Eventually Shane and the children reached the higher elevations of the mountain where the wind and snow made conversation difficult. So they traveled in silence for a long while.
Here they did not need to worry about what predators might be watching them, as the land was becoming progressively barren and deserted.
Shane used his innervision to shield himself from the cold, walking in perfect comfort. And he extended some of his power to his squires. But he did not shield them completely. He let them be just cold enough so that they would get a taste of how uninviting the environment was - especially now that the sun was going down.
Jonathan and Raelian had never seen snow before. And at first they had been quite curious about it. But Shane insisted they needed to keep moving. And before they had gone very much further the snow had ceased to be a curiosity and had become a literal pain to all of their senses.
Shane opened a channel between his mind and the minds of his squires so that they could hear what he was thinking while empowering his innervision. They studied his thoughts, trying to learn how to invoke their own innervision. This was coming slowly to them, as they were not yet accustomed to meditating in the midst of such hostile terrain, but at least it gave them something to do to take their mind off the cold.
"That's it," they heard Shane's voice in their minds. "You can divorce your consciousness from your surroundings by concentrating on something else. The next time you realize you have not been feeling the cold, seek not for the cold that you think should be there. Seek for a memory of warmth and fill your consciousness with it. Then let your belief in that warmth surround you like an impenetrable shield."
"Believe in the warmth?" thought Raelian.
"Remember how warm you have been on the meadow with Ra shining directly down upon you," thought Shane. "Remember that you are in all places and all times. Only your forward perspective is here. Even when this planet has crumbled to dust, part of you will always be standing on the meadow, bathed in the light of Ra. You will always be able to reach back to that day and time to feel exactly as you did then. See the meadow in your mind and feel the sunlight. It will warm you, even here."
"I hear a melody," thought Jonathan. "A melody that reminds me of that first day on the meadow."
"It's a song of the Melodeons," thought Shane. "Every moment in time is marked by their music. And if you know the tunes, you can use them to take you back to any point in time."
"I'm there," thought Jonathan, overcome with emotion. "I'm on the meadow. I can feel the grass. I see the butterflies. And there's Clarice off in the distance. It's so very warm. And I'm so very happy."
"Can you see me walking beside you, Jon?" thought Raelian.
"Yes, I see you," thought Jonathan. "We're walking somewhere. But I don't know where we're going or how to get there."
"Walk towards the plateau of Angelis," thought Shane. "Go into the lower entrance that your mother and I showed you. Then walk up the tunnel to The Shrine. When you reach it we shall be at our destination."
And so, Jonathan and Raelian walked on, no longer perceiving their immediate surroundings. Which was just as well, since in the darkness that ensued after the setting of the sun, there would have been nothing for them to see.
Just as Shane had said, it was no fun travelling when there was nothing to see. So they had projected their own environment - there in that desolate place were there were only three consciousnesses to give credence to any reality at all.
Meanwhile, Milfa and her mate, who was known as Fang, approached the cave of their king.
Fang's eyes were now fully recovered. Only his pride remained injured, as the entire pack had seen him hanging onto Milfa's tail for guidance during his blindness. The humiliation and need for revenge boiled within him.
"What do you want?" a sentry at the cave entrance asked in a demeaning tone.
"We must see the king," said Fang. "The matter is urgent."
"Wait here," said the sentry. "We'll see if he wants to be bothered with you."
The sentry disappeared inside the cave, while Fang and Milfa waited outside exchanging worried glances.
After a moment the sentry reappeared and gave them admittance to the cave.
Inside, the elderly but still mighty king of the wolf pack was surrounded by luxury, or at least those things that were considered to be luxuries for creatures in the wild. These included all the female companionship he desired, underlings who carried out his every instruction without question, and the general fear of all those in his presence. For he was the law of The Wolf Tribe. And only his personal displeasure was required for a wolf to be sentenced to death.
"Well, well," said the king as Fang and Milfa approached. "So the clown of our tribe has come to address me."
"I beg your pardon, Sire," said Fang, in a mystified tone. "Why do you call me a clown?"
"You are a clown because I say you are a clown," said the king. "What else would I call someone who brings such humiliation on my tribe. You who was bested by a deer and two fawns without spilling a drop of blood, and then dares to come address me in my den. Therefore you are the clown of our tribe. And what you have to say had better make me laugh."
Fang gulped in fear, suddenly realizing the precariousness of his situation, and words failed him in his uncertainty.
"Be still, Fang," said Milfa. "I will speak to the king."
Laughter rang throughout the cave.
"The clown hides behind his mate," laughed the king's one eyed General.
"Be silent," Milfa barked at the General. And indeed the cave did fall silent, as only a matter of the utmost urgency would cause a she-wolf to take on such an authoritative tone in the presence of the king.
"It was my decision to come here," said Milfa. "A great offence has been committed against our tribe. And our way of life is in danger."
The king growled thoughtfully under his breath.
"You are referring to the white deer, of course," said the king, thoughtfully.
"He is not a deer," said Milfa. "He's a unicorn in disguise. And his powers are frightening."
"You are not the first to come to me with tales of the white deer this day," said the king. "His defiance is indeed disturbing, but hardly a threat."
"It is the fawns that accompany him who are the threat," said Milfa. "They are The Children Of The Ommadawn. Their purpose is to tame us - take away our way of life and destroy our world. We must defend ourselves against them."
"I see," said the king, not unsympathetically. "And how should we defend ourselves against the offspring of our own god?"
"They are but fawns," said Milfa. "And even the unicorn could not prevail against the entire pack. They will be returning down the mountain. We should prepare an ambush."
"Hmm," said the king, as if considering the idea. "Milfa, do you know The Prophecy Of The Ommadawn well?"
"I do," said Milfa. "And it can not be fulfilled if those fawns are destroyed."
"Indeed, it can not," said the king. "But what will life be like for us if there is no Ommadawn?"
"It will be just as it's always been," said Milfa.
"Milfa, what do you see when you look down from the mountain?" asked the king, in a kindly tone.
"I see the forest below," said Milfa.
"Is that all you see?" asked the king. "Can you not see beyond the forest? Does the edge of Shinrin not seem to come closer every year?"
"I have seen this," Milfa admitted.
"Out there beyond Shinrin is the true enemy," said the king. "The one that will extinguish our tribe from this planet. They are coming. Whether The Ommadawn happens or not, they are still coming. Our only hope is Ra's Covenant. And shall we secure our place in Ra's forgiveness by defying his plan and killing his sons?"
"But they mean to tame us," Milfa protested.
"That is our fate, Milfa," said the king. "If our tribe is to have a place in Ra's new world, then we must show that we are not a threat to its peace. We must learn to live without killing."
"Never," Fang protested. "We would not be wolves if we did not kill. Better extinction than such a fate."
"Fortunately, my clown, you are not the king," said the king. "And you do not get to make that decision for this tribe."
"Do you think the tribe will accept this?" Fang demanded. "We will not sit still and be tamed by deer."
"It does sound humiliating, doesn't it, General?" asked the king of his one eyed subordinate.
"I should not like to have to endure it," said The General.
"And there is no need that we should endure it," said the king. "According to the prophecy only one of us is needed to redeem the tribe. And that one is you, Milfa. You have been chosen."
"Are you ordering me to go down to the forest and let them tame me?" asked Milfa, fearfully.
"No," said the king. "I can not order such a thing. But I can request it. And from your king, a request is as good as an order."
"But Sire, it won't work with me," Milfa pleaded. "I'm not like that foolish fox they tamed. I like my life the way it is. It would be unbearable not to be able to kill without conscience. And what about my family?"
"You must leave them, Milfa," said the king.
"And what will the tribe think of me?" asked Milfa.
"The tribe will loathe and despise you," The General assured her. "They may even call for your blood."
"Sire, will you give the order that no one should harm me or my family?" asked Milfa.
"I shall make my will known to the tribe," said the king. "But my will shall only protect you whilst I am alive. And I fear it shall not be much longer before I am killed and someone else leads the pack."
"Yes, Milfa," said The General. "And if it should be me who is the next king, my first order of business shall be to have you torn to pieces, and your family as well."
"So, General," said the king. "You do not agree with my philosophy?"
"You know I don't," said The General. "I'm of the new religion. I don't believe in the Ommadawn."
"As you can see, Milfa," said the king. "My situation is as precarious as yours. Even my closest subordinate longs for the spilling of my blood. But you and I are of the old religion. And it is up to us to see that destiny is fulfilled, in order that there might be some future for our tribe. Therefore, I ask you to swallow the humiliation. Leave the pack now whilst I can protect your departure. Seek out The Children Of The Ommadawn, and endure whatever you must to secure a blessing for our tribe."
"It's not fair that you should send Milfa," said Fang. "Send me instead."
Again the cave rang with laughter.
"Ah, you are indeed amusing, my clown," said the king. "Imagine sending a hothead like you out on an important mission. No, the unicorn chose Milfa. And according to the prophecy, Milfa is now the only hope of salvation for our tribe. You, Fang, shall watch over Milfa's cubs while she's gone. Should anything happen to me, you will find that to be adventure enough."
"What am I to do, Sire?" asked Milfa, defeatedly.
"You must leave tonight," said the king. "You must be gone before word of your mission spreads through the tribe. Go to Shinrin and seek out the priestess of the Ommandeer clan. Tell her you were sent by King Lumas in accordance with our previous discussion."
"Sire, I was not aware you were on speaking terms with the priestess of The Deer Tribe," said The General.
"Naturally you will use that to raise sentiment against me," said the king.
"Of course," said The General.
"Yes, but you will wait until tomorrow," said the king, rising to look The General squarely in his remaining eye. "You will wait until Milfa is safely away. Because, if you do not wait, I will have to kill you."
Next Episode
Previous Episode
Episode Index
Home Page