by Stephy Smith
"You look handsome, Shining Moon, really handsome." Sarah's heart picked up a pace. Her breath caught in her throat. Flutters filled her stomach as if someone had set loose a bunch of butterflies in it.
"Thank you, Sweet Sarah. I brought a gift for you." She trembled as he neared. His steps, soft upon the wooden floor, barely reached her ears. He extended his calloused hand and handed Sarah the gift.
Sarah ran her hand over the package wrapped in the soft piece of deerskin. She rubbed it across her cheek. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply, lost in the softness of the skin as if she were living in it.
Clearing his throat, Shining Moon's eyes gleamed with merriment.
Looking up at him, she whispered, "Thank you." His warmth surrounded her as she gave him a hug. Her lips tingled when she kissed his cheek. Goose bumps of desire, want, and love raised upon her skin. His minty breath whipped a loose strand of hair tickling her neck. She couldn't stop the quiver running down her spine.
"Open it." He seemed to be holding his breath. Sarah slowly untied the string that held the skin closed.
The breath caught in her throat. A twinkle in his eyes reminded her of sparkling glass in the sun. Tears of joy escaped down her cheeks as she marveled at the beautiful doeskin dress, decorated with red and blue beads and feathers as soft as the wind.
She threw herself into Shining Moon's chest, almost knocking him off his feet. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Then she kissed him again. Only this time it was her lips on his. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his strong masculine grip. She leaned into him and deepened the kiss, parting his lips with her tongue, exploring, tasting, breathing in the very same air he exhaled from his lungs. The sweet smell of herbs wafted from his hair. The minty taste of his mouth lingered on her tongue. As she pulled away, her knees had gone weak.
"Thank you, it's beautiful. Where did you get this?" She swiped at a single tear etching its way down her cheek.
"My sister made it for me to give to you."
"It's so soft and beautiful." Sarah raised the dress to her shoulders. The beads and feathers on the dress matched the ones on Shining Moons attire. Was there any kind of symbolic meaning to the pattern? Did it mean she was a part of him by taking part in the ceremony they were planning?
"You will need to be spiritually clean. Your sons and I have constructed a lodge outside. They, too, need to be pure. Shall we start the ceremony?"
Sarah followed Shining Moon to the lodge. Jessie, Cord, and Travis entered behind Sarah. Shining Moon readied his herbs and nodded. The lodge was dark and quiet.
Shining Moon offered bay leaves to the east, south, west, north, and to the sky and the earth. With the wing of a quail, he fanned smoke to their hearts and over the shoulders of himself, Sarah, Jessie, Cord, and Travis. At the same time, he was saying a prayer and chanting. Sarah poured water over the white-hot lava rocks. The release of the burden lightened the occupants inside the lodge. White light entered their bodies, replacing the negative energy they had pent up inside since the onset of the battles with the ghosts.
Shining Moon repeated the ceremony using thyme and cloves. Closing, he used rosemary and juniper. Praying and chanting, he blessed them as they left the lodge one by one.
Sarah left the lodge. The crisp, fresh breeze sent a cool tingle skimming across her skin. She straightened her back and stood for a minute and reveled in the new feeling of being clean, energized, and renewed of all she had lost in the past few months. Her mind focused on the world as a bright new place she hadn't seen in a long while. Sarah drew in a long breath and then made her way to her cabin.
The doeskin dress lay across her bed. She slipped it over her head, its softness grazing her body as if it were giving her a freedom she had never known. Its beauty reached inside her to make her feel wonderful, pretty, and more confident than she thought possible. The newness washed over her as the world changed into the bright sunshine-y place where she lived as a child.
Sarah stared at her reflection in the mirror. The dress was so soft against her skin and a perfect fit. It felt so light and so natural, she felt like she was naked yet still covered. She opened the door to her bedroom to join her family.
Jessie, Cord, and Travis stood before her in deerskin clothing Shining Moon brought for them. They caught their breath as they stared at her and the wrinkle-free face that had replaced the tortured look she was sure they had come to know. She was glowing inside with life again.
"You three look so handsome," Sarah said and raised her hands to her mouth. "Turn around so I can see the backs."
The young men rolled their eyes but did as their mother requested. They learned long ago that when she wanted them to turn, they had better turn, or she would turn them herself. She swallowed the breath caught in her throat.
"You look absolutely charming, Mother!" Travis whistled as soon as the words cleared his lips.
"What a change, I can't believe we have our beautiful Mother back. And we owe it all to Shining Moon." Cord swept his hand to the man.
"Yes Mother, you are beautiful and charming. The dress fits you well." Jessie said.
Exchanging looks the three young men said, "Turn around so we can see the back." Then they laughed as Sarah gracefully made the circle.
Her heart swelled with pride as she gazed into the faces of her sons. Their eyes were bright with excitement. She hoped they were feeling the same incredible emotions she was experiencing.
****
Shining Moon stood back, watching the men and their mother. He smiled as the excitement returned to their hearts and their eyes. It had been a long week since Cord told him of the problems. He was happy to restore peace to his Sweet Sarah.
Shining Moon was dishing up the plates of food Sarah cooked. He thanked the four directions, the sky and Mother Earth. Then he blessed each plate before handing one to Sarah, Jessie, Cord, Travis before taking one for himself.
The aroma of the beef and vegetables replaced the musty smell of the ghosts. Every morsel was a taste of heaven. Something none of them realized they missed until now was the enjoyment of tasting their food. The ghosts had robbed them of every sense they possessed.
"There will be no work today." Shining Moon declared. They looked at him questioning. "No work on feast day."
"Sounds good to me." Sarah grinned. "I haven't had a work-free day in I don't remember when."
"What do we do on feast day then?" Jessie's baffled expression etched across his face as he glanced at Shining Moon for an answer.
"I have many games I would like to teach you. Games taught in my village to our children." Shining Moon answered honestly. "I played the same ones when I was a young child."
"That was a good meal, thanks Mother." Cord kissed her on the cheek.
Jessie and Travis followed suit. Shining Moon stood in line behind Jessie and Travis, patiently waiting his turn. Sarah was shocked at the tingling that ran over her body as Shining Moon brushed her cheek with a feather-light kiss. She could feel the heat snaking its way up her neck and stopping at the hairline above her brows.
"Well, shall we go play games?" Sarah managed to find her voice.
Walking outside, Shining Moon took a bundle of kindling tied together with leather and a soft strip of deerskin. "This is called the 'keeper of the fire' game. Cord, you sit there. The rest of you come over here." He led them a short distance from Cord. Shining Moon returned to Cord, placed the bundle of wood in front of him, and then blindfolded Cord with a strip of deerskin. "I'll point to Jessie, Travis, or Sweet Sarah and say 'wood gatherers, we need wood'. Whoever I point at has to sneak up on the fire keeper and try to steal the wood, undetected. If you're caught by Cord, he'll tag you. Cord, you must keep your hands in your lap and only remove them when you're attempting to tag a wood gatherer."
Pointing at Travis, Shining Moon called, "Wood gatherers, we need wood."
Travis quietly crept up on the side of Cord. Slowly he reached for a piece of wood. Trav
is watched Cord's face. He was an inch from it when Cord tagged the hand of Travis.
Pointing at Sarah, Shining Moon said, "Wood gatherers, we need wood." Sarah walked straight up to Cord, reached down quickly, and grabbed a piece of wood. Cord's arm reached blindly to make a tag but failed to make contact. Quietly walking around, she circled Cord, stopping at his side. She quickly and quietly grabbed a second piece of wood. Once again, Cord reached out to make contact but missed. Reversing her circle, she made a full circle. She lay on her belly and slowly slid her arm along the ground and grabbed the last piece of wood. Jumping back quickly, Cord tried to make the tag but Sarah was too fast.
Sarah jumped off the ground, laughing and jumping with excitement, as she was now the fire keeper. Laughing and joking, they enjoyed the game. All had their turn at fire keeper. Shining Moon watched the family tease and play as the young children in his camp would play. His envy of the family was written clearly on his face and he smiled.
They played more games throughout the afternoon. Shining Moon always joined in after he had taught them how to play. He found he was accepted as a member of the family when he, too, was being teased and laughed at in fun. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so young and alive as he did today. The time flew by as the games continued.
Miss Betsy reminded them it was time to milk. Sarah's sons raced to the cabin, one grabbed the milk pail, one the egg basket, and the other the water pails for the roses on the hill.
Sarah had her arm in the crook of Shining Moon's as they casually walked toward the cabin. "Thank you so much for the life you have brought back to me."
"You deserve it, Sweet Sarah, and so much more," he said.
"I think you brought life back to the kids. They haven't shown so much happiness in years. Maybe they just didn't know how to play anymore, since they have their own farms and responsibilities."
"Yes, and you also had forgotten what it was like to play and have fun," he said, feeling tension as his words weighed heavily in her mind.
"I'm afraid you're right," she said.
Chapter Fourteen
The group lounged around on the porch after supper. It reminded Sarah of the Sunday picnics they used to go to at the church. It was nice to watch her sons laughing and talking as if they were young kids again. Oh how she missed those days. In the same breath, she was happy they had grown to be good men.
No ghosts had appeared for the nightly rendezvous. Sarah and Shining Moon walked, as the sun settled down for the night. A display of pinks, purples, and oranges drifted from white, fluffy clouds above. The moon and stars would soon take their place in the sky; the couple returned to the porch and to the young men.
"What are you going to do now, Mother?" Cord asked.
"I'm going to take care of the garden and the fields you planted. The same things I've always done. Worry about my sons."
"What do you worry about us for?" Travis asked.
"That's what mothers do best." No matter how old her sons were, they would always be her boys. With or without reason, she would worry about them until her last breath.
"You don't need to worry about us, Mother," Jessie said. "We need to worry more about you."
"I know, but I do anyway. Don't argue. Please don't be worrying about me. I'm fine." Sarah gave him a look. She fought the guilt surfacing in her mind. What had she put her sons through? Quickly she pushed the thoughts away. Today was a day of celebration, and her own mind wasn't going to ruin it for her.
"What about you, Shining Moon, what are you going to do now?" Cord asked.
"Worry about Sweet Sarah." All eyes turned on Shining Moon. Jessie, Cord, and Travis muffled a laugh. Sarah's mouth dropped open in complete shock.
"Why do you need to worry about me?"
"That's what men do when they care for a woman," he said.
Heat rushed up Sarah's neck and crossed her cheeks. Her sons lifted their heads heavenward. Snickers escaped from the four men, intermittently. Sarah knew her sons thought Shining Moon was a good man. She hadn't expected Shining Moon to openly admit something so intimate as caring for her. How deep did his emotions run? Sarah could only hope, for she wasn't going to push the subject.
"Well, I'll declare, Sweet Sarah, I do believe you're blushing," Jessie did, trying his best to imitate a woman.
Cord and Travis raced to the barn before Jessie could get them all in trouble… with their mother. Shining Moon chuckled.
Jessie headed to the barn. "You two young whipper-snappers enjoy yourselves. We'll be in the barn."
Sarah and Shining Moon remained on the porch. Her sons had brought out the rocking chair from inside and placed it beside the one on the porch. Together, Sarah and Shining Moon rocked side by side in the peaceful silence of the outdoors.
A little while later, Jessie led a team of horses, pulling the hay sled, from the barn. Cord and Travis were standing on it and smoothing a blanket over a bale of hay.
"Would you like a hay ride?" Travis stepped down to help his mother onto the blanket and then assisted Shining Moon.
Jessie had his fiddle, Cord had his banjo, and Travis his guitar. Jessie turned the team down the road, dropped the reins, and let the horses wander. He joined in the merriment as the three young men serenaded Sarah and Shining Moon.
Sarah and Shining Moon glanced at each other and tried not to laugh. The young men did their best but needed to work on their harmony. Occasionally one of them would hit a high note that would erupt into laughter.
"Well, I must say, I've never been on a hay ride that was so romantic and amusing in my life," Sarah said and then giggled.
"I have never been on a hay ride. I must have missed the last ones held in our camp," Shining Moon teased the young men and then laughed. "You three will have to teach me the meaning of this ceremony. I may want to continue it. I think the young children of the village may like it."
"It's a courtship, so young or old lovers can hold hands and make eyes at each other," Jessie said.
"I may have failed that test. I didn't hold her hand." Shining Moon gazed into Sarah's eyes.
As they returned to Sarah's cabin, Jessie pulled the team to a stop near the porch. Cord and Travis jumped from the wagon and helped Sarah and Shining Moon down. A strange look came over Shining Moon's face. He was staring at the tiny cabin.
"I think Mrs. Burgess would have enjoyed today," Shining Moon said.
****
A few days had passed. In the smaller cabin, the ghost lights flashed when someone would approach. The pots and pans would bang around meal times, and music would play on Saturday nights. Sarah enjoyed the music that came from the open door and windows. The ghosts were expected, and Sarah didn't think anything of it. She didn't mind, since they weren't evil ghosts.
The raunchy odor dissipated with the banishment of the other ghosts. She continued washing the bed linens once a week so they didn't get a musty smell from the vacant cabin, even though the door and windows were open most of the time.
She would visit the cabin every day and even learned to play with the prankster that would move things when she was dusting. Shining Moon would sneak up to the door and watch in wonderment as Sarah continued a life he was happy to witness.
Shining Moon and the young men checked on the fields they had planted. Now all they needed was the rain.
"You can now bring the secret book in the house," Shining Moon told Sarah while they sat at the table drinking some of Shining Moon's herbal tea.
Sarah walked to the barn and returned with the book clenched in her hand. She laid it on the table and opened to the first page. Her gasp drew everyone's attention. They gathered around her and peered over her shoulders. On the page was a recipe Sarah hadn't known about before.
"How to make a spirit broom." She glanced up at Jessie and then read on. "The bristles are blessed, to sweep evil from the house. The straw must be blessed and replaced when it is broken to sweep out negativity."
"That's why it worked the firs
t night but turned useless afterwards. I wished we would have known this then."
"It would have been easier if I would have thought about Mother calling it a 'spirit broom.' She always provided them for me, ever since you kids were small. Now, let's see if we can find the spell we'll need for the distance healing. I hope it works."
"It will, but you have to have faith." Shining Moon patted Sarah's arm.
"Can we do this without them knowing?"
"We can try, Sweet Sarah." Shining Moon wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. The fresh smell of herbs and smoke radiated from him. He raised one of his arms and smoothed her hair. His hand slid down her face to caress her cheek. Desire coursed her body. She never wanted to leave his side. Maybe someday she wouldn't have to, but right now they had a few things to tend to before she could think about any long term commitment with him. Reluctantly she pushed away from him.
Sarah had melted paraffin and added the black dye Shining Moon brought her. After pouring wax into small candle molds with wicks in place, Sarah left them to set. Then she turned to make more candles for other uses. When the candles were ready, she would start the ritual.
Shining Moon gathered extra herbs she needed to cook or dry to use in helping others with her healings. He taught her about the different herbs he used and the healing properties they held. He taught her how to make poultices, since her sons were always coming in with new nicks, cuts, and scrapes. They would complain, but Shining Moon reminded them that Sweet Sarah needed live bodies for practice. They all agreed and sat silently while she applied her newfound knowledge to their wounds. The poultices were working, which was another advantage to them.
Travis's horse cut its leg, so Sarah went to the barn to apply poultice to the wound. "You're a better patient than my sons," Sarah told the horse. "You don't complain when someone pampers you." She softly laughed to herself.
Sarah began to find strange marking around her cabin. She also found a letter from Lucifer Devlin that indicated Liz, Carolyn and Will were the culprits who cast the curse upon her cabin. Whatever harm they had intended for Sarah wasn't going to happen if Shining Moon had his say.
