Spirit Caller

By Sunee le Roux

To save her village, a young girl must go on a quest that will change her future...

 

Teva knows something is wrong in her village. The cold winter months approach and yet no crops have sprouted, nor have the great elk returned to roam the plains. Nothing but dust flows between the banks of the once mighty river Einuhuatl, and all the animals guarding her village have fled. Have the spirits of the earth abandoned them?

 

Only the Spirit Caller will know.

 

To save her village, Teva journeys to the forest in search of the woman who can speak to the spirits. Together, they must confront the Eater of Souls, or face the death of everything Teva holds dear...

 

*** Please note this is a standalone short story ***

 

Read now if you love high fantasy stories with strong female protagonists, inspired by Native American lore.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Strawberry Moon Press
• Release date: Oct 7, 2017
• ISBN: 9781393547105

Book preview

SPIRIT CALLER

Suneé le Roux

Strawberry Moon Press

Copyright © 2017 Suneé le Roux

All rights reserved.

Edition 1.2

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, contact to the author.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, incidents and dialogues are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, living or deceased, is coincidental.

Website: www.suneeleroux.com

Email: [e-mail]

Author’s Note: This short story makes use of UK English spelling and syntax.

Spirit Caller

Teva scrambled to her feet, heart pounding, as a bear lumbered into the clearing. Fumbling for the bone knife strapped to her waist, she retreated until a tree trunk against her back blocked her escape. She locked eyes with the animal and a shiver ran down her spine. The bear’s eyes were grey as a morning mist. Teva swallowed loudly, her throat suddenly as dry as the dust-choked streets of her village.

With a low moan, the animal dumped the two fish it had been carrying in its jaws to the ground. It lifted its front paws into the air, stretched out to its full standing height, and … shimmered.

Teva blinked. The bear was gone and in its place stood a woman surrounded by a numinous glow. As the glimmer subsided, Teva watched the woman bend down to retrieve the dropped fish. Ghostly white hair framing a youthful face slid over the faded blue clan markings that swirled across the woman’s bare arms. Teva realised the woman’s grey-eyed gaze was upon her too, studying her intently. It took all her willpower, but she lifted her chin and ignored the temptation to look away from those otherworldly eyes.

Welcome, friend, the woman said, finally. A small smile played across her lips. She beckoned Teva closer. The spirits warned me of your coming. I took the liberty of catching dinner.

Are you her? Teva blurted. Heat rose to her cheeks. Of course this was her. She relaxed her white-knuckled grip on the knife and took a few tentative steps towards the woman. "The Elders said I would find you in the forest, but I didn’t know where