The sound of the near by rushing water filled the ears of the two young siblings as they walked along the tree line. They had been sent out along with all the other children to gather wood for the ceremonial fire. It’s an event held every ten years to celebrate the choosing of the next Spirit Guide. Both Kithlya and Lentz were members of the Yu-ne-hay tribe. The Yu-ne-hay Elders believe that, if the right child places wood on the fire on the night of choosing, the flames will tell them the Guide has been chosen. Tonight was the night, and it was getting dark. The kids had to hurry if they were going to make it back in time.
Kithlya had always been afraid of water. Just the sound of the river made her shiver a little through her long cream colored coat. Lentz teased her about it, just like little brothers do.
"I bet you couldn’t even cross the river in a hunt!" He laughed because hunting was a very important duty for the older dames of the tribe. As he giggled, his large ears flopped over his face causing him to stub his paw on a large tree root.
"That’s what you get for teasing!" Kithlya walked a little taller to show him he hadn’t gotten to her.
The path they were taking had brought them to a fallen tree that served as a river crossing. Kithlya was noticeably nervous, and began pacing on the shore, contemplating what to do. The raging river had claimed many lives and she had heard stories that shook her as a child.
"Oh come on you big baby! You can almost just jump over the whole river from there. It’s easy!" Lentz was impatient and didn’t have any sympathy for his older sister. Plus, he liked exploiting the fact that she was scared of something that didn’t frighten him in the least.
"Oh, if it’s so easy, why do you jump over it? And I’m not a baby." Kithlya had turned away from him to hide her emotions. She knew she had to cross, it was already dark and she was sure the Ceremony had started already. Just when she got up the courage to rush across the log, she heard a heavy splash a bit downstream. She glanced over, not expecting to see anything, but shocked to spot Lentz in the river!
"Lentz! Grab the branches!" She ran down the river’s water line and saw him grab a thick tree branch near the middle of the fast river. There was no way to get to him, and he was starting to slip.
The frightened young wolftaur cried out, "Help! I can’t…." His head kept dipping under the water as he struggled to maintain his grip. His arms and hands were wet and slippery on the smooth bark of the birch tree. Kithlya was his only chance and she knew it. She closed her eyes to calm herself and took a slow breath.
She felt her body begin to gather strength from the deep water and the steady trees behind her. She felt herself grow stronger as the river went silent. Her large ears were no longer their normal dark cream color, but a blazing black with white markings at the tips. When she opened her eyes, they gave out a soft yellow glow that illuminated her brother clinging to his lifeline in the river. No longer filled with the uncertainty of her childhood, Kithlya leapt into the raging river to retrieve her kin. Grabbing the scruff of his neck, she carried him out with motherly tenderness, but a warrior’s strength. Upon reaching the opposite shore, it was clear that the sister Lentz had been teasing just a few short minutes ago was no longer there. Kithlya stood tall and unshaken as the younger wolftaur looked up from the ground, mesmerized. The new Yu-ne-hay Spirit Guide had been chosen.
Kithlya had always been afraid of water. Just the sound of the river made her shiver a little through her long cream colored coat. Lentz teased her about it, just like little brothers do.
"I bet you couldn’t even cross the river in a hunt!" He laughed because hunting was a very important duty for the older dames of the tribe. As he giggled, his large ears flopped over his face causing him to stub his paw on a large tree root.
"That’s what you get for teasing!" Kithlya walked a little taller to show him he hadn’t gotten to her.
The path they were taking had brought them to a fallen tree that served as a river crossing. Kithlya was noticeably nervous, and began pacing on the shore, contemplating what to do. The raging river had claimed many lives and she had heard stories that shook her as a child.
"Oh come on you big baby! You can almost just jump over the whole river from there. It’s easy!" Lentz was impatient and didn’t have any sympathy for his older sister. Plus, he liked exploiting the fact that she was scared of something that didn’t frighten him in the least.
"Oh, if it’s so easy, why do you jump over it? And I’m not a baby." Kithlya had turned away from him to hide her emotions. She knew she had to cross, it was already dark and she was sure the Ceremony had started already. Just when she got up the courage to rush across the log, she heard a heavy splash a bit downstream. She glanced over, not expecting to see anything, but shocked to spot Lentz in the river!
"Lentz! Grab the branches!" She ran down the river’s water line and saw him grab a thick tree branch near the middle of the fast river. There was no way to get to him, and he was starting to slip.
The frightened young wolftaur cried out, "Help! I can’t…." His head kept dipping under the water as he struggled to maintain his grip. His arms and hands were wet and slippery on the smooth bark of the birch tree. Kithlya was his only chance and she knew it. She closed her eyes to calm herself and took a slow breath.
She felt her body begin to gather strength from the deep water and the steady trees behind her. She felt herself grow stronger as the river went silent. Her large ears were no longer their normal dark cream color, but a blazing black with white markings at the tips. When she opened her eyes, they gave out a soft yellow glow that illuminated her brother clinging to his lifeline in the river. No longer filled with the uncertainty of her childhood, Kithlya leapt into the raging river to retrieve her kin. Grabbing the scruff of his neck, she carried him out with motherly tenderness, but a warrior’s strength. Upon reaching the opposite shore, it was clear that the sister Lentz had been teasing just a few short minutes ago was no longer there. Kithlya stood tall and unshaken as the younger wolftaur looked up from the ground, mesmerized. The new Yu-ne-hay Spirit Guide had been chosen.
