This time of year, just before winter set in, Wabi always opened up the windows of his house and let nature enter, wherever she so wished. Of course, many winged critters wandered through, namely butterflies and midges. But the breeze blowing through the trees also brought the smell of greenery such as spruce, cedar, evergreens of all kinds, and his favorite, pine. These smells carried over from all his travels, throughout time, and lent just a touch of continuity to his many lives. He was at home with all these aromas, and was thankful he had been called to this life. He had lived many lives, but didn't actually remember all of them, but rather, certain events in each one. Most assuredly, however, he knew the Creator had called him to serve as mentor to any number of "called" ones who needed guidance in order for them to learn how to use their special talents for the betterment of mankind.
Wabi had spent this lifetime with Caitlin, providing her with incidents that would have allowed her to exercise her special talents; but, so far, she seemed unaware of her unique abilities. Perhaps because she was so involved with her healing, she had not allowed herself to listen in the way that is required for those talents to manifest themselves.
But, now, apparently she was beginning to open her mind and discover her gifts and purpose in life as well. Wabi smiled to himself, then picked Max up and placed him in his lap. Scratching the pup behind his ears, he talked to the small dog.
"Well, my brave little beast, you know we all have the same purpose, to serve mankind and do our part to bring peace and harmony to this wonderful world of ours. If we can achieve even a small measure of this, then we shall have accomplished much. But, for all those who would undertake to work toward this end, there are even more who will strive to undermine our works. Ah, such a waste of effort that could be put to productive use."
Max kept still, flicked an ear, listening as always, but made no comment, preferring to close his eyes and take a little nap.
"Well, maybe this is just too much information for one so young," said Wabi as he placed Max in his basket by the hearth.
Wabi poured himself a glass of mulberry wine and was looking forward to his shepherd's pie. He would stop by tomorrow to thank Aned for this most appreciated gesture. He was a very good cook also, but having someone else prepare a dish and deliver it to your doorstep was a treat. So, he laid his place on the scrubbed pine table and put out his finest dishes, some pottery ones that had been passed down through several generations. He then served the steaming food onto his plate. Wabi believed that one should dine, not just eat!
As he began to dip his fork into the scrumptious smelling pie, the steam was rising up indicating it was extremely hot. But, the steam began to climb higher and higher, in front of his face, then expanded to cover the table entirely. He felt the familiar tingling of his scalp and knew someone was trying to reach him, but who? And why was it happening this way, through the steam? There are several much more direct ways of calling to another, thought Wabi. Then, another familiar aspect presented itself — lavender with a touch of mint. He would know that particular scent anywhere. Caitlin! Caitlin was trying to call him!
Opening his mind and allowing access to his center, he waited to hear what she had to say. But, he could barely hear her.
"Yes, Caitlin, I am here. I hear you." Wabi waited and waited, but the steam finally dissipated and he no longer felt the connection with Caitlin.
He took a sip of his wine and thought for a few moments.
"Ah, she doesn't quite know how to do this just yet and is probably just thinking about me, very hard, and some of her thoughts are escaping. She hasn't yet learned she must let down all barriers in order to get across time and space. But, if that is the case, then what is happening with her?"
Verbalizing his thoughts was habit with Wabi. It seemed to help him organize his thinking somehow. After a bit more thought, he took his wine and walked back outside where the wind was whistling through the tall pines, and he listened carefully. Nothing there. Looking up, thinking that he might find Owl, there was nothing there either. What could be happening that would create an opening for him to know she was calling?
Like being hit by a bolt of lightning, Wabi stopped and stared at the ground, watching the small frisky squirrels chasing through the leaves that had fallen.
"Of course! The only thing that would cause this 'partial communication' would be that Caitlin is in distress! She really doesn't understand what is happening, this new experience of using her newly found abilities. So, when she's worried, or distressed, the barriers lose some of their cohesive structure."
It had been so long since Wabi had first experienced his "awakening" and learned these skills that he had forgotten what a frightening experience it could be. He had been much younger than Caitlin when his powers first began to manifest and, as he recalled, it was a most unsettling time. Like Caitlin, he was by himself when it all started happening. Over the years, he had tried so hard to help Caitlin realize these special talents, but she walked away from them every time they tried to appear. But now, for some reason, she was receptive and in the throes of something that was distressing her. He knew he could call for Owl, but also knew Owl would contact him if he were truly needed. So, after considering several options, he decided to stay put. At least for the moment.
After completing his washing up in the kitchen, Wabi went outside to make sure all gates were closed and all windows shuttered. Maximo was snug in his basket, and all was ready for the evening. As he was about to close the stable door, who should make a flying dip down and land on his shoulder, but Owl.
"Well, my wise old friend. I was just thinking about you, but then you knew that I am sure. We can use 'cerebral communication,' you know. It might keep you from making such long flights, my friend."
Wabi waited for Owl to respond, enjoying the clipped, very British accent Owl had "adopted." Apparently Owl, too, had lived several lives, and one was most certainly in the company of a very proper Englishman. And to think he was now keeping company with a rather gruff, old Scot with a Gaelic brogue. That must be trying for him!
Owl turned his head, almost all the way around, something that still bothered Wabi. "Master Wabi. I did, indeed, feel you thinking about me and Caitlin. And you know how I detest cerebral communication! Now, back to Caitlin, at the moment she is well enough, but engaged in a very disturbing journey it would seem. Presently, she is running from an innkeeper, someone from here in this village, as well as a lord and, even more worrisome, a soldier, one who is sure she is a witch and seeks to dispose of her."
"Good heavens! That girl has a penchant for getting herself into tight places, and it has always been thus. But, when she was a child, it usually didn't take much 'special' attention to retrieve her. But now, she has really brought on a challenge for herself and maybe me as well!"
Wabi shook his head, "I don't know, Owl. I might be getting a bit too old for this nonsense. But, if need be, I'll go to her aid. But unless you tell me otherwise, I'll assume she is dealing with this in her own way, which is all any of us can do. All challenges bring about growth, and Caitlin still has need of that."
"She is still struggling to come to terms with communicating with others, meaning me, at the moment. That was a bit uncomfortable for both of us. Why she finds it difficult I can't understand. But, she is accepting that I am traveling with her. Of course, Willie, that's her wolf, knows she is special, so hopefully he will play a part in her understanding of abilities that she has let lay dormant for her entire life."
"Oh, she travels with a wolf you say. Interesting." Wabi stroked his beard, trying to remember.
"Yes, of course, family folklore tells of an ancestor of hers who also traveled with a wolf. I wonder if Caitlin has heard of this tale. This could be interesting. I'm glad he's with her. A wolf can be a great protector, if need be."
"Ah, yes, he has already saved her from the soldier, and the soldier has not forgotten it I am sure."
"Well, then, let's just see how she does. Keep me
up to date, please, my friend." Wabi watched Owl as he soared high to the treetops and heard his soft "hoo hoo" as he disappeared into the darkness......
CHAPTER 29
Alex was not sure what he would say to Caitlin to convince her to leave the cave and go back north with him. As Hector had reminded him, she seemed to have made up her mind and that could present some difficulty for him. His Mam had usually gone along with whatever Da had decided, but on the few occasions when she didn't agree, then you couldn't pull her off her decision with a team of mules.
"Woman! Ye've got a lot in common with me mules sometimes, I tell ye! A stubborn streak as wide as Loch Ness!" Da was jut a bit put out with her on that day. Alex remembered it clearly, and it was a fond memory.
"So, Alex, old man, ye got some more thinking ta do," he said to himself, reining his horse to a halt and dismounting. He knew the path to take to get back to the cave, but it was not an easy ride. He had been on the road for some time now and needed to rest, and he was concerned about his horse as well. Caring for animals was something that Da had instilled in him early on. "If you take care of your animals, then they'll take care of you." Da had said that many times over the years. People might learn from the animals also, thought Alex. The MacKinnons did care for their animals very well, and this same caring attitude was evident in how they cared for their kin as well.
Some of their folk they took care of was old Jamie, some distant cousin of sorts, who had worked on the farm all his life. Being the oldest of the men, he couldn't do as much as when he was a young man, but he still contributed what he could and was very much a part of their family. Then Uncle Andrew, also an oldster, was perhaps THE most important member, as he was their bard, and that was a position that was well respected in any clan. As bard, he knew the history of the MacKinnon clan and could recite their lineage with nary a mistake. It had occurred to Alex that it would be good to get this information down on paper, as none of them knew it like Uncle Andrew did. So, recently he had asked Uncle Andrew to give some thought to "putting it down on paper" as Alex called it.
"Uncle Andrew, nothing pleases this bunch more than listening to your stories in the evening. But, it occurs to me that none of us will probably remember who is who and what was what. But, when ye be gone — sometime in the next century, as I see it — then our history will be lost."
"Aw, Alex, ye won't be forgetting it. But, if it makes ye more easy, then I'll give a try at "putting it down on paper" as ye say. 'Course, I may have to check some records down in Edinburgh, at a few kirks around here, and maybe even some over on the west side, around Skye. We got cousins all over the place!"
Alex wrapped himself tightly in his plaid and settled in for the night, and a chilly one it would be. Winter seemed to be right around the corner, and the air was crisp with a fine mist blowing about. He would like to finish this task quickly and head back north before the snows got heavy and hindered his progress.
As he lay there, under a tall pine tree, he heard a number of sounds he recognized, birds, squirrels, some critter digging in the leaves, and the quiet "hoo hoo" of an owl. At least at this time of year the midges wouldn't carry him off. Then he drifted off to sleep within a few minute, tired from his traveling.
Sometime in the wee hours of the morning, he raised up on an elbow and listened. What had awakened him? His Mam would have said someone "walked over your grave," but Alex had sensed a presence, and thought he heard the whimpering of an animal. But, perhaps he was just dreaming. He lay back down and was fast asleep once again and never realized that the noise and presence were indeed near, just beyond the ridge he had crossed a short while earlier, a horse and a rider, being trailed by a wolf. As they passed in the dark of night, each of these travelers was thinking of the other and wondering if they would meet again.
The next morning, very early, Alex stood up and tried to stretch out some of the kinks from sleeping on the ground. Up above him, an owl greeted him with a hardy "hoo hoo" and Alex was reminded of the owl that lived in the tree at Caitlin's cave. He saddled up and started out again, renewed after some rest. The ground was covered with a fine frost, a sure indication winter was about to make its appearance. He heard the crunching of the icy leaves as his mount began to walk briskly himself, finding the cool air to his liking. Shortly, he would be warm enough as Alex would ask him to run at a fast pace in order to make good time. The horse sensed his master's anxiety and would respond when asked to move quickly as this animal recognized a good master and was eager to please.
Horse and rider went cantering along the downhill side of the mountain and headed directly to the village just south of Inverness where he had met the healer. Not far now. But what would he find when he got there? He was just hoping Caitlin would listen to reason this time, otherwise he had actually considered kidnapping her.
"Good Lord, man! Yer beginning to sound like Jack and one of his crazy schemes!" But he was convinced that Caitlin was in real danger, whether she could see it or not.
As the sun began to sink into the western sky, Alex moved over the moor, skirted the village, and went directly in the direction of the cave. He wanted to keep his presence unknown until he could see what the situation was before he went inside. He had no doubt she would be aware of his presence as that giant wolf would announce his arrival. He hoped the animal was as friendly to him this time as he had been when he was here last. That had to be the largest wolf he had ever seen! And how in heaven had she trained him to be her companion? He had killed any number of them in his time, mostly to keep them from attacking his sheep and scattering them to kingdom come. Wolves and sheep didn't go together. That thought had not occurred to him until now. Even if he did talk her into coming, she would never leave her wolf behind. That was something else to think about. Well, for right now, he had enough to dwell on.
He tied his horse well away from the cave entrance, back in the trees, just as before. There was a crescent moon brightening the sky that provided enough light for him to move about. He was half expecting something or someone to jump out and grab him, most probably a wolf. But, the closer he got to the cave, he could hear nothing, not even birds or scurrying animals. It was as if the entire area was uninhabited by man or beast.
He poked his head in the entrance to the cave, and there was total blackness. No light could be seen anywhere. But, something was still there. The scent of lavender and mint. Caitlin's scent. Unique to her. He was not good at determining smells, but this one he recognized and it brought memories of a smiling face, lots of red, curly hair, and a will of iron. Whatever, just smelling it made him more determined than ever to find her.
He found a candle near the entrance up on a small ledge that had been carved into the cave wall. He lighted it and then lifted it high in order to find his way back to the larger room and the kitchen area. It was obvious no one was here, certainly not Caitlin or her wolf, and the cave had a feeling of having been deserted for a while now. As he looked about the large room, there on the small table, where they had enjoyed tea and conversation, was the teapot she was so fond of.
"Now, why on earth would she leave without taking her teapot?" he questioned. She had felt this teapot was special and was meant for her. He remembered her telling him the story about how she came by it.
At this juncture, he lighted several more candles along the wall of the large room and walked farther back, farther than he had gone before. As he continued to light even more candles, the room actually was very bright and as he looked around, he could see Caitlin's touch everywhere. There were bunches of herbs hanging from the ceiling, and lots of heather all about. Yes, she had turned a cave into an inviting home.
Just as he was about to return to the large room, he walked around one more corner and saw a chair had been overturned and a broken bowl laid on the floor. Some white powder was strewn about on the floor also, and he stooped down and touched it was his fingers, sniffing them. He could tell it was one of her medicines, and Caitlin would never have
left this mess unless she had left in a hurry.
As he started to get back up, he spotted something of interest — several dark spots on the floor. Again he put his fingers in the spots and smelled them. He shuttered as he knew immediately what it was — blood! The blood was old and congealed, and there was actually quite a lot of it. Whoever the blood belonged to must have received a sizeable wound of some sort.
Maybe a patient? But, no, Caitlin would have cleaned this up, unless something had happened that caused her to heave in a hurry. Alex didn't even want to think about what it could be.
After looking about for another moment, he saw Caitlin's medicine bag was not here, and certainly the wolf was not either. She would never willingly leave either behind, and he hoped this meant she had left of her own choosing. But, now what was he to do? He still had to find her. And he so hoped the blood was not Caitlin's!
Alex decided he would stay in the cave for the evening, and the next morning would wander into the village and see if, perhaps, Caitlin had moved to a new dwelling. Maybe she thought the cave would be too cold in the winter. At least he could ask around the village, and maybe even hear something about Commander Campbell, but he would have to be very cautious.
Getting up early, and finding some of Caitlin's delicious tea, he had a cup and tried to make a plan of some sort. If he didn't find her in the village, then he would slowly make his way back home, asking along the way about the red-haired healer. Looking about the cave for the last time, he started to go and, at the last moment, for some strange reason, picked up the teapot, wrapped it tightly in some bits of cloth, and put it in his travel bag. It was very small, but seemed to mean a lot to the healer.
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