask simple questions to each other and we will answer!" - she smiled - "it's gonna force you to shift your focus."
- "Well, okay" - Richard replied, spreading his arms. The sea rolled lazily as they resumed their walk and Isabella said:
- "So" - Isabella looked up and saw seagulls, pelicans and a few ravens gliding - "what kind of animal do you like?"
- "Animals I like?" - he touched his glasses - "what kind of question is that?"
- "Just get along with it."
- "Okay" - he was thinking - "I like house cats and felines in general" - Isabella waited to see if he was going to say anything more, before she said:
- "Well, I love lots of animals, but I sure love birds, I've loved them since I was a child" - she strode playfully - "My coat of arms even has a harpy eagle. But I what I really love, is that there is a freedom about flying that one can only dream of" - she pointed at the seagulls - "aren't them so pretty? So joyful?" - foamy waves approached the beach.
- "Yes, I guess they are" - the waves dissolved in the sand.
- "Richard" - she turned to him - "your turn."
- "Turn of what?"
- "Come on" - Isabella pouted - "ask something you wanna know about me!" - he touched his chin and glasses and took some time as they walked. Then, he asked:
- "Hm, where do you prefer to take your time off?"
- "Hm" - she touched her lips - "anywhere really" - she spread her arms - "anywhere that is peaceful, that has a beautiful landscape and that allows me to relax and eat some nice foods" - she turned to him - "and you?"
- "I like just some plains, somewhere with a pleasant temperature and humidity is enough."
- "So technical!" - she laughed and started walking ahead of him - "and what do you like to do in your free time... that you still can do in our world" - the waves playfully whirled bringing warmer waters.
- "Well, reading." - he replied. She waited for him. Suddenly, she stopped and tilted her head to look at him. He stopped. She starred at him and he couldn't help but stare back, intimidated and flustered. At the same time that a strong wave loomed, she said:
- "Are you always like that?" - he hesitated:
- "Like what?" - she turned around without breaking the stare and said, in a low voice:
- "'Like what?'" - she returned to her normal voice - "Monosyllabic, short, uninteresting and uninterested" - the wave tumbled on the beach. Still intimidated Richard took his time to ask:
- "I guess this is my way of being" - he closed his eyes and shook his head. He looked at her again - "actually, it is you who can answer me, why are you so different today?" - he paused - "or better, why so interested in me?" - she pouted, turned around and continued walking. Emerald waves howled. He followed her and she replied with a stern voice:
- "I am sure that you noticed that I am the leader of our team." - she lifted her index finger - "not by any choice or any force, but naturally. That happens." - she paused - "and it is the duty of a leader to help the team get better and closer together. Our journey demands that. I noticed you are very reserved and I thought you would open up more alone with me." - she suddenly turned to him with a radiant smile - "And I thought being gentle would be a compensation for my slap earlier, even though" - she looked up - "it was very deserved." - sharp waves crashed on the rocks.
- "I am just reserved, that is all. I've always been like that" - she stopped and got closer to him:
- "I understand, but I would love you to open up a little. Not only for our team" - she paused - "this journey is not like work that you do your job for the team and call it a day, no" - she looked at the birds again - "this is a journey about our dreams. My dreams, your dreams, Mazanlold and Caoilainn's dreams. That is why we need to be closer, not for the sake of a collective, of the team, but for the sake of each one of us" - Isabella glanced at the sea, noticing the gentleness and strength of the crashing waves.
- "Okay, I understand" - Richard touched his glasses. - "I will think about it" - she got closer - "Just give me some time " - she was starring at him - "you aren't going to give up are you?" - she just kept starring. He sighed, he breathed and she didn't budge. - "Okay!" - he spread his arms - "I concede, just give me a few minutes" - she laughed at him, gave him some space and resumed walking. He followed her.

Isabella led him closer to the water. She stepped on the wet sand and felt as the sea water was getting warmer. After some moments of breathing and thinking, Richard started to speak, keeping his boots on and looking straight to the horizon:
- "I will do my best to be honest here. the truth is" - he hesitated - "I am afraid of getting closer to people. I always felt that personal relationships are just a matter of faking it, being an actor that plays his part, as I've told you earlier today. All you do is learn what people expect you to do and then you do it. This got me to the point of getting away from my friends, breaking up with my girlfriend and getting distant from everyone. If relationships are only about following rules and a script, it's really no different than work, actually." - he paused - "And I don't want to get closer to people just to put on an act. This feels evil."
- "Hm" - Isabella ran her hand over her face and chin - "so, did you always follow those so called rules?" - rough waves clashed before getting to the beach.
- "Yes, and when I failed to follow them, I apologized, like the rules tell you to do." - he sighed - "it felt like people pleasing, really." - she crossed her arms:
- "So you never said no to your friends and girlfriend?"
- "I did, but only on minor things, never on things the rules say you shouldn't."
- "And where are those rules written down?" - the waves got wilder and chiller, prompting Isabella to get nearer to Richard and away from the shore.
- "I don't know, I simply learned them from experience, I guess" - she laughed a little - "hey, why are you laughing?"
- "It's nothing" - she smiled - "so, to summarize, you believe that you simply follow rules. You implement algorithms of how to act with your friends and relatives and partners and make it work, not because you feel or believe in something, but because you follow an algorithm?" - he looked at her, puzzled, at the same time that velvety waves embraced the sand. He asked:
- "Do you know about algorithms?" - she smiled and put her left hand on her chest.
- "I am well versed in a lot of stuff" - she said, then turned to him - "but let's not get out of topic, answer my question" - he noticed how the same velvety waves were strong.
- "Well, that's exactly it. I believe that there is a friend algorithm, a partner algorithm, an acquaintance algorithm, and I've learned to follow these and have fake relationships with people." - Isabella gesticulated a little while thinking. Suddenly, she burst into laughing until Richard got annoyed - "what's so funny!?" - a wave roared hitting the rocks. Isabella took her time to answer:
- "It's just that" - she laughed more - "you are so funny!" - her laugh slowly subsided, mixing up its sound with the whisper of the waves - "look at you! You created some theory, some wild rationalization to prove against something that is in your heart! You had a lot of effort to come up with some pseudo deep philosophical stuff, all to deny what is in your heart!" - she laughed a bit more - "I am sorry, I cannot help but laughing, this is so silly" - she changed her tone - "but so sad, also. It's horrible to live denying your own heart. Do you know why you do that?" - Richard heard that but crossed his arms:
- "Don't you believe me?"
- "Yes, I do, don't get me wrong. I believe you believe in what you're saying. I just think that you are wrong, that's all." - huge waves crashed down on the beach. Richard looked around. This time he was really puzzled. Isabella really got to him. He was unsure what to answer, but more importantly, what to think. Isabella opened a hole in his world view and on his shell.
- "But I'm sure, I just learned to please people, that's it!"
- "And how can you be sure? Richard, tell me, what's in your heart?" - warm, foamy waves clashed with chilly harsh ones, and they tumbled across the ocean and on the beach.
- "I've always just acted to other people, while my heart does nothing!"
- "Richard" - she got closer and stared at him - "just tell me."
- "Well, my heart is not real! I feel nothing! I've never felt anything!" - and saying that, he broke down. He stopped and sat on the sand. Isabella breathed and sat down next to him, listening to the waves roaring on the shore. Richard said:
- "Up to this point, I would have avoided you" - he touched his glasses - "or tried to push you back, to protect myself, but for some reason, I can't" - Isabella touched his arm. He looked at her and she looked at him. She said:
- "Stop fighting back. Just open yourself up. If not for me, at least for yourself. Stop being an enemy of yourself! You are not fighting your evil urges or lies, as you believe, you are fighting your own good and heart! That's just crazy!" - he tried to look away, but her gaze was to alluring. He looked at her, at the cyan waves splashing behind her and was unsure which one was more gorgeous.
- "Well, maybe you are right" - he sighed - "I will try to think about it at least. It's all very new to me, I still can't wrap my head around this."
- "One tip" - she said and smiled, lifting her index finger - "try to not to rationalize so much. You are needing to feel more and think less." - as he seemed to be lost in thought, Isabella got up and offered her hand - "come on, let's get up!"
- "But, Isabella, I need some time." - he looked down.
- "Come on, not now!" - she started to sway and gesticulate - "This is a beautiful beach, there is a nice wind, and a gorgeous sea! Feel more, enjoy more, play more. Don't even think about these issues! Let go of all of this! When you least expect, your heart will have the answer" - she smiled and offered her hand again" - Now, let's walk again" - she blinked - "I can slap you again if you need." - out of options, Richard breathed and felt his heart beating. He said:
- "Okay, you win again" - he held her hand and was pulled up. They began to stroll again, and Isabella seemed happy. She said:
- "So, where did we stop?" - she touched her lips - "Hm, so, is there anything you like to read?" - she stared at him as she walked. He replied:
- "Okay, I will try to talk more about it this time" - she closed her eyes and smiled. Then, he continued.

And so they walked, and enjoyed the beach. They could feel as the different waves mixed in a silky warm foam and a gentle hum.