The Diaries of Cordelia Chan

I rose to leave at that point but a hand on my leg stopped me.The girl who had sat on Crys-Like-Owls' left then spoke for the first time.

"You are not of us yet Crys-Like-Owls instructs you to lead. Once I had a name as did all the others here. We are now Those-Who-Live-Not for we are outcast from our tribes. Stoops-Over-Crystal-Water was a friend to us, made not a man by Stands-Under-Uketana-Shadow. He could no longer live with the tribe and the spirits and Elders had forbidden him from walking Uketana's path. It is right that as he touched you you should see him to the Hunting Grounds but this is not a task you should undertake lightly. Our ways are not yours. I must see that he is prepared for his journey. You may go without loss but should you remain then you must be prepared also. I will return later." She got to her feet and began issuing further instructions.

 I stood for a while wondering what she meant before sitting down once more. I would learn the meaning of her words later. With nothing  to do I watched as the sun made its inexorable journey towards the horizon.

It was nearing six o'clock in the evening when the basic preparations were complete and the second of the awkward situations occurred. The first had been a couple of  hours earlier when I'd needed to relieve myself, and had been shown to a patch of cobbles nestled in a reed bed. This second situation arose since they needed to paint me, or rather paint designs on me, designs which drew the attention of a viewer the area of the body which had first caused my reluctance in sitting. Once the painting was complete I was given an ornate belt to wear around my hips, similar in design to a suspender belt but with a few more tassels.  I was even allowed to put my dress back on although all of the others had done the exact opposite and some had very interesting patterned bikini cuts. By the time all had been painted and had dressed in their belts, it was nearing 7. I noted that the belt of the girl I had supposed was Crys-Like-Owls sister very ornate. I was bidden to pick up Stoops-Over-Crystal-Waters' body and we set off, passing first through the market where he'd been murdered, then through several native areas, until we passed out of the center of the city and up a small hill. Along the way we collected more few natives, the women painted and naked , except for their belts, whilst the men were clad in elaborate masks and war gear. Most Natives however avoided the procession, scared away by the presence of a large crow which flew ahead cawing loudly as it went. What surprised me most was that the final wheel we passed through before we left the central region was the one in which our lodgings resided. It was here that the procession doubled in size, nearly every dwelling contributing 3 or 4 persons to the entourage, including our hosts and both daughters who had also acquired new bikini cuts since I had seen them that morning. It was at this point I realized there were no children in the procession.

As we climbed the hill I could see, about half way up and outlined against the setting sun, an arch made from some sort of tusks . Standing in the archway in full medicine regalia was Crys-Like-Owls. As we approached I could see carved white stones leading away in both directions around the hill. I halted just in front of the arch and placed Stops-Over-Crystal-Waters' body on the ground so that it was in front of me and just outside the line of the arch.  As I took a step back Crys-Like-Owls began to sing and dance. Behind me additional voices took up the song and several drums began to beat.

I managed to follow Crys-Like-Owls' dance for perhaps 15 minutes, although I'm not really sure as I completely lost track of time and events for a while. As he danced I felt myself becoming more and more disconnected as if in some form of trance, although the manner of its ending I still remember vividly, although strangely not the pain. As he danced and I became more distracted, he altered the position I was standing in, by running his feathered staff up and down my legs, which had another affect, which I suspect was the desired one, as a result. By the time he suddenly stopped in front of me and struck the ground with his staff I was barely aware of what  was happening. The sudden pain between my legs changed all that and I screamed, collapsing to my knees, and sending a second nauseating wave of pain through my body. I screamed a second time, this time aware of a similar scream behind me. 

A hand placed itself on my right shoulder, and a female voice creaking with pain gasped, as quietly as she was able. "Do not remove it. We are all now warriors. Only warriors can enter the burial grounds otherwise Uketana's servants can enter the world born as demons.  There are strings on the belt  to hold it. I will help you in a minute." 

Time ticked by Crys-Like-Owls standing impassive. I felt the hand again. She helped me stand a little, first reaching around in front of me, and then between my legs from behind. Satisfied it was secure she helped me stand. As she did so, through the pain I could feel the slow trickle of warm blood running down my legs. Behind me once more she whispered "Pick up the body and demand entrance in the name of the Thunderbird". Slowly I bent down again, hampered by both the portion of the huge carved phallus now sticking out in front of me and the base embedded where it shouldn't be. I picked up the body and demanded entrance. Satisfied, Crys-Like-Owls stood aside, falling in behind me as I passed.  Ahead at the top of the hill lay a pyre. 

The walk to the top seemed never ending, I have only done one walk that felt longer, and that was to walk the pattern. As soon as I crossed the threshold of the arch I could feel the subtle undercurrent of power. As I walked I could feel presences come close then veer away, the phallus resonating against their presence. When I reached the pyre at the top I placed the body and then stepped back. Crys-Like-Owls stopped at my right shoulder and his sister, well I shall refer to her as such, stopped at my left. The remainder of the entourage we had gathered, processed around the pyre forming a circle of about 30ft radius spreading themselves out to ensure the circle was complete. Each woman wore a phallus,  significantly smaller than the ones worn by myself and Crys-Like-Owls' sister, and each warrior brandished a weapon in addition to the one held in their hands.

As I stood waiting for the circle to complete and for Crys-Like-Owls to start the next phase of the ritual I felt a familiar sensation tickling my consciousness. Somebody was attempting a trump call. As far as I knew that meant Llewella. Cautiously and somewhat irritably I answered. To my surprise it was Random. 

"So how's it going"

"Can't say! Now is NOT a good time"

His response indicated that I must be broadcasting some of the current emotions I was trying to hold in control.

"Hold your horses Cordelia. I'm not the enemy here."

"Sorry! If you've just had a giant phallus shoved in a orifice where it shouldn't go as part of some native funeral ritual when you were least expecting it, I suspect you'd be somewhat pissed as well. Now can I get back to you in the morning?"

He changed tack. "Look. I'm sorry. Just look after yourself. Get back to me as soon as you can." He cut the connection. Either he was a good actor or he actually seemed concerned.

Reality re-intruded as Crys-Like-Owls began to sing and dance again. I hoped there'd be no more painful surprises. There weren't. At the end of this dance, he lit the pyre, and then began a new dance, joined by the assembled congrigation. This dance ended in an ear splitting scream. People then began filing away but Crys-Like-Owls sister indicated we should stay. She then began her own dance which after watching for three or four minutes she coaxed me into trying. It took me several minutes to find the correct stance to minimize the discomfort and then work out the steps. Without the years of training she'd had I barely managed to complete the sequence of steps three times, and certainly without the finesse or pasion she used. Crys-Like-Owls began to dance again, this time around the two of us,  ending the dance by banging his feathered staff on the ground between us. The energy surge released was quite interesting and caused both phaluses to shrink to half their current size.  He then jumped into the air, and landed cross legged on the ground with his legs wrapped around the staff. Without thinking I copied his sister as she turned and walked down the slope and through the arch. 

We left the hill then. I had wanted to remove the phallus but Crys-Like-Owls sister had stopped me. She said we must go to the pool and wait for either Red-Stag-Takes-Hinds or Crys-Like-Owls otherwise we'd be scarred or possibly worse. On the latter she wouldn't elaborate.

By the time we reached the grove the moon was rising once more, illuminating the short path across the gravel. I crossed followed by Crys-Like-Owls sister who had stopped at the edge of the gravel, unable to see a path. As I crossed a trail of fresh blood drops marked my passing. We emerged from the grass/bamboo screen to find Red-Stag-Takes-Hinds sitting cross legged and apparently  asleep in  front of a dying fire. He didn't stir as I crossed the grassed area towards him. His skin was cool to the touch but not cold. I assumed he was in some kind of trance. Behind me the sound of  water being disturbed told me that Crys-Like-Owls sister had entered the pool.  Unsure if I should attempt to wake Red-Stag-Takes-Hinds I crossed to the pool, removed my dress, and entered. It was warm but not as warm as it had been in the early hours of the morning.

We had been in the pool a few minutes when an area of water a few feet from us started to boil vigorously sending a plume of steam into the moonlit air. Somehow I knew it wasn't malevolent and moved closer. After a minute or so the steam appeared to condense forming the outline of Red-Stag-Takes-Hinds. He spoke. "Stand where the water boils, then remove the Trunnii. Let the water spirits enter you and you shall be healed. Come to me when the spirits are done". The figure began to dissipate but the water beneath where it stood continued to boil.  

The column of boiling water was quite narrow and for both of us to enter required that we stand one behind the other. Being shorter Crys-Like-Owls sister went behind me as this was the only way we could both stand comfortably without jabbing one another painfully in the back with the hooked ends or the phallus or Trunnii if that's what their native names were. I reached down and undid the tassels that held it to the belt. A small plume of blood rose to the surface. I started to feel around its edges with my fingers attempting to work out how to extract it in the least damaging manner. As I did so I felt additional fingers gently exploring, trying to slip their way in. I half turned as if to rebuke Crys-Like-Owls sister but her free hand was like mine between her legs, the other partially wrapped around my upper body keeping the two of us together. 

I turned back and as I did so I felt her right hand slide around my waist. I went to stop her but she just said "Trust me". I removed my hand. She started rubbing gently, then removed her hand, but the sensation continued. I looked down. It appeared as if fingers were moving in the water mimicking both what she and I had been doing. I also notice that she was now breathing deeper and quicker and was now holding me considerably tighter.  I could also feel my own body reacting to the stimulus it was getting.

It must have taken about 20 minutes to complete the removal and healing. It was a most unusual process, yet despite the manner in which the healing was done I felt no pain, other than when  Crys-Like-Owls sister's Trunnii jabbed me in the leg when it was expelled during her first orgasm.  Healing over the water quiesced and we made our way out of the pool. A second dress had appeared next to mine. Red-Stag-Takes-Hinds was no longer by the fire, but a flickering light visible through the partially open flap indicated that he had retreated inside.

When we entered he stirred and sat up slowly from where he'd been reclining. "Forgive me but I take much longer to recover these days and the cold begins to bite at my bones. There should be warm food and coffee on the fire outside if one of you could fetch it. Then come sit here with me, we have things yet to discuss."

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