Magic on Changeling Mountain

Harvey led her around the side of the house and Carolyn followed them. They were both surprised to see that a large teepee had been erected in her father’s back yard. Harvey led Tammy to the teepee and inside. “Can Carolyn come too?” Tammy asked.

“She can wait right by the door. No one is going to harm you. We need to go on a dream quest and the fewer people in here will mean less confusion. I need to see what you have been feeling and dreaming the past few days.” Harvey told her.

Carolyn heard and spoke through the teepee, “I’ll be right here, Tammy. Don’t worry.” Colin joined Carolyn and Daniel as they waited outside of the teepee.

Harvey led Tammy over to a cushion that sat in the middle of a large dark blue blanket that had images of the moon and stars and runes interwoven in the coarse make-up of the woven cotton blanket. He helped her to sit down and then went to sit directly across from her on a blanket like Tammy’s but it was white with dark blue images of the outline of an eye and hands.

There was a small fire burning in an iron pot between them and Harvey picked up a bundle of sage and threw it into the fire. “Too clear and purify the air and keep anything evil out. Now, daughter, tell me what you have been seeing.”

Tammy cleared her throat and then said “I was telling Carolyn this morning that I have been having dreams about a stranger in the area and a dark presence. I think the dark presence is after this stranger or the stranger is after the dark presence, I’m not sure on that part. I can’t see who the stranger is, but I think the stranger is either a changeling or a familiar who can shape shift. I can’t tell much of anything about the evil presence, only that they are using dark magic.

This morning, I felt like something or someone was in my apartment with me and it felt like it or they were trying to draw on my powers or my aura. I could have sworn I heard whispering but I couldn’t tell what they were saying and then I felt kind of weak for a minute. I got scared and ran to Carolyn’s house.”

“You are right. I have also sensed a dark presence but it has not tried to tap into my magic like it has yours.” Harvey said. “Tell me about how you came about your magic.”

Tammy explained that strange things had always happened when she was excited or upset and, while she was embarrassed at first, she related to him, as she had earlier to Carolyn, about the day she realized she was a witch.

She also added that she did not have any family and had been raised an orphan, being transferred from one foster family to another. “I had a friend in high school who was a changeling. He was also a foster child, like me, but he was killed in an accident the summer before our senior year.”

“Well, you have family now.” Harvey said, as he packed something into a pipe from a small bag that he had tied to his belt. Once he was satisfied that it was properly packed, he passed it to Tammy. She held up her hands and shook her head. “I don’t smoke, but thanks.” She said.

“This is not tobacco. It’s the medicine that will take us on our dream quest. I need to see what you have been seeing in your dreams. This will allow us to share your dreams safely.” Harvey said.

Tammy tentatively took the long pipe from him and then Harvey lit it with a stick he took from the fire. Tammy drew on it slightly and immediately began to choke, blowing out the little bit of smoke she had pulled into her throat.

Harvey grinned at her and held the burning stick out and encouraged her to try again. This time she inhaled deeper and managed not to choke right away. Harvey nodded his head and took the pipe from her. He put it in his mouth and inhaled deeply as he held the burning twig to the bowl.

He passed it to her again and this time she didn’t choke at all and then took another draw himself. He exhaled at the same time as Tammy and then put down the pipe and began to chant quietly. Tammy began to feel strange and hoped she would not throw up as she began to feel light headed. Her eyes grew heavy and she heard Harvey speak to her. “Sleep child. Sleep and dream and tell me what you see.”

Tammy didn’t even feel herself lie down as sleep claimed her and she slipped into her dream again. She didn’t know it but she was telling Harvey everything she was seeing and feeling as she dreamt. She related to Harvey that she couldn’t make out faces, that they were more just shapes, shadows and feelings of someone being there.

She dreamed she was with Carolyn at the park again, the same way she had been in her dream last night. They were playing Frisbee with some friends and one of them threw it at Carolyn. She jumped but it was too high and it sailed over her head and went into the woods.

Suddenly, Tammy felt the dark presence and she became afraid for Carolyn. She ran after her into the woods to look for her but she couldn’t find her. She could feel that someone was watching her but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. “Carolyn?” She called out tentatively, then louder “Carolyn! Where are you?”

Outside the tent, Carolyn heard her call out and she started to enter the tent but her father held her back. “She’s relating to her dream. She’ll be alright. No one is going to get past us.”

Inside the tent, Tammy’s dream continued. Suddenly Carolyn was beside her in her cat form but she was acting strange. Her ears kept twitching and she kept looking around and pacing. “What’s wrong?” Tammy asked but then she felt the dark presence again, stronger this time. Carolyn pushed against Tammy’s leg, urging her to turn back.

“OK, but you come with me.” Tammy told her. Carolyn pushed on her legs but didn’t follow her. Tammy planted her feet and told her, “I’m not going if you don’t come with me.” Tammy said, trying to swallow her fear and sound braver than she felt.

Suddenly Carolyn walked behind a tree and transformed back into her human form. “There is something in these woods. I think I saw the big cat again too.” Carolyn whispered as she led Tammy back to safety.

“And you were going to go after it all by yourself?” Tammy asked.

Suddenly her dream changed and she was sitting in Carolyn’s living room. Carolyn was in the kitchen making something when they both heard a big cat scream, as if in pain. In a flash, Carolyn rushed to the back door, she turned the knob and pushed and just as she changed into her cat form, a dark smoke began to fill the house and suddenly Tammy felt as if it was trying to consume her. Tammy screamed and she woke up. Her heart was pounding as she looked around and realized that she was still in the teepee and Harvey was watching over her. “You are safe daughter.”

Tammy sat up slowly and shook her head, trying to clear it. “Did you see what you needed to see?”

“Some but it was not clear. I agree that there is a dark presence out there and you and Carolyn are definitely involved but I’m not sure why this dark presence is after you or how the big cat is involved.” Harvey said.

“You think the dark presence is after me and not Carolyn?” Tammy asked, and her eyes grew wide as Harvey nodded.

“Do you remember your dreams?” Harvey asked and Tammy nodded.

“When the house filled with smoke, it was because it was coming for you, not Carolyn. If my guess is right, the dark presence is using the big cat to get Carolyn out of the way so that it can get to you. You have something it wants.” Harvey said. “Who has trained you to use your powers?”

“No one. I’ve learned to do a few simple spells, some from an old friend and some from books but nothing fancy and definitely nothing that has to do with dark magic.” Tammy replied.

“No one has trained you at all?” Harvey asked, in amazement. “No wonder the dark presence wants you. You, my dear, are a very powerful witch. You just don’t know it yet.” Harvey told her. “You need to learn how to use your powers, quickly.”

“Can you teach me?” Tammy asked.

“I can show you some, but my talents lean more to insight and channeling. I will try to find someone who can help us. This dark presence wants to take control of you, to use your powers for itself. I’ve got the feeling that a dark witch or warlock has either been killed or been expelled from its host and its soul is looking for another witch or warlock to inhabit.

I’m most worried that you are not trained enough to defend yourself. You are powerful but so is this dark presence. But it’s losing strength and that’s why it’s becoming more aggressive. If it manages to gain full access to you and stay with you long enough, it’s going to take control and you will be lost.” Harvey said.

“I can teach you how to interpret what your dreams mean and how to take control of your aura but I need to find a witch who can train you to use your powers to defend yourself against black magic.”

“Do you know of someone like that?” Tammy asked.

“Not personally but then I have been living on this mountain a long time without much contact outside of the changeling community.” Harvey said. “But I may know of someone who can tell me where I can find one.”

“And what do you think of the big cat? Is it here to harm me or is it trying to warn us?” Tammy asked.

“I’m not sure about that yet. It may be a familiar and if so, it’s not to be trusted until we know who he belongs to.” Harvey said. “Familiars are different from changelings so I have a harder time reading them. I will have to get at least within sight distance and look into its eyes and even then I might not be able to get a clear read on it.”

They left the teepee and Tammy had to blink and shade her eyes as she stepped into the bright sunlight.

“Did you hear?” Tammy asked Carolyn.

“Most of it. So the dark presence is after you and not me?” Carolyn said and Daniel Masters sagged a bit in relief. Colin let out the breath he had been holding but not realizing it until Harvey turned and looked at him with a knowing smile.

Harvey said “I need to use your phone, Daniel.”

Daniel Masters grinned “Sure but I don’t think there are any listings for witches of any color in the yellow pages.” He joked with Harvey as they walked back to the house.

“Did he say why the other big cat is here?” Carolyn questioned Tammy. “I couldn’t hear that part.”

“He’s not sure. He said, if it is a familiar, that we shouldn’t trust it until we know who it belongs to.” Tammy said. “Tell me something. You once told me that changelings can read each other’s thoughts, right?” Carolyn nodded.

“Why don’t you try thinking to the other big cat? If it’s a changeling, you should be able to talk to it without anyone else being able to hear what’s being said. Maybe you could ask why it’s here and if it’s got anything to do with the dark presence.” Tammy said.

“I’ve never dealt with a familiar before so I don’t know if I can think-talk to it or not.” Carolyn said. “But I can try. If he can’t hear me then we will know for sure that he’s not a changeling. I know I don’t want to try and take him on alone. He’s got to be at least as big as me, if not bigger. I only got to see him for a minute and it was a long way off so it was hard to tell how big he actually is.”

“Have you noticed that he only comes around after dark?” Tammy asked.

“Yeah but then most changelings don’t change in daylight hours because it’s too easy to get caught transforming. At night, we can say it was a trick of the shadows that made us look different from a distance. Here on the mountain, we feel safe enough to change during the day but normally, I don’t change during the day time.” Carolyn said. “A big cat like me would definitely attract hunters, and so will he if he’s seen.” That’s when she realized that she had been looking and scenting for another animal that night and not a human. They would need to be in human form to be able to enter town unnoticed, so he must have transformed and walked into town after all.

They sat down on the steps of the porch and waited for Harvey to finish his phone calls. Carolyn introduced a few of the changelings to Tammy and they greeted her cordially but none of them were overly friendly towards her.

Carolyn glanced at her watch and realized that she was late for her appointment at the clinic and wished Harvey would hurry up. If nothing else, she needed to use the phone to call down and tell her assistant, Cindy that she was stuck at an emergency and to hold down the fort until she could get there, hopefully soon. She had hired Cindy to help her at the clinic two years ago and she was great. She was also a changeling, a goat. Carolyn was envious of her ability to eat almost anything and never gain an ounce.

Carolyn pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and looked to see if there was any reception today. Sometimes there would be but most of the time, her parents’ house was in a dead zone to cell phone towers. Today she was out of luck as her phone displayed zero service. She stood up and walked towards her car, holding her phone in the air but nothing changed on the screen.

Just then, Harvey came back out onto the porch, followed closely by Daniel and Angela Masters and several of the other changelings. They gathered around Tammy and Daniel spoke for them. “Harvey has found someone who might be able to train you to defend yourself but it’s going to be a while before they can get here.” Daniel said.

“In the meantime, I’m going to show you how to subdue your aura so that you won’t be so appealing to this dark presence. You do have a tendency to glow all the time. You need to learn to pull it in and conserve your strength.” Harvey said.

“I cast a protection spell on myself before I left for work this morning. Maybe that’s why it hasn’t tried anymore today.” Tammy said.

“That’s good but I doubt it will stop it for long. Such power can only last outside of the body for a short period of time. I think the dark presence is getting weaker and it is trying to feed off of your aura but your aura is so different from what it is used to. You are light and it is darkness. The two are going to go to war and you need to be ready for it.” Harvey told her.

“What can we do to protect her until this teacher gets here?” Carolyn asked.

“Both of you are going to have to stay here, where we can watch over you.” Angela stepped forward and put her arm around her daughter and her friend.

“But, Mom, we both have businesses and clients to deal with. We can’t just walk away from our lives while we wait. I’m already late for a scheduled procedure I was supposed to perform on Mrs. Clancy’s poodle this morning. If she would just stop feeding that poor dog table food it wouldn’t be having these stomach issues.” Carolyn said.

Angela, Daniel and Harvey exchanged looks and Carolyn knew they were think-talking. It was something she had yet to learn how to do while she was in her human form. She could do it while she was a cat but not as a human, at least not yet.

Daniel turned to them and said. “Look, we understand that you have businesses and responsibilities but this is life and death for both of you. We don’t know when this dark presence is going to try to attack again and our only concern is to keep you safe.

Carolyn, I’m pretty sure you will be safe until it gets dark because this other big cat will not try to come after you in its animal form or during the daylight hours. So go and take care of your patient but then call any other obligations you have and make sure they either take their animals to another vet or can wait until some other time for you to see them. Uncle Ray will go with you and keep watch.” Daniel turned and looked at his brother who nodded in agreement.

“Let Cindy know that she is to be on the alert for any strangers that might come into the office. Post a notice that you are going to be out of town for an extended period of time. Changelings that need medical attention will know to come here if you are not available there. You might want to go and post the same notice at Tammy’s office.”

“Alright, Daddy.” Carolyn said as she hugged her father. “Tammy, do you need anything from your apartment? I can stop and get you some clothes and stuff.”

“Yes, please.” Tammy said and pulled a small note pad out of her purse and quickly made up a list of the things she wanted from home and then told Carolyn where she would be able to find them. Carolyn hugged her and climbed back into her jeep with her Uncle Ray taking the passenger seat. Carolyn went to the clinic first. Mrs. Clancy was there and not happy about being kept waiting for so long.

“I’m a very busy person, Dr. Masters and I don’t appreciate being kept waiting like this. I hope you have a good excuse.” Mrs. Clancy started in on her as soon as she entered the clinic.

“I don’t make excuses but yes, I had a very good reason and it was a life or death situation so I’m sorry you had to wait but I felt that was more important. Now let’s see about Clementine.” Carolyn answered as she bent down to look at the large poodle.

“How are you feeling girl?” Carolyn said, as she scratched the dog behind the ears and looked at her eyes. She could tell the dog was running a slight fever and asked “How have her bowel movements been after we gave her the laxative?” Carolyn asked Mrs. Clancy.

“Small and hard when she does manage to go.” Mrs. Clancy answered.

“Has she been drinking lots of water?” Carolyn asked and Mrs. Clancy nodded. “No more table food, I hope?” Carolyn stood up and put her hands on her hips. In the mood she was in, she wasn’t going to take much of Mrs. Clancy’s guff today.

“I still don’t understand why she can’t have the occasional treat when we only buy the best cuts of meat.” Mrs. Clancy pouted.

“It’s not so much the meat so long as it’s plain meat and baked or grilled, not fried. No spices or rich gravies or sauces. And NO desserts! Dogs can’t process all that sugar and junk. Clementine is getting old and she’s not going to be around forever. Let’s make her last years with us good ones. I hate to see her suffer because she was fed an improper diet.” Carolyn told her in a tone that brooked no argument. “Well, let me have her and we’ll see what we can do to get her unblocked and back to normal again.” She said as she took the dog’s leash from her owner.

Carolyn had already done x-rays on Clementine’s last visit and she suspected that Clementine just needed an enema and then she would be fine. But giving a dog an enema wasn’t as easy as it sounds. Clementine weighed about 100 pounds when she should weigh closer to 70 pounds.

She used to be a show dog and had won many awards but then she had been in an accident and had broken her back leg. The scar from the surgery that had to be performed to save her leg had ended her show career.

She was still a beautiful dog with a good disposition and Carolyn knew that Mrs. Clancy doted on her. Mr. Clancy used to raise and show dogs but had retired several years ago. Clementine was Mrs. Clancy’s baby since the couple had never had children of their own.

It didn’t take long for Carolyn and Cindy to take care of the poor constipated dog and when Carolyn returned Clementine to Mrs. Clancy she told the woman,

“OK. She’s all clean, inside and out. Now remember what I said about no table scraps. Only feed her good quality dog food from now on and only one bowl a day and lots of fresh air and exercise. She needs to lose some weight. She’s still more than 30 pounds overweight and if she doesn’t lose some weight, she’s going to develop all kinds of other health issues.” Carolyn told her. “We don’t want this sweet lady to have a heart attack.” Carolyn bent down to pet the dog, who tried to lick her face.

Cindy came out and took care of the bill, which Mrs. Clancy paid and then she also added a large bag of dog food and some treats. Mrs. Clancy lived within walking distance of the clinic and she led Clementine out to her car. Cindy helped her with carrying the bag of food.

After she was gone, Carolyn turned the sign on the door to the closed position and explained to Cindy what was going on at her parents’ house.

“I want you to call anyone that has an appointment for the next week and let them know I won’t be able to see them. Call Dr. Harris over in Marshall and ask him if he can cover for me on emergencies for a week or two. Post a notice on the door that I’ll be out of town and post his name, address and phone number, if he agrees. Change the message on the answering machine to the same message. Then lock up and go home.

I’ll be in touch with you but I want you to keep your eyes open. We don’t know what this dark presence or the big cat wants but I don’t want you taking any chances. Pass the word around that everyone needs to keep an eye on the young ones. Tell them to not be outside or in the woods alone, especially if they are in their animal forms. This big cat might not recognize a changeling and might try to eat them.” Carolyn told her assistant and then quickly gathered some things she might need and left.

She looked up and saw Uncle Ray circling overhead. She waved at him and then quickly climbed into her jeep and headed for Tammy’s office. She was going to post a notice on Tammy’s office door that she would be out of town taking care of an emergency and asked for people to call and leave her a message.

Carolyn let herself in and grabbed Cindy’s rolodex so that she could call clients she had appointments with and let them know that she was going to be out of town with an emergency. Carolyn taped a notice to the door and made sure the office was all locked up. She drove over to Tammy’s apartment and, using the key Tammy had given her, let herself in. Uncle Ray came up behind her and made her jump.

“Is everything OK?” he asked.

“I think so but I can’t tell for sure. It’s been a while since I’ve been over here. Nothing looks out of place but for some reason, I feel uneasy.” Carolyn said.

“Change and use your cat senses.” Ray told her as he pushed the apartment door closed.

Carolyn quickly changed to her cat form. She nudged Ray’s leg with her tail when she was done changing before she walked through the apartment, sniffing and listening. She didn’t smell or hear anything unusual but still her fur was standing up and she felt uneasy.

Tammy’s apartment was full of all kinds of herbs and scents so that it was hard to distinguish one smell from another. All Carolyn did know for sure was that her fur felt electrified and it made her jumpy. She came back into the living room and Uncle Ray was standing in front of a bookcase, looking at the books on the shelves.

“She has some interesting tastes in books. Lots of stuff on witchcraft and spells.” Ray said as he ran his finger across the spines of the books.

“There are so many scents in here that I can’t tell if there is anything out of place but for some reason, I feel uneasy. Just let me collect the things on her list and then we can go.” Carolyn said as she transformed and pulled the list Tammy had given her out of the pocket of her jeans.

“There are several books on here that she wants. Here, take this and if you can get those together, I’ll get her clothes and toiletries.” Carolyn said and handed the list to Ray.

She went back into the bedroom and found the knapsack Tammy used as an overnight bag when she came to stay over at Carolyn’s house. She quickly found her clothes and toiletries with no problem and loaded them into the knapsack.

She also remembered her phone charger, even though her phone wouldn’t work on the mountain, she would still want to keep it charged. Carolyn located her tablet next to her bed and found the charger for it as well and added them to the knapsack. She went back into the living room and found Uncle Ray reading one of the books he was supposed to be putting in the bag.

“Hey, some of this stuff sounds really interesting.” He said as he closed the book and added it to the stack of books he had put into a cloth shopping bag he had found in the kitchen. “I found all of the books but I couldn’t find her runes.”

“They are right here.” Carolyn said and picked up the wooden box on the coffee table. “She always keeps them handy. She’s a wiz at reading them. To me they just look like a bunch of scratches on some white stones. She wanted her tarot cards too.” Carolyn said as she walked over to the desk and searched around until she found the well-used deck. “Let me see that list. I don’t want to forget anything.” Carolyn said.

The uneasy feeling was getting the best of her and she wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. She took Tammy’s list and read down the list, checking off that she had everything. Luckily, Tammy was very organized when it came to her herbs and she kept the bottles well labeled, so it was no big deal for Carolyn to find the bottles Tammy had written on her list. She hurriedly collected the ones Tammy had listed and told her Uncle, “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

They made sure they locked her door before they left, then carried her belongings down to Carolyn’s jeep. As they drove back towards the mountain, Carolyn asked “Uncle Ray, do you think I’m going to have to stay with mom and dad too?”

“Yep. Your dad was most adamant about that. He doesn’t want you taking any chances. I think this dark presence and the fact that it’s using a big cat in some way has him worried.” Ray Masters told her.

“Well, we don’t actually know that the two are even together. It might just be a coincidence that they have both arrived on the mountain at the same time.” Carolyn said.

“Yeah, that’s true but what are the odds of that happening?” Ray said.

“Yeah, I know. Just wishful thinking I guess.” Carolyn said as they turned on to the road that would lead them up the mountain. “I’m going to stop at home and get some clothes then.”