The Long Road - A Short Story
He walked along, taking in the smells and sights of the forest as the road meandered through the timber. A slight breeze causing the leaves to dance on their branches.
Overhead the sky was a bright blue, with a few towering clouds building their mountains in the sky. Slowly they moved across the sky, the wind pushing themgently along.
On the edge of the sky, above the mountain clouds,watching the man slowly walk along the road were the Zhaashaawanibiisi, the Thunderbirds.
The Thunderbirds were beings of mystery and power and good. Yet they were to befeared.
Created by Kitchi-Manitou, the Great Mystery, to care for Mother Earth. No human dared intrude into the realm of the Thunderbird. If a human laid eyes on the Thunderbird they would be destroyed.
The man continued on his journey, taking in the beauty of the rich forest. Stopping to drink from a creek, it's water clean and cold. He dipped his hand into the creek, bringing his hand to his mouth to sip the sweet water. He splashed the water onto his face, the refreshing coldnessof it, causing him to blink.
From the edge of the earth, the Thunderbirds watched him.
Deep in the forest, creatures were watching the man, not to be seen, they continued their watchfulness. The man walked on, unaware or unconcerned, aboutthe creatures of the forest.
Walking with a purposeful stride, but not rushed, he seemed to have another purpose than just walking in the forest.
Soon the birds became silent, the breeze stopped moving. The wolf raised his nose high in the air, there was something,it's scent was becoming stronger.
The deer herds began an uneasy march to the south. The bull moose shook his massive head, to and fro, his rack snapping branches off trees.
The smaller animals, rabbits, squirrels, mice all sensed danger, and started looking for protection.
The man walked on, not sensing, or not caring about the warning signs.
Soon, the sun was setting, casting a glowing red over the forest, the creeks and rivers turned a blood red. It was than, the owls and other night birds warned that the Thunderbirds were stirring and that they were about to open the floodgates and let loose the fire bolts, they urged one another to take shelter.
And as the Thunderbirds stoked the fires in their forges, great dark clouds billowed just before the floodgates were opened and the flaming arrows were unleashed. The Thunderbirds were indifferent to human or animals.
The Thunderbirds launched themselves the edge of earth, their huge wings beating against the sky, creating their own wind storm. Burning yellow eyes searching the earth, beaks as sharp as any knife man could create. Their talons, huge, with deadly strength ached with wanting.
On the road, the man felt the winds pick up, the sky turn black with rage. His road, the road that he must follow was in thecenter of something strange and unknown.
A gust of wind snapped a branch on a birch tree, a stand of the ''Ancient Ones''. Birch trees hundreds of years old, consider sacred by the Ojibwe people.
The branch crashed onto the road. From it leaves fell a small bird, injured and unable to fly, the man quickly picked up the small treasure. Holding it gently against him, protecting the little life with his own body.
The winds became a gale, branches breaking off trees, animals and birds hiding and sheltering themselves from the fury of the Thunderbirds.
The man did not take shelter, but stood on the Long Road, his road, the road of his people for hundreds of years.
The power and anger of the Thunderbirds coming down from the heavens, the man stood, not moving in the face of angry Manitous (spirits). Holding and protecting his small treasure in his hand.
He turned toward the fury coming at him.Streaking at him fasterthan any eagle he had ever seen.Slowly he lifted his arms, the little bird in his hand, facing the fury of the Thunderbirds, he began sing his "Death Chant''.
He opened his eyes against the stinging rain now beating on his face. There, the little bird, that a moment before was shaking and injured, was now much larger, it's wings spread out, reached many times longer than his arms. It's tiny claws, now talons, talons with the power of many bears. It's burning yellow eyes looking at him. Before him the tiny injured bird had turned into a Thunderbird, the protector of Mother Earth, it's power and fury far beyond what a human could understand.
He knew that he was about to be taken, death was at the end of his arm. He knew that no human that saw a Thunderbird was every allowed to live. Hecontintued his ''Death Chant''. The end was near, but than the small treasure that had been in his hand was lifting him towards the heavens, gently, it moved him higher. Higher than any man had ever been before, to the edges of the earth.
Soon he felt himself free of the Thunderbird, what had been his arms, were now huge wings, legs had become talons, his eyes could see into the future.
He had become a Zhaashaawanibiisi, a Manitou, he had crossed into the spirit world.
His long road continued, it had no end.
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Hope you enjoy.
Thanks for visiting.
Nicely said and done, Kavika. You never disappoint.
Thank you my friend. I'm very happy that you enjoyed it.
I can always depend on you Mac, to add so much to each story. Thank you my friend.
Consider your stories "inspirational".
Thank you Mac, that was very kind of you.
Very well crafted story, Special K. Very dark and haunting. You are the Poe of the Indian story.
Breathtaking. I loved the story. Its style compares with some I've read written by Oscar Wilde. It's unfortunate though, these days, isn't it, to find a cold stream from which we could drink without being poisoned to some degree.
Thank you Raven Wing. Gakina Awiiya (we are all related).
The power of the Thunderbird is never to be underestimated, it is the protector of Mother Earth.
''Poe of theIndian story''...Hmmmm, is that a good thing...LOL..Thanks Perrie, it is a bit dark and haunting. Each will draw out of it, what is in their soul.
Thank you Buzz, I'm happy that you enjoyed it.
Yes, finding a cold, clear, non-polluted creek is next to impossible in today's world.
Not sure about that. Not feeling dark or haunted. In fact, my grandmother visited me last night in my dreams. Quiet lovely if not a bit wacky....
Thank you, Kavika
Nookomis is NEVER a bit wacky. Well, sometime.
Your welcome Susan, thanks for stopping by.
Well not impossible Buzz, I have one that is short, maybe a mile long. Starts as a spring and goes down to the lake. No farms, or anything but virgin timber between the headwater and lake.
It's a choice we make: whether or not to pick up that little bird and protect it as best we can. Maybe it's a Thunderbird testing us. Maybe it's just a little sparrow. Either way, the very act of picking it up and protecting it changes us and the world around us. We create the world as we move through it. So choose: pick it up or don't.
That was the choice Grump, to be a protector of living things or not. He made the decision, and the Thunderbird knew it. Were they testing him? That is for each to decide.
We always have a choice, the Red Road, never ends.
This is great, adding to my "collection" - keep posting these Kavika
which we all should be
Thank you palma. We protect some, and some protect us. ''The Circle of Life''.
I'd put my cup at the spring, but I'm not sure about what's downstream. There are poisons in the atmosphere - or else why do so many lakes get tainted by mercury? It's in the rain; it's in the runoff from the riverbanks. We are living in a polluted world.
Sadly, you are correct Buzz. I have taken water straight from the spring. It's wonderful. After that there is no way that I would drink the water.
You know what happens to great writers, don't you? You get extra assignments! SOOOOooooo.....how about we get the next awesome story from you by next week? Sound good, everyone? YES yes yesssss
Well, that settles it, Kavika....
Let's get to it!
Pressure, oh the pressure.
I'm with Stephi.
Delight us Kavika
Gorgeous A. Mac.
Thanks flame.
Keeping you on your toes my friend.
Dear Friend Kavika: Anothergreat story. You have the gift, my good friend. Please keep them coming.
Peace and Abundant Blessings to You, My Blood Brother in Spirit, and Treasure Writing Partner.
Enoch.
Thank you my dear friend. I'm happy that you enjoyed it.
I think that it is time for us to do another, ''Adventure of Enoch and Kavika''..
Many blessings niijii
Kavika - this reminds me of how so many of us "see" something out of the corner of our eyes and totally dismiss it. I can 'member a discussion we had on NV 'bout the spirits around us and how, all we have to do, is acknowledge them, let them into our lives and walk with them.
Everyday, I see/sense "glimpses" of the spirits out of the corner of my eyes. Some days I feel a bit of trepidation, but most days I know I'm protected and will be guided in my walk.
Great story - great meanings that should be taken to heart.
Thank you.
Oh - DO IT - DO IT - DO IT!!!!!!!!!
Yes, many tend to dismiss the ''Spirit World'' in our daily lives, or all together. They do walk among us, and are our guardians.
Thank you 1st.
They are always with us RW. Always.