After covering her back up, Anasazi studied Tatianna’s sweat covered face and spoke out loud, hoping that his words would comfort the injured elf. “Well child, it’s obvious that the wounds on your leg and back have some sort of poison in it, one that was generated by a creature of extreme evil.”
He wiped the sweat from her brow as he considered her story and what his magically enhanced vision had shown him.
“I would guess that you were caught by some sort of magical poison which would explain the black glow in your leg and back but why would your belly glow? It couldn’t be from the poison, it hasn’t reached that far.”
Shaking his head, Anasazi stared at Tatianna. “No, it has to be the child. But a child is neither good nor evil at birth. It just is. It is the choices that a person makes in his or her life that determines whether they are good or evil, not the way a child was made. There one was possibility, what if…” His thoughts were interrupted by the return of Hawkeye.
The warrior moved past him, straight to Tatianna’s side. He didn’t say a word, his actions spoke for him. Anasazi lay a comforting hand on the warrior’s shoulder as Hawkeye gently pushed several stray locks of hair out of her face.
A few moments later, Red Crow and Amani followed a large group of shaman into the lodge. Anasazi motioned for Red Crow to come closer and spoke softly. “We must talk, soon.”
The edge in his voice told Red Crow it was important. Turning to the waiting shaman, Anasazi pointed at the feverish elf maiden. “Take her to the sweat lodge. She has a poison in her leg and back that must be purged. We do not rest until this is done.”
The nine shamans went to work quickly. Five of them sprinted out of the lodge while the remaining four prepared to move her. Placing her on a litter, they gently carried her out of the lodge with Hawkeye and Amani following without a word to anyone.
Once they were alone, Red Crow broke the silence. “What is it old friend? You act like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I think I have.”
Walking over to the fire, Anasazi sat down. Red Crow joined him. Pulling out a small hand carved pipe, the chieftain began to fill it while waiting for his old friend to continue.
Anasazi looked deep into the fire and said, “We have a problem. I think her unborn child might be the Chosen One.”
Red Crow dropped his pipe and stared at his long time friend. “What…What makes you think that?”
Picking up Red Crow’s pipe, Anasazi lit it with a coal from the fire. After blowing the first puff skyward, he handed the pipe back to his old friend. “I used Luna’s sight on her. It showed the presence of an evil poison working its way through her system from the wounds she suffered in battle but it also showed that her unborn child to be slightly evil.”
“But surely this could be from the rape?”
Anasazi shook his head. “No. I have used Luna’s sight on other rape victims in the past. It has never shown a child, unborn or newborn, to be evil. Plus, the wounds she suffered were created by something that must be extremely evil. Normal poisons are not evil; they’re just tools like a bow or sword. Last night Hawkeye mentioned that while they were escaping across the river, their party was hit by some sort of magical bolt with Tatianna taking the brunt of the blast. It could partially explain the taint of darkness spreading through her system but the best explanation I can think of that fits all of this is the return of the Arachne and coming of the Chosen One.”
Falling silent, Red Crow and Anasazi contemplated the implications of that last statement. When they finished smoking their first bowl, they refilled it and continued smoking for many hours.
* * * * *
A sweat lodge is a temple of sorts. It was built on a small island a few hundred feet out into the lake. It was here that the Highlanders had found one of the hottest vents in the valley and built a lodge over top of it. The shaman would heat rocks in a scared fire and place them inside the sweat lodge. One of the attending shamans would chant prayers to Luna while pouring water from the spring onto the hot rocks causing a great deal of steam to fill the entire lodge. The intense heat would drive up the body temperature, purging the system of all impurities and poisons. Many times this also had the side effect of causing visions. A young brave or warrior would spend a day in the sweat lodge at least once a year hoping for a vision. A vision was seen as a great source of personal power. It could foretell the future, answer a personal question or foreshadow some great danger.
The shamans worked on Tatianna for six days and nights in rotating shifts. There were always at least two of them with her during that time. Hawkeye spent as much time as his body would allow with her. Tatianna drifted in and out of consciousness for the first five days. On the sixth day, she slipped into a coma. That same day, the shamans brought her out of the sweat lodge and pronounced that the poisons were gone from her system. Hawkeye stayed at her side for the next two days, never leaving for more than a minute or sleeping more than an hour or two.
On the eighth day after her fever was discovered Anasazi pulled him aside. Placing his hands on Hawkeye’s shoulders, the ancient shaman guided him to the fire, placed a bowl of buffalo stew in his hands and commanded. “Eat. You need your strength. There is nothing more we can do. If she does not recover soon, we will lose her.”
Hawkeye ate the stew slowly. When he looked up, Anasazi was shocked by his appearance. His eyes were red from lack of sleep, while his face was gaunt and thin from the lack of food.
“Isn’t there anything you can do?”
“It is in the hands of the Gods now. Only through their intervention can we recall her spirit. We have healed her body. It is whole but her spirit remains lost. It is her spirit we must save or she will die.”
Hawkeye’s face turned red with anger. Standing, he threw the bowl of stew across the lodge. It crashed against the wall, spilling its contents across the carving of the dragon and rider. Storming around the room, Hawkeye raged. “I just wish there was something I could do! I feel so helpless! It’s just like before, I’m a failure! With all of my skills and knowledge, I still cannot save the ones that I love!”
With a loud cry of inhuman fury, he slammed his fist down on the nearby workbench. It gave way to the sudden blow, spilling its contents all across the lodge.
Anasazi whispered, “There might be a way.”
Hawkeye rushed to his side. “I’m listening.”
“It is extremely dangerous and might not work. But someone might possibly be able to travel to the Spirit Realms, find her lost spirit and guide it back to her body.”
“I’ll go! I cannot sit around and watch another person that I love die.”
Walking over to Tatianna’s unconscious form, he gazed down at her beautiful face. Even the scars on her left cheek couldn’t diminish her true beauty. Although she was physically beautiful, her true beauty came from within, not from her mortal shell. A slight smile crossed Hawkeye’s face as he remembered her crooked smile and fiery spirit. Reaching out, Hawkeye gently stroked her scarlet hair.
Anasazi placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know you do my son but there are several things you must know first. The risks will be great.”
“It doesn’t matter what the risks are, I will face them.”
Anasazi continued. “Even if you find her spirit, which will be difficult, you must convince her to come back.”
“What do you mean?” asked Hawkeye.
“I mean, that she must want to return. The Spirit Realm is a very beautiful and peaceful place but it also has many dangers not all of them are enemies. I have known many Spirit Walkers who didn’t return just because they didn’t want too. It is a very dangerous journey you are planning to undertake.”
Gesturing toward the fire again, Anasazi pulled out his pipe and filled it. Lighting it, he performed the pipe ceremony and passed it to Hawkeye.
“Let me tell you more. As I said, a spirit walk is a dangerous journey. Through rare herbs and mystical chants, a walker will enter a deep trance
that is just this side of death. His spirit would then be released to travel wherever he wills it. One could travel to the past, present or the future. Time and space doesn’t matter to a spirit. As long as the body remains whole, then it is possible to return.”
Pausing to take a deep drag on the pipe, he blew the smoke skyward and continued. “This leads to the first of many problems with spirit walking, the body. It must remain whole and undisturbed. While a person is on a spirit walk, he has no knowledge of what is going on around his body. If something were to kill the body, then the person would be trapped in the Spirit Realm. The second most common problem is the possibility of getting lost. If, while on the other side, a spirit walker was to forget even for a moment, where and when his body was located then the chances of returning would be slim. The third danger is the most dreadful, the Spirit Hounds. These are creatures of shadows and darkness. Gaul’s minions exist to track lost spirits and return them to the Abyss. They are very deadly. It is said, that once a spirit hound has your scent it will not rest until it has found its prey.
“But uncle I cannot lose her. I. . . I. . . I love her.”
“I understand that but there is something else you should know.” Anasazi hesitated before asking, “There is an ancient prophecy which foretells of the end of the world. Do you remember it?”
“Vaguely but what does that have to do with Tatianna?”
Looking deep into the fire, Anasazi’s eyes glazed over as he spoke in a far away voice. “When the Darkness returns from whence it was banished and the Gods are helpless to act, look to the north for the one chosen by fate. A being of no race and all, part black, part white, a creature of the balance, a true son of the Dhyana. He will lead the Nine against the One in the final battle for the fate of Terreth.”
Shaking his head to break the trance, Anasazi looked deep into Hawkeye’s gray eyes. “I believe her unborn son to be the Chosen One of the prophecy.”
Hawkeye’s jaw dropped open slightly as he returned the ancient one’s stare. Clenching his jaw shut, he walked over to Tatianna as the thought of her unborn son being the Chosen One went through his head over and over. A child fathered by the rape was to be child of prophecy. Hawkeye found it hard to believe that the child who was to be instrumental in the final battle for the fate of all Terreth was Tatianna’s unborn son.
Turning back, he looked deep into Anasazi’s eyes. “If that is true, then all the more reason I must go.”
“I agree. I just wanted you to know the price of failure. Go and get some rest. I will make the necessary preparations. You will leave at moonrise.” Gathering up his bundles, Anasazi walked out of the lodge.
Hawkeye leaned down and gently kissed her forehead. “Don’t worry, my love. I’ll save you.”
* * * * *
As the sun set behind the mountains, Hawkeye rose from his slumber and, as was the custom, refrained from eating. When he stepped out of the lodge, he was greeted by the whole village; every man, woman and child was present. The ceremony would take place on hallow ground in a cavern on the far side of the lake. There was a path that wound around the crater wall but for today’s journey, Hawkeye would have to swim the distance. As he walked slowly through the crowd of Highlanders, Amani broke away from the crowd and ran up to him. He could see that the young girl had been crying.
Hawkeye knelt down beside her and asked, “What is it little one?”
Amani looked into his eyes with tears welling at the edges of her brown eyes. “Please bring Mistress Tatianna back. She promised to teach me how to be a warrior one day.”
Hawkeye gently wiped away a tear. “Don’t worry lass. We will return soon.”
Leaving the crowd behind, Hawkeye stopped at the lake’s edge and took a moment to absorb the natural beauty of the landscape before him. The sun was setting to the west, painting the early evening sky a brilliant red as the moon was just rising over the horizon. A few geese were just making their way south to warmer climates and the waters of the lake were covered in a mist that swirled with the wind. The canyon rim and shoreline were lined with snow while the air was brisk and the wind was bitterly cold but light. It was a beautiful Highland autumn evening.
Dropping his furs to the ground as he stepped into the warm waters of the lake, Hawkeye dove in and began the long swim to the far side of the lake. His mind drifted back to the time Tatianna and he were thrown into the freezing cold waters of the river; this time the water was much warmer and soothing to his body. Keeping his strokes slow and easy, he made the swim in less than an hour. Reaching the landing, Hawkeye felt the bitter cold of winter as soon as he stepped out of the warm waters. Since he was naked, Hawkeye moved up the ancient path as quickly as possible. However, the path was steep and the going was slow but halfway up the path a pile of furs had been placed for him. Covering himself, Hawkeye continued his journey. The moon had nearly reached its zenith by the time he reached the sacred cave.
The small cavern was simply known as the Cave of Luna. It was a natural formation of the lava that once flowed through this now dormant volcano. Its position on the crest of the rim, and its unique shape allowed moonlight from the full moon to flood the chamber in pure white light, bathing all present in Luna’s glow. It was a very sacred place to the highlanders. Only the Shrine of Luna was more sacred to the northern tribes.
The chamber itself wasn’t very large and the walls were of black jagged crystal. The floor had been worn smooth over centuries of use and a white stone altar had been placed in the center of the room. Tatianna lay on the altar and the Council of Elders sat cross-legged on one side of the altar while Anasazi sat on the other. On the lap of the ancient shaman were his medicine bundle and a small drinking bowl full of a golden liquid. Gesturing to the ground in front of him Anasazi commanded. “Come. Be seated.”
Dropping the furs, Hawkeye obeyed.
“You have chosen a dangerous journey Wolflord, one from which you might not return.” Anasazi gestured to those gathered. “We have asked Luna to give her blessing to you for this journey.” Reaching his hands skyward, he called out. “May her blessing guide and protect you.”
Hawkeye took a moment and met the gaze of every member of the Council of Elders before speaking in a loud voice. “I undertake this dangerous journey for two important reasons. The first is simple, I love the elf maiden Tatianna whose tribal name is Red Eagle, but I also undertake this dangerous journey for the hope of a better world. If I am successful, than the one foretold in the ancient prophecy might be able to turn the tide of darkness that is approaching.”
In a much quieter voice only loud enough for Anasazi to hear he added, “We will return.”
As the ceremony started, the Council of Elders began to chant and tap out a steady rhythm on several drums. Anasazi handed Hawkeye the bowl and commanded, “Drink and become one with the universe.”
Hawkeye drank the golden liquid from the bowl. It was warm and soothing.
Anasazi began a different chant. Pulling out a fan made from an eagle’s wing, he fanned the flames of the small fire in front of him and tossed a handful of dried leaves into the fire; a pleasant smell filled the cave.
Forcing himself to relax, Hawkeye closed his eyes and concentrated on two things, the rhythmic drumming and Tatianna. Slowly, his mind began to wander and his limbs began to feel lighter. A vague sense of floating came over him. Opening his eyes, he was surprised at the sight. He was floating over his own body. It was a strange and exhilarating feeling. Glancing down at his spirit form, he was shocked to be able to see right through himself. He was dressed in his normal battle array, weapons and all but his body seemed to be made of mist. Reaching down, he drew out his tomahawk. It felt real. Swinging it at the nearby wall, it passed harmlessly through without leaving a mark.
“So, my weapons don’t affect the real world. I wonder if they can affect other spirits?”
Shrugging his shoulders, he put his weapon away and looked around. He was amazed at his sight. Everything seemed cle
ar and vague at the same time. The brightly-lit cave and the shadowy village held the exact same brightness. Yet each had a kind of hazy look, like looking through a heavy mist. It was as if light and darkness didn’t matter to a spirit. From his vantage point high above the cave, he could see the whole village. The warriors of the village had picked up the chant and the rhythmic drumming.
Glancing down at Tatianna lying on the stone altar, he felt a great sense of urgency come over him. Looking closely, he could see a slender silver thread attached to Tatianna’s heart that ran off into the heavens.
Willing himself to follow the thread, his spirit form shot off into the night like an arrow from a bow. He was flying south past the valleys, forest and lakes of the Highlands, over the Wall and past the Great Forest. Soon, the forest gave way to rolling hills and grasslands. Hawkeye could see large herds of animals roaming these vast plains. Small groups of huts dotted the banks of the single river that cut through the region like a knife. And still he flew south, always following the silver thread of Tatianna.
His path seemed to parallel the winding river. Slowly the grasslands disappeared, becoming a large desert that stretched for hundreds of miles. The only areas still grassy were the few miles next to the river. Hawkeye could see hundreds of small boats going up and down the river. Finally the land began to thin out, becoming a large peninsula several leagues wide. At the tip of the peninsula was the largest city he had ever seen. Its many towers and buildings jutted up into the night sky. Lanterns and torches burned in many of the windows and even at this hour, people could be seen moving about the city, Hawkeye thought it looked like an angry ant farm. He knew this must be the legendary city of Asylum.
And still Tatianna’s thread led him south until he was soaring over the blue-green waters of the Crystal Sea. Hawkeye could see ships of all sizes from sloops to caravels sailing about the great sea. Soon, Hawkeye could no longer see land as water stretched to the horizon on every side. Tatianna’s thread led right through a small patch of low flying clouds. Willing himself closer, the clouds parted to reveal the ruins of a beautiful city on a small island. The city was spread out before him in a great circle. The buildings were built in a very exotic style of architecture and seemed to be constructed of crystal and marble. They were beautiful. All of the roads and avenues ran to the center of the city where there was a great courtyard with an archway of crystal that shimmered and glowed in the moonlight.
Tales of the Wolf: Book 01 - The Coming of the Wolf Page 16