She Wolf

Celestial faces a foe far bigger and stronger than she's ever faced before.

***

Thirteen year-old Hope held the paining in her lap, as she often did. She surely knew every brush stroke and every detail of the two wolves. As she studied once more she was suddenly hit with a realization -- she KNEW.

After breakfast the next day and doing her task of clearing the table Hope ran out after her father.

"I need to see Janet. Please?"

"Can it wait until tomorrow? I've got to help your mother exercise the horses today."

"We can ride up! That will exercise Sunshine and the horse you ride. I'll help with the others when we get back."

"What's up? You look so serious."

"There's something I need to ask her. It might be important, and I don't want to forget it."

Ray narrowed his eyes at her. "Is this another one of your visions? You have that look again."

Hope stamped her foot. "They're NOT visions. They're something I know."

Ray rubbed his hand across his chin. "That seems to be a talent you have developed. Last year you told us the gray mare was out of the pasture. We didn't believe you, but found her exactly where you said she'd be. How many times has that sort of thing happened over the last year?"

"Exactly. Can we go?"

"Okay, but if your mother has to exercise the horses it means..."

"Yeah, yeah. I get to muck out the stalls and curry the horses. I'll do it. Please?"

Ray sighed "Okay, I'll call up there to be sure she's at home."

As soon as the horses were saddled they started to follow the trail her mother used when leading trail rides. At the highway though, they crossed and headed up beside a narrow road until they came to an unmarked gravel drive winding up a steep hill through the woods.

Beside a muddy jeep and a banged-up Land Rover they dismounted and Janet met them on the porch.

"What brings you up here today, Hope? Your dad said you wanted to come but didn't say why."

"Because I didn't tell him."

Inside Charles looked up from some maps he had spread out on a table to welcome them.

Janet offered some liquid refreshments, and after their ride they gratefully accepted some cold water.

"Why Hope, I think you've grown another inch since I saw you just a couple of weeks ago."

Hope grinned "I'm taller than most of the boys in my class."

"Let's see, you must be in about the...eighth grade?

"Start in the fall." After a pause she stammered "Can we talk...like...alone?"

Janet furrowed her brow but Charles laughed. "C'mon Ray, I think that's our cue to go outside and talk of manly things." He clapped Ray on the back and the men went outside to admire the horses and talk about wild and domestic animals.

"What's up Hope?"

"It's that in the last year I've started seeing things."

"What sort of things?"

"Mom and dad call them visions, but that's not really what they are. I all of a sudden know something. It's not like a dream or I go into a trance or anything, but I just KNOW. I've never been wrong. Dad says I get a certain look on my face when it happens."

"I see. You're thirteen, so this coincides with the onset of puberty? I didn't want to say anything in front of your dad, but I've noticed you've started to...develop. I think it would embarrass your father to talk about such things. I know my father stayed out of the conversation." Janet laughed but turned serious and looked intently at Hope. "But that's not why you came all the way up here, is it?"

"Uh uh." Hope paced around the studio, looking at paintings, either finished or in progress. Janet waited for the girl to collect her thoughts.

Hope plopped down in a chair and bit her lower lip. "I..uh...I want to ask you something. It's really weird and I...I...hope it doesn't offend you."

Janet pulled a chair up beside the girl. "I don't think you will offend me. Certainly not when you've given it as much thought as you apparently have."

"That painting you gave me -- the one of the two wolves. I've spent a lot of time studying it and something's been nagging at me for awhile. I've only now screwed up the courage to come to you with it, because it's like I suddenly KNOW something about it."

"Well, that certainly gets my attention. You want to ask me something. I'll answer truthfully."

"Well...I've noticed your eyes and I've studied the eyes of that one wolf. They look so much alike. The wolves came to us after we talked to you. Are you...one of the watchers?"

Janet looked intently into the girl's eyes. "Truth. Yes."

Hope gasped. "But that means...no, it can't.'"

Janet waited while Hope took a deep breath screwing up the courage to ask the real question. "Are you the wolf?"

"Yes."

"But how...? I mean...is that possible?"

"It's rare, but it is possible. You can ask your dad. He knows.'

"But...he's never said anything."

"He was sworn to secrecy, and he has kept that trust."

"So, you are the one who..."

"Brought you out of the fire."

Hope wrestled with the information.

"Hope, that knowledge is something very few people know. We prefer to keep it that way. People get all sorts of wild ideas."

"I get that. Like in Beauty and the Beast, where the mob wants to kill the beast just because he's a beast."

Janet nodded. "Some people, no, make that a lot of people, are afraid of anything they don't understand. We try to live lives as normal as we can."

"Looking at that painting, all of a sudden I knew. I just knew it, but was afraid that I was wrong and you'd be mad."

"I'm not mad. You say you knew. It seems the ability to 'know' is a recent thing."

"Just in the last year."

"Other people might not understand that ability."

"I get what you're saying. In a way I'm a little like you. Dad and mom don't understand it."

"Correct. Let me tell you I only discovered I was different at puberty, exactly like you. That's when I began to change. It was awful. I was terrified and it hurt to change, shifting we call it. My mother took me to my grandmother and she helped me through it. Grandmother is like that and knew how to help me."

"But, don't you only howl at the moon or something? That doesn't make sense. I can hear you sometimes when it's not even dark yet. Sometimes there isn't even a moon in the sky."

"It was only after I moved here that my grandmother taught me how to control it. Day or night. She waited until I was ready to go to the next step." After Hope had a chance to digest that Janet added "Not all of us who can shift like that are watchers and good. Some are evil, so that's another thing. So sometimes it is justified for people to be afraid. That's exactly why we keep to ourselves. Yes, we are watchers, but others are takers. Watchers try to protect from takers."

"You mean, like fight or something?"

"That's right. That time we were gone a few years ago there was a big fight between watchers and takers. The watchers won, but many lost their lives in the process."

"You mean fight, like with guns? How can you shoot a gun with paws?"

"Fight, like with teeth and claws. You'd be surprised at the variety of takers. For some reason all the watchers I've encountered seem to be wolves. Takers can be wolves, big cats, or worse. Battles can get complicated."

Janet held Hope by the shoulders. "What we talked about has to stay here. Some people could come after me, and some could even come after you for knowing someone like me."

"But, you said dad knows."

"And he has kept the secret. Can you keep the secret?"

Hope nodded vigorously.

"I can't stress enough how important it is to not let on about this."

"I wouldn't do anything that would hurt a watcher."

"Would you like to really see one?"

"What do you mean?"

"Wait here a moment."

Janet stepped into the bedroom and discretely undressed and shifted. When she stepped out of the room Hope gasped. "It really IS you. Can I...can I touch you?"

Celestial sat beside the girl and she stroked the head of the wolf. "I can't believe this."

In a few moments Celestial stood and shook, then wandered over to the cabin door and looked back at Hope. Hope followed and, when Celestial looked at the door, Hope opened it. Celestial and Hope walked out together.

Ray gulped. "Oh, my."

Hope said "It was her idea, but I already knew when we came here."

Ray puffed out his cheeks and shook his head. "This knowing business is going to get you in trouble some day."

"She said you already knew about her and you've kept the secret. I can, too. I understand."

Celestial returned to the bedroom and reemerged as Janet just as Charles and Ray came up the porch steps and into the cabin.

Charles looked at Janet but spoke to Ray "Does she know about me?"

"She never said, but I think she does."

"You must be the other watcher. It makes sense since that wolf is really big and so are you."

Ray asked "Aren't you afraid that the wrong people will find out?"

"You've kept the secret, and so have the firemen and rangers who fought with us. Hope has a secret also, so I think she can be trusted to keep ours."

"She has a secret?" Ray asked.

"I think you can guess what it is. She KNEW when she came here. I only answered her questions truthfully."

Hope shuffled her feet. "There's something else I know. It doesn't make sense, but after she told me how the watchers fought the takers maybe it will make sense to someone."

Charles stared at her. "What else do you know?"

"Does the name Celestial mean anything?"

Janet stepped closer to her and narrowed her eyes. "That's my true wolf name. How do you know it?"

"It's just something else I knew somehow, but had no idea what it meant. I KNEW that name before I KNEW about you being a watcher. That Celestial is you? Well, here's something else I know. I hope you understand what it means, because I sure don't."

"And that is...?"

"Someone called Celestial needs to get a sword. I don't know why."

"What kind of sword? Where is this sword to come from?"

"I don't know. Just that Celestial needs it. It has to be a special sword."

"We don't fight with swords."

Charles frowned in thought. "You have a bow, and have used it effectively. This sword may mean something. You seem to be fighting more in human form than as a wolf."

"But I'm still Celestial. It means something if I'm to have it. I'll ask Swift or Gray if they know anything. Maybe Great Bear told Eagle Claw something that would give a clue."

"Wow. That's a lot of cool names. I'm sorry, but I told you all I know right now. If I know anything else I'll tell you right away. From the way everyone reacted it seems like it might be important."

Janet held the girl's shoulders again. "It is important. I've been given many tools to use in specific situations. The sword means something, but don't force the issue. You have to let it come to you so you really KNOW instead of THINK you know. Tell me if you get another KNOWING. You could be the key to something in the future, something no one has any idea of yet."

"I'll be sure to tell you if I get anything."

After the horses and riders left Charles put an arm around Janet. "Do you think it was wise to show her your shift to wolf?"

"She knew already. It's why they came, for her to confirm what she knew. Charles, she has a gift, and it started as she hit puberty, just like what happened to me. I felt I should be honest with her when she asked questions. She's got to trust me if she's going to feel free to tell me things."

"What do you suppose this sword thing is really all about?"

"I'm as baffled as she is. I'll ask around and see if anyone else has a clue."

A sudden thought struck him. "Did you show her your hands?"

"She's thirteen years old. I didn't want to freak her out or have her think I'm some sort of circus freak. If she comes to me knowing about the arrowheads I'll tell her, but I don't want to burden her with any more secrets than she's ready for."

Gray had no idea why she'd need a sword, but Gertrude was pensive. "If she really has the gift of sight it's bound to mean something. It rings true to me. I agree that the sword probably has to come from some person or some place specific, like your bow had to come from Great Bear. I can't even think of anyone to ask about swords. You'll have to sit tight on that for awhile."

Janet thought there could only be one other source. She stepped off the porch and held her hands over her head, palms up, flashed the arrowheads several times, and sat on the porch steps to wait. Within a few minutes an eagle glided down to land on the porch railing.

She showed her hands and the arrowheads again. "See? I'm a friend. I need to talk to Eagle Claw." The bird didn't flinch when she reached out to stroke its feathers. "I don't know how this works, but if you can do anything it would be very helpful. It may be important."

She dropped her hands to her sides and the bird tilted its head, and then took off to soar into high treetops.

'Well, I guess I just wait and see what happens. I don't know if I'll ever get used to talking to a bird.'

Fifteen minutes later the eagle glided down to the porch railing once again. She gently stroked it and the bird tilted its head and turned so one eye looked directly at her.

"Okay, I'm going to trust you here. See? I'm not making any sudden moves. I'm slowly moving closer. Is that okay?"

As at her grandmother's house she noticed a reflection in the eye of the bird. Her face slowly approached the beak of the eagle, but the bird gave no indication of aggression or defense. The image cleared as Eagle Claw, and she heard his thoughts.

'Celestial, thank you for the paintings. They are breathtaking. I feel as if Great Bear is in my house.'

'Glad you received them. I have a question. A girl with the gift of sight came to me and told me Celestial needed to get a sword. Do you have any idea what that means? I know the Spanish brought swords to your part of the world.'

'Hmm. I can think of nothing. If you needed a sword I think Great Bear would have given you one, but he gave you a bow instead.'

'And that's exactly what I needed then. Now I appear to need a sword for some reason.'

'The girl has sight? You may have to wait until it becomes clear to her first.'

'That was my thinking, but wondered if anyone else had any ideas. Swift agrees it may be important.'

"If she thinks it is important it probably is. I wish I could help you.'

'Thanks anyway. I hope you enjoy your paintings.'

'I enjoy them every day. They get many compliments. If I think of anything concerning the sword I'll send an eagle or owl to you.'

'I don't know how you do that, but thanks.'

The image faded and she backed away and stroked the bird once again. "Thank you."

Once again the eagle took off to circle high over the trees.

Nothing else concerning a sword came and the idea was almost forgotten. The following spring Janet and Charles came to stay at the cabin during spring break. One day Janet and Charles ate breakfast at The Hen's Nest when Ray and his family came in. Hope hurried over. "I have something else. You have to go to Scotland to get the sword."

"Scotland!?"

Hope shrugged. "It's what I know. It all came to me this morning, just as clear as if I was standing there myself. There's someone with a forge there, somewhere in a place called the Trossachs or something like that. I have no idea where it is other than that."

Charles mused "The Trossachs. That sounds more like a region or some geographic feature rather than a town."

"That's what I have. I hope it helps."

"It certainly gives us a better idea than we had before. Thank you, Hope. We'll pursue that angle, and you keep us informed of anything else that pops up."

Hope rejoined her family and Janet asked Charles "Have you ever been to Scotland? I know it's on top of England and has the Loch Ness monster. Do you suppose that's it -- we're supposed to fight the Loch Ness monster?"

"My folks took me when I was about ten. We did a whirlwind tour of England and Scotland. Trossachs rings a bell. It's hills or mountains like the Appalachians, I think. It was a long time ago."

"I guess we'd better consider going over there, then. We both have passports to get into Canada for research, so it's a matter of putting together flights and places to stay and..."

"Let's take it a step at a time. When we get back to Cornell I'll fire up the big computer and can do some research. The office computer is a lot faster and has more capabilities than ours at home. We can do some background research to maybe narrow our focus over there. She mentioned a forge. To make a sword would require a forge. They're probably not common anymore and I'm guessing what we're looking for will be tucked away somewhere, out of the way of tourists."

"Why can't we just buy one, I wonder?"

"Just as it had to be Great Bear to give you your bow, I'm thinking we need to find a specific forge in Scotland for you to get a sword made for you. That's all that makes sense or else, as you say, we could just buy one."

Lydia joined the search adding her computer to the effort. She scanned Google Earth images of the highlands in northern Scotland as Charles called out potential locations for a forge. Within a couple of hours they thought they had found a couple of likely locations for an out of the way forge.

"Both north of Sterling Castle, not near any real roads. That's an area with a long history of conflict and they used swords and long pikes until muskets became common. We can't find contact information for the forge, so we'll just have to wing it and hope it is one of the two locations we've flagged. Now it's time to put together travel plans. Do you think Henry's plane can make it across the pond?"

"I'll ask. Commercial flight would be expensive, and it would be difficult to bring back a sword on the plane."

"Lydia, keep in touch with the girl Hope. See if she can respond to your mental communication. If she has the sight maybe she can also communicate. If you find out any more information from her contact us right away."

"Got it, boss."

Charles and Janet laughed every time Lydia called Charles 'boss' just because he was department chair and she teased him about it at every opportunity.

Charles and Janet just finished packing for the flight when they heard a horse outside. Through the window they saw Hope quickly dismount from Sunshine and run up the porch steps. Janet opened the door before a breathless Hope could knock.

"You seem to be in a hurry, Hope. Where's your dad?"

"He was busy and let me come up alone this time. I have my phone with me, although I think reception is probably spotty up here. Down by the road I get a signal. Anyway, I was hoping I'd catch you before you left. I have one more thing. This morning I knew you were going to see another watcher. His name is Hammer. I wasn't sure about the name at first, but the name echoed in my head all the way up here...Hammer...Hammer...Hammer."

"That is very helpful. It gives us something else to look for to find the right place to go."

"Umm, I've also been able to sort of talk to your friend Lydia. Not really talk, but we can sometimes talk by thinking. It's kind of scary to think someone can read your mind."

"That's not how it works. I can do it, too, but didn't want to overwhelm you. You can only communicate under certain circumstances. You don't know what she's thinking and she doesn't know what you're thinking, but it is possible to send out a mental signal that's kind of like calling on the phone. You are free to answer or not. I'll bet the ability came along with your KNOWING."

"I didn't know what was going on at first. It sounds like mental tele...tele..."

"Mental telepathy. That's exactly what it is. It will only work with someone else who has the ability. Lydia has it and so do I. Charles not so much."