Feather Dance

She flew silently through the cold dark night. She was but a ghost within the forest. Unseen and unheard on her pale gentle wings. She move quickly past the bare branches of the trees, and over snow covered fields. her had to hurry. she had no time to spare, fore ever moment counted. she had to find him. the one the other birds call the Vulture, The Scavenger, The Dead Bird. she had only ever heard stories of him. in all truth she didn’t even know if he was real or just a bed time story told to scar little owlets. But tonight she hoped, and prayed that he was real. Because it was said that he could give know life to all that he touches.

She landed on a branch. Folded her wings in tight. Her head swiveling this way and that, as she tried to sense what way to go. What had the stories always said? If you want to be found, he would find you, All you had to do was ask. She looked to the sky, the moon reflecting off her jarring black eyes. She blinked and looked to the ground below.

“Ask” she said to herself, how did one simple ask to be found be the horrifying creature known as the Vulture. Her heart was racing at the thought of him. What was she doing? Could she really give herself over to this Scavenger of the dead? She let of a sorrowful cry into the still quiet night. What choice did she have, but to find him. She opened her wings, and took to the air once more, determined to find him even if it was the last thing she ever did.

farther and farther she flew, across endless fields, through dense forest, and along flowing icy rivers. she was growing tired, her wings felt weak and heavy. the once dark night was slowly fading into a new down. she passed house, after house. some were still dark, but others showed lights shinning through glass windows. cars drove by with out even noticing her fling over head. she landed in an old maple tree, with knobby breaches that went in every which direction. she lowered her head as tears filled her dark eyes. she had not found the vulture. maybe he was just a story. her heart broke as her hope faded like the darkness around her.

“I tried to find you, be I can’t go on anymore. I have flown so far, forcing myself forward on nothing be hope.” She cried out into the morning light. “Please Help, please I beg you, find me, because I don't know what to do anymore. But I really did try.”

She pleaded out her heart and soul to the creature she only knew as the Vulture. She could feel herself growing weaker. Just as she lowered her head in defeat. She felt something brush over her like a gentle summer breeze. It filled her with renewed hope.

She looked around wildly for the sores of the powerfully energy that was following all around her. She heard the creak of an old porch door as it opened than closed in the quiet of the morning. She turned her head toward the sound, to face the back of a house, not to far from the tree she was resting in.

A young human man stud on the concrete steps just outside the back door of his house. His dark eyes took in his back yard, searching for something he could feel but not see. He closed his eyes, and took in a long slow breath of the chilly morning air.

“ I can feel you out there little one, I can feel that you a tired and growing weak. But you will have to guide me back to where you start.” The man said in a sadly kind way.

“Vulture?” she said, confused as to what she was seeing.was this human really the scavenger of her childhood nightmares? she watched as he walked down the steps and towards an old beat up red truck that was parked out side the house. he had a long black bread that was well past his belt. as he reach the truck he put on an old leather hat, that was easily older then he was. he raise his hand to open the door before he paused, and looked over his shoulder.

“ Don’t worry, everything is going to be fine. I promise.” He said to her calmly. He was easily hear from where she was roosting in the tree, even know his words were but a whisper on the wind. He opened the car door. He slipped into the drivers set before starting the engine, and backed out the driveway into the road.

For a moment she sat in the tree watching his driving away. Yet again her heart filled with fear and doubt. Was she really sure this was what she wanted to do? Was she really ready to give herself over to this human? She looked to the rising sun. It was now or never. She opened her wings as she made her choice. She easily catch up to the old truck. Flying just above it’s rusty roof.

They traveled together down the roads. She guide him forward. She wasn’t sure how he know what way to go. It was like he could feel her presents, and somewhere in her soul she could feel him. He wasn’t as scary as the story made him out to be.Time seemed to flow forward with no meaning at all. It was just the two of them human and owl together moving through the cold morning light.

as they moved closer to where she had first started her journey. she slowed and landed in a tree close to the road. the Vulture pulled his truck over to the side of the road and came to a stop. he stepped out have his truck and walked forward. the gravel and icy snow crunched under his boots as he approached the small feather body that laid lifeless on the frozen ground. he slowly knelt down and reached out a hand to touch the soft feathers.

“so you’re the one who has been calling to me all night,” he said sadly, “ a beautiful barn owl you were little one.” he reached into his pocket and pulled out a nice pinch of Sacred Semah. he brought it to his lips as he closed his eyes. he whispered a pray to the Creator thanking them for their goods, as well as a pray to the owl herself thanking her for her gift to him, and promising to give her new life. he opened his eyes, before he carefully spreading the semah around the owl’s broken body.

She sat in the tree watching him pray over the body that uses to be her. She had been a fool, and had flown too low over the road. It had cost her, her life. She hoped that his promise was true, and that he could give her no life. Because she was not ready to fade from this world forever.

the Vulture ever so gently lifted her body from the cold earth into his arms. he walked but to his truck, placing her lightly on the set beside him. this time she choice to ride in the truck next to him and her body. he talked to her the whole way back to his house. but his words were lost in her sadness. what was going to happen now? but anything was better, than the darkness of death.

He left her the truck at first. He walked crossed the yard and cut some cedar branches off an old cedar tree, before walking into his house. A couple of minutes later he came back out to retrieve her from his truck. She flow on to his should. Unseen, unheard, and unfelt as the spirit that she was.

He placed her body on to a bright red cloth, in a nest of cedar branches. She watch as he placed semah over her heart. He then light sage and sweet grass in a large shell. He softly blow the blessed smoke over her body, offering a part of his soul to her has he did so.

He then began to sing, his voice was as soft as her feathers. The song spoke of sadness and love, life and death, and the hope of something more. She closed her eyes and let his voice flow though her, calming her Fear and soothing he sadness. She quietly slipped into darkness without even noticing.

It was the sound of drums that woke her. Loud and proud with voices of bravery, pride, and strength. Where was she? How long had she been asleep? She opened her eyes and looked around the circle. She was taken aback at what see saw. Animal spirits dancing aside humans dressed in colorful Regalia. Wolves, Bears, and bobcats showed their teeth and claws. Deer, elk, and bison showed off their regal horns. Eagles, hawks, and many other birds showed off their powerful wings and colors. They joyfully danced together unseen by the humans that danced with them.

“ Come now little owl, it is time to dance,” a sweet ladies voice said from beside her. She turned her head to look at the spirit of and old lady that was smiling at her.

“What is going on? Where am I?” the owl asked in confuses,

“ Well, my dear, you have been reborn as a guardian spirit. And this,” the lady gestured to the circle of dancers, “ is a Pow wow. Its like a big party where we all come up together to dance.”

“a guardian spirit?” it wasn’t tell then that she noticed that she was still siting on the young man’s shoulder. it was like she had never left. but like those around him, he had on a colorful outfit with ribbons, bright beads, and feathers. her feathers. her wings had been made in to a beautiful circle bustle, with a silver mirror in the center. her tail feathers had been beaded with love and care to guard over his left shoulder and his heart. her claws hung around his neck as a fine necklace. she was shocked.

“His spirit, and your’s, are now bound as one,” the lady said kindly, “You have nothing to fear. so come now, and dance, show off you lovey feathers”

She slowly opened her wings, and with new found strength she took to the air. Joy filled her as she flow along side the other spirits. It was like nothing she had even felt before, she was truly free and without fear.

She was his guardian for he had given her know life. She would watch over him until in was his time to be a spirit. And who knows where they’d go from there, but they would go together where ever it was.