“Today I will teach you the yaguar form. And Ana, I have some new techniques to teach you as well. If you will allow me.”
She bit the inside of her cheek. Since she had injured Chance with one of her traps, Balam had taken her lead and backed off. She was good at trapping. Really good. A natural. When she wandered through the jungle, it was easy for her to spot the best locations for traps and figure out how to camouflage them. She could discern the most likely path an animal would take just by looking at the curvature of the ground and the growth pattern of the plants.
Balam had pulled out the plant guidebook. She particularly enjoyed learning about the pharmaceutical properties of local flora and was fascinated with the hand drawn pictures and tidy notes. Most of them had Mayan glyphs, which she couldn’t read, but with Balam’s help she had begun to familiarize herself with important words like, ‘poisonous’ or ‘healing’. The last few times they trained, he’d pointed out some of the plants in her book. She would have loved to talk with Sanchia again. Balam knew various facts but he wasn’t a healer and couldn’t elaborate on the information in the book.
Chance followed Balam down the stairs and Ana trailed just behind. His eyes were bright with excitement and she was happy for him. After nearly two months of training, he was stronger than he used to be and now he was reaping the rewards. No matter how many small creatures he learned to map, he was still more excited about large, powerful animals. Ana had to admit, the yaguar form was pretty amazing.
Balam led them off to a new location and stopped. “Chance, you have earned the right and privilege to learn the yaguar. Remember that it is a revered creature to all the people of my land. You must understand this. It is to be used with respect.”
Without taking his gaze from Balam, Chance nodded and said, “Of course. I understand.”
Balam paused to look at Chance, who appeared beside himself with excitement. Ana thought she saw a tiny smirk touch Balam’s lips. He placed his fists to his hips and said, “Are you ready, Chance?”
“Yes,” Chance said quietly.
The rate of transformation was so fast, she could hardly discern it. One moment Balam stood proud beside them, and the next, a huge black jaguar blinked back at her.
Chance lifted his brows, blew out a breath and mumbled, “Here goes.”
He stared at the enormous feline and remained quiet for a while. Soon, his muscles relaxed and then his eyes closed.
Unlike Balam, Chance did not instantly shift. His body warped and enlarged, black fur rippled across his tan flesh until he was unrecognizable. The piece of maroon fabric tied around his waist pulled open and fell onto the ground. A mirror image of Balam now, Chance’s face was mere inches from her own. Familiar hazel eyes stood out against his ebony guise.
“What a pretty kitty.” She breathed out, eyes wide. Ana touched the bridge of his nose and then scratched him under his chin. A purr drummed in his chest and poured from his lips.
Movement came from her right. She glanced to the side and saw Balam back in his human form just finishing covering himself with his sarong. He cleared his throat and said, “Chance. Stay in the jungle and keep away from the towns. The yaguar must remain a legend. And be cautious.”
Chance blinked back at his great-grandfather, turned and disappeared into the wilderness.
They were alone.
What did Balam have in store for her? She hoped he wouldn’t make her try to trap Chance again. She just didn’t have it in her. Maybe it was good practice but he simply wasn’t the enemy.
“Ana. You have proven yourself with impressive trapping skills. I do not feel I have any more to teach you.”
Well, that was a relief. She let out a sigh but remained nervous. Would he teach her how to throw a spear or wield a knife? Without thinking, she held onto the protective pendant Balam had given her. Its sharp point bit at her skin and she loosened her grip.
“I understand it is not natural for you to do harm. You are a healer at heart. I do not know all there is about plants and their properties. I do not have more to give you. The next trip to town for supplies, you should visit Sanchia.”
“That would be great. I’ve wanted to see her again.”
“Today I will teach you how to quiet your mind and we will see if you will be able to connect with your own power.”
“What do you mean? Why would I need to know how to do that—and can I?”
“Everyone has power. Humankind leaves it untapped, unused. I can sense you have power. I can see your hunger for knowledge of the healing arts. It speaks to you.”
He was right about that. “Ever since Chance healed me, I’ve had this…I don’t know. This calling. I’ve felt empty almost. Like I’m not doing what I’m supposed to be doing. But I don’t even know what it is I’m supposed to be doing. Does that make sense?”
Balam’s gaze remained pensive, almost unreadable. “I cannot tell you your purpose or future. The answer is in you. I think when you are ready to know, it will be revealed to you. Learning to quiet your mind may help you find these answers.”
Ana followed Balam to a fallen tree and sat down beside him.
“Close your eyes and take long, deep breaths.”
Ana did as instructed. She had seen Chance do this numerous times before shapeshifting but she was a little unsure of herself and embarrassed. Warmth spread across her cheeks.
“Now, try to clear your mind. Do not think of what you must do or what you may be worried about. Be free and allow yourself to become open like the sky.”
How did one become open like the sky? She had no idea but figured she would give it a try. All her concerns about protecting herself from unknown jungle visitors and finding her place in the world fell away. Instead, she thought about the night sky and kindled the feeling she had when she stargazed. A calm settled in her chest and her pulse slowed.
“Now you must focus inward. It may take a while for you to recognize your power but once you do, it will be easier next time to access it. I think there is a saying about a bike?”
Ana smiled. She hoped it was like riding a bike.
She imagined herself searching around in a darkened closet for something tiny. It seemed futile. What did it look like and where was it hidden? Was her power shrouded in the rafters of her mind or the hollows of her stomach?
Just chill out, Ana. Clear your mind. Chance can do it. So can you. She thought of her time spent with Niyol. He’d had faith in her. Like Balam, he had said something about her having power as well. She had trusted him and grown to love him like her own grandfather. The first time Chance took bear form during the thunderstorm, Niyol had sat with her while she cried. The memory was fresh in her mind. He had held his hand over her chest, where her heart was.
As the memories filtered through her mind, something clicked. Warmth spread out from her heart and flowed through her body. Butter yellow sunlight poured out from her life source. Happiness radiated from her and she started laughing. Something wet dropped on her hand and she realized she was crying. Her arms shook as she wiped away the tears.
“You found your power?”
“Yes.”
“Good. It will help guide you. If you quiet your mind and seek inner strength, you will find it. And if healing is the path you take, you will need a teacher.”
Was he serious? Could she really be a healer?
“But I don’t understand how this happened? Was I born this way?”
She looked to Balam for an answer, but he remained silent. When she thought of a healer, she imagined a woman draped in beaded necklaces, wearing a flowing dress and chanting while waving a rattle. She must have made a funny expression because Balam asked, “What, Ana?”
“No. It’s just, I’ve never thought of myself as a healer. I don’t know anything about it.”
“Sanchia is a healer but she had no teacher. Knowledge was passed on through the generations but her abilities are limited. She uses herbs and some of her natural instincts to diagnose illne
sses. But she is nothing like the shamans in my time that could heal shifters of the sickness and many other ailments just with their powers.”
Well, that sounded pretty good. If she could help people as Chance had helped her, it would give her life new meaning. However she wasn’t so sure she had the power and most importantly, she had no teacher.
“Remember, Ana. Like the hero twins, it is easier to overcome a quest when you are a team. You must work together and use your strengths.”
“Of course. I will always stand beside Chance. There’s nowhere I’d rather be.”
Balam nodded and stood up. He held out his hand out to her and she eyed it before accepting the gesture. His skin was soft and warm and practically buzzed with electricity. Ana slipped off the fallen tree trunk and although it had been months since she suffered from a dizzy spell, she teetered precariously on her feet. Thankful Balam had offered her his hand, she closed her eyes and waited for it to pass. When the flurry of blood subsided, she freed her fingers from his grasp.
“Are you ready to go back home? Chance will find his way when he is done.”
“Sure. I could use a snack. Getting in touch with your energy core really takes it out of you,” she said, grinning.
Balam cut through the wilderness with deft agility and every bit of his five hundred years of experience showed. Ana leapt to meet his footfalls, reminding her of when she was a child, trying to step in the deep pits left in the snow from her father’s footsteps. It was possibly one of the only happy memories she had of him.
They made it back to Balam’s stony fortress in record time. As they walked through the underground cave, Ana thought she saw something glimmer in the water below the walkway.
“Balam, what’s that in the water? Do you see it? Looks like gold.”
As he continued along the wooden suspension path, he said over his shoulder, “That is because it is gold.”
“Really?” She squinted in the dusky light trying to make out the treasure that lay beneath but wandered on when she couldn’t.
When she reached the top step and entered the living space, she temporarily forgot about her hunger and asked, “Where’d it come from?”
Balam’s white teeth showed against his dark almond skin. “I could not allow the Spaniards to be rewarded for destroying so much. Gold is what they came for but I couldn’t let them leave with it. Some of it is Mayan gold and some, Spanish.”
“Serves them right. So what’s it like having lived so long?” She could hardly imagine what it would be like watching your children age and die while you remained youthful, almost ageless. Balam had survived so many wives and children. It seemed more like a curse. Unless your loved ones were shifters too, it would be a solitary life. This was something she didn’t like thinking about. If Chance continued on his path, he would remain ageless while she grew old. She would never ask him to turn his back on who he was, but it was a concern of hers.
“I am a book of history. I have seen all. I am a witness to the world. I have been blessed and cursed. I am not all good. I have hurt my share but I have hope for you and Chance. Your future is ahead of you and you are untarnished.”
It almost sounded as if he was saying goodbye and it made her uneasy. He wasn’t done training them, was he? She was unsure how to respond, so she didn’t.
In the absence of her answer, Balam said, “I have something for you, Ana. Please wait a moment.”
He disappeared upstairs and minutes later returned with his hands behind his back. His lips turned up as he placed in her hands a shiny, weighted object. A golden snake stared up into her eyes. Its body was curled into a knot and mounted on a crosspiece with a hole at either end. A wooden stick that looked like a chopstick braced through the holes.
“It’s beautiful. What is it?”
Balam took it back and said, “Turn around, please.”
Ana did as she was asked and was surprised when his hands combed through her hair and twisted her locks into a knot. The wooden stick grazed her scalp as he secured the hair ornament. She touched the top of her head when he was done and felt the snake’s form.
“Thank you, Balam. Are you sure? It looks valuable—”
“It was my mother’s and now it is yours. The snake represents healing and rebirth. You wear it well. You look like the young goddess Ixchel.”
Ana tried to say the name. “Ee-shell?”
“Ixchel, a woman of many names. The jaguar goddess, goddess of the moon, the medicine or fertility goddess. Ixchel was beautiful, with skin like pearls. All the gods were captivated by her, but she was the Chief God’s consort. She gave him thirteen sons. Two of their children created heaven and earth and the four jaguar gods, who were named after the four directions and held up each corner of the sky. Her followers, the medicine women and shamans, sought her guidance.”
“You said a healer saved you from the sickness?”
“Yes. It was a dark time. I was protecting my people from all sides. The Spaniards were destroying everything. They had already decimated the Aztec and other Mayan kingdoms were just trying to survive. A nearby city sent a war party to my door and I did what I had to protect myself and my people. The shifter I killed was young and had never killed another so I was not weighed down by many angry voices. But without the help of a healer, I would have gone mad.”
Balam stopped and smelled the air. “Chance is coming.”
Ana walked out to the deck and looked at the billowy forest canopy. Clouds had blown in from the coast and were now covering the blue sky like a woolen shield. Moisture hung in the air, threatening rain. She spotted a dark shape flying toward them. A yellow bird with brown wings and a black mask swooped in and landed on the railing. Balam walked out and held up Chance’s worn piece of maroon fabric. The creature chattered and hopped down to the ground. A moment later, Chance rose.
“Welcome back. How was it?” Ana could tell from the cheerful expression on his face that he had had a memorable day.
“That was fantastic! Came back and found you guys had left so I thought I’d fly home. Hungry and all.” He patted his muscular abdomen and Ana thought she detected his stomach rumbling.
“Say, what’s that in your hair?”
“Balam just gave it to me. Isn’t it amazing?” Her fingers traced over it once more.
“It’s beautiful on you,” Chance said.
“Ana accessed her own power while you were gone. I thought it was a good time to give her a healing totem.”
Chance frowned, clearly confused. He stared at Ana and she wasn’t entirely sure what he was thinking. Uncomfortable in the spotlight, she explained quickly, “Balam thinks I may have the ability to heal. Strange, right?”
Chance took a moment and then he beamed with pride. “Fantastic!”
“Chance, your grandfather left this for you and I gave it to him. It is part of your heritage. I would like to return it to you.”
Balam pressed something into Chance’s hands. He responded by shaking his great-grandfather’s hand and said, “Thanks, Balam. I appreciate it. I promise to keep it safe.”
The jade jaguar pendant gleamed in his fingers.
“You’re both hungry from your day of accomplishment. Let’s celebrate!”
Ana remembered Balam’s idea of celebration and was wary. Maybe she would skip the corn alcohol and brew some hot chocolate instead. Chance seemed to read what she was thinking and snickered before lifting her in the air unexpectedly. She squealed in surprise and exclaimed, “Oh!”
Balam wandered into the kitchen, pulled out a tall, clear bottle, and then started a fire in the kitchen grill. She had a feeling it would be yet another memorable night.
Chapter 29
The darkness made it feel like night, but it was morning, Chance was sure of it. Raindrops replaced the sound of pleasant birds chirping and created a white noise that pulled him deeper into bed. The moisture in the air filled his lungs. It was a nice change from the dry weather they’d experienced over the last few
weeks.
Unsure of the time, he glanced at his watch. It was after seven already. Why hadn’t Balam come to wake him? He figured he was probably letting him have a well-deserved rest. His feet slipped out from under the sheets and touched the cold stone floor. The previous night he had eaten and drunk way too much; his stomach and head were paying the price today. Some hot chocolate would probably soothe his aching stomach and Ana would likely have herbs for the splitting headache. His hands rested on his temples and he decided to skip pushups today.
He picked through his pile of clothes and pulled on a wrinkled t-shirt and cargo shorts. A strand of hair tumbled into his eyes and he scratched his scalp. It had been too long since his last haircut. Maybe if they could find a pair of scissors, Ana could give him a trim.
A draft from the open windows followed him into the hallway as he stopped to see if Ana was awake. Her sleeping form wasn’t under the sheets and most importantly, they lay in a twisted heap on the floor. She was meticulous when it came to her room and belongings. He liked to tease her about it. He felt instinctively that something was wrong and sped downstairs.
The living space was empty. No sign of Balam or Ana. Chance’s heartbeat pounded in his ears as he raced back upstairs to make sure they weren’t in Balam’s room for some reason. Not finding them there, he darted to the kitchen. Had they eaten and left for an early training session without him? Balam had once taken Chance out alone and left Ana behind. He tried convincing himself it was just like that time. But it just didn’t feel right.
A carafe of hot chocolate that had cooled to room temperature sat at the center of the hand-hewn dining table. Beside it, a mug lay on its side, its contents spilled across the surface and onto the stone floor.
“Ana!” he yelled half-heartedly, not expecting to hear a response.
Chance flew down the darkened stairwell into the underground cavern. Water dropped from the cave ceiling and slapped against the pool below. The irregular cadence unnerved him even more. He shook the suspended walkway while he ran and eventually emerged from the mouth of the grotto into the gloomy jungle.
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