senseless, other animals, including a large black bear entered the cave, clawing and pawing at Gibson, dragging his flailing body into the open.
Vera clutched Rance’s hands. Shock reverberated through both their bodies, and they hugged one another as the animals, including the phoenix, stripped Danny Gibson of his clothes and his mind. They didn’t kill him, but they attacked him repeatedly, and by the time the rain started, he was already a raving lunatic, running through the woods half-dressed and babbling.
* * * *
Jake inhaled leisurely, attempting to calm his racing heart. He hadn’t morphed in so long that the adrenaline alone made him dizzy, and the realization that he’d been flying—actually climbing, diving, swooping like his spirit animal—was such a shock that for a few moments he’d completely forgotten about the other two in the cave. The only conscious thought he’d had was to attack the man who’d dared to raise a rifle to Rance.
He closed his eyes, still breathing deeply, slowly, relaxing his body and relishing the quickening metamorphosis from animal to man, feeling the tingling as his phalanges transformed from feather and bone to flesh and bone.
When Jake opened his eyes, Rance was the first person he saw, bending over him. Jake looked about. He’d slumped during the change, his body unused to the surreal conversion. “I’m okay,” he told him. “Are you?”
Rance nodded. Then he lifted his head and nodded towards the cave entrance. Danny Gibson had vanished, and in his place stood Jake’s cousins, Daniel and Hawk, along with three other Native men.
“Welcome back, bro.” The larger of the men stepped forward.
Jake held out a hand. “ Yona? When did you get here?” He dug his heels in the earth as his cousin Daniel propelled him from his seat on the ground to a position of standing. Jake stretched his muscles, feeling the last of the alignments as his body completed its modification to human form.
“Hawk and I followed Gibson to the cave. You radioed from the boat. Remember?” Daniel frowned. “You sure you made it back in one piece?”
Jake laughed and held out an arm invitingly to Rance, encircling his waist. “Rance, this is Daniel, or Yona , meaning bear.”
Daniel’s large hands engulfed Rance’s. “Ah, you must be the brother of White Mother. Grandfather has spoken of you.”
Jake felt Rance shudder. He cleared his throat. “I recognize you from the marina.” Then he blinked and turned to Jake. “Am I the only one who was unaware of this white woman legend?”
“Doesn’t matter if you think it’s legend or fact,” Hawk said, stepping forward to hug Jake. He swung his gaze from cousin to cousin then focused on Rance. “If Wahui says it will be, it’s as if it’s already happened. You just accept.”
The men turned their attention to Vera, making sure she was unharmed. The older woman was obviously shaken. “He’ll be back,” she said.
“That one has lost his mind,” Hawk said. “If he comes back, it’ll be in a straight-jacket.” Then he sobered. “But he will talk, and that means an investigation.”
All of the men were silent for a moment before Daniel spoke.
“Did you get what you needed, Jake?”
Recalling the conversations he’d just had with Rance and Vera, Jake pointed to the papers that had fallen to the ground during his transformation. “Yeah. Not sure what to do now, though. Those papers got my sister killed.” He looked at Vera apologetically. “And Doc.”
“No.” She shook her head. “It was their time. They had to go to make way for the new.” Vera glanced at Rance. “We will remember them always, and we will avenge their deaths.” Then she looked knowingly from one man to another. “But it’s all good. You take that information to Wahui. The old man will know what to do.”
Rance grasped Jake’s arm. “But…how did you…how did any of you know that I had a sister? I haven’t spoken to her in years, but I
Vera clutched Rance’s hands. Shock reverberated through both their bodies, and they hugged one another as the animals, including the phoenix, stripped Danny Gibson of his clothes and his mind. They didn’t kill him, but they attacked him repeatedly, and by the time the rain started, he was already a raving lunatic, running through the woods half-dressed and babbling.
* * * *
Jake inhaled leisurely, attempting to calm his racing heart. He hadn’t morphed in so long that the adrenaline alone made him dizzy, and the realization that he’d been flying—actually climbing, diving, swooping like his spirit animal—was such a shock that for a few moments he’d completely forgotten about the other two in the cave. The only conscious thought he’d had was to attack the man who’d dared to raise a rifle to Rance.
He closed his eyes, still breathing deeply, slowly, relaxing his body and relishing the quickening metamorphosis from animal to man, feeling the tingling as his phalanges transformed from feather and bone to flesh and bone.
When Jake opened his eyes, Rance was the first person he saw, bending over him. Jake looked about. He’d slumped during the change, his body unused to the surreal conversion. “I’m okay,” he told him. “Are you?”
Rance nodded. Then he lifted his head and nodded towards the cave entrance. Danny Gibson had vanished, and in his place stood Jake’s cousins, Daniel and Hawk, along with three other Native men.
“Welcome back, bro.” The larger of the men stepped forward.
Jake held out a hand. “ Yona? When did you get here?” He dug his heels in the earth as his cousin Daniel propelled him from his seat on the ground to a position of standing. Jake stretched his muscles, feeling the last of the alignments as his body completed its modification to human form.
“Hawk and I followed Gibson to the cave. You radioed from the boat. Remember?” Daniel frowned. “You sure you made it back in one piece?”
Jake laughed and held out an arm invitingly to Rance, encircling his waist. “Rance, this is Daniel, or Yona , meaning bear.”
Daniel’s large hands engulfed Rance’s. “Ah, you must be the brother of White Mother. Grandfather has spoken of you.”
Jake felt Rance shudder. He cleared his throat. “I recognize you from the marina.” Then he blinked and turned to Jake. “Am I the only one who was unaware of this white woman legend?”
“Doesn’t matter if you think it’s legend or fact,” Hawk said, stepping forward to hug Jake. He swung his gaze from cousin to cousin then focused on Rance. “If Wahui says it will be, it’s as if it’s already happened. You just accept.”
The men turned their attention to Vera, making sure she was unharmed. The older woman was obviously shaken. “He’ll be back,” she said.
“That one has lost his mind,” Hawk said. “If he comes back, it’ll be in a straight-jacket.” Then he sobered. “But he will talk, and that means an investigation.”
All of the men were silent for a moment before Daniel spoke.
“Did you get what you needed, Jake?”
Recalling the conversations he’d just had with Rance and Vera, Jake pointed to the papers that had fallen to the ground during his transformation. “Yeah. Not sure what to do now, though. Those papers got my sister killed.” He looked at Vera apologetically. “And Doc.”
“No.” She shook her head. “It was their time. They had to go to make way for the new.” Vera glanced at Rance. “We will remember them always, and we will avenge their deaths.” Then she looked knowingly from one man to another. “But it’s all good. You take that information to Wahui. The old man will know what to do.”
Rance grasped Jake’s arm. “But…how did you…how did any of you know that I had a sister? I haven’t spoken to her in years, but I
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