As he turned away from the setting sun, Durc felt an inexplicable shiver of fear run down his spine. He walked slowly back towards the small camp, the distinct feeling of being watched following his every step. He refused to turn and look behind him though, knowing that no one was there. Every night for the past moon he had felt the same presence, and the same feeling of dread would surround his heart. He intuitively knew that someone was watching him, it was just someone, or something, he could not see. He brushed the eerie feeling off and returned to his place at the fire, feeling his mate's hand softly stroke his thigh as he sat beside her. Looking at her face, he could see the concerned inquiry in her eyes. He shook his head, and turned his attention back to the conversation at hand.
"There are enough of us now that we will need to plan hunts to continue feeding us all. I say we take a few days to put a plan in motion and bring down some large game. What do you think Durc?" Darvalo asked just as he sat down. Durc nodded his agreement and looked on the other man with a mixture of pride and gratitude. He didn't think he would be capable of leading all these people without him. The young man was almost like a strong second in command, stepping into the position without having to be asked and lending all of his considerable knowledge and skill whenever Durc needed it.
The bond that had developed between them was truly amazing considering their vastly different backgrounds. Never had Durc had a male he could truly call a friend. Mentor and family yes, but never just a friend. Darvalo was his friend and they had grown as close as brothers over their long journey together. Now Darvalo was gracefully helping him lead the large group of people that traveled with them.
Their numbers had grown quickly after the first set of people had joined them and they continued to pick up more the farther west they went. All with the same incredible tale of spirit visions and instructions. Most had merely waited for their coming, directed to a certain spot by some great mystical force, while others had traveled hard and fast to catch up from behind, walking straight into the camp as if they were expected. Most seemed awed that they had really found him and all of them had, in some way, been touched by the influence of his mother. Some had known her personally and others had just met her once or only heard tell of the legend she left behind but once they learned that he was Ayla's son, all divine intervention seemed immediately explained and understood.
Their numbers were well over twenty now, with the large group a mixture of varying cultures. Most of the different societies that had supplied members to this strange camp were similar, all basing their belief system on the nurturing Mother goddess, but some were vastly different, like the eight Clan members that now traveled with them, along with a group of three people of mixed races that had been outcast by both peoples. Those particular three seem to integrate into the group more easily than the others, being familiar with both ends of the far opposite culture line but following their own improvised belief system. Finding one such as themselves to be leading the group seemed to increased their downtrodden self worth and gave them a confidence they had never before experienced. The Others and the Clan however, had a more difficult time learning the complex ways of each other's lifestyle.
The initial method of instruction to meet and travel with Durc went a long ways toward easing the tension on both parties when they arrived to find members of each group traveling together but the lifelong lessons of mistrust and hate were not easily forgotten. The newer members had a hard time learning the rules of respect and cooperation that traveling in mixed company presented but they did learn, eventually. Major insights and new found truths were discovered by both parties each and every day and the knowledge that their learned beliefs about the other were not necessarily true tempered frustrations and allowed the learning process to progress at a rapid rate. Growing more and more comfortable with each other by the day helped to lessen the strain leading such a large group put on Durc but the pressure of his responsibilities weighed heavily on such young shoulders.
"....any ideas Durc?"
"Yes?" Durc looked up startled when he heard the sound of his name. He had been completely lost in his own thoughts and ignored the entire conversation. He flushed and mentally chided himself for not remaining focused on the welfare of his "clan". "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention. What did you ask me?" he asked, his cheeks slightly red.
"I was just asking if you had any ideas on where you would like to look for game?" Darvalo repeated his question. The other hunters gathered around the fire looked at him, waiting for his response.
"I...um...well, there is that clearing where we saw those herds a little ways back. It would only take a short time to back track and set up a trap of sorts, but if none of you want to, we can send a scout out ahead of us and keep going. Either way, I think we could find a couple of large animals to kill. Is there anyone who knows this area well?" he asked the assembled men. A man raised his hand from where he sat mostly behind the group and Durc motioned for him to speak..
"Me and my companions know this area well. While we traveled the area looking for a permanent home, we came to learn the good hunting spots. If you like I can show your lead hunter where it is and maybe help him set the traps." the man signed almost shyly, still not comfortable with anyone here but Durc. The mixed man could verbalize, but he was the only one of the three that came together that could and he had never been taught any spoken language. They all communicated using Clan signs but this man was learning the spoken words from Durc.
"Well first, all my hunters are equal, no one is more important than the other. I was taught to utilize the skills of all my hunters and so far the skills among us seem pretty evenly matched. Some of us have newer techniques, but some have wisdom and experience. Combining the different styles has been working so far, so now I need the hunters with the most information. Whoever knows the terrain the best will lead the hunt and in this case that would seem to be you. So why don't you come up here with me and we will see what we can work out with you as our guide?" he asked, indicating that the shy man come sit by him.
The mixed man was stunned. He had not expected this. He had only been trying to offer his assistance, and now he was going to lead a hunt! Never had he been given this kind of respect and his eyes were shining with happiness, excitement and gratitude. As he watched him move slowly forward, the people gathered making a narrow path for him to pass through, Durc was suddenly glad he had made that decision. He knew what it was to be snubbed by his peers but even his difficult life had been nothing compared to this mans.
The mixed man and his companions had arrived only a few days ago and Durc had taken the time to talk to him. The resulting story had at first saddened and outraged him but as the man continued speaking, amazement had quickly followed. They had sat together for hours while this man poured out his story to Durc's sympathetic ears. Durc had never been more angered or more moved.
The man had been born to a clan a good distance to the south of here. His mother had suffered a great deal giving birth to him and when the leader refused to accept him based on his deformity, she had left her clan behind to raise him on her own. It was unheard of for a woman to leave her clan and live alone, but for some reason even he still did not know, she had felt compelled to break every rule she had ever known and keep her son alive. However, that did not necessarily mean she wanted or loved him.
The woman was horrified by her son's misshapen head and resented him for his deformity that took her home and her clan from her, but still she was compelled to do what it took for him to survive. Terrified and alone, she struggled for years to provide enough for them both to eat without breaking any more of her clan's customs. Fresh meat was a rare treat and they lived mostly on vegetables and grains that she could store in the winter. She would find the occasional frozen carcass or a freshly killed animal and she would take that back to the tiny cave she had found but hunting was out of the question.
When the man had grown old enough to learn to hunt for them he had no one to teach him. He learned what he could from her stories of the Clan men and their weapons, from his memories, and from trial and error. Eventually he became somewhat proficient at providing them with meat but he did not always succeed. He tried everything he could to help his mother, so maybe one day she would love him but nothing seemed to work. She was doing her duty by raising him, but she was not happy about it. She could not explain the strong compulsion that guided her to let him live, but she followed it. Ignorant of the ways of spirits, she did not know that a powerful force was guiding her, assisting her to keep this small, deformed boy alive.
When the child was seven, his mother left to find more wood for the fire and never came back. He had found her remains a few days later while he roamed the dense forest by their cave. Very un-Clan like tears streaked his grubby face as it dawned on him that she could never love him now and he was alone. Totally alone.
He had survived though. He spent another year in the cave, living by what his mother had taught him about the land and what he had learned for himself. In the summer of his eighth year, he left, determined to find people. He came across both caves of the Clan and of the Others and was rudely shunned by both. Sadness and dejection overwhelmed the boy and he returned to the cave alone. Many times over the course of his life he had attempted contact with his mother's people and the Others and every time he had been refused. When the last attempt had almost cost him his life, he had stopped trying.
He woke one morning in his lonely home and decided it was time to go. He had no idea where, only that it was time to leave. He traveled for three moons before he found them, the two others like himself. Fear and mistrust almost caused him to hide from the two men traveling in the near distance but when he saw their faces, his heart leapt with hope for the first time in years. He followed them for a while before gathering the courage to approach their camp. When he did, he saw stunned surprise on their faces, but no rejection of what he was. They welcomed him and, for the first time, he had more than just himself talk to and talk they did.
He learned that they both had been born to the same cave, to two different women, on the same day. While they had been allowed to live to punish their mothers, they had lived every day of their lives in ridicule and shame. Finding their only solace in each other they became fast friends and decided after years of degradation, that it was time to leave. They had been traveling together for two summers and were more than willing to let him come along. They introduced themselves as Crog and Varn and their next inquiry had his head hanging in shame.
Being raised by a lone Clan woman, he had missed out on a lot of things. He was never coddled or cared for, he had never had a ceremony to reveal a protective totem, or had been taught to hunt. He had also been denied the simplest of things, the most basic human needs. His mother had been so terrified of angering the spirits, she had refused to perform any of the sacred duties reserved to Clan men. She had never even given her son a name.
--------------
The hunt was planned and the mixed man had proven to be a vital tool in locating the larger game. Durc felt strange thinking of him, he never knew what to call him. It was times like now he wished for the wisdom of a Mogur or the old Mamut of the Lion Camp. He had no idea what should be done in this situation, he had never heard of it before. He knew the man must be given a name, they couldn't just refer to him as 'the mixed man', but who should choose such a thing? Should the man get to pick his own? Should the leader, he himself, pick a name? Should they wait until they found a holy man that could intercede with the world of the spirits on their behalf and request a suggestion? He had no idea of what his course of action should be. In the Clan, the man of the hearth always picked the name any infant would have, in the world of the Others it was the mother who chose. Well, this man had neither mother nor a mother's mate. Durc decided he would pray to the spirits before he fell asleep and maybe they would gift him with a vision as to what to do.
Durc sighed, relieved he had come to some sort of a decision. He refocused his attention on the empty pack he held in his hands and concentrated on packing it with what he would need for the hunt. They had already located the best spot and would take off in the morning. Almost all of his "clan" would be going, with only a few women staying behind to cook a meal for the hunters' return. Durc paused again when he thought of the women staying behind. Maybe he should keep a man here with them for protection. He thought about the number of hunters going with him and knew he could afford to spare a man. He nodded silently to himself, finalizing his decision. Now he only had to choose who would stay behind.
His eyes clouded slightly at the thought, though he knew his men would agree with him. They were in unfamiliar territory and that demanded consideration. He would have no one in his group, man or woman, unprotected but still he knew that someone would be disappointed. They were all excited about this first planned hunt. He would have to think about who he would choose to stay here.
He stuffed the last of his things into the pack and laced it tight. Getting up, he laid it beside his bed roll for easy access in the morning. Looking up, he caught the mixed man staring at him from his seat across the central fire. Durc nodded slightly at him and the man returned a subtle signal of respect before turning his soulful eyes back to the flames. Durc made a mental note to speak to him later.
He glanced around the camp, his eyes automatically searching out his mate and he saw her right where he had expected to find her. He smiled slightly at the sight of Latie surrounded by horses. Her love for the animals was well known and she did all she could to take care of them but she had finally started to train some of the Clan women and even some of the others to help her care for them. All of the newcomers had arrived with horses, some had only come with one but others had two or three. They had what almost looked like a full herd now and Latie's loving care was spread a little too thin. She needed the help but he knew she would not give-up their care to another without supervising every move.
The horses had become a lot of work but they were well worth the effort. They had saved him a huge amount of time on this journey and he wondered how far they would be now without them. He watched her as she moved among them, a pat here, a stroke there. Yes, they were worth all the trouble they unknowingly caused.
Durc almost felt sorry for the beasts. If the capture and training weren't stressful enough, now they arrived to find more of their own kind and they were surprisingly leery of others of their own breed. There were so many, they now had to keep a few of the stallions separated from the others after a few fights had broken out. No one knew why some were so aggressive and others were not, but Durc thought it had something to do with age. The older ones seemed to ignore the younger males, but more than a few fights had broken out among the older males over the enticing scent of a female in heat. The females seemed calmer but they were constantly harassed by the males. They took it well though and only seemed slightly nervous considering the fact that they had to travel with a natural born enemy.
Baby's presence only made it worse for them, though he never threatened them. His scent alone was enough to scare them. Durc looked around the camp, searching for the subject of his thoughts. He finally saw him sprawled next to Darvalo, while the young man stroked his soft amber fur. He had been traveling with them for a few days now and Durc knew he would take off on his own again soon. He smiled, knowing the cat would be spoiled rotten while he was here.
Baby, for his part, loved the humans, he really did. He just couldn't resist scaring them to death. Many had arrived at the camp expecting to see him, only to be disappointed that he wasn't there. They all met him soon enough, however, because it was the ones that he hadn't met that he loved the most.
Baby always seemed to know when a new member had joined Durc on his journey and he had made a game out of introducing himself to them. Durc always tried to warn them, assuring them that the lion would never hurt them but Baby always caught them unsuspecting. Sometimes, he would jump out of the tall grass right in front of them. He lived for the startled scream that always followed. Other times he would sneak up behind them and knock them over, playfully licking their faces with his raspy tongue while they lay frozen in fear. He never hurt any of them, he never even tried, but he made sure they knew he was there.
Only the presence of a horse would stop his play instantly. His respect for and refusal to frighten the equines was amazing to all. More than once Baby had stopped his "attack" in mid-stride at the appearance of a horse. Durc figured Baby knew how hard it was for them to submit to his mere presence, let alone his attempts at humor.
Baby had become a favorite of the group and few ever got angry with his playful appearances. If anyone took his "pranks" too seriously, Baby took it upon himself to make it up to them. He would lay at their side, rubbing his soft fur against them, looking at them with sad amber eyes until they relented and forgave him. The next time a newcomer arrived, the injured party was normally right there laughing along with the rest.
The "initiated" members of the group often watched his stealthily approach, waiting for the inevitable reactions of the newest member. Smiles were hidden behind hands and laughter held in check until Baby walked off from the terrified individual, smug satisfaction in every step. Then the whole camp would erupt into gales of laughter. Well, except the Clan members, but even with them you could see the glimmers of humor in their eyes.
It was Baby's game and everyone knew it and loved him for it. He was pampered the entire time he was in camp. Someone was always petting him or feeding him tidbits of meat. The huge cat reveled in the attention. Not one of them would ever have guessed that such a huge predator could ever be tame, let alone become a friend. But he was. He loved them all just as much and would do anything to protect them.
Durc suddenly brightened with an idea and he smiled. He had been so wrapped up in thought that he didn't hear Latie walk up beside him.
"What?" she asked, seeing the sudden smile on his face.
He turned to look at her, his smile changing to one meant especially for her. "Oh, nothing. I was just having a little problem, but I just came up with an idea to solve it," he said lightly, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.
She smiled at him, but with a trace of concern. "What problem?"
"I was just thinking that I would have to disappoint a hunter and leave one here with the women that planned to stay behind tomorrow, but I think Baby would stay in camp if I told him too and I know he can protect them." he told her. She nodded and opened her mouth to speak, but he took her lips in a passionate kiss before she got the chance. Instantly, whatever she was going to say flew out of her head.
Durc pulled away slowly, looking into Latie's eyes. He was with her every day but still he missed her. They never seemed to have much time to themselves any more.
She grinned up at him, and cocked her head. "Wow, what was that for?" she asked, wishing for more.
"Because I love you. Do I ever remember to tell you thank you for being my mate?" he asked, looking at her suddenly serious.
Her eyes widened, "Why in the Mother's name would you need to thank me for that?" she asked, totally thrown by the question. He pulled her closer and squeezed her so hard she thought he might crack her in half. She was suddenly worried about him. What was wrong with her mate? She just let him hold her and waited but he stayed silent so long she thought he wasn't going to answer her.
After a few long moments, he spoke. "It is just so easy to forget how lucky I have been," he answered, releasing her.
She backed away slightly and looked at his face, seeing his eyes focused somewhere behind her. She turned and followed his gaze and saw him staring at the mixed man with no name. Returning her eyes to his face, she waited until he noticed her stare.
Feeling her eyes on him, he looked back to her then to the slowly darkening sky before continuing, "My life could have turned out much like his but instead I had a mother who loved me, fought for me and even though she was forced to leave me behind, thinks of me everyday of her life. I had a Clan who loved me, well most of them, a wonderful adoptive mother to raise me in my mother's place and a great man to teach me all I needed to know about becoming a man. I followed my path and left them behind but I will always remember them. Then I came to your home, not only to find a family I never knew I had, but a woman I could love through all of the Great Mother's eternity. I am on a magnificent Journey with spirit guides that protect me and lead me in the right direction. I have friends and a family and I'm on my way to see the mother I barely remember but know so well in my heart."
"I forget in the process of living everyday life to be thankful that I have been given so much. Seeing him and knowing the story of his life made me realize that not all were so fortunate. Knowing that what he is, what I am, made his life unbearable. I just wanted you to know that I'm grateful, for you, your love, and so many other things. I thank the Mother every night for guiding my feet and sending me to the Lion Camp and I just...wanted you to know." he finished. Latie looked at him, the tears in her eyes sparkling in the waning light.
She had never heard him say anything so beautiful before. He never talked much about his feelings, he was raised not to, and to hear him put voice to all that was inside him was stunning. He may not be beautiful on the outside, but he was on the inside and she loved him for it.
"Yes, you were lucky Durc but no more than I am. I not only have a wonderful, thoughtful mate that I love to distraction, but a family at home that raised me with love and I will miss them always. I thank the Mother every night too, for sending you to me. We should all be grateful for what we have. Including him. Look at him again and see what I see Durc." She said softly, cupping his cheek in her hand and turning his face to look at the mixed man again. He looked at him while she spoke softly in his ear behind him,
"I see a man that was given a second chance at living. His mother may not have loved him, but she saved his life. He grew up without so much, but he survived, he thrived, even in his isolation. He spent his life being rejected, only to have at last found acceptance. He had no one to teach him to be a man, but he became one anyway. And he is good, deep down where it counts, he is a good man. Deep, thoughtful and caring, with so much to give. He has overcome so much to be here with us and now he is. He deserves more than your pity Durc, he deserves your respect too. And your help." Durc turned his liquid eyes to her face and she smiled softly,
"You can help him become what he was meant to be. He is here for a reason Durc and I think you are that reason. Teach him. Show him all that he missed out on, give him the respect his heart longs for. Don't feel sorry for him or guilty that your life was so much better than his; make his life better with what you were given."
His eyes grew wide at her words, but he nodded. "You're right. I may not be able to teach him much, as a matter of fact he could probably teach me a few things about survival, but I can help him. I can give him back some of what he has been denied." And I can start with a name, he thought to himself. He kissed his mate hard on the lips, then pulled back slightly, his eyes issuing a promise for later.
"I have to go. If anyone asks, tell them I will return late," he said, and almost ran in the opposite direction from the camp. Latie watched him go, a small smile playing on her face, then headed back to the camps main fire.
Durc traveled a good distance away from the camp, making sure he would not be disturbed. It was almost time to meet with his mother and he was grateful. Maybe she could help him with this. He found himself a comfortable spot and sat down, folding his legs into position in front of him. Taking a few deep breaths to focus his thoughts, he closed his eyes and waited.
It wasn't long before he felt the warmth in his chest start to grow and this time he sent a silent plea for assistance along with his love. A silent question returned to him but he had no way to tell her what he needed. Instead he thought of the trance like state of deep meditation and hoped she would understand what it was he wanted. Abruptly the warmth faded and he waited. He stayed that way for a long time, slowly sending himself deeper inside himself. He could feel the spirits surrounding him, they could come to him but he was not powerful enough to call them on his own. He needed his mother.
-------------
Ayla turned and walked inside the cave, heading straight for Zelandoni.
He felt the warmth come again, only this time much stronger. Instead of his chest, he felt her inside his head and she was whispering his name.
"Durc?"
He turned inside his mind, searching for the source of the softly spoken word, but he could see nothing.
"Mother?" .
"I am here Durc. Is this what you wanted?"
Her reply came instantly. Suddenly he turned again and saw the faded image of the golden haired woman in his dreams.
"Yes, I wasn't sure you would understand. Thank you for coming."
"I will always try to come if you need me. Why did you call me here my son?"
"I need your help. There is a man..."
He flashed images of the mixed man and his life through his mind to hers. He could feel her outrage and her sympathy as she learned his tale.
"The life this man has lived is sad, but how can I help you?"
"His mother refused to perform the ceremony to give the man a name. I need you to help me return this man his dignity. He needs a name and he has no mother or mother's mate to choose it. I need the spirits to help me find one for him."
He felt his mother's warmth flare for a second and the pride she felt for him flashed through his heart. He saw a gentle smile grace her features.
"It is good that you do this Durc, I am proud of you. I will help you call the spirits to you so they can hear your plea for guidance. Have you thought of maybe searching out a totem for him as well? He has been remarkably lucky to survive without the protection of a totem all these years. Maybe he already has one and it has not yet been revealed. It would only assist him in his new life to be aware of it. Totems can make great changes in one's life if they are given the opportunity. I am assuming that Creb led him to you?""How did you know?"
"He has been busy for a spirit. I have spoken with the leader of a Clan near here that was also instructed to send members to join your party as you grow closer. It was Creb that was speaking to their Mogur through visions, giving him instructions"
"Ahh, yes. It is the same here. All of the people that have joined me have received instruction from their holy person. Except for this man. He traveled with two others that were of mixed blood, like me, and they had no mogur."
Ayla remained silent for a moment, but he could hear the thoughts flying through her mind. Finally she spoke.
Creb came to him, not either of the other two he traveled with?"
"Yes, I think so, but I'm not positive. Why?"
"It takes a certain kind of mind to receive spirit visions. He may be gifted in the ways of the spirit world, just untrained. You may also seek guidance on that as well. The spirits will tell you what to do to help him. I would say they already have plans for this man if they went though so much to keep him alive. I have found that nothing is done without a purpose. Listen with your heart and you will understand what it is they wish from you."
"I will mother, thank you."
"I will call the spirits now."
Durc nodded and stood silently by while his mother's hands began the ancient dance. He was struck anew by her graceful beauty and when she opened her eyes to look one last time on her son, she saw his eyes full of love for her. She smiled a smile meant just for him,
"They are here. I will leave you now. Good luck my son, until I see you again and can finally hold you close to my heart." he told her. He could feel the spirits swirling around him now, their presence strong. His mother's warmth faded from his mind and he focused his attention to the ones he was seeking.
"I will reach you soon mother, a couple of moons at the most. I love you and thank you for your help,"
He as at a loss as to what to do. Could he speak directly to them? In the end it wasn't necessary, for they knew why they had been called. They could see the questions in his heart. Images flashed through his mind so quickly, it took him a moment to process what they were. Finally he realized they told a story.
In his mind he saw a woman of the Clan as she struggled to give birth. When the huge head finally pushed out of her loins, the rest of the child came easily. He saw the horror on her face as she gazed at the deformed face of her squalling son. Then, later as the same woman snuck out of the cave in the middle of the night with her child held close to her breast. He watched as she struggled to raise her son and deal with life on her own, her bitterness at losing her cave not lost on the child she was forced to raise.
Durc realized he was seeing the birth and early life of the mixed man in question. The images continued, giving Durc a whole new understanding of the life the man had lived. He felt the spirits' anger and their compassion for the life their child had suffered, but he also felt their determination to see him through it. Suddenly the images changed and he saw a dozen different naming ceremonies flash through his mind. Of both the Clan and the Others, over and over again, and it made the lack of one in this man's life startlingly clear. The spirits knew why he was here and they were more than ready to help.
Durc nodded, knowing this is what they wanted and that he was guided here as well as everywhere else he had been in his life. He waited as the images stopped for a moment. He merely felt the whisper of a question cross his mind and the images started up again, only slower.
First an image of a small child, shrunken and deformed on one side and suffering from what looked like a vicious animal attack. His eye was gone and his arm crushed. The picture was only fleeting and still Durc knew it could only be Creb. Again he was shown images of a difficult life, but one that had lead to power and prestige. One chosen by the spirits. The pictures changed again and he was seeing Brun. As a child, then grown to manhood. Power, respect, leadership, were the qualities that were emphasized. Again the images shifted and he was shown a young man of the Others. He didn't know who this was but he watched as his story played out as well. The same things were shown again, power, respect, leadership and a spiritual destiny. Only when the pictures flashed to the man late in his life did Durc recognize him for who he was. Mamut of the Lion Camp.
Finally the focus of the mental flashes changed for the last time and Durc saw the image of a Clan ceremony flash brightly but the focus was the mogur leading it. Over and over again he was shown holy men. Mogurs, mamuts, and ones he had never seen before, performing all kinds of ceremonies. Finally he understood what the spirits were trying to tell him.
The mixed man was a chosen of the spirits. He was intended to become someone powerful, respected, a great holy leader. He understood now, but how was he supposed to choose a name for him? For someone of such a great destiny? As the thoughts entered his mind, another image arose before his mind's eye, well two really, but they slowly merged into one. Durc frowned for a moment, then smiled. He would not have to, the spirits had done it for him.
He heard the name whispered in his mind and saw the picture of a Clan naming ceremony. One that had not happened yet.
"Crun, this man's name is Crun."
His own voice echoed in his mind as he listened and watched the ceremony that would come to pass. He smiled again. It was perfect, of course. Relieved that he now had his answer, he felt the spirits waiting. He thought of the next subject and his mind flashed on his own totem, the spirit of the Gray Wolf. Instantly he felt the swirling motion as they gathered close once more and whispered into his mind.
The images started again, and this time Durc gasped. Could that be right? Could that even be a totem? He felt the spirits rile at his doubt. They showed him image after image and he began to see. He felt the emotions they sent him, awe, respect, a complete lack of fear. He began to understand the similarities of the mixed man's future and the life of his magnificent totem. He bowed his head in acceptance.
The spirits took a moment to hear his reverent prayers of gratitude and respect and then left him, one by one. As the last one left, it whispered once more into his ear and he smiled. He would do his best. He finally opened his eyes and stared in shock at the night sky. He had been here for half the night! He rose slowly his legs cramping from staying in the same position for so long.
The walk back to camp took a little longer that normal, but he managed. As he walked back into the camp, he looked over at the sleeping form of the mixed man and smiled a secret smile. Boy did he have a surprise or two waiting for him. Trying to be quiet, he made his way slowly to his bed roll, and was surprised to see Latie sit up suddenly. The sparkle in her eyes told him all he needed to know about why she was still awake and he let out a relieved sigh. She reached for his hand and he gave it to her, sinking gratefully down to the warm furs and the waiting arms of his mate.
