I shook my head. I was too nervous to eat anything.
Once my hair was braided, we grabbed the bags my grandmother had
prepared for us and headed out.
Outside of my grandfather's woodshop, Gram pointed to a set of four-wheel
bikes. “We'll take these until we get to the base of the mountain. Then, walk the
rest of the way. Cole, do you feel comfortable driving?"
“Yes, ma'am.” Cole clicked his heels together and saluted.
Gram chuckled. “Good, let's go." In a surprisingly agile move, she hopped onto the back of the four-wheeler that my father was already on. “Get on the back of Cole's bike, Mara. No time to dillydally.”
The loud roaring noise filled the air as the bikes were started.
“Hold onto my waist,” Cole shouted over the rumbling sound. “It will be a
bit bumpy.”
And, off we went.
The bike lurched forward, and we rode north towards the Drygens’ Estate.
We passed Starten Lake, and then passed the tree where I’d last seen Kai. We continued deeper into the forest until we reached the edge of the mountain.
Stopping, we hid the bikes in an area of thick brush.
Thoughts of trout, snapping their warnings at us, crossed my mind.
We began our hike up the cliff on a path that seemed as if it had not been used in many years. The rocky walk was full of overgrown and slippery foliage.
The forest felt eerily quiet, and a chill ran through me.
“The road will clear the higher we go,” my father said. “Just follow where I'm walking, and we shouldn't run into any surprises.”
Heeding his warning, I watched my grandmother as we climbed the steep
slope of the mountain. No one would know she was going to be sixty-five years
old, I thought. She was keeping the steady pace set by my father – the same pace I struggled to maintain.
We walked for almost an hour before we came to a level clearing.
“We should stop here and catch our breath.” Panting, my father passed out
water canteens from his black bag.
Sipping the refreshing drink, I eyed Gram as she dug in her satchel. I
watched curiously as she removed items and shoved them into her jacket
pockets. I could hear her quiet prayers to the Goddess.
When she saw me watching her, she smiled and said, “Everyone, join me."
We gathered in a tight circle and watched with anticipation.
“With open hearts and pure intentions, we ask for your continued blessings
on this night,” Gram said confidently. She placed her hands in the center of the
circle. “With the aid of the Air of the east…” The breeze around us swirled, blowing leaves across the ground. “…And the Fire of the south.”
I saw Gram nod at me. Listening to my intuition, I held my hand out to the
center of the circle. Soft flames flickered from my fingertips, and warmth
brushed my cheeks.
“And, the Water of the west,” Cole said, obviously understanding what was
required. Jutting his hand to the circle caused water droplets to fall onto my arms
and face. Cole wore a look of pride as we were sprinkled with moisture.
