Character Sketches: Valundus and Donovan
Donovan at first thought Valundus slept with his eyes open but he could see the faint flicker of movement from Valundus’ eyes. He was searching for something in the sky. It was probably some scholarly analysis or astronomer’s evaluation of the heavens. Donovan glanced up at the stars. He had never truly looked at them. He never much liked looking up at the sky. It made him feel small and insignificant that he had nothing to rely on, not even his wits. Donovan stopped looking at the sky when he felt himself growing uncomfortable. He adjusted his head on his roll and looked dully at the base of the redwood he was under. The moss and ferns swayed lightly in the evening breeze and from how close Donovan was he could see the subtle differences in the mosses littered on the ground around him.
The dark, reddish forest floor was littered with debris from trees and other foliage. Where they had made camp it was actually quite clear of taller foliage, but when Donovan was this close to the trees he felt as though he had become just as insignificant. Redwoods he decided he did not like. They loomed too much over him. They judged him as harshly and distantly as the stars did. Stars had a cold, foreboding light. He liked it when the stars were covered with clouds. Then when he looked up at the sky he saw his own muddied life reflected in the clouds. He could handle seeing depravity, but he could not handle seeing the stars so clear and bright illuminating his failures and finite existence.
Just as he was to fall asleep to the mulling of his own brain seeking the comfort of his own lost state, Valundus spoke up again. His voice was quiet and devoid of all other cadences it usually had. It seemed painfully honest and therefore even more potent than his smirking tone.
“What do humans see in the night sky.”
It was not a question again though it was phrased as such. Donovan was tempted not to answer. He had a residual anger from before but he kept that down. He imagined Valundus was going to make fun of him again so he said nothing for quite some time. Finally he glanced slightly at what he could see of the stars, they were mostly hidden by the tree tops.
“I am not the best man to ask. I don’t like looking anywhere but ahead and behind me. I can understand the world that way. The stars are something I do not care to contemplate.”
“Rather prosaic.”
The dark, reddish forest floor was littered with debris from trees and other foliage. Where they had made camp it was actually quite clear of taller foliage, but when Donovan was this close to the trees he felt as though he had become just as insignificant. Redwoods he decided he did not like. They loomed too much over him. They judged him as harshly and distantly as the stars did. Stars had a cold, foreboding light. He liked it when the stars were covered with clouds. Then when he looked up at the sky he saw his own muddied life reflected in the clouds. He could handle seeing depravity, but he could not handle seeing the stars so clear and bright illuminating his failures and finite existence.
Just as he was to fall asleep to the mulling of his own brain seeking the comfort of his own lost state, Valundus spoke up again. His voice was quiet and devoid of all other cadences it usually had. It seemed painfully honest and therefore even more potent than his smirking tone.
“What do humans see in the night sky.”
It was not a question again though it was phrased as such. Donovan was tempted not to answer. He had a residual anger from before but he kept that down. He imagined Valundus was going to make fun of him again so he said nothing for quite some time. Finally he glanced slightly at what he could see of the stars, they were mostly hidden by the tree tops.
“I am not the best man to ask. I don’t like looking anywhere but ahead and behind me. I can understand the world that way. The stars are something I do not care to contemplate.”
“Rather prosaic.”