Message-ID: <62750asstr$1376464204@assm.asstr-mirror.org> X-Original-To: ckought69@hotmail.com Delivered-To: ckought69@hotmail.com From: IJ Glenncannon <ijglenncannon@gmail.com> X-Original-Message-ID: <i9tk09d2v92nus101kmfoe41pa4imm1v9f@4ax.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Auth-Sender: U2FsdGVkX19Mr9qQ61gBhzaKBKRA08HekKDVVs9q/eg8tWsY73zgRg== Cancel-Lock: sha1:udJ5TuRrqInvhKANwqoPHTb4UgI= X-ASSTR-Original-Date: Tue, 13 Aug 2013 11:09:42 -0700 Subject: {ASSM} Solstice Magic 03: Country Magic and City Magic - Yiska and Shilah 1-6/6 (MF, MF, +totem spirits, magic/fantasy, nosex, fairly mainstream) Lines: 715 Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 03:10:04 -0400 Path: assm.asstr-mirror.org!not-for-mail Approved: <assm@asstr-mirror.org> Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories Followup-To: alt.sex.stories.d X-Archived-At: <URL:http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2013/62750> X-Moderator-Contact: ASSTR ASSM moderation <story-ckought69@hotmail.com> X-Story-Submission: <ckought69@hotmail.com> X-Moderator-ID: dennyw, emigabe Solstice Magic 03: Country Magic & City Magic - Yiska and Shilah 1-6/6 ---- Yiska [B]: The night has passed (Navajo) (American-Indian Name) Shilah [B]: Brother (Navajo) (American-Indian Name) Sani [B]: The old one (Navajo) (American-Indian Name) Niyol [B]: Wind (Navajo) (American-Indian Name) ==== Yiska & Shilah 001: Another Life Touched --- Yiska settled in the dirt, across the fire from his grandfather, and sighed, then waited patiently. Eventually the old man nodded his head slightly. "I hoped it would be you." He smiled at his grandson. "It was ego, not the Spirits speaking, when I asked that your true name be Yiska." "Not the Spirits?" The old man looked down, at his clenched hands, and sighed. "The Spirits last spoke through any of us shortly after the white man took our lands away from us. That neglect is the Great Secret we Spirit Talkers have kept from our people." "Wisdom, or fear?" "Both. Speak, Yiska, and I will listen, then give what I always have, the advice of a man who remembers, and uses that, to understand the people he is responsible for." "Thank you." Yiska studied his hands thoughtfully, then turned one over and held it over the embers of the dying fire. It flamed anew, and he watched his grandfather while his hand was surrounded by the flames. "I was one of the people the energy passed through. I felt it, Grandfather. Then, when the light vanished, I could still feel the power within me. I am frightened of this, but as you have always taught us, I confronted my fear, and in private, have sought the power, and begun learning how to call it, and..." He fell silent, then turned his hand palm up, and the flames hovered above it and took on the form of a coyote. "Forgive me, grandfather. I have dared to make my vision of my totem, real, so I can attempt to believe the Spirit People are real, and not just another dream, inspired by the drugs we use in our ceremonies." They both gasped when the flame coyote suddenly turned her head and studied each of them before she spoke clearly. "We Spirits are as real as you make us, Yiska, Shilah. Through us, your hidden mind speaks, so you may better know yourselves, and the world around you. Seek the Mystery Couple, until you find them, and become the men you are supposed to be." The coyote image vanished, and the flames died out. Yiska lowered his hand and sighed. He looked at his grandfather, and finally smiled. "You'll enjoy Stonehenge, and the people who take care of it, Grandfather. They are very open minded about the old ways, for white skins. They have their own stories, about Spirits, and their... odd ways." "So I have always heard, Grandson. You are more traveled than I, so I will let you guide me in this." "Only if you find a way to make the rest of our clan give us the money we will need." Shilah laughed. "Your totem has spoken, to both of us. Her orders were clear, even to an old man such as I am. They will help us, because through us, the old ways will return, completely. This is... a desirable future!" Yiska chuckled. "I will let you decide if we should take anyone else with us." Shilah sobered. "I think the Spirits will allow us the time we need, to make the best decisions we can, before we begin our Great Journey." Yiska nodded, then both of them spent the rest of the night in silence, while they meditated on what they had learned. ==== Yiska & Shilah 002: Spirit Calls --- Shilah and Yiska stood near the edge of the small crowd and watched the man who held a pair of dowsing rods while he spoke of ley lines, and power. After he finished his demonstration, Shilah spoke thoughtfully. "All that, yet he cannot feel what is here. I, who never thought he would do more than wish, can feel the power that surrounds us. It is... as you said, Yiska. I am frightened. Still, there are things passed down, that might take on new meanings, here." Yiska nodded. "Perhaps, Grandfather, it is time to see if my totem will deign to help us." Yiska faced Stonehenge and spoke softly. "Respected Sani. I know it is much to ask, but we seek a sign that we are truly where we should be, to begin our search." A few people gasped, and Shilah spoke reverently after an eagle and a coyote appeared on the altar stone. "Niyol! I... Forgive me, for not truly believing in you, for so long." The eagle screeched, then launched himself and began to fly away. The coyote yipped commandingly, then leapt down and began to run in the same direction. Yiska gazed at where they had vanished over a rise, and finally sighed. "I think, Grandfather, we were answered, and have the sign we sought." Shilah studied the docent, who was studying them thoughtfully. "What lies in that direction?" "I don't know. There is a map on the wall of our gift shop. Perhaps it will help." He held up his dowsing rods. "I have dowsed this area many times over the years I have been here, and I can say with confidence that whatever it is they follow, it is not a line of power that I am familiar with." Shilah nodded slightly. "The Spirits have eyes we do not. We will follow them, and learn whatever it is they wish to teach us. Thank you." Then he reached and touched one of the rods. "I have heard of such. I have used something similar, as an aid to learning, until my belief in what my body was telling me overcame my doubts, that there are things we cannot see with our eyes. Seek within your mind, the next time you use these, and listen to the feelings in your body. Perhaps, someday, you will be able to feel the incredible amount of power that surrounds us, here." The docent nodded, then chuckled. "It is said that if you want to know where something is, you should ask a cabbie. Maybe one of them will know what is over that rise." Shilah smiled. "Again, you have our thanks." He glanced at the stones, then sighed. "Let us collect our women, then we will find one of the cab drivers and see if they might help us." Yiska snorted, then gestured at the people who had gathered around them. "I don't think it will be that simple." Shilah looked around, then smiled. "I have not seen such focus on a Spirit Talker, since the last tribal gathering." He raised his voice. "We will walk once around the stones, and answer questions while we do so. Then, we must be on our way, for The Spirits have limited patience with us mortals, and it is not wise to annoy them by focusing on our worldly concerns after they have spoken so clearly." They made their journey, and part way through it they were joined by their wives, who glanced at the crowd, then started laughing. Yiska's grandmother gestured at the parking area once they were headed there. "Our chosen cab is waiting for us." Shilah studied her. "Chosen?" She shook her head slightly. "Chosen. You will understand, when we arrive. *We* had nothing to do with it!" The four of them exited, and when they approached the line of waiting cabs, Yiska sighed and moved ahead of the others. Once he was standing next to the cab, he gazed at the coyote who was sleeping on its hood. "Is it permitted for me to know what made you choose this man?" Sani raised her head and gazed at him. "I was bored, and so was he. Now, we are both not-bored. His mind tastes very good, when he is not-bored." Yiska nodded. "Thank you, Sani. Is there anything else you desire to share with us?" "After all of you get inside, I will run in front, and guide you." "The cab is not a horse, and will not follow you if you leave the road." "Niyol has scouted the way. I will play the new game by your rules, Yiska." Yiska's eyebrows rose, then he sighed. "Do not get too upset if we travel slower than you." "I will use the eyes of my new friend, and keep within his sight." "Thank you." They got in, and the cab driver finally settled and started his engine. "Tha' Lass has a way about her, doesn't she?" Yiska laughed. "She is a Coyote. Think of her as a cousin to your foxes." "I noticed. She jumped on the bonnet, then stuck her head through the windshield and told me to wait for her humans to arrive. After that, she curled up and ignored me, except to open her eyes and grin, when I tried to push her off." He pulled out, and sighed once they got on the main road. "She moves well in traffic." Shilah snorted. "Coyotes are good at game playing." He stuck his head out the window and looked up, then brought it back in and pointed. "What lies that way?" The cabbie thought about it, then shrugged. "Lots of open land, and a tea room the locals favor when they aren't interested in going to the pubs. Not many tourists go there. Mostly, that's because unless they have a local guide, they don't know it's there." Shilah did his own thinking. "I have heard that many here are quite ceremonial when they drink their tea. Can that be said of the people who use this tea room?" "Sometimes." Eventually Sani darted onto a narrow lane, ran along it for a few hundred feet, then vanished. The cabbie sighed. "Well, folks, the only thing at the end of this road is that tea room. I guess this is where you're supposed to be." "Thank you." Shilah turned to his wife. "Pay the man double whatever the fare is. Any man who can remain calm during his first encounter with a Spirit Coyote, deserves a bonus." After they were out and he was paid, the man spoke thoughtfully. "Should I wait?" Shilah shrugged. "No. We'll call for another cab when we are ready to leave. Perhaps we will walk back to Stonehenge and take a cab from there." "They're your feet. Been a pleasure, after the shock wore off." Yiska laughed. "Pleasure, or not-boring?" "Both, lad. Both." Before he could say anything more, Sani appeared and jumped into the cab, through the closed passenger window, and settled on her haunches beside him. "I wish to see this new land while you go about your business. No one will see me, except for you." He looked at his former passengers, and finally sighed. "How long will you be riding with me?" "Until I get bored. Dog says it is traditional for one to put their head outside while a car is moving, and bark. It is silly, therefore I will try it. You may proceed." She stuck her head through the glass once the cab was moving, and then she started barking. Everyone left behind watched them until they were out of sight, then Shilah gestured at the couple who had come out the door. "They have the look of people who have been waiting for something. Let us find out if we are that something." ==== Yiska & Shilah 003: The Return --- Yiska gazed at the valley and smiled slightly enough that his grandfather chuckled. "So, Grandson. The attainment of wisdom isn't quite what you expected, is it?" "No. Was it like this for you?" "Not really. It came upon me slowly, like a stalker in the night, then one morning I woke up, looked at my people, and realized I was no longer a boy, but a man who held our future in his very shaky hands. They still shake, but at least my voice is usually steady when I speak to them." Yiska glanced sideways and grinned. "Your hands were steady enough, when you caught me doing what I shouldn't!" "Brisk movement often hides what we do not wish others to see." "I shall remember that, my Spirit Father." Both of them laughed, then they started walking the rest of the way home, with their wives beside them. * * * It was the dogs who noticed them first, as they were supposed to, but after that, their reactions were not those of dogs. They came from everywhere in the village, and formed two lines as they settled on their haunches along the main road. The elder dogs and bitches surrounded the four, then, with heads held high, escorted them the rest of the way. The village council was waiting for them, and the man in charge nodded his head at the dogs. "Thank you. Go or stay, as you desire." They all settled in place, then perked their ears at Shilah, who smiled a bit wryly before he held out a piece of paper. "The people who spread the news were very generous. We have repaid what we were loaned, and added some extra so The People will be able to act upon their dreams, finally." It was taken, studied, then people smiled and nodded. "Indeed. This is a good thing, and as the Spirit Talkers have long foretold. The four of you have the look of people who are living more in the Spirit World, than this one." Yiska spoke. "It is true. Sani and Niyol led, and we followed, until we met those who were able to show us how to find our true path." He turned his head slightly. "Come, my wife. It is time we did what we have long wished to do." They went to the dry well that was nearby, and stood on opposite sides of it. They raised their hands until their palms were facing each other, then Yiska spoke commandingly. "Beloved Sani! Our children thirst! Will you help them?!" A coyote came running, leapt into the well, and a few seconds later dirt was flying out in a tall geyser. Minutes later there was a rumble, followed by a pillar of water that had Sani atop it. After it peaked, she leapt into the air and vanished. When the water hit the ground, it flowed into the old channels. There was a stunned silence, then children and dogs, plus many of the adults, jumped into the flowing water, and laughing, shared it with each other when they weren't splashing each other with it. Yiska and his wife lowered their hands, then returned to stand in front of the elders, who had managed to maintain their poise. Yiska smiled slightly. "Sani has spoken. No longer will we thirst, and with the Mother of Life returned, our crops will grow again, and be plentiful. As it was in the past, so will it be in the future, and hunger will become a memory, instead of a fact of life." ==== Yiska & Shilah 004: Greed Trumps Control --- One of the two men used a damp towel to wipe the sweat from his face, then he lifted the binoculars to his eyes again. "Dave, tell me I'm seeing things." "I wish! Jase brought in a sample, to see if he could get an order to blow that damn artesian well so we'd have some control, again. Can't do it. He took the sample himself, too. That's distilled water, Jed, in a place where there shouldn't be *anything* of value." "Distilled?! Impossible! Get another sample, then doctor it somehow. Do what you have to." A calm voice spoke from behind them. "I wouldn't try that." They spun and stared at the relaxed young man who stood there. Jed glared. "Just like you folks, to be sneaking around." "I'm in good company, right? Law says this is public land and I can be here if I want to be. Sound familiar?" "Your word against ours, if something happens to shut down that well. Who are you, anyway?" "Yiska." He gestured at the animal by his side. "Like you folks to meet Sani. She's a Spirit Coyote, and my Totem Spirit. Since she's the one who dug that well, she'll have something to say about it, if something happens. You folks might as well get used to it being there." They turned and started walking away. Jed looked at Dave and nodded slightly, so Dave reached to his belt and withdrew the pistol that was in his holster, then calmly started shooting at the two who were leaving. They kept walking until he stopped, then Yiska turned his head and they could see his slight smile. "Sani says that was fun, and is wondering if you'd be kind enough to reload and do it again. Aim a little lower and to the left when you shoot her. There's a spot she can't reach when she scratches, and she'd appreciate it, if you deal with it for her." He turned away and they kept walking. Dave reloaded, raised his pistol, aimed it, then sighed and lowered it. "You get the feeling we were set up, so we'd find out the rules have changed?" "Looks that way, doesn't it? Since they know we're here, let's go get our own samples, if they'll let us near that damn well." * * * "Ok, Jed, Dave. Let me in on the joke." Dave sighed. "What joke? Tell us about those samples of well water we brought in." "Well water? Can't be. That was distilled water in those vials." "All of them?" "Yes." Dave sighed, got his phone out, and showed Hank the video he'd taken of the collection process. When it was over, Hank sighed. "You two are serious, aren't you? Well, all I can tell you is that all of my tests came up negative. Two possibilities, the way I see it. That well really does produce pure water, somehow, or someone tampered with the samples. I'll leave it to you to figure out which. I have to get back to work." He turned and headed back to his lab. Jed sighed. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" "Go ask that Yiska what the fuck is going on?" "Got it, in one. Let's go." * * * When they got to the village and asked to see Yiska, some of the kids formed an escort and took them to a spot on the edge of the village, where a young man and an old one were sitting on the ground and intently studying the chessboard that was between them. Eventually the old man looked up and smiled. "I'm going to lose, but it's important we play the game out. What can we do for you?" Jed glared. "We'd like to know what's going on, with that well. Lab says we collected distilled water." "Is it? We'll have to have a talk with Sani, after one of us looks up what minerals should be in it. Then, too, she could be playing a trick on someone. Coyotes do love a good joke." "Yeah, so you say. Don't count on that water being around much longer, or being safe to use all the time." "So belligerent. Plenty for all. Could we interest you in a deal?" "What kind of deal?" "You know your ways better than we do. We've never understood your fascination for bottling and selling what is given freely, but we're pragmatic enough to take advantage of it. We are going to build a bottling plant for our people. It will provide employment, and give us a convenient way to carry our water when we journey. Whatever is extra, we are willing to sell. You are here. Perhaps you would be interested in exclusive rights to what we sell?" Jed raised his eyebrows, then settled and studied the old man. "We're interested. Let's see if we can come to an agreement about this." * * * After the two men left, Shilah looked at Yiska and smiled. "Centuries of practice, and they still bargain poorly." Yiska shrugged. "The scent of money can be intoxicating for some. I saw no need to tell them all of our plans." Sani appeared and sat on her haunches. "Yiska, you are a pup of my heart, and I am proud of you." She turned her head slightly and grinned at Shilah. "Niyol says you have the vision of a true eagle, and he will help you find the future you now see only in your dreams." She vanished. Yiska's lips twitched, then he leaned back on his hands and roared with laughter at his grandfather's bemused look. He soon sobered slightly, and used one hand to point at his grandfather. "You have the look of a man who is wondering if he should return the gift he has been given, but he's also afraid of what might happen, if he does!" Shilah finally snorted. "I have not felt thus since my wedding night. I think I will do the same thing I did then, and learn patience, until my heart accepts it and I no longer feel confused about the gift I have been given!" ==== Yiska & Shilah: 005 --- Jed, Dave, Shilah, and Yiska were standing in the same place where Dave had tried to kill Yiska, the year before. Jed spoke thoughtfully. "How come, even though our agreement made the two of us millionaires, I have the feeling we got hornswoggled, when we made that agreement with you folks?" Yiska shrugged. "You got what you wanted, so my advice is to let it go. You folks have a story about a golden goose. Heed it." Jed changed his approach. "I don't get it. How can a name like 'Sani-Clear', take off and get to be one of the most sought after bottled water brands in the world? You folks must have some pretty savvy marketing wizards." "It's a cultural thing, mostly. 'Sani', in our language, means 'the old one'. It's a title of respect. Then, too, there's the fact it's the name of my Totem Spirit. To our people, it's like saying the water has been blessed by one of the spirit people who guide us, because she's letting us use her name on it. Then, too, it *is*, in a very real sense, her well, because she dug it for us. Naming what we decide to sell, after her, is not only fitting, it's amusing. The amusement value is the most important thing to remember, when you are dealing with a Spirit Coyote." "So it's sort of like you're making holy water?" "Not really. All we've done is admit our debt, and done our best to repay it." "Strange folks, but we already know that. We stopped by to let you know there is a pretty serious group of health inspectors coming out to look things over, and run tests. Not our doing. I think one of our competitors put them up to it, to see if they can find an excuse to close us down." "If they do, we'll just dig another well, and keep going. Relax. There's nothing to find." "Hope so. We're used to the money that's coming in. See you folks again, sometime." Yiska and Shilah waited until they were gone, before they both laughed and started walking back to the village. Shilah shook his head slightly. "Poor Jed. Must have hurt, to admit he needs us, and we don't need him. Last year, he would have stood aside and hoped the inspectors would do his work for him." Yiska laughed. "Let's hope they don't irritate Sani, just by doing their job. I think she's proud of the way things turned out." "Humans are fun to be around, some more than others. I have never played with health inspectors before. Do they have a sense of humor?" Yiska smiled. "They might, but the laws they follow, do not. You already know the requirements we have to abide by, if we are to keep walking the path to our dreams." She studied him, then nodded. "I will play this new game well, Yiska. You needn't fear that I will cause you and your people to step off the path you have chosen." "Thank you, Sani." This time, instead of vanishing, she walked to the village with them, and as soon as she was spotted, she was surrounded by kids, many of whom carried a Frisbee, and they begged her to play with *their* Frisbee, and not the others. Shilah watched the antics for awhile, then he smiled. "We are blessed, to be favored by her and Niyol." Yiska chuckled. "Many call life 'The Great Game'. I think Sani has been sent to help us remember that it *is* a game, to be played well, and with... a joyous enthusiasm that keeps an eye out for the absurd, so we do not take it too seriously." ==== Yiska & Shilah: 006 --- The chief inspector held out his hand to Shilah. "I don't often get a chance to say this. It's been a pleasure, and you folks passed with no problems that we could find, and believe me, we looked. However you do it, I wish more plants used your techniques." Shilah shook the man's hand. "Thank you, Inspector. I hope you'll understand, when I admit we're glad they don't. We wish them well, but we are in the business to make a profit. As for our techniques, they're proprietary secrets, and we have no intention of marketing them, yet." "But you might make them available?" "It's always a possibility, but we suspect that they won't work for others. A big part of it is our mindset, and that's something that can't be turned into a machine." "True. It's normally not a part of the inspection, because we're concerned with the end product, but is there some way we could get a sample of the water you use, before it enters the processing area?" Shilah thought about it. "That pipe is pretty slick. I don't want to put anyone at risk." The inspector sighed. "I understand, and we didn't bring anything long enough to reach as far as we need, to get good samples. Well, thank you for your time, and we'll be back next year, unless someone files a complaint about your product." "Now wait. I didn't say it couldn't be done. If you're willing to take a small chance of contamination, there might be a way." "If there is, we're willing to take the risk. Mostly, we want to see what you start with, before it enters the pipe." "So you want a sample from the pond, near the inlet?" "At least six inches below the surface, if it's possible." "Would your sampler reach, if someone was lying on the pipe?" "Easily." Shilah nodded, then looked down and sideways. "Sani? New part of the game?" She bobbed her head, so Shilah nodded back before he studied the man thoughtfully. "If you're willing to look a little foolish, prepare your sampler, then show Sani how it works, before you hold it so she can grab it wherever she wants to." He turned slightly. "Let's make it a little easier, by shutting off the pumps while Sani does this. Tell our people to replace all the inlet filters, since we have the chance to do it before we have problems." The young man he had spoken to ran off and Shilah smiled. "Any time we can prevent a problem or save some time without affecting a run, we'll do it." Sani sneezed and he looked at her. "The idea is for you to do this *without* taking a bath, Sani. The gentleman isn't interested in seeing how much of your hair you can put in the water, before you get the sample." She watched him briefly, then faced the inspector and perked her ears at him. The man sighed, then gestured at his people. "Set it up, and let her watch you do it, before you show her how to operate it. At this point, I'm willing to go along with them, just to see what happens. I'll decide later, if I want to make a record of the technique we used to get our sample." They set things up, showed her how it worked, then one of the men offered it to her. It was a long pole that held a sampling container, that had a lid operated by a trigger that was built into the main handle, that was shaped like a pistol grip. The device was simple, and easy to use, if you had hands. Sani studied it, put her mouth over the handle, and held it there while she tried to move the trigger with her tongue. When that didn't work, she let go and sat while she thought some more. The next thing she tried, was grabbing the handle near the end, with some room between the side of her head, and the trigger. She clamped firmly, then lifted a paw and put the back of it against the trigger and pulled it backwards. When that worked, she snorted delicately, then lifted her head so the sampler lifted away from the man's hands. She obviously thought about it, then raised her head until her nose was pointed at the sky. After that she headed for the pipe, jumped on it, and walked to the end. Her head came down until the vial was where she wanted it, then her paw came up and pressed the trigger. She held that pose briefly, then lowered her paw, raised her head, and instead of trying to turn around, simply walked backwards until she could jump down and amble over so she could offer what she held, to the man she'd taken it from, who stared at her briefly, before he seemed to realize what she wanted. He took it, studied it, then sighed. "We have our sample." There was a long silence, then the chief inspector sighed. "I didn't see her do the impossible. Let's pack our stuff and go home. We can run the tests later." * * * A week later, Yiska got a phone call. "We have the results of our tests. Don't try to explain how come that sample is identical to what goes in the bottles, and gets shipped all over the world." The man hung up before Yiska could say anything. He smiled, and looked at Sani, who was watching him. She sneezed at him. "He had a sense of humor, after all." ==== End: Solstice Magic 03: Country Magic & City Magic - Yiska and Shilah 1-6/6 -- Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated. +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | alt.sex.stories.moderated ------ send stories to: <ckought69@hotmail.com>| | FAQ: <http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/faq.html> Moderators: <story-ckought69@hotmail.com> | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |ASSM Archive at <http://assm.asstr-mirror.org> Hosted by <http://www.asstr-mirror.org> | |Discuss this story and others in alt.sex.stories.d; look for subject {ASSD}| +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+