Disclaimer: I nether own or profit from any of the original highlander characters these are only the events as I perceive them. From my imagination .Also please forgive the I persona to the third person observation -the third person observation is only for us the readers understanding.
Chapter 1
It comes to me in the hours of pre dawn. The flashes of memory of what I was prior to all that has become …………
3018 bc -I remember my manhood ritual as it was my honor to kill the beast to feed the tribe. I was painted to honor the ancestors and the earth mother in a loin cloth, painted with ritual circles representing the circle of birth, life, and return to the earth from which my people sprang. I recall the first killing as the life ebbed from the great elk which sacrificed its life to ensure my place among the warriors and hunters of my clan. Still I smile as my mother with a more ancient name than my own, served me the choicest part of the kill. Other than the heart which was buried in the belief that it would set the slain beast spirit free to be reborn. That and the liver which only the only the true men of the tribe ever tasted. I can still remember the raw taste and the pride that I felt .It all comes to me in memory form, for all this happened before ancient writing was even thought of.
My mother sat behind me now indicating to all that I was now a man. After the dancing and gorging -I went alone into the manhood cave. As I entered the cave -mists of ancient times surrounded me. As the men of my clan filed in we were suddenly accosted with the vision of the earth mother as she passed us, she gave us all a drink which reminded me of mother's milk. As she circled the ancient fire my mind was taken from my body .I felt like the wind and lightning curse through my body. I felt myself lift from the ground and rise in the air. I saw a vision of what the earth mother really is a woman fiercely beautiful, fiercely protective, a beauty with auburn hair a mothers form and violet eyes. I heard her voice. It sounded like a whisper, like the rain falling on your skin, like a caress. Then as suddenly as it caressed it recoiled and sounded like thunder in my head .It screamed "you are the one! You have the gift and the curse of a thousand lifetimes. You will cause and be the cause of so many deaths-before the thunder left my head it gave me my manhood name -it meant timeless and something else which I can no longer recall. The mists became a blinding force and when I awoke I was alone in my mothers tent the sun at its highest point.
Chapter 2
I sat up and immediately held my head for it ached. I vaguely remember the vision from the night before. I remember the vision and wondered would she be the form the earth mother chose to give me children -I also with a tingle down my spine vaguely remember the warning. I shrug it off surely the priestess that proceeded over the ritual had drug induced me. I do remember my manhood name and am proud of the meaning… After my head cleared I stepped outside into the bright light and found myself alone. I was shocked that my people had abandoned me. I remember my mother having told me all warriors received visions -so why was I alone? I shrugged and thought it must be the final parts of the test before entering into the Beltane fires as a man. The Beltane holy days were 2 moons away. My mother conceived me then and gave birth to me on the winter solstice. According to tribal tradition it would mean I would become the priest to the god and the woman I had at Beltane would be the priestess as long as fruit was sown and the child was a girl… I picked up my gear and started tracking the tribe -it was easy 20 people moving as one was easier than tracking a wounded beast.
Chapter 3
As I came upon my tribe, they were settling down for the night. Fires were being started, meat was being roasted. It smelled of home. For the high holy days were coming men and woman slept apart
So no children were conceived till Beltane .Since this ban was in effect and I was a man I no longer could sleep in the woman who bores me tent. I slipped into the warrior's tent and was acknowledged with wary nods. The head hunter and elder of the clan nodded but did not welcome me warmly. Have they heard of my vision? I mentally shrugged it off an assumed it was part of the transition from boy to man.
As the days passed on our journey to the Beltane fire ,which was held in Avalon a sanctuary for the earth mother ,and holy ground . The routine became monotonous; the days ran into each other, the sun rose earlier. As the week before Beltane ritual was to begin ,we spotted holy ground .With the stones appearing in the morning sun jutting straight to the sky as if put there by the god and goddess.
The tribe set up camp I was asked to join a small hunting party of the newly made hunters and warriors from kin clans. Tribes related to us by the blood of our mothers. I eagerly agreed- not realizing at the time that destiny waited.