The Shaman

 Uraguari woke up. 

It was dark around her. In spite of it, she decided she couldn't sleep, couldn't feel still enough even in the absence of light, so she walked out of her den to enjoy a breath of the cool night air. 

She did that as silently as she could possibly do, for her partner was still asleep, curling  against a massive pelt that served as their bed. That particular pelt, which Uraguari got for her soulmate as a gift, belonged to a mastodon, an old bull known to the Tribe of the Talon as Ingaur. 

Her talons brought the beast down, albeit aided by his own hypothermia. Praised as a hero, she got the privileges for the best parts of the bull, in meat, fat and skin. That was a victory that cemented her not only as a hunter, but as an excellent one, not dimmed in any of the three years that passed.

Once outside, she noticed that it wasn't exactly night time, but the beginning of dawn, as the  sun's rays began to appear in the eastern horizon, touching the far mountains. Uraguari never visited the ice and snow covered  cathedrals of rock her people talked about; only the shamans would ever go that far.

And so would she.

She groomed her feathers, light brown in color like those of a youngster. Indeed, she was often called "Big Chick" for  this neotenous trait. Yet there she was, five summers after her birth, seven long cycles of experiences that made her a veteran among her people.

And, more importantly, someone less likely to get punished for her trespassing. Bold as Uraguari was, no one would suspect her whim-driven journey.

Wasting no time, she glided downhill, and carried off across the plains on foot. Once she was far enough from her village to not be heard, she jumped into the air and flapped frantically for several minutes, before gliding down for a mile.

 Uraguari repeated this process seven times, until she reached the slopes. The sun still hadn't emerged above the peaks, but it did light up a narrow pass amidst the mountains, a crack full of golden light. Uraguari approached it, and to her delight it was just larger enough for her to enter.

Once inside, it was hard to see. The sunlight was enhanced by crystals that formed the wall, effectively blinding  Uraguari. Worse, these crystals were sharp, and her feet hurt immensely, as if they were being constantly prickled by thorns.

She considered giving up, but a breeze indicated that the pass did have an opposite end, so she persisted. Closing her eyes she moved forward, feeling the walls with her wing feathers and fingers. The pass was rather straight, and soon enough she figured when to jump over crystals, lessening her pain.

The walls eventually began getting too far apart until Uraguari could no longer touch them with her wings, and the sharpened crystals were replaced by duller rock. Uraguari dared to open her eyes, and indeed the sunlight was no longer blinding.

As she adjusted her eyes, she was greeted by an open platform. Larger than her whole village, it was lodged amidst the slopes, and it ended on a ravine. In it, bones and tusks of various beasts were tied and arranged with strings, forming odd mound-like monuments, arranged along the edges of the platform.

At the center was a drum, made of dried yellow skin, held together by turtle plastrons.  

Uraguari took flight, landing next to it. As she looked more closely, she saw various symbols inscribed on the drum. Some were simple forms: crosses, triangles or waves, sometimes connected. Others were more elaborate, odd sigils, mixing and matching shapes in patterns that almost hurt Uraguari's sight.

And amidst them all was a more recognizable drawing.

"Ingaur" she muttered.

A drawing of the great mastodon ornamented the very center. It was as well made a drawing as she had ever seen, his many shades captured in strange, ochre-like pigments. He stood, facing the front, his head most prominent, his trunk raised and tusks shown.

Uraguari stared at it, lost every contour of his shape. She remembered how weak he was when she brought him down, yet she felt nothing but strength from that picture.

"What are you doing here!?" a voiced cawed into her mind.

Uraguari turned around, to face the shaman. He bore his ceremonial tail rings and beak piercings, wings open in a sign of outrage.

"I, uh" Uraguari said, panic rushing through her.

"Why have you come here!?" he hissed, jumping angrily at her with his wings and tail fanned out.

He jumped at Uraguari, and her fear shifted from one of being caught to pure survival instincts. She turned to the side, supporting herself on her tail and kicking him, propelling him away into one of the monuments. It broke, revealing various pelts and inscribed turtle plastrons.

"How dare you!?" The shaman screeched.

"Y-you attacked me!" Uraguari said. 

She felt like a guilty child, and for once in her adult life she felt she truly earned the title of "Big Chick".

The shaman launched and flew towards her. She stood her ground, and when his talons met her she grabbed them with her wing fingers, locking him in. He fell on her, and both wrestled, rolling away towards the ravine. All the while the shaman hit her repeatedly with his own wings, clawing at her face.

"Why did you have to come here!?" he ranted, sadness seeping into his voice.

They reached the ravine, but Uraguari was prepared, releasing the shaman's talons and holding on to the ledge. The shaman took flight, but in the process his head it a rock, crashing his skull and staining Uraguari's face with his blood.

Uraguari watched in horror as the shaman's body fell into the darkness.

She stared into the abyss, sorrow and anguish like she had never thought possible rushing through her veins. She had killed others of her own kind, to protect her clan or to punish criminals, but a being as holy as a shaman?

Her fingers reached her throat, and began to press.

No.

She stopped.

"Who said that?" she asked.

Suddenly, the ravine was filled with light. Radiance as golden as the sun, yet with none of the heat. It reminded Uraguari of some of the northern lights, where the spirits of the dead were said to rest.

And, indeed, the radiance formed into Ingaur

You will live. You owe it that much to the one you love.

"But how can I atone?" she begged, both out of guilt and because she was incredulous at her prey's appearance.

You will be the new shaman, just as this one was.

Uraguari stood in silence. Something occurred to her, and she darted to the ruined monument. She inspected the pelts and inscribed plastrons, and though they had different sigils and signs they all shared at least a part of Ingaur's visage: his tusks, his trunk, his eyes.

"They all killed you, didn't they?" she asked.

Yes.

"Some my victory was meaningless."

No. It marked you. Your people will gain my advice, and I will get my revenge.

Uraguari felt her throat tighten. She understood why the shaman was so furious.

She turned to Ingaur, lowered her head and opened her wings.

"I will do as you say."