The Seven Frog Brothers, a story in 9 parts Fendral,the Seeker

More about The Seven Frog Brothers, a story in 9 parts Fendral,the Seeker

Fendral,the Seeker
The moon hung like a glowing wheel in the sky as Fendral adjusted his leather satchel and let his gaze wander over the shimmering silver path. Beside him, Lumora, the moon snail, stirred, her long body gleaming in the starlight, her bronze shell sparkling mysteriously. She was slow, Fendral knew, but in her calmness lay a security that no one else could give him. "It's time," he murmured, patting her gently on the back of the neck. Slowly, the snail began to move. Her antennae probed the night, and every sound of the forest seemed to echo within her. Crickets chirped, an owl hooted somewhere, and small will-o'-the-wisps glowed among the leaves like scattered sparks. Fendral took a deep breath of the night air. It smelled of moss, damp earth, and the beginning of a homecoming that had been a long time coming. For the pond in which he had once hatched as a tadpole was calling to him. Not with words, but with a memory that threaded itself through his dreams like a song. He knew his brothers had heard the call too. Each of them, scattered in the corners of the world, now set out to find their way back. Lumora crawled steadily forward, and Fendral remembered the time when he had been full of impatience. Back when he still believed the world had to turn at his pace. But the moon snail had taught him that it was not speed that won the day, but perseverance. They wandered through forests where the shadows moved like veils. Sometimes a clearing opened between the trees, and Fendral could see the moon clearly. Then he spoke silent prayers, not to gods, but to the water that had given birth to him. One night, as the mist drifted across the ground like a silent river, they came across a figure: an old beetle, its wings worn by countless journeys. "Where does your path lead you, little frog?" it asked in a shaky voice. "To the pond of my childhood," Fendral answered. The beetle nodded, as if it understood immediately. "Then go with your eyes wide open. Sometimes the way home lies in darkness, and one gets lost in one's own heart." Fendral thanked him, and as they continued on, he reflected on the words. Perhaps the journey was not just a return, but a test. Each brother had to find something within himself before they could face each other again. The days passed, the moonlight gave way to the morning sun, and night returned again. Lumora pressed on undeterred. Sometimes Fendral placed his hand on her shell and thought he heard a distant humming, as if the snail were speaking to him. "Soon," he would say, "soon we'll be there."