Chapter 21 Thunderbird
Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute and the Makah that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods.
Thanks to BanSidhe for betaing.
[AN: the symbol of the Makah is the thunderbird. They and the Quileute have many stories about the thunderbird and thewhale it carried.Fascinating that they both have stories to explain a big flood, so there probably was one in reality.]
Seth had asked some of the elders to attend a pack meeting. He said he wanted to talk to them all about Rose. He preferred Billy and Old Quil as the elders in attendance. He couldn't do this with his mother there.
"Old Quil have you ever heard of any Makah having the ability to make storms?" Seth asked.
Billy looked grave. "Seth?"
"It's Rose… we know she came back here to see the elders… Raven told us that… and she never made it… you know… I have been spending a lot of time with her and I have kind of noticed something…."
Silence greeted his announcement.
"Seth, please continue," old Quil encouraged.
"I have kind of noticed that when she is really upset… the weather is bad… I know we live in the Pacific Northwest and the weather is always bad… but she seems to make it worse… and it is just where she is… I mean I have left the hospital and it is fine in La Push… I don't think I am explaining this very well… "
"Try," Billy said.
Seth took in a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "When she is sad it rains… when she is angry there is a thunderstorm…it just happens too often to be a fluke… you know…" He looked around at the concerned faces of his friends. "She can influence the weather. If she is upset, a storm comes. Every time she was having a really bad day in the hospital, the weather was frightful. She said they were travelling to Neah Bay to ask the tribal elders about it."
Seth continued, "I mean have you ever heard of a Makah having a power like that? You know we are wolves… why couldn't she be something different too?"
Billy and old Quil look at each other. That look had weight.
"The thunderbird," said old Quil.
His voice changed to the timbre he used to tell stories. "It is a large bird, capable of creating storms while it flies. The clouds are pulled together by its wing beats, its wings clapping make the sound of thunder, and the light flashing from its eyes when it blinks is sheet lightning. It holds a snake in each hand; they glow and throw individual lightning bolts at its command. In masks, it is depicted as many-coloured, with two curling horns, and, often, teeth within its beak. There are also stories that the giant Thunderbird could shoot lightning from its eyes."
"The thunderbird changes into human form by tilting back their beaks like a mask, and by removing their feathers as if it was a feather-covered blanket. There are stories of thunderbirds in human form marrying into human families. Especially along the northern tip of Vancouver Island."
"The families of thunderbirds, who kept to themselves but wore human form, were said to have lived there. The story goes that other tribes soon forgot the nature of one of these thunderbird families, and when one tribe tried to take them as slaves the thunderbirds put on their feather blankets and transformed to take vengeance upon their foolish captors."
"It is the symbol of the Makah," stated Billy.
"With the whale," said Seth. "I had never thought about it…"
Old Quil spoke again, "In the Makah traditional story, they tell of a winter when the thunderbird saw that the Makah were starving. They could not fish in the ocean because of an exceptionally long stretch of terrible weather. The thunderbird decided to help the Makah and attacked a whale in an earth-shaking battle before delivering it into the river on a large wave."
Billy picked up the narrative, "The Quileute story is different. In the beginning, Kwattee created the animals of the earth. Then by the union of some of these animals with a star which fell from heaven, came the first human beings. And from these sprang the various races of men."
"Years came and went and all was good. Then Chief Thunderbird attempted to destroy all the good whales of the ocean. Kwattee then interfered, and a terrible drawn battle was fought between him and Thunderbird."
"Enraged, the thunderbird caused the waters of the great deep to rise. For four days the sea continued to rise. It rose till it covered the very tops of the mountains."
Everyone listened with the respect they usually accorded their traditional tales.
"Again, Kwattee joined his adversary in battle, and while the conflict was in progress, the waters receded. This engagement, too, was a drawn battle, and following it, the waters again rose. The water of the Pacific flowed through what is now the swamp and the prairie westward from Neah Bay on the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the Pacific, making an island of Cape Flattery."
"Again, Kwattee and Thunderbird engaged in terrible conflict, and again the waters suddenly receded, leaving Neah Bay, the Strait of Fuca, and Puget Sound perfectly dry. For four days, the water ebbed out, and numerous sea monsters and whales were left on dry land."
"The battle was again indecisive. Then without any waves or breakers, the waters again rose until they had submerged the whole country. Then Kwattee killed Chief Thunderbird. The waters took four days to recede. Each time that the waters rose, the people took to their canoes and floated off as the winds and currents wafted them. The sky was covered and there was neither sun nor land to guide them. Many canoes also came down in trees and were destroyed, and numerous lives were lost. The survivors were scattered over the whole earth. One segregation of the Quileutes found themselves at Hoh, another at Chemakum (near the present Port Townsend), and a third succeeded in returning to their own home here on the Pacific."
"Who needs Godzilla when we have our own giant freaky animal battles…thunderbird versus the whale… no…? Whalezilla?" Quil chattered away.
"It might have been the same tsunami, we just have different stories to explain it," said Jake. "The kernel of truth to the myth."
"Dad used to tell the story about how the Quileute stole the whale meat when the thunderbird put it down to rest. He got angry and turned them all into stone," Leah spoke.
"So, Rose could have the spirit of the thunderbird?" Seth asked.
"She's emotional and it rains?" checked Embry.
"Jesus. PMS much?" said Paul.
"Whoa, think about it. You can never have a fight with that girl ever…" Embry commented.
"Yeah, I know…," muttered Seth. "She has already zapped me."
"And disconnect the Hallmark channel; that shit gets girls all weepy anyway," from Paul.
"It's more than that," Seth blustered. "It's any strong emotion. So when we…" he stopped talking and looked down.
"So you literally work up a storm?" Paul asked.
Seth just nodded. Paul cackled with laughter.
There was a silence for a minute while everyone processed that thought.
"It was her," said Embry. "That burn mark in the forest."
Seth just nodded.
Paul snorted. "Fuck, if it's hailing, we know you are into some freaky shit."
"Christ almighty, the weather is bad enough around here without that! We have to find a way to help her," Jake said.
"Or use her," suggested Quil.
Sometimes Quil had the right idea but it still surprised them all. Everyone looks at him.
"What? Use her!" Seth was furious.
"Imagine if she could Sith lightning the vamps? Come on; that would be sooo cool. No more carrying lighters and fire starters for us," Quil blithely prattled on, oblivious to Seth's growing anger. "Does it come out of her eyes? Like in the story or does she zap out of somewhere else…?"
Collin and Brady made noises of teenage boy approval. Robot Chicken was currently their favourite television show.
"Sith lightning…cool" breathed Brady.
"Seth lightning," corrected Collin with a chuckle.
"Can we call her panda bear?" asked Brady. [AN: in robot chicken star wars, Palpatine can't remember Padme's name and he calls her panda bear]
"One more Robot Chicken reference…" Seth threatened Collin and Brady.
"Guys," Jake tried to call them to order.
"This is my imprint!" Seth shouted.
There was silence. Everyone looked at him.
"Seth?" Jake asked.
"Oh fuck." He realised he had blown it.
"She is? When did that happen? Did I miss something?" Quil asked. "I thought you just felt guilty because you caused the accident…"
"Shut up Quil," Embry spoke.
"That's why you were there," Leah guessed.
"Why would you hide it?" from Jared.
Silence.
Paul reached for his shoulder. "Seth, take my advice. Hiding shit like this just doesn't work out for anybody… you remember the clusterfuck I made of my own life… stop feeling guilty for causing the accident and tell her the truth…"
"All of it," stated Jake. He glanced at the elders for confirmation and they both nod.
"What…?"
"The pack, the imprint… everything." Jake looked at him. "She thinks you are just a normal boy doesn't she?"
"What if she's feeling like a freak… and if she finds out you're one as well…" Quil suggested. "Might make her feel better. She's not alone… you know… that shit…"
Everyone looked at him again; he had just called them allfreaks.
"Well I didn't mean that we were all freaks … just Seth… you know…" he blustered.
"Jesus Quil," said Embry. "Shut up!"
"I can't tell her," wailed Seth. He held his head in his hands.
"Why not?" asked Jake.
"I caused the accident… Winona would not have swerved if I had not have been there… I hurt her… I almost killed my imprint…. Do you know how that makes me feel? I mean she wasn't my imprint then, but she is now…"
"Seth, you were there for a reason… you couldn't tell us why you had to be there… remember?" Jake said.
Leah spoke, "What if the Makah elders couldn't help her… what if we can… if you can… is that why she is here? …isn't the whole accident… a way of making sure she is here… with us… in La Push."
"You could be right Leah," agreed Embry. "If she had driven past… you would never have met her… she's here … with you Seth."
"The gods work in mysterious ways," Quil ponderously intoned. His grandfather gave him a look.
"Dating by car accident?" Seth sounded bitter. "She didn't fall for me, the car rolled over?"
"Seth… do you love her?" asked Jake. "I mean love her… not the imprint stuff… you can tell the difference… can you?"
"Yeah, I think I can… I loved her before I imprinted… it only happened this week… she's so strong… and determined… and she tries so hard… she has literally remade herself… that takes real strength of character… you know?"
He looked down at his hands. "I think she is a remarkable person and she is funny and intelligent and dogged and beautiful and her smile…"
Jake laughed, "Okay then… there's our answer. You're not just looking after her … you love her."
"What cemented the imprint?" asked Embry. "You said it only happened this week."
Seth looked at him and raised his eyebrows.
"You did it on tribal land," guessed Embry.
Seth just nodded.
"Well, regardless of how it happened, she is your imprint now and if we can help her," suggested Billy, "it may be the reason why she is here."
"If she is your imprint then there is a reason why she is with you," old Quil stated. "Does she have other skills… anything else she can control?"
"Storms are all she can do," said Seth. "Jesus did I just say that? Did that sound as weird to you all as it did to me?"
"Yep," agreed Paul.
"What exactly does she do?" asked Jake.
Seth squirmed. "She can zap out of her hands… electrical things especially don't last long around her… and she can call a lightning strike… she can almost direct where it hits… she's a little out of control right now… but she needs more practice… it still frightens her."
"Maybe you need to look at it scientifically. Lightning is static electricity; ionised particles. If she can move different kinds of particles, she might be able to control other things. Wind or water are particles too," Quil said.
Everyone looked at him in disbelief.
"What…? I can't be smart occasionally…" he whined.
The meeting broke up after a few more less important issues; arranging patrols and such.
FF_2154210_ - 4/2/2011 02:12:00 PM
FF_2154210_ - 8/31/2011 03:06:00 AM