Disclaimer: If I owned Twilight, I'd be a millionaire. As it is, I have twenty bucks. There you go.
Author's Note: Obviously I'm taking some liberties with Quileute customs here. This is intended as fiction.
Family Tree Chapter 14
The room was dark and filled with Quileute women; some I knew and others I didn't. Emily led me away from the fire to a large tub at the end of the cabin that had been filled with fragrant water. Steam wafted up from the water in an exotic aroma that left my head spinning. Tiny pink flowers were floating on the top. Emily slowly began to undress me and I blanched. She spoke in soft tones and a few other women came and surrounded me. I was horrified and didn't know what to do but Emily took my shaking hand into her own and rubbed small circles along my palm and somehow I calmed down enough to allow them to finish. Once my clothes were off Emily helped me into the tub. I sank down in the water in relief, mortified by having been exposed in front of so many people.
Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, I felt Emily's hands on my shoulders. She was massaging them with deft, deep movements. I groaned, not realizing how uptight I was. Another one of the women dipped a small container into the water and filled it. Emily gathered my hair atop my head and placed her fingers over my eyelids, closing them. A moment later and hot water was coursing down over my head, saturating my hair. I kept my eyes closed, my face red as a beet. I felt fingers moving through my hair, applying a cold shampoo that smelled like honey and ginger. Again, I felt hot water pour over my head. Then my arms were lifted from the water and a coarse, sandy substance was applied to my arms. The women began chanting something softly, their voices melting together beautifully as they sang. I wished I knew what they were saying.
I opened my eyes, studying one of them. The woman in front of me was quite old, her hair grey and face haggard; a hundred lines etched deep into her dark leathery skin. Her voice cracked a bit when she sang but there was something special about her, something that spoke of ancient knowledge. When her filmy black eyes met mine, I felt for a single instant that she could see into my soul. It was disconcerting. I turned my eyes away and the women continued to apply various substances to my skin, rinsing them off until at long last they'd finished. I don't think I'd ever been so clean in my entire life.
Emily helped me from the tub and wrapped a long white robe around me. The fabric was wonderfully soft and against my damp skin felt amazing. The old woman took my wrist then and led me to a small stool. She indicated for me to sit down so I complied. Her fingers ran through my wet hair and she separated the strands into even pieces. I closed my eyes, completely relaxed as she worked my hair. I had no idea what she was doing but it felt quite nice.
Fifteen minutes later I was led to a small table that held a box of green powder. Emily demonstrated what I was to do. I picked up a small handful and flung it into the fire. The flames leapt high and all the women made a sound that reminded me of when a touchdown was scored in football and men shouted in triumph. It caused me to jump unexpectedly.
The women then began talking all at once, to one another. They sat down around the fire. I moved to do the same but Emily held me back. I stood with her as we watched.
One old woman began to tell a story; I could only tell because of the way her voice rose and fell. The other women nodded along with her from time to time. A younger woman stood up and retrieved a small box that had an assortment of carvings along the face. She handed it to the eldest woman and she opened it. She removed a long, slender object and set the box in front of her. She placed one end to her lips and began to blow into it. Her fingers moved over holes that were carved into the wood and the most beautiful music filled the cabin. I was mesmerized. The fire seemed to dance in accordance with the notes and I felt my heart swell with an overwhelming sensation of peace. Eventually the music reached a crescendo and I was reminded of the time when I'd first heard Edward play the piano. Tears fell from my eyes unchecked. My heart felt too large for my chest.
The music faded away and silence fell. I looked around to see that all eyes were upon me. I wiped the tears from my face. Emily whispered something in Quileute in my ear. Surprisingly I thought I could sort of understand. It was as if she was speaking directly into my soul, into my heart. I knew it was ok to cry.
One by one, the women stood and began to leave. Emily and I stayed where we were until they had gone. Then she sat down and patted the floor next to her. She crossed her legs in front of her and held her hands out, palms turned up. I watched her, wondering what she was doing until she nudged me. I suppose I was supposed to do it too. I copied her posture and then closed my eyes the way she was. Instead of my normal thought patterns, I was seeing things. Shapes were moving all around me and I wondered what was going on. I tried to focus but the picture was fuzzy and the color seemed off. I watched, frustrated, trying to figure this out when I smelled something that was overpowering, like sandalwood, right beneath my nose. I opened my eyes, looking for the source of the smell but not seeing anything other than Emily, meditating beside me.
A few moments later, Emily opened her eyes and stood up. She held out her hand and I stood as well, unraveling my cramped legs. She led me outside and I followed her down a small dirt road that was surrounded by familiar green trees.
"Emily?"
"Yes?"
I was surprised that she answered in English. I was happy though.
"Why were you speaking in Quileute before?"
"Oh, because we in the cabin. It is a sign of respect. We don't speak any other language there."
"I see. Why did I have to…um, take a bath?"
"Ritual. Most Quiluete women do that when they are much younger, little girls really. It is sort of an initiation. It requires a spiritual bath. Then one of the elders braids your hair and you use the powder to connect to the fire spirits. The height that the flame jumps is indicative of your inner self. I have to say I was surprised by how high yours was Bella."
"Why, was that bad?"
"No, not at all. It isn't bad or good. It just is. Once you've learned more about our customs you will understand."
"Why couldn't we sit in the circle too?"
"You are not Quileute, not yet, even if you have the blood within you. It will take several more sessions before you will be asked to sit in the circle and even then, you will sit outside the main circle, with the other younger women, with me. Only the elders sit within the inner circle."
I nod my head, thinking. It is all so new to me.
"What instrument was she playing?"
"Oh. It's a variation on a flute, an instrument that we use for ceremonies, and special occasions. The women have one and the men have one. During the rain dance we will use the women's."
"When am I going to learn the dance?" This was the most worrisome part of the whole thing for me. The more time I had to practice the better.
"When you are ready."
"When will that be?"
"I'm not sure Bella, it depends."
"On?" I probed, wanting to know more.
She changed the subject abruptly. "Did you see anything when we were meditating?"
"You know, it was weird. I closed my eyes and saw all of these fuzzy pictures. I couldn't make anything out really. I felt…drugged or something."
"Sometimes the smoke can cause your mind to play tricks on you. Let me know if you see anything else, all right?"
"Um, sure."
We continued walking and I wondered where we were going.
We stopped in front of a large, black cave. Emily turned to face me; she was no longer smiling.
"You need to go into the cave and keep heading straight. Eventually you will get to an underground spring. I want you to drink from the spring and come straight back here. Do not go down any of the offshoots and do not be afraid. I will wait for you here."
I nodded, worried. She pointed at the entrance. I took a deep breath and ducked inside. I kept walking forward and the cave became darker. I turned around and could barely see the light spilling in from where I'd entered. I was very nervous. I kept walking straight, and eventually it became as black as pitch. I kept my hands out in front of me, and tried to walk straight but it seemed like the path I was on was veering to the right. I didn't know if I should stay on this path or go back and see if I could find a route that seemed straight. I turned around and backtracked, keeping my hands out in front of me. I tripped over a rock and fell on the stone floor, scraping my face. I winced and stood back up, shaking my head. I had a talent for finding rocks and upturned roots; anything within my vicinity really. I tried to keep track of where I was going and sure enough I found a better, straighter path. I followed it for what seemed like a long time, until I saw light ahead. I was relieved and walked forward quickly until I could see that the light was spilling down from the top of a cavern onto a pool of water below. I froze when I looked into the water.
A scream built within me as I watched a hundred snakes swimming in the pool of water. I did not like snakes. They writhed in the water, sliding past one another, just below the surface. I shivered and unconsciously took a step back.
How the hell was I supposed to drink from that pool? I was not going anywhere near those snakes.
Do not be afraid.
Emily's words seemed to ring in my head. Right. Easy for her to say. She wasn't the one down here that was going to get eaten by snakes.
I turned to leave but something stopped me. Something compelled me to step forward. I felt as though I were caught in some sort of trance. Words seemed to fall from my mouth, soft, lilting words. Words I didn't know.
The roiling in the water stopped and when I gazed down into the pool I realized that there were no snakes. The water was clear as glass. I could see all the way to the bottom.
Trembling now, I knelt at the edge of the pool and drank from the pool. I stood up quickly and hurried back through the dark tunnel, away from the pool and whatever it was that had happened there. I didn't want to think about what any of it could mean.
Emily was pacing in front of the cave, I could see her shadow. I exited the darkness with relief.
"Did you drink from the pool?"
"Yes," I answered breathlessly, "no thanks to those snakes!"
"Were you bitten?" Her face turned ash grey.
"No. It was so weird. One minute they were there and then…they were gone." I didn't feel like telling her what had happened. It seemed weird, crazy to me. How could I speak a language I didn't even know?
A smile of true joy broke out over her face. "Really? You're sure?"
I didn't understand why she was so excited.
"Um, yeah. Why?"
"You need to come with me immediately! We need to see Billy right away!"
"Huh? Why?"
"Come on Bella!" Emily raced ahead of me and though I knew it was a bad idea, I jogged to keep up with her. I waited to fall on my face but it didn't happen. We ran all the way to Jacob's house.
Jake came outside from the cabin with a worried look. "What's wrong?" He called out to us.
Emily brushed off his question. "Where is Billy?"
"He's inside, why? What's up Em?"
She darted around him and went into the house. I stood outside, awkwardly.
"Bella, what happened? Are you ok?"
"Yeah. I'm fine. We just came from the cave."
"Oh. Those snakes were pretty scary huh?"
"Yeah but when they went away it was all right."
"What do you mean went away?" His eyebrows bunched up together.
"They…disappeared, so I could drink the water."
His eyes grew round and his mouth hung open. I didn't have time to ponder that when Billy rolled his chair out onto the porch. His eyes were wild.
"Bella, come here."
He spoke in a tone that allowed for no argument. I walked forward, wondering why everyone was freaking out.
"Tell me what happened in the cave."
I told him, step by step what had happened, even the speaking part. His face grew white. I finished and he stared off into space for a long time. Then he seemed to snap out of it.
"Jacob, you will call the elders together. We are having a meeting tonight. Bella, I'd like you to stay here until the conclusion of the meeting, if you can. I'll all Charlie and let him know."
"Why, what's going on? I don't understand. Am I in trouble?"
Billy looked up at me then and smiled. "No. I'll explain later. You're not in trouble. Why don't you come into the house and watch some TV. There's food in the fridge."
I didn't want to watch TV and had absolutely no appetite but didn't want to argue, especially when I didn't know what the big fuss was about. I turned to look for Jake but he'd gone. Emily stood there silently.
"Em, are you staying?"
"No, I'll be needed at the meeting. We'll be back before you know it."
"Ok."
I watched as Emily helped Billy wheel himself off the porch. She pulled the van around and helped load him into it. She gave me a small smile before getting in the drivers seat and taking off. I stood there on the porch for a few minutes before deciding that I'd rather sit in my truck than wait in the house. I needed to take a step back from this whole situation. I wondered what I'd gotten myself into. From the sounds of it, I'd done something wrong. Either that or they thought I'd lost my mind.
I pulled myself into the truck and shut the doors. On impulse I locked the cab and after sitting still for five minutes I decided to lay down. I rested my head on the seat and could still smell the peppermint and tobacco that was infused into the cracked leather. It was comforting. I thought about Edward and wondered where he was and what he was doing. I missed him and wished that I had my cell phone so I could call him, just to hear his voice. I closed my eyes, content to lay there and think about Edward.
Tap, tap.
I opened my eyes and sat up, disoriented. I realized I'd fallen asleep and from the looks of it, had been out for awhile. The forest was pitch black and the only light came from the porch of Jacob's house. Jake was tapping on the window. I unlocked the doors and he helped me down to the ground. He wrapped his arms around me and still disoriented, I allowed him to hold me upright.
"You smell really good," he murmured.
"They used a lot of different stuff on my skin and in my hair," I complained half-heartedly.
"I like it," he chuckled, "I also like your hair in a braid. You look almost like a Quileute."
"More like a Quileute ghost with my skin."
He laughed, a deep, rich laugh that vibrated through his body and into mine. It was nice and I'd missed this.
"You know you can go home now, if you'd like. I could take you," he offered.
"The meeting is over?"
"Yeah."
"What happened? What did they say? Am I in trouble?"
"No. You aren't in trouble. It's just that…very few are able to drink from the pool. The ones who do get bit."
"So…the snakes weren't an illusion then?"
"No. They aren't poisonous either, in case you were wondering. But you banished them. When we went to the cave, we had to use flashlights because it was so dark, but we saw that you weren't lying. They were gone. I don't know how you did it Bells. I really don't. It worried a lot of the elders. It wasn't supposed to happen like that. The cave journey is more of a technicality now. The journey stems from one of our most ancient legends. Every Quileute is required to take the journey. It doesn't matter if you drink or not, in the end. It was all about finding…dharszhind."
"What's dar…zen?"
"It's hard to explain. Sort of like a powerful healer. Some say the ultimate peacemaker. We've been waiting for the dharszhind for a long time, thousands of years. I don't understand how it could be you Bella. You weren't born into the tribe. You are a trouble magnet, so no peace there, and you definitely aren't a healer. I mean, you faint at the sight of blood!"
"I know. It's ridiculous."
"Totally," he agreed with a shake of his head.
"So…am I being kicked out now?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Well, I banished the snakes, I assume I can't continue the lessons or whatever."
"Oh. No. You're still welcome to do that. They haven't decided what to do about the other thing. Don't worry about it Bella, it's probably some kind of fluke. We'll figure it out. But we need to get you home. It's almost midnight."
"Yikes! Charlie's going to be pissed!"
"Nah, Billy called him, remember? It'll be fine. I'll drive you."
I agreed and Jake slid behind the wheel. He opened the side door for me and I clambered in. The drive home was short and uneventful. We pulled up to my house to see the lights still on.
"So much for Charlie not being pissed," I laughed nervously.
"Ah, it'll be fine. So we'll see you next Friday, right?"
"Um, sure."
"I mean, this hasn't freaked you out too much has it?"
"A little," I admitted.
"But not enough to drive you away, right?"
I considered him. He was worried. I wanted to take the worry away. "Of course not."
He smiled and my heart clenched in a familiar way. My personal sun. He leaned over and for a moment I thought he was going to kiss me. But all he did was open the side of the door and I bit back the protest that I had locked and loaded. I hopped out and then he stepped out too. He sniffed the air and stiffened, a low growl building in his chest.
I smiled. That meant Edward was nearby.
"See you Bella," Jake's tone was curt and I barely saw him as he ran into the trees.
I hurried up to the house and Charlie opened the door before I could get to it.
"You all right?"
"Yeah, fine. Just a little tired."
"What happened to your face?"
"Oh. I tripped."
Charlie rolled his eyes but let me pass him into the house. He closed and locked the front door. I headed wearily up the stairs, suddenly exhausted. I flipped on the light in my room and closed the door. I turned around, almost expecting to see Edward but he wasn't there. I felt sad. Where was he?
I pulled out some pajamas and took them with me to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and tried to fix my face. I put some Neosporin on it and covered the scrape with a band-aid. I was going to brush out my hair but kind of liked the way it looked. Maybe I'd wear my hair like this more often, if I could figure out how to do it. I changed out of the white robe and put on pajamas. I padded back to my bedroom and closed the door. Edward still wasn't there. I sighed, disappointed and turned out the light. I shuffled through the dark and found my bed. I slid beneath the covers and closed my eyes. It wasn't long before I was deep asleep.
I didn't hear the window swing open and didn't see someone climb inside.