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Back to Wesoomi's Archives The Legend of Wesoomi: Four, Perilous Journey: March 25, 2002: When Snowflower opened her eyes, the stars looked down and shadows cloaked the forest. Her body was bruised and in pain from the missiles of the old women. She was weakened by her flight and four summers of abuse. She drew long slow breaths and raised herself on one arm to look about. Then she saw a pair of yellow slits amongst the trees and knew they meant danger. It could have been a wolf or a cat. She knew not. Her heart was filled with despair. "Great Spirit," she whispered, "not for me, but for this life within which you entrust to me, shield me now. Give me strength and will. Give me time to bring this life to fruit, ere you take me." She crawled painfully toward a tree while the eyes tracked her. As she crawled, her hand pressed upon a sharp stone which cause some pain. She ignored the pain and grasped the stone. It was sharp on two edges. It was perhaps a pitiable weapon against a wild beast, but yet a weapon. Snowflower continues with the stone in her hand. She sat up and placed her back firmly against the tree. She fingered the stone and moved it in her hand until it felt right. Then she watched and waited. The eyes waited with her. Whatever beast it was, it was not hungry enough to risk the skills of a two legged prey. It waited for her eyes to close. With the help of the Great Spirit, she willed them to remain open. Though long in coming, the dawn began to arrive. The eastern sky began to pale. The beast turned away and, like a shadow, slid into the forest. The peril of the time was gone, but Snowflower knew that others would soon find her in this forest. She must find shelter. She sought the will to stand and did. She looked about her, but knew not the place nor the path to take. The terror, pain, and turmoil of her ordeal had not allowed for the notice of moss or the placement of sun and stars. She found the moss upon the trees and knew the path to north. That path she wanted not, for it led back to the Bandar. She closed her eyes for a few breaths and opened to her inner spirit. At that time, her heart guided her thoughts westward. She opened her eyes and looked toward the rising sun. It seemed to push her away. She turned westward and saw her shadow spirit fleeing from the sun. It was the sign she had sought. "Guide my steps, oh Great Spirit. Shield and nurture me that I may yet bring to life this spark within me." she sang. With stone still in hand, she set her direction westward and placed her weary feet upon the trail. Her shadow spirit lead her on. As she walked she sang her plea over and over again. It was well she did, for in the forest, out of her view, a lurking shadow followed along. She would much need the protection of the Great Spirit. In a small glade, Snowflower came upon some almost ripe berries. Had they been ripe, they would not have been there. The feathered creatures scolded her as she gathered their harvest. She ignored them for the Great Spirit had brought her to this fruit. It was for her. At the edge of the glade, a small trickle of clear water ran westward in a stony bed. Snowflower knelt and drank. Then she used the cold water to bathe her face and neck. She might have rested here, but the ever moving life within her urged her on. Somewhat strengthened, but still hungry she rose and continued following the stream westward. The lurking shadow also continued. Along the way, she came upon a thicket of brush and notice a straight shoot amongst them. The Great Spirit gave thought to her spirit within. She knelt and, using her stone, ground off a length of the shoot. Then she stood and continued on. As she walked, she used her stone to strip and shape the shoot. In a short time, Snowflower had a small spear. It was but a hand longer than her forearm, but another weapon. All that day she struggle on, going westward. Where? She knew not. She simply followed her inner spirit. The spirit continued to say westward. All day long she sang her chant to the Great Spirit. As the time passed, her shadow spirit slid around behind her. Then it seem to be pulling on her until she had to stop. She knew it was time to find some kind of shelter. She looked about and saw what she sought. There was a gnarled apple with thorns. The fruit was green. With the life within, she dared not eat it. Yet, the tree offered shelter. A difficult climb for her. A more than difficult climb for a cat with her above it with stones. She looked further and saw a hickory. The nuts were not ripe, but some of the ones of harvest last still lay there. She removed what remained of her skirt and spread it on the ground. Then she found a large stone and a smaller one. They were suitable tools. She placed the large stone upon her skirt and taking each nut she found, she placed it on the stone. Then she struck it with the smaller stone. She broke as many good nuts as she could find, letting the pieces fall on her skirt. Time to sort them later. Then Snowflower gathered a number of small stones. She chose stones she could throw quickly with aim. Those she also placed in her skirt along with her three tool stones. Then she gathered it in a sling and tied it. "You were a skirt," she said. "Now, you are a pouch." Finally, she went a distance away from the stream to relieve herself. She came back and drank as deeply as she could. Once in the tree, she meant to stay until dawn. If she had to relive herself, it mattered not. In truth, it might become a weapon against a cat or wolf. The thorns were not kind to her. They dug and tore at her as she struggled to lift her heavy body into the upper branches of the tree. She soothed her feelings with the knowledge that they would not be any more kind to a cat. It was not comforting, but she found a place to wedge herself. Then, she placed her spear in a notch above her head in easy reach. She nestled her pouch between her thighs. There she remained through the darkness, dozing sometime and chewing nuts when awake. She sorted out the shells in her mouth and spat them to the ground. It was near the dawn when she awoke with a start. Her inner spirit had awakened her to danger. She heard the pawing and the breath of an animal below and saw the yellow slits. She selected a small stone from her pouch and threw it toward the eyes using the wrist movement she had learned in the tossing of grain to remove the hull. She was rewarded with a yip of surprise. The eyes backed off a bit. "You may go away now," she muttered. She reached for another stone and disaster came. The pouch had slid between her knees and as she bent to reach in, her knees opened. The pouch slipped out and fell. All of her stones and nuts went to the ground. In dismay, she waited and watched the eyes. Then another pair appeared and the first pair hurried away. That could mean but one thing. A beast feared by the wolf could only be a cat. She saw the eyes approach. "I have failed you, oh, Great Spirit," whispered Snowflower. "My careless act will bring doom to this life within. I have betrayed my trust." The cat reached the tree base and sprang upward. Then, it discovered the thorns and screamed in rage as it fell back. It was only a short break. The cat was hungry. It came again. Instead of leaping, it began to climb. It was a small cat and, though snarling and spitting at the thorns it got around most of them. Snowflower reached above her head for the spear. She grasped it in her right hand. It seemed a feeble tool against the cat. She knew she could not hurl it. She must needs wait for the cat to come near, and trust to the Great Spirit to strengthen her arm. She watched the eyes and waited. Then, Snowflower's inner spirit reminder her of her other weapon. She was naked, having turned her skirt into a pouch. She opened her legs, as though inviting the cat. It came toward her. As it crouched for the final leap, Snowflower ejected a stream of acrid pent up morning urine. The cat was sprayed full in the eyes. It snarled in rage and shook it's head violently. Risking all, Snowflower grasped a branch with her left hand and swung her whole body downward driving the spear toward the cat's head. With the aid of the Great Spirit, the spear penetrated the cat's snout. The cat sprang backward with a scream of pain. As it spun away it's side was torn on a long thorn. Then it fell and caught on several thorns as it tumbled to the ground. On the ground it rolled and pawed at the spear until it came out. The cat had enough. Bleeding and defeated, it turned and hurried into the forest as the pale sky merged into pink. "You have forgiven me, oh, Great Spirit," said Snowflower. "You have spared me and my cub. I will not fail you again. This I pledge." Snowflower struggled painfully to the ground. She took up her pouch and gathered the nuts which she could still find. She searched until she found her sharp stone and the large and small stones. Might be, she would find more nuts on her path. She picked up the redeeming spear and found it undamaged. She consulted her inner spirit and then took the time to bathe herself in the stream. She managed to find a few more nuts. She ate some and added the remainder to her store. Once again, with pouch in one hand and spear in the other she turned her feet westward. She began singing her chant to the Great Spirit as she walked. "Guide my steps, oh Great Spirit. Shield and nurture me that I may yet bring to life this spark within me," she sang, over and over again. In the forest, out of her view, the lurking shadow followed along. Then it moved more swiftly. It passed her in the forest and moved ahead. It went ahead to await her. It began looking for a spot of high ground from which to leap. The grey wolf would choose to take her on the ground in daytime, rather than in a tree at night. Back to Wesoomi's Archives
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