"Very well," the wise old woman said and cryptically at that, "But I warn you. What you weave can't be easily unwoven. That is the nature of the threads you are working."
This puzzled the girl, for she had not stopped to question what the threads were, or their nature. But once again, she had little time to think about it, for the old woman, wrapped in her pelts, guided her to the loom next to the pool, and then sat beside her.
In her old, powerful hand, she held those starlight strands. And then she handed them to the girl.
The girl's eyes flew wide as the pool before her began flashing with infinite possibilities. For what she held was not thread at all, but choices... her choices. And she knew right then that choices wove the fabric of destiny and fate.
You'd think things would be easy then, Katara. A pool that showed all possibilities and the thread to make them reality. But that was not the case. For then the girl began to understand their nature.
For woven within the thread themselves were unmovable, unalterable things. Some things no amount or lack of choices could change, because they were built into the very framework of the tapestry. And... and there were not only her threads in the tapestry, but those of all others within creation. Everyone's threads. And they would affect her own, many times in ways she did not intend. Her choices could go oh so awry, depending on how those threads wove together.
So she sat, choices in hand, looking lost as the wise old woman wove, just staring at the pool of water. For the wisdom and initial reluctance of the wise old woman was becoming clear... as was the test. There was no perfect path. Each choice made meant heartbreak and tears as well as happiness and joy. Such was the nature of life.
But how to choose, now that the power was in her grasp?
It was like staring upon a raging sea with no end in sight to the storm and no safe harbour certain to navigate to. For how was she going to get what she wanted, how was she going to save her people, if every choice could end in disaster?
But the old woman was a wise woman, and in the middle of weaving the threads of others, looked to the girl.
"It's very hard, I know. Both to weave the choice and live with it. That is the price of having control over your life.
Weave the choices you can live with. Make something you can be satisfied with. And with a little luck... the rest will fall into place."
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"Very well," the wise old woman said and cryptically at that, "But I warn you. What you weave can't be easily unwoven. That is the nature of the threads you are working."
This puzzled the girl, for she had not stopped to question what the threads were, or their nature. But once again, she had little time to think about it, for the old woman, wrapped in her pelts, guided her to the loom next to the pool, and then sat beside her.
In her old, powerful hand, she held those starlight strands. And then she handed them to the girl.
The girl's eyes flew wide as the pool before her began flashing with infinite possibilities. For what she held was not thread at all, but choices... her choices. And she knew right then that choices wove the fabric of destiny and fate.
You'd think things would be easy then, Katara. A pool that showed all possibilities and the thread to make them reality. But that was not the case. For then the girl began to understand their nature.
For woven within the thread themselves were unmovable, unalterable things. Some things no amount or lack of choices could change, because they were built into the very framework of the tapestry. And... and there were not only her threads in the tapestry, but those of all others within creation. Everyone's threads. And they would affect her own, many times in ways she did not intend. Her choices could go oh so awry, depending on how those threads wove together.
So she sat, choices in hand, looking lost as the wise old woman wove, just staring at the pool of water. For the wisdom and initial reluctance of the wise old woman was becoming clear... as was the test. There was no perfect path. Each choice made meant heartbreak and tears as well as happiness and joy. Such was the nature of life.
But how to choose, now that the power was in her grasp?
It was like staring upon a raging sea with no end in sight to the storm and no safe harbour certain to navigate to. For how was she going to get what she wanted, how was she going to save her people, if every choice could end in disaster?
But the old woman was a wise woman, and in the middle of weaving the threads of others, looked to the girl.
"It's very hard, I know. Both to weave the choice and live with it. That is the price of having control over your life.
Weave the choices you can live with. Make something you can be satisfied with. And with a little luck... the rest will fall into place."