THE LOVE OF PAN

[Crimson Stormfire]

A short story inspired by a notion that the god pan pan is all lust and violence, but no one ever explores his actual father figure side....here is one {again asking for feedback }

The love of PAN

The desert was hot. Fierce blazing winds cut at the soldiers as they fought fiercely in the dunes with their enemy.
Bullets buzzed by as if angry bees. The soldiers were outnumbered and they knew it, yet they fought
On, pressing even closer to the small hut where their prey lay. An enemy soldier fell, and another, and
Another to their bullets as they were aimed
True. Until after hours of fighting the desert was quiet again. Orders to move up were commanded. As the troop approached
The hut in the low dunes of a setting sun, no sound was heard from within, only the sand crunching under the soldiers
Boots. As they approached the door, with all protocols followed, and as safe as they could, a man slowly opened the door
And stepped calmly out, and the world went white.

Across the great and blue oceans half a world away a young mother rubs her swollen belly and hopes that her
Husband is safe and well in that far off war. She longs for him to be home, as she is due to birth in just a few weeks.
She hums a long forgotten tune as she sits on her porch that fine day in June. She sees a strange long black car with flags
Adorning its hood slow to a stop in front of her drive, and she stands raising her hands to mouth as tears begin to form
In her bright emerald eyes. Tears of joy or tears of sorrow yet to be determined. Out from the car steps a sharply dressed
Man and woman. The mother recognizes them as the base commander and his second in command. In their hands they have a
Letter and a flag, folded in a neat triangle. They slowly approach the porch with no smile, or joy in their step. A breeze
Floats up and on it the young mother thinks she can smell the old woods she played in as child mixed with her grandfathers
Pipe tobacco. The smell soothes her some.

The letter is handed over as is the flag with grim news. Her husband was killed in action, in that great desert
Conflict. Her heart sank and unbelieving she shrieked and pounded on the commanders chest as he tried to speak the hard
Words. She suddenly stops screaming and is left with only her sorrowful tears falling to her porch, as the two leave with
Tears of their own their eyes. As the car pulls away a new presence enters her driveway. A man with long black hair, neatly
Tied in a ponytail with an old leather thong. Approaches. He is dressed simply in a black t-shirt tucked into jeans above
Black combat boots. His boots seem to be covered in sand. As approaches she thinks there’s no sand here. He pulls from his
Shirt pocket a pipe and asks "do you mind if I join you for a bit and take a break. My but I have been walking a long way."
He lights his pipe and that smell wafts to her again, old forest and grandfathers red cherry tobacco. She is no mood to
Entertain but the man seems nice enough and she offers her porch.

"Do you know me?" he asks

The young woman looks into his eyes and cannot stay long as they are of the purest green and of a beauty unmatched in all

The world of today. They hold secrets and wonder she thought as she looked away, tears anew falling from her eyes, as
Sorrow again tightened its icy grip.

"Well I know you." his voice was a silken as the slow rivers, and soft as a gentle breeze.

"Those two carry heavy news this day." As he watched the black car round the corner.

The man saw the woman shaking in sorrow and placed his arm around her shoulder. She turned into him and he embraced her as
Her heart broke finally. There amongst the blackened ruins of her life she felt safe somehow. As the man held her and she
Cried and screamed, his calm voice spoke all the while

"There there child. I am here, I am here. You are safe now"

When her sorrow had abated the man released her form his embrace and stood looking at the now setting sun, which played

Somehow impossibly, a green color from his hair.

"I must go now for I tend to others this bleak night as well." and as he stepped from her first step onto her driveway an
Oak leaf fell from his boot cuff.

"I know you" she whispered "I know you"


In the dusky light of twilight standing at the foot of a young mothers drive, the man turned and his loving green eyes
Now glowing softly in the veil, he tossed something to her which she caught without effort. She looked to it briefly and saw
The object was a flute of ancient styling.

she lifted her eyes as the man shimmered away in the twilight walking down the street.

She turned over the flute and etched in the underside were three letters
P A N .

His voice drifted back over the soft breeze accompanied by the smell of the old forest and cherry pipe tobacco.

"Tell your young one of its father and be proud as he died a noble pagan warriors death and shall be honored a hero in the
Realms beyond. I am always with you young one I love you as I always have and always will."