~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jim wasn't exactly sure what had happened, but when he looked back at Jamie, she looked almost...dead. Turning up his hearing, he could hear her pulse and respiration, but they seemed just a little slow. She said that she would be right back. Whatever that meant, so he just waited.

After two to three minutes, he noticed the white smoke like substance descend from the ceiling and renter Jamie. After which her color came back. An her pulse and respirations came back up to normal limits. Then her eyes opened. She looked up to see Jim staring at her with this funny confused look on his face. "What," she started,

"You've never seen anyone leave their body before?" she said in a teasing tone.

Jim just sat there a moment and let what she just said sink in. Looking back at her, he said, "You left your body?"

"Yes, it's called astrial projection, or in laymens terms an out of body experience." she said, trying to ease his confusion.

Seeing him mouth the words 'out of body experience', to himself and kinda shaking his head, she asked him. "Jim, do you remember telling me of the different encounters that you have had with your animal spirit? Both in Peru, as well as when your senses left you last year."

He looked at her and said "Yes, but what does that have to do with this?"

"Those experiences are also a form of astrial projection," she said "...OK, let's try this another way. Astrial projection is nothing more than the spirit leaving it's physical body to do the work needed. To someone unaware, that person might even look dead." She saw comprehension in his eyes a this last statement. "But Sandburg's never said anything about me looking dead that day he was on the roof with me?" Jim stated.

"As I said, that was one form of astrial projection. What you just saw here today, was me *physically leaving my body in this dimension*. While, when you go to where your animal spirit lives, you are *leaving this dimension for another*."

After talking some more on the subject of astrial projection, the subject shifted more towards police work. Comparing Cascade, Washington. to Cascade, Colorado., various war stories of their two departments, and just chit chat.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Blair and Simon exited the plane, and were making their way through the terminal towards the baggage claim when a voice called out, "Captain Banks?"

As the two men turned towards the direction of the voice, their eyes landed on a young man wearing a jacket that said 'Cascade Police Department'. "I'm Captain Banks", Simon answered as they all drew near.

Extending his hand to Simon, "I'm Detective Michael Lawson, Cascade PD.", he said as he shook hands with Simon. Then, "You must be Blair Sandburg," Mike said as he took Blair's hand. "Jamie asked me to come pick you up, and take you to her house."

"Nice to meet you Detective Lawson" Blair and Simon said in unison, then just stared at each other as they realized what they had just said. They returned their attention to Mike when they heard him laughing. "What?" they said again in unison.

"Well," Mike said," First off, you can just call me Mike," he started, then, " second, Jamie had asked for a little bit of background on the three of you, so she would know the best direction to take as far as her work with you. And now I can see why your Commissioner loves the three of you so much. You think alike, you're in sink.

Simon and Blair just looked at each other and said in unison, "Us think alike...never happen."

They reached the baggage claim, got their bags, and headed for Mike's truck. It was a beautiful teal green Ford Explorer, with the Cascade PD emblem on both front doors.

As they reached the truck, Mike noticed the snow
flurries starting to fall and said to himself, *Jamie said that it was going to snow, and she wasn't kidding.*

After everyone was settled into the truck and on the road, Blair asked, "Excuse me, but what exactly does Jamie do?" He really wanted to ask how Jim was, but was afraid of the answer that he might get.

"That's a good question," Mike said. "Let's see, she has an A.S. degree in Commercial Art, with a minor in Video Production. Her AA, BA, MA, in Anthropology. Her M.S. degree is in Traditional Chinese Medicine. And she is currently working on her Ph.D. in Anthro on Shaminism and healing. She has her Paramedics license, has been through the Police academy. She is a detective with Cascade PD, and is my partner. And last but not least, she does search and rescue. She's one busy lady." As Mike finished, he looked up to see Blair's shocked face in his rearview mirror. "As far as what exactly she does, That, you'll just have to wait and see." Mike finished.

"Yeah, she's busy alright," Blair said almost too quiet to hear.

"You OK back there?" Simon asked, looking at the young man behind the driver's seat.

"I'm Ok Simon," Blair said equally as quiet.

The remainder of the trip was made in silence as each man was lost to his own thoughts. As Mike turned the truck off of the highway, he reached inside himself and tugged on that tether that connected him with Jamie. "Hey Jamie," he said,

"We just turned off 24, and we will be there in just a couple of minutes."

She answered him saying, "Ok, we'll be waiting for you.

As they rounded the corner, both Blair and Simon noticed Jim's truck parked next to a cozy looking log cabin. Simon let out a sigh of relief, knowing that indeed, his detective was safe.

When Blair saw the truck, he started to shake uncontrollably, and hyperventilate. He wasn't afraid of being in any physical danger, but he was terrified that Jim wanted nothing more to do with him.

Mike, looking into his rearview mirror, saw that Blair was having a panic attack, and again called Jamie to let her know what was happening. As Mike was pulling into the driveway, Jamie came out the door and headed straight to Blair's side of the truck.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As the truck pulled to a stop next to Jim's truck, Simon saw a woman coming out the door and heading straight to Blair's door. When she pulled it open, he noticed that Blair was having a panic attack. "Blair!" Simon said suddenly worried.

The woman looked at Simon as she opened the door, but spoke to Mike, "Mike, we'll meet you in the living room," then she turned her attention to Blair.

Mike and Simon got all of the bags together and headed into the house.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Shaman School Chapter 2c
Blair was hyperventilating and shaking so hard, that he didn't even notice the door on his side of the truck opening.

"Blair," a voice said, " You've got to calm down, or you're going to pass out here."

Blair looked up into the face that the voice belonged to. She had very kind eyes and a soothing tone to her voice. She reached out and took one of his hands into hers. Suddenly, almost magically, he stopped shaking so hard and was able to catch gis breath. "Who are you?" he managed, now able to breath.

"My name is Jamie," she answered him. "I know that you are frightened right now, but you have nothing to fear. You are safe here. No one is going to hurt you," then added,"You have a lot to learn if you are to fulfil your destiny as Shaman to your Sentinel.

Blair just sat here and looked at her very confused.

Jamie, seeing the confusion in his eyes said, "I know that you feel kinda lost right now, but everything will clear itself up, Ok? Right now, your partner needs to see you more than you need to see me, Ok?"

Blair just shook his head as he let her help him out of the truck.

She led him into the house where there was a roaring fire in the fireplace. As they went past the fireplace towards the kitchen/dining room area, she said to Mike and Simon," I'll be back in a moment." Reaching a door between the kitchen and dining room, she said to Blair, "you two need some time to yourselves," as she opened the door. After ushering him in, she closed the door behind him.

Blair looked up to see that Jim had his back to him. Finally gaining enough courage, he walked over to Jim. Stopping several feet away, he reached over and touched his arm. "Jim," he managed to choke out as his eyes filled with tears.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was about 2:30 pm when Jamie got up and headed into the kitchen, "They should be here in a couple of minutes." she told Jim as she was getting up. "I think that you and Blair need a little time to yourselves before all of us sit down together."

Jim just nodded as he picked up his coffee cup and followed her into the kitchen for another cup.

"They're here" she said as she poured him the last cup, then washed out the pot to make more. She had lit the fire in the fire place about 30 minutes before, and now it was going nicely. She put two more logs on as she was going out the door to meet the others as they were pulling in.

Jim was walking back into the den as Jamie went out the door. Opening up his senses, he heard Simon say, "Blair are you alright!" Then he heard Jamie say "Mike, we'll meet you inside". Then he heard her talking to Blair, who sounded like he was having a panic attack.*God,* he thought to himself, *What have I done. Is Blair really that afraid of seeing me again?*

Several minutes later, Jim heard the door open, and that familiar heartbeat was there. He heard Jamie say something about giving them time alone, followed by the door closing. For what seamed like an eternity, their two heartbeats were the only sounds in the room. That heartbeat, the one he thought that he would never hear again was now standing right behind him. Tears welled up in his eyes as he felt a hand on his arm, and a familiar voice say "Jim?" He turned around as the floodgates opened for the second time that day. Tears streamed down his face as he saw Blair for the first time since his 'death'. Tears were in Blair's eyes too. The two of them just stood there for a minute before Jim stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Blair. Blair returned the
embrace, and the two of them just stood there, their tears of joy falling unnoticed on each other.

Some 20 minutes later, they had both calmed down enough so that they could sit down and talk about what had happened. They sat, side by side on the sofa, far enough apart so they could face each other, but close enough together, that they could still give each other a hug if needed.

Blair was the first to speak. "Jim, I'm so sorry for what I did. It's all my fault..." then proceeded to tell Jim about what had happened. Blair told him everything.

From the time he first met Alex up to pulling up outside the cabin less than an hour ago.

"It's my fault too Blair, if I hadn't pushed you away the way that I did, you would never had had to go through what you did..." then told Blair about what had happened to him from the time the jaguar showed up in the store, to the point where he turned around to see Blair standing before him in the den.

After the each told the other their story, they once again found themselves in each others embrace. Each was a security blanket to the other, and at that moment, they both were afraid that if they let go, the other would disappear.

"I'm just glad that you are OK Blair" Jim said as he held that which was near and dear to his heart.

"And I make a promise to you from this day forward, that I will always come to you and talk to you if there is any kind of a problem between us."

"And I promise you, that I am your Guide, and no one else from this day forward. If for some reason, I should run into another sentinel, he or she will be on their own because this Guide is spoken for." Blair said with conviction.

"So are we ok now?" Jim asked, not sure what the answer would be.

"We're ok Jim" Blair said, the light back in his eye, and the bounce he was famous for back in place.

Jim chuckled, gave his partner one last hug, then said, "Let's go see if Jamie needs help with dinner.

"I'm all for that," Blair said bouncing as he got up.
"Then let's go," Jim said.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Simon was sitting on the couch with Mike as Jamie came into the house with Blair. She led Blair past them and through a door to the left of the kitchen, saying that she would be right back.

After telling Blair that he and Jim needed some time to themselves, she closed the door, and returned to the living room.

"I'm sorry," she said to Simon. "I'm Jamie Cromwell," she said, extending her hand to the Black man rising from the sofa.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Simon said extending his hand to meet hers. "Is Blair going to be alright?" he asked with a little bit of worry showing in his voice.

"He's going to be OK," she said "just a little anxiety attack. But we got that cleared up alright."

She could hear the two men sobbing through the wall, and decided to give them a little more privacy. "Listen," she started,"if you two would like to give me a hand, I need to go get dinner started?"

"Yeah, sure," both men answered. "Just tell us what you need."

"Ok," Jamie said, "grab your coats and follow me," she said as she grabbed her own coat and headed out the back door.

The two men grabbed their coats and followed suit. Once outside, Jamie handed them both large baskets and told Mike, "Ok Mike, I need enough pine nuts for six, and enough leaves to bake six large fish. Then added, you and Carol are staying for dinner tonight, aren't you," she asked as she picked up the large pan by the door.

"I can, but Carol got called into work as I was leaving for the airport," Mike answered.

"That's Ok, we'll make her a plate," she said as she was walking down the steps.

Simon and Mike headed for the woods surrounding the house and lake to find their fixins for dinner. As Jamie deposited the pan at the base of the steps, she headed towards the dock several hindered feet from the house. Halfway there, she morphed into an eagle, and flew out over the lake.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Forty minutes later, Mike and Simon returned with the nuts and leaves. Mike had found a gold mine about fifteen minutes from the house. All of the nuts and leaves that they needed were all within a twenty yard area. There were four fish already in the bucket, but no sign of Jamie.

Sitting down to release the nuts from their shells, they heard the screen door of the cabin open and Jim and Blair walked out. Both had red eyes, but other than that, they didn't seem any worse for the wear.

"Jim, Blair," Simon acknowledged, "are you two alright?"

"Yeah Simon, we're ok," Jim said, then added, "would you like some help with that?"

"Sure would, "Mike said, "that way I can get the fish cleaned for Jamie."

"Keeping your credit good?" Jim asked as he sat down to help with the nuts.

"Let's just put it this way, do not, and I repeat DO NOT make Jamie angry. You would not like her if she is angry.

"What does she do, turn into the Incredible Hulk or something?" Blair asked.

"Something like that," Mike answered.

"Speaking of Jamie," Simon asked, "where is she?"

At that moment, they all heard the cry of an eagle, and looked up to see it gracefully swoop down over the lake and snag a very large fish. Flying towards the cabin, it descended towards the steps. As Mike moved out of the way, of the eagle, it flew down to within two feet above the bucket, and dropped the fish in, then took off over the lake again.

"Did I just see what I thought I just saw?" Blair asked as he watched the eagle go out over the lake again.

"I don't know Chief, what do you thing that you just saw?"

"I think that I just saw an eagle snag a fish from the lake and drop it into *our* fish bucket, and then take off over the lake again." Blair said with disbelief in his voice.

"Yeah, that's what I think that I saw also," Simon said with equal disbelief in his voice.

"Yep, you saw what you thought that you saw," Mike said from the base of the stairs.

Another cry of the eagle brought their attention back to the moment as the eagle making another pass over the lake, swooped down and snagged another fish. Flying towards the house, it dropped this fish in the bucket as well. But instead of heading back out to the lake for more fish, it landed several feet away. Fluffing it's wings as it closed them, it begin walking towards Mike as he went back to cleaning the fish.

"Maybe it works for handouts," Blair said in jest.

"Not exactly," Jim said, "just watch."

Blair and Simon watched the eagle as it approached Mike and morphed into Jamie. Blair's mouth hit the ground, followed shortly by Simon's.

"How the..." Blair and Simon spit out in total and complete shock.

"Get used to it guys, I have a feeling we ain't seen nothing yet," Jim said laughing as Jamie stood there shaking her head in the affirmative.

Recovering from the shock of the eagle, Simon and Blair finished the task of shelling the nuts as Mike finished cleaning the fish.
~~~~~~~
Shaman School Chapter 2d

Returning to the nice warm cabin with the fish nuts and leaves, Jamie pulled out a large baking sheet and a cooling rack that fit just inside the pan.

"Can I give you a hand with that, Ms. Cromwell," Simon asked as he brought over the nuts.

"Actually, Captain, I think I've got it covered at the moment," Jamie said.

"Call me Simon," he said

"Then I'm Jamie" she returned with a big smile

"Would you care for a cup of coffee? I started it just as you pulled i, so it should still be good," she asked.

"Yes, thank you, that sounds good right now," he answered her, as she reached for a cup and filled it, and handed it to him.

Looking over the counter, she held the pot up and asked, "Jim would you care for a refill?"

"Sure, let me go get my cup,"he said as he went into the den to retrieve his cup.

"Blair, would you like a cup of coffee, or I have a nice herbal tea that will help take some of the soreness out of your ribs?"

"Tea sounds good, but how did..." Blair trailed off.
"How did I know that your ribs hurt?" she said with a smile.

"Yeah," Blair said, confused but interested.

"Well, for starters, you've been on the receiving end of CPR less than..." looking at her watch, "...less that 36 hours ago. Plus the fact that I can see you wince in pain every time ou move wrong. And lastly, I can see it in your aura."

"You can see auras?" Blair said suddenly coming alive and wincing as he jumped off of the couch too fast, "ow."

"Take it easy, Blair," Jamie said reaching for the tea kettle as Jim came around the corner with his coffee cup in hand.

"You just opened a very large can of worms," Jim said as Jamie poured him a cup of coffee.

Blair came over to the counter and eased himself into one of the captains chairs on his side of the counter. "Tell me what you see," he said as he reached albeit carefully for some of the leaves to help Jamie wrap the fish.

Jamie just smiled as she reached over to put everything within her and Blair's reach.

At that time, Jim and Simon both joined Blair at the counter. Mike put two more logs on the fire and joined the others. Taking the last chair on the right , he said,"Ok Jamie, let us do the taters for you."

Nodding to Mike, "OK Blair," she said as she pulled out a cutting board, two potato pealers, a knife and a funny looking colander from under the counter. "Your aura is a very vibrant yellow, almost tinging on gold." Adding about nine potatoes to the counter, she said," knock yourselves out guys." Then turning back to Blair she said, "Yellow stands for intelligence , and your's is probably the brightest that I have ever seen."

It is?" Blair said with awe in his voice.

"You also have a little violet in your aura, which shows your spiritual level. The more you learn as Shaman of the Great City, the more the violet will grow. The violet will eventually grow to equal the yellow, but it will never out grow the yellow.

The tea kettle took that moment to let them know that the water was ready to pour. Jamie turned around, grabbed the tea kettle in one hand while she grabbed a cup off of the shelf with the other. Putting the cup down, she grabbed a canister out of another cabinet, popped the lid open and pulled out a home made tea bag. Filling the cup with the hot water, she added the tea bag, and pushed it over to Blair. After putting down the kettle, she pulled out a spoon, a spoon rest ea bag rest and the honey and set them in front of Blair. "I'm not sure how strong you like it," she said as he wrapped his hands around the cup.

"Thanks Jamie," Blair said, his hands wrapped closely around the cup.

With the fish wrapped and covered in nuts, Jamie picked up the pan and walked over to the fire place. Once there, she pulled open a door that unless you knew it was there, you would not see it. As she put the fish in and closed the door, she asked Mike, "Mike, you wanna get the rolls for me please?"

"Sure Jamie," he replied as he got up and went to what looked like the broom closet, or pantry, opened it and pulled out two large trays of freshly risen dinner rolls . Taking them to Jamie, she opened another oven just above the first.

"Thanks Mike," she said as she closed the door.

"No problem," he said then added, "the taters are about ready." as he resumed his position as cutter. After the potatoes were all cut up, Jamie rinsed them in the colander, then filled a pan with about an inch of water, inserted the colander and covered it with a tight fitting lid with a small vent on top. She walked over to the right side of the fire place, pushed back a cover to reveal two burner type tops. Setting the potatoes on the left side, she turned around to go back into the kitchen to get the rest of dinner going, and found herself staring into three very shocked faces.

"What," she asked, "why should I waste perfectly good heat?"

"Good point," the three said in unison.

"What else does she have up her sleeve?" Blair asked, barely loud enough for a sentinel, much less anyone else.

"Quite a bit," Jamie and Mike said in unison.

Jim and Blair exchanged shocked glances at each other, the at Jamie as she walked back into the kitchen and pulled a bag of broccoli out of the freezer.

"Everybody like broccoli?' she asked, holding up the bag.

Everybody nodded in the affirmative as Blair found his voice. "Don't tell us, you're a sentinel as well," Blair asked, not sure he really wanted the answer.

"Well, yes and no actually," Jamie said as she put the broccoli in a pot similar to he one that the potatoes were in.

"Here, let me get that for you," Simon said as he got up and took the broccoli over and put them on the burner next to the potatoes. Returning to his seat, he looked at Jamie and said," you're a sentinel as well as a shaman," he asked needing clarification.

"Jim's abilities are more mental than physical,"
Jamie began. "His abilities are genetic in nature, but are controlled by a stronger mental capacity. Now that's not saying that they are not there physically, it's just that his brain function is at a higher level." She began setting the table as she continued talking. "Now Mike's and my abilities, and yours too Blair as you grow stronger, are more mental as well. People may call us psychic, but that is nothing more than being able to use your mind to accomplish what needs to be done."

Seeing confusion on their faces, she said, "Ok, let me try this another way," Jamie said, "let's consider a normal person, we'll use Simon as an example..."

Simon looked up, "I guess that I am the only *normal* one here, aren't I," he said with a laugh at the amused look on Jim's face.

"...A normal person uses around 10% of their brain, while a fully trained sentinel and guide or shaman uses anywhere from 25% - 50% of their brains," Jamie said to the awe struck trio sitting there.

"So, if you're not a True sentinel, then how is it you and Mike heard what I said. I mean Jim barely heard me?" Blair asked.

"Simple," Jamie said, "I read your mind."

Three jaws hit the floor as the other two just sat there and smiled.

Simon was the first to find his voice this time, "you what???" was all that he managed to choke out.

"I read his mind," Jamie repeated, then added,
"One of the abilities of the shaman is being able to hear the thoughts of others. As well as being able to communicate telepathcally." she completed, hoping to ease the shock and confusion.

"Like with Mike this afternoon?" Jim said remembering Jamie's sudden departure.

"That's art of it, yes," she said smiling.

"Someone want to let me know what's going on here?" Simon asked getting very frustrated at being the only one out of the loop.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
On To Part 4