Encounter in the Night

Author's note: In July of 1994, I was struggling with many issues; the divorce-in-progress being but one of them; the (in my opinion) justified dislike by so many people of "Christians" being another...

I got on IRC late one night that July; and the discussion in progress was about one poster who was what I call a "flaming born-again funnymentalist" (nod to Tyger)... and, I had already posted a counter-point to his post, calling him on every point where he went against what Jesus taught...

Someone asked where the scripture was that talked about Jesus's condemnation of those who hurt - those who abuse - children...

Amou came back in channel, she'd been away from her keyboard... and she asked "When did this become Sunday School?"

I lost it... and flamed her, attacked her...

This is an allegory of that night... and the beginning of something incredible neither one of us was looking for, or forsaw...

Encounter in the Night

The battle-scarred and wounded Wolf struggled in the darkness, bleeding from many wounds, some inflicted by others... but many inflicted by his own despair, confusion, and fears... by his own efforts to protect himself from his pains...

Stumbling, delirious, the Wolf reached out blindly, seeing threats where none were, desperately hunting for that which he never had... and in his blindness, injuring, wounding those who love him, severely injuring One... and sending many others fleeing who could not comprehend, for whom the image of a wounded wolf was extreme danger... for whom the wounded wolf was a true danger...

In the depths of the forest approached a powerful lioness, wondering, curious about the Wolf... She had watched from afar in the past as the Wolf played with the other inhabitants of the forest and scurried to and fro rescuing one after another from problems real and imagined... and, She had seen beyond the form all but one other saw, and; She knew all was not as it appeared... That night, as other nights, she approached and watched... And that night, the Wolf sensed her, and...

Nose to nose, Canid and Feline met in the darkness... and the Wolf reacted mindlessly, lashing out in his pain, not comprehending the initial gentle inquiry... seeing only attack where there was none... and he struck... Yet, the Lioness kept her claws sheathed while hissing a warning... and the wolf struck yet again, blindly... and in the darkness of the night, the Lioness yowled Her warning and backed to a safe distance...

In the darkness of his soul, the Wolf heard and knew he had injured one blameless, innocent... and tail down, shaking in his pain and sorrow, pitifully tried to amend the wrong... and the Lioness watched warily, warning off the wolf... and melted back into the forest where a winged one met Her and helped her tend the wounds not earned or deserved...

The sun rose and set, and yet again as the wolf, not seeing, continued in his internal and dark battles... and, in the silence of the night She once again approached, this time to speak of the injuries done and of what She could see... but the wolf could not... and the wolf stopped, heard her cautious call and her warning, and the wolf went with her and listened, hearing not just the words but the meanings and truths behind the words...

The Lioness saw where the wolf could not see... and she shared painful truths of the wolf with the wolf, prepared for denial, counterpoint... yet, the wolf stayed quiescent, listening... and she saw this, seeing yet more that all but one other could not see... and she wondered... as did the Wolf...

Days and weeks passed, and the Lioness and the Wolf, now aware of each other across the fields and forests of the valley, watched each other... Curious, wondering, pondering...

And came the time when the Lioness had reason to journey to that part of the world where the Wolf lived... and she approached him in the night, offering to meet him in the light of day, face to face on That Day... and the Wolf marvelled... and agreed...

As The Day approached, the One other injured by the Wolf came to be known by and be with the Lioness... a Living Jewel who had come to know the wolf beyond the visible form... In the quiet hours together, knowledge and wisdom was shared, and a wondrous Love came to be, surrounding them...

The Journey of the Lioness became known to others in her part of the world... A Gift was made by those who loved the Wolf, and the Lioness and the Jewel took the gifts and added their own...

In the meadow beneath the light of the sun, Feline and Canid met... Their eyes met and held, and within, each saw depths and worlds none others could see or sense... For an eternal moment, an incredible moment... the Souls of the Feline and Canid met and touched... and became Known... and Lioness and Wolf flowed together in embrace transcending a mere physical hug... A timeless embrace... They parted as the Wolf performed his duties for the others gathered... and, She smiled inwardly as She watched, but pondered too why he ran... What he fled from...

Then, to her surprise and the surprise of the others, the Wolf, the intense, somber grey grizzled Wolf leapt into a tree and hung upside down... grinning for all the world... and She smiled with her entire being and caught the moment for ever... and, she quietly pondered what she had seen, pleased...

Came then the time for which She had patiently waited... when the Wolf could avoid no more... and Lioness and Wolf left together to sit alone on the grass as the Lioness shared the Gifts and watched... She spoke softly, gently to the Wolf, sensing his fears and quietly soothing him.. and she watched, as one by one his walls came down... and he became Known to her... as one by one the Gifts were given and shared...

Many times, the Wolf looked up into Her eyes, his own brimming with tears never before released... and saw There that which he had never seen before... and he pondered this as the last two gifts were held forth...

One, from the Lioness... a stone miniature of his own form, bonded with turquoise spirit link... vibrant with Her soul and heart... The other, the SoulGem from the Jewel and A Word of Power...

The Wolf looked up then into the Lioness' eyes, and Saw... and deep within him something broke... a wall that he had never dared remove or lower came down... and the tears flowed... and he looked again into Her eyes and wondered... strangely at peace in Her presence...

Came then the second day... and the Lioness and Wolf met, quiet sojourns, sharing, observing, learning, growing... Both sensing the other, sensing the safety and compassion...