Something New

"get any fleas, Flower? you're animal friends will give you loads if you keep hanging around them"
Grow up Natif" rayan hissed. The shaman kept walking toward his hut. He began his work early; there is no rest for a shaman. He tied the wrap around the warriros leg. "the leaves should help the swelling"
"thanks, flower" the warrior groaned in pain as the shaman tightened the wrap.
"keep it tight" rayan smirked and helped him out.
"the freak can talk to animals, what do you think?" Natif was bashing rayan once again. His girlfriend, robin was defending rayan by saying that he was a shaman.
"it's part of the job. Don't blame him for being a freak."
Rayan rolled his eyes and left unnoticed. He had a cub to take care of.
"Nanook!" he called. After a few minutes an off-white bear cub came trotting out of the trees. She was a spirit bear. A half breed of a polar bear and a grizzly. She had gotten caught in a bear trap a few weeks before. Her paw was healed and rayan had taken care of her ever since. it was against tribal law to interact with spirit bears, since they were considered sacred. Rayan was never one to follow the chief if it meant watching things die. He'd rather break a rule than let a cub die from a hunters trap.
"come on Nanook, you need a bath. " rayan said. "I have stuff to stop your itching too."
The cub chuffed at him and padded along side as he headed for a creek deep within the woods. After a quick bathing and some horsing around, the shaman headed back to camp. He had to get there by nightfall or he'd face the danger of the wolves. He quickened his pace when he heard the howls. "you're sleeping with me tonight, Nanook. " the shaman didn't way to risk the cubs life by making her stay out of the camp.
Nanook cried out as a red light came and went as fast as a camera flash. A cry was hear and rayan rushed to see what it was. Although he was a fairly new shaman, the red light was a tell tail sign of magic. The red magic wasn't good nor bad but the scream was a clue that it was a dark shaman. Rayan dragged Nanook to the ground as footsteps were heard; they were closely followed by the running of wolf paws. After sitting in the silence, Rayan finally got up and looked for the source of they cry. He didn't expect to find like since dark shamans kill for power. Not wanting to be caught himself, Rayan gave up the search after a while and went home. That night though, he had a dream. As a Shaman, he could see glimpses of possible futures. This one dream made no sense to him. He saw some die. A stranger, but then memories came. Memories of someone close to the stranger. They made Rayan awaken and he wept. The young man could feel the emotions tied to these memories and saw how the stranger died. He didn't sleep the rest of the night and conversed with his mother about the dream. "I've never cared so much for a stranger. I don't understand. It was a tribe member that held him"
"It could be someone in the tribe's future.." His mother said. "I'm not sure why the memories followed after the death, though. you'll figure it out. You're still new"
Rayan nodded and took a shaky breath. "ok. I'm...I'm going to clear my head"
"Be careful, a wendigo has been seen" His mother warned.
Rayan remembered the dark shaman that he had spotted the other night. He nodded and left to sneak Nanook out of the village. He heard wolves and knew he had to return but if he took the bear he'd face exile. He turned to his friend. "I'd rather face exile than a chief who'll throw this tribe into a war" He thought of the chief's son, Natif. He was a bully and hurt people to get his way. The cub growled and hurried off, catching a scent.
"Oh thanks just ditch me while I'm all sad" Rayan called out teasingly. He got up to follow his bear and froze in his tracks when he saw a boy laying in the fallen leaves. He raced over and realized that this was they one who cried out last night. It was only a few feet away from where the Shaman had given up the search. By now, the boy was too far gone to be saved. He was dying from a single wound through the chest. The boy was only a few years younger than the Shaman and already his life had been snatched from him. He was trying hard to keep breathing and his eyes were closed.
Rayan sat down and pulled the boy's head in his lap. The boy looked up at him with soft green eyes.
"My name is Rayan. Don't be afraid."
"My name is Damion" the boy said and ended with a cough. His eyes went wide when he saw Nanook sitting beside Rayan.
"That's Nanook. She's only a cub, she won't hurt you"
"Thank you" Damion whispered. "For finding me"
"I shouldn't have given up the search last night. I could have found you sooner"
"It's ok." Damion said and choked on few breaths.
"does it hurt to speak?" Rayan asked.
"I don't feel pain" Damion said. "Because of what I am"
"Probably why the Shaman was after you" Rayan said.
Damion smiled. "you scared him off. Thanks" I tensed up and grabbed Rayan's hand, interlocking their fingers. "I'm scared."
Rayan looked up and saw a cat, his black fur contrasting with the early morning frost. "where will he go?"
"that's not my decision to make but you know what he is."
Rayan bowed his head. "is there no way you can heal him?"
"I came for a soul, I won't leave without one"
Damion tightened his grip on Rayan's hand. Moments later it loosened and the shaman knew that the boy was gone. The cat had vanished just as quickly as it had came. Rayan sat there a bit until Nanook had come up and pulled at his sleeve. The Shaman got up and carried the body to his village. He had some of the blood on his shirt from holding the boy's body. Natif walked up and smirked. "the hell is that?"
"A boy, I found him. I wanted to give him a proper burial."
"you found him? Yeah, right freak. I saw you come out after the red light." Natif came closer making Rayan step back. One of the bully's friends tripped the Shaman making him drop the body. The chief came over and called off the boys. "What happened."
"Rayan killed the guy and brought him back" Natif accused. "Look at the blood on his shirt"
"I want to hear Rayan's story. A good chief does not jump to foolish conclusions." he scolded his son and help Rayan up. "what happened?"
"I... went out to clear my head after a dream. I found him. He was dying but it was too late. I couldn't do anything to help. I wanted to give a burial. Even though he'
s not of the tribe. You don't have to be there. Let me do it, please"
The chief nodded and instructed the young shaman to bury the boy outside of normal burial ground.
"Yes sir" Rayan picked up the body again and took him into his hut. An hour later he was ready to perform the ceremony. His mother came to give him some support. "I'm proud of you Rayan. Caring like that."
"I found him dying while walking back to home. I stayed with him so his spirit would not leave with such cruelty. I never thought that in those final hours, I could care for a stranger so much." Rayan whispered. "He was the one in my dream. someone cared for him, mother. They cared deeply."
His mother set a hand on his shoulder. "Ever think that person might be you?"
"I don't have those memories, mother." they weren't mine. Whose ever they were." He shook his head. "I can still feel the emotions connected to them"
"Let him rest, send him away with a prayer. His spirit will thank you"
"I know" Rayan said and picked the body up again. He carried it to a location far from the tribal burial grounds. Rayan performed the ritual and gave his last silence for the boy he'd only just met. An energy made him raise his head and he became concerned that the cat had appeared again. "you're death."
the cat bowed it's head. "I am. You were good to him."
"Rayan. thanks for being nice to me"
Rayan gasped and turned to see Damion standing before him. however they boy's body was still lying on the stone. "You're..." Rayan breathed out.
"You know, you were the only who was really nice to me. to bad it was when I was dying. maybe if I had a second chance we could be friends."
Rayan stared and bowed his head. "Yeah... maybe."
Some spirits can physically touch the living and Damion was one of them. He reached out and gave the Shaman a final hug. "Thanks"
Rayan let his head fall on the boy's shoulder and shook his head. "some one else did. I saw their memories."
"What?" Damion asked and pulled back. He shook his head. "what do you mean?"
"I can usually see future but I saw past. you and someone else. They cared for you deeply." Rayan smiled. "You'll be missed"
"I wish I knew who it was" Damion said. The boy shook his head and sighed. "It doesn't matter. I'm still scared but... I'll be ok. thanks for staying with me" he vanished leaving Rayan with the little death cat.
"You have great kindness for the boy" the cat said and jumped up beside the body. "yet you only just met him"
"I'm nice to everyone, I guess. I can't turn those who are hurt"
"you've pulled name from my brothers' grasp" the cat said. "I'm impressed." I licked the body's cheek and turned back to the Shaman. "due to your kindness, I give him a second chance. He's done thing that could send him to hell. Maybe with your guidance he can change that"
"why..." Rayan asked.
"Who says death is cruel. I trade his soul for one who will be ready. They will thank me for my visit. It's fair trade"
Rayan breathed out and was silenced by what he had just witnessed. he jumped when Damion took a breath, braking the silence. The Shaman rushed over to help him up. "you're..." he couldn't even get the word out.
"I know, I'm surprised too. What'd you say to him?"
"I didn't say anything he... it just... gave you back" Rayan was almost in shock. "I can't believe it. I've never... seen or... or heard anything like that"
Damion gave him a hug. "Chill out. It's ok"
"told you he talks to himself! He did dark magic to!!" Natif shouted and came out from the bush. "you're a dark shaman! I saw you bring him back to life!!"
That evening, Rayan was accused of making a deal with death. He accepted it without argue.
"I'm disappointed" his mother said with a hurt look upon her face.
"you may stay tonight." the chief said. "But then you must leave"
"Yes sir" Rayan agreed and left for his hut.
"Why do you let them treat you like that?" Damion asked. "you know you didn't..."
Rayan held up his hand. "It's ok. I'd rather be exiled then be subjected to Natif's rule in a few months. He's going to corrupt the tribe and drag it into turmoil for nothing more than land. He's power hungry and will shed blood to prove it. We'll be fine."
"but.." Damion was cut off again by Natif's irritating laughter.
"freak!" the future chief shouted.
Damion's eyes turned yellow and he made a root sweep the bully's legs out from under him. "Ass"
That night, while the tribe slept, the dark Shaman came with her wolves. They tore into the huts waking everyone and sending them into panic. Rayan gasped awake and quickly woke his friend. "we have to leave" He said and covered his head as the wall fell in. Damion stumbled back and landed next to the coals of the fire. His hand got buried in the hot coals but he felt no pain. He grabbed Rayan and the bag they had packed earlier. 3 of the dark Shamans wolves followed after them but Rayan's loyal little bear fought 1 off. Damion stopped and made the other 2 literally explode. Rayan grabbed his arm to hurry him along and jumped back as the eyes of his friend reverted back from the pale yellow. He calmed down, remembering what Damion was. "let's go"

Meanwhile their enemy was making plans of his own. "you're amazing, did you know that?"
"yeah, I did. My wolves will find them eventually" The dark Shaman was actually a woman. She was in league with the only one who had the power to bring down her enemy. "who would have thought that death let that little bastard live"
"Rayan looked so surprised. I'm glad I caught him when I did. they still couldn't have believed him tough."
"you father was gullible. He would have believed anything that freak said"
"Yeah. I'm chief now and I'll get what I want. You'll have that demon's power. You'll see"
"thanks, Natif. I know you won't let me down" the dark shaman, Zura walked out of the Chief's tent with her spirit wolf on her heels.