Mindful 2

Chapter 4.

New Journeys.

The soldiers searched the blasted site amidst the rocks for several days before the commanders concluded that whatever it was that had decimated their numbers was no longer active. The area around the rocks was scorched and blackened for hundreds of meters and nothing had survived. There were certainly no human remains. A soot-stained, filthy sergeant approached the captain with his clothes blackened from rooting around in the hot, burnt dirt and debris.

“There’s nothing down there captain sir. Every living thing is scorched. There aren’t even any ants. Out at the perimeter we’ve found scorched remains of just about every type of desert creature and plant that lives around here but there’s nothing human. There was nothing at all in the centre and we didn’t miss a single inch of ground. The lieutenant’s still down there sir with the men.”

“The radio crackled as the captain consulted the lieutenant.”

“Nothing sir; everything’s been incinerated. Even some of the rocks were melted. That’s how hot it was down here. It’s my guess that everything living in this crater was literally vaporized.”

“OK lieutenant. I’m coming down myself.”

The sergeant joined the captain in the jeep and it bounced furiously amidst the smouldering rocks as they drove deeper into the scorched crater. They had used some of their most powerful weapons in the attack and nothing short of a nuclear explosion could have caused a bigger hole. The crater was filled with huge heaps of black, silent, smouldering soil and sand that bore silent witness to their efforts. It was still so hot and uncomfortable, that the crater was still barely tenable and the sweating lieutenant emerged from the smoking, sooty ash to acknowledge his captain. He drank greedily of a proffered bottle of water before confirming the sergeant’s words.
“Nothing sir. Just look around you. The sooty dirt is ten feet deep for it was loosened and turned over by the blasts. Everything has been totally incinerated.”

The captain nodded affirmation as he scanned the devastation.

“OK lieutenant call off your men. Short of excavating the whole crater like a bloody quarry and sieving all this dirt, there’s nothing else we can do.”

The lieutenant waved his arm to signal to his men and they gratefully dispersed to the cool boundary. Once outside the crater they circled the burning hole and gathered at the search centre to address their scorched boots and desperate thirsts. It was rapidly concluded that nothing could have survived the attacks but the captain still posted extra, fresh lookouts to monitor the crater until further notice.

Within a couple of days, the site was finally abandoned by the military except for a few desultory guards who soon became bored with protecting a remote, burnt crater in the desert.

Iona wasn’t dead. An early blast near her cave had cracked a huge rock and stunned her as it exposed a fissure going deep under the cliff. Still dazed by the blast, she recognised the increasing danger from the assault. Dizzily, Iona had crawled gratefully into the newly opened fissure and scramble desperately on her belly for tens of meters deep into the desert bed-rock. There the fissure had eventually widened into a subterranean cavern and she was able to stumble down the crevice deep into the bowels of the earth. Eventually, the final, massive assault had kicked up so much loose sand and dirt that the narrow fissure had been promptly filled in behind Iona. The dirt was ten feet deep inside the fissure and she was now buried alive hundreds of meters under the cliff. From deep inside the rocky ridge she could still feel the shock of the explosions but short of some sort of direct hit by some fancy `earthquake’ type bomb, she was safe far below in the comforting bowels of the Earth.

She stopped her Telepathic assault and settled down to wait. In the interim she rationed some of her food from her backpack for her telepathic war had left her famished. Finally she switched off her torch and fell asleep.
The next day she knew she simply had to wait until the ‘coast was clear’ so she carefully explored the deep cave only to discover some old Indian artefacts.

`Hmm,’ she mused, `these look really old; this must have been some sort of burial place.’

She decided not to disturb any more than she had to. There was no cause to desecrate an old burial chamber any further. She slipped a couple of the most interesting artefacts into her back-pack and settled down to just lie and wait.

Several nights later a tiny disturbance in the sooty soil heaped up under the scorched overhang might have betrayed Iona’s existence to a more alert watcher. Under the fractured rock a bloodied hand with torn nails emerged to carefully scrape away the loose, detritus that had covered the fissure. Beneath an ink-lack night sky, a blackened face finally got its first peep at the desert as Iona carefully scraped away the blasted sand and dirt.
Then a telepathic scan, sparingly used because of its energy demands, finally convinced the sooty troglodyte that it was safe to emerge.

Eventually, she squirmed out through the tiny gap and quickly re-packed the dirt to hide any sign of her egress. Long before dawn, the tiny figure had disappeared down a deep gully and found itself a safe stopover under some distant rocks to hide away during daylight hours. Another brief telepathic scan reassured her that she had not been detected and she settled down to a hot uncomfortable day. Night found her moving again after eating the last of her food.

For the next two nights a hungry Iona scrambled frantically along the deep gullies putting desperately needed miles between her and danger. Finally, a gaunt, filthy apparition reached a highway and tarried awhile before using the next night to make her way towards the same roadside cafe-motel where she and Ben had prepared their previous plan.

That following night, in the garbage cans outside the back, she found sufficient scraps to assuage her desperate hunger. An outside water tap did the same for her thirst. The next tactic was to find a suitable, parked truck, sneak aboard and get more distance under her belt. Telepathy soon enabled her to check each truck driver’s mind and choose the best destination. Finally Iona escaped the area and eventually found herself in a modest town at the edge of some unidentified Indian territory. Her usual tactics quickly found her some clothes and after making herself presentable, she decided to face the following day. Early morning found her testing the teller Machine in the wall but it soon proved that her access to the banking system had finally been blocked. Despite legally possessing vast amounts of money, she was now denied immediate access to her own property.

‘Government sanctified theft,’ she concluded.

She now had to get to a big city and activate one of her many pre-prepared alternative identities to get to other resources. Two days of hitchhiking found her in a mid-western city and a few hours of careful preparation had finally accessed some of her vast portfolio of alternative funds. Iona had a new financial identity as an ethnic, Native American and she immediately booked a room for cash in a cheap motel where no questions were asked. It was a shabby, seedy place in the poorer part of town but it suited Iona’s plans.

She was so dark and sunburnt that despite her almost white blond hair, she resembled a half blood Native American and she smiled ruefully at the image in her motel mirror. Sunglasses hid Iona’s noticeably turquoise eyes for those remarkable eyes were a dead giveaway.

`God!’ She grinned. “Apart from the almost white hair and turquoise eyes, she looked dark enough and sun-beaten enough to resemble an old Indian plains-woman.

All she needed was an ethnic shawl and a suitable old felt hat.’

Instead she lingered in her shower to remove the last traces of the soot and dirt then she slumped on the bed and slept the day around only to wake the following morning as the Motel proprietor tapped on her door.

“If you want to stay another day lady, you’d better pay more rent.”

Iona opened the door and dug out the cash to reserve another week of uninterrupted nights. The proprietor pocketed it without any questions and Iona was set to move forward with her life. A few days later, the ‘half-blood Indian woman’ bought a 4X4 and at the end of the week she was making her way north again.

With her disguise improved by purchasing a pair of deep brown `contact lenses’ Iona had removed the giveaway feature of her remarkable turquoise eyes whilst simultaneously improving her appearance as some sort of middle aged Native American woman. Soon she was crossing some Indian lands and her heart sang as she enjoyed her newfound Freedom.

She had no firm plans for the future because she could not seek out her children. It was now up to Ben and Rebecca to protect the future of human telepathy. Fortunately, Ben now had the telepathic range to keep the enemy at arm’s length whilst they were well provided for materially because of Iona’s many years of fiscal alacrity.

That afternoon after ten hours on the road, Iona stopped at a small town in `Hicksville’ to eat and fill up her tank. She also had to remove the brown contact lenses because they irritated her eyes. She was glad to have kept the sunglasses. Besides. The sun was strong and they certainly helped her eyes.

She had no real, fixed plan for the immediate future so her next move was to find another cheap motel. Then, as she returned to her 4X4, she heard a commotion in the car park behind the diner. Two Native Americans were arguing with a younger Indian girl and the exchange was getting heated. Well-fed and well rested, Iona idly read the minds of the protagonists and realised there was some sort of tribal issue between the girl and the two Indian men.

She thought no more about it as she switched off her telepathy then stepped towards her car as the three Indians continued arguing. Suddenly the men tried to grab the girl but she let out a shriek of anger and dashed towards the nearest obvious refuge; the only other `Indian woman’ in the car park, namely Iona. Iona had just started the engine and was about to pull away as the girl grabbed at the unlocked passenger door and scrambled frantically into her 4X4.

“Don’t let them catch me!” She squealed as Iona paused angrily. She didn’t like people bursting uninvited into her private, lonely world.

“Why?” Asked Iona as she locked the doors electronically and pulled out onto the road.

“They’re trying to make me work for them!”

A quick telepathic probe confirmed that the Indians were not some sort of pimps and the girl was not some sort of victim of prostitution; although she was certainly pretty enough to have been somehow kidnapped and forced into that way of life. Iona realised that the issue was some sort of tribal thing and the men wanted the girl to return immediately to the tribe. Wearily Iona stopped her car and invited the girl to get out.

Iona wanted no trouble and antagonising the Native Americans in their own tribal area was a certain invitation to trouble. The girl screamed frantically and begged the woman to keep driving.

“You don’t understand! I’m Winkt’e! Keep driving, please!”

The girl’s declaration was so forceful that Iona concluded it needed more investigation.

`What the hell was a winkt’e?’ She wondered.’

She voiced her thoughts and the girl explained.

“My father is a shaman but he’s getting old and the tribe expect me to take over.
They’ve been grooming me for this day. I don’t want to be a shaman. I’m a Winkt’e. Your people might call it `one of the other sexes’.”

“A berdache or something,” offered Iona, “or a transsexual?” Continued Iona uncertainly, “or some other sort of alternative sex.”

“Sort of. You’re people would say that. A berdache is a white man’s term for our other peoples. It’s a bit insulting really; we native people don’t see sexuality as something black or white, or simply male or female like your people. We are more spiritual than the white man, we're nearer to nature.”

The frightened girl paused to study the older woman and she frowned at the white hair. “You’re not full blooded are you? You’ve obviously lost our ways.”

“Something like that,” countered Iona evasively, “so why do they want you back?”

“When my father dies, they will need a new shaman, a medicine woman, somebody who knows the ways.”

“And that’s you,” replied Iona as telepathy revealed all, “the tribe have invested everything in you and you don’t want it.”

The girl’s demeanour softened apologetically as she tried to explain.

“I’ve just graduated from university medical school. I’m on my way to becoming a doctor. I want to see things and do things. I don’t want to be tied down to the reservation like a prisoner.”

“Is it really like that?” Pressed Iona. “Have you really talked about it; at length I mean, with the other tribal elders and your father?”

“They won’t listen. I know they won’t. They were reluctant for me to go to medicine school.”

“So how did you manage to go?”

“There are bursaries and scholarships. I studied hard and won a scholarship.”

“And how did you manage to run that past your father?”

“He couldn’t refuse could he? I was over eighteen and I had my scholarship. In the end he had to let me go but the tribe were always sniffing around. Checking up on me.”

“Or maybe just seeing that you were OK.” Iona argued.

“Or checking up to see that I didn’t lose my virginity. A medicine woman is best left as a virgin.”

“Wow! “Giggled Iona unwittingly revealing her extensive range of knowledge. “That’s an old tradition. Just about every vestal virgin in the ancient world ran that gauntlet.”

“Yeah. Well that was then. This is now. How would you have liked it to have the tribal sex police always on your shoulder?”

Iona shrugged. There was no useful answer. The girl, or rather young woman was obviously a `modern – day – miss’. The girl looked behind down the road and frowned.

“Dammit! They’re following us. Can’t this thing go any faster?”

“It doesn’t need to. They can’t harm you now.”

“What d’ you mean?”

Iona smiled and turned to the frightened girl.

“They’ll pull over in a minute. When we’re well out of town.”

The girl fell silent and peered nervously down the road again.
“How do you know that? They’re gaining on us. Go faster, please, plee-ease!”

“Don’t panic girl! I told you they will pull over, and they will; right!”

Iona’s forceful statement worried the girl. She wasn’t sure if Iona was a threat or a help. She peered down the road again and whimpered nervously as her tone rose to a screech.

“They’re gaining on us!”

“And as soon as we leave the town limits, they’ll give up. Trust me girl.”

“They’ll be alongside us before then!”

“Yes. They will.”

“But what if they ram us or something. Those guys are the tribal police.”

“Stop worrying girl. They’ll pull over shortly. Is that the town name post?”

The girl nodded and tensed fearfully as the pursuing tribal police closed the last few meters.

After another couple of miles, the two cars pulled level and the Indian police made a sign to pull over but Iona just smiled and waved. The Indian girl started to wail nervously but Iona wound down the window and released a gentle telepathic pulse. Before the disbelieving girl’s eyes, the policemen visibly sagged in the car as it slowed to a harmless crawl. Finally the police car pulled gently over onto the verge as the girl watched them both slump over the dashboard. Nobody had been hurt and it had all happened so peacefully that the girl could hardly believe her own eyes.

“They’ve stopped!” She declared with delightful surprise as relief softened her sweet musical voice.

“I said they would.” Declared Iona. “Now what do you want to do?”

The Indian girl fell silent for she had no certain plans for the immediate future. She had hoped to somehow get to her father and possibly persuade him to let her go; to release her from the tribal obligations. Iona read her thoughts and sighed.

“Why don’t you want to be the tribal shaman?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to be the shaman. It’s all the other stuff that goes with it. I have to live with the tribe and be the wise old council. That’s not so bad but it’s the children thing. I have to remain pure so I can’t have children; well at least not until I’ve handed down all the herbal wisdom and crossing over stuff to my acolyte.”

“Who is?” Inquired Iona.

“Who is not chosen yet,” finished the girl, “they won’t choose my acolyte until my father dies.”

“And that looks like years yet.” Finished Iona.

“Exactly! He’s as strong as twenty buffalo. I want my children while I’m still young, I want to enjoy them while I’m young enough to enjoy them and there’s less risk of complications.”

“So, you’re a wi, - a win, - what is it, - “

“A Winkt’e.”

“Some sort of alternative lifestyler; a lesbian I fancy. Doesn’t that complicate things; with the children thing I mean?”

“Yeah, a lesbian. You’re people would say that, but that doesn’t preclude me having children. The tribe accepts that. There are two Winkt’e families in the village. Their children don’t suffer any prejudice or abuse and the Winkt’e sit on the council just like everybody else.”

“Oh I’m sure they do,” replied Iona,” so it’s the shaman thing that really gets to you.”

“Well. Yes; actually. It’ll put my childbearing plans back years.”

“Have you discussed it in detail with your father?”

“He won’t hear of it. He won’t even talk of it.”

“Oh I don’t think it’s cast in stone girl. Here we are. This is your turn off for the village I believe?”

The girls gasped and stared at Iona for there were no markings to reveal the turn off. The road-side verge looked pristine. The Indians only used it as a pedestrian access. Nobody could have possibly recognised the turn off without some sort of prior knowledge.

“Yes. How did you know that? We don’t usually publicise the whereabouts of the village and it moves around to avoid becoming known.”

Iona turned, pulled her headscarf down then removed her sunglasses to reveal her freakishly blond hair and knowing turquoise eyes. The young Indian girl gasped and peered into the newly revealed face.

“God! You’re not old are you. I thought with that hair, so white, and the head scarf, - I thought you were an old woman.”

“Thoughts can lie.” Sighed Iona, even though she knew that statement to be the complete opposite of what she had just said. Other people’s thoughts never lied to Iona! She could read them like an open book.
“But, - but you’re young, - what, - say thirty something.”

“Something like that,” replied Iona as she spun the wheel and turned down the track.

The girl became agitated.

“You mustn’t just visit the tribe without invitation. You’ve just revealed the turn off with your tyre tracks. Let me wipe the marks. It’s not allowed!”

Iona drove a few yards then stopped and waited patiently while the girl frantically cancelled out the tyre marks. Finally she re-joined Iona and reluctantly conceded that if she must arrive un-announced then she must.

“You can say you’ve just invited me.” Suggested Iona. “You’re still a member aren’t you?”

The girl hesitated. She had not yet been initiated into the tribal elders because of her absence at medical college. Iona’s telepathy recognised this and she quickly stopped the car.

“Oooh, of course! You’re not yet a member of the council yet are you.”

The girl whispered a fearful `No’, and Iona let out a sigh.

“Well, I’ll not let that make any more trouble for you. If you want. I’ll put you off here and drive to the village alone. They can’t actually kill me can they.”

“No but if they associate you with me, it might make trouble for me and the tribal police have got cell-phones.”

“Don’t worry about the police. They’re still asleep. And your father will be more pleased than annoyed that you’ve returned voluntarily. Once that’s over with, we can address the other issues in good time.”

The girl fell silent then turned to study Iona.

“What is it with you? Ten minutes ago, you never even knew me. Now you’re my guardian angel.”

“It’s you father I want to meet. Meeting you was pure serendipity.”

“Why’s that.”

“You mentioned just now, about your father being the shaman and `crossing over’.”

“Yee-ess,” replied the girl cautiously.

“Well, I want to discuss the ‘crossing over’ stuff with an Indian shaman. I’ve heard about this crossing over business and I want to know more. They say you can talk with the dead don’t they?”

“It’s not like that exactly. It’s more spiritual than necrophiliac. Anyway, your people will never understand it.”

“Neither will yours if you don’t learn from your father. The gift will be lost to the whole tribe.”

The girl fell silent again for a moment then spoke again.

“Are you really part people; our people I mean?”

“No, but I’m closer to some stuff than the rest of my people. This crossing over stuff is important to me.”

“But it takes years, and you have to have gifts.”

“I know. I do.”

“Do what?” Frowned the girl.

“Have gifts.”

“Huh! Like what?”

“Those police. They stopped following us didn’t they and they’re still asleep? The turn off for the village, I knew where that was and there was absolutely no sign. You don’t normally take vehicles into the village do you, - leastwise not so as to betray it’s whereabouts.”

The Indian girl fell silent and stared at the turquoise eyed stranger, for stranger she had suddenly become. Iona smiled to reassure her then offered her the option again.

“D’ you want to come with me to village or d’ you want to get out here? I can promise you that you will be safe.”

“Huh! How?”

“The reservation police. Are they not still asleep? No one will be able to harm you.”

The girl’s expression turned from fearful realisation to outright curiosity before she finally acknowledged that something really special was afoot. Finally she whispered nervously.

“You have got gifts, haven’t you; real gifts! You’re just not afraid are you?”

They were approaching some small hills and Iona smiled then slipped the 4x4 into four by four traction gears before replying.

“Not any more I’m not. D’ you want to come into the village with me?”

The girl smiled and looked towards the hills where the village lay hidden.
“They’ll be shocked that somebody found the village coming this way by design and not by accident.”

“That’s bye the bye,” added Iona as she slipped the clutch and they set off across the pristine ground.

After realising that the stranger must actually know exactly where the village lay the girl concluded finally that she must be somehow gifted. She slowly opened up as she sought to gain an ally in any arguments about her tribal future.

“My name’s Dawn by the way.”

“Glad to meet you,” replied Iona, “my name is Iona. Dawn’s a pretty name, it matches your beauty.”

The girl had the courtesy to blush self-consciously and Iona smiled kindly as she continued.

“And your father’s name is `He that see’s.”

“How did you know that?” Gasped Dawn.

“I told you I have the gift. If you are honest with me, I am honest with you.”

Dawn stared nervously but Iona quickly put her at ease.

“When I have spoken with your father, much will be revealed. Don’t be frightened.”

Dawn fell silent and watched as Iona continued unerringly for the hills behind which the village lay.

“How do you know the way so well?”

“I told you. It’s the gift.”
“You mean you can read sign as well?”

“It’s a very powerful gift Dawn, I don’t need signs, I don’t need to track like a hunter, don’t be afraid.”

Finally, Dawn fell silent and settled into the comfortable seat while the 4x4 bounced and lurched as it ate up the long featureless miles. Eventually, they topped the umpteenth brow and Dawn found the village laid out immediately in front of the 4x4. Iona had navigated with un-nerving precision.

“How did you do that? Everybody else goes via that huge buttress over that way to keep their bearings. It’s just so easy to get lost around here.”

Iona smiled and gunned the 4x4 as she approached the village from their unusual direction thus catching the villagers off their guard. Startled faces appeared from various abodes as the 4x4 lumbered cautiously towards the communal council centre.

By the time they had reached the council place a small group of elders had gathered. Dawn’s father was not among them and when they recognised Dawn their expressions were more uncertain than unfriendly.

Iona finally clambered down from the 4x4 and Dawn only then realised how small the stranger was. The elders looked at her impassively for the woman obviously implied no physical threat. Iona immediately used telepathy to gauge the mood and find the senior council member. Having found him she reached back into her 4x4 and produced some gifts. Dawn gasped with shock for she had immediately recognised them as very valuable and more importantly, genuinely native artefacts. She was about to demand where Iona had got them but the elders’ eyes had already lit up. Not with greed but pure delight. The artefacts obviously had a huge provenance to the elders. Their surely resentment rapidly turned to joy as Iona indicated that the artefacts were theirs if they wanted them. The elders desperately wanted them. They were old tribal totems that had been lost for hundreds of years. In some long-recorded battle, their tribe had lost to another tribe and the war chief had made off with the sacred tribal relics to prevent them falling into enemy hands.
Dawn’s tribe had made ancient copies of them based on tribal memory and perhaps going back maybe one hundred and fifty years but the items Iona had found were the priceless originals. They were probably five hundred years old. Artefacts going back long before the Spanish conquistadors had arrived.

The council leader’s eyes filled with tears as he gently took the ancient axe and carefully studied the markings cut into the handle. There were even some fragments of the leather tails that one of the tribal forbearers would have wrapped around his wrists to avoid losing it in battle. Finally, he handed the axe with huge respect to another council member while he reverentially cupped the small, decorated bowl. Then each elder in turn handed the artefacts down to the next. As each council member studied them religiously, Iona stood patiently scanning the intensity of emotion flooding their minds. Never had an accidental find proved so fortuitous. Eventually the old leader spoke deferentially.

“Where did you get these?”

“I found them.”

“Yes. Obviously you found them, but where. Was it in one of your people’s museums?”

“No. It cost me blood.”

“How so?”

“I was in fear of death, hiding in a cave. I found them in a cave deep underground.”

“Where?”

“I’d rather not say.”

“Please. These things are important to our tribe.”

Iona gauged the council’s sincerity and recognised the intensity of emotion. By now the whole village had gathered and feelings were running high. Fortunately, they were feelings of joy and ecstasy; indicating immense affection towards the strange little woman who had appeared from the wrong side and yet brought great respect to the tribe.

Iona took a deep breath and nodded to Dawn as she courteously excused herself from the elder’s presence.

“May I speak with the maid please?”

“She is `He-that-sees’ daughter.”

“Yes. And she comes looking for reconciliation.”

The old man frowned and fingered the axe thoughtfully.

“Is this a bribe to help her argument?”

Dawn crimsoned with anger at the slur for she had absolutely no idea of the axe’s existence.

Iona quickly put things right as she motioned to the elder and asked him to step from the rest of the council members. Once they were out of earshot Iona whispered to the man.

“The maid is completely innocent. She knew nothing of the axe or the other things, and she knows nothing of me. You would want proof of this I deduce.”

The elder peered intently at the tiny white-haired woman and nodded uncertainly.

“Have you proof?”

Iona nodded as she checked out the man’s integrity. Then she determined her strategy. She leant right into the man’s ear and extracted a ferocious oath of secrecy.

“If I lead you to the grave, will you promise to keep what I tell you a complete secret.”

The man gasped incredulously.

“The grave! The grave you say!

“Yes. In the blackness of my hiding place I found bones as well as other totems. I was afraid for my life and could not carry them all. They should still be there. If you promise never to reveal what I now show you, I will lead you to them.”

The man trembled with anticipation and promptly swore his oath never to tell. Having telepathically checked the man’s sincerity and integrity, Iona warned him.

“I am going to enter your mind. Something like’ He that sees’ does when he crosses over. Are you ready?”

The council leader flinched uncertainly.

“Will it harm me?”

“No,” stated Iona with absolute certainty, “it won’t hurt you at all. Now watch my lips.”

The man turned to peer intently at Iona’s firmly sealed mouth as she slipped her simple sentence like a stiletto into his mind.

“There. That wasn’t painful was it?”

The elder gasped as he realised what Iona had just done.

“My God! You are a seer!”

“I am. Place an image in your mind; anything!”

The elder did so and Iona responded.

“You are imagining a flying bear. He was the owner of the bones in the grave.”

The elder gasped again, for only the council leader got to learn of the name of the great chief who had been betrayed in battle and been forced to flee with the tribal totems so many centuries ago; long, long before the coming of the white race.

“You must not tell!” He begged.” I am sworn to secrecy.”

“Your secret is as safe with me, as my telepathy is with you. Now, you must trust me that the girl knows nothing of these things. If you wish, I will show you the grave.”

“When?”

“Right now. Prepare yourself for my images.”

Once more the council leader flinched uncertainly but he was delightfully surprised to sense the images sliding easily into his brain as Iona `down-loaded’ telepathic image after image. Eventually the elder breathed with relief and spoke.

“I would never have believed Flying Bear could have got that far on foot. There were no horses then, the Spanish gave us horses.”

“Why. Where was the battle?” Asked Iona.”

“It was in Mexico, on the southern banks of the Rio Grande.”

Iona mentally measured the distance to Nevada and nodded agreement. For a man running for his life on foot to have carried so many artefacts; he must have been a strong durable warrior.
When she had found the remains, Iona had decided that she would only take the axe and a few tiny items because she had to travel light. Iona was not a physically strong person. The council elder discussed the artefacts eagerly as Iona agreed to his request to `see’ the grave images again and she telepathed them into his brain. The old man closed his eyes as his smile widened.

“A see it all now. A lot of those artefacts are shamanic. They would tell our tribe and your archaeologists a lot about our early native customs and beliefs. Will you take us there?”

Iona swallowed uncertainly. It’s dangerous for me, they want to steal my gifts, or at least abuse them. I do not wish to return there. You must go there and make serious objections to the desecration of a valuable tribal holy place. When they argue, you need only excavate under the cracked rock to the East of the crater and all the remains will be revealed deep inside the cave. Any issues you have with the state archaeological authorities will be for your tribe to resolve.”

“We could just take them; if you got out of the cave undetected, I’m sure our scouts can get in undetected.”

Iona smiled at the old man’s chain of thought and she warned him.

“You must respect the integrity of the site.”

The council elder gave Iona an `old fashioned look’, nobody would respect the sanctity of such an important piece of their tribe’s history more than the tribe itself. The very existence of the legend and the artefacts to support the story would be material enough to build a tribal history centre. A museum to bring the tourists flocking. What was more, the carbon dating of all the organic remains would absolutely ensure the validity and integrity of the artefacts. It would be like the crown jewels of England to his tribe and many other Native Americans.

Iona smiled as the man’s hopes grew and she quickly brought him back to earth.
“Now, about the maid, `He-that-see’s’ daughter. I see your hopes and aspirations, so what of her hopes and aspirations?”

“You must first speak with `He-that-sees’”

“So, where is he?”

“Up in the hills somewhere.”

“Doing what?”

“Shamanic things probably. He usually goes up when the moon is full and comes back as the light fails with the waning moon. “

“Right. I have to see him.”

“Then you had best take his daughter. She used to go with him when she was his young acolyte so she should have a good idea of where he might be.”

The tribal elder was mildly surprised and a little upset at the abruptness of Iona’s response for he had hoped the strange seer would at least stay for some food. Instead, Iona broke the telepathic link with a final warning about secrecy then called Dawn to the 4x4.

“Get in. We’re going to find your father. The tribe will have to discuss your other issues when we get back.”

Dawn was secretly relieved that her unexpected return to the village had not precipitated any antagonism towards her for she had been dreading her reception. Eagerly she clambered into the 4x4 as Iona made their temporary farewells to the council.

As the 4x4 was creeping through the throng of excited children, she turned to Iona.

“How do you do it?”
“Do what?” Replied Iona.

“Don’t play with me. That gift thing. What were you doing with the chief.”

“I’ll explain when I meet with your father.”

“OK then, take this track. This time of the year he’s usually in those hills collecting herbs.”

Iona followed Dawn’s instructions and soon they arrived at the steep slopes. Even the 4x4 could not tackle these inclines so Dawn explained.

“It’s on foot from here. How good are you at walking?”

“I can manage,” replied Iona as she measured the track and likened it to the old Goat track on Crib Fawr in her long-forgotten Welsh Homeland.

Dawn set off briskly hoping to somehow demean the elfin woman but she was amazed when the tiny figure matched her pace for pace and arrived at the top of the huge buttress without even breathing heavily.

“Shit! You’re fit,” panted Dawn.

Iona shrugged dispassionately and looked at the next pitch.

“Which way now?”

Dawn sagged against a handy ledge and waved her hand.

“Just wait a minute. I have to catch my breath. Shit! Where did you learn to climb like that? You’re like a mountain goat!”

Iona smiled. Mountains were meat and drink to her. She explained about her early childhood and Dawn slowly smiled.
“You’re a quiet one aren’t you?”

“Enough talking. Catch your breath and let me know when you’re ready.”

Dawn let out a sigh and nodded.

“I’m OK now, but a little slower in future.”

“It was you who set the pace,” countered Iona, “I only followed.”

“Yeah. OK. Point taken. Come on. He should be on the next ridge or somewhere just beyond it.”

Iona motioned for Dawn to lead and she followed easily behind. Within an hour they were at the crest of the sharp ridge and Dawn finally turned to Iona.

“He’s normally around here somewhere at this time of year. The herbs he uses only grow amidst this basaltic scree.”

Iona did a brief `scan’ and motioned towards a dark buttress about a mile away.

“He’s over there. Under that overhang.”

Dawn gave her a knowing look as she smiled.

“The gift?”

“The gift,” agreed Iona.

“Jee’se! You’re something special, you are. My dad is going to enjoy having you around.”

The pair set off across the loose, scree fine scree that started just below the skyline of the ridge. Dawn watched nervously as rivulets of fine gravel broke loose from their footfall to start rolling down the impossibly steep slope and accumulate mass just like any avalanche. She whispered to Iona.

“This is dangerous. One slip and you could end up at the bottom of the gorge.”

“Trust me,” replied Iona, “there are firmer footings in a few yards.”

And so it was. Dawn heaved a sigh of relief as she finally found solid rock again. The scree had changed colour from black basalt to deep red sandstone and the higher slopes of the ridge were devoid of scree. Sandstone being softer eroded faster and the winter snows at this high altitude helped to wash the sandstone a little further down the slopes with each spring thaw. It also left little clefts in the softer rock to find a firmer footing.

Dawn and Iona soon crossed the remainder of the ridge and found themselves at the foot of the buttress. Dawn motioned silently to Iona and invited her to circle under the buttress overhang. Finally, in a deeper cavity they found Dawn’s father `He-that-sees’ curled up like a cat on a crude wooden cot. Iona immediately did a telepathic scan and gasped. There seemed to be almost no sentience at all in the old man’s head. Then she sighed with relief, there was a spark of life but it seemed just so remote and insignificant that Iona could hardly credit it with the existence of life. She bent down over the old man and peered intently into his calm placid face before looking up at Dawn who seemed unconcerned.

“He’s in some sort of extremely deep trance.”

“Yes, he’s crossed over. Don’t disturb him.”

“How does he go so deep? It’s much deeper than an ordinary sleep or even an anaesthetised patient under surgery.”

“He uses herbs,” replied Dawn as she stepped deeper into the shallow cave and indicated assorted herbs drying in bunches. There was also a small seep of dripping water that provided for `He-that-sees’ minimalist existence. The cold remains of a fire indicated that Dawn’s father had been unconscious for perhaps a day. Dan felt the embers and wagged her head with disapproval.

“He’ll be cold when he returns. I’ll relight the fire but we’ll need more wood.”

Iona took the hint and scrambled down a narrow rocky path into a dense thicket of birch wood. There she gathered an assortment of wood and kindling and returned to find that Dawn had already lit the fire with the stored makings that her father had gathered previously. After adding to the diminished pile, Iona sat with Dawn and they chatted about `Crossing over’.

“Dad uses herbs to induce a sort of deep trance then he concentrates like mad as he goes unconscious.”

“Has he described it to you?”

“Yes. I’ve even been a bit of the way with him but he wouldn’t let me go all the way.

He said I wasn’t ready and that I was too young.”

“Well that would figure.”

“Why. How would you know?”

Now that Iona had finally found an Indian Shaman that genuinely seemed to know how to reach the `wall’, even if he couldn’t cross it, Iona felt it was safe to reveal all to Dawn. The girl had fulfilled her part of the deal to introduce Iona to her father so it was only right that Dawn should now learn why. Iona turned to Dawn and smiled softly.

“D’ you want to know a secret Dawn?”

“I think I already know it.”

Iona’s scan confirmed Dawn’s thoughts. `The Indian maid had realised correctly.’

“You’re right Dawn,” smiled Iona affectionately, “I can read your thoughts and your thoughts are correct; I’m telepathic. I can read people’s minds.”

Even though Dawn had anticipated this discovery it still left her nervous and uncertain. Iona sensed the girl’s fear so she moved quickly to reassure her. Firstly Iona moved to the mouth of the cave to remove the `proximity threat’ that nearly always permeated every woman’s psyche when they found themselves uncomfortably close to a stranger. At the entrance to the cave, Iona turned and spoke softly over `He-that-see’s’ sleeping form.

“Firstly, let me reassure you that I will never hurt you.”

Iona sensed Dawn physically relax so she continued.

“Would you like to communicate with me telepathically?”

“Will it harm me?”

“No, but your every thought will be laid bare. There are no secrets from a telepath.”

Dawn thought for several moments and frowned as she realised that `If what Iona said was true,’ then she already knew everything. Any resistance to having her innermost thoughts and sexuality laid bare was useless. Dawn grinned to herself as she recollected the old science fiction euphemism, `our weapons are useless against them general!’ Iona grinned back and nodded as Dawn’s resistance crumbled.

“I can’t stop you can I?” Dawn sighed.

“No dear, but you could join me. It’s much nicer when you share it.”

“And it won’t harm me in any way.”

“No. I didn’t hurt the council elder did I?”

“Is that what you were doing?”

Iona nodded and kept her counsel as she waited for Dawn to make up her mind. Eventually the young woman nodded her head slowly. Iona smiled and sat down by the sleeping old man then nodded her head slightly to warn Dawn.

“I’ll send a thought into your head and when you receive it, simply think back your answer. You won’t need to talk. You will first feel a very pleasant sensation.”

Dawn nodded and settled back into her rocky recess in anticipation. Suddenly she smiled as an exquisite pleasure sifted into her brain and Iona’s message seeped into her pleasure centres.

“Did you like that?”

“My God! Yes! It’s fantastic. How did you do that?”

“It’s easy and beautiful. Telepathy can do lots of things. Shall we continue?”

“Yes. But less of the pleasure thing. You could turn me on! You know I am Winkt’e so let’s just keep it platonic.”

“As you wish. Shall we go and catch some food while we chat?”
Dawn fancied a walk amongst the birch woods. It was only a small copse of trees but there was a beautiful stream running through it and it was remote. As a child, Dawn had often savoured the complete privacy as she played there while her father busied himself collecting herbs and crossing over. As she had got older, she joined her father in the more serious issues as she learned shamanic ways. Here was a rare opportunity to indulge in her earlier pleasures as she savoured the delights of just walking through the birch trees in the remote little draw.
As they picked their way down the rocky path, Dawn felt ecstatic as they swapped experiences and `chatted’ amiably via Iona’s telepathy. Once down in the birch wood, Dawn invited Iona to sit by her near the stream and they chatted telepathically for long hours. They sat so still and silent that eventually a deer emerged from the thicket and slid silently down to the stream.

“Gosh! Look at that!” Squealed an excited Iona in her silent telepathic world.

“Oooh! Dinner, countered Iona.”

“Oh no! You can’t kill her. Look! She’s got a fawn!”

“Well I must have some meat. Telepathy demands a lot of calories.”

“Just wait,” cried Dawn, “the rabbits will be out soon. You can kill one of those. Anyway, how will you hunt it? You don’t have any weapons.”

“Wait and see,” Iona replied.

They continued watching the enchanted scene of the Doe feeding her fawn until the first rabbit emerged from the thick grass at the stream’s opposite edge.

“There!” Urged Dawn. “There’s a rabbit1”

“I can see. Now watch. I’m going to stun it with a telepathic shock.”

So saying, Ion released a telepathic punch and the rabbit promptly slumped into lifelessness. Dawn moved to go and collect it but Iona restrained her.

“Not yet. One rabbit won’t be enough for dinner.”

“Oh! Of course. But what happens when it wakes up?”

“It won’t. It’s dead.”
“Oh my God! You can kill with this stuff!”

Iona nodded and motioned again to a second rabbit. As Dawn watched, the second rabbit promptly slumped over and then a third followed.

“There we are,” grinned Iona, “now there’s enough for each of us.”

Dawn recognised the implied permission and skipped across the little stream to collect the prizes. Suddenly her blood ran cold as a cougar emerged from the thicket not ten feet away. Her telepathic scream alerted Iona who immediately released a punch and the cougar fell unconscious at Dawns paralysed feet just before it was about to attack. For long seconds, Dawn stood immobilised by shock as Iona crossed the stream to reassure her.

“Don’t worry now. It can’t harm you. It’s unconscious. Let’s collect the rabbits and get back to the cave.”

Finally Dawn found her voice again.

“There haven’t been cougars around here for years. I’ve played here all my life!”

“Well say hello to the good news. They’re back!”

“But, - but what about dad? What if they find him while he’s, - you know, crossed over?”

“He’s going to have to be a lot more circumspect. What did your forbearers do?”

“I dunno.”

“Come on. Let’s get these rabbits cooked. I’m sure you dad’ll be hungry when he comes back.”

“But what about collecting herbs. I mean if these things are around, they’re dangerous.”

“Teach them fear. Make them learn that it’s dangerous to tangle with man.”

“That’s all very well for you to say. You’ve got telepathy! I’d have to carry a gun!”

“So carry a gun.”

Dawn fell silent. She had been brought up to respect the wild things, but throughout her life those wild things had only been deer, small herbivores and even smaller carnivores like lynx and fox. `Now a bloody cougar was in the area.’

“And her cubs,” added Iona, “did you see her nipples?”

“Don’t make it worse,” censured Dawn, “we’ll have to ask my father.”

They reached the cave and Iona re-charged the fire as Dawn expertly prepared the rabbits. Then she took some of the wild roots and quickly prepared a delicious stew.

“I’ll have to go and gather some more roots. We’re running low.

“Tomorrow, there is food enough for this meal and I still have much to tell you.”

They chatted telepathically at length and as she attended to the cooking, Dawn savoured the indescribable delight of sharing emotions via this wonderful new dimension. Eventually the stew was ready and Iona’s stomach rumbled alarmingly. Dawn grinned as she relished the satisfaction of pleasing her newfound telepathic friend by the simple expediency of feeding her. As they moved to share from the pot, `He-that-see’s’ cot creaked. The pair turned as one towards the sound.

“He’s waking up,” Dawn observed un-necessarily as Iona backed around behind the old man to remain unseen.

As Dawn spoke, the old man stirred and turned his head to check the situation. His face broke into a huge smile as he recognised his daughter and smelt the stew.

“Hello father.”

“Hello precious one. So you have chosen to return to us.”

“Not quite, not yet anyway. There is someone you must meet.”

`He-that-sees’, turned stiffly to follow Dawn’s gaze and his smile faded as he failed to recognise the stranger. Dawn recognised her father’s fears and moved quickly to reassure him.

“It’s all right father. This is Iona. She is very special and she wants to talk to you.”

`He-that-sees’ remained silent. It was always best to treat those who were not of his people with great circumspection. Iona sensed the man’s deep suspicions and kept her counsel. She would move deliberately slowly for when `He-that-sees learned of her gifts, Iona knew that Dawn’s father would be desperate to share them. They would face some great adventures together on the other side but for the moment, Iona kept silent and stepped over to the cooking pot to investigate the stew.

“Would you like some of your daughter’s stew?” Asked Iona.

The man nodded cautiously as he said but one word.

“Rabbit?”

Dawn nodded self-consciously as she confessed.

“I hadn’t the heart to kill the deer, she had a baby.”

“You passed up a deer?” Admonished `He-that-sees’.

Dawn nodded guiltily but Iona moved to avert any further conflict.

“The rabbit is good, and there’s plenty of it. Besides, your daughter was threatened by a cougar. It was not safe for her to pursue any more game.”

`He-that-sees’ eyes widened with concern as he gasped.

“A cougar!”

Dawn nodded.

“They’re back!”

He-that-sees sat up stiffly and peered into the pot. It was almost full, with plenty of meat in the stew. He smiled with satisfaction, `at least his daughter knew how to hunt, even if she did hate killing.’ Iona held out a full bowl and He-that-sees took it ungraciously. Dawn now admonished him.

“What do you say father?”

The old man harrumphed disagreeably but conceded a reluctant `thank you’.

Dawn and Iona exchanged telepathic smiles. Her father’s mood would soon change.

The delicious stew eventually broke the ice and `He-that-sees’ finally asked about the cougar. Dawn explained the incident but refrained from mentioning Iona’s part. There was plenty of time for that.

“We must teach it to fear us; all of us,” declared `He-that-sees’.

“That’s what Iona and I concluded father, but how. I don’t want you to kill it. One of our strongest tribal totems is the cougar. It is the particular emblem of our clan.”

“I know perfectly well what our clan totem is my child. However this is strong medicine.

A cougar meets the next tribal shaman; just how auspicious is that?”
Iona smiled inwardly as she countenanced the old shaman’s words. `He had just used sophisticated, educated English to express their ancient and primitive beliefs,’ just how contrary was that’ wondered Iona.

Eventually they had eaten their fill but the old man begrudged the newcomer her larger share.

“You eat like a wolf,” he protested, “it will take much hunting to feed you.”

“No father,” protested Dawn, “Iona is special. You will see.”

The old shaman harrumphed again and rose from his cot to go outside and relieve himself. Dawn and Iona giggled at his crusty nature until they heard a desperate shout outside the cave. As one the pair dashed outside to see the same cougar menacing the old man. The smell of the stew had obviously alerted it. `He-that-sees’ was standing paralysed with fear as the cougar crouched menacingly lashing its tail ready to pounce. Dawn turned frantically to Iona beseeching her to act.

For a moment Iona hesitated, wondering if a cougar would actually attack a full-grown man. Her question was answered immediately as the cat let out a snarl and leapt forward. `He-that-sees’ let out a wail of terror as Iona tele-punched the cat in mid leap. The animal landed on `He-that-sees’ but it was already unconscious and its claws were already re-sheathed. The impact knocked the wind out of `He-that-sees’ but otherwise he was unharmed except for the sleeping cat pinning him down and weighing on his bruised chest. For a moment `He-that-sees’ thought he was going to be torn to pieces until Dawn stepped forward and lifted the cat of her terrified father.

“It’s - all - right – father,” she gasped as she struggled with the inert beast, “she can’t harm you now.”

`He-that-sees’ finally sat up and checked out his aching bruises before turning to study the sleeping cat. He could see the animal clearly breathing and he nervously scooted backwards from the danger.

“What happened to it?” he asked.

“It’s been knocked out father. It won’t harm you now.”

`He-that-sees’ got shakily to his feet and moved to inspect the cat where her daughter was standing right beside it. Dawn picked up one of the beast’s forepaws and examined it.

“She’s injured. That’s why she’s desperate. Look. This is a bullet wound.”

“I can see that!” replied her father irritably, “but what happened just then? Why did it sort of go unconscious in mid leap?”

Dawn nodded towards Iona and replied.

“I told you she was special father. Now do you believe me?”

`He-that-sees’ turned to study the tiny stranger and a new respect came over him even as he finally countenanced the strange almost white hair and odd turquoise eyes his demeanour changed to one of uncertainty and he murmured nervously.

“Who are you? What are you?”

Iona smiled to reassure him then moved closer to Dawn.

“I am Dawn’s friend and would dearly like to learn your ways.”

Confusion replaced uncertainty as `He-that-sees’ tried to make sense of events. Dawn spoke to reassure her father.

“Iona is a very special seer father. She can look inside your mind and know you.”

`He-that-sees’ frowned again and ran his tongue around his thin lips as he contemplated his daughter’s words. Dawn recognised her father’s habitual mannerism that indicated he was becoming thoughtful.

`At least the enmity seemed to be cooling’ thought Dawn thankfully.

`He-that-sees’ looked again at the prostrate mountain lion and wagged his head as he turned to Iona.

“Did you do that?”

Iona nodded and bent down to join Dawn as they studied the wounded beast’s injured paw.

“She was desperate for food. She’s got kits nearby. Look at her nipples. She needs to catch a deer or something.”

“Well, I’m afraid I can’t help the beast,” declared `He-that-sees’, I don’t have any weapons here.”

“Iona does!” Declared Dawn. “You’ve just seen it. That’s what saved you.”
`He-that-sees’ was just beginning to realise that something really special was afoot. He joined the younger pair to inspect the cougar.

“She’s painfully thin. She may have already lost her milk.”

Iona reached down and gently squeezed the cat’s nipple. A tiny drop of milk emerged so at least the cat had not completely dried up. There was hope yet for this harbinger of the tribe’s fortunes.

Dawn poked Iona urgently in the shoulder.

“Go and kill a deer. She needs food so that she can feed her cubs.”
“And where will I find this deer?” Countered Iona. “I can’t just magic them out of the woods.”

`He-that-sees’ spoke softly.

“I know where they gather. The bucks form a bachelor herd at this time. We won’t even have to hurt a doe with her fawn.”

He looked up with a twinkle in his eye that pleased his daughter. A sick buck was acceptable to Dawn as meat. If her dad could show Iona the bachelor herd, then Iona could assuredly kill some weak, elderly animal from the bottom of the pecking order.

“So what about mother here?” Asked Dawn. “Will she be here when we get back?”

“Yes,” replied Iona with a certainty that even impressed `He-that-sees’, “now how far is it to these bucks?”

`He-that-sees’ recognised the urgency in the strange woman’s demeanour so he returned to the cave, gathered his cloak and his staff then pointed towards a gap in the foothills.

The group walked even as the sun was setting but Iona allowed no respite and by midnight in the full moonlight, `He-that-sees’ brought them to a clearing in a box canyon where the bachelor herd was settled for the night. Even before, `He-the-sees’ had indicated the resting forms, Iona had picked out a sick, elderly animal and killed it with one, clean, immensely powerful, telepathic punch. Dawn smiled with satisfaction. The animal would have been killed soon anyway or died of its infirmity. As `He-that-sees’ gasped once in disbelief, the three of them moved forward as the herd dispersed and they collected the dead animal.

“There’s meat enough for us here as well as the cougar,” observed Dawn.

“It’ll be tough and stringy,” counselled `He-that-sees’, it’s an old beast.

“The organs will be OK. The liver and heart and things.”

“Well you’re the cook,” replied `He-that-sees’, “do with it as you will.”

They arrived back at the cave to find the cougar still unconscious and `He-that-sees’ turned curiously to Iona.

“We have to talk. My daughter is right. You are special.”

“Not now. Tomorrow, I’m tired now.”

“As you say. Where will you sleep?”

“I will use the cougar as a pillow and sleep between its paws. That will keep me warm. Tomorrow, Dawn can see if we can do anything for its paw.”

The old Shaman wagged his head incredulously. `Here truly’ was powerful medicine!’ Finally, he turned to offer Dawn a share of the cot and his daughter took it gratefully. The day had worn her out. Peace soon settled on the cave.

The old Shaman did not sleep well. His body had been sleeping while his spirit was on the other side so sleep escaped him. Several times he crept out of the cave to stare disbelievingly at the tiny feminine form nestled quite comfortably amidst the cougar’s mighty claws. Each time he came back to the flickering camp-fire with an even stronger sense that great events were imminent.

As the sun shattered the morning sky, `He-that-sees’ heard an unnatural squeak and he moved quickly to check on the elfin form. To his shock, the cougar had woken and it was licking its wounded paw. Iona was keeling beside it peering closely at the wound and she turned as `He-that-sees’ waited hesitantly.

“Go and cut some meat off the carcass. Make it a big piece. One of the rear quarters.”
`He-that-sees’ swiftly took his knife and hacked away at the carcass. As the smell of blood alerted the cougar it let out a hungry growl and stood expectantly. `He-that-sees’ turned fearfully, only to see Iona, place her hand gently on the cougar’s shoulder and the animal settled without a murmur. Then as `He-that-sees’ finally detached the huge haunch Iona rose with the cat as it limped into the cave. The cat then settled beside the cot where Dawn still slept and Iona motioned to `He-that-sees’ to give the cat the meat.

“Will my daughter be safe?”

“Yes. This cat will become her own living totem. They will bond now as the cat eats beside her. We shall leave them here for I wish to speak with you.”

“About?”

“The other side. How do you cross over?”

`He-that-sees’ nodded knowingly. Now he understood. The strong medicine was not just for his and Dawn’s benefit. There was always a trade-off. He nodded his head again slowly and smiled at the strange little lady.

“It’s not an easy journey. It’s taken me many years to find safety and there are still paths I avoid.”

“So, explain; show me. I will learn quickly.”

“Can you show me that punch thing?”

“I’m sorry. I was born with that gift. It’s not for sale. However I can show you much more of it.”

“So what is it? What is this powerful gift you have?”
“Telepathy,” Iona replied simply and quickly. “I can reach into your minds to talk and listen, to guide and teach. Show me how you cross over, and I will show you everything I can.”

“You sound desperate to cross. Why?”

“There is one whom I miss. One whom I long for. One from my childhood.”

“A parent?”

“No. A boy. The boy! The boy who saved my mind, the boy who pulled me out of the abyss. “

“He must mean a lot to you. Did you love him?”

“No. Not in the carnal way, not as woman to man. I loved him because of how he showed me what I was, how he finally made it clear to me that I was not the mad one, I was not the worthless damaged goods, I was not the evil, twisted malcontent that everybody including myself adjudged me to be.”

“I see. He means a lot to you then.”

“Yes, and I owe him so much, but most of all I wish to atone to him for not being there when he killed himself.”

`He-that-sees’ sensed the anguish and knew not to press further. He changed to a more practical mode.

“Very well then. I can see that it means everything to you. First I will have to show you what herbs I mix to take my spirit over. Come, we will go and pick fresh herbs, they are always better. I can show you what to look for and how to find them.”

Eagerly, Iona followed the old Shaman as he led her to various sources and explained what he was looking for. By noon, they returned with large bags of fresh herbs and `He-that-sees’ was stunned to find his daughter nursing two tiny cougar cubs as the mother licked its paw and lay contentedly at Dawn’s dainty feet.

“Good God! Where did you find those?”

“She bought them. When I woke up I realised she was not dangerous because she was just lying there beside the cot. She hadn’t attacked me so I made myself some food whilst I gave her some more meat. She’s been just like a pussycat so I let her hang around just like a house-cat.

As I was preparing another pot of stew for your return, she left then re-appeared with both cubs in her mouth. Then she just plonked them on the cot. I’ve been playing with them ever since. Aren’t they just so beautiful? Isn’t it simply magic?”

“Amen to that!” Agreed her father as Iona noticed the fresh herbs.

“Are you crossing over again?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t it a bit too soon? You only came back yesterday.”

Iona sensed Dawn’s concern and intervened.

“Why? Is it dangerous or something?”

“No,” replied Dawn, “but dad’s old and he gets tired. I’d hate for him to get stuck over there.”

“You mean, like die or something?”

“Exactly.”

Iona turned to `He-that-sees and frowned.
“Is it dangerous? Tell me!”

“If you get stuck there I suppose it is, you’re dead; but everybody dies eventually.”

“Not on my watch, not when I’m over there. How would I get back if you stayed over?”

“That’s all in the training. We won’t be crossing over the first time.”

“So what will we be doing?”

“Just checking out the crossing, checking out the wall.”
Iona gasped.

“A wall! You mean is it like a big black wall!? A sort of endless, black, featureless thing.”

`He-that-sees’ sucked thoughtfully on some herbs before replying.

“I suppose it is. At least, it seems that way for the first few times. With practice it becomes less formidable.”

Iona sagged and nodded her head slowly. That was exactly what she had hoped. The trouble was she only ever seemed able to even approach the wall when following somebody to their death. Those opportunities had been few and far between and except for Michael’s suicide, they had all been deaths she had knowingly caused and didn’t therefore care about. She couldn’t count those killings because there was no knowing where an attempt to cross the wall might have taken her. In any case she had always failed. Now, in `He-that-sees’, Iona had a guide, a mentor, somebody who apparently knew where he was going. Already her hopes were rising. `He-that-sees’ sensed the optimism in Iona’s demeanour and he moved to caution her.

“We are going to have to be careful Iona. I’ve never taken somebody over with me. Dawn has only ever ventured past the first thresh-hold then she went off to college. I’m nervous of taking you over until we’ve got you trained and used to the herbs.”
Iona frowned thoughtfully. She had always had problems with psychosomatic drugs and there was no knowing what these herbs might do. She mentioned her problem to both of them. Dawn gasped as she put down one of the kittens.

“What! Psychosomatic drugs affect you differently!? Why didn’t you say? Father this sounds more dangerous with every minute.”

`He-that-sees’ nodded thoughtfully and Iona saw her only chance slipping away. She pleaded desperately until the old shaman finally relented.

“OK then, but we’ll have to introduce you to the drugs slowly. Then try you on various mixes and doses. This is going to take forever!”

Grateful for the smallest concession, Iona flung herself around Dawn’s neck and hugged her feverishly.

“You’ll keep an eye on me won’t you?”

“I don’t know. I’ve only just qualified. Besides, half of these herbs are unknown to conventional medicine. I’ve got no idea what they contain. It’s going to be a `suck it and see’ thing and like dad says. It’ll take months to get you right.”

“We’ll survive though. I can hunt and as autumn approaches, there’ll be more food available.”

`He-that-sees’ wagged his head and turned to dip into the stew pot.

“It gets bloody cold up here in winter. The snow lies a meter deep.”

“We’ll manage. We’ve got to manage. I’ve got to speak to Michael.”

`He –that-sees’ smiled indulgently. In truth he was fascinated with Iona’s telepathy and the very idea of somehow coupling up his knowledge with Iona’s gifts, excited him hugely.
“OK then. We start tomorrow. The shadows are lengthening. We’ll start by testing each herb individually on you then mixing the herbs in the right proportions but using tiny doses to check your reactions.

Dawn nodded her agreement and the group settled down to eat. After lunch, they made two more cots and fixed a wind break at the front of the shallow cave. By that evening, they were nice and snug. Even the cougar and her cubs seemed to appreciate the cosy set up. As they sat telepathing contentedly around the campfire that evening, Iona described her childhood but did not reveal her true sex.

“So you’ve had this way with animals since you were six or seven,” sighed Dawn contentedly as she snuggled up to the huge furry cat and savoured the animal’s extra warmth.

Iona nodded as she and `He-that-sees’ played with the kittens until they tired of their game and joined Dawn in the curve of their mother’s belly. Eventually a quite peace descended on the group and they all fell asleep except `He-that-sees’ who still had to pinch himself to believe the turn of events. The magic with the cougar, his very own clan symbol had utterly enthralled him and he smiled benignly as he watched his beloved daughter literally curled up in the very belly of death. As for the telepathy, he simply could not believe his luck. A genuine seer had come amongst them. Eventually, even `He-that-sees’ fell asleep.