by
Lynda Rae McDonald
2001
Danu, Goddess of the Dream Worlds slips into the dreams of Dinara as she is sleeping in her cozy sleeping bag upon the frozen ground. Dinara has been away from home for many years now, so many years that she has lost count. She dreams of a Crystal Castle that extends far into the sky and deep into the earth. As she approaches the great golden doors of this Crystal Castle, she is greeted by Danu, who tells her that it is time now to stop her wandering and head back home. Danu tells her that it is time to quit searching and begin to live the wisdom she has collected. Danu puts her hand upon Dinara's forehead and fills her with a warm feeling of peace. Dinara falls into a deep sleep knowing that in the morning her journey begins to end.
As the golden fingers of dawn spread across the land, Dinara wakes with the memory of the dream of the night before. She breaks her fast and packs her belongings into her backpack. The day is clear and cool. It is a glorious day to begin her trek home. Dinara shoulders her backpack and faces west, towards the great ocean by which her people live.
Dinara walks for many days, sleeping at night upon the ground under the twinkling stars. On the 12th day towards home, Dinara comes to a long canyon with high walls that had caves all along it like a fortress with portals for cannons to defend against some ancient and unknown enemy. She climbs up to one of the lower caves to look around. It was dry and deep. It was tall enough for her to stand and there was no sign of anything else living in it. Dinara decided that this would be a good place to spend a few nights resting and days hunting and gathering to replenish her food reserves.
That night, after gathering wood, hunting, and acquiring a hare, and cooking up a hearty rabbit stew, Dinara began to reflect upon some of her adventures. She started thinking about the time she had come to a similar cave in a far away land that had not been empty, but had been the home of a giant Cyclops named Helaena. Dinara had come into a cave while trying to get out of a terrible and deadly snow storm that had caught her unaware and unprepared. She hadn't known there was any other creature in the cave until she heard a beautiful sound coming from far in the back. She was very surprised and afraid of what she saw when she went back to investigate the sound.
Dinara had never seen a Cyclops before. She had heard about them in stories the elders told, but she had always thought they were just stories they told to scare the small ones and keep them in line. She desperately tried to remember what the elders had said about the huge human-looking creatures that had only one eye. Were they mean and cruel or were they wise and generous? Dinara tried to get a little closer to see what it is the Cyclops is doing while she sings her beautiful song. How could anything that sung such a beautiful song be dangerous? As she eases her way closer, Dinara breaks some rocks loose, making a terrible racket that the Cyclops couldn't help but hear. Dinara's heart skips a beat, and she catches her breath in fear.
Helaena calls to Dinara without turning. "Dinara, dear, come all the way into my home and warm yourself by my fire." Dinara is stunned that Cyclops knows her name, but realizes that this is a very powerful being and there is no use in trying to run from her. Besides, where would she go with the horrendous storm raging outside? She slowly walks towards the Cyclops and comes around to stand in front of her. Helaena is sitting in front of an enormous loom on which she is weaving a wondrous golden cloth. The Cyclopes looks down at Dinara with her one sky-blue eye that seemed to draw you into the depth of her soul. Helaena smiled at Dinara and indicated a plush couch near the fire that she could rest upon. As Dinara set her pack on the ground and lowered herself to the couch, Helaena spoke a few magic words, which made bowls and dishes of all sorts of delicious food appear near by. Helaena said, "Eat, child, and rest your weary bones. After you have had your fill, you can tell me of yourself."
Dinara tentatively tasted some fruit. She wasn't sure if she could trust this giant creature, but her taste buds and growling stomach won out over reason. She ate until her belly stretched tight and she became very sleepy. The rhythmic sound of the Cyclops' loom and singing gradually put Dinara into a deep sleep.
When Dinara woke, she discoved that Helaena had finished the cloth she had been weaving and spread it out on top of Dinara where she lay. It was so soft and warm and smelled like a field full of flowers on a spring day. Dinara felt so safe and comfortable. It made her think of her mother, who had died several years before.
