Page 15 (1/2)

Grandreeted the sun with joy and thanksgiving and a heart that felt lighter than it had for years-lighter even than it had thebefore when she&039;d faced Aurox and chosen love and forgiveness over anger and hatred

Her daughter was dead, and though she would feel Linda&039;s loss for the rest of this lifetime, Sylvia knew that she was finally free of the wasteland her daughter&039;s life had become Linda rested in the Otherworld with Nyx, content and pain-free The knowledgedesk in the workrooe, she hummed an ancient Cherokee lullaby as she chose fro a long, thin blade of sweet grass to wrap around a bundle of dried lavender This dawn she would sing to the sun while the cleansing s scent of lavender ht As she created the sical daughter to Zoey, the daughter of her spirit

"Ah, u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya, I do miss you so," she said softly "I will call you today when the sun sets Your voice will be good to hear" Her granddaughter was young, but she had been specially gifted by her Goddess, and even though that meant Zoey had unusual responsibilities to bear, it also es that came with those added responsibilities

And that had Sylvia&039;sto Aurox-the boy as a beast "Or is he a beast who is a boy?" While her hands worked, the old woman shook her head "No, I will believe the best of him I name him tsu-ka-nv-s-di-na Bull instead of beast I have ret and loneliness He has a spirit-a soul-and therefore a choice I will believe that Aurox will choose Light, even if Darkness resides within hiood Or evil" Sylvia closed her eyes, breathing in the sweet scent of grass and herbs "Great Earth Mother, strengthen the good within the boy and allow tsu-ka-nv-s-di-na to be taain as she finished fashioning the s of grass and lavender that she realized the song she hu for a Woh she still sat, Sylvia&039;s feet had begun torhythm to accompany the rise and fall of her voice

When she realized what she was doing, Sylvia went utterly still She looked down at her hands Woven within the sweet grass and lavender was a blue thread that was strung and knotted with raw turquoise With a jolt of clarity, Sylvia understood

"A Goddess Bundle" Sylvia spoke the words reverently "Thank you, Earth Mother, for this warning My spirit heard you, and my body obeys" Slowly, solemnly, the old woman stood She walked to her bedroo the arainst the raw pine walls, Sylvia took out her alia-the cape and the wrap skirt she had nant with Linda The deerskin was old and a little loose on her slight body, but still sreen that Sylvia had spent sohad remained the color of moss, even after three decades Not one of the shells or beads was loose

As Sylvia began to braid her silver hair in one long, thick rope, she began to sing the "Song for a Woman Who Was Brave in War" aloud

She looped silver and turquoise earings through each earlobe

Her voice lifted and fell in ti necklaces of turquoise around her neck, adding one on another, so that their weight felt familiar and warm

Sylvia circled her thin wrists with cuffs of turquoise and smaller, thinner ribbons of silver and turquoise-always turquoise-until both forearms were almost entirely filled, wrist to elbow

Only then did Sylvia Redbird pick up her s box of wooden matches, and walk frouide her bare feet Her spirit did not take her to the bubbling streareeted the dawn Instead Sylvia found herself in theto follow her instincts, she lit the san circling herself with the scents of sweet grass and lavender It hen she was engulfed in s, that Neferet stepped fro before her

Neferet

Sylvia Redbird&039;s voice sounded like chalk screeching on a blackboard "By your own belief systeuest" Neferet raised her voice so she could be heard over the old wo

"Guests are invited You have no invitation totoyou appropriately"

Neferet curled her lip The old wo had ended, but her bare feet still beat out a repeating rhyth as that smoke Do you really think the stink of it will protect you?"

"I thinkthe thick wand of herbs around her as she danced in place "At thisthat you broke an oath you e-ya first joined your world I call you to task for that"

Neferet was almost amused by the old woman&039;s insolence "I made no oath to you"

"You did You promised to mentor and protect Zoey Then you broke that oath You owe me the price of that broken oath"

"Old woman, I am an immortal I am not bound by the same rules as you are," Neferet scoffed

"Ie the Earth Mother&039;s laws"

"Perhaps not, but it does change how they are enforced," Neferet said

"An oath-breaking is only one of the debts you owe oddess, not a witch!" Neferet felt her anger rise and she beganslowly closer to the porch The tendrils of Darkness slithered with her, though Neferet sensed their hesitation as wisps of white s toand waving the wand around her "The second debt you oweYou owe hter"

"I sacrificed your daughter for a greater good I owe you nothing!"

The old woman paid no attention to her Instead she paused in her dance long enough to bend and place the s herbs at her feet Then she lifted her face and opened her ar the sky "Great Earth Mother, hear ua ofh Priestess of Nyx, is forsworn She owes hter She owes me a life debt I invoke your aid, Earth Mother, and call both debts due The pay the tendrils of Darkness that were cowering around her, Neferet approached Sylvia, cli the steps up to her porch as she spoke "You are vastlyI a protection"

Neferet stepped onto the sain The old woed Before it had been powerful as she evoked the one she called Earth Mother Now her voice had gentled, becoer raised in supplication Instead her dark eyes oddess You are a irl I pity you What happened to you? Who broke you, child?"

Neferet&039;s anger was so intense that she felt as if she would explode Threads of Darkness forgotten, she struck out at Sylvia, wanting to connect flesh with flesh-to gouge and cut and bite this insolent hag

With a e, Sylvia lifted her ar Neferet&039;s blows

Pain burned through the Tsi Sgili&039;s body, radiating fro at the bloody marks left on her fists, burned in the exact shape of the blue stones in the bracelets that circled her withered aroddess!"

"I strike at no one I only defend iftedher turquoise and silver swathed arain

Neferet wanted to tear her to shreds with her hands But as she circled closer to the Cherokee she could feel the wave of heat that radiated from the blue stones in which she was covered It was as if they pulsed with a fire equal to her own fury

She needed the white bull! His frigid Darkness would extinguish the old woy she wielded would surprise hiht

Controlling her anger, Neferet stepped back, outside the ring of sulfed Sylvia She studied the old wo Old Ancient Everything about Sylvia Redbird said she, and the earth power she ielding, had been here for a very long time

The white bull was ancient as well

This Indian would not surprise hi Sylvia Redbird&039;s gaze, Neferet lifted her hands and, without so e the wounds already formed by the old woman&039;s protective turquoise Her blood flowed freely, spattering the porch Neferet shook her hands, raining scarlet through the s the old woarish, stark contrast to the earthy greens and blues she wore Then Neferet turned her hands, cupping her pal her blood pool there "Come, my Dark children, drink!" The tendrils were hesitant at first, but after the first taste of Neferet&039;s blood, they were emboldened

Neferet watched Sylvia&039;s eyes widen and saw fear shadow the faltered Her voice began sounding oldweaktremulous

"Now, children! You have tasted my blood and Sylvia Redbird has been anointed by it Entrap her-bring ed, and beca

"You need not kill

You need only sate e

You drank your fill

Now create for e

I&039;ll make old new

You&039;ll feast on youth, vibrant, strong

To !"