Hawkeye returned his uncle’s stare. He felt compelled to study the ancient shaman’s eyes, looking for answers to questions he really didn’t know, yet must find out. After a moment, Hawkeye broke the uneasy silence. “Did my brother say anything else?”
“Nothing of any consequence, he did say he follows Clotho the Spinner.” Anasazi scratched his chin. “You know, that could be useful.”
A puzzled look crossing Hawkeye’s face. “What could?”
“The name of our true enemy. Knowing one’s enemy is half of the battle. I thought I taught you that?”
“You did but I don’t know how knowing its name is going to help us in the coming war?”
“Neither do I, but it can’t hurt either.” Leaning heavily on his staff, Anasazi struggled to rise as Hawkeye gently helped him to his feet. The gathered women, children and younger shaman smiled. Some even started clapping and laughing. Anasazi just nodded his head to them and started walking toward the cave slowly.
“I do believe that for a brief moment Blackfang was tempted by my offer. Not that he would even admit it to himself but I believe there is still a small part of him that believes in Luna and her ways.”
Hawkeye absorbed that information. “Let me ask you a question. Did you really expect him to give up his dreams of conquest?”
“Not really but I had to try. After all, he is still my nephew. I could do nothing less, you must understand.”
Hawkeye turned his head away and bit his tongue at the curse he felt like uttering. He saw Tatianna come running through the crowd.
“Hawkeye! Come quickly! It’s Red Crow! He’s injured. We don’t have much time!”
Looking up, he locked eyes with his love. Deep lines of concern creased her pale brow, casting a slight shadow on her lovely face. Yet, nothing could hide or diminish the beauty of her eyes. They still sparkled with life, like the sky after a spring shower, blue, clear and radiant. Even now, amidst all this chaos, she glowed with such inner beauty that Hawkeye was amazed that no one else could see her light. It was true that she was physically beautiful but her true beauty came from her soul, not from her looks. Hawkeye knew why the gods had chosen her to be the mother of the child of prophesy; her intense inner strength. Nothing could diminish that, not Blackfang, his army, the coming war, time, nothing; and it was that same quality that had drawn him to her, like an arrow to its target.
Turning quickly, he pointed at two young braves standing nearby. “You two, help Anasazi to Luna’s Cave. Make sure he is guarded at all times.” He pointed at the closest shaman. “You!”
The young shaman glanced at the others nearby as they slowly backed away. The dark haired youth meekly placed a hand on his chest. “Me?”
“Yes, you! What’s your name?”
“Sun Dancer, originally of the Owl tribe.”
Hawkeye’s tone held the edge of command. “Come with us.” Turning back to his uncle he said, “I must go.”
Anasazi waved his free hand slightly. “I know. I will be along shortly. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be okay.”
Nodding his head, Hawkeye sprinted to the cave with Tatianna and Sun Dancer right behind him. Reaching the sacred cave, Hawkeye took the scene in quickly.
Red Crow leaned heavily against the altar, as pale as a ghost, while a bone handled knife protruded from his stomach and bright red blood flowed freely down his side. All of the members of the Great Council with the exception of Nilrem, Chewda and Odovacar were present and were seated crossed legged in a wide semi-circle around the altar and the dying Chieftain.
Tatianna gracefully walked through the gathering and knelt at the old chieftain’s side. Touching him gently on the shoulder, she whispered in his ear. “Red Crow, Hawkeye is here as you requested.”
The old chieftain opened his eyes slowly, very slowly. His eyelids seemed heavy as they opened on glassy eyes. Slowly studying his surroundings, Red Crow’s eyes roamed around the cave. His eyes brightened slightly as they came across Hawkeye. Weakly, he motioned the Wolflord to come forward. Hawkeye did as he was bid, taking a seat next to the old chieftain. His voice weak and faint, Red Crow spoke slowly as if the words were hard for him to form. “I’m dying. Luna is calling.”
Shaking his head, Hawkeye felt the brief warmth of his tears as they began running down his face. “No, you cannot die. We still need you.”
He smiled weakly, “That might be true but Luna is calling and I must go soon. I am old, far older than you would believe. I knew this day would come, as did you. When Luna calls, we must answer. That is the way of life but before I go there are still a couple of things I must take care of.”
Pausing, he gestured weakly with his left hand. Tatianna raised a small bowl of herbs and water to his lips. Drinking carefully, he seemed to draw strength from the potion and his voice reflected it taking on his more familiar tone.
“Take this mantle,” pointing at the silver pelt that lay at his side. “It has been blessed by Luna and will be a symbol of your title. You are now the one true Warlord of the Highlanders. Wear it with pride and lead our people to safety.”
Pausing to catch his breath all gathered waited patiently. Fumbling weakly under his furs with only his right hand, he brought out an ornate tomahawk. The head was silver and glowed with an inner light. Etched on the blade was the symbol of Luna, the crescent moon surrounded by the nine animal totems. The handle was of red ironwood while three red feathers dangled from the shaft. It was the most beautiful tomahawk Hawkeye had ever seen.
“This was a gift from the dwarven king for services rendered a long time ago. I want you to have it. May it serve you in the future as well as it has served me in the past.”
Gingerly, Hawkeye took the beautiful tomahawk from the old chieftain as tears ran unchecked down his face. “Thank you Red Crow. I will cherish it always.”
Turning his head slowly, Red Crow locked eyes with Tatianna. Her blue eyes were rimmed with tears as she tried to hold them back.
Feebly reaching out, Red Crow stroked her scarlet hair. “As for you Red Eagle, I have two gifts. The first is simple. All that I have is now yours.”
Shifting his gaze to look at his old friend Anasazi who had just entered the cave he added, “My friend, I proclaim Red Eagle to be my daughter and my only heir. Please see that she is taken care of and is treated as one of our people.”
Anasazi nodded. “It shall be done old friend.”
Turning back to Tatianna, he gently caressed her cheek. “I hope you don’t mind. I was planning on asking you but the time never seemed right. I hope you can forgive an old fool?”
Tatianna couldn’t hold the tears back any longer as they poured out in a flood of grief and despair. Burying her head in Red Crow’s chest, Tatianna sobbed uncontrollable for several minutes. Red Crow just patiently stroked her hair and waited.
Finally, she stopped crying long enough to look deep into the old chieftain’s eyes. “I would be proud to call you father.”
Pausing, she leaned forward and gently kissed the old chieftain on the forehead and whispered, “Thank you father. I will try to live up to the trust you have placed in me.”
Smiling, Red Crow leaned his head back with his eyes closed. The old chieftain’s breathing became shallower and slower. Tatianna and Hawkeye were just beginning to fear that he had passed away when his eyes fluttered open. His lips moved slightly as the two lovers leaned in closer.
When he spoke again, his voice was soft and strained, just barely a whisper. “The second gift seems less than the first, yet it is the greater of the two. It will benefit both of you. It is a simple piece of advice but remember it always.”
Pausing for a moment, he gathered his strength. “Beware of your temper. Anger and hatred are the two greatest tools of our true enemy. Your temper could very well be your downfall.”
Closing his eyes, Red Crow’s breathing became regular and even. Hawkeye and Tatianna backed away slowly as Sun Dancer and Anasazi stepped in. The young shaman began pullin
g out small bundles of herbs and medicines from a satchel he wore at his waist. Just then, the voice of a lone wolf in the far distance broke through the early morning air and Red Crow’s eyes popped open.
“Luna calls. I must go.” Locking eyes with Anasazi, a small smile crept over his face. “Well old friend, I beat you. I will join Luna before you do.”
Nodding his head, Anasazi agreed. “Yes old friend, you win. I’m sure you will find a place of honor at the great council fire of our ancestors. I envy your journey but it is not yet my time. Save me a place at the council fire, I will join you when my work here is done.”
Nodding his head, Red Crow cast a final glance at the gathered warriors. “Don’t grieve for me. I’ve had a long and wonderful life. Full of the simple joys of life that are given to a true follower of Luna. Now that service is done and I go to my promised reward. I will hunt in the forests of the Happy Hunting Grounds for the rest of eternity. Farewell my friends, Luna calls and I must go.”
With that last phrase, Red Crow Chieftain of the Raven tribe died.
* * * * *
Red Crow knew at that moment, he was dead.
There wasn’t any pain. He felt completely relaxed. All the little aches and pains of life; the slight twitch of a back muscle, the pop of a knee, the ache of the neck, they all just ceased to exist. There was just the intense feeling of lightness, as he felt his soul separate from his body. Pulling free from the constraints of his mortal shell, Red Crow drifted upwards. Glancing down, he took one last look at his gathering of friends. He would miss them. But the intense pulling upwards to the heavens felt too strong to resist. Somewhere in the night, he heard the lonesome cry of a wolf. Turning his eyes toward the crescent moon overhead, Red Crow flew toward the Spirit Realms.
Red Crow had experienced the thrill of flight every time he took his raven form. Flying was one of the most liberating experiences in his life but it couldn’t compare to the flight of his soul. A smile crept over his face as he heard Anasazi’s voice from out of the past, ‘Spirit Walking is a dangerous thing to do, but it is also the most exhilarating time of your life. Nothing can compare to the feeling of being a spirit. One can almost imagine death as wonderful experience.’
Red Crow’s smile widened as he remembered the brief argument that issued between them, concerning the difference of flying in bird form and walking as a spirit. He had always enjoyed their disagreements and this was one of their favorite discussions. Since Anasazi could not assume a bird’s form and experience the thrill of flying as a bird, Red Crow had never completed the ritual that would allow him to Spirit Walk. Now he knew that Anasazi had been right, Spirit Walking was more exhilarating than flying. Red Crow frowned at the thought. He knew he would never get the chance to tell his old friend that he had been right. It was just one more thing he knew he would miss about life.
Flying quickly toward the realm of Luna, Red Crow’s soul soon entered the Elysium and he knew immediately that something was wrong.
Elysium, also known as the Blessed Island, was the single calm port located deep in the turbulent seas of the Spirit Realms. It was a vast island of rolling hills and beautiful fields where the gates to the realms of Gods were located. It was also the final resting-place for the unfaithful, those few mortals who broke faith with their gods or betrayed their loved ones. The unfaithful would be sentence to this beautiful island. Just outside their promised land, yet unable to enter and forbidden to leave. It was a terrible punishment, just like chaining a starving man to a wall and placing a platter of roasted meat just out of reach.
The Elysium should’ve been nearly empty of souls, just the relatively few that had been sent there by the gods. But to Red Crow’s shock it was almost overflowing. Thousands, nay, hundreds of thousands of souls wandered the island. Most of the souls were gathered in separate groups, each wailing and praying to their god for forgiveness of whatever sins they had committed. As Red Crow’s soul joined the throng of souls that were wandering the island, he watched these groups for several minutes. He noticed that most were human souls. There was the occasional halfling or gnome among them but nowhere did he see any elves, dwarves or highlanders. Shrugging his shoulders, Red Crow picked a direction at random began to explore the island.
How long had he walked? Even Red Crow didn’t know. Time didn’t seem to have any relevance here. There wasn’t any sun or moon to judge time with, nor did he get tired or hungry. He just walked and walked, exploring the island one step at a time.
Sometime later, he crested a small hill and saw a large silver gateway. Beyond the gateway, lay a land of forest green and sunshine. Sitting at the base of the gate were thousands of elven souls. They all sat patiently, legs crossed, arms resting on their knees, just watching the gate. Having nowhere else to go, Red Crow strode down the hill to the gate. Most of the elves didn’t register his approach but a few did.
One tall elf with fiery red hair and similar facial structure to Tatianna approached him. Dressed in chainmail of an ancient design, he had a very regal quality about him. Placing his left hand over his heart, he held out his right hand palm outward. The empty hand was to show that he wasn’t holding a weapon was an ancient greeting of warriors.
“Greetings follower of Luna. How can the faithful of Aurora help you?”
Mimicking the elf’s hand gestures, Red Crow bowed slowly. “Greetings faithful of Aurora. I was wondering if you could answer a few questions for a new soul?”
Nodding his head, the elf gestured toward a spot of ground directly in front of the gate.
“I will do what I can to help you.”
Sitting crossed legged, Red Crow looked deep into the eyes of the friendly elf. The only thing he saw was wisdom and peace. The elf waited patiently for Red Crow to ask his questions.
“Why is it that the Elysium is full of souls and the gate we sit at is closed?”
A brief smile flashed across the elf’s face. “I knew that would be your question. The answer is both simple and complicated.”
Gesturing with his hands at the assembled elves, “We wait for the return of Aurora. The same goes for your people and all followers of the true gods. Since the gods are trapped in another dimension, the gateways to their realms are closed. None can enter their promised lands. We are stuck at the gateway; only able to get a brief glimpse of the fabulous lands we were promised. We are unable to go forward and forbidden to go back.”
Red Crow waited, he knew there was more.
Looking deep into Red Crow’s eye, the regal elf continued. “Our options are few, we can wait patiently or we can break faith with our goddess.” Again he gestured at the elves that sat at the gate. “We will not break faith with Aurora, so we wait. And according to legends only the being known as the Chosen One can free the gods. So, we wait patiently for his coming.”
Red Crow looked at the throng of elves that sat at Aurora’s gate. He knew the same would be at Luna’s gate. “Is it the same at all of the gates?”
The regal elf shook his head. “Not really. The followers of Luna and Hecate also wait patiently. While the followers of Steropes, Gaul and Minos battle among themselves, fighting to be first when the gates open. The followers of Bromios spend their time building monuments to their gods. There is only one gate that is open.”
Red Crow raised an eyebrow and asked, “Whose gate?”
“Hodios the Wayfarer. Somehow he escaped the trap the Arachne set and is still free to travel the lands of Terreth. Since he is free, his followers are able to enter their final resting-place. Unfortunately, Hodios’ true followers are few; for he is a fickle god and few people choose to follow the errant God of Luck, Chance and Wandering. Most of his followers are either humans or halflings. And in life, they were nothing more than gamblers, thieves or beggars.”
Turning his head slightly, Red Crow stared through the gate at the beautiful land beyond. Taking several minutes to absorb everything the friendly elf had told him, he thought of all of his friends that would be wa
iting at the gate for Luna’s return. He knew his wife and son would be there, along with Hawkeye’s family. It would be good to see them but something still nagged at his consciousness. It was something the elf had said. Something about having two options, waiting or breaking faith. That was it, breaking faith! What did he mean by that?
“You have been a great help but I have another question. What did you mean by breaking faith with the gods?”
A slight frown washed over the elf’s face. “Those that decide not to wait for the return of their god or goddess can choose to break faith. This gives them three options, no one option is better than the other. The first is that they can choose to wander the Spirit Realms for the rest of eternity. This has its own dangers. The Spirit Realms are extremely large and mostly unexplored. No one knows what really lies out there but the greatest danger is the Spirit Hounds. They hunt the vastness of the Spirit Realms searching for lost souls. Once a hound catches the scent of a wandering spirit, it will track it through the rest of eternity and drag it to the Abyss.”
“The second is to return to Terreth as a ghost. This has its own problems. It is boring and eternal. A spirit can only cross the veil that separates the land of the living from the land of the dead, one time. Once a spirit crosses back, it must choose an anchor.”
Raising an eyebrow, Red Crow asked in an inquisitive tone. “An anchor?”
“That place where the spirit is doomed to haunt for the rest of eternity. Once anchored, the spirit cannot roam more than a few hundred yards without great pain and a ghost is completely powerless. They cannot affect the world of the living. Its only real power is fear and if a priest of enough power casts an exorcism spell, then the spirit is banished to the Abyss.”
“And the third choice?” Red Crow asked.
“It’s not much better. One can break faith with their current god or goddess and choose a new one to follow. The main problem with this choice is the new god or goddess must accept the spirit as a follower. Being that you’ve broken faith with one god, what guarantees you would not break faith with your new god. So, you see that doesn’t happen very often. Many have tried to convert to a follower of Hodios but to my knowledge he has never accepted anyone.”
Tales of the Wolf: Book 01 - The Coming of the Wolf Page 27