Chapter 18
Invocation
~~~~~~~~~~
Brun joined the men who were already waiting silently for their interim leader. Many remembered the last time they had assembled with Brun presiding.
"The man Broud has been leader for the passing of many summers," Brun began, "since the cave-in of our previous home. His leadership has been called into question by our mog-ur. This is a serious charge and not to be taken lightly. If he is found incapable of further leadership, we also face the task of finding a replacement. I would like to hear what you have to say on this matter."
"Crug would speak." Brun nodded and he continued. "These past summers have been difficult for Broud as leader. To begin to lead a clan at the time when our home is destroyed and bad spirits are summoned is not easy. But he has found us a cave though not as large as the last; it is adequate for our needs. We have prospered and children have been born to our hearths. The spirits are still with us and favor him. Some may think that he lets his personal feelings rule him. I say he has improved much in this area. Let his leadership continue."
Brun nodded, looking thoughtfully. This was true, but it was not the whole truth.
"Zoug would speak. It's true that the clan is not as lucky as it has once been. The hardships that Broud has endured, he has brought on himself. He cursed our medicine woman because she acted in the best interest of our former mog-ur. He cursed a piece of each of ours spirits also."
The men shifted uncomfortably. They had not forgotten how rashly their leader had acted then.
"Broud still acts too quickly and does not think of the consequences," Zoug continued, "if she were still here, he may not have stopped being bothered by her. Even today, we have seen that he still allows her to affect him. Broud is not fit to be leader."
Nods of agreement followed his words. Brun looked around and the mog-ur caught his eye.
"I would speak, I have brought the charge against him," Goov said. "A piece of our spirits left with the former medicine woman. When she dies, a piece of each of us alive then will die with her."
"What do you mean, 'if she is dead?' Has she not already been cursed with death?" Brun asked the question that all of them had been thinking.
"She was one of the Others, and I cursed her in the clan tradition. I don't know how it is possible, but she lives," Goov said.
Chaos erupted as the men began to speak at once. Hands flew in wild gestures as they each tried to make sense of the mog-ur's words.
"Silence!" Brun's voice echoed through their consciousnesses as each slowly dropped their hands. "Goov, how do you know this?"
"I was given a vision." He looked each man in the eye, making them to shift uncomfortably. They each secretly feared his close contact with the spirit world. "The vision was from our former mog-ur, Creb."
Thonolan and Creb were watching the men when pandemonium erupted again. There was fear in many of the faces at the mention of the mighty mog-ur.
"My time here is almost finished," Creb said, his arm swept over the men, "it is set in motion, they will listen to Goov. Now, I will see the daughter of my hearth one more time."
~~~~~~~~~~
They found Ayla and Jondalar in the cave, studying a pile of sticks. Creb watched intrigued as the blonde man picked up each stick and named them. Creb's eye widened as he began to understand the concept of counting words.
"One, two, three, four, five..." Ayla pointed to each finger with each word.
"That's it! I knew you were close when I saw your sticks."
They were Ayla's sticks? Creb thought to himself. He remembered when she was a girl and he had taught her the concept of keeping track of days. She had astounded him with her quick grasp of the abstract idea. He felt a swell of pride in his chest as he realized that she had continued to use his teachings.
Ayla got up and retrieved a bulging bundle. As she opened it, Creb's surprise grew as he saw the heap of counting sticks that came tumbling out. Had she been there that long? Time had not mattered to him in the spirit world; there was no concept of it. He knew from his spirit journeys that she had been alone in the valley, but he didn't have an idea of the amount of time.
"You are seventeen years, Ayla. You have lived a lifetime in your seventeen years." Jondalar said.
Thonolan watched Jondalar covertly as the two interacted. They seemed more relaxed with each other now. Perhaps it wouldn't be so hard to join them together in time. He glanced over at Creb who looked on with love and pride. The mog-ur raised his whole arm and begun a powerful invocation. He was never so much in his element as when he was practicing his art. It was true that he was no longer the Clan mog-ur. He had transcended that stage.
Watching him struck a chord of recognition within Thonolan. The first time he had seen anyone move with such fluid grace was when Ayla invoked the spirits for him. No spirits were called this time, he noted with some relief. Creb was giving a blessing of protection and guidance over Ayla. His serenade ended and he dropped his arm in meditative silence. Thonolan waited for the mog-ur and began to wonder as the moments flew by. Finally, he lifted his head and nodded decisively.
"My time here is done. Do not forget what you have learned."
They walked outside toward the river. A thunderous crack echoed across the sky, opening up to receive the mog-ur. As Thonolan watched him leave, Creb did not look back; he had no words for departing, and needed none.
Alone amongst the living, Thonolan turned back to the cave where Ayla and Jondalar were talking quietly together.
"This was his Journey more than mine from the beginning...I just traveled with him." The words floated down to Thonolan as he climbed toward them.
"Perhaps he's happier, if it's what he wanted. It's difficult to go on living when you lose someone you love so much." The woman's words sent a chill through him. For a brief moment, he heard the words as a prophecy.
By the time Thonolan entered the cave, he found the two sitting silently. Jondalar was looking pensively at the fire. Maybe Ayla was right. She ought to know; she had suffered enough grief and hardship. But she chose to live. Thonolan had courage, rash and impetuous. Ayla's was the courage to endure.
(VOH pp. 469-471)
~~~~~~~~~~ * ~~~~~~~~~~ * ~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for being patient for this chapter. We've had some RL stuff going on, namely auto accident and finding a new car quickly. RD, I appreciate your kind words. Sticky notes and highlights go far in helping me remember details. Hello to Jester too, and welcome. Yes, I had the names mixed up a little in the last chapter, but they will be fixed soon. Sorry about the confusion.
Invocation
~~~~~~~~~~
Brun joined the men who were already waiting silently for their interim leader. Many remembered the last time they had assembled with Brun presiding.
"The man Broud has been leader for the passing of many summers," Brun began, "since the cave-in of our previous home. His leadership has been called into question by our mog-ur. This is a serious charge and not to be taken lightly. If he is found incapable of further leadership, we also face the task of finding a replacement. I would like to hear what you have to say on this matter."
"Crug would speak." Brun nodded and he continued. "These past summers have been difficult for Broud as leader. To begin to lead a clan at the time when our home is destroyed and bad spirits are summoned is not easy. But he has found us a cave though not as large as the last; it is adequate for our needs. We have prospered and children have been born to our hearths. The spirits are still with us and favor him. Some may think that he lets his personal feelings rule him. I say he has improved much in this area. Let his leadership continue."
Brun nodded, looking thoughtfully. This was true, but it was not the whole truth.
"Zoug would speak. It's true that the clan is not as lucky as it has once been. The hardships that Broud has endured, he has brought on himself. He cursed our medicine woman because she acted in the best interest of our former mog-ur. He cursed a piece of each of ours spirits also."
The men shifted uncomfortably. They had not forgotten how rashly their leader had acted then.
"Broud still acts too quickly and does not think of the consequences," Zoug continued, "if she were still here, he may not have stopped being bothered by her. Even today, we have seen that he still allows her to affect him. Broud is not fit to be leader."
Nods of agreement followed his words. Brun looked around and the mog-ur caught his eye.
"I would speak, I have brought the charge against him," Goov said. "A piece of our spirits left with the former medicine woman. When she dies, a piece of each of us alive then will die with her."
"What do you mean, 'if she is dead?' Has she not already been cursed with death?" Brun asked the question that all of them had been thinking.
"She was one of the Others, and I cursed her in the clan tradition. I don't know how it is possible, but she lives," Goov said.
Chaos erupted as the men began to speak at once. Hands flew in wild gestures as they each tried to make sense of the mog-ur's words.
"Silence!" Brun's voice echoed through their consciousnesses as each slowly dropped their hands. "Goov, how do you know this?"
"I was given a vision." He looked each man in the eye, making them to shift uncomfortably. They each secretly feared his close contact with the spirit world. "The vision was from our former mog-ur, Creb."
Thonolan and Creb were watching the men when pandemonium erupted again. There was fear in many of the faces at the mention of the mighty mog-ur.
"My time here is almost finished," Creb said, his arm swept over the men, "it is set in motion, they will listen to Goov. Now, I will see the daughter of my hearth one more time."
~~~~~~~~~~
They found Ayla and Jondalar in the cave, studying a pile of sticks. Creb watched intrigued as the blonde man picked up each stick and named them. Creb's eye widened as he began to understand the concept of counting words.
"One, two, three, four, five..." Ayla pointed to each finger with each word.
"That's it! I knew you were close when I saw your sticks."
They were Ayla's sticks? Creb thought to himself. He remembered when she was a girl and he had taught her the concept of keeping track of days. She had astounded him with her quick grasp of the abstract idea. He felt a swell of pride in his chest as he realized that she had continued to use his teachings.
Ayla got up and retrieved a bulging bundle. As she opened it, Creb's surprise grew as he saw the heap of counting sticks that came tumbling out. Had she been there that long? Time had not mattered to him in the spirit world; there was no concept of it. He knew from his spirit journeys that she had been alone in the valley, but he didn't have an idea of the amount of time.
"You are seventeen years, Ayla. You have lived a lifetime in your seventeen years." Jondalar said.
Thonolan watched Jondalar covertly as the two interacted. They seemed more relaxed with each other now. Perhaps it wouldn't be so hard to join them together in time. He glanced over at Creb who looked on with love and pride. The mog-ur raised his whole arm and begun a powerful invocation. He was never so much in his element as when he was practicing his art. It was true that he was no longer the Clan mog-ur. He had transcended that stage.
Watching him struck a chord of recognition within Thonolan. The first time he had seen anyone move with such fluid grace was when Ayla invoked the spirits for him. No spirits were called this time, he noted with some relief. Creb was giving a blessing of protection and guidance over Ayla. His serenade ended and he dropped his arm in meditative silence. Thonolan waited for the mog-ur and began to wonder as the moments flew by. Finally, he lifted his head and nodded decisively.
"My time here is done. Do not forget what you have learned."
They walked outside toward the river. A thunderous crack echoed across the sky, opening up to receive the mog-ur. As Thonolan watched him leave, Creb did not look back; he had no words for departing, and needed none.
Alone amongst the living, Thonolan turned back to the cave where Ayla and Jondalar were talking quietly together.
"This was his Journey more than mine from the beginning...I just traveled with him." The words floated down to Thonolan as he climbed toward them.
"Perhaps he's happier, if it's what he wanted. It's difficult to go on living when you lose someone you love so much." The woman's words sent a chill through him. For a brief moment, he heard the words as a prophecy.
By the time Thonolan entered the cave, he found the two sitting silently. Jondalar was looking pensively at the fire. Maybe Ayla was right. She ought to know; she had suffered enough grief and hardship. But she chose to live. Thonolan had courage, rash and impetuous. Ayla's was the courage to endure.
(VOH pp. 469-471)
~~~~~~~~~~ * ~~~~~~~~~~ * ~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for being patient for this chapter. We've had some RL stuff going on, namely auto accident and finding a new car quickly. RD, I appreciate your kind words. Sticky notes and highlights go far in helping me remember details. Hello to Jester too, and welcome. Yes, I had the names mixed up a little in the last chapter, but they will be fixed soon. Sorry about the confusion.