Chapter 23
"Joy"
I am hopeful for what we find at the end of our hunt because the deeper we went into the grasslands, the lighter our burdens became. As we drew closer and closer to the den, Exile and his Shaman grew further and further away. The first snow came early and the energy of the land was vigorous. It welcomed us without reservation, congratulating our success with pleasantly cool weather and easily obtained bounty. My wounds were still healing. My Spirit still recovering. But all I could think of were the pups. How much they had grown. How well they had eaten and what sort of antics they had gotten themselves into during our absence.
Every step we took brought us nearer and I felt the pack becoming whole once again. I am grateful for Omega, for although Mato must limit himself of my company as Alpha, Omega had no such restrictions. As my shadow, he followed me wherever I went, lunging ahead or falling behind as needed. He caught small creatures for me and helped me rest, ensuring I would wholly recover from my wounds. With such support and attention, the anticipation of returning home easily replaced the fatigue from the journey and the pack shared my excitement.
Longing transformed the familiar dangers of the grasslands into welcomed relief. We were not the same as we had left. Such was the outcome of every successful hunt, especially one of such magnitude. Our experience strengthened us greatly. Even Phantom Back, disgraced as he was, accepted his new place as the lowest of us. He gained solitude in his isolation. Comfort in having no decisions to make. The pack's will was his will and there was no greater way to serve it than from the very bottom to the very top of its structure. He sought redemption in his submission although he would never truly forgive himself for his transgressions against the pack.
Phantom Back stayed behind us all, even my wounded gait. Whenever he came close, Omega took him under his watch to maintain this new balance between us. They learned greatly from one another after every interaction. In honor and humility, caution and control. For one that was originally less had become greater and the one that was greater had become much less. Phantom Back's gaze had a tendency of finding mine and turning away quickly. The ghosts of his past now took the shape of my marks. Yet even his eyes turned toward home as we approached the familiar hills surrounding the den.
Keen Eye spotted the others first. They were all gathered around the den as if they knew we would arrive this night. Small Hena, big Hena, pups and young ones, all perked as Alpha stopped to announce our return. The moment we joined him, a second chorus went up, and a great surge of Spirit bubbled forth. We started for one another at a quick but modest pace. Prima diligently kept the pups under control. Hunter and Diving Dog led their group. Alpha, ours. All respectively in their proper place.
Of all the times for them to be so reserved. This was no time for modesty!
Unable to contain myself, I ran out ahead of Alpha, tongue lolling out of the side of my mouth, ears back, tail spinning in circles because the usual wag would not satisfy me. There was just too much happiness within me. Still a little stiff and sore, I bounded towards the others, eyes on the pups. I called to them, crying as they normally would to me. One of the pups started wailing and came rushing out ahead of their group. The rest of the pups broke free of all authority and sprinted as fast as their little legs could take them towards us. Not to be outdone, Jumper bounded out of rank to follow me.
One after another, we all broke free and ran out to meet each other with yips and cries and so much tail wagging it seemed to hasten the flight of our paws. Grass flew up around us as we collided, reuniting with jumps and wiggles, licking and pushing. I found myself immediately overwhelmed by a horde of small grey and black bodies that were faster and stronger and bigger than I remembered. But I did not have to worry about their rough play because Omega came up and drew the swarm away with a playful bow. Scout was there, rubbing her face against mine. Alpha and Hunter met rather calmly, giving way to Prima and Keen Eye.
Maw Mouth had a pup in his jaws even at their size. Tired Eye sought out Phantom Back away from the others. Guardian and Gruff Growl started wrestling. Ume and Watepei chased members of the Rivers pack while Jumper instigated Biter and Digger to join them. One after another, we embraced each other in a chaotic exchange of bodies until those of higher rank began to restore order. I looked around at all of these wonderful Mighty Hena surrounding me, rough housing and reuniting with such elation they kept jumping from one Hena to the next.
Even the pups from the riverlands found themselves in my shadow, running through my legs to catch up to the others. It was a beautiful sight. One Father of the Riverlands never thought he would see. He stood across from me, looking around in a stupor at all of these Mighty Hena mingling so joyously. His attention eventually turned to me and I sobered quickly, calming my expression with quiet accomplishment. I could tell he was surprised to see me alive. That I could still stand among such rowdiness as an instigator. After all, I did that which he deemed impossible for my age.
I would not give him the satisfaction of knowing how much it cost me because the cost was worth every single ache and pain and scar. More than either of us understood until a sudden hum of energy vibrated around us. Five bright lights shined in the darkness. They zoomed around, first in the shape of the pups before growing too bright to look at. The light expanded before popping in five bursts of stardust that brought the blessings of the heavens down upon us. I held my breath, watching as all five of our pups evolved into the Hena they were always meant to be.
Five freshly formed young ones, overjoyed with our reunion, suddenly found themselves in the midst of wild celebration with brand new marks, long black manes, and tall stumbling gaits that made them almost as useless as the day they were born. I realized at once how much I missed during our hunt, and a small part of me trembled, but their growth only proved how strong the pups, now young ones, had become, how much our reunion meant to them, and how well Prima had done as Mother. This was the greatest sign the Spirit could give us that Exile and his Shaman would not be left unchallenged. The pack had grown stronger on all fronts and balance would be restored. The pups would have all winter to train and we could focus on fortifying our ranks until spring. There was much work to be done, but such measures could wait.
This was a time of celebration.
With all of the pups freshly turned at the same time, and the Rivers here to witness it, we would hold the largest naming ceremony the grasslands had ever seen. As custom, it would take place on the next full moon which was only a few short nights away. Father of the Riverlands and I took extra care to prepare the blessing while Prima helped the young ones adjust to their new bodies. The rest of the pack happily, and noisily, watched and waited, taking time to casually hunt and relax and unwind from the perils of both our journeys.
Diving Dog watched with great care. Second only to Omega who was allowed to assist both parties as my apprentice. In most cherished tradition, Father and I told stores of how each member of the pack received their names every night leading up to the full moon. With every name came a lesson. One by one, the pack relieved its history. That which made us unique yet brought us all together. Laughing, reminiscing, and sometimes mourning until the moon finally reached its zenith. We all gathered around its light. It was a brilliant night. Cool and crisp and clear. Every star had come out to watch, fighting against the moon's radiance to catch a glimpse of the young ones as they sat in a line beside one another, facing the leaders of both packs.
Alpha, Prima, Father of the Rivers, and myself. Our Betas, including Omega, filled the space beside us while the rest encircle the young ones according to rank, leaving a healthy amount of space so that all could see, even if it was just from the back. Father and I sat on either side of Alpha, beaming with great pride as Prima stepped out towards the young ones. They obediently held themselves still, sitting straight and tall like good Mighty Hena at attention. It was probably the hardest thing for them to do during such an exciting and important time.
I glanced to the side at Diving Dog who watched over the two riverland pups. The pups, still too young yet for names, wrestled for the better seat. They probably felt left behind, but their time would eventually come. Prima stopped before her young ones, glancing at each one of them in turn. Moonlight bathed her in beauty, showing off all the reasons she was Prima with every hair. Eyes sparkling, she approached each young one and bestowed their self-name upon them. I could not have picked them better myself:
Ahanu Piercing Tooth, Keokuk White Echo, Catori Soft Song, Mahakah Dust Eater, and Sahrahsahe Iron Claw.
I deeply inhaled, holding my breath at the end so that the Spirit swelling within me had somewhere to go. It was not yet time to let it all out. When Prima finished, she started a howl. I raised my voice as did Alpha, then Father, and all the rest except the five young ones. The song jumped up to the moon and back, jubilant in welcoming the pack's newest members. There was much fidgeting from the five as they resisted the urge to run out and greet us and frolic and hunt all at once. When the howl ended, it was Alpha's turn to lead the ceremony. He calmly walked out to Prima and stood beside her.
They glanced at one another with deep desire, knowing that this ceremony also signaled the start of a different time. One that was most open to adding to the Spirit. The pups were now grown, the hunt was fruitful, and they had not been able to sneak off alone because of the preparations. Their company was sorely missed. But they too would have to wait to start the courting traditions until the ceremony was over. With great stature and presence, Alpha walked out in front of Prima, taking his place to stand in front of the young ones as their Alpha in the truest sense. Should one of them look to challenge him, they now had every right.
Opening the offer to them was a sign that they had reached adulthood and were now capable of making their own decisions, no matter how foolish. The young ones stilled with a respectful devotion to their Alpha. Maw Mouth and Hunter and Keen Eye did well to prepare them for what it was like to stand under the full attention of their Alpha. Mato held nothing back. He stood before them as if they too were Alphas, his Spirit and body ready to take on the challenger should they decide to step forward. It was the greatest way he could acknowledge them at this point. But the young ones did not flinch. None stepped forward. None choose to leave.
They were dutiful and honorable and grateful to have such an Alpha. Mato relaxed his shoulders and lifted his head. The great volcanic flow of Spirit erupting from him settled. It thickly coated the land upon which we stood. The moonlight fell upon it, causing it to evaporate and lightly smoke around us. I closed my eyes and invoked the Spirit. The stars twinkled even brighter. The smoke thickened into a low lying fog. The domain I created was different than the others. Reserved strictly for the naming ceremony. The world around us seemed to clear, removing all else but us. It pushed out all evil, all curses, and left an empty clarity behind that was, and ever would be, the purity and beauty of the grasslands.
All Mighty Hena gathered as one. Our eyes began to glow red. As they grew brighter, our bodies were covered in shadow, darkening us to vague shapes as a spotlight took form at the center of our circle. Alpha purposefully turned away from the young ones and walked towards us a few steps, creating more distance between them. When he turned around to face them again, the celestial light had solidified. He stood within the edge of the beam of moonlight on the far side of the young ones so that the contours of his body were sharply contrasted with light and shadow. His eyes dulled to the faintest of glows. He waited. The young ones began to move again. Sitting just beyond the spotlight, they too had become an audience for what would happen next.
They glanced at the first in line.
Ahanu Piercing Tooth swallowed his nerves and stood up. He paused, gathering himself before slowly walking into the beam of light to stand in front of Alpha. I opened my eyes and turned them to Ahanu. This was the most important part of the ceremony. All became quiet like death as Ahanu entered the very special spiritual circle, the very heart of the pack, reminding him what always waited outside of it. Unlike Alpha, Ahanu's body was richly illuminated, glowing even. I could see the Spirit about him, both light and dark, ethereal yet physical. Invisible, but ever present. It burned quietly like a star on a cold clear winter's night. The others saw his markings, all that made him unique, especially the way his lips tended to catch on his canines and bunch up.
He stood before Alpha, alone with him in the spotlight. He trembled under the full weight of Alpha's presence. Mato softened his gaze a little to comfort the young one. He then howled, calling Ahanu to his pack. Ahanu braced himself and answered afterwards, reaffirming his decision to join the pack. It was also a way for us to hear and remember his new voice. Once he was done, Alpha howled again. This time, joined by Ahanu and the rest of us, all together. When it ended, Ahanu hurried out of the circle with a little hop of excitement, and quickly sat down again. The next in line, Keokuk White Echo, stepped up into the spotlight so that all could see him.
His Spirit was like the wind, calm one moment, then hurrying to a stop the next. His long ears as a pup had only gotten longer and they stood up straight like two quivering cones. They were so large that even his fur struggled to keep up, casting the hairs at the tips more white than grey in the stretch. His hearing would one day become impeccable. Wind Talker would live on and balance would be restored. As long as he could keep his ears straight. They had a tendency of flopping over because of their own weight. Being second in line, he was much more at ease as Alpha raised his howl, almost as if to question him. Keokuk promptly responded, a little earlier than he should have, but the answer was still the same. Again, we raised a howl all together to solidify his commitment. He then trotted back into place.
Catori Soft Song was already on her way, passing Keokuk the moment he left the light. She was the only female of the litter and resembled her mother so much there was no question as to her origin. She trotted up to Alpha calmly. Not a trace of fear or hesitation in her paws. She was by far the most composed, yet her eyes glittered even more fiercely than her brothers. Her time with them had fostered a great spring of power and agility and speed within her. Her bothers competed with her instead of coddling her and I could already see that the Spirit favored her. Her Spirit was gentle yet mysterious like wisps of perfumed smoke weaving patterns in the air.
She was a Blessed One and Alpha already showed the greatest pride in her. For when he looked at her in the flesh, he saw Prima. And when he looked at her in Spirit, he felt me. She had received the blessings of both bloodlines. Alpha howled stronger and louder than before, challenging her as she would be challenged for the rest of her life as a future leader. Catori howled back, unafraid of such obstacles. Her voice was more richly noted than her brothers. Mahakah Dust Eater might not have found the courage to follow after her had we not all joined in at the end. He slunk in, paws dragging a little, muzzle always towards the ground as if he were perpetually in search of something.
His paws were big and heavy, almost like a Mountain Cat's. One day, he might grow into them, especially since his Spirit was wide and always refreshing itself like some type of radar for his ever snuffling nose. Alpha called to him with only the slightest of reprimanding notes. Mahakah finally lifted his head with squinty eyes, wagging his tail to kick up dirt. He was born with the blessing of my bloodline, a completely black mask over his face and muzzle. His howl was much more rumbly than the others.
The last to be called upon was Sahrahsahe Iron Claw who was by far the most solemn of the five. He approached with great seriousness, reminding me of both Phantom Back and Hunter in terms of Spirit, heavy with inner restraint even in times of great joy. It contrasted the feathered way the fur stuck out between the toes of his paws where his claws came out. He too wore a black mask of my bloodline. Alpha respected Sahrahsahe's seriousness with his own, and when the last of the young ones was formally accepted into the pack, we ended the ceremony with one last mighty howl that finally represented the pack in its entirety.
The Spirit could no longer be contained.
I finally let it go with a sigh. The energy that had condensed into physical form at the ground suddenly lifted, flowing upward like a twister until it converged into a single point high above us. The energy exploded outward, leaving behind colorful trails of light that floated above our heads like ribbons pointing north. These northern lights signaled the end of our ceremony. The blessings of the grasslands fell upon us, and at last, the pack was free to indulge in its excitement.
I chuckled lightly to myself as the Mighty Hena around us broke free from their watchful spots to run and play and socialize with their newest members. Father trotted off to be with his own pups while Hunter and Diving Dog stuck close to one another. Maw Mouth and Biter began play fighting. Jumper rushed past me with Scout on his tail. Alpha and Prima were already hurrying off into the darkness, following the lights to where they could be alone. Omega congratulated each of the young ones, quickly finding that they were much harder to handle than before.
It was loud and busy and crowded even with all this land at our disposal, but that was the nature of the pack. The Spirit called us to be together. It called us in many ways. Some, a howl. Others, just a whisper. And once in a while, silence was the loudest call of all. The Spirit had no voice of its own like us creatures, yet it was still abound, howling and yapping and laughing all around us. To no surprise, Catori Soft Song heard it. She was the one that cried out at council. That felt the Spirit strongest. She stopped playing as the flurry of a great black shadow caught her attention. Looking past the other Mighty Hena, she caught glimpses of it racing around.
Turning this way and that, spinning. She finally stopped at a single old content Mighty Hena sitting some distance away, unfazed by the beautiful chaos surrounding us. She saw the great black shadow that had a moon for its eye, the very same one she howled with at council, sitting around me, a smoking image overlaid over my own yet twice the size of any Hena here. Summoned by the ceremony. Unseen by the others. Yet felt by all. She stared at it, at me, but I could not see as she did. I only had my own two shinning red eyes to look back at her with and I saw the future of the grasslands.
It inspired great hope within me, even after the celebration ended and we realized that things could never again be as they were. Too much had happened. Too much had changed within us. And the time we spent away from one another was not without its impact. As the sun began to set the following day, Hunter stood before Alpha, no longer a Beta. Pressure had pushed them apart. It always existed, but never had a chance to grow until now.
"We go," Hunter said, looking behind him at Diving Dog.
Then, at the rest of the Rivers pack behind him. With their wounds healed and strength restored, they no longer needed the grasslands to support them. Hunter looked back at Alpha, head and tail high.
"I go."
The riverlands lost many in their flight. Pups and young ones, Blessed and their honorable Mother and Prima and Alpha. A little rest and recuperation was not all they needed to stabilize. Diving Dog boldly, but respectfully, stepped a little closer. I could smell the making of souls on and within her. Alpha and Prima were not the only ones who had been called to start conceiving tradition during the naming ceremony. Rebuilding the Rivers pack required new life and there could not be more than one sire in a pack. It was a calling Hunter and Diving Dog felt long before we ever returned to the den. I felt the subtle tensions when we first arrived, but because of the naming ceremony, they had room to stretch. Hunter was leaving with the Rivers as their Alpha and some of our own decided to go with him. Biter and Guardian and Digger would leave the grasslands to follow him.
They would take the Rivers' pups and young ones and the last of their own. Their bonds had grown strong during this trial and Alpha did not try to break them. He may have known this was coming the moment he saw Hunter and Diving Dog together at council. Only now, he did not have to worry about fighting for his territory or title. Hunter showed his gratitude for such benevolence by choosing to leave before their authorities clashed. He took some of our strength without regret knowing the new young ones would eventually replace it. Together, we had grown too large to sustain a proper pack. Balance did not exist when one side had too much.
"Until the riverlands are safe, you and your pack may travel the grasslands," Alpha said, bestowing his blessing upon them.
"We go East," hunter replied, referring to one of the unused dens near the eastern edge of our territory.
It was located near a large lake that bordered the New Lands. A wooded place often filled with light from the rising sun. This was Hunter's way of showing submission. That he and his new pack would only occupy a small piece of our territory until they could return to the riverlands and thereby interfere little with our own pack. Mato was still Alpha among Alphas and Hunter was wise enough to understand this even in his ascent. He, more than any other Alpha, understood Mato's strength.
Our relationship with the riverlands was now bound by more than just blood. And it would be so for generations to come. The riverland pups, no longer able to keep up with their new found friends, were determined to meet our precedent and make names for themselves. Hunter looked around at the rest of us from the grasslands. His family now trusted friends. Not one for words, he trotted away to lead his new pack East. I hoped they continued to grow. They would make great allies in the future.
Until then, it was my job to make sure our own pack was ready for the battle come spring.
