Chapter 22 The Curse
Rever
“Are you going to tell me what all this talk of abuse and curses mean?” Lasmay asked as soon as we were alone.
“ In due time my dear friend, in due time,” I replied settling myself in my seat to wait for the shaman’s arrival.
Without another word, he shrugged and resumed his seat, crossing his legs and closing his eyes. We sat in silence for a few minutes before a tinkling down the hallway alerted us to the imminent arrival of the shaman, and true enough a couple of minutes later,he made his theatrical entrance heralded by the servant I had sent in search of him. The shaman was a bit of a histrionic, combined with his role, there was always a bit of a melodrama around him and his actions, and his entrance was no exception.
He always wore either black or white clothes with trousers that were too short for him and always ended at or above his ankle. He also had a bear pelt, the hairy side had been left uncured and he had strung it with as much cowries as it could and always wore it slung over one shoulder.
His accessories were a necklace of smooth sea pebbles and bracelets made from Sea shells, complete this ensemble was a stick he carried that could function and be labeled as both either a cudgel or a staff. Add all this to his peculiar walking style of taking a small jump after every five steps and the word theatrical became the obvious choice for describing his entrance.
Lasmay got up as he came in and they exchanged slight bows.
“ Good morning shaman.” He greeted.
“ This is Mikel Franson,” he introduced me. “ He is a coutier and has some questions for you. His grace has asked that you answer his questions as you would if he posed them to you himself.” He explained, once again paving the way for me.
“ Good morning beta, good morning Mr Franson,” the shaman returned his greeting.
“Thank you shaman, and good morning.” I greeted, giving a slight bow of my own.
“ What do you know about curses?” I asked as soon as pleasantries were out of the way.
“ That's quit a general question.” He started.
“ And too vast a topic. If want to tell you all I know about it like his grace instructed, we would need provisions because we would be here for a week. Perhaps if you tell me what really interests you I could narrow it down for you.” He added.
Suppressing the thought that I was betraying Sharon's confidence by relaying her words, I took a breath and began to speak.
“ Is it possible for a lycan to be without a wolf? And could it be as a result of a curse. I asked.
I wasn't sure what I was expecting in lieu of an answer, but it certainly wasn't the one I got.
The shaman's face took on a look of grim seriousness that was so unusual for him, it made him look unnatural.
“To answer your question Mr Franson, I will have to tell you a story or rather give you a history lesson.” He started.
Loudly clearing his throat, he began to speak in a baritone much deeper than his usual voice.
“Centuries ago, when the lycans all lived together and all worshipped the moon goddess, our ancestors lived in a class and rank system. The lowest of these ranks were the omegas, there were mostly descendants of humans who had mated with our kind and as such could not access their wolves. All the other ranks looked down on the omegas, they were disdained and treated horribly, forced to do the most menial jobs. That was the order of things until a young omega boy tired of the way himself and the rest of his people were being treated decided to start a resistance. He couldn't have chosen a worse time though, for there existed at that time a group of power hungry wolves who were determined to install themselves as rulers of the lycans no matter what. They managed to instigate people both for and against his cause, and soon there was a full blown war. The moon goddess tired of the blood shed reached out to Lord Shaven for help. At his suggestion and with his help, our ancestors were split into different packs, and sent in different directions after choosing an alpha family for each pack of course. In addition the rank system was dismantled.” He finished.
The monologue had been delivered in such a formal and ethereal tone that it took us a couple of minutes to return to the present when he was done.
I was the first to speak though, having managed to snap out of the semi-trance the monologue had induced.
“ That was an entertaining tale shaman, but it didn't answer any of my questions.” I said.
“ No it didn't, because it wasn't meant to, it was simply to set the mood. Now I will answer your questions.” Was the reply.
“ The world is full of powerful witches and wizards, but none of them is powerful enough to curse away a lycan’s wolf, do the answer to your first question is no.” He continued.
“ As for your first question; over the centuries there have been reports of omega births, but none of them were wolfless, they were simply unable to transform at the age and time we have come to think of as normal. All they needed was time or an important incident to startle their wolves into wakefulness.” He finished.
“ So you're saying she's not cursed and just needs time or some sort of incident?” I prodded further.
“As long as all the old texts and records available to us are correct then that is exactly what I'm saying, whoever she may be.”
This was the best news I had received all day, and I couldn't help the ear to ear grin that spread across my face as I listened to him and absorbed his words.
“ Thank you shaman, it has been very informative to spend time with you.” I said still smiling.
“ Thank you for listening.” He said with a low bow, all his cowrie and shell beads tinkling as he moved.
“ If that's all, then I'll take my leave.” My reply was a bow of my own and a nod which he correctly assumed as his cue to leave, he turned and tinkled his way out of the room. Lasmay waited until his tinkling and footsteps had faded away before confronting me.
“What was all that about?” He demanded, both the tone of his voice and the set of his eyes informing me that this time he wanted answers.
“Sharon,” I replied.
“At the start of our journey, she said something about deserving everything that happened to her because she was cursed and wolfless, I wanted to clear that up.”
“And earlier, the assault comment?”
“ She sleep talks,” I supplied him with information he hadn't asked for.
“She mentioned something to that effect in her sleep, and I was wondering if it could be confirmed.”