Always a Light

Always a Light

Outside the cabin, the wind howled through the trees, while inside, the old woman’s fire was nearly out. But what she held in her gnarled old hands would see her through this night and many more. Walking into the night winter wind, she had traveled miles through heavy snows, pulling her ragged cloak tightly around her. The hood, rimmed with remnants of fur, covered her head, tied with an old leather thong. Keeping her precious cargo safely in the pouch around her neck, her faith was strong that the old cabin was still in the copse of trees just inside the glittering snowy forest.

There was only kindling and a few logs by the cold fireplace. Keeping her cloak and hood on, she gently set her precious cargo in the broken crockery in the middle of the old wooden table, where it glowed dimly in the cold room. As the fire warmed the room, the glow shone more brightly. Even as the fire died down, licking at the last of the wood, leaving only embers and ash, the glow from inside the crockery became stronger. A bright light that had absorbed the fire’s warmth kept the room both warm and bright. 

As the light became brighter, corners of the room were illuminated. The old woman was drawn to the farthest corner where an ancient bed rested, made up with pillows and heavy quilts. Her exhaustion was great. The fire had burned out. Warmth had not yet reached the bed in the corner of the room, but the invitation to rest was too great to resist. She took off her old leather shoes, placing them neatly under the bed. Keeping her cloak around her, she tucked herself under the dusty quilt and fell into a deep sleep. The light on the old table dimmed it’s brightness but kept the room warm. The old woman dreamed and in her dream she met all of her ancestors. Her parents, her grandparents and all that had passed before them.

~~~~~

“May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.”

J.R.R.Tolkein, The Fellowship of the Ring

**Authors note: the first sentence is a random sentence chosen from writingexercises.co.uk