CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
I didn't speak to Oliver again after that. I tried phoning him but he ignored all my calls. My emails bounced back and my letters were returned unopened.
Gabriel had reasoned with him and thankfully he had agreed to keep our family's secret, but at a price. The price being that he no longer wanted to be a part of our lives.
I was heartbroken. Not just for me but for Gabriel who cherished him and had done so ever since he was born.
I was also sad for his brother Ben who was completely unaware about what had happened. Oliver had agreed Ben was better off not knowing the truth that surrounded him. He then left Powell River, out of our lives. I knew that the fault lay entirely with me.
Ben had attempted to find out the truth behind his sudden departure but we refused to give him any more details than absolutely necessary. All he had been told was that Oliver and I had a huge disagreement, so big that he no longer wanted to live here. Apparently, he'd told Ben he had always yearned for more than being stuck in Powell River, so it seemed the perfect time to get away and explore what he really wanted out of life.
Ben simply accepted what he had been told. The excuses made sense to him, and so he carried on life as normal. Well, as normal as could be expected considering his beloved younger brother had effectively run away.
I could tell that it pained him that Oliver had left, but he told me that, regardless of his reasons for leaving, he was also proud that Oliver had decided to stand on his own two feet and was going to have his own adventure.
After several weeks when I asked after Oliver, Ben told me that he regularly talked to him on the phone but when I asked for more details – how he was, where he was, etc, Ben just said that he was doing okay but that he had promised Oliver not to tell me where he was or what he was doing. His only message to me: 'please stay away and don't try to contact me'. When Ben told me those words, I hid myself away for a while, shed a few tears and did my best to move on, but it wasn't easy.
Although I blamed myself, I refused to let it affect my life negatively. I still had a life and I intended to live it as best as I could. That didn't mean I didn't miss Oliver though. I missed him terribly. He had been such an important part of my early life in Canada and I wished that things had happened differently with him. He deserved it... and so did I.
My life continued, not quite as normal as before, but continued nonetheless. With Oliver no longer in the picture, Sammy didn't have as much to worry about because we rarely had any other visitors to our home. The two of us became very close, he was like a brother to me and I loved him dearly and I knew he loved me too. I was the little sister he had never had. There were days we would spend hours in the forest, Sammy showing me how he had lived there for so many years.
Throughout that lonely time, he'd had no choice but to become totally self sufficient – hunting for food and furs to keep himself warm during the winters, creating shelter, building fires... he taught me all of this and more, at the same time helping me to develop my own fitness and strength too.
Whilst there, deep in the forest with him, usually during the hours of darkness, I spent much of my time as a mountain lion, running stealthily through the trees below with Sammy flying just above the tree tops. We would spend hours racing against each other and having fun.
It hadn't really occurred to me until then, but it was like Sammy was regaining those years of his youth, the ones he had lost. The ones that had been so cruelly taken from him.
As spring turned to summer, my thoughts of Oliver and our times together gradually dwindled and I began to concentrate on other things and to look to the future.
I hadn't forgotten Gabriel's promise to me, the one he had made earlier in the winter shortly after I broke my leg. I recalled him saying that he would take me on a trip to visit the Elders and he'd said that we would go when the weather had improved... in spring. Yet spring was now nearly over.
He hadn't forgotten. In fact he was well prepared for my questions and had already begun preparations for our journey together.
With a smile, Gabriel nodded. “There's no need to worry, my dear Lilly. I have been planning our trip for a while, I've just been waiting for the right time and I believe that time has come.”
The thought excited me. Not just the fact that we were leaving Powell River for an unusual journey, but that I was to spend some quality time with my grand-father, something I hadn't really done.
When Gabriel had first mentioned that we should go to the Elders together, it was primarily to help unravel the mystery of who had rescued me after my accident, however, with the truth now fully known, we decided the journey was still an important one.
It was a rite of passage for me. At the same time, he told me, it was important for me to meet the Elders. “You never know when you might need their assistance or advice, Lilly,” he had said, almost in warning.
Of course, there was also the matter of my missing father and the Elders might be able to offer some insight as to what had happened to him and where he might be.
Gabriel explained that it would likely be a difficult trip to take and that it involved a lot of hiking through the mountains and forest trails. But, like him, it had to be taken in human form. I couldn't change into a mountain lion for ease of passage, he had warned me.
“In order for you to grow, truly grow as a young woman, you need to complete the journey as one,” he had added.
I knew I was ready, physically and mentally. I was also ready to learn more about the Elders and he told me he would enlighten me during our journey.
Gabriel had gained approval from the school to take me away for a while, with the simple agreement that I would take some extra classes during the summer holidays.
When I asked Ben if it was okay for me to take some time off work to go away with Gabriel, he had agreed that I could use a break.
We had packed as if for a camping trip. Our backpacks filled with all the gear that we would need on our journey. The first part of our trip would take place by boat. It was a very small boat too – with just sufficient space for the two of us and all of our gear. Having no idea where we were going, this little boat surprised me. It frightened me too. The only other boat I had ever been on was the ferry with Ben when he had collected me from the airport. This was seriously tiny in comparison and I certainly didn't feel safe. But Gabriel's soft voice and his kind words helped me feel at ease after a few hours on the water. At least it had a small motor so we didn't have to row.
It wasn't until we were gliding quietly through the water that Gabriel began telling me about the Elders. And from what he explained, they were not quite what I was expecting.
“The Elders live high in the Coastal Mountains, hidden from all eyes other than those they want to see. They are not all human, Lilly. Many of them are changelings, like you. Some are vampires, some are white witches. There are some creatures there that might even frighten you. But you must not be fearful. All of them are good and honest. They are very wise and they help people like you and me who know the truth about their world. You could say that they are authority figures for our kind. Somewhere we can go for help should we really need it,” he said and I nodded a little nervously.
I took a little time to let the information sink in. We were on a long and arduous journey to meet with vampires and witches? It sounded crazy but I knew that Gabriel knew what he was doing.
“Are they all really old then, Gabriel?” I asked wondering why they were known as the Elders.
“Many are very old, yes, although they will not appear to be old to us. The vampires, for instance, are immortal. They appear to be young and beautiful, when in fact they have been in existence for many hundreds of years. Some of the witches are the same. But those of them that are like you, half human, half animal, they look old because they are old. But they all have something in common. They are the Elders and they are called the Elders because they are full of wisdom and knowledge about almost everything,” he answered
.
“How did they become the Elders?”
He smiled then and told me that he had been invited to join them, but only when he feels ready. This surprised me. I was not quite sure why it should shock me so much because Gabriel was a wise and honest man, full of advice for anyone that needs it. A pillar of the community. But I was shocked nonetheless. And worried. It's a long way from his family. A long way from me. And when would he decide to join them? I hoped that it would not be for a long time to come.
But Gabriel continued to answer my question, not concerning himself with the worried look on my face, “All of the Elders are beings that have been strong and reliable members of their own communities who want to help on a larger scale. They are a kind of authority for people like us. They make rules we must follow, just like our own governments do. There is a large number of groups of Elders found throughout the world. All living in well hidden communes, like the one we're going to visit in the mountains.”
I listened intently and wondered what kind of 'people' they would be, and how many of them would be there. But the thing that really caught my attention was the fact that they make rules that must be followed by the likes of me – anyone that is not entirely human. The only rule I knew of at that point was the fact that we needed to keep our true selves a secret from the rest of the world. Cringing at the memory, I recalled how I'd already broken that secret when I'd accidentally revealed my true form to Oliver. I was lucky that he'd agreed to turn a blind eye to the truth.
We continued to motor along the calm waters in silence for a while, myself deep in thought about the rules and the Elders while Gabriel contentedly hummed to himself. Looking down into the depths of the river below, I was surprised how clear the water was. Although inviting because of its clarity, it looked icy cold and I wasn't in the least bit tempted to jump in. Our boat made large ripples behind us as we chugged along, and I watched for a while as it mesmerised me, taking my mind off what was to come.
Looking up from the water, I noticed a number of small green islands around us. I assumed they were uninhabited but I was probably wrong. Knowing what I knew then, I changed my mind and decided they were probably full of vampires and werewolves, all waiting for fresh blood and meat to feast on. The thought made me shiver, and I decided I needed to cut down on the horror I'd been watching and reading lately. Gabriel watched me and asked what I was thinking about.
Grinning, I told him that I wondered who, or what, lived on the islands surrounding us. I didn't expect him to know the answer but he did. I should have known. He usually had answers to everything.
“Only a few of them are inhabited full time,” he said, “most are used on the odd occasion by passers by like us. But there are a few islands that have small communities of special creatures,” he added, “who would prefer that we avoided them entirely.”
“Why would they want us to avoid them?”
“These creatures do not want to be tempted by what they shouldn't have, which is why they live far from civilisation.”
I noticed that he neglected to say what kind of creatures they were and I decided I didn't want to know... at least until we had passed through and were well clear of them.
Changing the subject, I asked Gabriel why we were doing this journey by boat and on foot. “Isn't it possible to reach the mountains by car?”
He laughed then and reiterated what he had said before. The journey itself was a learning experience. Something that was an important part of my becoming a woman of strength. Not just physically, but psychologically too. I thought about those words for a moment while Gabriel watched me intently. “And besides,” he added, “you'd never get a car up there,” he chuckled.
I didn't have an answer to that so we sat in silence for the rest of the boat ride. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, as if he was trying hard not to smile.
We reached the shore a short while later and Gabriel took off his shoes and socks and hopped out to pull the boat safely out of the water. I jumped onto the sandy beach and helped pull it further inland, where he carefully tied it to a large tree trunk before drying his wet feet and putting his shoes and socks back on before he caught a chill. He seemed to know exactly where things were and so I asked how many times he had made this journey before.
“Many, many times,” he said, “whenever I need to get away I come through here on my way to the Elders. I came a lot after your mother and Neleh died and when your father and you were taken away. The Elders knew it was the one place I found some peace. But, like I said, it's not just the destination where I found peace. It was the journey too.”
It was certainly peaceful and I could imagine how it would calm the soul after those awful things had happened.
After we'd had something to eat, the two of us set off on foot, leaving the boat and the river behind us. I was a little nervous about the hike – it was my first, after all. But I was grateful for all the exercise I had been getting with Sammy. It had made me fitter and stronger and ready for whatever the world had in store for me.
I thought of Sammy and what the world had in store for him too. He could never be a part of the world he had lived in all those years ago. As long as he had those massive wings, he would have to remain in hiding. It was a sad fact that made me heavy hearted. As far as I knew, the only way he could have his life back again was if we found Vivian and somehow reverted the curse she had placed on him. I had high hopes for these Elders.
Later that night after much walking, we had set up camp, built a small fire and ate supper, when Gabriel surprised me with another talent I knew nothing about. He carefully took out a small musical instrument from his rucksack and began to play the most beautiful tune I'd heard since my first arrival in Powell River when I'd heard that Portuguese song that had led me to Rose.
The instrument looked like a kind of flute and I was so shocked when he carefully put it to his lips and played it so beautifully, especially considering he'd never played it in my presence before.
Lying down by the fire and snuggling into my sleeping bag, I stared up at the night sky and listened intently to the music. Even though it was quite chilly, I felt completely peaceful and comfortable. It was a magical feeling, lying there, listening to him playing and watching the sky filled with the brightest of stars. I enjoyed the moment, keeping very quiet until he had finished.
“That was beautiful Gabriel. How come you never play at home?” I asked, sitting up and leaning on my elbows as I looked across the softly burning fire towards him.
“It's something I only do when I come out here,” he said, before he continued to play some more. The music, combined with the gentle sound of the running water from a little stream nearby, gently lulled me to sleep.
Surprisingly I slept remarkably well that night. I had thought that the cold would prevent me from getting a good night's sleep, but the fresh air must have counteracted it. I awoke feeling fresher and more alive than ever.
Climbing out of my warm cosy sleeping bag, I noticed Gabriel had already packed up his sleeping bag but was nowhere to be seen. All his things were still there, though.
“Gabriel,” I called out and waited for a reply, but none came.
Again, I yelled his name even louder and hoped that he just hadn't heard me the first time. But nothing. I decided to sit and wait for a while, hoping that he had just gone for a brief walk while I slept.
It didn't take long for my mind to begin running riot with terrifying possibilities. Vampires, werewolves, witches, bears. Had any of these creatures taken my grand-father? I could feel my body twitching, wanting to change. I knew that my senses would be a hundred times more in tune with the nature surrounding me as a lion. If I changed, I might be able to find the creatures that had taken him. But he had told me this journey was one that must be taken in human form, regardless of what happened.
So I stood still and breathed deeply, just as Rose had shown me. I had to keep calm and relax.
“Ah... you're awake,” yell
ed a cheery voice and my entire body slumped forward in relief.
“Gabriel... I thought something had happened to you.”
“You seem to forget that I am becoming an old man. My ears aren't quite as good as they were when I was your age,” he laughed, “I was just washing my face in the stream,” he added.
Since discovering the truth about myself, I had become more of a worrier. I decided it was something I needed to work on as we both sat down and enjoyed a nice cup of tea.
“We have a long and arduous hike ahead of us today, Lilly. It's important that we stay focused,” he said, adding “but if something should happen, remember what I told you. This is a journey to be made in human form. You are not to transform yourself, except only in the most dire of circumstances.”
I agreed, wondering why it was so important, but I didn't ask. I was too busy thinking what 'the most dire of circumstances' could be. A niggling little doubt crept into my mind, that something awful was going to happen.
On the other hand, it could be a test. Could Gabriel be testing me? Was this some kind of ritual that all changelings had to go through? I hoped it was, at least then I didn't have to worry about a nasty experience awaiting us. Did I?