71

Aurora
We woke to the chill October air and the rising sun. My heart was still heavy however somehow the rapture of Evander’s unconditional acceptance, of how he was so readily willing to be my rock and my roots, how he so instinctively became my safe place, the harbor of my troubles, my lust, my fury, and my tears were accepted and cultivated into something backed with an Alphas menace, his patience, his stubborn pride, accepted all that I was and would be. My tomorrows held the possibility of retribution for the amber-eyed woman and many others whose fates had been wronged by wicked hearts and ego-blackened souls. My spirit swelled with purpose, no longer dwelling on where fate tied my hands but where it allowed me to intervene.

We both groaned as we rose from where we landed on the cold earthen floor of the forest. Sleeping bags tangled among us. We ate and drank without a fire the crippling need for the coffee of death, made my brain fuzzy. I breathed in and out cleansing my mind and my senses with the environment around us. Evander watched me without words. I felt him tugging and testing the fibers of my being finding them solidified. “Better?” he asked without elaborating. I nodded. “Just missing coffee.” He chuckled. I shrugged.

Our words passed through our minds more effortlessly since our waking, as the connection between us wove tighter. With each caress, every mountain or hill to scale. In the three short weeks we had known each other, we had gone from strangers to mates, to souls bound by a strange heroic destiny. We drew with sticks in the dirt as we debated the best way we wanted to hunt our prey to feed our people. Go high or go low deer, bear, or big cats? Or fish and rabbits? I pushed for something in the middle. We would skirt the base of the high ground and the top of the mid. We would have a chance of large game but plan to search for a black-tailed buck. Come what may The Mother would provide what she chose for us.

Evander moved stealthily through the forest. He had taken a wide arc out searching for game planning to flush it in my general direction. My ears listened keenly, it was late afternoon, and we had made our way through the thick autumn landscape of the valley’s denser woods. I sat astride Spitfire moving at a slow walk, the reins still removed as I didn’t need them. The far-off torrent of movement could be heard as Evander gave chase and a large hooved body began moving for its life in my direction. One with the filly, I moved toward the sound, at a trot arrow knocked. The clearing ahead would be where we meet. I matched my pace to him, measuring out the right timing and distance, emerging from the trees at the south end of the large glade as a massive 10-point buck crashed from the north. I surged the filly forward using the stirrups and the muscles of my legs to swing low off to the side of her putting me at the right height for the shot.

My instinct held no hesitation—one breath. With one exhale, the arrow whizzed through the air, striking behind the animal's front leg hitting his vital organs. The majestic beast bellowed as his momentum faltered and he fell to the forest floor. Evander emerged from the trees sitting as I dismounted and went to kneel beside the mighty buck. I stroked his massive head as I whispered in Gaelic.``Tapadh leat a rìgh cumhachdach na coille airson do ìobairt, bheir mi urram dhut fhad ‘s a thèid mi air adhart a’ fuireach, tha an t-àm agad coinneachadh ri màthair san t-saoghal eile.” (“Thank you, mighty king of the forest, for your sacrifice, I will honor you as I go on living, it is your time to meet the mother in the other world.”) The animal exhaled and I felt his spirit lift from his body. Instead of simply being released and absorbed into The Mother’s energy around us the buck’s spirit fell into me. His energy rippled and mingled with my own and I felt the forest around us in even more vivid sensations. Heightened colors and torrents of sound, and smells. My eyes closed, honing in on the feeling.

The energy around me pulled into me filling me with the ancient history of the mountains, the forest, each rock and tree and creature. I could feel the trees! The buck’s spirit left me as my breath hitched. My eyes met Evander’s as he sat back on his haunches his big grey wolf head cocked as his glowing blue eyes observed me no doubt able to feel the tremors in the magic, the energy of the natural world as the buck’s spirit mingled with my own before with a sudden static buzz it was absorbed into the world surrounding us, yet he left something behind. Something raw and ancient as the land beneath us. It was a blessing. My perception of the world had opened up. My eyes panned out and I gasped as the clearing overflowed with wildflowers, as if it were spring and not the impending winter. My eyes focused back on Evander, his wolf form leaned forward bowing low though his eyes stayed on mine. ‘My Queen,’ he spoke in my mind. I shook my head in denial. ‘The forest has spoken,’ his voice flitted through my mind. I closed my eyes from his piercing navy stare and took a deep breath honing in my new abilities. I could even track the lost souls beyond our territory. I nodded. My gaze shot back to Evander. “Rise my King,” I said out loud. His wolf head nodded as he stood moving towards the filly to retrieve his clothes. I stroked the buck's fur, whispering ancient thanks and prayers for his sacrifice. Then my soul began to sing to the animal as I worked through the necessary task of processing him. Evander came up to me silent as his hands moved to task helping me honor my respect for the animal who had passed his power to me, to us.