by Corie Weaver
I went to fetch more wood for the fire and Jack came with me. We walked through the gathering evening, the purple streaks across the sky highlighted by navy blue, the blue fading deeper to black, sprinkled with countless stars, like all the fish ever imagined in a black, endless river.
“Your parents are nice,” Jack commented. “They’re a lot like Maggie’s. Well, sort of. They’re a lot different too, but that might be because of how different things are here. I wonder . . .”
I could hear his thoughts start, just like when he wondered if anyone had ever figured out a set of correspondence tables for how the time flow worked.
“Wonder later, Jack. Right now, we need to finish gathering the wood and get inside.” I brushed my hand over his hair. “But you are right, they are nice. And it pleases me to know you like them.”
Inside, my parents and Spider Old Woman sat as I related the story of all we had done, of the decisions we had made, the mistakes I had made. Jack picked up the story where I could not focus my thoughts on how it had happened. It all made so little sense when it was happening to us and only now did it string together like beads on a cord.
“And so, in the end, all he wanted was help: help to protect her, to stay with Isabel.”
My mother’s eyes had filled with tears and my father placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “Those poor children. How terrible. How terrible for them all.”
“One thing still troubles me,” I turned to Spider Old Woman. “If we are not the past of Maggie’s world, if we are a time set apart, where do we come from and where do people go that leave our world?” I thought of all the other people in Maggie’s world, all the people that I was sure did not come from here. “Are there other worlds that connect to Maggie’s? Or to our world? And can something from those other worlds affect us here, too?”
Spider Old Woman laughed. “For a girl who refuses to be anything other than a healer, you ask a number of questions that normally are only worried about by users of magic.”
I flushed. “I am sorry. If this is forbidden knowledge, secret or sacred, I did not mean to trespass.”
She slapped the ground. “Nonsense. Nothing should be secret to those who seek. The answers usually cannot be given in just an evening by the fire. Most of those answers take years, lifetimes to discover. And the answers are different for each person.”
“But how . . .” My yawn interrupted my next question and my father took the opportunity to close the evening.
“I think that is enough for one night. If you decide you would like to learn more, you have other nights for that. But now, you must sleep. Grandmother, we have prepared a place for you to rest if you would like.”
She shook her head. “I will stay by the fire if that is not a bother to you.”
Father laughed. “Our daughter is safely home. Nothing is a bother.”
Mother prepared a sleeping pallet a little ways from mine for Jack. Long after we had gone to bed, he tossed and turned.
“Just change.” I whispered.
“What?”
“Just change back if you want, nobody here minds.”
Taking my own advice I held the warm golden form in my head while I closed my coat, shifted to bear shape and curled into a large furry mass.
When I looked up, a sleek black-and-white dog stood before me, head cocked to one side.
“What?”
He cocked his head to the other side.
“Oh. We need to find Coyote soon, get him to teach you how to speak in both shapes. But now, what is it?”
He stepped to the side of my flank, turned in a delicate circle, lay down then looked again at me.
“I am sure my fur is a thicker mattress for you. This is fine.”
Jack lowered his head between his paws and I did the same.
“Good night, Jack.”
~ * * * ~
When I woke in the morning I noticed my mother standing across the room watching us sleep, rolling her head from side to side. A habit she picked up in bear form, it looked natural enough in her larger shape, but father and I teased her about doing it as a human. It was usually a sign she was deep in thought.
It took time to slide out from under Jack without waking him, but eventually I managed and went to my mother’s side.
I shifted back to human form so as not to tower over her. “What?” I whispered.
She shook her head and led me outside. We waved at Spider Old Woman as we passed, but she stared at the fire and did not see us.
We sat on the greening hill outside the house and listened to the chorus of birds.
“Daughter, you know I love you, yes?”
“Of course.”
“Then know that no matter your decisions and no matter where they take you, your father and I will always love you.”
I shook my head, confused. “Mother, I do not understand. I am not going anywhere. Why do you talk of such a thing now that I am just come home?”
Then I thought of how I had been resting with Jack’s form curled against mine. “Mother, he cannot go back to the other world. I may go visit it, now that I know how, but I would not live there, not for a million lifetimes.
“But . . .” I had a flash of thought, “You should go with me to visit, to see it all!”
“What!” She laughed. “Me, go to that strange place?”
“Yes, you might like it there.”
“Foolish cub. What could be there that I might like?”
“The people are kind. Different from us, but perhaps not as much as we would think. Besides,” I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. “You might want to meet Maggie’s parents some day.”
“Oh,” she said. “I see.” We sat for a few moments of silence while we watched the sky lighten streak by streak.
“They would also be considered Jack’s parents, would they not?” she asked.
“He thinks of them so. I do not know how they would react to the sudden news they have a son, especially a grown one. I am not so sure I want to be the one to tell them.”
“But it might be interesting to meet them anyway.”
“I was just thinking aloud, Mother. It would be an adventure.”
She laughed again. “I think we have all had quite enough of adventures to last us for a while.” She rose to her feet. “Let us go back and see if the others are stirring yet.”
Everyone was indeed up and moving as we came back into the house. Spider Old Woman and Jack huddled over the fire, deep in conversation. I hesitated to interrupt, but needed to prepare breakfast.
“Are you sure?” I could hear the strain in Jack’s voice.
“Boy, I have not offered something that I did not mean in more years than you should think of. I do not make offers lightly. But if you are serious about these things, this is the best way.”
Though I tried not to listen, I felt a flutter of fear. Was she going to send him back, somehow change him? I could not understand why my heart beat so fast. I had lived my entire life without him. It should not matter in the least if he lived somewhere else, returned home to Maggie and the people who loved him. Yes, that would be best.
“Bear Girl, did you hear?” He grinned.
“Yes, Jack, I did.”
He looked at me, confused. “Why are you upset about it?”
“I am not upset. Why do you think so?”
He looked at me and shook his head. “Your face looks upset, that’s all. Anyhow, I thought you’d be happier this way.” His shoulders slumped. “I guess you’re not.”
Clearly he had thought it was for the best and I should work harder to be less selfish. And yet, I would miss our travels through the land, talking about flowers and plants and his wild speculations as to how the universe itself worked.
“Jack,” I placed a hand on his shoulder. “Whatever you think is the right thing to do, I will believe in you.”
He looked further confused.
Spider Old Woman laughed. “I think we should s
tart from the beginning. Something has gotten lost.” She turned to me. “Jack is going to come live with me. Jack has these,” she flung her arms out, “wild plans to discover how time works, what the source of magic is, and such and such. It is best for all of us if I can keep an eye on him. Safer, too.”
I blinked, turned from one to the other of them. “He’s going to go live with you?” I struggled to wrap my mind around the concept.
“Yes, what did you think we were talking about?” Jack asked.
“Oh, nothing!” I felt foolish, but too happy to care.
“I thought you might like it, since I’d be closer than if I stayed at the village.” And he flushed.
I hugged him, then reached over to include Spider Old Woman. “Thank you, Grandmother,” I whispered.
“You are welcome, child.” She pushed away from me, her face stern. “Now, if you recall, you promised me a service.”
I stiffened. She was right. I had asked for her help, with nothing to trade but a promise.
“Yes, Grandmother.”
“I want two things.”
Two? I could not argue. I braced, waiting to hear.
“First, I want you to consider that you have all the earmarks of becoming a practitioner of magic in your own right. You ask the right questions. You think. You are not afraid to act. And you have the talent.”
I shook my head and she reached out and stopped me with one thin hand. “Just think about this. That is what I want.”
“Second,” she paused, and for a frightening moment resembled Coyote. “Promise to visit us often, myself and my new apprentice.”
I smiled and relaxed.
“Oh yes, I can promise that.”
THE END
About Corie J. Weaver
I didn’t grow up planning to be a writer. I was never one of those kids scribbling stories in a notebook, or submitting to the school paper. But I’ve always been a voracious reader. A few years ago, I realized I had some of my own stories to tell. I’ve been lucky enough to have participated in some fabulous crit groups, and to have attended the Taos Toolbox Workshop.
My background is in medieval history (Spanish manuscripts of the apocalypse, if you were wondering), but as I’m fond of being able to pay the bills, I work in web development. I live in Las Vegas, New Mexico (the smaller, older, and much quieter one) with my husband and our two cats and two dogs. We travel as much as possible, and are active with our local animal rescue group.
Discover other titles by Corie J. Weaver at: www.coriejweaver.com
Or follow me on Twitter: @coriejweaver
Other Books by Corie J. Weaver
Coyote's Daughter (2011)
