According to Legend

by Gerri Brousseau

  We were going up into the mountains. I knew because the air was getting cold and the trail was steep, but the scout maintained his pace. The sun was high in the sky when we arrived at a cave that was hidden in the mountainside. It was in that cave that he finally set me on my feet.

  I was dizzy from being upside down and slung over the scout’s shoulder all morning. I nearly fell over, but was supported by strong hands that caught me as I stumbled. I instinctively pulled away and looked up into the deep blue smoldering eyes I knew so well, the eyes of Divakar.

  I would have slapped his face, but my hands were tied behind me. My arms ached from being pulled back for so long.

  As soon as they released my hands, I would reach for the catcher and send myself to Moheeladeck’s side. Until I had the opening to do so, I would have to remain calm and play this game. It seemed to me that I had been in this position before in another time.

  “Divakar, my arms ache and there is nowhere to go,” I said. “Please, I beg you, untie me.”

  “Do as she asks,” he commanded the scout.

  When the bonds were cut, the pain of the blood returning to my arms was excruciating. I gasped from the pain and couldn’t move.

  Divakar stepped closer to me. He gazed down into my eyes and ran the back of his fingers along my jaw line. Then he leaned in and kissed me. His lips felt cold to me and I could not return his kiss. I stood there motionless as a stone statute.

  “You are so lovely.” He walked around me, circling me as if assessing a prize.

  When he returned to stand before me he whispered, “When I first saw you my blood rushed like a raging stream and my heart soared like an eagle. I knew at that moment that I must make you mine.”

  “I belong to Moheeladeck. He is my husband.”

  “You are no longer part of that tribe. You are now part of the Iroscotay tribe and will be my bride,” he said, his tone much the same as that of Moheeladeck when a decision was made.

  “That is not possible. My heart belongs to Moheeladeck.”

  “In time, you will no longer think of him.”

  Divakar caught me off guard as he reached and took my precious dream catcher in his hand.

  I froze.

  “I have heard that this decorated amulet holds much power.” He smiled, holding the catcher up before his eyes. “We cannot have you using that power to escape,” he said as he ripped it from my neck.

  “Do you imagine that he will not come for me?”

  “Of course I have thought of that,” he said and he turned to the scout who was standing close by awaiting his orders.

  I shifted then to see the scout standing with an Iroscotay maiden beside him. As soon as Divakar gave the nod, the scout took the girl, lifted her over his shoulder and took off running in another direction. “By the time Moheeladeck arrives here with his tracker, we will be long gone and he will continue to follow the trail the scout is now providing,” he said as he tied the catcher around his own neck.

  “You seem to have this very well planned out.” I spat the words at him.

  He chuckled. “You do have spirit. I like that. I rather like everything about you.”

  I had to think, had to keep my head. I knew Moheeladeck would come. Divakar said we would be long gone, so I had to devise some way to leave a trail.

  “I will honor you this day, Takshawee, by not taking you and making you mine,” he said, edging closer.

  I stared up into the depths of his blue eyes and saw someone I knew from another time.

  David. Divakar. Whoever this man was, he leaned closer and drew me into his arms. He held me to him with the catcher pinned between his heart and mine. My mind grew cloudy as he bent his head to kiss me. The heat from the catcher gently hummed over my heart and the heat of his lips and the passion burning behind them consumed me. Against my will, I responded to his kiss. Desire rose within me. I swayed and rested against him. My breath quickened and my heart raced. His kiss grew more passionate as did my response. Our hearts beat in unison, along with the vibration of the stones. The heat of him drew me to him. I yearned for him to go beyond just this kiss, far beyond.

  He smiled as he lifted his lips from mine. “This amulet does hold magic. It brings you to him in your dreams while you sleep. Henceforth, it will bring you to me when you are awake. I will now become the object of your desire,” he said, as if he had the power to order the stones to do his bidding.

  His gaze burned into my soul and I couldn’t look away. My breathing was rapid and my heart thundered wildly in my chest. Did he? I wondered.

  “There is a tunnel here in the depths of this cave. We will be following it,” he said with a smile. “I played here often as a child.”

  I thought he was from the far north. How did he play here as a child?

  He took me by the arm. I expected him to be rough and savage and to shove me ahead of him, but he was gentle with me as if he were escorting me to the dance floor. We moved further back into the dark depths of the cave. My eyes could not adjust quickly to the darkness, but he seemed to know exactly where he was going. We entered a tunnel and as the cold damp air surrounded us, a knot of fear rose in my throat.

  Don’t panic. Be patient. I was grasping onto the edge trying to hold onto the smallest shred of rational thought I had left. Behind the entrance was a boulder and once we had passed, Divakar spoke to his tribesmen waiting there. “Cover the opening,” he commanded.

  We stood in the dampness of the tunnel and as the grinding sound of the boulder being pushed to cover the entrance filled the eerie silence, a tingle rushed up my spine. We were engulfed in darkness. The only movement of air was when Divakar’s warriors rushed past us. As we followed them into the depths of the mountain tunnel, I prayed silently that Moheeladeck would find me.

  What would become of him should he meet with Divakar’s warriors? What if harm should come to him? He was not a dream to me, but a real man, a man who’d made love to me. He was my past, but he was also my present—my future. I did not want to live if he did not exist. I didn’t want to breathe if he did not. My heart ached and I was nearly crippled with the pain of the mere thought of losing Moheeladeck. The only thing I could do was stall for time until I could come up with a way out of this.

  “Do you think that boulder will stop my husband?” I asked.

  “If I were he, I would stop at nothing in my efforts to find you, so no, I do not imagine he will be stopped by this. It is merely an obstacle to gain us more time to escape him.”

  “What is it you want? What will you ask Moheeladeck to give you in exchange for me?”

  “His life,” he answered.

  I gasped. Tears pooled in my eyes and I swallowed the lump that rose in my throat as the raw emotion of such a loss ate away at my soul.

  “It is not riches or land I seek. I wish to possess you. I am no fool. Do you think that I do not realize that as long as he is alive, your heart will never fully belong to me?”

  “Whether he lives or dies, my heart will never belong to another.”

  “We shall see,” he answered as he drew his hand to the catcher and continued to take me forward and deeper into the tunnel.

  Does he have any idea how to use the power of the stones? Does he possess mystical powers that will allow him to control them?

  The further we traveled down the tunnel, the more familiar it was. The musty smell clung to my skin and my mind swirled around memories of being chained to the wall in the dungeon deep in the bowels of the museum. Somehow, I knew that we were in one of the tunnels David and I had wandered past that day Mr. Harvey ambushed me.

  “Where are you taking me?” I asked.

  “We are going to a place where my warriors are waiting. I do not wish to face Moheeladeck alone.”

  “So you know he will come for me?”

  “Yes, he will come and I will be ready to destroy him, to finish this once and for all.”

  “No matter how many warriors you have, he will never allow your
plan to succeed.”

  “Silence!” he roared.

  He must have realized that his harsh tone had frightened me because he drew close to me and pulled me into his arms. He became tender and spoke softly.

  “I will never let another man touch you. I will not let anyone hurt you. I love you. It would be wonderful if you loved me as well. I’m not asking for that right now, but in time you will grow to love me.”

  Was I having déjà vu again? I had heard David speak nearly these same words to me that day in the park. My head was swirling with the fog of memories, memories of things that had not yet happened. Could that be possible?

  How was I going to get out of this mess? Then I heard the voice of Shaweetoo, my spirit guide, in my mind. I will always be with you. Draw upon your power, your inner strength. I knew I had to force myself to control the powers within me to get out of this. I had to remain calm and formulate a plan. Breathe, I reminded myself. Be still and wait.

  Faint sounds echoed through the tunnel from far behind us.

  Moheeladeck! He is coming for me, I thought. I longed for him to be at my side, yet feared for his life at the same time. The sound of water raging up ahead of us drew my attention. I was momentarily confused because I expected the tunnel to come out somewhere near where the museum stood in the future, not near raging water. Then it dawned on me. If I follow this tunnel, I’d emerge at the falls, at The Cave of Secrets.

  We traveled quickly through the last few feet of the tunnel, and the voice of my Spirit Guide again whispered in my mind. You can change into the form of any living creature under the sun. If I could transform into any living creature, which would I become? And what of Moheeladeck?

  Divakar said he had assembled his warriors who would be waiting to ambush my husband. I knew there would be a battle and that it would be a battle to the death. Cold fear gripped me and my stomach clenched at the mere thought of losing Moheeladeck. The sting of tears burned my eyes. I love him and I could not escape and leave him to face this fate.

  We stepped out of the tunnel into the light of day, and we were indeed at the falls. The spray of the water danced upon my face, but the place that had always given me peace had become the backdrop for what was now becoming a nightmare. This place had always given me solace. Would it bring grief today?

  As Divakar stepped into the light, his Iroscotay warriors came out from their hiding places in the woods. He called for one of his warriors, a tall man who although appearing to be young, bore a face fierce and angry. A shiver ran down my spine.

  “Take her away from here to a place of safety. Guard her and do not allow her to escape. If anything happens to her, you will answer to me,” Divakar said.

  The young warrior nodded. He grabbed my arm and yanked me into the woods. He was not as gentle as his Chief when he shoved me ahead of him in a direction away from what was certain to become the site of a battle.

  It’s now or never, I thought. I must concentrate. I must shape shift to escape. I must go back to Moheeladeck.

  The image of Shaweetoo appeared in my mind, and I knew what I must do. I started to run down the trail before me. The guard, surprised that I had burst into a full-on sprint, rushed after me. As I raced, my thoughts focused, my mind alert.

  In my mind’s eye, I imagined the flight of an eagle soaring above the earth. Before I knew it, I felt weightless. The coolness of the wind slapped against my face as I soared high above the trees and mountaintops. How green and full the trees were, lush and thick and the spray from the falls rushed up into a foggy mist. Giddiness bubbled up inside me and my heart hammered in excitement as I realized that I was flying.

  Tears pricked the backs of my eyes. I wish I could share the sight of this with Moheeladeck.

  I looked down at the guard who stood, jaw dropped open. His expression was puzzled as he watched me in flight turned to one of fear as I’m sure he realized what fate he was certain to suffer at the hands of Divakar.

  I lifted my face to the horizon. I could not worry about him now. I had to get to Moheeladeck, to warn him.

  I flew effortlessly back toward the tunnel. Beneath me was Divakar’s war party staring at the cave waiting to ambush Moheeladeck and his men when they stepped from the entrance. I hoped they would not suspect the soaring eagle to be anything other than a bird as I flew over their heads and entered the tunnel.

  It was dark in the entrance to the cave, but the eyes of the eagle are razor sharp and adjusted quickly. I alighted upon a mound of stones. Thoughts of standing upon human legs took root in my mind. What if I were trapped forever in the shape of the eagle? My heart rose to my throat as I feared I may spend the remainder of my days in this form. After taking a calming breath, I closed my eyes I imagined my arms outstretched before me, the long tan arms and hands of the Tribal Princess. When I opened my eyes, I had shifted back into my human form.

  The murky gloom suddenly filled with the sound of running feet coming from the tunnel. I raised my head to the entrance. My heart pounded so hard I thought it would come out of my chest.

  Half-Breed was rushing toward me out of the depths of the darkness. Upon seeing me, he skidded to a stop in his tracks and Moheeladeck nearly ran right over him.

  I rushed into Moheeladeck’s arms. Emotion overtook me and tears streamed down my cheeks.

  “Are you injured, my love?” he asked.

  “No, I-I . . . Oh, Moheeladeck ” I flung my arms around his neck and kissed him. The saltiness of my tears mingled with the sweetness of our kiss, and relief washed over me like rain.

  As our lips parted, he said, “Let us leave this place.”

  “They await you just outside the entrance to this tunnel. It is an ambush,” I said, nearly breathless.

  “How did you get here? How did you escape him?”

  “I used the power within me to change into the form of an eagle. I saw from above that Divakar plans an ambush. I came to stop you, but we cannot leave, we must go forth. Divakar has the stones.”

  “How many warriors are with him?”

  “Besides him, six.”

  Moheeladeck stopped in the safety of the cave and spoke with his men.

  “We have the same number of warriors but we must protect Takshawee.”

  He turned to me. “You will go back through the tunnel to safety.”

  “I will not leave you. How can I run to safety when you will face a battle? How could I live if something were to happen to you?”

  “You are a stubborn woman.”

  “I am, but you love me.”

  “I do. That is why I wish you would listen to me, but since I know you will not, here is what we will do.” We all gathered around to hear his plan.

  “I have a plan,” I whispered to Moheeladock.

  I was trying to be brave and praying that I could find the courage to do what needed to be done.

  “You know I would give my life to protect you,” Moheeladeck said.

  He kissed me softly. “I love you. I will never allow him to take you from me again. Now you must go!”

  I continued further into the tunnel until I was out of sight, then focused again on the eagle. My mind, strong with the memory of the flight, the rush of air beneath me, the sight of my talons sharp and ready for battle and before I realized what had happened, I was flying over the heads of the warriors, out of the tunnel and into the sunlight. I grasped the knives in my sharp talons as if they were part of me. I flew high up over the trees and over the heads of Divakar’s warriors, who stood focused on the entrance to the cave waiting to ambush Moheeladeck and his men, so focused that they didn’t notice the passage of a bird of prey. The brave that was my guard laid face down in the dirt.

  I came down to earth behind them and changed back to my human form. I held the knives in my trembling hands. Would I be able to kill one of these men?

  Stay calm. You can do this. You have done this once before, I thought. My hand shook as I adjusted the weight of the knives in my sweaty palms. My heart hamme
red, but I tried to calm myself. Taking a deep breath, my survival instinct surfaced and my body acted without thought. My right arm moved as Moheeladeck had taught me and I threw the first knife. Without waiting to see where it landed, I quickly did the same with the second one. The deadly weapons sped through the distance to their intended targets, striking both warriors squarely in the back. Blood began to spread in widening rivers across their tunics. I could hardly swallow the vomit that rose to my throat. Uncertain of what to do, I backed into the protective covering of the bushes.

  Hearing the screams behind them, Divakar and his warriors turned. Just as I predicted, they must have thought they were being attacked from behind. I remained hidden and watched. My heart thundered and I feared my trembling limbs would cause the bush I was hidden in to shake.

  As Divakar and his warriors turned expecting to see their attackers behind them, the brave Aloscotay warriors made their move.

  Moheeladeck was the first to run from the tunnel. He was silent as he swiftly and fearlessly came within reach of Divakar. In a split second, my husband grabbed his enemy from behind and held a knife to his throat.

  “You have taken something that belongs to me, Divakar,” Moheeladeck said in a voice as sharp and cold as steel.

  Divakar stood shock still, his body rigid. The drawn arrows of our warriors held his tribesmen at bay. No one moved.

  “As you can see, there is nothing of yours here,” Divakar hissed through his teeth.