The Mark of the Guardian
What would you do if you discovered your six foot tall Lakota guardian angel was stuck in your reality with you, and couldn't return to the Spirit World? This is exactly the dilema Eartha, a mixed-blood Lakota woman finds herself in when Gray Eagle her Guardian pops in to comfort her one evening after a hard day at work.
When danger comes to knock on Eartha's door, the dynamics change as do the questions. What starts out as a mission to get Gray Eagle back to the Spirit World instead becomes a mission to save Eartha's life as well as their love.
Excerpt
Eartha watched in fascination as an oval circle of swirling light became larger and larger until it encompassed nearly a quarter of her bedroom. Seconds later she could see the outline of a figure, and then a man stepped through as the glowing portal disappeared with a strange zipping sound.
She knew her mouth was hanging open, she could feel it. Astonishmentswept through her blood and froze it. Truth be told, she felt like a statue, just standing there with her hands hanging limply at her sides, her mouth open. Come to think of it, her knees didn't feel too good either. She wondered if she was going to faint, because it was a sure bet her head was starting to swirl like the concentric ribbons of light in the strange portal he'd come from.
"Great Goddess!" she thought, "He's got to be at least six foot five! And that hair." Her mind thought dreamily. The man had long pitch black hair that ran down his back to his waist.
She thought she saw a couple of eagle feathers tied in there somewhere. He was wearing a breechcloth and leggings with quilled moccasins on his feet. His chest was bare but for a bear claw necklace. Her eyes wandered back up his tremendous length until they came to rest on his face.
The man had the gentlest eyes she'd ever seen. Black orbs that seemed to see and know everything about her right down to the last secret.
She nearly jumped when the Indian came closer and gently took her hands, urging her to sit down on the edge of her bed.
"Washte." He murmured.
The poor woman looked like she might pass out on the spot. The Guardian watched her carefully. She didn't seem to be frightened of him, but then he hadn't dealt with a human female on a one to one basis in many centuries. He could be reading this one completely wrong. His senses were never quite as reliable in the physical as they were in the Spirit World.
In some still functioning part of Eartha's brain she recognized the man was speaking an ancient form of Lakota. Her father was Oglala so she recognized that much, and the quill work on his moccasins was done in the plains style, though it seemed older than the style her aunts did. Why was the man wearing a breechcloth and leggings? He was dressed almost like he would be for a powwow, but less elaborately than her male cousins who were both fancy dancers, and the more traditional grass dancers. What was going on here?
"Who are you?" She whispered.
His charge was speaking in the white man's tongue, and ever one to be resistant to the changes the whites brought, it took him a second to figure out what she was asking.
"Eh?" He tipped his head to the side.
"Don't you speak English?" She fired more of the strange words at the Guardian.
"Little." He found the word he was looking for, dredging it up from long ago when the black robes had come, bringing with them their strange religion and beliefs.
Eartha pondered his answer, her eyes intent. As far as she knew there were very few Indians these days who didn't speak English. Who was this guy and where had he come from?
"Who are you?" she asked. "What's your name?"
She was speaking too quickly, her words firing like gunshots. He caught the word "name" and realized she wanted to know what he was called. Again there was a problem, he hadn't used that name in so long he almost couldn't remember it. He'd simply called himself "Guardian" as the old ones did, his name denoting his purpose.
He shook his head. He had only thought to reassure her, but realized now it would have been better to withdraw farther rather than speak with her. There were some things he just couldn't explain and his lack of understanding the white man's tongue wasn't helping matters.
"Guardian." It was the only word he could think of to explain to her. Giving her his spirit name from when he was alive would mean little to her. He nearly groaned aloud, he should have gone with his first instinct, for she was now looking at him with suspicion.
Eartha didn't like what she'd just heard. Maybe she couldn't explain the portal, but science was advancing very quickly and she was beginning to wonder if her guest might be someone's idea of a practical joke.
She stood and removed her hands from his in a decisive gesture, walking around the bed to put it between them.
"What do you mean, Guardian?"
What was the matter with her? The Guardian huffed silently. He'd known her relatives had taught her about Guardians, he'd made sure of it. He'd been there when her grandfather told her stories of their people and how everyone had a Spirit Guardian.
He turned his back on her. He would have to prove it to her, so there would be no doubts! He would withdraw back into the light and then return. It would sap his energy, but it would be worth it to prove his point.
"Protector." He repeated.
Eartha watched from her bedside. If she didn't know better, she'd think he was trying to tell her that he was her Guide. That couldn't be though, could it?
He couldn't return! The Guardian tried again, but he seemed unable to do so.
Eartha watched in stunned silence as the man before her shimmered; colors sparking off his body. Nothing else happened though. A few seconds later the lightshow stopped, and the man was staring at his hands as though he'd never seen them before.
"What's wrong?"
The Guardian looked up utter surprise in his eyes. Then his eyes seemed to register his understanding of her words.
"Cannot return." He told her.
"What do you mean, cannot return? You mean you can't go back to where ever it is that you come from?" Her voice rose to a shriek, and she raised one hand to her ear and tugged on her earlobe. It was a nervous habit she'd had since she was a child.
The Guardian stared at her in growing horror, his eyes wide and his pupils dialated. He had to get back! It was one thing to drop into the physical every now and again to offer comfort or help a lost child home. It was quite another to be stuck in the mortal world permanently.
"Must return." He stated emphatically, trying to make her understand.
Eartha narrowed her eyes at him, "Well, which is it Protector?" She sneered at him, "Cannot return or must return?"
How dare she mock him! The Guardian drew himself up to his full height. His English might not be the best, but he could make himself understood!
"Both, I cannot return now, but I must return!" He thundered.
Eartha rolled her eyes as if to say, Yeah, right.
"Well, I don't know which one of my cousins put you up to this pal, but you're outta here!"
Did that mean what he thought it did? Did she presume to throw him from her home? How dare she! He had once been a great Lakota healer, respected by his entire tribe. His best friend had been one of her grandfathers, although several times removed. All had welcomed him into their homes! What was more, he was her Guardian. He wasn't going anywhere. It was about time she understood that.
"I go nowhere Eartha. I am Guardian, I will stay and protect as is my right."
He had the most interesting accent! When he said her name it was without the r, because the Lakota language had no r sound. It came out sounding like Etta. Just for a second, she entertained the thought he might be who he said he was.
He saw the doubt begin to creep into her violet eyes. It was the opening he was looking for.
"I not hurt Eartha. I protect you for always. You know me. I always with you. I come to you one other time. You are four or five I think, grandfather had died."
Eartha started, she had never told anyone about the man who had come to her room when her grandfather had died. The man had spoken only Lakota but she had understood enough to know he was trying to comfort her. She'd been on a window seat with her knees drawn up and her face buried in her lap. She hadn't seen the man come in, but he'd come in and picked her up and held her on his lap until she'd gone to sleep. When she'd woken up the next morning he was gone. She'd always assumed it was a relative from the reservation that she'd never met before then. With a child's easy understanding she'd never again questioned it. Now she wondered though. Could it truly have been this man? She looked at him more closely. Could he really be her Guide? She'd always believed she had personal protection but she'd never realized they could just pop in and out like this.
The Guardian was smiling now. He came towards her and picked up one of her hands.
"You remember now, yes?" He asked.
She had to tip her head back to look up at him. "I think so, but I always just thought that was one of Dad's relatives from the reservation." She wet her lips with the tip of her tongue nervously.
"Yes, I know you thought this. It was easier to let you think that. Did not want to frighten you. I wanted to offer, what is the word? Comfort?"
"Yes, that's the word, and you did you know, comfort me I mean. You gave me such peace, I didn't grieve so badly for grandfather once you came."
"I am glad." He squeezed her hand then let it go.
Eartha couldn't believe it, but she had to accept this man was truly a Guide. There was no other explanation for his knowing about what happened when her grandfather died.
"Do you know why you're having trouble returning to the Spirit World?" She asked. Maybe there was something she could do to help him like he'd helped her once.
She'd always had a kind heart, his little Eartha. Unlike some Guides, he had only one charge, and there had always been a deep affection in his heart for her. He watched the light glint off her black hair, the blue highlights flashing when she tilted her head waiting for his answer.
He sighed. "I do not know. This has never happened before. But you misunderstand, I not in Spirit World. I am in ethers while doing protection work. That way, I am always with you."
"What are the ethers?" Eartha had never heard of these before, she'd always assumed Guides watched over their charges from the Spirit World.
The Guardian saw her puzzlement, and he almost smiled again. "Ethers are an in between place. I chose to reside there to watch over you rather than the Spirit World."
Now she was really confused. She'd never heard of this in between place before. "I don't get it. Why would it matter? I mean you Guides are all powerful aren't you?"
Eartha watched the Guardian. He was staring off into the distance; his body was in her room, but his mind was far away.
The Guardian was remembering. Eartha didn't know it, but he was a Guide like no other. Unlike other Guides he'd been a man who'd never suffered a physical death, but had simply been granted the ability to cross over into the ethers along with his other special powers. Tohis knowledge once her life cycle was done he would go on to the Spirit World as he would've had he died a normal death. He remembered the day two hundred years before like it was yesterday, and the conversation he'd had with Wolf.
It was the season of falling leaves,and winter would be upon the small band of Lakota soon.