Spirito brushed his paw over the now four distinct markers on his training belt. He was awarded his Chu marker, initially the motivation gave him the purpose to achieve his Fac. He started his studies with Doha Bellin within two weeks. Then by spending an hour reciting the forty symbols and their meanings he got his Tao marker and began more advanced studies with Doha Nellik. 

Today he was on a meditation climb for his Sune studies. The class was spread throughout the low hills behind the academy. The scattering of tree patches and uneven rock-clumped pathways kept his eyes down looking for secure footing. The small figure of Ma-une walked behind him. They’d left the classmates behind as they continued upward. He felt thankful to have the hour to really empty his thoughts. The idea of peace in a world filled with warriors was not something he knew how to understand. He was 10 years old, but the variety of scenarios the Sune instructors were giving seemed awfully complex and important. Although some were simple and easy like ‘stare at running water’ or ‘hum’. The others were much larger like global non-violence, social justice, and long-term peace. All of these conflicted directly with the role of the protectorate. In fact, he was learning how to become more violent by learning the Fac and Chu ways. And Shasis constantly spoke about the imbalance in the royal house, between the family, the palace, and society. And there hadn’t been a period of more than a handful of years when there wasn’t a war between some factions somewhere on the planet Canid that ensured long-term peace would never be reached. Heck, he was even running into those bullies in the hallways.  Twice he’d simply turned around and went to his class from the other direction.

The Sune Doha instructors were constantly discussing Emotional Intelligence and the idea of staying in balance. But Spirito was raised in it, by a mother who thought holistic approaches to solutions to stress and positive thinking are the bedrock of any person’s soul. The ideas of play, relaxation, and creativity were constantly interspersed with breaks, stories, guided imagery, positive affirmations, and questions. So many questions. He thought his mama’s favorite phrase was “What do you think about that?”

Regardless of his irritation at not getting his questions answered he was quite happy to be outside for the day.

“You seem quite happy to be out here tromping around,” Ma-une commented with a small grunt as she step-hopped over a rock and caught back up with him. 

He blew out his breath. “Absolutely! I feel like I’ve been trapped in that place.”

She giggled. “Don’t let the Sune Masters hear you say that. They will start talking about the proper amount of sleep students should be getting.”

Spirito snorted. He slowed down as the younger girl came up beside him. He looked up the hill and found the white grass undisturbed by anyone. “I wonder where we are going?”

“Well, that’s the point, right?” Ma-une gave a general sweep of her paw toward the higher hillside. “We are seeking peace in nature.” 

Spirito drew in a deep breath. “I’m not really feeling very peaceful.” He’d felt extremely cranky all day. His body was tired. He was also hungry. And the Sune Instructor was wearing his patience thin by giving so many complicated ideas and no solutions. “Why do you think they are throwing so many things at us in this class?” He stopped and waited for her to respond.

She tilted her head. “Peace isn’t the same as Tao.” She twitched her ear. “I mean it doesn’t have a set formula and a step-by-step guide like learning 40 symbols and focusing on them one at a time. Each of us has to find our peace, inside. The instructors are just giving us a ton of examples of when peace found its moment.” She stared up at him and then looked around at the swaying green of the tall grass and the blue sky. Her paw captured a thistle straw. and she waved it over the land as if it were a magic wand to bring her peace. 

Spirito huffed. He’d realized this weeks ago. And they even talked together about it. Me-une was just frustrated like himself. There was no answer to the question of ‘How’. “It’s probably impossible to teach anyone where to find their peace.” He started walking again, rambling his thoughts. “But the books say you can watch peaceful moments during meditation and by walking. And once you find those you can find more. Let’s do deep breathing and think about the things we can see, not the things we can’t. I don’t really know how it’s all tied to power, but I’m willing to try whatever. Just don’t try none of that mind-control on me while I’m all vulnerable.”

Me-une made a small half-laugh, half-snort then quickly covered her nose with a paw.

He chuckled with delight. She was cute as a bug. 

They both climbed over a downed tree that was blocking their forward motion and discovered a cut stump that was almost as big as his parents’ dining table. The surface was smooth and held rings upon rings of age marks that they traced with claws. Then he hopped up on it to stand and look 360 degrees. None of the other students climbed up this far. They were alone. 

“Let’s just sit on this and meditate.” She suggested.

He shrugged and sat cross-legged down on the surface facing the copes of wood. 

She slid up and sat nearby facing the open field. 

“I could probably find peace if I knew where it hung out.” Spirito joked. “I don’t even know what it looks like.”

Me-une rolled her eyes. “Well, that shouldn’t stop you from finding it. Look around. It’s everywhere.” She pointed to the glade and the trees.

Spirito smiled and drew in some deep breaths with his nostrils and let them out slowly with his mouth, bringing oxygen into his mind. His thoughts roamed. He liked walking the hill because it breathed with him as he watched the landscape and the wind play with the leaves, the grass, and the shrubs. He looked at the small clump of trees and if he tried really hard, he could almost see and hear the trinkets his mama hung from her own mini forest. He heard his own heart beating in his ears. His eyes glazed over, and everything went wavy as he listened to his breathing. He almost tipped over and caught himself from the drowsy state of relaxation. The light spun making him dizzy with the motion. But he kept listening and beyond his heart he heard the birds and the tree creatures, clicking and crying out their songs. The sun warmed his fur, and he opened his eyes to loosen his collar.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a flickering motion, something small but shiny. By instinct or interest, he turned to face it and saw the small bird dart into the trees. He stepped down off the stump and moved toward where it had been, heading closer to the trees. His eyes looked between the trunks of the copes, once again seeing a flash of bright green in flight. He listened to and heard a faint tweet of the song. Was it the same kind of bird he’d seen when he’d met Doha Aliq?

A noise startled him, and he found himself seated on the tree stump with Me-une standing in front of him, a worried look in her eyes. He blinked and looked around slowly.

“Are…are you alright?” She clasped her hands in front of her.

He nodded. He didn’t remember returning to the stump. He rubbed his eyes and looked over at the trees and back at the stump.

“I…I am not sure what just happened.”

Me-une’s eyes widened. “What did just happen?”

Spirito shook his head frowning. “I was here, and I saw a bird, and I followed it to right over there…and then suddenly I was back here. I…don’t remember returning.”

Me-une was breathing deeply and her cheeks puffed out and in. “You never moved, Spirito. Not once. I couldn’t get deep into my meditation, so I just sat here and enjoyed the breeze and sunlight. I saw you were in a deep state, so I didn’t want to disturb you. But you never moved.”

Spirito lifted his chin and regarded her. “I stepped off this stump and walked to that tree edge.” His voice had a tone of uncertainty.

Me-une shook her head back and forth. 

Spirito reached up undid his collar and froze. He remembered doing that before. His eyes met Me-une’s and he tilted his head. “I think I found peace.”

Me-une nodded just as slowly as she’d shaken her head before. “Perhaps you should talk to the Doha. It sounds like you travailed.”

Spirito stood up and brushed off his tail and britches. “What’s that?”

Me-une shrugged. “When you go somewhere, but never actually move. It’s a very interesting power.” She gave him a sideways look. “Let’s go back. I think you should talk to the Doha.”

Spirito followed his friend back down the hill and caught her looking at him more than once.