Wind Talker

by Kim Murphy

  “For Christ’s sakes, Shae. Tell me what happened.”

  “Nothing happened. We’re mismatched.”

  “Mismatched?” I bit my tongue on an angry retort.

  A waitress delivered water glasses to our table. Instead of taking our orders, she obviously sensed something amiss between us and scurried to the next table.

  Resorting to my stoic detective stance, I calmed myself enough to speak evenly. “After more than ten years together, how can we suddenly be mismatched?”

  “It’s not sudden.” Her words jumbled as she cried into a tissue with her reasons.

  With the long hours and me almost never home, my job was mostly to blame. I managed to keep my impassive appearance, but inside I was being ripped apart. “Dammit, Shae. I love you. I always have.”

  She broke down sobbing. “And what do I do when I receive the call that you’ve been killed in the line of duty?”

  There had been signs that I had missed. In the past, she had voiced her fears of me being shot, and I had dismissed them with a joke that I was more likely to be killed while crossing a street. But I couldn’t believe our marriage would end like this. “And just like that,” I finally said, “we throw away our lives together.”

  “Lee, reliving this point in our lives won’t give you the answer you’re seeking.”

  At the sound of Shae’s voice, I blinked and saw her as her usual plump self, not the woman I remembered on that traumatic night. I was experienced enough with the dreaming to realize there had to be a reason why I had revisited this moment in my life. After that night, I had spent nearly two years in a daze, drunk more often than sober. “You broke my heart,” I said.

  “I broke my own too, but you know it was meant to be this way. I never saw inside your soul and realized how much you hurt from being denied your heritage. And let’s face it, I wouldn’t follow you to the seventeenth century.”

  She was right, and in so many ways, we were better friends than when we had been married. But I was already aware of that point and wondered why I had focused on the event. I sucked in my breath. “I am here to say goodbye.”

  “I was afraid of that.”

  “Shae, you don’t understand. Goodbye doesn’t necessarily mean that we can never speak, but that I have truly left my life in the twentieth-first century behind. You are my only remaining connection to it because Phoebe isn’t of your time.”

  “I’m not certain I understand.”

  “Like on the night you said you wanted a divorce, I’m severing my ties to your century. It will always be a part of me, like our marriage will always be a part of the both of us. But after that night, we led separate lives as a couple.”

  “Then, I will see you again?”

  “I’m not sure. If you’re afraid that I won’t be able to pop in again and see you, there is another alternative.”

  “And that is?”

  “You and Russ can join us, and we can all be part of the seventeenth century.”

  To that suggestion, she gave me a dismissive wave. “Not a chance. I happen to like central heating and air conditioning.”

  In the distance, I heard Crow caw. The time had come. “Bye, Shae. You were my first love, and nothing can ever change that fact.”

  “Bye, Lee.”

  Her voice carried on the wind, and I found myself overlooking the James River, where I had entered the dreaming. Like when Shae had asked for the divorce, I was numb, but I was a much stronger person now. I refused to drown myself in alcohol.

  Phoebe had been right. Shae had helped, but not in the way either of us suspected she would. I had severed my last tie to the world I had grown up in.

  * * *

  16

  Phoebe

  Like the time Ed had come to tell Phoebe that he had spoken with Lee in a dream, Shae’s visit came as no surprise. She recounted her dream from the night afore. Lee had given his final farewell to the twenty-first century. For the first time Phoebe truly believed that her stay in this century might only be temporary.

  “It seemed so real,” Shae said.

  Many who had never experienced the dreaming afore, made the same claim. “ ’Twas a dream,” Phoebe replied, “for he no longer hails from this century.”

  “Before I met you, I would have never believed time travel even possible, but now—”

  “Now you know that it is, and I’m no wiser on how it happened. I can’t return ’til I do.”

  “As I asked Lee, why would you want to? If time travel works both ways, can’t he return here? Phoebe, you’ve studied enough history. To say that it doesn’t go well for the Indians would be stating it mildly. Not only would you jeopardize your life, but your daughter’s too.”

  “What about the skeleton?”

  Shae’s brow furrowed. “I hadn’t forgotten about it, but does it necessarily become fact if he returns here?”

  With so many unknowns, Phoebe only grew more confused. “We need to discover the secret of what caused us to travel through time afore making any decisions, but Shae, e’en aft three years, I feel like a stranger in this century. I can read and write, use all of the fancy machines to cook and clean. I had also planned on finishing my nursing degree when Heather got a little older, but to what end?”

  “I’m not certain I understand.”

  “I’m more isolated and alone here than I have e’er been.”

  “With Lee’s hours, I had wondered when you moved to the country if it was a good idea,” Shae admitted.

  “ ’Twasn’t because of Lee’s hours. I’m used to the men being away. E’en in the city, I can be surrounded by people and still feel alone.”

  “What about your friend Meg?”

  “I’d be lost without her companionship, but in the seventeenth century, I was rarely alone. Women worked together throughout the day, and we took turns looking aft the children. Someone was always nearby, no matter the circumstances.”

  “That’s why we have cars and phones. We can always drive over and see our friends, or talk to them on the phone.”

  Shae truly didn’t comprehend. “Not while they’re working, ’less you have the same job.”

  “I think I see what you mean, but life could be very short there—for all of you.”

  Over the years, Phoebe had come to think of Shae as a good friend. Without her help, she would have been totally lost in this century. “In spite of your technological advancements, there is no guarantee for a long life in this century either.”

  “You’re so right,” Shae finally agreed, “but you still haven’t said anything about Heather. Here she can be a doctor, lawyer, or just about anything she chooses.”

  “Aye, and in my time, she can grow to be a cunning woman as I did, and my mother afore me, and her mother afore her. Is that lesser than any of those occupations?”

  “I didn’t mean to imply... it’s a proud tradition, and I shouldn’t have tried to interfere.”

  Phoebe placed her hand on Shae’s. “Thank you for being such a good friend. You will let me know if Lee comes to see you again, won’t you?”

  With a weak nod of her head, Shae said, “I will, but I don’t think he’ll visit again. He wouldn’t have said goodbye otherwise. And you must promise me that when you do get back, you’ll find a way to let me know that you made it safely.”

  “I vow that I shall. Shae, I have another request.”

  “Anything.”

  “Will you hypnotize me so that I may learn how I got here?”

  “As I asked Lee, what can you learn from hypnosis that the dreaming won’t tell you?”

  “The dreaming doesn’t always focus on what we are seeking at any given moment. Because I was hit by a car soon aft my arrival, I have avoided that moment in my life as much as possible whilst I’m in the dreaming. My guardian spirit knows my fear and may believe that I’m not ready to face it yet.”

  “Are you?”

  “Aye,” Phoebe said, hoping her hesitation wasn’t visible. At first, Shae fa
iled to respond. “Shae, one of the first things you told me about hypnosis was that it would help me focus on what happened—in a relaxed state.”

  “I did,” Shae agreed, “and I suppose it’s appropriate. The last time I hypnotized you was the same memory, when you recalled that Lee was from the seventeenth century as well. Of course, I’ll do it.”

  “Thank you.” Phoebe settled back on the divan and closed her eyes.

  “Relax. Breathe in. Now out.”

  Shae went through several breathing exercises, and Phoebe felt the tension in her body begin to fade.

  Shae’s voice continued, “Now I want you to imagine your right big toe.”

  The script proceeded through Phoebe’s foot and leg. Her lower body relaxed.

  “You’re in a boat, riding on a gentle wave. The waves reach your feet and legs.”

  Waves and waves—the boat gently rolled upon the water. A pleasurable tingling sensation entered Phoebe’s fingertips. Her body was bathed in a glow, and she drifted and floated in peace.

  “Phoebe, focus on when you came to the twenty-first century. Do you see it?”

  “Aye.”

  In the woods, Henry called after her. For a moment, she contemplated whether she should continue forward or turn back. Her back stung from the whip’s lashes. He called once more. She quivered with indecision, but a voice inside her urged her on. She feared what lay ahead.

  “Do not fear it. You will be reunited with what once was.”

  At the time, she had thought it was Lightning Storm’s voice, but she could clearly hear him now. It had always been Lee. She called to him in Algonquian.

  “Forward,” he urged.

  Phoebe forded the stream. The water churned, and near the middle, the swift current swirled about her waist. She slogged through it and reached the other side, when suddenly she was lost. She stumbled through the gigantic roots of the forest. “Where my love? Where am I to go?”

  A mob was upon her, and raging shouts came from the opposite bank. She could see their torches, and her breaths quickened.

  “Walks Through Mist, follow my voice.”

  His words continued upon the breeze. She followed them until the white hound stood afore her. He would show her the way. Deeper and deeper, they traveled into the forest. She sought shelter in the opening within the roots of an immense oak. Like so many times during the dreaming, a thick mist engulfed her. A clammy dampness upon her skin raised the hairs on her arms. She latched onto the dog’s leather collar. A ship rocked and swayed neath her feet. A wave of nausea overcame her, and she clutched her stomach with her free hand. The hound failed to break stride.

  From a nearby branch, a crow cawed. ’Twas a sign that Lee was nearby. She continued walking along the arc.

  “Walks Through Mist...”

  Phoebe signaled the hound to halt, but he kept going. Lee’s voice faded.

  On and on she faltered through the fog with the dog tracing a huge circle. Their love was a circle in time—first, in innocence as children, then as adults, husband and wife. Naught could change the past or what was meant to be. The mist grew thinner.

  “Follow the light,” he whispered in her ear.

  Up ahead, she spied her first glimpse of the city—what looked like thousands and thousands of torches. She emerged from the fog, and the dog vanished. Lights upon lights, swarming with people. And clattering noise. She covered her ears to block out the racket.

  She stepped into the road to escape. More lights chased after her, blinding her in her tracks. The car! A sudden screeching of brakes, and the earth trembled. She struck the pavement and closed her eyes to the pain.

  Phoebe blinked. “Kesutanowas Wesin.”

  “Phoebe?”

  Shae’s perplexed countenance appeared afore her.

  “Did you see something this time that you haven’t before? I didn’t understand what you just said.”

  “Wind Talker,” Phoebe translated. “ ’Tis Lee’s Algonquian name.”

  “That’s something new, isn’t it? The time before you learned that it was Lee calling to you. Maybe it’s something as simple that he needed to complete the transition. He did that by cutting his ties with me. If you’d like to try again sometime, we can see if we can focus on the exact memory when you traveled.”

  “Aye, I’d like that.”

  “Let me know when you’re ready. I know you were hoping for more clarity this time, but I think if we keep trying, you’ll find the answer you seek.” Shae squeezed Phoebe’s hand. “You will rejoin him.”

  Phoebe hugged Shae. “Thanks, Shae, for e’erything.” They hugged once more and said their goodbyes. With new hope that she would travel to the seventeenth century, she waited ’til the eve to share the experience with Meg. After the lasses were tucked in bed, they entered the dreaming. They followed the river downstream ’til arriving at Elenor’s house.

  A group of Indians stood out front. “Wind Talker?” Phoebe called.

  One of the warriors turned toward her.

  Unable to contain her joy, Phoebe ran into his arms. They hugged and kissed. Finally, Lee stepped back. “I’d like to introduce my wife Walks Through Mist, and her friend Meg.”

  After Lee completed the introductions, Black Owl said, “You were but a girl when I last saw you, Walks Through Mist. I am pleased to welcome you to the family.”

  Out of respect for an elder, Phoebe kept her eyes lowered. “I’m honored.”

  “You do me the honor. I’m told you have birthed a granddaughter.”

  “Aye. We call her Snow Bird.”

  His dark eyes squinted as if he were suddenly in pain.

  “Forgive me. I have reminded you of that long ago time. I only meant to honor your wife’s spirit. Not only was she Wind Talker’s mother, she taught me in the ways of wisakon.”

  “You have honored her. She was a gifted healer.”

  The group gathered round, and they talked late into the night. Phoebe learned about her new family amongst the old. As members gradually dispersed, Meg wandered off with Charging Bear. Phoebe grew uneasy for her friend. Even through the dreaming, love could seem very real.

  As if reading her thoughts, Lee grasped her hand. “She’ll be fine.” He went on to tell her about his visit with Shae.

  “Aye, she told me, and I must do the same.”

  “The same?”

  Phoebe glanced in the direction where Henry smoked a pipe with Wildcat and Swift Deer. Lee nodded that he understood, and she moved in their direction. “Henry, may I speak with you?”

  He stood and bid the warriors goodnight. He showed her round to the side of the house, where a candle from inside cast enough light to see each other. Unlike her, he had some gray in his hair, and wrinkles had formed near his eyes. If she had stayed continuously in this time period, she reminded herself that she would look much the same.

  “By the laws of the colony, would we still be regarded as married?” she asked.

  “E’eryone thought you were dead. I remarried too and have a son. Phoebe, I would ne’er attempt to come betwixt you and Wind Talker. I did not comprehend the ways of the Indians when I came to this land, nor how much you were a part of them. Your father vowed your hand to me. At the time, I thought I was doing my duty, but time has a way of showing us our errors. Your father’s bones are turning to dust, and I knew when I helped you escape from gaol that you would seek your life with another.”

  Henry had always been kind. He had loved her, and she had given so little in return. “Were you happy?”

  “Aye. Mary was taken from me way too soon. ’Tis going on nearly three years now since her passing, but we were happy.”

  For that much, she was thankful. “Then you are at peace with our lives having gone separate ways?”

  “I was at peace with that decision when I helped you escape.”

  After she had been tried for being a witch. “Thank you, Henry. I doubt that I can e’er repay you.”

  “You already have. Elenor is th
e daughter that Mary and I were ne’er blessed with. I couldn’t love her more if she had been my own flesh and blood.”

  “You know I wouldn’t have left her if I had been given a choice.”

  “Aye, but she always knew you would return.”

  The feelings she had for Henry must have been similar to those Lee had for Shae. She kissed Henry on the cheek. “Thank you for helping Lee when he first arrived in this time.”

  He shrugged. “ ’Twas naught.”

  “But it was, Henry. If there’s anything I can do for you...”

  “Only if you can find out what has happened to David.”

  His son. “I shall try,” she vowed. As Phoebe turned, the mist formed afore her. She blinked her eyes. Instead of standing beside Henry’s cottage, she found herself surrounded by the familiar living room of the twenty-first century. Across from her was Meg.

  A radiant smile formed on her friend’s lips. It was the smile of a woman in love.

  * * *

  17

  Wind Talker

  Wind kicked up, totally surrounding me. By now I recognized its meaning. I reached out my hand, but the mist captured Phoebe, once again separating us by time. Lowering my arm, I clenched my hand and worried that I’d be unable to unlock the secret of how we had traveled through time.

  Charging Bear thumped me on the shoulder, and I turned. Sympathy registered in his eyes. Had Phoebe’s concern about Meg falling for her brother been a valid one? Before either of us could speak, Henry approached me. “She has bid me goodbye.”

  Like I had Shae. “Thank you, Henry—for everything.”

  He shook his head. “As I told Phoebe, ’tis naught.”

  His modesty amazed me. If only I could be as humble. If nothing else, I was learning patience among Phoebe’s family and my own, a trait that had frequently escaped me during my time in law enforcement. After bidding each other goodnight, we retired for the evening.

  In the morning, after saying goodbye to Elenor, Henry, and the rest of the family, I set out with Black Owl and my brothers. We stopped near my mother’s grave to pay our final respects. Afterward, Charging Bear separated from us to return to the Appamattuck and Strong Bow. I promised him that I would return in a few weeks, but I wanted to meet the rest of my family. Swift Deer and I were loaded with packs of supplies on our backs that Elenor had provided for us, and we began the journey to where the Sekakawon called home. In my head, I had difficulty picturing where the tribe lived, but from Black Owl’s description, I thought it must be somewhere in the Northern Neck region, making the trip over sixty miles on foot.