fish migration hunt again—only this time, Willow would not stray, and she would be on full alert. She knew the sea spirits would alert the pod of impending danger, for they could read the signs of the sands that shifted beneath them and often saw the surfacing of the slithers. It was well known they were the lookout for Adaro. It was Willow they spied on. She was the one who would hold the secrets of the ancients that would someday be passed to her by the Goddess of the Sea, Morven. Someday Willow would wield the power of the seas and land. Many in the open seas wanted that power, but if they crossed Adaro to try to take her powers for themselves, he would know, and they would suffer horribly.
Ellura called to Willow to meet her near the entrance of the cave of the ancients, where Morven had taken Willow to share the story of how the water people entered the endless waters for the final time. Willow approached the entrance before Ellura arrived. She wondered why it was not Morven meeting her. Although she was close to Ellura and sought her company often, it was Morven that shared her secrets of the cave.
Willow began to hear whispers coming from the entrance. She wasn't afraid—they were comforting sounds—yet she couldn't quite understand what they were saying. First, it was only a few voices, and then many seemed to chime in. They were calling her name, not beckoning, but it was her name she heard. The voices appeared to come like the waves gently caressing the sea; each one carried a small echo. It was so relaxing, Willow drifted off to sleep listening to the sounds that rippled upward from the cave. Each wave sent her deeper and deeper into sleep.
In her dreams, the voices came closer and closer from the cave, and as they approached the entrance, she could see the faces of gentle spirits of ancient water people. They spoke to her of the past and the importance of the cave. They shared with her that many before her had gone there to commune with the ancients for guidance to protect the water people. They told her that as each one made the transition, he or she would go to the cave and join with the spirit of the ancients. They informed her that soon she would be joined with the ancients, not through her transition, but by the silver thread that connected her to all the sea and land. She would know the wisdom of many eons of water people. She would hold within her the power that no one being had ever known in the endless waters, and she must honor and respect that power, for if she dishonored it in any way, she would lose it all and so would end the world of the water people. It would be a great responsibility, but she had been ordained since the beginning, since before the land people moved to the sea.
The ancients then told her of challenges and perils she would face. And they revealed a tragedy. At that moment she awakened with tears streaming down her face, for she knew that too was preordained and that she could do nothing about it without upsetting the balance of the future.
A moment later, Ellura appeared by her side, took her hand, and said, "You have learned much today, little one, but now it is time for you to go to the shore beneath the cave and sit with the ancient ones." All Willow wanted to do at that moment was retreat to her own cave and mourn what she had been shown. "There is no time for that now," Ellura said. "You must go now." Willow turned to go with Ellura, and then she realized it was meant for her and her alone. Her first thought was to instantly transport herself to wherever she wanted to be without any thought of how to get there, as she had done whenever she wanted to be somewhere soon. But the voice inside her whispered to enter slowly and know the inside of the cave as she would know her own cave.
Willow entered the darkness of the cave and seemed to know just where and how to navigate through the darkness. It all seemed so familiar to her: the feel of the water, the smell of the seaweed, the curves within the rock walls, and the flow of the current that carried her through the passageways. It seemed to take a long time to maneuver her way, but she felt at home, and it was comforting.
She knew there were many spirits that had taken this path before and many going along with her even then. She could not see anything, but occasionally she felt a gentle touch and the swiftness of the water rush past her and knew something was nearby. It was the touch she once felt when Ellura's silver hair brushed against her when she first looked into the endless waters. There was something then and now so recognizable about that touch.
Willow continued to glide softly through the cave, embracing every turn, and then she noticed a flicker of light ahead. The waters became warmer and clearer as the light became more brilliant. Soon she was pulling herself up out of the water onto the glistening sands of the cave of the ancients. She sat on the silky, warm sands, running her fingers through it, watching it gently flow back to the ground. Over and over she did this. It reminded her of the many times she had visited the shore when she lived on land. Those were happy and carefree times. She knew those were the days of her childhood and she must now turn her attention to the future and her responsibility. Her attention was brought back to the present, and as she sat there alone, she began to wonder why she was there.
A strong wind rushed past her, nearly knocking her over. She had not steadied herself, as she was more accustomed the movements of the sea than of land. The wind swirled around her again, but this time she was firmly planted in place. It continued to intensify as her golden hair whipped around her body like a cocoon encompassing a caterpillar before its metamorphosis into a butterfly. The wind stirred up the sands and began blocking her vision, yet she held her ground and remained unmoved. For some reason, the sands did not sting as they had when she'd experienced storms on land. The sand was gentle against her skin, as though someone were caressing her.
As suddenly as the winds had approached, they subsided, and there was stillness. Willow lifted her head up. She gasped at what stood before her. There, hovering before her, were spirits that were illuminated with a silver translucency that shimmered brilliantly in what appeared to be a cloud that encircled her.
She couldn't speak but knew who they were without asking. They glided closer to her, though there was no water as they drifted above the sands. Soon each, one by one, reached out and touched her forehead. As they did, a luminous silver thread bridged between her and the one who touched her, until the circle was completed. There were no spoken words communicated between them and Willow. There didn't need to be. Her connection was complete.
When they had all sent forth the silver threads, they bowed, turned, and disappeared. Willow dropped to the sands. As she lay flat, she could observe only the images that raced through her mind, apparently finding their own place to rest until they were needed. Her thoughts became the embodiment of all the ancients that ever were.
Willow would never be the same. She could feel that deep within her. She had seen many lifetimes of many ancients—how they lived before they had entered the endless waters, how they had made their transition from land to sea, and how they had passed into the spirit life. She now possessed the wisdom of those who came before her.
Willow knew her destiny, yet there were still tasks that lay ahead before she would be complete. She remained on the sands for a while, and then knew she needed to return to prepare for the hunt. This time she needed to be there quickly, so she did not take the time to linger back in the cave. She knew it was her sanctuary, and she would return.
20
Vala noticed that Ellura and Willow left early that morning and that Morven had stayed behind. He thought it might be the only time he could be alone with Morven to discuss his concerns. He approached her cave and saw her sitting on the edge just outside the entrance. He stood behind a tall coral tree, contemplating whether or not he should bother her with such things. After all, she had more pressing things to think about, with Willow and the responsibilities she would someday pass to her. He hesitated for a moment and decided it was a matter he should deal with on his own. He slowly turned to glide away.
Morven looked down and said, "I have been waiting for you, Vala. Come near." This didn't surprise him, because Morven had the knowledge of the ancients, knew all that happened among the water peopl
e, and surely knew he was there. He could not hide from someone with such insight. She knew the fears and the joys of all the water people and often held counsel with them from time to time, especially those coming of age to mate. "Come sit with me, Vala, and tell me what troubles you." Of course, she already knew what was on his mind, but she did not let him suspect she did.
So many thoughts raced through his mind, he didn't know where to begin. He was a proud young man and was truly becoming a man in many ways. He sat up straight next to her and began to tell her he had wanted to be by Willow's side as her mate and her protector, but he felt her powers were getting stronger and stronger, so she would not need him. He expressed how it annoyed him to have her glide through the waters with the speed of light, leaving him behind or hiding from him.
Morven listened intently as he shared his trepidations about how being Willow's mate would require the need of her respect. He did not ask Morven for anything, but he knew she would understand and perhaps have some insight or guidance for him. After all, Willow would be taking on Morven's place as Goddess of the Sea some day.
She