Gaspar
Gaspar was the wisest animal in the land of Doolittle.
He stood tall, even for a Goose. His long, strong neck was the focal point for any eye who dared to confront or argue with his opinion. Although kind in nature, his word was unilaterally the law of the land, and the animals in the kingdom relied upon his wisdom and common sense to guide them through any disaster or calamity of the day.
It was in matters of the heart, however, where Gaspar did excell. His no nonsense approach to love seemed to be correct in its outcome time after time.
There were several stone jars lined up across the top of his mahagoney desk, with removable stoppers. No one dared to remove the stoppers whilst Gaspar was out of the room. They knew these jars were sacred and assisted him in his decision making and counsel. The jars were labeled with different words across the front, on either side of the bottle.
The lovelorn or the unlovable were all welcome to his study. They would approach him as he sat at his great desk, located in the Castle in the Cove by the Great Lake. His windows were always open, as was his door. He enjoyed listening to the sounds of the waves of the sea, and drank in the saltwater smells of the ocean.
It was a bright fall morning when Gaspar was approached by the lovely gazelle, Galena.
Galena was heartbroken, as she had recently been forced to part with her beloved, Laronious. Laronious had been summoned back to the land of his origin, the tiny Hamlet of Waldorth. He did not ask Galena to travel with him, nor to visit him when he got there.
Gaspar was expecting this visit from Galena, for in addition to his vast knowledge in matters of the heart, he was also endowed with the gift of prophesy. He was aware she was in great pain and thirsting for answers.
He knew, also, that he would not be able to spare her any further anguish.
Knocking on the heavy wooden door, she was bid entrance and shown where to sit. Gaspar smiled at her kindly as she sat upon the stool at the foot of the great desk. She looked at his lined face and up into his soft orange eyes, heavy lidded and worn, as if they carried the burdens of many a tattered soul or damaged heart. Which of course, they had.
He smiled again, this time wider and showing his yellowed teeth, sharp and long, but not menancing, as she positioned herself on the stool.
"Hello, Galena" he said. It was a quiet morning and his voice was deep and soothing, his speech slow and measured.
"Dear daughter, Galena" he began. "I know why you are here."
She looked at him closer, unable to speak and her eyes beginning to fill with tears. Gazelles are not easily moved to show their emotions, but it was clear this one was in utter misery.
"My heart......" she stammered
"Yes, your heart....."
"My heart, it is so broken...." she whispered, tears beginning to fall upon the bib of her dress. She did not care to wipe them.
"....... and I cannot understand......."
".....And you want to know why?" He finished for her.
".....You want to know why."
"Yes!" she pleaded angrily.
"I do not understand how one could love another so much, yet make the decision to travel long distances away from the one that loves them. Why would he leave me here without telling me what his heart spoke, what feelings flowed through his veins? Our hearts have merely winked at each other, yet I know we were meant to be together. I need to know more. Please help me."
Gaspar stood up and removed one of the stoppers from the jar labeled Compassion.
He ran the end of the stopper under long bill, as if to smell it. It was a pleasant smell, similar to lilacs and heather.
He did not speak, merely looked at Galena intently, before moving on.
He then removed the stopper from a jar labeled Valor. He ran it again under his goose bill, slowly back and forth. He closed his eyes and murmered some words Galena hadn't remembered hearing before. It was the aroma of coffee beans ad fresh mowed grass.
He then took a third stopper from another jar, and closing his eyes picked up the jar itself and inhaled. The bottle was labeled Humor. The smell was of bright orange pumpkins and apples, a soothing smell and the familiarity of Autumn.
Galena watched all of this while waiting patiently for what Gaspar would tell her. She knew that he would help her, but was afraid of what she might hear.
The wise Goose turned his back to her then and faced the bookcase aligning the wall behind him. He absently read some of the book titles, giving Galena time to absorb what he was about to reveal to her.
"Dear daughter, Galena" he said finally.
"What I must tell you now will cause you great distress, and I know that, but tell you I must.
Your brave Laronious has been wounded in battle, for it is war to which he has been summoned."
Galena's surprise caught in her throat, unaware he had been involved in the fight against the rebels of Draconille.
"He could not bear to tell you..." he continued, "... as he knew you did not take well to conflict."
He paused to look Galena in the eye.
"You are a worrier, aren't you?" a small smile spreading across his lips.
She remembered how Laronious would tease her as she admonished him as he ran off to fight another enemy in the woods.
"Be careful!" she would cry and his reply was always the same.
"Careful is not a word known to Gazelles!" He would gallop off after throwing her a kiss. In spite of her fear, Galena smiled with the memory.
"He was wounded in the fight against the fire and will not last the night" he finished.
"You must go to him and pledge your love, as this will seal your commitment to each other to last throughout eternity. When your souls return to this realm, they will recognize each other and be united forever.
Go now daughter and find your true love to tell him what is known to both your hearts. It must be said aloud."
So Galena travelled the long distance to Draconville, flying without relief and determined to arrive before dusk. It was nightfall when she found her beloved Laronious. He was laboring for breath having been injured by the heavy flames and unable to breath without great effort.
"I love you" she whispered in his ear as she wrapped her arms around his tattered breastplate, darkened by the smoke of battle and the wear of death. He didn't have much time.
"Forgive me for holding these words too close to my heart that my lips could not speak them."
Laronious opened his eyes for the last time to gaze upon his beloved Galena, their faces touching forehead to forehead, and their hearts breaking, unable to fathom the thought of them breaking any deeper.
"You are my beloved" he whispered, "...and I will adore you always."
He closed his eyes then, and she kissed them gently, knowing she would never gaze upon them in this manner again.
Galena lived forty more years as is typical for Gazelles. She did not love another in all that time, instead devoting her life to the service of others, especially children of mothers or fathers killed during a hunt, or lost in battle.
As she lay on her death bed, she motioned to the great goose Gaspar who had come to visit her one last time.
What will we be united as? her eyes pleading with him as she lay withering away. How will I know him and will he know me?
"Your hearts will wink at each other once again" he answered kindly as she drew her last breath.
"You will know him" he smiled.
"You will know him."
He looked through the window out at the sea, where he watched as the souls of Galena and Laronious met in the night sky amongst the stars and the moon.
Together at last, having told each other what was truly in their hearts, it is was never known to what form that were united, but they were forever entwined. Their hearts had found each other and winked, as the Great Gaspar had predicted, never to be alone again.
