When Sally Swift was young and cared not for the worries of those of greater years, she spent her days lost in the hills above the small village in which she was born. She followed the herd of sheep, of a type sometime called mouflon, in her care, at times allowing them to lead her to places that they wished to go and other times guiding them to pastures in her ken which might suit the needs of the flock.
She watched closely the ways of the world and could not say if the beings therein were guided by a higher force or whether there came no rhyme or reason in the universe in which she breathed. The sun, wind and rain moved in ways which she could not fathom and yet the seasons seemed to set a rhythm which was immutable. Sally pondered these anomalies as she sat in the sun and watched the sheep in her care, and decided that she might make interventions in the world such that the world might bend to her will, reasoning that if she could see the results of her acts, then her agency might be a potent force.
Sally Swift sought out actions that might shew her agency but came there few, sometime she saved a sheep from some little peril or brought the herd to a place where they might prosper but in the large all this did not satisfy her yearning to see her influence on the world around her.
One time in spring when the wind, rain and sun were in change so that each day came bursting into existence unknown and new, Sally Thrift found herself guiding her flock into some hills nearer to the coast where the rain had brought out some fine grasses that would suit them well as the ewes were carrying young and would give birth to their lambs before the month was out. She had become worried that her place in the world meant no measure and always she would be lost in consequence.
In that day the weather was fine and kind so that she allowed the flock free to roam about the pasture as they were quiet and content. She lay down in a warm hollow where the wind was not, so that she could rest without disquiet.
It was some hours later that a blow of wind woke her with a strong buffet and she came alive quickly to see that the sky had so darkened, the wind had waxed bold and some big rainwater began to strike the ground. Looking about she could only see some few of her flock and knew at once that her agency was to be tested. Sally set out calling to her charges that they might rally to her side and she might guide them in the paths of shelter as the growing storm thrashed. When she had done as much as she could in short order the sheep were gathered safe in a little gully but there were still some ten head adrift. She set out quick to search them, rushing out into the gathering dark made so by some mighty clouds and whipped each way in the wild air. Soon she came nigh the cliff which was there and saw here ten sheep stuck fast down on a ledge and in great concern. Soon a light came from the sky and frightened them such that they flew off the ledge direct to the frothing waves below and swim as they might could not find footing or solid ground.
Sally set herself square on the cliff and as if caring nought for her own self dived out to the waves where the sheep were in great peril, catching two by their horns she lifted them to the banks of the sea and so returned until all were safe ashore save one who had gone away into the water. Sally swam out to the sheep which was nigh spent and finding a rock beneath the waters she lifted it up so that it might live. Standing thus in the storm she knew that she had not the strength to swim once more to the shore taking the sheep with her and so she stood holding the sheep as no action shewed itself to her. After one hour, when her arms were nigh broke with the weight, the storm winds grew slow and the waves became quiet, Sally noticed that the waters were dropping and knew that in time, the tides would flow out and her way to dry land could be discovered.
When this time was over, the flock was whole and Sally had rested, she made time to consider her actions and how she had conflicted with the chaos of the storm which in turn had been occasioned by the rhythm of the seasons. She felt that two schemes were apparent, first that she had successfully outwitted the course of chaos, saved the life of her sheep which would surely have passed from this life and made the world unto her own object in that moment, but second, that over time she could not sway the great passage of timely seasons and was thus at the mercy of these eternal conditions which might come to trouble or enable her path.
How then, she considered, could she understand what course to take and when. She concluded that as a being, full awake to the caprices of the world, she must be ware and ready at all times to act directly to carve the course that gave her life most satisfaction but that there were aspects of the world over which her influence was as nought, such that there was no act that she might do to make change to their courses.
Knowing this gave her sure confidence to go forwards and be strong in changing the world by her side into her own mind but never to spend worry over items beyond the reach of her influence.
The Guardians of the Cave 