As always the sight made me breathless. There was only fifty two horses that were fully trained for the village and they were all here at Herbalist Hardandra's house.
"Herbalist Hardandra! Mister Smokes! Are you home?" I called walking towards the horses pen out back. If I've learned one thing visiting Hebalist Hardandra it was that she was NEVER inside.
"Out back feeding!" she yelled back making me smile, I knew it. As soon as I came around the corner she raced to me to take the basket. Most villages have an Elder as the Herbalist but Herbalist Hardandra was barely twenty three and knew more than all our Elders combined.
"Beautiful! Mister Smokes hasn't been feeling the best lately and these will definitely help! Thank you, Lead Daughter Kate!"
"Just Kate!" I insisted reaching up to scratch Mister Smokes chin causing him to chirp happily. As usual the silver ferret was stretched out- laying around Herbalist Hardandra's neck like a living scarf. "Do you have time to tell me a story?"
"You know," she laughed, "when I was a kid it was the Elders who told the stories."
"Yeahhhh," I drawled, "but they always tell the same stories! Over and over and OVER! I like your stories that aren't the same old 'ten idiotic kids that went after a Kelpie'"
"What? You mean you don't want to hear about how the Herds leader, the Kelpie, drowned nine kids and the tenth kid had to cut off his hand to escape?"
"No! That's boring! Tell me about the magic world!"
"Hmmm, I don't know Mister Smokes doesn't seem to be in a story telling mood...."
"That's why I brought these!" I exclaimed pulling a blueberry out of my pocket and offering it to Mister Smokes. Immediately he scarfed it down and as soon as he'd eaten the berry he ran down Herbalist Hardandra's leg and stood beside her on his hind legs.
"That put him in good spirits." She laughed before glancing at the now setting sun. "Are you sure you can stay? It's almost dark..."
"Mom said it's fine!"
"Okay well how about I tell you about Mister Smokes world?" My eyes widened.
"World? He's not from our world?"
"No, none of the Spiritus Vinculum-"
"What?"
"Spiritus Vinculum, Spirit Bond. None of them our from our world. Spirit Bonds are formed between a human from our world and an animal/creature from The Other. No one knows what really causes Spirit bonds to form but once they're there you'll know..."
"Wow..."
"And you will know you aren't ever alone either... You will always have them at your side. Your best friend." she said looking down fondly at the ferret.
"Have you been to The Other?"
"No, I only know what Mister Smokes tell me about his old home."
"He can talk to you?!"
"Well more like he shows me with images... anyway that's a topic for another time."
"Well, what's he shown you?"
"He's showed me everything he's seen in his home there are so many other creatures out there." Smokes chirped causing both of us to look down at him. He stretched up tall on his hind legs, waving his front paws in the air. "He wants me to tell you about the Sheam." Smokes chirped again before sitting back down on all fours.
"Sheam?"
"Yes, Sheam little creature that resemble fairies from fairytale books. They are little people who fly with tiny dragonfly wings. They live at the bottom of rivers. And most sleep all through the day and then as soon as night falls they fly out. The second they touch moonlight they light up, almost like fireflies but much, much more. They aren't all the same color in fact the Sheam can be ANY color." She looked down sadly at Mister Smokes, "Oh Smo..." She looked back up at me, "he misses it you know? His world, the games the creatures would play, the safety of home, he misses it. All of it." I knelt down beside Mister Smokes and scooped the little ferret into my hands.
"What do you miss the most Mister Smokes?" I asked searching the ferrets forest eyes as if the answer would just appear there. He chirped, jumping from my hand and glancing back at Herbalist Hardandra.
"Are you sure it's dark enough Smo?" she asked biting back a smile.
"Dark enough for wha-" I started but before I could finish Mister Smokes darted off into the woods. "Mister Smokes, wait!" I didn't have time to think, Mister Smokes would never run away which means he wanted to show me something and I was falling behind!
Darting between trees I sped up trying to keep the tiny ferret in sight. But it was no use, within seconds the speedy ferret was out of sight and I was leaning on a tree gasping for breath.
"And I thought I was the only one who could almost keep up with him," Herbalist Hardandra exclaimed as she caught up to me.
"Sorry Herbalist Hardandra but I have no clue which way he went..." Instantly she burst out laughing, "what's so funny?"
"You really think I don't know where Smo went? He's headed to the North Meadow- just a little ways from the ocean, we can just walk the rest of the way."
"But the Hunters said the wild Herd was headed that way just before sunset."
"Well then the Herd is probably there now grazing."
"Exactly my point! Isn't that a little... Dangerous?"
"Trust me, We'll be fine." And just as she said it we broke through the tree and into the meadow. And there they were... The Herd. Hundreds of horses grazing and sleeping; no trace of ferocious anger in their eyes.
"I still don't see Mister Smokes," I whispered.
"Wait for the dance to start."
"Yeah your right the dance... Wait what dance?" I asked.
"The moon dance, the thing Smo misses the most." I turned my head up to look at the moon that was currently hidden by a cloud. I continued to watch until the moon fully emerged from behind the cloud sending down its brilliant luminous light. Hebalist Hardandra nudged me to get my attention- glancing at her I followed her gaze to Mister Smokes who was barely visible sitting on a low tree branch on the other side of the meadow. "We're watching Smo! Go ahead and start, I'll follow your lead!"
And with that Smokes leapt off the branch, landing smack in the center of a horses back. The horse didn't react, but what shocked me more was Smokes began to run across the horses back and then jumped to the next one and the next one and NONE of them reacted. He continued leaping across the horses, the moon catching his fur and igniting each tip into silver lights. His movement mixed with the moonlight mad him appear fey and unreal- it almost seemed as though there were silver sparks rippling through his fur.
He leapt to the ground twirling circles closer and closer to us. Just as I thought it was over Herbalist Hardandra leapt forward and began twirling circles around Smokes. The moon turning her long hair into blonde fire that flowed about her as if it had a mind of it's own. Smokes chirped happily, running up her legs and perching on her shoulder as she continued to spin.
She threw her head back and laughed, "we should do this more often, Smo!" Still grinning she slowed down, safetly allowing Smokes to jump down. They both circled each other gathering closer. They both sped up instantaneously as thought they were both listening to the same music that was secret to them. They moved faster and faster until Hardandra was nothing more than a gold blur with flashes of sky blue eyes and Smokes was a flashy silver storm with glowing forest eyes. Closer and closer they came until suddenly Herbalist Hardandra had yanked me into the fray- twirling me around with her.
Mister Smokes danced between her and I, never missing a beat, staying perfectly in the center between our ever moving feet. Before I knew it she let go and I was flying around the clearing on my own. I should've been embarrassed twirling around like this. I should be scared dancing next to the Herd. But I was neither, the more I moved the more I felt... Free. Not only that but it was as if each circle threw and invisible weight off of me, every worry I've ever had leapt away from me as if the moonlight had burned it.
I closed my eyes... And yet I could swear I still saw the magic light from the moon. The light that seemed to send pulses through the ground and all the way, not to my brain, but to my heart. And suddenly I could hear it. The beat Mister Smokes and Herbalist Hardandra were dancing to. I reached for me, engulfing me in a hug as it beat through me like a second heart. I never want to stop moving, and even it I did want to, I don't know if I could. I opened my eyes twirling faster and faster. If you spun fast enough blurred together, no longer singular objects but colors, feeling, and... Light. No more Herd, no more me and her, no more ferret, no more this or that it just was. I sped up even more, twirling further away from Herbalist Hardandra and Mister Smokes lights.
I spun through the center of the "dangerous" Herd, so close that I even brushed against some of them. I had no destination, I just let the moon control my heart and with it my direction. The leaves under my feet from the forest suddenly gave way to soft grass which soon turned into cool sand. I continued to be a slave to the moon dancing so fast the beat was the only thing I heard. The moonlight blinding me. All I had to rely on was the feel of the Earth and my own heartbeat. I danced further into the waves of the ocean. The beat slowed and with it I slowed, gradually gaining more and more sense of my surroundings. I was about knee deep in the ocean, no one else was in sight. No more bright light. No more beat. Just me standing in the ocean, grinning like a maniac from the experience. I looked up to see the moon covered by another cloud.
I glanced around taking in everything on shore, it was all so beautiful. Overwhelmed I half bowed, thank you moon for letting me join your sacred dance, I thought before internally laughing, did I really just thank the moon? Splash. I spun around scanning the water for the source of the noise. There! Two dark blue orbs, staring at me from beneath the waters surface. I reached my hand towards it, getting closer and closer-
"Kate!" I spun around forgetting the eyes. "There you are!" Instantly I left the ocean walking over to where she had sat down on the sand. "You know, I've never seen a human moon dance like that before."
"Is that a bad thing?" I asked making her laugh.
"If it were a competition you'd take the crown." she said glancing down lovingly at a sleepy Mister Smokes who simply chirped before curling into a ball in her lap. "Oh Smo, sleepy sleepy boy, his chirp- he was -"
"agreeing with you, I know."
"Yes! I'm surprised you understood him. The other villagers don't like him enough to learn. My sweet Smo, they actually think he's some form of demon sent from The Other..."
"It makes me wonder what else the village says that also wrong..." You wouldn't be the first to question, but you are different.... I blinked "did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"Oh never mind I think I'm just tired."
"Your right I should probably get you home to bed," She lifted Smokes into her hand as she stood up before offering me the other. I rubbed my hands together to know off all the sand before grabbing her hand so she could help me up.