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ollowing his adventure with the highwayman, Ian was taking his sweet time roaming about the countryside, in no great hurry, and enjoying being on his own for the first time in his life. A week or so passed before he turned his mind to moving on to Wabi's cottage. He knew that once there his time would be taken with hours of instruction. He did love learning from Master Wabi, but this new freedom was certainly a treat for a young lad.
He stopped for a moment and returned his compass to his inside pocket. He knew exactly where he was now even without consulting the device. But Da was right, the compass had kept him on track all the way. On his last visit to Wabi's he'd scouted out the area around the cottage, so he recognized the stone circle next to the stream running along the east side of Wabi's property. These stones had been placed here eons ago and Wabi instructed him to go past them quietly, with reverence, which he certainly did now.
As he approached Wabi's cottage, his first observation was how quiet it was. Last time, he'd been amazed to see how many birds and various animals seemed to inhabit the grounds close to the cottage. But today he heard no birds, saw no squirrels nor foxes. The quiet was eerie and he slowed Merlin's trot to a walk.
As the horse ambled along, Henson reared his head from the saddlebag, as if to see for himself.
"Something's not right, Henson. No sounds, no animals. No smoke coming from his chimney. Wabi always keeps a small kettle heating on his stove for his tea."
The cat leaped to the ground and tore off toward the water. Ian had learned to trust him, and knew he would return before too long. Dismounting, he unsaddled Merlin and let him loose in the small pasture behind the stable. They both could use a rest after this journey.
He walked down to the water's edge where Henson had fled. Still no sign of Wabi, but as he stood watching the never-ending ripples on the dark waters, he spied a large bird on the wing and had no doubt who it was—Owl.
The bird traveled with Wabi and Ian was well aware they communicated constantly. As yet, Wabi had not taught him that particular skill. As he watched quietly, the great bird circled the cottage and made a spectacular, downward spiraling dive that had Ian grinning from ear to ear.
Jeez! How does he do that?
Ian marveled at how the bird could make such a maneuver without losing control. He had seen him do this before when he visited last time. Still smiling to himself, he started back up to the cottage, intent on going inside and seeing if there were any clues as to Wabi's whereabouts. Perhaps he had left him a note. He hesitated to "call" Wabi, as he had been instructed to only use that manner of communication when absolutely necessary, so he'd wait a bit before he resorted to that measure.
As he walked up the cobblestone walkway from the water, the great owl zipped by and alighted on the post at the rear of Wabi's cottage. The post had been placed there for him long ago. As Ian neared the post he stopped momentarily, finding himself feeling a bit dizzy.
Whoa. What's this about?
He thought he might sit on the steps a second. It had been a long trip, so he must be more tired than he realized. Once again, though, even sitting he felt dizzy, and then heard a buzzing sound, like a swarm of bees hovering about their hive.
He put his hands over his ears and thought to stand up again and try to make his way inside. When he did, however, the buzzing got louder and the dizziness came again full force, causing him to lose his balance and fall to his knees.
Holy sheep shite! What's happening to me?
From a faraway distance he heard another sound. Was it a voice? No. It couldn't be. There was no one else close by. Then, once again, the same sound. It must be a voice. Yes. It was a voice. What was it saying?
Yes, yes...
Then the buzzing drowned out the sound of the voice. Finally, the buzzing died down and the voice came through, more clearly this time.
Yes, Ian, I am speaking to you. Now open your mind and listen. You can hear me if you will.
Ian shook his head and looked about. Still no one around. “Mam? Are ye calling me? Are ye trying to tell me something?”
Oh, for heaven's sake! It's not your mam, it's me. Now look up here, look at me.
Ian looked up and saw Owl staring down at him.
"Owl? Are ye talking to me?"
Yes, I am. This is not difficult if you'll just pay attention. It took me forever to get through to Caitlin—please tell me you aren't going to be so dense. I expect more from you, young wizard.
Ian threw his head back and began laughing so hard he almost keeled over.
"This is unbelievable! I'm talking to an owl! And yer right, it's not difficult."
Then let's get down to business shall we? Master Wabi has gone into hibernation. At the moment you will not be able to communicate with him, nor he with you.
"What do you mean hibernation?"
There are times when my Master must retire to a place of quiet and peace. He must go deep within and seek renewal of his powers. It is an arduous undertaking and there are no guarantees he will return from this resting place, a place of the ancients. That is a decision the Creator alone will make. Master Wabi is a pawn in his hands and will obey the Creator's wishes.
"But where is he? I need to speak with him. There's a lot of unrest in the Highlands. I'm worried about my brothers, and myself, too. The Brits are capturing the Jacobite supporters and putting them in prison—sending them to the islands. They'll become slaves, Owl. I need Wabi's help!"
My master's instructions were that I tell no one his location. However, he has left a task for you, young Ian. It is his wish that you seek him, and through doing so you will make use of all the skills he has taught you. If you should discover his whereabouts, however, he will still not be available to you. You are to learn from this experience and take advantage of all knowledge that may be presented to you. It may be that there will be experiences coming your way that will deepen your understanding of this world and of peoples unknown to you before this time. Leave your prejudices aside and be open to the truth, even if it isn't what you thought it to be. Lastly, you are to remain steadfast in your own beliefs—they are well founded.
"So I can look for him, but even if I find him I can't talk to him?"
That is correct. But if he has set this task for you, then he will have had a good reason. My advice would be to not question but follow as he instructed. Master Wabi never makes any requests without a good reason. Trust me.
"I don't even know where to start, Owl. I have a compass, but that won't tell me where to begin."
I would suggest you spend a few quiet moments recalling the many lessons from Master Wabi, then proceed from there.
With that, Owl spread his great wings and lifted off his post. Within a few seconds he was but a black dot on the horizon, leaving Ian standing alone staring into the distance.