THE AWAKENING Years had passed as it lay dormant, barely aware of the events that had transpired around it over the long centuries of its sleep. Not since it had touched the old man, was its contact with the humanoids that hovered on the periphery of its essence, had it felt the dark presence of the Other as it did now. Time was a senseless thing to it but it felt it’s long and quiet passage just the same and it wondered where its twin had been active over all these long years. What awoke its spirit was the vibrancy of a life nearby. It felt the young vitality, as yet physically unformed and reached past its somnolence and touched the spark that lay within the young female resting against its trunk. It marveled at the intense fire of the young sparks soul. As it reached a golden thread of itself towards it a dark spot made itself known at the centre of the young life growing within the womb. The little spark was unaware of its presence but the Tree knew instinctively that the young female carrying this child within her had been marked by the Other and this aroused its essence fully. Memories surged forward and it remembered the Great Mother and its Parent Tree and how it had come to be in this place and why. A whisper of sadness overtook it for a moment as it recalled how it parent had died but the heart of the Other drew it out of its melancholic nostalgia quickly enough. This was no time to feel any self-pity. It knew what it had to do and spontaneously a small root began to slowly make its way towards the sleeping females wrist. It knew the darkness of the Other was weak because of distance and that it could pose no real danger to to the girl or the child within her so the root wrapped itself slowly, quietly and gently around the slight wrist and let its essence flow through the root and into her soul and that small fiery spark that lay growing within her sleeping body. Mae Lyn had been resting peacefully with her head and shoulders ensconced between two large roots that grew out from the base of the Tree. Since their coupling in the field a few days ago she and Aiden had come to the Tree to have a picnic lunch and enjoy the shade and the peaceful surroundings that the Tree provided. Aiden had told her a little of the history of the Tree and of some of the beliefs the tribal elders held about its presumed Power and connection to the Sweeney clan. Although nothing had ever been proven the villagers had always kept a respectful distance and gave the Tree a place of honour among its stories. They held to the promise that old man Sweeney had made hundreds of years before. As Mae Lyn lay drowsily against the Tree Aiden had taken a short walk to a nearby spring that bubble on the other side of the rise to refill his water skin. Since he and Mae Lyn had consummated their physical longing for each other they had spent many hours talking about the future and declaring their intent to become mates at the Gathering. Both were impatient and excited for the week’s end to arrive. Over the past two days many people had arrived from the different tribes around the Free Lands and the village had become a veritable beehive of activity. Their coupling had also brought a peace of heart within both of them. They were more willing to compromise on things rather tha bicker. The tension that had grown around them had eased once they had finally become honest about their true feelings for each other. As he rounded the trunk of the Tree Aiden spotted the small root that had wrapped itself around Mae Lyn’s fore arm. At first he thought he was imagining things and rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating and that what he was seeing was real. His first instinct was to reach for the knife at his waist with the intent of cutting away the root but then he remembered the story of the Tree that he had read for so many years. Instead, he quietly stepped around Mae Lyn’s prone body and knelt near her other side. He began to take in the surrounding with a hunters practiced eye and saw that the Tree’s leaves were vibrating slightly even though there wasn’t the slightest breeze. The leaves had also developed a slight glimmer, a barely noticeable silver sheen along the edges of each one. He didn’t understand what was happening and was loathe to interfere but his concern for Mae Lyn outweighed any caution his head was telling him to take. He gently shook mae Lyn to wake her and as she focused her eyes on his he put his finger to his lips indicating that she should remain quiet. Lavender eyes looked into his with curiousness when she asked in a low voice, “What’s wrong Aiden?” Before he could tell her Mae Lyn felt the slight pressure on her arm and looked over to see the Tree’s root slowly climbing up her arm. She immediately reached over to pull it away: visions of her dreams swimming in her mind: but even before the intent had taken shape she could feel the root tighten itself more firmly around her arm. Aiden reached out and touching her on the shoulder told her, “Remain still and as quiet as possible. If you fight it, it will only hang on to you even tighter.” When she looked at him without understanding he could see the fear and near panic in her eyes so he calmed her by keeping himself calm. “Clear your mind of any fear. Be at peace within yourself as much as possible and it will soon move on. Remember the story of the Tree? That’s what Old Man Sweeney recorded when he wrote down his encounter. Remember the story Mae Lyn. I don’t believe it means to harm you.” “I feel giddy,” she told him. “Like that time I drank too much of the cedar root wine.” As she was telling him this a warm feeling spread through her body and slowly made its way to her womb and then a sudden flash of pain as she cried out, “Nooo.” And then she fainted. As she lay in her unconscious state she saw within herself what the Tree only felt. The dark spot that lay within her child’s center and as she watched she saw a golden sphere envelop the darkness engulfing it in a healing light and then it was gone. She felt the Power of the Tree slowly retreating from her body and as it left her she opened her eyes and saw Aiden watching her with complete concern in his aeyes and not a small bit of wonder and amazement. He had watched as she lay there and had seen her entire body glow with a silvery radiant light. It wasn’t bright but he saw it surround her body as he had tried to wake her from her faint. After a few moments the shimmer finally left and as she opened her eyes Mae Lyn told him, “Don’t be afraid Aiden. Everything is better now. I’ve been healed and I’ve been freed. It’s removed the mark that was given me by the Hive Tree.” As she told him this Aiden saw the Tree’s root unravel itself and return back to the ground from whence it came. With her arm now free Mae Lyn reached up and removed the shirt from her left shoulder. Where a large chunk of her skin had been removed by the bite that the Neebal had given her a few short months ago frsh skin had grown to cover the gash that had been there…still red and pink in its newness. “See!?” Mae Lyn said. “Everything is fine. I’m better than fine.” and she smiled up at him. “I’m free. I can’t be tracked by the Hive Tree anymore. I’m free.” She shouted, delirious with happiness and kissed Aiden on the mouth. The Tree was now awake and would remain so. It had a renewed sense of purpose. The great Mother was alive was again and soon would be within the world. As Aiden pulled away from Mae Lyn’s mouth he looked up at the Tree ansd was stunned to see that the leaves had gone from hteir normal green colour and and had turned to a silvery grey one and he knew without a doubt that he would never doubt the Power that the Tree possessed. He also knew that this would change for the village and the people of the Free Lands and he felt a certain sense of trepidation.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Jul 2013 09:50:46 +0000
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