The White Willow

We walked past Grandpas house and up a narrow cliff. Why Grandpa Sho had wanted to meet and Blood Falls, I had no idea. But the path was quite beautiful this time of year. The sun was just starting to rise, and the bright rays painted the hills and mountains in an aray of color.

After about an hour of walking the sound of roaring water flooded the canyon. Nikki and I rushed towards it. A large waterfall lay between two cliffs, falling into a small pond. At the bank sat my grandfather, Sho Adira. He turned to us and smiled.

"Hi, Grandpa." I said giving him a hug and handing him a container of rice and chopsticks. He took them and said replied "Hello, children. Are you here to listen to the ending of my tale?" We nodded and sat down in the grass before him.

He began. "Many years ago as the war between the East and West tribes was beginning to ease, a medicine man came to our village. He was from the Valley Tribe. He told us that a day will come when the fighting will begin again, but before that, a child shall be born; very much a part of the Tiamo Tribes but also of the Valley Tribe. The child will bear a gift. The call of the wild. This child shall change forms as pleased and speak to the animals. They will also restore our lands to their former beauty."

Grandpa waved his hands to the waterfall and to the sky. Nikki was lying on her back, hazel eyes half closed. I nudged her and she pinched my arm. I rubbed it gingerly. Grandpa laughed and said, "Nikki chan, may I speak to my grandson for a moment?"

Nikki, looking confused, nodded and walked to a bolder. I turned to Grandpa Sho who was smiling broadly at me. I gulped.

"Kyo, do you know why I want to talk to you?"

"No, Grandpa."

"Its because you are the one the medicine man spoke of."

I looked st my grandpa, trying to figure out how not to hurt his feelings. "I can't be that warrior. There's no way. Sorry Grandpa Sho." Grandpa narrowed his eyes. "Come with me, Kyo. There is something you need to see."

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I left my bag with Nikki which I was starting to regret. My mouth and throat were dry and my stomach growled. "How much farther do we walk Grandfather?" I asked as I ran to catch up to him. His gray hair was tied back in a long braid and swayed slightly in the wind. He was at least eighty-seven but could walk faster and farther than most in our city.

He turned to me and smiled again. Using his walking stick he pushed away the vines of a weeping willow to reveal a dead White Willow tree. I walked towards it. Pain twisted in my stomach and chest. Slashes carved the trunk of the large tree. A tugging pulled at my gut. "Go ahead, boy. Just place your hand to the tree." Grandpa Sho whispered gently. I started to ask why, but as I opened my mouth all words escaped me.

I knelt before the tree. Why am I doing this? The tugging sensation gave a hard yank and I braced my hands agaimst the tree. Flames erupt in my vision and pain seared my body. A boy who looked about three stood before me crying as a man with a spear prepared to slaughter him in cold blood. The boy had rabbit ears and a tail.

As the man brought down his spear I lunged for the boy. I grabbed him and ran through the forest. I ran until a woman came into view. I handed her the child and told her something, though I don't know what. She nodded, sat the boy in a hollow tree, almost compleatly hidden from view, and wrapped me in a hug. "Be careful, Joshua." She whispered frantically.

Voices grew closer to us. She made sure the boy was hidden and melted into the tree he was hidden in.

I raced back in the direction of where I had come from. I moved branches and leaves to reveal a bow and arrows. I grabbed them and pulled an arrow back. My first arrow stuck a man in his throat. Four more flooded through the brush only to meet their comrades fate. As I took a step toward the direction they had come from a spear shot through the foliage and pierced my stomach.

I fell to the ground and my head turned to a tree. The same one I had grabbed the boy away from. My fingertips stretched out to it and I dissolved into the White Willow.

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