Atonement's Path

Chapter_8: Committed

The snow fell, and the flowers were covered. “It was beautiful, Ana. Is your dad coming?” Ragnar stood up from the rock, and he stretched his legs and arms. “Yes, they might be here in minutes,” said Ana while she held the baby in her arms. “I won’t see you grow up, Thors.” Ana looked at the cheerful and handsome little baby in her arms, and she smiled. It was not a smile of sadness, but a smile of happiness at seeing her son one last time. “It was fun while it lasted. I’m surprised I didn’t hate Ragnar when he said to let my father take me. Is it because we were couples? Or is it that I don’t even hate him a bit? I have been living with him, and I couldn’t find a reason to hate him. Even when he thought that he was a coward. It has been seven months since something happened to us, and he has changed,” Ana thought while looking at Ragnar.

While the snow continued to fall, a familiar-looking carriage got closer. The designs were gems that represented royalty and flowers that represented beauty. The carriage stopped, and a familiar man exited the carriage elegantly, and another young, handsome lad exited. It was Mr. Smith and his son, Zach Smith. “Long time no see, Ana.” Mr. Smith’s face didn’t change a bit; there were wrinkles at his forehead and eyebugs below his eyes. Ragnar then kneeled as fast as he could. “Long time no see, Mr. Smith,” said the confident Ragnar. “We are here because of you, Ragnar; you were a coward back then and currently now. You were foolish for saying such things to my daughter.” Mr. Smith said with an aggressive tone as he held Ana’s hands, “Let’s go, my daughter.” Ana didn’t hesitate to go with his father, but she needed to say something to Ragnar. “Wait, father.” Ana walked up in front of the kneeling Ragnar with the baby. “Thank you. I’m surprised you didn’t shed a single tear. Also, here’s our Thors.” Ragnar took Thors from his mother’s hand one last time. Ragnar met the eyes of his son, and he smiled. “Ragnar, you’ve failed your dream of becoming the ‘Man of Honor’ you wanted to be. Let that kid achieve your dream instead,” Zach said while meeting the eyes of Ragnar, and he went back inside the carriage. “Zach’s right; let him be the ‘Man of Honor’ you’ve wanted to be.” Ana entered the carriage, and that was the last time Ragnar saw her. Her dazzling blonde hair disappeared in a moment, and she was gone. “Remember that this is your fault; you were a coward for saying that.” Mr. Smith entered the carriage, and the driver said “Gee”, The carriage drove off. 

Ragnar held his son speechless; his mind was empty. “Let him be the ‘Man of Honor’ you’ve wanted to be,” Ragnar whispered to himself. He looked at the baby in his arms and said, “You will be the ‘Man of Honor’ I wanted to be. I want you to achieve every part of my dream. Achieve every single one of them.” He stood up and said to the driver, “Let’s go back.” The driver nodded, and they entered the carriage again but without the lady. “That’s another gold coin, sir.Oh, I’ll just lower it down to 30 silver coins,” the driver said with a polite and kind tone. “Thank you.” And it was another ride back home. “Gee” said the driver as he whipped the horses. The horses galloped through the deep snow.

42 Minutes after the ride:

“We can’t go past through the deep snow anymore, sir, and the horses are freezing. Let’s just wait in the village we passed before,” The driver said while freezing as the snow covered his face. “How many days will we stay in the other village?” Ragnar asked. “A month. Look, this might be a blizzard, and my horses have been freezing for a long time.” The carriage changed directions. Thoughts filled Ragnar’s head: “A month is too long; we would die of hunger at that point. Maybe if I can just walk through the cold temperature to go back to the village, it might be 800 meters or 40 minutes till I get back to the village. I really should just risk it.” Ragnar tapped the shoulders of the driver aggressively. “I’ll just walk back to the village; it’s better if I just walk than die of hunger there.” Ragnar said it with a confident and brave tone. He gave the 30 silver coins to the driver and left the carriage. “Be careful.” The horses galloped back to the other town. 

In the midst of the frigid cold, Ragnar huddled his son close, shielding him from the harsh weather. Though he did not falter in the face of the elements, his courage was not born out of a lack of fear but rather from his love for his child. With snow blanketing his body and the wind tugging at him, he marched on, his legs trembling despite his determination to reach safety. "I can't die yet," he shouted to the heavens, his voice laced with urgency. "I have to save my son, for he is my reason to exist." His voice, once powerful, echoed through the snow-covered landscapes. With each step, he repeated his mantra, driven by the desire to see his son thrive. "No matter what it takes," he continued, his words growing louder, almost a scream. "I will not let anything stand in the way of his success." With his words fueling his actions, he took step after step, braving the cold and harsh weather to save his child. He would not let the elements conquer him for the sake of his son. "I am committed to this," he repeated, the meaning of his commitment deepening with each step. "I will move forward, no matter the cost, even if I have to sacrifice my life." With each step forward, Ragnar grew stronger, his determination overriding his physical exhaustion. He would not let the cold and harsh weather tear him down, for he knew that his son needed him. "I will do anything!" he shouted. His voice was nearly as loud as the heavens could hear it, but the weight of his words and the depth of his commitment carried meaning. "Even if I have to change my way, even if I have to be harsh, I will help my son achieve greatness." He screamed again, but now he fell to the ground; his body could hardly move. “I will do anything as a father!” He screamed at the top of his lungs; his voice was almost gone at this point. He stood up and took a step forward. He stopped for a moment; his voice sounded like a whisper. “Do you mind if I change your name?” Ragnar smiled; it was a smile that was never done by Ragnar. “Do you know the word ‘Zagorzaly’? It is a word that means committed, and I would like that to be your name. Is that okay, son?” The baby smiled even if he was shaking a little bit. “I suppose that would be a yes, right?” As he walked forward, his legs no longer shaking, he felt a strange calm envelope him. With the sound of his words echoing behind him, he realized that his son was his reason for existing. He smiled, and for the first time in a long time, tears streamed down his face. Not tears of grief or suffering, but tears of joy, for he knew that he had found his purpose. In his hands was his son, Zagorzaly Frostpyre, and in his heart was the knowledge that he would always be his raison d'être.