Darker than dark, blacker than black was the space all around. There was no sense of gravity, direction or anything available to convey where, ‘where’ lay. Here on the Dark Road, a traveler was far from where they were going as where they started. A traveler on the Dark Road either knew their destination or was hopelessly and forever lost. Confidence filled the Traveler as did a child running along a familiar path. The destination was quite clear and the time between departure and arrival made no noticeable impression.
Bursting through the surface of a crystal clear lake, the Traveler took in a much needed breath of clean air. Breathing within the Dark Road was unnecessary, but very much so upon arrival at the destination. That deep gout of air seemed sweet as the first breath taken at birth. Feeling the gravelly lake bottom grinding beneath bare feet was also an enjoyable sensation. The Traveler felt copious amounts of water pour onto shore from soaked clothes while exiting the lake. The early morning sun did little to warm the mountain air or give cause for thin patches of snow to melt from the ground.
Cold crisp air caused steam to rise from the Traveler’s body as legs and arms began to shiver. Much higher aground, the Traveler reached a sturdy young tree which stood guard over the path leading away from the lake. The Traveler smiled upon feeling the rough bark against a cold hand. Many years from this time, the tree would become a sturdy giant. A sudden movement caught the Traveler’s eye. With sight trained intently upon the forest and thick foliage ahead, the Traveler reached out a hand as if to touch what may lay in wait.
It was strange to the Traveler’s senses, for no living thing could be felt. Not even the trees or foliage gave off any signs of life. Turning to the young tree, gone was the robust living thing it had been. In its place was a skeletal, hollowed out wreck upturned by some powerful unknown force. The pall of long ago death was now everywhere and the lake had turned into a sulfurous, boiling mud trap. Hard packed earth encrusted the land to the horizon with only the bones of trees littering the ground.
Only an old crone with the same ash colored mud clinging to her hard and cracked as that upon the ground was present. Though she sat upon the long dead stump of the Lake Tree, she looked as immovable as the hardened earth. Her eyelids slowly opened causing bits of crusted mud to fall in pieces and dust about her withered cheeks. Those tired hollow eyes took in the Traveler with no hint of emotion. Ancient parched lips cracked open as the Crone hoarsely whispered, “You cannot save me....”
****
A pair of deep brown eyes opened suddenly and took in their surroundings. Above was a whitewashed adobe ceiling tinted by the warm glow of the morning sun. Thick white gauze curtains moved back and forth from a warm breeze and birds sang their noisy best outside as they welcomed the new day. One particular bird’s song caught the ears of those eyes owner for its peculiar song sounded similar to, ‘you can’t save me....’
The Priestess sat up on the thick bed cushion used during the winter months and lamented being awakened with so dark a dream and so unsettling a birdsong. Her husband was off already with his son no doubt hunting or continuing the young man’s lessons. She rose ending with a luxurious stretch and a lionine yawn. Looking back at the cushion, she recognized it would soon be too warm to leave it on the bed and needed to be replaced with the cooler, but less comfortable summer mat.
Changing the bed cushion would have to wait. First a good wash, then a meal of fruit and salt water boiled eggs her husband left out for breakfast. As she gathered up a drying towel and a fresh linen skirt, the Priestess almost felt guilty her husband let her sleep late. Come midday, she would hold the ceremony to close the gaps in the Dam until mid-summer. The River would continue to flow as was agreed millennia ago, but through much smaller gaps now the Spring Flood and Trout Run were over.
The Priestess made her way to the wash area behind the house and felt the pleasant touch of sun on her naked skin. Standing in the stall made from mortared stones, the Priestess pulled on the rope causing the contraption her husband created to shower her in a steady stream of fresh water. Ages ago on a number of occasions, the Priestess remembered using far more elaborate and technologically advanced shower facilities. But, this was the first one specifically built for her since was a mortal. The water was brutally cold, but to feel so intense a sensation of pleasure and discomfort at once left the Priestess breathless.
Little things like a good meal, a shower and a session of bruising lovemaking with her young husband were the great joys obtained by the Priestess while she possessed this mortal shell. Long ago, the young woman’s soul which occupied this shell passed on to the beyond. Before the body expired, the brave suitor who became the Priestess’ husband convinced a goddess to take up life as a mortal. Due to her god of a second husband’s interference, the transfer from divinity to mortality was incomplete. Instead of becoming a fully mortal woman once more, the Priestess was a goddess within a mortal body.
It was a difficult transition learning to literally ‘contain herself’ within this frail mortal body. However, it was also a unique experience. Many times in the past had the Priestess taken up mortal life. While mortal, she lived with no knowledge of her godly self and would pass through life from cradle to grave. A short time after her mortal death, she would rise again fully divine with the memories of her latest mortal existence. This time, she seemed to have the best of both worlds. With the host soul gone, it was her godly self which took the place of that which gives life.
The Priestess could feel and knew many mortal frailties but none of its infirmities. This body could be killed. But long as she wished it so, her mortal shell would live. More than three thousand years passed since the Priestess took up this body. For a time, she would allow her shell to grow old and temporarily die only to be ‘reborn’ again as the new ‘Priestess’. After more than a thousand years, she’d given up the ruse for the people of the Valley had come to revere her as a goddess anyway. The drawback of her ‘half and half’ life, was she was completely in touch with her godly power.
Unlike anytime in the Priestess’ long existence, she had to learn unearthly levels of patience. With a careless thought or gesture, she could wipe out everything which had taken millennia to build. Now was one of those moments to exhibit her legendary patience. She had an unwelcome guest. “Can I help you?” The Priestess pulled the rope once more and the flow of water cut off. Steeling herself, she opened the folding mat curtain and looked upon her visitor. The Priestess was greeted by the unflinching gaze of a pair of deep red eyes.
A long moment passed and her visitor said in halting bits, “H-hello... I-I whuh-whih-w-wish t-to ssspeak....” The Priestess fought the overwhelming impulse to crackwise at her visitor’s expense. Instead, she pushed away the ire brought on by this breach of her home and pleasant washing experience to a far off place. “Yes, what is it you want?”
The visitor was the entity which followed the Aesir Chief to the Valley after stumbling across him years ago on his quest. Somehow, the still unnamed entity convinced the Chief ‘she’ meant him no harm thereby gaining entrance to the Valley Realm. Despite some serious difficulties in communication and cultural misunderstandings, the two seemed to have reached a point where they were becoming companions.
All that was fine, but whenever the Chief had to attend his duties with the Mountain Guardians, his ‘companion’ would make a beeline straight to the Priestess’ door. The entity wasn’t a goddess in the true sense of the word, but more of a type of being having reached a powerful state of development. Having spent an unknowable amount of time wandering the Dark Road before finding the Chief, expanded the entity’s natural abilities into the supernatural sphere. Of which, annoyingly allowed her to pass through the barriers keeping minor otherworldly pests off the Priestess’ patch of land.
Though the Entity was surprisingly powerful, she had a serious limitation. Because she was from a watery realm, her activities on land were curtailed. But wherever there was water, the entity could go. Of which was the reason she stood outside the Priestess’ formerly private shower stall. The Entity standing in the water pooled outside bent down deeply in deference to the Priestess and asked, “W-what... t-to do?” With the prospect of finishing her shower in a leisurely manner undone the Priestess replied, “Wait here.”
The Entity waited upon bended knee in the pooled water behind the strange structure. She had been to the upper world many times, but had never tarried so long in this hostile environment. She could do as the many denizens here did and traverse the dry ground by ‘walking’ as they called it. Yet it was an unfamiliar mode of travel and she could do it only for so long before tiring. Just as the heat from the orb high above the upper world was beginning to weaken her, the ruler of the upper world called out the words, “Come here!”
The Priestess was seated at a heavy wooden outdoor table under the full shade of a cypress tree. Her breakfast was pleasingly laid out upon the table in colored earthenware dishes given by worshippers long ago. A specially prepared ‘seat’ waited next to the table and her guest seemed grateful to sit within the wooden washtub filled with seawater. While eating, the Priestess listened patiently to the Entity’s concerns about what she should do here in the Valley. She wished to approach the River Goddess, but the Priestess warned it would be an ill-fated decision to do so. The River Goddess was just as the Mountain God..., best left alone.
There was also concern expressed about the Chief’s absences. Though there was water in small amounts upon the mountain, the Entity dare not trod upon its back lest she awaken it! When he was away, the Entity had no reason to be in this hostile and peculiar environment. The Priestess could completely understand the Entity’s predicament. She too had suffered the desire to be active for an age long after she’d struck an agreement with her ancient enemies the Mountain and River. Though peace had been obtained, there came a long process which allowed the world to heal after uncounted ages of conflict.
The Priestess for a time weathered the doldrums with hunting down the many lesser and minor gods vying to fill the vacuum created by the cessation of war between the great powers. But such vigorous pursuits engaged her attention for only a short time. Eventually any minor power worth her attention had been vanquished and once more the Priestess faced the long march of time alone. Even gods suffer the maddening effects of idleness. Just when it seemed she too would succumb to madness, the Priestess felt the first twinges of life being born in the Valley. It was quite small at first with tiny creatures living among the broken stones. Then, the first hardy plants broke through the hardened crust of what would one day be rich soil.
If not for the spark of life taking hold in the Valley, the Priestess knew she would have gone mad. So what to do with a minor, but powerful entity now taking up residence within the Valley? Though she was a being of the waters, there was no chance the River would allow anyone to usurp her influence. The answer came quickly and its simplicity made the Priestess smile.
Her breakfast finished, the Priestess held out her hand to the entity and said, “First, I have to do some things and then I shall help you. Take my hand and I will make it easy for you to follow me.” The entity’s head cocked slightly to one side quizzically. An instant passed ending with the goddess’ offered extremity being encircled by a webbed and crystalline clawed hand. The Priestess’ warm brown eyes flashed with amber fire and just as quick, returned to their mortal appearance. Clasping the Priestess’ hand was now one similar to hers. Before her sat a young woman with coppery brown skin and eyes to match. Thick black hair fell past her shoulders in gentle waves.
Stunned, the Entity gazed upon her hands and then saw her new reflection within the tub of water. As she gasped and started to wail, the Priestess silenced her with a gentle hand on her dark shoulder. “Do not worry. You are not mortal. I would not be that cruel.”
The Entity’s dismay caused tears to fall from large doe eyes. In an attempt at reassurance, the Priestess smiled once more. “This is just a temporary form you may take when you wish to walk upon the land. Also, it will be easier to move among the mortals here when you are in this form. It will only last from sunrise to sunset.” At the mention of the transformation being temporary, the Entity started to calm.
“Eventually, you will learn to assume this shape as you wish. Until then, let us get you out of that tub and into some dry clothes. You will help me clean up and then you may accompany me on my duties. This evening, I will offer you something you won’t refuse.” The Priestess helped the newly minted ‘woman’ out of the tub as she began to walk for the first time. A few stumbles later and the Entity’s trepidation turned to a smile as she gained confidence and ability. Dismayed, the Priestess cringed at the mouthful of needle-like teeth comprising her guest’s smile. “Ooooh! We will have to fix that. Of course, my second husband would love it....”
To be continued....
© 2012 H. Wolfgang Porter. All Rights Reserved.
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