The Wolf the Wizard and the Woad Read online

  There were also other markings—perhaps a language—that Ooma did not understand. The bowl was an ancient family heirloom that had been passed down to her as it had been to all the medicine women in her family. The old ones believed it was created by the Keeper himself, but no one truly knew its origin.

  She held the bowl carefully, feeling the vibrations that were always present in this treasured receptacle. Lifting it high above her head, her arms outstretched, she made her plea, hoping to cross the divide between her world and the other one where the Keeper resided.

  "Make this vessel a receptacle for your wisdom, and may it be made manifest within me as I perform this sacred ritual.” She placed it at her feet and bowed her head.

  “Ancient One, Keeper of the Memories and Knowledge, you created this bowl from sacred earth and instilled it with memories of past events and future ones as well. Today I ask that you bring me closer to your understanding and allow me to enter your most revered realm.

  The fire was enormous now, blazing with flames of orange, red, yellow and white. Small streaks of blue dashed here and there seeking a crevice where they could burn brightly, too.

  The next step in the ritual, partaking of brew, was the most dangerous step. Ooma had not forgotten this fact as she meticulously prepared the potentially lethal concoction. The herbs in this brew would facilitate her transit from one state of consciousness to another. Yage, chacruna shrub, sweet grass, and a few other secret ingredients were used in the mixture. She brought the bowl to her lips, drank deeply from it, and then placed it back in the indentation. She lifted her arms skyward and raised her voice to the spirits.

  Stepping out of the center, she began a slow dance, weaving around the circle, twisting and turning, all the while chanting in a tongue understood only by her kind, those who have been gifted by the Great Spirit. She watched the fire intently as the wind picked up, the trees bending to accommodate its fury. The flames grew higher and hotter, and the light from the fire began to shimmer. Quickly, she stepped back inside the circle, the heat tremendous, the roar deafening.

  Ooma knew these phenomena must precede the vision she hoped to see. Then the moment came when she no longer felt grounded to the earth—became one with the fire. Her vision began to waver, and she could vaguely make out movement within the flames.

  The shadowy outline of an old man, rather tall and thin, flickered before her. Something about him was familiar. As the vision began to come into focus, she could see him more clearly, but he stood with his back to her and she could not see his face. No matter—he had arrived.

  "Ancient One, you have blessed me with your presence."

  Ooma had seen him only a few times in her life, but knew she had found the Keeper. Watching through the shimmering flames, she saw him conversing with a small, young woman with flaming hair. Their heads were close together, and he was speaking, explaining something to the young woman, who turned her head slightly at an angle, a gesture Ooma had seen Ci-Cero make many times when she was engrossed in learning something new. This scene might be one that happened already . . . or was yet to happen in the future. There was no way for Ooma to know.

  Then, just moments later, the smoke began to drift away with the wind, the vision shimmered once again, and Ooma watched until it faded away. The process was exhausting. She kneeled in acknowledgement and thanksgiving, arms stretched out in front of her and her head bowed in reverence. Slowly, the circling ravens took wing and sailed to the sky.

  "Great Spirit, you have shown great compassion for this medicine woman. Your greatness never ceases to amaze, and your wisdom is a gift to us all."

  The fire simmered down, and the earthenware bowl glowed in the dark, making it appear that the carved animals were dancing around the edge. Ooma sat quietly, waiting until the bowl was cool enough to touch. Only then would she return it to its special resting place in her hut.

  This ritual had long-lasting physical and mental side effects, and Ooma longed to lie down on her soft pallet. She could sleep now. All was well.

  The next morning, she was content knowing Ci-Cero was with the Ancient One. But as the day continued, she was aware of an unsettled, irritating feeling, something that niggled at the back of her brain.

  She walked to the stream, thinking a good immersion might clear her head. As she bent over the water, she saw her reflection. She closed her eyes and thought back to the vision she had seen the night before. She could still see it in her mind.

  Suddenly it dawned on her, something in the vision that she had ignored. Oh no. I didn't pay attention to it last night, that area of black fog creeping along on the edge of the vision. It’s something repulsive by nature, but what? Does it mean Ci-Cero is in danger?

  "Great Spirit, is it meant for me to intervene in your plans? Does Ci-Cero need my help?"

  Ooma sat quietly. She had learned long ago that the spirits expected her to use her fine mind and intuition before they would come to her assistance. Summoning a great deal of discipline, she rejected her first impulse, which was to perform another ritual in hopes of preventing disaster from befalling Ci-Cero.

  Acting hastily never leads to good outcomes, she reminded herself. I'll sleep on this question before I take any further action.

  She gathered herself and quieted her mind. Her vision had revealed the Ancient One was with Ci-Cero. Perhaps the black fog meant nothing. For now, she must accept that Ci-Cero must make this journey, and trust her Goddess and the Great Spirit would travel with her.

  Chapter 11

  C

  i-Cero walked toward the sun, which at this late afternoon hour was slowly sinking in the southwest leaving trails of orange, pink and yellow drifting across the sky. With no indication as to which way to go, she hoped the Goddess would provide some assistance.

  Rakki kept close, ears perked up, eyes scanning, and all his senses alert. Toes was buried deep inside one of the pockets in Ci-Cero’s pouch. The little animal would be of great help when they needed additional food along the way. For now, however, she was content to take one of her many naps.

  "Once we cross the creek where the small trees grow, we'll be leaving Sohochee territory. Ooma always told me I must never go beyond this area, as she doesn't know what tribes I may come in contact with. Some of them may be friendly, but there could be others that may not be, and I don't exactly look like a member of any tribe they may be acquainted with. But we must go beyond. I suspect this is only the first hurdle we must jump, Rakki.”

  She more or less followed the sun, which was an important part of life in this land. The Sohochee had many rituals in which the Sun God was honored, and the bright orb seemed closer to the earth here, showed itself almost every day. In her home country across the Great Water and far to the north, the sun was seen much less.

  Today the sun was warm, without a cloud in the sky. But after walking only a short while, she stopped and sat on a patch of soft grass. “We’ve been walking for hours, Rakki, and I’m not sure we’re getting anywhere, but I’ve got to stop awhile. My legs ache.”

  Putting her pouch down, she drank from her canteen, sipping only a small amount to conserve her water. Rakki rested on his haunches, and Ci-Cero used his back as a pillow. A few minutes passed, and she stood, stretched her arms above her head. She grabbed her pouch and looked down inside to make sure Toes was still there.

  “We're going to work our way toward the Great Water. I know Ooma and Standing Beaver found me on a beach somewhere. I have no idea if it was south or north of Sohochee territory, but somehow I feel it might have been south.”

  Even though it had been years ago, Ci-Cero vividly remembered Papi’s great longboat and the voyage across the great ocean. Memories of her family were as fresh as if she had only left them yesterday. She’d relived that last day with them so often her brain had recorded every scene, and today she felt a need to revisit that memory.

  "It’s time to release the body, sir," one of the oarsmen informed her father. They’d had a ritual
most every day now, and Papi could no longer conceal his concern. Ci-Cero saw his distress and sensed his anxiety—he was never good at hiding his emotions from her.

  "Papi, why is everyone sick? MiMi doesn't feel well either. Will she die like the other women?" Ci-Cero asked.

  Papi pulled her close. "No, MiMi's tired, but she won't die. She's a strong woman. Don't worry, she'll be fine."

  The memory was still vivid, but now her thoughts returned to the present as she needed to concentrate on her next move. MiMi said the Goddess will send help if I ask for it. Well, I’ve spent several hours in constant prayer, pleading with her, but it’s twilight now and I still have no idea if we should continue toward the water or go back toward the forest.

  She walked on, and now the ache in her leg was even more acute. Closer inspection revealed a swollen ankle, twice the size it should have been.

  Now a swollen ankle as well? Goodness me but it stings like a demon.

  It was at these times that being a medicine woman did have some advantages. She plundered through her medicine pouch for the salve she knew would ease the swelling. It helped relieve the pain immediately, but suddenly she found herself yawning.

  I'm so sleepy, but this salve doesn't have any ingredients to cause sleepiness. But I . . .

  She simply could not stay awake. She slipped to the ground, lost in a world where no light could penetrate. Rakki lay down beside her, where he would stay until she returned.

  Hours later she awoke. As she became oriented, she took stock of her situation. “Rakki, I’ve been drugged. How could that have happened?”

  There were no strange sounds, no animals nearby, nothing to cause alarm. But when she lifted her nose, mimicking Rakki, she gasped and put her hand over her nose and mouth.

  “Oh, heavens, what is that disgusting odor?”

  She wrinkled her nose then turned her head away from the direction of the putrid smell and began to heave violently. The odor was strong and nauseating—not exactly like a dead animal, but close. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the odor was gone as if it were never there.

  It's gone now, but what caused it? There's something strange going on here.

  An unexplained event was not to her liking, and her anxiety pegged up a notch. Then, just before the last pink streak of light left the sky, she heard an unfamiliar sound. Apparently Rakki had heard it as well, as he rushed to her side, almost knocking her down in the process.

  “Grrr, grrr.” The wolf began a low, menacing growl, which meant he would shortly be in attack mode.

  Ci-Cero scanned the area, listening, the noise quite loud at this point. "Look, Rakki, high up there above the trees. Those birds, what are they?" Ci-Cero pointed skyward, and Rakki raised his eyes.

  A huge gathering of ravens, several hundred, moved toward them, flying in a tight pattern as though one unit. Then, as if from some unseen signal, the birds ceased their raucous croaking and cawing, stopped flapping their blue-black wings, and settled down in a large hickory tree. Ci-Cero had placed her sleeping mat under this tree and planned on staying the night at this location. Apparently her feathered friends would roost here as well.

  “Finally,” she exclaimed. "Surely, this is an omen from the Goddess. GrandPapi says ravens are the smartest birds of all. Did you know they can do somersaults in the air? And if you throw a ball up, they'll try to catch it. They also rob nests sometimes—guess they have to eat, too.”

  With the long-awaited signal having been sent and received, Ci-Cero and her two weary friends bedded down for the night. Tomorrow would come, and she now had some help knowing which way to proceed.

  "Come, Rakki, let's rest while we can. I don't have any idea how much farther we must travel, and I wish the Presence would show itself, help us."

  She covered herself with her wrap, the one she had kept all these years. Toes was buried as far down as she could get, preferring to stay put, and Rakki lay next to Ci-Cero, not concerned with the arrival of the ravens, as they presented no threat.

  Chapter 12

  C

  i-Cero raised up quickly, holding her hands over her ears. "What is that racket?” she exclaimed. Morning had come much too soon, and brought with it some unexpected occurrences. This amount of noise was too great for such an early hour.

  Rakki jumped up, and Toes scampered even farther down inside the pouch. Ci-Cero had been sleeping soundly in a dreamlike softness, with Toes snuggled inside her pouch and Rakki’s warm body next to hers. The next moment, she’d been jerked from her warm cocoon by a noise that would have awakened the dead.

  “Caw! Caw! Caw!”

  The screaming and croaking from the treetops was deafeningly loud. Apparently, the ravens started their day literally at the crack of dawn and thought the rest of the world should also. Vigorously vocalizing their desire to get moving, again at some unseen signal, they took to the sky and presented as a large, black, moving mass headed northeast.

  Ci-Cero, Rakki, and Toes started off, using the flying mass of ravens as their guidance system, as there didn’t seem to be any other at hand. A moment later, Ci-Cero halted. "Wait, northeast can't be the right direction, can it? We've been heading southwest."

  She experienced a moment of apprehension, but finally decided to follow the ravens, as she felt certain their appearance was a sign from the Goddess. In her dreams the night before, the Presence was there, and for the first time ever appeared to be urging her to move at a faster pace.

  But northeast? Surely that can't be right. What will I do if I meet someone along this path?

  No sooner had she wondered about the situation than it became a real probability. All at once the ravens began a cacophony of sound that could not be ignored, then made another slight change in direction.

  “Now where are we heading? I don't know, Rakki, maybe we shouldn't be following the ravens after all."

  The group—Ci-Cero, Rakki, Toes, and their ever-cawing, winged friends—rounded a small clump of trees, beyond which was a series of mounds, a dozen or more.

  "Look, burial grounds for those gone on to the next world. We have these back home, too. Remember running along beside them when you were a pup? GrandMiMi told me we must walk quietly and reverently when we come close to these, for the spirits of the departed may still be lingering here. She said animals feel emotions, just as humans do. Perhaps the ravens are aware that spirits of the dead may still be present."

  They didn’t meet anyone, but perhaps because her senses were on high alert Ci-Cero’s nose came to attention and registered a very faint scent.

  Hold on, where’s that coming from? Like evergreen, fresh and green from the forest. Don't think I know what it is, but I like it. Clean, like new budding plants or trees in the early spring.

  “Rakki? Why is my skin beginning to tingle?” She began looking about. Abruptly, the scent was gone and her skin no longer tingled. Rakki had picked up the scent also and moved closer to her. She listened, and looked all around again. Nothing.

  “Must be my imagination. Thankfully, this scent is very pleasant,” she whispered, recalling the vile odor following her ankle incident.

  Off they started again, Rakki in the lead.

  This journey may prove to be more eventful that I had expected. It’s getting longer and longer. We've been traveling for half of a moon cycle but are we any closer? Ooma's food has carried me so far, but I can't live on berries and bread forever. I'll have to let Toes scurry down a hole to flush out a rabbit, or chase down a bird."

  Chapter 13

  O

  n the evening Ci-Cero left the Sohochees, the bright yellow light of the moon had lighted her path. As she traveled, she’d watched the moon move from a ripe fullness to a crescent shape, and still she had no sign she was near her destination.

  She never had to think about when she should stop for the day, for the ravens stayed high above her until they decided to come en masse and settle in the treetops at twilight. The routine was simple—just follow the ravens. Tod
ay they were heading due east and her nose sent her a message that brought a smile to her face.

  "Rakki, there's only one thing that produces that tangy, salty scent—the Great Water. Come, hurry, we may find my people here.”

  CiCero picked up the pace, and Rakki, sensing her mood, trotted quickly beside her. The water was close, the breeze on her face was cool, and she could taste salt in the air. Rakki ran, leapt, and raced about like he did when he was a pup. Toes scampered out of her pocket and sprinted off ahead of Ci-Cero. The ravens made giant circles overhead, wheeling, careening, and squawking some message only they understood. Then, without warning, they disappeared across the horizon, appearing as tiny black specks in the sky.

  Ci-Cero’s nose led her across a large sand dune and brought her to the Great Water with all its breathtaking beauty and wonder, so vast and magnificent.

  "I'm sure we've arrived at the right place, Rakki. My body is on fire. The Presence is nearby.”

  She put her pouch aside and shed her dress. Rakki got to the water first and plunged into the breaking waves. Toes darted to the edge, but halted as the waves crashed on the shore, reaching for her tiny feet. After that close call, she darted back to safer ground up on the beach where she scampered after a fiddler crab seeking a place to hide.

  Having shed her clothing, as her people always did when swimming, Ci-Cero dived into a huge wave as it crested overhead. Being totally naked and submerged in water was a feeling she relished. Total freedom. Being suspended in water must surely be remembrance from the time before birth, she thought.

  She watched as Rakki’s head surfaced. Even if he hadn't come up next to her, she would have known he was close. Her nose told her several days ago that a bath would be a really good thing for all three of them.