Watching in the Wind

Chapter 19

-Aiyana-

I am laying in the open field, looking up at the blood moon. I am distracted by the red hue that covers this lunar eclipse until I hear screaming all around me and bodies falling as I look to my right and as I look to my left. I sit up and feel pain in my head and blood falling from an open wound from my head. I look around and see Tala laying motionless on the ground. blood from his side is covering the grass around him. Where is Ehecatl? I scan around and see my members either fighting off Cusa's men or they are on the ground, wounded or dead. 

"Finally awake to see the destruction of your tribe," Cusa's words pull my attention to him. 

He is holding my Ehecatl. My blood, my life, my son! "Give him to me!"

"Shhh, don't want to spook my pup, now do ya?" he smiles. 

"He is not yours and will never be..." I challenge. 

Cusa pulls a gun pointing it at my head. I've been here before. This time I am not scared. I stare down the barrel of the gun into his heartless eyes and challenge him to see the soul he will be taking. All I see staring back at me is a cold soulless man who should've died. 

"Meet your wolf on the other side," Cusa tilts his head to the side and smiles. Ehecatl is crying and it's breaking my heart. I close my eyes and the sound of a gunshot fills the air. 

A white light sits before me and in that light is a black wolf sitting and waiting for me to approach. His dark eyes draw me in and I walk towards him. I realize that I am no longer in pain and there is no blood anywhere in sight. I look back towards the wolf and I see he is no longer a wolf but my Tala with an outstretched hand. I am torn between taking his hand and looking back for our son. When I feel his hand take mine I turn and look into his dark eyes. 

"It's not over," he says. 

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I sit up in bed covered in sweat unable to catch my breath. Death sits outside this house and the elder spirits have gifted us a warning in this dream. The blood moon. A week's time and it will present over the earth for the lunar eclipse and the moon will be covered in the blood of the people fighting for their cause. What Cusa seeks is a selfish and unrighteous way.  My people fight for the freedom of our tribe and the legacy that sleeps in the next room. 

A large hand gently rubs my back and the tall muscular man pulls me into his arms. 

"Aiyana,"

"The blood moon. They will attack the night of the blood moon," I say between gasps of air. 

Tala's body tenses and then gently squeezes me tighter. "It's time then," he whispers. 

I nod my head and we get out of bed walking to our son's room. When we open the door, there he sits playing quietly in his crib. He's a quiet baby just like his father. Silently watching the world around him. His face lights up when he sees us and Tala walks over picking him up in his arms. Ehecatl nuzzles himself further into his father's arms and my heart fills with pride. This man holds both of us close and protects us with everything he has.

"Let's take our walk," He says with an outstretched elbow for me to hold. I gladly take it as we walk to our place in the valley. 

The early morning members wave from their windows or doors. The warm air and dew from the wet grass give a gentle fog that covers the valley. The green and white contrast gives way to a beautiful picture. We sit together and watch the sunrise higher in the sky. When the fog dissipates we see the bassinet that has been missing from our home sitting just down the hill. Covered in blood.