by C Lee Tocci
She stepped aside to clear the archway. Todd started forward, but he was stopped by a hiss from the totem pole.
“Not yet!” the owl blinked as she whispered.
“THE FLAME VOICE BECKONS THOSE WHO WATCH AND WAIT!”
Todd and the others had slapped their hands over their ears as soon as Wakinyan started hollering. The bear growled and looked up. Whether he was glaring at Wakinyan or pleading to the heavens for deliverance, Todd couldn’t tell. The other neophytes also held their ears, but seemed more interested in the shadows that wavered in the alleys between the buildings than the thunderbird’s bellow.
Jeff gave a small screech of alarm when something large and furry brushed past him. They stood motionlessly as several dozen huge wolves entered the courtyard. As they passed on either side of them, they stopped to sniff and inspect the newcomers. Lilibit backed away warily as the largest wolf prodded her face with its snout. She slid to Keotak-se’s side and Todd felt a slight feeling of pique. On their long trek to Kiva, Lilibit would have turned to him. Now she turned to Keotak-se.
After the wolves, came dogs and squirrels, ferrets and bears and then the largest rabbit he’d ever seen. A caw from above drew their attention skyward. Todd grinned as hundreds of ravens pouring into the chimney hole of the Hall of the Flame.
After the parade of animals passed, Todd turned looked at the owl to see if they they could now enter, but she shook her head and covered her ears with her wings. Forewarned, Todd and the others grabbed their ears as well.
“THE FLAME VOICE BECKONS THE PEOPLE OF THE VALLEY,” roared the thunderbird.
The adults moved forward to enter the hall. Some nodded a faint greeting as they passed. Some grinned widely, but most shuffled by sleepily, barely noticing them.
Now only Gil-Salla, Keotak-se and the neophytes stood with them in the courtyard. No one moved or spoke.
“Now?” Todd asked the owl in a whisper. The owl just covered her ears again.
“THE FLAME VOICE BECKONS THE NEOPHYTES OF THE STONE.”
Todd didn’t think it was possible, but Wakinyan was actually getting more and more pompous with each proclamation.
Then the children and teenagers passed. There was a little less discipline among some of the younger ones, and one boy pushed another into Nita as they passed, giggling. She stuck out her tongue in retaliation. One tall dark boy stared at them coldly as he passed and Todd felt his scalp tingle. Their eyes met and held and neither flinched, but Todd claimed victory since the tall boy was forced to break eye contact first in order to enter the hall. Todd didn’t even try to hide his smirk of triumph. Todd would have entered behind the rest of the neophytes, but this time, Keotak-se held them back.
At last the courtyard was empty except the seven travelers and Keotak-se and Gil-Salla. A long moment passed as Keotak-se and Gil-Salla silently locked eyes. They didn’t speak, but Todd thought that they were talking to each other nonetheless.
Keotak-se turned and silently entered the hall. Todd looked up at the thunderbird and waited.
“Well?” he asked after a moment. “Aren’t you going to announce us?”
Wakinyan looked down his beak disapprovingly.
“Why?” he asked. “Who is left to hear?”
Feeling a little let down, Todd turned to Gil-Salla, who nodded for him to enter the hall, a welcoming smile in her eyes.
Jeff scuttled in front of Todd, shooting a smirk over his shoulder as he entered the hall first, Donny on his heels. Marla looked at Todd, rolled her eyes, and followed with Lilibit and Nita.
Now, there was no one left on the pavestones except Todd, Devon and Gil-Salla. Devon looking down at his sneakers, seemed reluctant to go in.
“Enter young Devontaine, you are welcome at Kiva.”
Devon looked up, startled. Todd had never heard him called Devontaine before, but it looked as if Devon recognized the name.
Still, he didn’t move. He just looked down and mumbled something under his breath.
“I did not hear you.” Gil-Salla said gently.
“I don’t belong at Kiva!” he yelled, his voice cracking.
“That is not the choice of the Stone,” said Gil-Salla softly. “And it is not the choice of the People of Kiva. If you choose not to enter, it will be your choice alone. If you do not wish to belong, then you will not.”
“Everyone else got a stone. Everyone else got powers. I’m just luggage. I don’t belong.”
Todd hadn’t thought of it that way and would have argued with him, but with a flick of her hand, Gil-Salla silenced him. She bent down until she was eye to eye with him and waited until he looked up.
“When the Stone Voice rises, the Earth Stone will once more share with Her children the Song of the Creator. And the Warriors of the Stone will once more hear His Song through their stones. If they are brave and true and strong, it is from the Creator that they will receive their powers.” Gil-Salla paused and placed a finger under his chin, gently raising it so that he met her eyes. “Even more rare than a Stone Voice, though, is a God’s Voice. One who can hear the Voice of the Creator without a stone is the most precious of all.”
“Yeah, but…” Devon’s voice trailed off. The toe of his sneaker scuffed a pattern in the sand.
Gil-Salla waited patiently. “I cannot answer what you do not ask.”
“Yeah, but…” Devon stopped again. He struggled with his words before they finally burst from him. “Anyone can hear the voice of God. All they have to do is shut up and listen.”
Staring at his toes, Devon did not see the smile that warmed Gil-Salla’s face. “There is much wisdom in your words, young Devontaine. And yet, it has been over two thousand years since a God’s Voice has been heard within the Valley of Kiva.”
A long moment passed before Devon raised his eyes from his toes. His cheeks were wet and an unspoken longing haunted the back of his eyes.
“Your stone is here, little one,” Gil-Salla’s finger gently touched his shirt near his heart. “You are welcome in Kiva. You are needed. Enter.”
Devon straightened his shoulders and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. With a shaky smile and a deep breath, he entered the hall.
Gil-Salla smiled at Todd as he went to follow Devon. There seemed to be a lot of thoughts behind that smile. Welcome, yes, but also respect and, perhaps… gratitude? Todd returned the smile with an embarrassed nod and would have turned away but a flicker of movement on the horizon caught his eye and he froze.
Gil-Salla turned to see what held his attention. A bird, a large black bird, flew towards the courtyard. As it drew nearer, they could see that it was a raven, a tattered raven that flew with an awkward weariness.
Todd held his breath as Gil-Salla extended her staff and the bird landed clumsily on the tip, balancing itself with a flail of battered wings.
It might be Grey Feather, thought Todd, seeing the charred wingtips and the pock marks on his crown, but he’d always recognized the bird from the grey feather on its right wing, but now that feather was tucked into his knapsack.
The bird looked at Todd, and as if it could read his mind, spread its wings again. While the plumage was sparse and bedraggled, Todd caught a glimpse of a small grey pinion that had probably once been hidden beneath the other feathers. Todd smiled.
“Grey Feather!” he breathed.
“The bird is known to you?” Gil-Salla asked.
“We followed him to Kiva. We found his nest here in the valley, but he used to live in the canyon near where our foster home was.” Todd paused. “Gil-Salla, ma’am, um, do you know why a raven would keep his nest so many miles from where he lived?”
“You call it a he.” Gil-Salla jumped on the word. “How do you know it is not a she?”
Todd’s mouth opened and closed as his theory fell apart. “It’s a female?”
“No, young stone warrior,” Gil-Salla looked closely at the bird, “he is a male, but he is not a typical raven.”
“I didn’t think so!” Todd’s
heart beat faster.
“It is not a ordinary bird, nor is it one of the Knowing Crows, which are among Those Who Watch and Wait.” She reached out with her free hand to stroke Grey Feather’s head, but did not seem surprised when the bird turned and pecked angrily at her fingers with an annoyed caw. Gil-Salla smiled. “No, this is not a bird at all.”
“It’s not?” Todd barely got the words out.
“No. Your Grey Feather is a shapeshifter. A very angry shapeshifter at that.”
“What’s a shapeshifter?”
“Born a man or a woman, a shapeshifter can take on the shape of an animal. Not as powerful as a stone warrior, but they were once crucial allies in the battle against the darkness. They were not uncommon in the old times, but most have been destroyed by the Enemy. I suspect that your Grey Feather has been locked into this form by Korap, the fallen Stone Voice and he will be unable to resume his human form until she releases him.”
Grey Feather chirped a soft caw as if in agreement.
“Or, until a new Stone Voice rises,” added Gil-Salla, softly.
Todd’s hand fished through his pocket and pulled out the feathered charm he’d found in the nest. When he dangled in front of the Grey Feather, the bird cocked his head to look at it, then nudged it back to him with his beak.
“Do you know his real name?” Todd asked.
“No,” said Gil-Salla. “Unlike real birds or Knowing Crows, shapeshifters cannot speak to us while in their bird form. They must transform back to their human body to communicate. And since he is trapped as a raven, we may never know his story.”
Grey Feather stared back at Todd.
“It’s dumb, I know, but do you think…” Todd’s thoughts sputtered out.
Gil-Salla waited.
“Do I think what, young stone warrior?”
“I was just wondering if,” Todd’s voice dropped to a whisper, “that, um, he might be my father.”
Todd wouldn’t meet Gil-Salla’s eye. There was a long silence and the longer it went, the stupider Todd felt. Finally, he looked up. Gil-Salla was staring at Grey Feather intently.
“And what does your heart tell you?” she asked.
“I’m not sure.” The truth was stuck in his chest. He took a deep breath and forced it out. “I think… he is… my Dad.”
“Then it could very well be so.” Gil-Salla waited a moment before giving the staff a firm shake. Grey Feather squawked indignantly and flew off.
“Dad!” Todd’s shout of despair could probably be heard inside the hall, but he didn’t care. He didn’t breathe as he watched Grey Feather soar westward, towards Red Rabbit Ridge, over the Sienna Sentries and out of the Valley of Kiva.
“His job is not yet finished,” Gil-Salla said flatly. “We all have much to accomplish before we may claim victory over the Darkness.”
They watched as the raven turned into a speck in the sky before disappearing altogether.
“You too, Todd Hawker, have many tasks, both small and mighty, before you. And perhaps a great destiny. But first, there are many lessons to learn, many skills to acquire. Enter, young stone warrior. For you too are needed.
Tearing his eyes from the now blank skies, Todd turned and entered the Hall of the Flame Voice.
