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W
abi reached the crest of the hill and pulled his cloak closer as a chilly wind blew in from the sea. If he listened carefully, he could hear distant chanting.
He leaned on his crooked staff and stopped for a moment, absorbing the sights, scents and sounds of his surroundings. The chanting came from the small order of Druids that made their home here, here being a small island on the edge of the Orkneys. Wabi had been here numerous times and no doubt would come again. This was his chosen place, the place where he would be allowed to "go within" and be free from all outside interferences. It was a place of reverence and peace.
Wabi's timing of his hibernation period was done with great deliberation. The Beltane fires marking the Summer Solstice would occur tomorrow.
The Summer Solstice, also known as Midsummer's Day, brings to an end the period of time where the hours of daylight are lengthening and the nights are growing shorter. It is a time of casting off the darkness and celebrating the light. This period is dedicated to the life-giving and regenerative powers of the solar orb, the sun. It's a time of renewal and rebirth and the Druids on the island would perform their own rituals during this time. There would be many festivals across the land and many fires would be lighted.
As he approached the great stone structure, the henge, he knelt and recited his prayer. This was the beginning of the ritual he would perform in order to cleanse himself before entering his time of hibernation.
The grass mound on which he stood was actually a cairn built in early times. It hid a large chambered cavern with a complex of passages throughout, and had been built of carefully crafted slabs of sandstone. Many of the walls had been etched with drawings of cattle, sheep, and oaks, trees that are sacred to the Druids. In several of the passages there were bones from previous inhabitants, some human and some animal.
Wabi walked slowly, enjoying the immediate feeling of peace he felt upon entering the cairn. The tight passage led to a large council meeting room and he stopped at the doorway. As he did so, a multitude of young Druids knelt and bowed their heads. They did not know Master Wabi but had heard tales of him, and even these new initiates felt the power that emanated from him. Just his presence in the room had the air sizzling with palpable vibrations.
"Ah, Master Wabi. I felt you coming. We are ready for you," a voice called out. Those words came from Danaan, chieftain of this order of Druids and a longtime friend of Wabi. He understood Master Wabi was of an ilk even higher than the Druids, and rendered him his due respect. He had provided sanctuary for Wabi many eons ago and was humbled to do so again.
"Come. Your chamber has been prepared for you."
"If the Creator desires, may our paths cross again and perhaps I will be of assistance to you, my friend," Wabi replied as he bowed slightly to Danaan.
Danaan returned the bow and led the way through a zigzag path of even more chambers. He, too, lighted candles along the way with a nod of his head. Even Druids could perform a little magick, apparently. When they reached the appointed place, Wabi turned to Danaan.
"You may encounter a young man, a lad called Ian, if he is successful in discovering my whereabouts. He is my apprentice and I have tasked him with finding me. It's a good test of his skills and provides me time for renewal. Please allow him to observe your order and perhaps learn of your ways. He is quite gifted, and I believe him to be worthy of instruction."
"Yes, Master Wabi. We will care for him as well."
"Oh, Danaan? Be aware he may be a trifle, um, challenging. Highland blood flows in his veins. Need I say more?"
Danaan smiled. "We will come for you when the Beltane fires have died. May you rest in peace and be renewed from within." He turned and made his way back to the surface, leaving Wabi alone—as he desired.