night, with the moon full, there was calmness in the air. She rocked for a few moments, thinking of the past two days. She reflected on the vision she'd had in her dream, the awakening of her spirit once again, and her knowing the catch would be full. How did she know?
She sat very still, and she could hear the gentle waves coming to shore below the knoll. She felt a pull to stroll down to the water's edge but knew she needed to return to the loft with Nyle that night. She stood up from her rocking chair, and as she turned to enter the house, she felt the wind gently brush her cheek, almost as though it were giving her a good-night kiss. She smiled and went into the house and retired to the loft with Nyle.
The next morning came quickly with much to do to get ready for the feast and put up the catch. The catch would sustain the entire family for many months. Nyle would not have to return to the endless waters during the thrashing waves, which had taken men from their boats, never to be seen again. She was grateful for that and happy her family would have much time together.
The girls were sent to the gardens to pick ripe squash and to the forest for greens that lined the marshes. The ones closest to the marsh were the most flavorful. Of course, it never failed that the twins would return home with mud up to their knees. It was a good excuse to play in the spring afterward as they attempting to clean themselves.
Raven and her mother picked a large fish for the feast and rubbed it with the fresh herbs they foraged the day before. It was as though her mother knew she would need them. Sometimes Raven wondered how her mother knew things, but she would not dare inquire. Some things were just meant to be left alone, and that was one of them.
14
Everyone was getting ready for bed after such an exhausting day of preparation for the feast for the morrow. Raven had put the twins into their lofts. The girls giggled for a while and then drifted off to sleep. Seth and his father spent the day cleaning the nets and laying them out to dry, then returned to the fishing boat to put everything back into place and tie the boat up. The boat had to be ready for the time when the fish were expected to migrate again. Of course, with that catch, the men were in no hurry to rush back to the endless waters, especially this season. The waves were high and the current strong, which made it difficult to handle the nets, so a long rest was welcomed. Soon they came up from the shore and had their evening milk and honey, and then they too retreated to their lofts.
Nyle called out to Audra to come to bed. She called back to him, "Soon, my dear." She sat awhile and then approached the loft. She could hear the gentle breathing of Nyle, who had fallen deep into sleep. Audra slipped out to her rocking chair for a while to enjoy the cool evening breezes.
Audra surrendered to the gentle rocking and the breezes that caressed her face, and soon drifted off to sleep, still sitting up in her rocking chair under the full moon. Again, she visited the place of her dreams a few nights ago. This strange but magnificent place beneath the endless waters captivated her. It was filled with the vision of beautiful creatures she couldn't even imagine in her waking time. Even the water rushing through the strange, magical forest of multicolored rocks created a deep, penetrating, yet soothing flow that rippled through her with delight and awe. What a mysterious place her vision sought to conjure up!
As she traveled in her vision through that magical place beneath the endless waters, she thought she heard a familiar yet different sound. Was it just the sound of the water? It became clearer and clearer...No, it was a voice she knew so well. It was the voice she had heard in her mind since the day this child was born. It was Willow's voice. I know it must be she who is calling out to me!
Then Audra awakened. "Yes, it was Willow. It was not a dream—it was real! My precious daughter is trying to reach me." Audra did not feel alarmed in any way. She felt a joy and hope that maybe, just maybe, she would be able to see her again—and, if not, at least communicate in the way only they could.
The moon was dropping in the night sky. Soon it would be morning, and there was much to do, so Audra slipped into the loft to rest. She could not forget the sounds and the visions of what she had experienced that evening, but she knew she had to be there for her family in the morrow.
It seemed she had just drifted off to sleep when she heard the sound of the children and smelled the pot of oats and berries. She jumped from her bed and raced into the kitchen, ready to pull the morning meal together, but much to her delight and surprise, Raven had the bowls full on the table. The twins were dressed and seated. Seth and Nyle were gathering wood to keep the fire going to prepare the meal for the feast. They had already eaten and had started the day of chores.
Audra joined the girls at the table, and Raven served her. "I knew you would be tired, and I wanted to help you, Mother."
Audra reached up, squeezed her hand, and said, "You are a good and gracious daughter. You will make a wonderful mother yourself someday soon."
The Feast
Everyone began to gather in the center of the village to celebrate Nyle's abundant catch. Of course, Audra and Nyle brought the herb-crusted fish that were laid down the center of the tables. The villagers brought dishes filled with vegetables grown in the gardens and pies of fresh berries. The feast was giving gratitude to the spirits of the endless waters for providing the village with such a catch.
The villagers ate and played their musical instruments made from the reed that grew along the edges of the marshes. Some made joyful, playful sounds, and others played haunting sounds near the end of the day.
As the evening continued with much talk of the catch, children sat beneath the tables, giggling. Some curled up near their mothers' long skirts, sleepy from the day's events. Audra slipped off to her rocking chair that overlooked the waters. She could not get caught up in all the gaiety when her spirit was elsewhere.
The sun slowly dropped into the endless waters as the moon began to rise. She could hear the night birds start their haunting sound, which echoed through the cliffs and trees along the shoreline. Would she ever see her Willow again, or had she become one of the water people and no longer yearned for her family on the land? A tear fell from her eye and stung her cheek. The night air became chilly, but she could not go in yet. Not if there was any hope Willow would speak to her.
She felt the strong but gentle hand of Nyle touch her shoulder and she turned her head to him and said, "I'll be in soon." He knelt by her side and stroked her flowing, black hair. "There is no hurry, my sweet wife. I know why you are here. You are still grieving the loss of Willow."
"Yes," she said.
He stood up, gently pulled her up to him, and wrapped his arms around her to keep her warm from the chilling wind. "I believe you will see her again someday," he said.
She looked up at him. "Why would you think that?"
He told her of a dream he'd had of her walking up the shoreline. "It was from a distance, but it was our Willow—I know this in my heart."
She smiled up at him and sunk into his arms. They returned to the house, retired to their loft, and melted into each other's arms as they drifted off to sleep.
15
Willow awakened from her bed of seaweed after what seemed a lifetime of slumber. For a brief moment, she was not sure if she had awakened from her loft at home with her mother or here in what was surely a dream. It didn't take long for her to realize she was here in the world of the water people.
In her slumber the night before, she thought she'd heard the sounds of the reed flutes echo through the waters from the land. It was a sound she'd heard so many times before and reminded her of when her father had returned from his days of fishing and playing the deep—haunting sounds as he neared the shore. It was a sound her mother would wait for. Whenever she heard it, she knew that all was well, and her family would soon be together safely.
Although Willow missed her family, she felt a kinship with the people of the water. She felt this was where she belonged. They understood her. And after all, her great-great-grandmother was there, and she would teac
h her about the ways of the water people. She could share the truths about the stories she'd heard since she was a child, stories of the existence of the world beneath the endless waters. She had so much she wanted to know, so much to see. She didn't want to waste a minute.
As she unwrapped herself and glided off the ledge of the water cave, she noticed it was silent. Where was everyone? Why weren't they there to guide her? Should she stay close until someone came for her? Then she heard a voice in her head say, "Come join us." Not really knowing where or how to join them, she glided through the water with the ease of a fish, weaving in and out of the underwater forest. Soon she came upon an opening. There were Morven and Ellura, hovering over a giant open shell. She approached the shell and noticed it was full of some sort of food. Without hesitation, she reached toward the shell to take some food. The shell snapped closed, and Ellura and Morven chuckled and turned to Willow. "You must first ask for permission to partake of the shell's offering," Morven said.
"OK, may I have some?"
They chuckled again. "Not from us—from the shell. And if she accepts you and invites you to share, she will open her shell for you. But you must take only what you need."
All became quiet as Willow approached the shell. She stood