by Verna Clay
"Come on." Davide started forward and Zoe rushed behind him.
After reaching the boulders, they circled them and abruptly halted. The waterfall, cascading into a river that rushed and bubbled and frothed, became the backdrop for the same magnificent buck and a doe standing on the bank of the river.
"She's a shapeling too," said Zoe, and even as she said the words, both deer simultaneously bent their front legs and lowered their heads until they appeared to be bowing. Zoe and Davide glanced at each other in astonishment. The buck and doe stood again and bounded into the forest.
Unexpectedly, rabbits hopped into the open and Zoe laughed. Behind the rabbits came squirrels and chipmunks and turtles and other small creatures. Birds of multiple species flew into the clearing and landed. The small animals were joined by larger ones, and when mountain cats and wolves and bears and other animals considered to be dangerous entered the throng, Davide and Zoe watched in disbelief. Eventually, both sides of the river were crowded with countless creatures, and then, as if on cue, every animal bowed to the earth.
Davide gasped, "What's happening?"
In a flash of understanding, Zoe said, "They're bowing before their Great Prince."
Davide took a step backward. "No. It cannot be. I am not the Great Prince. I am not."
She looked at the kneeling animals. "They think you are."
David said with urgency, "We've got to find the Cave of Thirteen so I can speak with the co-Princes!"
Again, on cue, the animals rose and reentered the forest.
Zoe said, "They were all shapelings, Davide."
Starting forward, his tone now sounded angry, "Come on. Let's follow the river."
They followed the river upstream until midafternoon. At times the water rushed and sometimes it meandered as it led them through forests and meadows, before entering a rocky canyon that reminded Zoe of the canyons in Colorado. High cliff walls rose toward a brilliant blue sky. By evening they were in the belly of the canyon and still following the river.
"We'll stop and spend the night here, Zoe. I know you're exhausted."
"I can go a little farther if you want."
"No, you can't, my sweet girl." He reached to help her out of her backpack and had to hold her steady when she swayed. "Sit there." He pointed to a rock beside the rapids.
Zoe obeyed and closed her eyes. She hadn't felt this tired even on the walkabout. She opened her eyes again and watched Davide remove his own gear. He then unzipped her backpack and handed her the trail food and her canteen. "I'm going to gather wood and start a fire."
She started to rise. "I'll help you."
He gently pushed her back down. "No. You just sit and rest."
Zoe was too exhausted to argue and watched him skirt the area for dried driftwood, dead shrubs, and broken limbs. Shortly thereafter, he had a fire blazing. Next, he zipped their sleeping bags together and spread them in an area he'd cleared of rocks and debris. Motioning her over, he said, "Zoe, come rest on your sleeping bag." After she sat on it, Davide lowered himself behind her. "I'll rub your shoulders, honey." As his hands gently massaged her neck, shoulders, and back, she closed her eyes and almost moaned aloud at his expert ministrations. Without realizing it, she leaned backward against him and fell asleep. Later, she woke long enough to realize she was cradled in a warm embrace. Smiling, she drifted back to sleep, loving the golden aura she was cocooned in. When she opened her eyes again she was still tucked in Davide's arms. Unable to help herself she reached her arm around him. At dawn's light she heard a whisper in her ear, "Zoe, wake up."
"Not yet," she murmured against the shirt covering a muscular chest.
Davide laughed low. "Turn over and look up."
The restrained excitement in his voice got her heart pumping. She twisted until she was on her back and looked up into a sky as blue as Davide's eyes. He lifted his arm and pointed and she moved her gaze from the sky to the craggy cliffs on the other side of the river. Her breath hitched. "Davide, I see it! You've done it! You've found the Cave of Thirteen!"
"I couldn't have done it without you, princess."
Zoe blinked rapidly at his endearment and then looked back at the shape of an eagle's head formed in a rock on the cliff face. Below the rock was a cave opening accessed by a ledge. "I guess we'll have to figure a way to get to the top of the cliff so you can use your paraglider."
"Yes, we'll need to climb high. But what do you mean me? We're both going to the cave."
Zoe sucked a breath. "Davide, when you said I must go to the Cave of Thirteen with you, I didn't think I would actually enter the cave. I'm not a shapeling."
"Zoe, I couldn't imagine going in without you. And you might as well be a shapeling since you know so much about our species. You're not afraid to paraglide with me, are you?"
"Of course not."
"Okay, it's settled. We're going together."
"But how will we climb high enough, the cliff walls are sheer."
"I think we need to retrace our steps back to the forest and see if there's a way to the top of the ridge."
As Zoe gazed from the stone eagle's head to the dark cave, a wave of excitement rushed through her. Davide's heart's desire to meet the co-Princes would soon become reality.
By midafternoon, they'd exited the canyon and started trekking up the side of a pine covered mountain. Following his compass and glancing at his pedometer, Davide led them toward what he believed was the canyon rim. It was early evening when they broke through the trees and onto a wide ridge. Walking to the edge, he grinned. "I think we're near last night's campsite. It'll be dark soon, so let's camp here. Tomorrow, we'll backtrack the ridge just to make sure we're not past our destination."
Two hours later, lying under the stars again, Davide pulled Zoe close. "I've never seen so many stars," she said reverently.
"Look, there." He pointed toward a shooting star. "And there's another one." They watched the sky for several minutes, enjoying the solitude.
Curiosity led her to ask, "Did your father ever tell you where the shapeling race originated? Are they from another planet?"
Davide turned his head to face her. "When he was teaching me about shapelings, he said they didn't know their origin; only that they've been here for at least as long as humans. He said the Prayer of Respect is so ancient that it's attributed to the Unknown First One, and there are as many mysteries surrounding shapelings as mysteries surrounding humans. We may never know where we came from." He pointed to a bright star. "Maybe my origin is from that star cluster…" He pointed across the sky to another grouping, "…and yours is from that one."
Zoe laughed and joined the speculations. "Or maybe our origins are outside of this galaxy." She pointed north. "You're from a galaxy in that direction…" She pointed south, "…and I'm from a galaxy on the opposite side."
Davide continued the game. "Or perhaps we're not even from other galaxies, we're from other dimensions. You're from the eleventh dimension and I'm from the twelfth."
"Or you're from the backside of the sun and I'm from the backside of the moon."
For the next hour they enjoyed easy banter while lying side-by-side gazing at the cosmos spread breathtakingly above them. Finally, Zoe couldn't keep her eyes open any longer, and feeling comfortable and warm in Davide's embrace, she forgot her worries and slept like a baby.
At dawn, she felt a tickle on her nose. She swiped at it. The tickle came back. When she heard a deep chuckle, she cracked her eyes to see Davide holding a leaf over her face.
Feigning sleep, she surprised him when she darted her hand up and grabbed it.
"Oh, that was good," he said.
She said smugly, "Yep, good things come in small packages."
Davide's expression turned serious. "They certainly do."
Embarrassed, she jumped out of her sleeping bag and went in search of her backpack. In a short time, they were trekking the ridge looking for a good liftoff point.
At a place where the ridge jutted over the
canyon, Davide said, "I think this is a perfect spot."
Standing at the edge, they enjoyed the view of the ribbon of river below and the cliff walls across from them. A gust of wind blew tendrils of Zoe's hair across her forehead and she pushed them back into the band of her pony tail. She glanced at Davide. He looked like a god surveying his land. Or a Prince.
Kneeling on the ledge he removed his backpack and began unzipping it. Zoe helped whenever he asked her to do something, and as the paraglider began taking shape, her heart rate increased, but not from fear. She knew Davide was a skilled paraglider. The rapid beat was because he was so close to realizing his destiny as the Great Prince.
"It's almost ready," he said and glanced up at her from his squatting position.
She knelt beside him and touched her hand to his. "Soon, Davide, you will no longer have doubts about the calling on your life."
He covered her hand with his free one and stared into her eyes. Unexpectedly, he reached his palm around her neck and pulled her lips to his in a passionate kiss. Abruptly, he broke the kiss and stood. "Come on, Zoe, I need to get you harnessed to me."
Zoe followed his instructions and soon he had her positioned in front of him, with the sail ready for launch. Standing at the edge of the precipice they gazed in all directions. He tapped her helmet and pointed across the canyon. Perched on boulders, two magnificent eagles watched them. She turned to look at Davide and saw by his expression that he, too, believed the eagles were his parents. A beauteous smile lit his face and when she nodded, he gently nudged her forward and they stepped over the edge. The ocean breeze grabbed and lifted the sail of the paraglider and Zoe squealed her delight, while Davide shouted his.
The two eagles flapped their wings and flew in front of them. Expertly, Davide guided the paraglider through the canyon. From their vantage point they observed breathtaking forest and ocean views.
All too soon, Zoe saw the stone eagle's head and Davide maneuvered toward it. With the ease of an experienced paraglider he landed on the ledge below Mother Nature's sculpture. Gathering the sails, he quickly pulled them in and then unharnessed Zoe and himself. She pulled off her helmet, her eyes sparkling with the thrill of the adventure. "Davide, that was awesome!" Unable to stop herself, she threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you for bringing me here!"
Davide wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off her feet. "No, Zoe, thank you for sharing this with me."
After a long moment she backed away and shyly looked into his eyes, remembering his kiss. He held her gaze and then winked, before tending to his paraglider. Zoe moved to the cave's entrance and waited. Finally, he joined her and said with excitement, "Are you ready?"
"I…I think so. Are you?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." He held out his hand to her and she firmly placed her tiny palm in his, and together they entered the Cave of Thirteen to meet the ruling co-Princes of all shapelings. Inside the entrance they paused while their eyes adjusted to the dimness. Ahead of them a passage lit by the flickering light of torches beckoned them forward. Davide squeezed Zoe's hand and she glanced up at him enchanted by the flame of the torches reflected in his ocean eyes—fire and water living in harmony, neither destroying the other.
Rounding a bend in the passage they both stopped abruptly. Seated on various odd-sized stones were men and women of such beauty, Zoe couldn't release the breath she was holding. Perched on an end stone was Roth Beowolf. She had never seen him in his shapeling form. Forcing the air from her lungs, she whispered to Davide, "I had no idea!"
On the central stone, another shapeling of incredible beauty, older than Roth, said, "Finally, we meet." He paused and then an ethereal smile lit his countenance. "Davide, I am your great-grandfather."
CHAPTER 22:
POWER FOR CHANGE
Davide remembered his father's teachings and knelt. "May the embers of truth always glow," he said with bowed head. He sensed Zoe following his lead, kneeling and murmuring the same words beside him. He stood again and she did, too. He glanced at his father and then back at the Prominent Prince. "I am honored to meet you at last, Prominent Prince." Although Davide addressed his great-grandfather with formality, he smiled his delight at finally meeting him.
The Prominent One stood. "Please step closer, Davide."
Davide walked forward and then turned to look at Zoe, who had remained behind. He motioned her forward and she shook her head. He repeated his motion more forcefully, and she shook her head again. He turned back to the council. "As instructed by the council, my friend Zoe Spencer has accompanied me. Without her, I would not be here. She is dear to me and I wish for her to stand beside me."
"Yes, I believe you are wise in your request. Zoe, please step forward."
Davide turned back around and raised his eyebrows. Zoe gave him an exasperated look and then stepped next him. He smiled down at her.
The Prominent Prince said, "Why has the Great Prince desired an audience with this council?"
Davide's eyes, gentle while gazing at Zoe, changed to blue flint when he looked back at the elders. "Your address to me as the Great Prince is exactly why I have requested an audience with the council for years." He paused and waited.
"Continue," said the elders in unison.
"My entire life, I have been told that I am the fulfillment of prophesy—the Great Prince. And all my life I have wanted to live up to that belief. When I became an adult, however, I had to face the obvious fact that even though shapeling blood runs through my veins, I cannot shift. I have never experienced becoming another creature." He directed his gaze at his father. "My father and mother have patiently taught me the ways of shapelings all my life, so the fault does not lie with them. It lies with me. I am not qualified to reign as the Great Prince."
Davide stepped closer to his great-grandfather. "Because of Zoe's gift, I understand that my aura is unique and different from others. And although that is so, I am not different. I have the same fears, hopes, dreams, and faults–"
The Prominent One raised a staying hand. "Enough, Davide! Now I will speak."
Davide fell silent.
The Prominent Prince moved his gaze toward Zoe and asked, "Zoe, did anything unusual happen to Davide while on the walkabout?"
Startled, she responded with a shaky voice, "Y-yes, sir."
As one, the council perceptively leaned closer. "Please explain what happened," spoke the co-Prince seated beside Roth.
"Um, there was a young man named Yileen who led us to a cave in Kata Tjuta. He said he'd dreamed of Davide all his life, and in his dreams, Davide was inside that cave. While we were there, Yileen instructed us to close our eyes and meditate. After some time, I opened mine and saw that Davide's golden aura had expanded to cover the interior of the cave. When I looked at Yileen, he indicated that he, too, could see it. Later, when we questioned Davide, he said he'd been listening to the sounds of nature, and on our journey home, Davide stopped in Alice Springs and got access to an auditorium with a piano and violin because he wanted to play the melody he'd heard in the cave. While he played the piano, I played the violin, and as we were making music, we heard a sob from the caretaker who'd allowed us into the building. He was standing in the wing, profoundly touched. Whereas, before he had been harsh and mean, now he wept. He said the music gave him peace and happiness." Zoe fell silent.
After a moment Davide said. "The earth is full of songs that touch the heart. But what does that have to do with our discussion of the Great Prince?"
The Prominent Prince did not answer Davide. One by one, he stared at his fellow co-Princes, ending with Roth, and then asked, "Council, do you understand?"
As one, they replied, "Yes, Prominent Prince."
Still staring at Roth, he said, "Roth, please explain to my great-grandson, and your son, what he does not understand."
Davide and Zoe both looked at Roth in puzzlement.
Roth stood. "Davide, as always, the Prominent Prince guides the destiny of shapelings and humans
with wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. When you were in the forest yesterday the two great deer that knelt before you were your great-grandparents, the Prominent Prince and your great-grandmother, who is watching from the wings." He motioned toward the shadows of the cave.
Davide inhaled sharply as his father continued, "At the precise moment the deer bowed, you were officially proclaimed the Great Prince–"
Davide gasped, "No!"
"–and all shapelings followed his lead. You–"
Davide interrupted, "I cannot be the Great Prince! I am nothing. I am–"
"You are the Great Prince, Davide. Please let me finish."
Davide fell silent.
"Your rule is not in issuing commands or directing the actions of shapelings; that remains under the guidance of the council led by the Prominent Prince. No, son, your rule is much greater and extends to the very essence of creation. Your rule is your music. You have the power to mold, guide, change, and affect all that is visible and invisible. Not only has your birthright gifted you with this ability, but more importantly, your heart. Even though you protest because you have not understood, deep inside, you know who you are and what you must do.
"I don't understand what I must do!" Davide declared.
Roth smiled. "Son, it's simple. You must compose music."
Davide took a step backward.
Roth smiled. "You, of all people, should realize the power of vibration. It has been your mother's passion to unravel the mysteries of sound and she and her team have mapped the frequencies allowing for healing of the physical body. But you, Davide, with your music, will release the frequencies that heal the spirit. You've already witnessed what happened with the caretaker. Do you not know that frequencies continue forever? The music—the frequencies—you release into the ether will mingle with those already there, and after much time, they will finally restore that which is lacking. People will change, the earth will change, enlightenment will find its way to all. Even the wicked cannot escape the power of music released by the Great Prince. I bow before you, my Prince."
