Strange Vacation

I was standing there with Wife and Night Glow as Brett climbed out of his ultralight and walked over to us.

"Hey Slick," he said to me, "Who are these two visions of beauty?"

"This is Winter Dawn, My wife. And her sister Night Glow." I replied.

Brett introduced himself to the ladies, then looked at me, clearly wanting an explanation.

"I'll fill you in later," I told him. "Let's get your stuff unloaded."

Brett had a pair of fiberglass canisters attached to the frame of his ultralight, and we wasted no time in unstrapping them and toting them over to the tents.

Brett went back to the ultralight to tie it down. Night Glow trailed along with him curiously.

"Your friend seems nice." Wife commented as I started to open the fiberglass canisters. "He is a nice guy," I said. "We served together for a long time." Wife watched Brett flirting with Night Glow as he drove the pegs into the ground and attached the tie down cables to secure the ultralight against any gusts of wind.

"Will he accept Night Glow as a wife?" asked Winter Dawn.

"I believe that he will," I replied. "Once he understands the situation."

I looked up from my unpacking to see Night Glow laughing at something Brett was saying. "Yes, I do believe that your sister will be safely mated by tonight."

Over lunch, we briefed Brett on what had been going on.

"Slick," he said when we were done. "Leave it to you to find a couple of the most beautiful women in all of creation out in the middle of nowhere."

He paused while Night Glow refilled his coffee cup and thanked her with a smile.

"The way I see it, this Coyote/Loki character has some serious plans that you have seriously FUBARed," he continued. "And you've made him lose face in front of witnesses." Brett shook his head. "He's going to be after your ass big time."

Wife and Night Glow were nodding their agreement with his assessment.

"He has to defeat you in order to reassure his allies that he has not become weak and thus vulnerable," said Night Glow.

"If he cannot best a mere mortal, those whom he has been associating with will turn on him and try to destroy him," added Wife.

"Just who are these allies of his?" asked Brett.

Wife shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. "'tis best not to speak their names, lest their attention be drawn to us," she said. "Our brother has somehow managed to draw into his plans beings that would not normally ally together."

‘A dangerous game to play," I said. Brett and I exchanged glances. "Divide and conquer," he said with a grin.

Brett spent most of the afternoon assembling his weapons and other toys with night Glow looking on interestedly.

When he was done and armed to his satisfaction, he took the ultralight up again and scattered the ashes of the Wendigo far and wide. It would be a long while before that beastie resurrected if at all.

While he was aloft, Wife took her sister into the main tent for some private conversation.

Left to myself for the time being, I walked down to the waters edge and sat down cross-legged on the bank of the stream.

I cleared my mind as best I could and quickly dropped into a meditative state.

I had learned long ago how meditation could focus my mind on a subject, bringing to light those little things all too easy to miss the first time around.

First, I was not dealing with the Sidhe that I had read about and heard tales of all my life. But these people had many of the same weaknesses and strengths of the Faerie folk of legend.

I delved into my memory to dredge up all of the tales I had heard or read about Native American folklore.

I spotted several stories common to many widespread cultures and concentrated on those.

Without warning, I felt something entirely too close for comfort.

I opened my eyes and found myself nose to nose with the Grizzly from the cave.

Evidently satisfied that he had my attention, then bear sat down I front of me with a whuff.

"It's about time you started using your brain" said a voice inside my head.

Okaaay.

A telepathic bear.

With everything else that had happened lately, I wasn't too surprised at anything by now. The weird was fast becoming the norm.

"And what do you want from me Brother Bear?" I asked silently.

"You have chosen to involve yourself in the affairs of a people not your own. I want to know why you have chosen this path," was the response.

"I could not turn away from the needs of a friend any more than you could," I returned.

The bear heaved itself to its feet with a grunt.

"Winter Dawn chose well." I heard as the bear splashed across the stream and vanished into the woods on the other side.

My brother always told me that I would go completely off my rocker someday. Looks like he was righter than he knew.

I got to my feet and headed back to the tents. Wife was busy preparing supper and Night Glow was shading her eyes as she looked for Brett's ultralight to come back into sight.

"Wife, how does Great Bear fit into all of this?" I asked when I came up to the cooking fire.

She straightened up and turned to face me.

I was struck again by her beauty and poise as she considered before answering.

"Bear is not fond of my brother," she said. "But he honors his vows and cannot interfere directly, much as he would like to."

"So how can he aid us indirectly?" I wondered.

"He can lend a portion of his strength to those that he favors during battle." Night Glow spoke from behind me. "And he can carry messages to our allies."

I perked up at that. "We have allies in this?"

"There are many who would love to see our brother defeated and humiliated," said Wife.

"But they are not powerful enough to stand against him alone, and our kind do not ally with each other easily."

Well now. This was news that could make all the difference in the world.

I was about to explore this matter further, but just then we heard the mosquito buzz of Brett's ultralight approaching.

Night Glow squealed happily and ran over to stand near where he would be landing.

"I think that your sister has fallen in love with Brett." I remarked to Wife.

She just smiled and slipped her arm around me, taking care to avoid the big .44 strapped to my waist.

Once Brett had landed and secured the ultralight, he came over to the fire holding Night Glows hand as he walked.

"Supper sure smells good," he said.

We discussed the situation as we ate, and Brett shook his head when we were done.

"I am still having trouble believing that all this is real," he said. "But I am willing to play along for now."

"Believe it or not as you wish. It is real all the same," came a voice from the dark beyond the tents.

Brett and I dove in opposite directions, coming up with our guns out and pointed in the direction of the unseen voice.

"Raven!" cried Wife and Night Glow happily.

I holstered my revolver and saw Brett doing the same with his .45 auto.

Out of the shadows came an old woman dressed in a soft leather dress and wearing a long black cloak that shimmered in the firelight.

Brett, always the fast thinker, whipped off his jacket and laid it, folded neatly, on the log that we used as a bench. "Please join us honored One."

The old woman gave him a toothless grin and nodded. "You show the proper respect boy. I like you."

She came up to the fire and sat down on Brett's jacket. Her smooth movements belied her ancient appearance.

She fixed me with her glittering black eyes. "I have been watching you while you defended Winter Dawn and Night Glow. You have proven honorable and fierce in battle," she gave a cackling laugh. "But it will take more than prowess in battle to best Coyote."

Brett suddenly made a diving roll to his right, reaching into a pouch on his belt and hurling something out into the darkness.

A scream ripped through the night air, trailing off into a horrid gurgling sound.

Wife and Night Glow dropped flat as I drew my .44 looking for a target.

Only Raven sat there unmoving. ‘The threat is ended.' She said calmly.

Brett stayed crouched with a weirdly curved shuriken in his hand. "There are at least 3 more out there," he said.

"They are my friends." Raven told him.

Brett stood up straight, his hand a flickering blur as he tucked away his throwing star.

"They play a dangerous game, lurking in the darkness like that," was all he said.

Raven rose to her feet in a fluid movement. "Remember," she told me. "It will take all of your wits to defeat Coyote."

Brett stared open-mouthed as Raven seemed to shimmer, then vanished before our eyes.

Night Glow took his hand and led him to the small dome tent that Brett had set up earlier.

Wife was already crawling into our own tent, her well shaped behind wagging invitingly.

I was about to follow her when I heard a noise behind me.

I turned to see the Grizzly flopping down on the other side of the fire. "Go to her," I heard inside my head. "I will keep watch until dawn."

I gave the bear a salute and went to join my wife in the tent.

I didn't get much sleep that night, what with Wife feeling especially amorous and the noises coming from the other tent a few feet away.

The next morning dawned gray and foggy.

No one felt much like talking, and I spent most of the day preparing my weapons and gear for the duel on the morrow.

Night Glow and Winter Dawn were uncharacteristically quiet and went about their routines somberly.

Brett was caring for his own gear and kept casting suspicious glances into the fog.

I trusted his instincts. He had saved our bacon more than once on missions with his hunches.

"I wish we had Carl and Blackie with us," he remarked at suppertime. "I think that we're going to need all the firepower that we can get before this is over."

Blackie was the heavy gunner for our squad. A full blooded Cheyenne, he was the source of most of the Indian lore that I remembered.

Carl was our demo man. He was the one who had taught us all how to blow things up with a masters touch.

But both of them had been killed during our last mission.

"I wish that they were here too," I said with a sigh. "Blackie would be in hog heaven right now."

That night Wife and I did not make love. Instead she held me tight all night long, her tears soaking my shoulder.

In the morning I gathered the others together in my tent.

"Brett, no matter what happens out there today, get the girls out safely," I said. "Use the Barret to clear the way and get going fast if I lose."

He nodded and clasped my shoulder for an instant.

Wife kissed both of us hard, then scrambled out of the tent, tears streaming down her face.

"If you lose," Night Glow said. "She will not want to live without you." Then she too left the tent with here eyes streaming.

Brett chambered a round in the Barret. "If you lose, I'm going to blow your opponent out of his socks before I do anything else."

He looked at me with hard eyes. "You'll have an honor guard in hell," he promised.

"Hey, I haven't lost yet Sarge. Now get out there and comfort the girls while I get my mind straight." I told him.

He left, taking the Barret with him.

I arranged myself cross-legged again and prepared my mind for meditation.

Whatever laughing Boy had in mind, it wouldn't be anything straightforward. That boy had a mind as twisted as a broken backed snake.

But I had read Niccolo Machiavelli a time or two, and I had a few tricks up my sleeve that he wouldn't be expecting.

Finally the time approached for the duel and I exited the tent.

I felt relaxed and ready. My body abuzz with the tingle that I always felt just before going into combat.

I saw Brett and the ladies looking off to the east. There was now a large circle of bare dirt where there had been lush grass the day before.

There were 6 people standing on the other side of the circle, clearly waiting for us.

As I started walking toward the circle, Brett, Wife, and night Glow fell in beside me.

Overhead a raven circled, as the Grizzly emerged from the woods to pace at my side.

Coyote was one of the people there of course.

With him were a pair of men with similar features and cold eyes. Beside them was an old crone with a mouthful of pointed teeth that she showed in a wide grin.

Opposite the old woman was a beautiful woman that had bright red eyes and claws on her fingers that put those of the Grizzly to shame.

And standing in front of Coyote with his hands on her shoulders was a young girl who looked about 10 years old.

My companions stopped at the edge of the circle as I walked on to stand in the center of the battle ground.

"Come on asshole," I said to my opponent. "Get in here so I can carve our gizzard and go have my lunch."

"I have no time or energy to waste on a mere human." He said lazily. "According to the laws of the High Court, I have chosen a champion to deal with you in my stead."

Abruptly he shoved the young girl into the circle. "I choose Moon Mist as my champion."

I heard a gasp from Wife and Night Glow.

"You must not enter the circle or he is forfeit," said Bear aloud.

"But that's our sister!" wailed Wife.

Coyote smirked. "What's the matter warrior? Are you afraid of a child after all those brave words?"

Brett went prone with the Barret aimed at Coyote.

"Hold your fire!" I told him quickly. .

I stepped closer to the girl. "Don't worry, I will not hurt you."

I looked up at Coyote with death in my eyes.

"Since you have proven yourself coward yet again, I declare vendetta on you. I shall hunt you down and slay you wherever I find you."

I turned my back on him and sat down in front of the girl who had turned to face me.

"Sit little sister and let me tell you the tales of my people."

She blinked at me for a moment, then sank down to sit in front of me.

I told her all of the legends of my Danish forebears that dealt with Loki the trickster god.

I could hear Coyote fuming and sputtering behind me as the girl started to relax and enjoy the stories.

Over her shoulder I could see Brett still aiming his gun at Coyote and the ladies on their knees holding each other.

Bear just sat there panting and saying nothing.

"Are you going to talk her to death?" sneered Coyote.

"Silence puppy, until your betters are done speaking," I said without turning around.

Enraged, Coyote stepped into the circle.

This was what I had been waiting for.

I stood and spun to face him.

"You're mine!" I snarled and backhanded him across the face.

The girl scrambled on all fours toward her sisters as Coyote went sprawling, blood dripping from a broken nose.

Behind me the Barret boomed in rapid succession and Coyote's allies went sprawling.

Coyote didn't spare them even a glance as he came to his feet with a screech of pure rage.

He drew a knife from a sheath at his back and came forward in a crouch.

I drew my Bowie and gave him a humorless grin. "I see you have some guts after all. Let's see how they look on the ground."

Coyote's knife had an obsidian blade that had an unpleasantly greasy sheen. My first thought was that it was probably poisoned.

Coyote circled to the left, and I pivoted to keep him in front of me. I kept my eyes in the blade of his knife. When he made his move, it was faster than I would have thought possible.

I felt something thump my side hard, then he was dancing back to avoid my blade.

He smiled wickedly and glided forward again with that uncanny speed.

This time however I was waiting for him and he got a slash across his chest that made him scream and drop his knife.

I saw the edges of his wound turn black and shrivel a little.

He glared art me for a moment, then he was running toward the trees as fast as he could move, Brett tried to swing the Barret around, but Coyote vanished before he could draw a decent bead on him.

I put my hand down to where I had been hit to rub away the lingering soreness from the blow and my hand came away wet.

I looked down and saw the blood on my hand.

I took a couple of steps toward Wife, then the world spun around and everything went dark.