Long Snows Moon (8 page)

She cast a sad glance in the direction of her
lost shoe, and began her hunt for Moon.

She took a pull from her trusty flask and
limped through the clearing. She took another fortifying sip before
entering the dark woods. She called out until her voice was nothing
but a rasp of cold air in front of her.

Intermittent moonbeams penetrated the stand
of trees and she was able to make out her surroundings. She
shuffled through the dark, ducking and dodging the trees that
reached out for her. The branches swatted at her face, her jacket,
and her jeans, taking bits of flesh and fabric as she passed.

She felt a presence behind her and wheeled
around. “Moon?”

It was not Moon. She gasped when she faced a
bear the size of a tree.

When you run with no direction, you will
stumble upon the roots and rocks. On your journey, you must take
your time in order to absorb the knowledge you seek.

Terror gripped her and made her move. She
hobbled and lurched through the underbrush. Devon had an
opportunity to reflect on the bear’s counsel when she found herself
face down on the forest floor tripped up by the aforementioned
root. She listened for the crashing footfalls, but it seemed the
bear had not pursued her. She rolled onto her back and wiped the
dirt from her mouth, listening.

The raven’s call startled her. Devon felt the
flutter of its wings as it settled nearby. It blended with the
darkness and watched her from a much closer proximity than Devon
liked.

“Are you the raven from my balcony?” Devon
asked. She searched the dark for something black, feeling foolish
and not foolish at all.

The raven was silent.

“Have I stumbled into some alternate
universe?” Devon asked. “Another realm?”

The bird squawked and took flight.

It is all in your mind.

“Is it?” Devon whispered. She peeled off her
frozen sock wincing at the size of her ankle. She put her ski glove
on her foot. It wasn’t a good fit and sure wasn’t pretty, but it
would keep her foot dry for the time being.

“Moon! Where are you?”

What answered her back made Devon shiver. The
howl of a wolf or perhaps a coyote reminded Devon once again of her
reality. She was in a dangerous place, miles outside her comfort
zone, fundamentally unprepared for survival in the elements or the
wild. She should have stayed home where she was safe and loved. She
pulled her knees to her chest for warmth, clenching her teeth to
keep them from chattering.

For the moment, she’d forgotten she had no
one waiting for her at home. She had no safe place, no love, nobody
to miss her or to worry.

She smirked. So what? Screw the pity party
She wasn’t going to attend it. She didn’t need anyone else. She was
a lone wolf, always had been.

She inhaled and smelled the game around her.
It made her hungry. Devon shrugged off her fear as she would a
bathrobe. She saw herself naked and fearless. Her muscles twitched
and she was no longer cold. Moonbeams slashed through the woods
like giant talons prying back the trees to observe her.

She imagined herself running. Her eyes were
lucid and she knew the forest well. She stopped in a clearing to
howl.

Although the forest floor was impolite, she
settled against the roots and ruts, empowered by her fantasy. She
howled again, not caring if she roused the wolf or revealed herself
to the bear.

* * * *

Devon felt safe in the arms of a black bear.
He held her like an infant child. She felt his warm coat against
her face. She snuggled closer and listened to the whisper of the
wind, how it foretold his gifts.

I am Mudjewkeewis, spirit keeper of the West.
The time of the great sleep now ends and you must prepare yourself
a new life. First, you must heal old wounds. You must stand up on
your own to determine your strength. You must seek your own
authority and relinquish those vices that cloud you. You must look
inside yourself and discover your true heart. Only then will you be
at peace with the truth and knowledge of who you truly are. I bring
you gifts of courage and strength.

* * * *

Devon awakened still tucked in a tight fetal
ball. The words resounded in her head. A seed of hope was born.
From this dream came true wisdom. Devon hoped like hell she was
able to remember the wise words and apply them when she escaped the
bizarre forest. Slowly she unraveled herself, every muscle
screaming in protest, as she assessed her surroundings.

She was deep within the woods in a small
clearing where no trees stood. It had stopped snowing but her pants
were damp and muddy. Devon remembered her Indian name, Shadow Wolf.
She bolted up. How could she have forgotten her name? She
recognized the woods. It was not her first time here. She’d
followed a wolf puppy into the woods that day and came face to face
with a wondrous wolf. A wolf named Two Stars.

Devon scanned the clearing for the irksome
raven.

As if on cue, she heard the raven’s song from
above and wondered if she was still dreaming. The bird cascaded
downward and landed before her, its eyes shining like tiny black
marbles. It paced back and forth, much like the raven from her
balcony.

“My name is Shadow Wolf,” Devon told the
bird. She liked the way the name sounded, the braveness speaking it
evoked.

The raven squawked and seemed to nod.

“I followed a raven and ended up here,” Devon
told it, feeling hazy and surreal. “Was that you?”

The bird rose and fluttered in front of her,
then flew straight up through the clearing.

“Why won’t you tell me?” Devon called after
it. She tried to stand but realized her un-shoed foot could not
bear weight. She slid down a tree and took the glove off her foot.
It had doubled in size. It was going to be impossible to walk.

“Help me!” she cried.

She had to get back to her car even if that
meant dragging herself from tree to tree. She gripped a low branch
and hauled herself to her foot. She stood there a few seconds, as
wobbly as a foal, and fell down again, sliding against the tree and
scraping the side of her face on the bark.

She curled up and sobbed her tears stinging
the fresh wound on her cheek. She rolled over on her back, and
faced the night. The trees appeared to reach the stars.

“Moon!” she cried. “Where are you?”

Devon swiped at her tears and the blood on
her face.

“I need a drink!” she screamed. “I need a
fucking, damned, fucking drink!” Then she remembered her flask.

The raven appeared above her singing and
flitting about the treetops.

Fly high and you can see more clearly.

Devon whirled around and the raven was beside
her watching her with its black, droll eye.

“What?”

Look beyond the sky.

Devon looked around her for the voice.
Clearly, she was going mad, because the only other creature nearby
was the annoying raven.

“Help me or go away,” Devon warned.

The raven had the nerve to perch on Devon’s
knee.

“This is my dream so either help me or
leave.”

The raven spread its wings and sang. Devon
had to admit the sweetness of the raven’s song evoked a sense of
peace. Devon took the arrowhead in hand and traced the point around
her lips as she contemplated the memory of the girl who gave it to
her. She let herself be lulled, leaning against the tree. As she
dozed, it occurred to her that ravens didn’t sing.

Chapter Ten

“
We’re almost
there!” Analise announced from the front seat. For this trip, she
was Claire’s co-pilot.

“Can I sleep outside on the balcony this
year?” Devon asked, with her winning smile.

“Why would you want to sleep outside when the
cabin has comfy beds and yummy sheets?” Analise asked.

“So I can stare at the moon and hear the
animals.”

“That's ridiculous,” Claire scoffed.

“That sounds lovely, Devon,” Analise said.
“It's fine with me.”

“Thank you, Analise,” Devon said, waiting for
Claire's glare in the rear-view. It was right on time.

“Do not disrespect your mother that way!”

“Yes, sir, I'm sorry,” Devon raised a
sarcastic brow at Claire's reflection. “I mean Ma'am.”

If looks could kill, Devon would have melted
in a river of molten lava.

She smirked as she opened and closed the
heart-shaped locket she wore around her neck, a recent birthday
gift from her mother.

“I'm hungry, wow, look at that store. It’s
shaped just like a giant Indian tepee.”

“Devon,” Claire scolded, “Stop snapping that
locket, you’ll bend the clasp. Your mother spent a fortune on that
thing.”

“I'm not a child, stop treating me like one.
I'm fourteen for Christ's sake.”

“Then stop acting like one or this will be
the final girl’s retreat.”

“Fine with me,” Devon muttered.

“Enough,” Analise said. “No more arguing.
Claire, we can’t stop at the next exit so Devon can get a
snack.”

“Come on, Mom, I want to stop there. Look at
all of the cool Indian stuff on the porch. Look at that beautiful
dog!”

“Why can't we stop? The place looks
charming,” Claire said. “It is a rare occasion when Devon and I
agree.”

“Fine,” Analise grumbled.

Claire pulled onto the dirt and gravel drive
leading to Elk’s Pass Sundries. She ordered them all to wait until
the cloud of dust cleared before she gave them the okay to get
out.

Devon leapt from the backseat and ran to the
dog sleeping on the deck.

“Easy, Devon,” Claire cried. “You don’t know
that dog.”

Devon dropped to her knees to pet the
animal's luxurious coat.

“Is this a dog or a wolf?” Devon asked the
girl who appeared in the doorway.

“A dog,” the girl said.

“Do you mind if I pet her?” Devon asked.

“No, I don’t mind,” the girl said, kneeling
beside her. “Isn’t she soft?”

“She’s beautiful, what’s her name?”

“Ducks.”

“Ducks? That’s a weird name.”

“Not to me.”

Devon stroked Ducks’ nose. “One day I’m going
to have a dog just like you. Can I have a dog like Ducks one
day?”

Analise smiled. “Of course you will.”

“She just had puppies,” the girl told her.
“Do you want to see them?”

“Hell, yes. May I, Claire?”

“Just wash your hands and your filthy mouth
when you’re done.” Claire’s face looked like it was going to
crack.

Devon chuckled when Ducks raised her head and
growled at Claire. It surprised her when Analise knelt beside
Ducks.

“Go inside, Claire,” Analise said, as she
stroked the animal. When Claire didn’t move fast enough Ducks
scrambled to her feet and charged her.

“No!” Analise commanded, as she put herself
between Ducks and Claire. She knelt and stared into her eyes until
Ducks backed down. “It’s okay,” Analise, whispered, “it’s not her
fault, it's mine.”

Ducks resumed her post and Claire sidled into
the store.

“What’s your fault, Mom?” Devon asked.

“Some animals don’t like certain scents,”
Analise said. “The perfume I bought for Claire seems to offend
Ducks.”

Devon scowled. That sounded like a lie. It
was easier to believe Ducks sensed the evil that was Claire.

“It really does smell awful on her,” Devon
said.

“I’m sorry,” Analise, told the animal.

Ducks sighed and closed her eyes as if to
dismiss her. Analise seemed reluctant to leave but followed Claire
inside.

“I didn’t know my mom loved dogs,” Devon
pondered aloud.

“She seems to have a special way with
animals,” the girl noted.

“Weird. Can I see the puppies?”

“Sure, follow me.” She led Devon into a huge
greenhouse behind the store. “They’re almost weaned and will be
leaving soon.”

“Where are they going?” Devon cried,
assaulted by six tufts of fur. “They’re so cute how can you get rid
of them?”

“My mom sells them. They’re all sold except
for that one there, the black one, and this one.” She picked up a
grey bundle and cooed to her, tickling her tummy and kissing her
nose. “This one is mine, my mom said I can keep her, and when she’s
old enough she will have puppies and I will sell them.”

“How could you ever sell them?”

“So humans can learn from them.”

“I wish I could have one.” Devon pouted as
she snuggled one.

“Pure wolves mate and cycle once a year but
Ducks is a husky so she can have puppies any time of year. It is
rare for a high content hybrid to have blue or green eyes, but ours
do. This one has green eyes. The one I’m keeping has blue.”

“They are beautiful.”

The girl continued, “They aren’t easy to
train. They’re escape artists and like to dig. Wolves tend to be
timid and a hybrid that's not properly governed can be disposed to
fear biting. They must be taught early not to nip, ever. A dog's
nature is to please its master but a wolf does not care like
that.”

“Why would anyone want to own one then?”

“I already told you, so humans can
learn.”

“Learn what?”

“Wolves teach leadership and self-control.
Their magic opens a path for a new direction, reminding humans to
reach higher for their dreams. To keep their family unit tight and
revere their elders. To protect the pack.”

“I don't have a pack,” Devon wrinkled her
nose and shrugged. “I'm an only child.”

“I guess you're a lone wolf,” the girl
grinned.

Devon chuckled. “Yeah, that sounds right.
What's your name?”

“Jameson. What's yours?”

“Devon,” Analise called. “We are leaving in a
few minutes.”

They laughed.

“You know a lot about wolves.”

Jameson nodded. “I learn as I go.”

“What are you going to name yours?”

“She already has a name, she was the first
born under the Ripe Berries Moon so I’ll call her Berry.”