She lay back, uncaring that the dirt would get into her hair. Josef could take care of that easily. All that mattered was her connection to Mother Earth.
Great Mother Earth, who gave us all birth,
Hear my call.
Help me, great one, show me the path that I must walk,
I place myself in your arms, hear the beat of my heart,
Hear my call.
Sounds came first. The deep booming beat of a drum. Steady. Coming from the earth's very core and spreading throughout the land to give life to the plants and trees, all the flora and fauna. The trickle of water came next, so soft at first, but when she listened, the sound was powerful, the flow of earth's blood reaching out like arteries and veins to nourish.
Great one, I am of your making,
I ask for your healing balm,
I have need of you and your gifts,
My body is worn and tired.
She had never felt so stretched thin, afraid if she asked Paul and Josef they would tell her they could see where she was frayed, or holes torn in her very skin. Without Josef's blood, she knew she would never have the strength to help free Dimitri from such a terrible weapon.
Help me, Mother, bring forth your healing energies to give me strength.
My need is great. Hear me. See me. Be of me. Wrap me in the warmth of your arms.
Rich soil poured around her body, over it, a thin layer, but almost up to her neck. She should have felt claustrophobic, but instead, she felt warm and safe. As if from a great distance, she heard a gasp from Paul, but her mind was connected to the steady drumming beat of the earth's heart. Her own heart matched that strong rhythm. She felt the new growth, long twisting vines, pushing out of the soil beneath and beside her to wind around her body, a cover of forest green.