Wonderful and unique, that feeling of mud squelching between ones toes. In his youth he and some others had found a patch off in the corner of a field where fresh water-course lost its banks. The thick grass was stained with shallow pools, and the kids delighted in splashing around until it was all a brown mess. There would be places in the muck where a plate of earth held together and could be rocked back and forth with comical sounds adding to the playground effect. The smell of cool splashed mud and trampled grass under a clear sun were among his favorite memories of childhood.
Though the weather and place could hardly be more similar, he found it difficult to compare the joys of then and now. The mud made the same sound, as they dredged it up from the hole, but the smell was different. Coming from so deep, and forced from its bed in the marsh, it had an overpowering richness that stank of decay. It was good earth, as much as the clay-plain could offer, but it resisted its transition to the open light of day and the process gave none of that childhood sense of ease. The sun burnt down, more noticeable now in his older age. Every now and then he would feel the coolness of the water, dirty yet soothing all the same.
In crews of four they worked, spaced along the muddy shoreline, in part creating it as they progressed. Reeds towered up on either side, sheltering the open expanse of their work-pit. Between the shore and the shallows of the marsh stood an open expanse of muddied water, dug out steadily by their efforts. As they brought the rich clay up from the depths, other crews came to take it away for use in various places. The mine served a dual purpose of providing earthen material and solidifying a long-overgrown shoreline of the swampy lake. Where the crew had already been, the shoreline was clear and solid; a rough open lawn with a view to the cattail forest.
Tough work, and he would be covered with mud by the time his shift was done, but Heln Borringar enjoyed his assignment. His interest lay in the historical studies, specifically those relating to the Natural Cults. Residence at the Sanctuary's academy was an obvious choice, and he had since spent much of his time working hands-on with the local cultural artifacts. There were many aspects to the maintenance of a natural temple, especially one as large as the labyrinth here at the Sanctuary. Much as when he was a child, he delighted in working with the land and building something meaningful in union with that land. That it had a spiritual and cultural connection to a storied past (and future?) of mystery cults only deepened his commitment. He relished his studies in the library nearly as much as his work out in the muddy fields.
The digger plunged back into the water, gliding as smooth as the machinery could manage, and scraped for another load of clay. Uncountable insects called from the forest of cattails and marsh grass, and the distant shadows of birds flitted across the golden sun. the scoop came up only partially full this time, and that was an indication that they would be moving position soon. The open pool would be left to regrow vegetation, and the new shoreline monitored for stability. The digger, anchored out in the marsh, slowly moved toward its next spot, and soon the work had begun again. At the end of his shift, Heln climbed the grassy bank and stood looking west across the roadway. An irregular line of rocks, thirty feet tall or so, stood beyond: the outermost ring of the labyrinth. Most of the rocks were overgrown with grass between them and along their sides, so only the jagged peaks showed through. Here and there though places had been cleared, and he knew that a lot more work had been done in the inner rings. Eventually the whole labyrinth would be cleared, cleaned, and fortified so that maintenance might be easier in the future. A well-maintained labyrinth could bring pilgrims here for both worship and study – all to the continued health of this sanctuary community. As the sun gleamed golden in the western sky, Heln felt grateful to be a part of this work, and for the place he had found in the world.
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