It’s hard to remember much about the rescue that happened a couple of weeks later. Me and my parents were eating dinner when a stand-by call came through — it scared me because there had been so few that year. I managed to finish my dinner before the real call, about ten minutes later.
It was a B team call, up into the National Forest. Since Carl wasn’t a team leader, he didn’t yet know any more about it than Penny and I did. We drove for a long time through the darkness and the rain.
The trailhead was muddy and depressing. We learned that a family was long overdue from a backpacking trip at Russell Lake. Mabel passed out extra food packets and we started up the dark, muddy trail, every other person carrying their flashlight.
I remember little more than walking, rain falling all around me, following the flashlight in front of me. Penny was behind me with her light going. Mine was being saved for later.
Three times we rested, munching on cookies and crackers that got wet before we could get them into our mouths. Then we would walk again for a half hour or more.
Sometime after I had lost all track of time, we arrived at the lake. Jack cut the team in half, and the half Penny and I were on had to cross the log jam at the lake’s outlet to search the other side. I helped carry and tie ropes until we had two hand-holds stretched tight across the logs. Then, one by one, we went over, the rest shining their lights.
For another hour we searched the shore, calling and checking the usual campsites. Half the flashlights were dying, and mine was on now. It looked like it would rain forever. Penny mumbled, “I wish I had a purple candle.”
A little while later, we found the family at what might have been a nice campsite, except for the big tree branch that had fallen on their tent and crushed the man’s foot. Sky flares went up to show the other half of the team where we were. I held the light while Penny helped set up tents, then she held it for me while I helped dig drainage ditches around the tents.
Jack brought the seven-year-old girl to our tent. We got her out of her wet clothes and into a sleeping bag, and then just talked to her and fed her fig bars. It wasn’t too long before she relaxed and fell asleep.
I lay awake listening to the rain and thinking about what Penny had said.
Why couldn’t we carry some magical supplies on rescues? It wouldn’t take up much space or weight to have a few small candles and some amulet things.
Hmm.
Sometime during the night, the rain stopped. As dawn crept into the sky, we ate some of our meat sticks and raisin bars and started to pack the camp.
A huge Navy helicopter landed on the lake and took us all back to the trailhead, and the family on to a hospital. Jack announced a special meeting for that evening to replenish our packs. I thought about my magic idea all the way home.
Snow had been on the ground almost a month when we crunched our way through the woods on the Winter Solstice for a hearty Yuletide potluck lunch.
The Grove was almost free of snow, only the fire pit being open to the sky.
“Our wood pile is all wet,” Michael said.
“There’s plenty of dry on the trees. I’ll get some,” Penny said and leapt down the hill.
“I could stretch a tarp over the wood pile from these three trees,” Issa offered. “I have a friend who has some brown canvass that would be almost invisible.”
“I’ll help pay for it if you want . . .” I said.
“No problem. He owes me.”
Penny came back with an armload of dry wood and we worked together to
build a fire, teaching Issa as we did it. We began a simple ceremony in the Magic Circle, and I shared what I had learned about Norse gods and their holidays. When we came to the breaking of the bread, there was a surprise.
“Your sharing of the loaf is good, but just as old a custom is sharing a cup of wine that has been blessed,” Issa said, pulling a small but beautiful ceramic goblet out of his cloak. “This is the chalice, the cup of the benediction, the vessel into which God pours his emanations.” He set it on the altar beside the loaf. “Shall we share the cup?”
I looked at Michael, and then at Penny. We all smiled. “What shall we drink?” I asked.
“Fruit of the vine,” Issa said, taking a small bottle from his cloak and filling the chalice with a rich red wine.
“God,” I said, picking up the chalice, “this is your vessel of Wisdom. As each Sprite drinks from it, please help them to want to be wise like you.”
Issa smiled. I handed the cup to Penny. She took a sip and smacked her lips. Michael took a sip and his eyes got big. Issa took a big swallow.
“The priest . . . or priestess . . . gets the honor of draining the cup,” he said, handing it to me.
I looked into it, still half-full of wine. I took a sip. Yum! It was sweet and fruity. I took a swallow. Delicious! I drank the rest. It was good to the last drop.
We left the Circle and started our lunch cooking. I could feel myself getting goofy. I started swaying back and forth on the log, so Michael and Issa put their arms around me. I started laughing and couldn’t stop. It was strange but fun, and I didn’t settle down until I was halfway through my lunch.
“The rest of us should drink more next time,” Penny said, smiling, “so you won’t have to drink so much!”
I giggled at what she said. “No way! We’ll fill the chalice again if we have to!”
Later, when I could think again, I remembered how Issa made sure I was back down to earth before he let me leave the Grove.
As I trimmed my first two-inch candle at one of our candle making days in
January, Penny said, “What is that for? You’d hardly have time to name a Spirit!”
“Remember that rescue in November, when you wished you had a purple candle?”
“How could I forget!”
I opened my new leather bag and poured out the contents. “Waterproof matches, six-inch white candles, amulet bags and cords, beads, and two-inch candles in all the colors!”
“Neat!” Penny said, pawing through it all. “For rescues?”
“Yep! And any other time we need an emergency magic kit.”
“You know what I wanted to do on that rescue?” Penny asked. “Ask for the rain to stop!”
“I thought so. It did, remember?”
“Yeah. But I wanted it to stop BEFORE we were drenched!”
I looked sideways at Penny. She smiled — she knew what she was saying.
We all started making two-inch candles, and soon had plenty for all kinds of magic.