The Discovery by Emaleth Summer
It was on my thirteenth birthday that I discovered the place, no coincidence I’m sure. One evening, while walking from the meeting house, I saw her. A great white wolf was standing at the edge of the woods, not quite leaving the shadows of the trees. No one else seemed to notice her, nor did they notice my interest. Without a sound she beckoned me to follow. Of course I could not; the woods were forbidden to us children because of the dangers, and so many were present. I walked on, pretending to see nothing, until I reached my home.
All through supper I sat silent, barely touching my meal in anticipation. My distance was not remarked upon. My parents were used to such melancholy behavior, even on such celebrations. I was the outcast; the child no one played with and everyone thought to be different. Had they truly known, I may not have lived out my childhood in peace.
When it came time to retire, I went to my room as I did any other night. I brushed my hair, climbed onto my straw mat, and laid my head down to rest. As my eyes closed, I beheld a vision; the wolf was calling to me once more, very close now. I rose, threw the window sash, and looked down to see the wolf below me, silver in the light of the full moon. Again she beckoned. This time, I came.
I crept slowly through the hut, careful not to wake my parents. The door always creaked when opened, but this night it was mysteriously silent. It then became clear to me that some higher power wanted me to be in those woods this night. It was an alien thought to me for, up to this point, I had never believed in any God that I had been told of. Yet the words rang true. Someone was calling me, and without a sound.
I followed the wolf through the village, careful to be silent. I carried no torch, as the light would have attracted attention at such an hour, but I could see quite clearly by the light of the full moon. No clouds were in the sky to disrupt this light, and everything the beams touched seemed to be in the light of day. I continued to follow through the field to the edge of the woods. The wolf turned, seeming to assure himself that I still followed. Frightened yet bold, I held my head high and stepped onto the barely visible path.
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There is nothing like the woods at night. All creatures of the night join their songs to form a beautifully eerie chorus. Moonbeams wind through the trees, casting shadows that take their places on the grassy stage. And when the wind blows through the bushes, the shadows begin their timeless dance. It’s magical.
And it was into this setting that I ventured that night, into the depths of the woods behind my village. By way of a narrow path, formed by a multitude of animals over the years, I found my way to an ancient place forgotten by many. Through the trees I walked, ducking to avoid low hung branches, until at last I came upon my destination: a clearing, calm and peaceful, the largest in all the woods. Even with the wind blowing fiercely throughout the woods, this clearing was untouched. Not an animal stirred, not a branch moved, not a cricket sang. The wolf stopped, turned on me, and then appeared to vanish. I more carefully examined my surroundings.
In the center of this clearing sat a large, flat slab of rock, weathered and polished to a shine by the ages. It rested on two smaller boulders, forming a type of table. And as I drew near, I could begin to make out the carvings on the altar. They were ancient symbols of the Goddess in her three forms, displays of the Lord and Lady throughout the seasons, and marks of the Elements that surround our lives. It was a place of worship and a place of ancient power as well.
I had seen these symbols once, in an old book I had found beneath the floorboards of our hut. I believed it to be my grandmother’s , but did not show it to anyone. The old religion was banished from this land long ago, and any who was outspoken against the Christian God was banished as well. And so I had held my tongue all these years. Now, as I beheld these symbols, much became clear to me.
As my eyes moved over the stone, I saw that the very book I had just envisioned lay open on the altar. And there, on the other side with her arms raised high in the air, was a very old woman with white hair. She seemed to see me not, yet I knew she was aware of my presence.
Like the breeze, I heard her whisper, “So mote it be.”
She lowered her arms, looked up at me, and spoke at last. “You know not who you are, though it is buried deep within. You know not your power, though it is inside. Let this night show you at last your nature. You are a witch, by heritage and by power. You are my granddaughter, loving and pure. I had hoped to teach you, but my time came too soon. Take this book, that it may guide. Remember this place, that you may gain knowledge and access to the Powers That Be. Your life is yours to live, the power yours to use.”
She seemed to vanish as surely as the wolf. When I turned, the wolf was again at my side, and I knew they were connected. The wolf had led me to her, and carried her message.
I spent the remainder of that night reading through the book. It contained information about the Goddess and the God, the many Sabbats that were part of the religion, and ways to rule the Elements. Walking back to my hut before sunrise, I felt as if I were truly seeing the world around me for the first time. The Goddess, the Elements—they were everywhere, waiting to be acknowledged.
From that night forth, I have returned to the clearing many a night. I have studied her book of shadows, and learned much. I have traveled the world searching for others, but those tales must wait. But through it all, the great white wolf, whose name I learned was Korin, has been by my side. She has warned me of danger, stopped me from my mistakes, and helped to use my power for good.
