Chapter 14: The Crone

A dark cloud covered morning was churning in the sky. The wind shifted the clouds in swirling patterns. Chavo knocked on Sarah's door and peeked inside at Sarah who was lingering under the warm covers of her bed. He smiled at her all snuggled up to a hand sewn doll that Verna made for her.

"Breakfast is almost ready. Mary said to get dressed because we will be starting school today." Chavo closed the door and left Sarah to her thoughts as she dressed.

In the pit of her stomach, Sarah felt dread at the thought of going to school. What she knew of school left Sarah feel her stomach take a turn for the worse. The hunger she first felt had turned into acid eating her from the inside out. She sat at the side of her bed and looked at the new clothes sitting on the chair and began to dress.

With a drowsy shuffle, Sarah made her way to the dining table and sat down in the chair where a warm bowl of corn meal mush and toast was waiting for her. She added sugar, a bit of butter, and a drizzle of milk to the bowl and mixed them together. The boys were slurping their mush and passed notes back and forth to each other. They were so involved with a conversation that they didn't even notice Sarah was at the table.

"Your teacher arrived this morning so lessons will begin today." Said Markus. "Mind yourselves today for she has come along way to work with you three." He pulled on his boots one at a time. "I warn you three, she is a bit different but Jamison said she will be a good teacher for you."

In the distance, a low drumming began to sound through the trees and the children jumped out of their chairs and ran to the window. The drumming came from the direction of the cabin and the children could see a woman standing on the porch. The woman's long brown jacket covered the majority of her skirted frame. Her fur hat covered her crown and long grey wavy hair continued down the middle of her back. She placed the drum in a red slouch bag and continued to work and smoke lofted up into the air from a earthen bowl. The children watched her with curiosity. After a moment, the lady turned and walked back into the school.

"Your breakfast is getting cold. If you don't eat it soon, it will be all lumpy." Said Mary.

The children drew themselves away from the window and made their way back to the table and quickly ate their mush. A crow landed in a window sill and tapped its beak on the glass. The kids watched the crow tilt his head from side to side peering one eye in to look at the children. The three kids smiled as they watched the black bird hop around excitedly as it watched them dress. In coats and boots, the children exited the cabin and followed the crow. They giggled as they watched the crow as it flapped its wings as if it was begging them to follow him towards the cabin.

Smoke rose from the chimney of the cabin. On the porch was a rocking chair and in that chair, sat the lady puffing on a curved pipe. The smell of pipe tobacco drifted through the air and tickled the nose of the anxious children. The crow took flight and landed on the woman's shoulder. With a caw, it noticed its breakfast laying on the cabin's window sill and flew to its feast. The woman's smoking pipe was so thick in the winter's air, and with each puff, the smoke covered her face so the children couldn't see her.

As the children approached, her outline became clearer. The frumpy stout lady stood and walked to the top of the steps to greet the children. She emptied her pipe on the ground by tapping it on the railing of the porch. The tobacco lofted down to the to the ground and settled its self in the snow. The children looked up and saw the sweetest smile. Dark black eyes were crinkled and the crow's feet appeared as her smile took a shape on her face. Her wrinkled hands waved hello as the weary children approached.

"Hello, everyone. come in!" She turned and walked into the cabin and the children followed behind.

The wooden frame of the cabin walls was covered with plants drying. Bunches of plants were hung on nails as well as other unusual firs stretched out on frames. A fire burned in a wood stove and the cabin was warm. The lady's back was turned to them as she hung her jacket near the fire to warm and dry. Her long hair was loose and swayed from side to side as she moved. The three children looked around the cabin. There were no chairs. Just four leather pelts laid on the floor in a circular pattern. In the center, was a bowl filled with sage, cedar, sweetgrass, and tobacco. The children turned when they heard the stove door open and they watched the lady scoop out a few red hot coals and place them in a little cast iron pan. Her face glowed red as she carried them to the circle and placed them on a hot block near the bowl. Her smiling eyes rose and focused on the children who stood near the wooden walls.

Her wrinkled hands grabbed some sage from the bowl and rolled it into a little ball and placed it on the hot coals. The children watched her prepare the medicine and once it began to smolder and smoke rose and she gestured the children to come and smudge themselves. One by one the children were cleaned and were seated on their own leather pelt. Silently, they sat breathing in the smoke that lingered from the burning sage in the bowl.

"My name is Shining Sun." She lowered herself onto a pelt and crossed her legs and shifted until she was comfortable. "I have been brought here to discover whom you are." Her dark eyes scanned each little face. "I have been told that Sarah has wind magic, Peter is earth and some fire magic, Chavo, we believe you are wind but you may also have earth magic. I myself, I am earth magic. As you can see, as she gestured at the plants on the walls, I work with the earth. When I was released from the boarding school, I had to get control of myself. I had to remove the brokenness the school has caused." Her eyes steadied onto Peter, for a moment their eyes met, and he lowered his eyes out of respect. "Control is needed so one doesn't harm others and so one can learn how to use your skills for the good." Shining Sun leaned forward and grabbed the bowl and gathered a small pinch of each medicine in the bowl and placed each one in her left hand. She reached to the pan and placed the medicine on the coals whispering, "Father sun, shine on us today."

The children watched the medicines on the coals turn from green to withered to coal black. Through the window, the light outside began to brighten and sunlight began to shine through. The energy of the room lightened and the children sighed with relief. The sun lightened their spirits as they shifted on their deer skin pelts.

"Close your eyes, and just take in the warmth the sun and just breathe." Shining Sun said as she closed her eyes.

The children closed their eyes and silently let the sun lick away their anxiety. As they warmed themselves in the ray of light, they felt as if they were safe and secure. There was nothing to fear except the unknown. Sarah took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She sat there taking deep breaths and her mind began to wander back to the days she sat at the desk staring at a slate chalk board. Her breathing increased and so did her anxiety as memories flashed across her mind. The smoke gathered around her, swirling, shifting and moved towards the sun's rays. Sarah unknowingly summoned a woman who appeared in the light of the sun. A gasp from Shining Sun caused the children to open their eyes to witness the form in front of them.

"My child," Sarah's eyes opened to look upon her mother. "I am so thankful you are safe here with Shining Sun."

Sarah sat looking at her mother's shape shifting in the sunlight. Her long hair lofted wispily around her smoke like face and her eyes looked lovingly over her daughter. Her mother's clothes were the same as the last time she had seen her. Her white shirt hung on her frame and the brown skirt flowed as her mother's form moved towards her. Sarah stood and looked up to her mother and reached out to touch her. With disappointment, smoke is not touchable, and her and passed through her mother's hand. A tear formed in Sarah's eye and rolled down her cheek.

"Don't cry my little one. I am happy with my visit with my ancestors." said Running Dear. She looked at Shining Sun and said, "Please add more sage. Others want to visit too." Running Dear's form floated over to and said, "Peter, you know what to do."

Shining Sun smiled and rolled more sage up to into a ball and placed it on the coal. Peter leaned closer and blew slightly on the coals. After a few breaths, the sage burst into a cloud of smoke and lofted towards Running Dear. The children's eyes widened as they watched the forms appear around them. Walls of people surrounded them. Forms of beings shifted and moved in the smoke of the sage. Jumping Spider, Sarah's dad, and others she did not know stood around them.

Chavo's Grandmother, stood in front of him and looked upon him with reverence. "Grandson, you were not supposed to be here yet. Perhaps, there is a reason why." She looked over at Sarah then steadied herself and looked back at her grandson. "Protect her, grandson, it is obvious you two are supposed to be together. You are the wind and earth, but you must find out which wind you can use. North, South, East, and West winds each have different powers. Wind and earth need each other. Take time and watch how they work together." Her eyes left his gaze to focus on Shining Sun, "Shining Sun is here to assist you as you learn." She fixed her gaze back on the boy, "Stay here, and learn what you can. Your parents know you are safe so there is no need to run to them. You dear boy, are meant to be here."

The smoke began to shift in the room. Faces in the smoke shifted and some disappeared to allow another form to take form. With another puff of air on the coals, a form gathered itself and settled across from Peter. Peter's eyes met his father's eyes and he drew back and mouth the word, "Dad."

"My son, don't hold on to my death. You did the best you could to save me. You, my son are earth magic. You can also wield fire magic because you saw me wield it. I have been told, that you can use both but earth is needed most. You also saw me use earth magic. Mother earth, she is waiting for you to join her." With a smile, the smoke shifted and Peter's dad dissipated into the air.

The door opened on its own and the smoke exited through it. Forms of ghostlike beings smiled and waved as they exited the cabin. The children sat peering at the door watching the spirits as they exited the room. With stunned expressions, they sat in silence pondering the events. Shining Sun stood and walked over to the opened door and closed the door behind the leaving guest.

With a gleam in her eyes, Shinning Sun turned to assess the children in her charge. "No wonder why the three of your are being hunted. The ancestors seems to believe you three are supposed to be here at this time. You are being protected by them." She walked over to the children and sat back down. "I have never had a visit like that before. Your skills are impressive little ones."

After a moment, Shinning Sun dismissed them for their noon meal. The children were shaken up by the day's event as they sat down to their meal of hot soup and sandwiches. Each one, seemed to be troubled by the morning's lesson. Their silence disturbed the on lookers and they all ate in silence.

Markus, Mary, and Verna sat silently watching the children. Verna could see that the children were visibly upset and she stood and prepared a cup of tea with calming herbs. The children sipped on their tea as the old crone, Shinning Sun's, lesson sunk into their minds. The old crone, the teacher, was one that wasn't like one they knew from the boarding school. It was clear to them, the lessons would be different from any education they ever knew.