Chapter 9: Clearing the mind

As old man, Mo and I left the cave leaving the badger mole alone to heal.

Old Mo began to marinate the moose meat as I helped him cut the vegetables we began cooking

As I took a bit my mouth watered with my saliva as I kept scarfing down food as we eat and talked.

After finishing the whole moose as we went to our bed in the cave.

Soon the moon could be seen at the highest point in the sky as I stare at slowly falling asleep.

I began opening my eyes seeing that I was in the forest once again.

I began to walk passing the time I then saw the same person from my first dream a year ago.

I began to get closer to her not letting her hear my steps as I got close ready to touch their shoulders.

I woke up noticing that I was out of the forest I soon began to wonder how did I have the exact dream from a year ago.

Thinking about I heard Old Mo calling me for breakfast as I change and left the cave.

Meeting Old Mo at the campfire having a bird he caught seeing that I was lost in thought Old Mo ask what I had on my mind.

Look at Old Mo I began to tell him about how I had two dreams where I was lost in a forest walking around and seeing the back of the same person.

Old Mo "I am not sure how to help you but I do recommend meditating on it"

"But why meditating" "the reason is people have unsolved problems and meditating or thinking on your own may help clear up your mind"

As I ponder on the words Old Mo said "take the day off and go clear your mind".

After finishing my meal I go check on the badger mole to see how she is doing still unconscious I pat her soft fur before I leave.

During my walk, I still could not take my mind off what Old Mo said so I decided to meditate on a rock.

Crossing my legs as I close my breathing in and out slowly and calmly.

Thinking of my dream wondering how that person was staying in place for an hour realizing it was not working I decided to stop.

As I open my eyes and stood up I realized something was wrong but I could not understand why as I looked around everything seemed the same.

Putting this at the back of my head as I follow the trail walking and thinking of that person I saw.

Continuing the walk I realize I went in circles as I turn around looking for the path back to the cave.

I saw a person hiding by a tree I noticed the person they began to run away chasing after them.

I found the back of this person very as It clicks it was the same person that was In my dreams.

Following them back to a cave as I entered I saw many herbs and plants as I began looking around about to touch something.

I heard a voice saying don't touch that as I look at where the voice came it was the person I was chasing.

I then ask "who are you" as the person kept looking at me I noticed it was a boy with long hair covering his face.

Still waiting for a response I decided to introduce myself "Hi my name is Jack Lee may I know yours"

As the boy was waiting "my name is Wu and I am the guardian of the wildlife of this forest".

Having a confused look Wu then began to manipulate the roots of the hanging from the ceiling restraining me.

After getting bought I tried to bend but I could not look at the boy asking "why can't I bend"

Wu then began to come closer to me as he was about to throw me out he kept smelling the air and started to sniff me.

"You have a wounded animal don't you" with a shocked look wondering how he knew

As he places a bag in my hand telling me to place this on the wound of the animal as he touched my forehead with his palm.

Doing this I suddenly woke up finding myself back on the rock and noticing a bag in my hand.

Looking at my surroundings looking for Wu taking note of how dark it is getting I decided to go back home.

Wondering what was in the bag I opened it was just herbal paste I saw Old Mo by the fire.

Approaching where I left from this morning Old Mo spoke " Did you find what you were looking for?"

" I am not sure" Old Mo motioned me to sit as I did I began telling him what happened to me.

Telling him how I was meditating on a rock and how I was walking in the forest and then meet I meet Wu the guardian spirit of the animal in this forest.

Seeing Old Mo in thoughts I ask " what happened to me?" Looking at him dead in the eye wanting a response.

"Kid you surprise me every day the place you went to is called the spiritual realm think of it as a medium between people and the spirits"

"But there are very few amounts of people that can travel to that realm.

"Only those who have some kind of spiritual power like great monks or benders but the main one that can enter and leave is the avatar"

"Wow are you saying I could be the Avatar" "nope because if you were the Avatar you would have used the other 3 elements by accident"

As my hopes got crushed I then asked "but why did it become so dark so quickly it felt like I was only there for 10 mins?"

"You see in the realm time flows differently from ours you could stay there for a day but in the real world it could be a week"

I began thinking as I try to put everything together forgetting about the bag in my hand as I tossed it to Old Mo ask what's this.

I began telling him that the Spirit Wu gave that to me and to place it on the would of the badger mole.

As we head into the cave to where the sleeping mole was I began to unbandage.

Seeing her stitched would I began to spread the paste all over it and began wrapping her would.

"Let's get some rest," Old Mo said it's been an event full day for the both of us as I head to my bed falling asleep as I touched my pillow.

The following morning I went to check the mole as I got closer to her I noticed that she was awake.

I began grabbing some veggies as I began cutting them to be easily digested for her.

Bring the plate to her cage as she went into the corner being scared as I pushed I place the plate near her.

She soon began eating the veggies and I saw the cute face she made when stuffing herself.

When she was not looking I began caressing her fur tho, though, in the beginning, she was tense but soon became calm.

Old Mo saw me at the cage walking closer to me he saw the mole awake and how she has accepted me as a friend so fast

Old Mo then asked hows her wound begin to unwrap her we saw patches of hair growing from the bite mark where a scar should have been.

"What are you going to name her" how about Dhara

"Nice name in the Hindu culture it means Earth"

Nice to meet you, Dhara as she looked at likening the name