Just before dawn Mari and Nik awoke, slowly, sensually, bodies tangled together with an intimacy Mari couldn’t have imagined before loving Nik. Mari didn’t want to let him go, but she knew it was like taking a dressing from a wound—better if it happened quickly so that the suffering wasn’t prolonged.
“If you take Rigel and Laru out, I’ll heat up the last of the rabbit stew for all of us,” Mari said.
Nik kissed her nose. “Tea with lots of honey, too?”
“Sora says that’s the only way my tea is drinkable.”
“Sora is a smart girl.”
“Nik!” She smacked his naked butt teasingly as he bent to put on his pants.
He laughed and moved out of range. “But don’t tell her I said that.”
“Your secret is safe with me. Rigel, sweet boy, go with Nik and Laru.” The young Shepherd put his paws up on her pallet, licking her face, before he trotted after the other two males.
Mari washed and had the stew simmering and tea steeping when her males returned. She loved how the proprietary words fit together: her males. They did belong to her and she to them. Before Nik and Rigel and Laru, she couldn’t have imagined her life so filled with people and animals and love—and now she couldn’t imagine her life without them. She’d just tucked a sprig of forget-me-nots behind her ear when her males burst into the little burrow, bringing with them noise and laughter and love.
The canines dug into their much cooler stew while Mari dished up full bowls for herself and Nik—and she added a healthy dose of honey to her questionable tea. Then Nik and Mari sat beside each other, bodies so close they often touched, gazes just as often meeting and holding. Mari loved the fact that she could reach out and touch him—whenever she wanted to—and that the more comfortable she felt with him, the more affectionate Nik was in return.
Mari ate slowly, savoring each moment with Nik, knowing that this was the last they would be alone for a very long time. But inevitably the meal ended and Nik began packing his satchel, preparing to leave.
“Davis should be here any moment.” Nik went to the door to the snug little burrow and opened it. “Rigel, Laru, let me know when you scent Cammy.” The Shepherds padded to the open doorway and stretched out in the sunlight, eyes deceptively half lidded. He took Mari’s hand, sitting beside her. “Let’s go over it one more time.”
She nodded and gripped his hand tightly. “Okay. You and Davis are going to circle around the Tribe, coming at them from the direction of the Gathering Site by Crawfish Creek.”
“Which is the opposite direction from which you and the Pack will make your way to the Channel at dawn, the day after tomorrow, whether we’ve rejoined you by then or not.”
“That makes me nervous, Nik. You say you’re not going to let them see you—you’re going to sneak in, get a Mother Plant, and get out. Yet you want us to go to the Channel from the opposite direction, whether you and Davis have returned to the birthing burrow or not in case you get caught. I don’t like it.”
“Mari, it’s wise to plan for the worst and envision the best. That’s all I’m doing. I have every intention of spending our last night in this forest with you and our Pack at the birthing burrow and then leaving at dawn. But if dawn on the sixth day breaks and we haven’t returned yet I’ll meet you at the Channel.” When she started to protest again, he pressed his finger gently against her lips. “Hey, it’s going to be okay. There are many reasons we might not make it back to the burrow in time. The Tribe should be very active rebuilding right now. I have no idea where they have moved the Mother Plants, and I may have to stay hidden until well into the night before I am able to take one. If that’s the case, it would be better for all of us if Davis and I went directly to the Channel and waited for the Pack. By the time you get there we’ll already be with the boats and will have taken care of any lookouts there might be.”
“You won’t kill them, right?”
“Not unless they’re Thaddeus. Then I don’t make any promises.”
“Agreed. I don’t much like Cyril, either, but don’t kill that old man.”
Nik touched her cheek. “I won’t, Mari. I’m not a killer.”
“I know. I’m just—”
“Scared? Worried?” he offered.
“Both.”
“It’s okay. It’d be stupid not to be scared and worried. I am. But I also believe in myself—and Laru, and Davis with his Cammy. And most of all you, Mari, and our Pack.”
“I do, too, Nik. So, if you’re not back by dawn the day after tomorrow, we’ll meet at the Channel at dusk,” she said with more confidence.
“Yes. We’ll load the boats as quickly as possible and then be off. I hate the idea of being on that swarm-be-damned river at night, but I know Sheena can navigate for us.”
“Like Antreas said, leaving at night is our best chance to get away from the Tribe without being seen,” Mari said.
“Yeah, the Tribe won’t be focused on the Channel at night. There aren’t any more captives on Farm Island to guard, and no one with any sense goes down that damn river after dark. We’ll be quick and quiet, and we’ll get away without any problems, but just in case we are spotted…”—Nik paused and reached into his travel satchel, drawing out a stone-topped hammer—“I’m going to break holes in the boats we don’t take. The Tribe’s filled with excellent Carpenters. They’ll be able to repair the boats, but not in time to chase us downriver.”
“That’s a good idea, Nik. And let’s hope the moon is bright. It is close to being full,” Mari said.
“Be sure we’re taking plenty of torches, though. Just in case.”
“We will. Don’t worry. The Pack will be ready. We’re almost ready now. All you need to focus on is getting the Mother Plants and getting out of there safely,” Mari said.
Laru made a low noise in his chest, then Rigel got to his feet, tail wagging as he sniffed the air.
“Cammy’s here,” Mari said, smiling at the two canines.
“Did you hear that from them both?” Nik asked, grinning incredulously.
“Yep, I did. Loud and clear,” she said. Then she added, “And Cammy’s not the only one I hear.” She and Nik were just making their way to the door when Davis’s voice drifted to them, muffled by the briars that protected Mari’s home.
“Hello the burrow!”
“Davis! We’re coming!” Nik shouted in return as he and Laru followed Mari and Rigel through the labyrinth of thorns.
As Mari held aside the last of the heavy bramble branches so that the four of them could emerge safely, she stopped, smiling in surprise. All of the Companions and their canines were there, standing in the morning sunlight, their smiles as bright as the golden day.
“What’s this about?” Nik asked, looking pleased but confused.
“We wanted to see you and Davis off,” Sheena said.
“And we wanted to do a little something for Mari,” O’Bryan said.
“Me? What?”
“Nik said you still have travel supplies to carry from your burrow,” Rose said. “And we’re here to help with that.”
“And we also thought we’d start a new tradition with you,” O’Bryan said.
“I like the sound of that,” Mari said. “What’s the new tradition?”
“In our City in the Trees we greeted each sunrise with our Sun Priest, absorbing the morning light and giving thanks to the Sun,” Davis explained. “You share moonlight with us—so we thought it was only right that we all share the morning sunlight with you.”
“Not that you need us to call down the sun. Anyone who can call down sunfire doesn’t need help with that,” O’Bryan said.
“But it’s better together,” Sheena said. “We wanted to share that with you, and with your permission we’d like to start sharing it with the Earth Walkers, too.”
Mari blinked in surprise. “But you know Earth Walkers can’t absorb sunlight.”
“Well, we didn’t know about moon magick until you shared that with us, and even though we can’t channel that power like you can, it feels great when you do it,” O’Bryan said.
“Yeah, so we were talking about it and we thought that maybe Earth Walkers might be able to feel something if Companions, as a group, call down sunlight,” Sheena said.
“And if they can’t, maybe they’ll find some beauty in it. Like we have found when we watch you draw down the moon,” Rose said.
Mari couldn’t imagine the sun making her feel any warmer than her Pack was making her feel. “I think that’s a wonderful idea! Thank you.” She glanced at Nik and saw that he was smiling through eyes that were suspiciously wet.
“I agree with our Moon Woman. That’s a wonderful idea,” he said.
“Then lead us, Sun Priest,” O’Bryan said. “And let us absorb the morning sunlight.”
Mari could feel the jolt that went through Nik when his cousin called him Sun Priest, and she squeezed his hand with encouragement, repeating, “Yes, lead us, Sun Priest.”
“All right then.” Nik met Mari’s eyes. “I know the perfect place for this, but I need your permission to go there, and your help.”
Perplexed, Mari moved her shoulders. “Okay, where?”
Nik pointed up—to the spot above and behind the little burrow that was a secret clearing where Mari and Leda had spent a lifetime drawing down the moon and dancing their names joyously into the earth. And where Mari had buried her beloved mama, near the image of the Goddess Leda had cared for her entire life.
Suddenly finding it hard to speak, Mari nodded, picked up her thick walking stick, and headed back into the bramble thicket, counting on Nik to be sure everyone was safely following her.
“Sheena and Captain, Rose and Fala, you haven’t been inside the bramble thicket before, so you should stay close behind Mari. She’s going to hold the thorny branches aside for you. Davis and Cammy and O’Bryan, you know the drill. I’ll bring up the rear.” He grabbed two more walking sticks, hidden under branches at the edge of the thicket, tossing one to O’Bryan. “Use this to catch the branches as Mari lets them go.”
“Got it,” O’Bryan said.
“Ready, Mari,” Nik called.
It took longer than usual to wind up and around and get everyone safely and mostly unscratched to the clearing. Mari was the first to step out onto the carpet of fragrant blue flowers. She breathed deeply, savoring the scent that would always remind her of her mama.
“This is spectacular!” Sheena said, stepping out into the clearing.
“How did you get these flowers to bloom up here? Isn’t it the wrong time of the year for forget-me-nots?” Rose asked.
“It is,” Mari said after swallowing the knot of emotion in her throat. “And I didn’t get them to bloom. The Goddess did.”
As a group, they turned to the statue of the Earth Mother that seemed to be emerging from the earth, half reclining in the center of a field of flowers. This idol was the largest Mari had ever seen—and rightfully so. It was the idol that had been created and tended by Clan Weaver’s Moon Women for generations. Her skin was the softest of mosses, and her hair was fashioned from the most delicate maidenhair ferns in the forest. Her face was a flawless oval of obsidian, carved to appear both serene and watchful.
Mari began automatically to bow to the Goddess when Davis walked right past her, going to stand directly in front of the idol. He gazed up at her for several long moments, with Cammy beside him being uncharacteristically quiet. Then he bowed deeply, placing his hand over his heart.
When he turned to look back at the group, Mari could see tears washing down his face. “I can feel her! Can’t you feel her?”
Mari decided right then that she was going to stop being surprised by anything this new Pack did.
“She’s beautiful, but I don’t feel anything,” Sheena said.
“I don’t, either,” said Nik. “But I love her face—how she looks calm and ready to leap up to protect her children.”
“None of the rest of you can feel her, either?” Davis asked, looking shocked and a little frightened.
The rest of the group simply shook their heads.
“Mari? You do, though, right? You’re an Earth Walker. She’s your Goddess. You must feel her, too, don’t you?” Davis asked beseechingly.
Mari went to Davis’s side. “I’ve never felt her. I’ve never heard her voice. But my mama did. Often. And, Davis, the Great Mother isn’t just the Goddess of Earth Walkers. She’s anyone’s Goddess who chooses to follow her—or who she chooses. I believe she’s chosen you.”
Davis’s gaze flew to the idol’s face. “Really? You really think she’s chosen me?”
“Ask her,” Mari said.
“How?”
“Follow your heart.”
Davis nodded. Then he moved so that he stood even closer to the reclining idol. He went to his knees, though he didn’t bow his head. Instead, he gazed up into the face of the Goddess, asking in a voice thick with emotion, “Is it true? Great Earth Mother, have you chosen me? May I call you my Goddess?”
There was a long, silent pause, and then the wall of brambles that encircled the clearing began to sway as if a brisk wind were blowing through them—though no wind so much as whispered past Mari’s hair.
“Oh! Thank you! Thank you, my Goddess!” Davis exclaimed. When he stood and turned to the group, his face was alight with happiness.
“She spoke to you, didn’t she?” Mari asked.
“She did! I heard her. Here.” He touched his head. “And here.” He touched his heart.
“What did she say?” Sheena asked.
Mari thought Davis’s smile could have lit a thousand torches. “She said, ‘I have always been your Goddess—it is only now that you know it.”
“Wow!” O’Bryan said, gazing up at the image of the Earth Mother. “That’s miraculous.”
“And it means we’re on the right path!” Nik said, hugging Mari and then going to Davis and enveloping him in a hug, too. “What we’re doing—the choices we’ve been making—they brought you to your Goddess. We’re doing the right thing, Davis.”
“You doubted it, Nik?” Mari asked, feeling suddenly vulnerable.
Nik met Mari’s gaze without wavering. “Not for myself and not for you with me. I never doubted that this is the path for us. But for these others?” He moved his shoulders, looking around the small group at his friends. “I wasn’t sure. I was trying to do what I believed was best for everyone, but I just wasn’t sure.” His gaze drifted up to the face of the Goddess. “Now I’m sure—and not just for you and me.”
“I’m sure,” O’Bryan said. “This is the path I want to be on. None other.”
“And I,” Sheena said.
“Me, too,” Rose said. She grinned and added, “But Fala’s little Chloe knew that before I did.”
Cammy barked then, as if he, too, had known, and everyone laughed.
Nik looked at Mari. “Ready?”
“I think so,” she said. “What do I do?”
“It’s simple and completely natural.” He took her hand, guiding her to his side. “Just follow along. Your father’s blood and the sun will do the rest.” Nik turned so that he was facing the east and the fiery yellow ball that had just risen above the wall of thorns. Mari did the same, and the Companions spread out beside them, all facing east, canines close beside them.
Nik paused then, and Mari could see from his expression that he was concentrating—choosing his words carefully. He lifted his face and spread wide his arms, crying, “Behold the wonder of our Pack! And behold the first beams of our lifeline—our salvation—our sun!”
Mari was watching Nik, and as he spoke his eyes changed color, turning from warm, mossy green to blaze a shining gold—a gold that was mirrored in Laru’s eyes. Then, laughing joyously, Nik opened his arms even farther, and the sleeves of his tunic fell back to expose the delicate filigreed patterns of fronds that Mari now recognized from the Mother Plant as they lifted to become visible, glowing just beneath the surface of his skin.
With the others, Mari mimicked his actions, tilting back her head and spreading wide her arms. She gasped in pleasure as the sun caught her eyes. Instead of blinding her with its brilliance, the sun flushed through her, gently filling her, warming her, strengthening her. Mari glanced at her own arms, and for the first time in her life she appreciated the delicate fern patterns that were rising to the surface of her skin to greet and absorb the power of the sun. She looked down at Rigel to see that he, too, was staring up at the sun and his eyes were blazing golden. Around her she could feel the joy of the Companions. Some of them laughed; some of them shouted a greeting to the morning; some of them whispered their thanks more intimately into the sky.
The rightness of it settled over Mari as she realized this greeting of the sun wasn’t that different from drawing down the moon. Yes, one was cool and one was warm. One ruled day and one night. But the joy was the same, as was the life-sustaining nourishment each gave their people. Content, Mari finally embraced the heritage that was her father’s legacy to her.