Old map makers used to say that beyond the end of the world there lived dragons. And it's true, there are dragons there.

It's a long journey and a difficult one too. But anyone who's faced their judgement day and experienced the loneliness of the great oceans will reveal the most secretive secrets to tell you the hardest part is the decision to go there. In reality, no one makes a conscious decision to leave the known world of map makers to go in search of dragons. Fate takes you and no map shows the way home. Only a traveller's sense of adventure and a fear of strange beasts mark your return. First, we must leave the conformist world behind then cross into life’s unknowns, unexplored and uncharted. It's an amazing and sometimes treacherous journey.....

Marie and I have been to the edge of the world. We didn't know we were going there, not until we'd transgressed from the world of rule and morose lifestyle where individuals do not count. We'd always suspected there was some mysterious place, somewhere, we reasoned, discovered by fearless explorers, gallant sailors and the lonely vagabonds who keep their secrets to themselves. We'd seen something strange in their eyes, a look that is distant and difficult to fathom. It seemed they were peering into the horizon to find a missing friend or mark to show their way home. Soon, we realised, travelling to the very edge of the world and beyond is about the journey itself.

Our voyage to the land of dragons and mysterious things began by chance. We had no plan to go there and didn't know it existed until strange feelings began to possess us. This took a long time. Easily more than five years. First, we began to voyage ever longer distances over oceans that were vast and empty, just two of us looking out for each other, learning to be a sole companion. Days and weeks of no one else, only the endless sea, the big sky and remorseless wind that often threatened our lives. We didn't realise it then but we were morphing into lonely travelers, sailors who need nothing much in their life to be at ease. We found our loneliness bound us together, we loved a deepening love realising we were unique, a devoted relationship that many in the groove of their lives never find.

We slowly transformed and, when we came across the vagabonds and lonely sailors, they would listen to us being together and see what we'd done. The mysterious look in their eyes would fade and diminish with a knowing smile. "Ah, we see you are heading to the secret world with no frontiers". We laughed their laugh and then they said, "But you must be careful there, for there are strange beasts, serpents and other demons to torment your unsettled minds"....

And we found the demons, the ancient dragons and we saw the uncharted way. We fought and loved; we laughed and planned our life together knowing that we too had the mysterious look in our eyes. Our loneliness as one became unique and we know, one day, our hearts will be tormented and broken. But we've been and seen, tried and sometimes nearly died. We lived with the privileged few and learned the knowing smile. So, we talked, we vowed and then we got married. We know the friends we left behind can never understand.

There are dragons at the edge of the world. And the seas are vast, the wind is wild and no chart, or map, or mark will ever show us our way home....


Dave Ungless and Marie Beal. Married 8th January 2011. Our wedding was small, private and privileged.
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