Everytime you do something, there is the possibility that it may be the last time you ever do that thing. Some times we can sense this possibility, druming through our subconscious, other times we remain blisfully unaware. That day, as I walked down the road that led me to the bridge, to my...meeting, the thought that I may never see this road again pounded on my mind like stampeding elepants.

I knew this path very well, it was part of one of my favorite walks. Hell, whenever I was in this city I walked this path. The walk started at my doorstep, and today I'd only be walking the first few blocks. I got down to the end of the street and crossed to the edge of the woods.

It was peaceful. You didn't often find many people on the roads in those days, and it wasn't exactly safe to be out at evening in the woods. I saw one or two people, on the far side of the grassy expanse that lies on the wood's southern edge, but they were walking out, headed south. As I walked up the little alleyway that bordered the woods I thought to myself that perhaps I should take a cue from the fact that there wasn't anyone out and heading north tonight but me. I dismissed the thought as quickly as it came. If I did not go to this meeting tonight, the meeting would come to me and my friends, and those about me, would be endangered. That I could not allow. If Dannika was warning me, she should have had the wisdom to be less subtle about it. After all, she is a goddess.

I walked out on to the bridge that was to be the place of my meeting, an old footbridge that spanned the deep ravine of the park. I suppose that at one time it had been a bridge that horses could cross, but the reason it was a footbridge now became apparent any time someone walked across and the bridge began to bounce slightly with their steps. But it was my favorite place in this city. No where else in the city could you look east and west and see nothing but trees, hear a stream running beneath you, and feel the wind caress your body, but yet the pulse of the city was all about you. I could stand there and feel all my cares drift away as I leaned against the rail and watch the clouds roll through the sky towards the mountains.

I never did find out why he had chosen this place. I don't suppose it matters, but I am curious. Perhaps he knew me better than he thought. Or perhaps Sulimar had been forshadowing this by showing me this place all those years ago. But, as I said, it doesn't matter. In the end, it is just a bridge. He hadn't arived yet, but I was fairly early. I had wanted to spend a few moments there, relaxing, letting my cares flow away, to become at peace.

I hugged my old cloak closer to me. It was spring, but the last few rays of the sun were now passing through the trees, taking the warmth of the day with them.

As I stood there, watching the cloudless sky and the mountains that seemed to hold it above me, a feeling swept over my body, mind, and soul. A feeling of calm so intense that I realized at that point that no matter what happened that night,it would happen. It was as though I had suddenly accepted the fact that life was transitory and that if my life did not end tonight, it would someday. And with that feeling I suddenly felt free.

When he arived, I turned and looked at him as if I had never seen him before. At that point in time, I'm not sure if I had. He spoke my name, I turned to face him. He drew a backsword from beneath his black cloak, I drew my bastard sword from beneath mine. I noted that he wore no amulet. I had come without mine as well, that was the nature of this meeting. Had either of us violated it, the meeting would have begun a war. He raised his sword and touched the blade to his forehead in a salute, I bowed deeply to him, sword at my side.

We began to circle each other, like feral cats sizing up rivals. I had done this before, and I knew that tonight I was overmatched. Of course, I had known that I was overmatched before I had ever left my room, but that is beside the point. Backswords were often the choice of the less skilled, as it was easy to find one inexpensively around the city. As he attacked and I parried, and I attacked and he parried, I confirmed that he was not one of the less skilled. It was not long before he had first blood, getting in under my guard as I recovered from an over extended swing. Friends had warned me that my sword was too large, that anyone with a smaller, faster sword could get inside my blocks. I had always responded that I had seen men with claymores hit three or four times by those fast, little swords and still gone on to cleave the skulls of the wielders of those same fast, little swords in twain. Apparently, I should have payed a bit more attention to my friends. It was only a nick, fortunately, but it burned. I managed to deal a good cut to his leg and another to his side, but I could not hold him off forever.

The feeling of cold acceptance that had passed over me earlier was still with me. Even the pain of the wounds he was inflicting on me could not rouse a fire within me. I was fighting as I had always fought, but this time, my body reacted while my mind merely observed. The skill was still there, but there was no emotion behind it.

Blades flashed in the dying red light of the setting sun, far below, the water ran. The wind blew our long cloaks to the side. A crow flew overhead.

Even as I blocked one of his quick blows, I noticed these things. The peace of the land, and of this bridge, flowed through me.

I parried and thrust, both hands griped tight about the pommel. He knocked my blade aside and dipped his sword towards my leg. I twisted aside and brought my sword back, ready again. The crow had landed.

Finally, wearily, I dropped to my knee as he withdrew his sword from my abdomen. I looked to his grim face with accepting eyes. We stayed frozen there for seconds that lasted for thousands of years, until I spoke.

"Finish it."

I have vague memberances of looking up one last time to see the crow, perched in the tree, but that may only be a trick of my mind as I died.

That, young mortal, is how I came to travel the spirit worlds.