Around three I'm jostled awake by Mina. "Today is the day, Alyx. We're going to fix you, find out what you are, and everything will go back to normal. Well, our new normal anyway." She giggles. No one else has stirred yet.
"Why are you up so early?" I whine.
"I couldn't sleep. Today is an important day. Come with me outside. We won't disturb the others." She motions for me to follow.
I plod after her shaking my groggy head, trying to wake up. She opens the door and a gust of wind enters the warehouse, bringing with it the chill of winter. The newly fallen snow sparkles like millions of tiny diamonds in the waning moonlight. I can smell it. The snow. Crisp, clean, icy. It invigorates me and I rush out into the piles. Mina stands outside the door shivering. She recalls the tiny flame from yesterday. As it roars to life, she sinks to the ground to catch its warmth. She watches me play in the snow. Running, jumping, digging my nose into it, trying to catch the field mice and rats hidden beneath the wintery blanket. I'm quite enjoying myself. I don't know how long we are out there; I'm not even getting cold.
I begin to hear the rustling of everyone inside waking up. No breakfast is made, although I am hungry and want some of the bacon I know is hidden in the fridge. We all must be fasting for the ceremony. Ahna pokes her head outside to let Mina know they are about ready. She rises and whistles at me. "It's almost time, Alyx." I come bounding toward her and she opens the door in anticipation. I sail through it landing with a graceful thud. I shake myself causing bits of snow to go flying everywhere.
"Alyx!" Ahna whines as a particularly large pile smacks her in the face. They all laugh, and we head to the room with the sacred circle. Hamish hands her a towel. She smiles at him, with love in her eyes. Hamish's eyes follow Mina instead, a look of longing there. He's much too old for her, but nonetheless, she has captivated his heart. He hides it well, as does Ahna but the pheromones I smell do not lie. I want to ask them about it, so I file it in my bank of things to investigate later.
We enter the room. Along one wall a table has been set up. The bird cages are in the corner nearest the window. A large circle has been made using the ash from burned sage and tobacco leaves. The air was thick with their scent. Sprigs of lodgepole pines and elderberries were scattered throughout the circle. Toward the center was a smaller circle composed of sapphire, agate, gold and prairie turnips. I was directed to sit inside it. The council members take positions around the circle. Rosemarue standing in the North. Hamish in the South with Mina by his side. The other four in East and West positions. Ahna stands by the cages of crows, ready for the word to release them.
Rosemarue oversees this ceremony. She closes the door and lights a fresh stick of sage and tobacco moving throughout the room smudging the space and us, clearing and purifying. Once she is satisfied, she takes her place at the North point of the circle. "Does everyone present enter into this ceremony with a pure heart? Pure in the sense that our purpose here today is to help Alyx discover her heritage? Then return the transferred magic back to its proper owner so she may become human again?" Everyone nods and says yes. "Very well. We shall begin." She nods to the Southern point.
Mina and Hamish come closer together, face to face. Mina slips the amulet over both their heads while Hamish pulls a paper from his pocket. They clasp hands, holding the words together and begin the incantation. The crows are caw-ing and flapping around in their cages. They want out. As the incantation is finished, I feel cold in my core and wonder if this is normal. Then the chanting starts. A low rumble from the four elders in the east and the west. The cold intensifies and becomes painful. I focus on Ahna. The amulet begins glowing as Hamish and Mina join in the chanting. I sink to the floor as both the cold and pain increase more. Rosemarue's clear voice rings out over the chanting. "We call upon you Great Sprits. There is an imbalance. Help us make this right."
Two sharp stabs of pain radiate from my back, where my shoulder blades would be if I was human. The crows cease their noise. They turn and stare at me, heads cocked, blinking profusely. The feel of magic is palpable. The chanting stops. Ahna's eyes are wide as saucers. She is scared, confused? I can't make her out so well anymore. There's an icy burning coming from my back and I can't hold it in anymore. A long howl erupts from me. It sounds more human than animal.
The crows become restless, fluttering at the bars trying to escape. Rosemarue nods and Ahna releases them. They soar wildly, throughout the room trying to get as far away from me as they can but there is no outlet. The chanting starts up again. A force is pulling at the crows, at me. More pain, more burning and iciness. Feathers drift towards me, plucked from the crows. When they cross the inner circle, they change colors. The ebony bleeds out and they become gold, falling ever so gently to the floor around me. I'm barely keeping it together. What is happening? Is this right? Should it hurt so much? My breath comes out in puffs as the frost deepens more. Ahna has her hand over her mouth, in shock, it looks like, goosebumps played out on her skin. I steal a peek at Mina. Her eyes are aglow with a faint purple light. Then I look at Hamish. So are his. I can't say for certain, but I think Rosemarue's were as well. I can't turn to corroborate that, I hurt too much. Another sharp pain, I cry out and feel wetness on my face. Is it blood? No, just tears. Wolves don't cry, how can I be crying? But I am. I feel like I've been dipped in liquid nitrogen. I'm glacial. My cells are trying to separate from me, to get away from the arctic temp. All of them. It cuts at me. I twitch and turnabout. I few crimson drops of my blood hit the floor, heat rising from them. The crows succumb to the magic. All at once they fly, a wave of darkness coming towards me. My head swoons and everything goes white.
Ahna:
Petrified, I watch the scene before me, huddled against the wall under the window. Alyx looks to be in pain. I want to reach out and help her, but I don't want to screw up the ceremony. I keep my eyes on Rosemarue, waiting for her to tell me it's time to release the birds. I steal quick glances at the red wolf in the center circle. Her golden eyes begin swirling as bits of blue return. I try to keep eye contact. She seems to be staring at me as if I'm her anchor. I focus on the magic. I can feel it charging the air around me. Please work. Please work. "We call upon you Great Spirits. There is an imbalance. Help us make it right." My eyes widen as I see two slivers of light on her back. They grow taking on the shape of wings. The crows' incessant chatter ceases as they stare at this unrecognizable creature. Their breaths coming out in puffs, as is mine. Alyx seems to be changing yet not changing. I don't know how to describe it.
She lets out an agonizing howl that morphs into a human scream. The crows become restless once more thrashing against each other and the cage. I look at Rosemarue and she nods. I release the crows, a thin film of ice on the bars. They swoop out of the cage and head for the window, not finding an exit there, they begin rushing about. Trying to stay as far away from the circle and Alyx as they can, looking for a way out. Feathers are tossed about and pulled to the circle. When they pass the inner barrier they begin to change, elongating, becoming larger, the color fading to a white-gold. My eyes are drawn to Rosemarue. Is this what's supposed to happen? Alyx looks wretched. She's in agony, twitching about. I'm worried. But Rosemarue is too involved, her eyes phosphoresce purple. We aren't cold, even though the room has frosted over. My skin erupts in goosebumps, but I still don't feel the temperature change.
Alyx cries out as another wave of hurt hits her. Her shoulders start bleeding where the light emanated from. Where real actual wings are solidifying before my eyes. The crow feathers that surround her are forming together to create wings. A few drops of blood hit the ground and emit wisps of heat before they freeze. Human tears drop from her eyes and freeze upon impact with the ground. The crows stop and hover creating a wall around the circle and rush at Alyx.
In a flurry of feathers, the crows disappear and all that's left in the circle is Alyx. Her wings are solid now, drops of blood still clinging to the tips. They span about seven feet, close to a bald eagle's length. She's human, well humanoid. Like she was before the party. Covered in red fur but with human hands and feet. Human ears and no muzzle. There is still a tail and her nails are still claws. Everyone is silent staring at this mess of a person on the floor. Hovering above her is grey smoke. It seems to have a life of its own twisting, turning. It travels the length of a circle, like a snake searching for prey. Rosemarue breaks the line of ash with her foot. The smoke senses the opening and heads for it, funneling out if it quickly. As it makes is way around the room, it swirls around each person it comes to. The ice-covered room begins to thaw, but no water is found, it evaporates into the air. The smoke reaches Mina and recoils, as if from terror. Some of it hits my arm and blushes red. I gasp, it's so frigid. The head of the smoke cloud becomes a snake, turning toward me, studying me. Slowly it moves forward. I try to move but I'm backed up in the corner against the table. A tendril darts out to lick at my skin. It changes shades again, a blush rose. I drop to my knees and shuffle under the table. It frightens me.
I hear a hiss, snakelike and bundle myself tighter underneath the table. Rosemarue's face appears, "Don't be afraid, child." She reassures me. "It's your magic, trying to come home. You must accept it." She reaches for my hand. The smoke has lowered to stare at me, unmoving. I grab her hand and she pulls me out from under the table. I watch the smoke snake carefully. It coils and writhes near us, waiting to strike. "Hold your hand out to it, Ahna."
"I.. I don't want to," I say fearfully.
"You must. Everything is going to be okay." She forces my hand out. The head of the snake bows and flicks out a forked tongue, touching my fingertips. It's not cold anymore. It starts to blush, the whole cloud changing shades, unraveling until it reassembles into the form of a wolf. The smoke wolf licks my hand, leaving a streak of rose. The color fades into my skin warming me. The same warmth I get when I change from woman to animal.
"What do I do, Rosemarue?" I ask her.
"That is your magic, it belongs to you. All you need to do is accept it. Say the words, 'I have been waiting for you. I accept you.' and it will." She smiles at me. I repeat them and the smoke wolf jumps towards me, swirling around me, blotting out the others. I close my eyes and breathe it in. The smells of the forest invade my nostrils. I start to pick up some sounds; the scratching of the rats in the warehouse, the call of the birds outside, Alyx's faint breaths, the swoosh of rabbit feet. Then I smell them. The people in the room. Each one distinct in their own way but all with the undeniable undercurrent of magic. My eyes flash open. I feel whole again. My magic has come home.
I turn to Rosemarue, a smile on my face. "It worked."
"It sure did. Your golden eyes are back." Rosemarue exclaims delighted.
"What are we going to do about Alyx? Is the ceremony over?" I ask.
"Not yet dear. But now that you are healed you must leave. We can't have your magic interfering when we try to access Alyx's magic. Mina will tell you everything that happens afterward if you want to know." Rosemarue gently prods me to get me to leave. I acquiesce, shutting the door behind me. I shift back and forth from wolf to woman a few times making sure it feels right. Beaming, I head to the kitchen for some food. I'm back and it feels amazing.
