Ch1 - Whispering Rock

 #Whispering Rock

The valley floor was still, the morning dew undisturbed, a shimmering blanket under the faint pre-dawn light. A young girl stirred in her sleep, then awoke with a gasp, her eyes wide with the lingering echoes of a vivid dream. She turned to her mother, her voice hushed with wonder and a touch of awe.

"Mama," she began, "I was in a vast basin valley, much like ours, but a heavy mist veiled everything. Then, fiery flies, glowing like embers, swarmed around me, and suddenly I was on a mountaintop. From there, I could see for miles! A majestic red eagle appeared, circling high above. As it soared, images of our ancestors shimmered in the air behind it. I knew then that this eagle was us – who we have been, and who we are destined to become."

Her voice softened, taking on a more distant quality. "Then, I became another person. I didn't know her, but her face was hidden by the wind, silent and veiled. Yet, I felt a connection so profound, as if I had known her my entire life."

The girl's eyes brightened with renewed intensity. "The earth trembled, and this person now held a sword. It wasn't for violence. I felt it was a symbol of immense power, of a great decision to come. The red eagle landed on her shoulder, and her voice, gentle as a breeze, whispered, 'In the light of the growing shadow, one will rise who must stand still to save the tribe. She will give of herself so that all may thrive. When the time comes, she will walk with another, unknown to her, and they will share in a fate yet unseen.'"

"The dream shifted again, Mama. A great storm gathered in the distance, a looming danger. Then, everything blurred, and I was back on the mountain's edge, the vision slowly fading, leaving only echoes of that person's presence."

Many years have passed since that first vision, its true meaning a mystery then. But countless others followed, and the girl, now known as Whispering Rock, became renowned not only as a gifted healer of the body, but also as a profound guide for the soul's journey.