Chapter 8: Tools of the Path

A medallion pulse lingered as the High Priestess helped Tobal to his feet and showed him a small bowl of oil and a clay goblet of wine sitting on the altar. Moistening a finger in the oil of Svartalfheim, she traced a symbol in the middle of his forehead where his third eye was located. “I mark you with the triple sign.” “I consecrate you with the oil of Svartalfheim.” Dipping her finger in the wine of Vanaheim, she again drew a symbol on his forehead. “I consecrate you with the wine of Vanaheim.” “I consecrate you with the lips of Midgard,” she said lastly and softly kissed him on the lips. Then she handed Tobal a piece of paper. He recognized the Oath of the Apprentice written upon it. “Now you must sign the oath you have just taken.”

Tobal signed the paper as everyone cheered and applause erupted all around the circle. Looking around the circle for the first time, Tobal saw fifty or sixty people cheering and waving cups at him in celebration and congratulation. After the applause died down, the High Priestess first presented a knife, its blade humming with an earthly resonance. She handed it to him separately, and Tobal took it in both hands, feeling the energy it held—a deep, grounding vibration that pulsed with life and death. “This is your true weapon, blessed of Niflheim as a tool of life and death. It symbolizes the mastery of thought and intent over the material world. As you learn the art of survival in the wilderness, you will come to appreciate how important this simple tool can be. It will one day save your life. You will also use this tool in your dreams as your spirit grows stronger and is tested by your personal fears and demons.” She then presented the belt and sheath, which he buckled around his waist, the knife now secured at his side. The High Priestess gave him a decorated wineskin filled with the sacred vital life force of the Lady.

“This is the vessel of the Lady, the Holy Grail of immortality. From this we drink in friendship and in honor of them both. It is the emotional joys and pleasures of human companionship that make life deep and rewarding. It is in sharing our lives with others that we find purpose and reward. Life is an eternal celebration, and it must be celebrated with others lest we find ourselves alone and unloved. These are the tools of the Apprentice. In the second degree, you will learn other mysteries.”

Then, taking her own knife in hand, she said, “Brother Oak, to learn you must suffer and be purified. Are you willing to suffer in order to learn?” “Yes,” Tobal answered. Gripping his right thumb, the High Priestess expertly made a small cut. “You signed the oath with a pencil, but your Higher Self signs with the blood of your life.” She took his bleeding thumb and placed it on top of his signature. Then both she and the High Priest placed a drop of their own blood over his, saying, “I know you as a beloved brother. Our blood is forever mingled. I will defend and help you according to my higher conscience and Higher Self to the best of my ability.”

She gazed intently into his eyes, “Look at this oath that you have signed, witnessed by your Higher Self.” Turning, she stepped and threw it into the bonfire. He started as the paper burst furiously into flames. She continued, “As a symbolic act, this paper is consumed and purified by the flame of the bonfire until nothing is left but your pure intent. So also in reality may all levels of your being find their true place in the transforming fire of the Lord and Lady that are both found within your own heart. Your commitment and oath is between you and the Lord and Lady. It is not a matter for us. This simple act is a token and symbol of your desire to live in the spiritual light and to be purified in mind, body, and spirit.”

“Yet, this is not enough,” she continued. She took his wineskin and drank from it before offering it to him. “Truly the powers of your higher self flow ever into your being, and if you are open to the process, your life will be changed forever. Let the chalice of your soul freely receive the wine of your spirit and experience divine intoxication thereby.” At her gesture, Tobal lifted the wineskin and drank the mead. It seemed to glow in the firelight as if it were full of some vital energy that had a life of its own. He felt the warmth and energy spread through him, warmly bursting with love. As the golden fluid poured down his throat into his stomach, he could feel the warmth grow until he was standing in a large ball of energy and spiritual light, a transcendent Hel surge enhancing the taste.

Then the High Priest and High Priestess both placed their hands on his head, invoking the highest power of the Lord and Lady. The energy poured into him, sealing his initiation forever. The High Priestess said, “I now salute you in the name of the Lord and Lady.” Turning, she led him to each of the four smaller fires at each quarter of the circle and proclaimed loudly at each station. “Brother Oak has been consecrated Apprentice of our ancient craft and is become a Child of the Lord and Lady.” As she finished, the entire circle came forward in a wild celebration and swept over Tobal. The party had begun.

That night, as the party blurred into a haze, Tobal drifted into deep dreams. In one, he saw his parents, their faces etched with resolve, trapped in a rune-lit cell of Niflheim, their voices whispering of a hidden truth. In another, Lucas and Carla appeared, their forms shimmering with Hel’s light, guiding him through a crystalline rift with cryptic words of destiny. Groggily, he raised his head as Rafe shook him, grinning mischievously. “Hey, c’mon. We’ve got a lot to do today. You going to sleep all morning?” Tobal groaned and put his hands to his head. He had a splitting headache and a nasty hangover feeling in his gut. Must have had too much of the mead and home-brewed beer last night, he thought morosely. He rolled over and tried going back to sleep, but Rafe was shaking him again cheerfully. “C’mon, I’m not kidding. It’s a busy day. Let’s go get some breakfast.”

Tobal sat up and looked around, realizing he had been sleeping in one of the teepees he had seen yesterday. He didn’t have any idea how he had gotten there. There were empty blankets where other people must have slept, but they were all gone. He was the only one left. Sitting up, he looked bleary-eyed at Rafe. “What are we doing today?” He tried valiantly to ignore the throbbing in his head and the churning in his gut. Rafe gave him another light-hearted, good-natured poke with an elbow. “How does it feel to be a witch?” he asked cheerfully. “Perhaps I should say an Apprentice witch.” He chuckled. “An Apprentice witch?” Tobal mumbled. “I didn’t know I was going to become an apprentice witch! What the hell are you talking about anyway?”

Rafe hunkered down on his haunches, “I keep forgetting your parents are dead,” he said. “I can’t believe all of this is completely new to you. Most of us have grown up within the system and understand it.” “Well I don’t,” grumped Tobal. “Maybe you can fill me in on what I’m getting myself into here.” “There are three separate degrees in our system,” Rafe told him. “These three degrees correspond to the three degrees of the ancient mystery schools, the three degrees of ancient Freemasonry, and the three degrees of witchcraft. We simply call it the three degrees of the Craft.” “The first degree of Apprentice is concerned with learning the basic survival skills that will keep you alive in the woods during all seasons of the year. We are given gray tunics and trousers…by the way.” He grinned. “How do you like your new trousers?” Tobal flushed and grinned back, “They are pretty nice actually. It was getting kind of drafty after they shortened my robe.” Rafe snickered, “Well anyway, the color gray symbolizes the degree we are in. The second degree is black. You probably noticed your guards last night were wearing black?” Tobal grinned. He was starting to feel much better. “They were pretty rough too, but my guide was nice looking, that dark-haired girl?” Rafe ignored him, “That’s part of the Journeyman degree. The Journeyman degree is where you learn self-defense among other things.” Rafe looked at him quizzically, “Do you remember how you have to train six other people to solo before you can enter the Journeyman degree?” “Yeah.” “Well, to complete the Journeyman degree you need to beat six other people in hand-to-hand combat. That doesn’t mean how many times you get beat yourself,” he grinned ruefully.

He looked a little worried, and Tobal couldn’t help but think Rafe was a bit anxious about becoming a Journeyman. That was probably due to his small size. It was hard to think Rafe could beat anyone in a fair fight. “What about the third degree then? What’s that degree about?” he asked curiously. “Are they the ones dressed in red tunics and robes?” “Yes, they are dressed in red.” They are titled Master of the circle and accorded the highest respect. You never know when your life is going to be in their hands. Their obligation is to serve as emergency medics and to officiate during circle and initiations. They monitor the health and well-being of everyone. You will see them riding around on their air sleds. They monitor our med-alert bracelets and are instantly alerted if our vital signs change through injury.” He held up his silver bracelet to show Tobal. “If something ever goes wrong and we are badly hurt, our wrist alarms go off, and it is the third-degree Masters that give us the medical attention we need. Sometimes they are too late or nothing can be done. Other times they will take us to sanctuary or the hospital for serious injury or illness. Basically, they keep tabs on everyone and make sure we are healthy and doing all right. They serve as medics for three years. After three years of medical service, they are accepted as citizens into Heliopolis.” “Three years!” Tobal blurted. “It will take forever to become a citizen!” Rafe shook him hard and looked seriously into his eyes. “Don’t even think about becoming a citizen,” he warned. “Focus on learning and living right now in the present moment. Get this right, or you will not live to become a citizen.”

Tobal found his pack and carried it silently, thinking about what Rafe had just told him as they went off to find some breakfast. The second day of circle was pleasant. Rafe introduced him to many friendly people he instinctively felt comfortable with. Tobal wondered how many of these new friends Rafe had personally trained and helped solo. He noticed Rafe was well liked by many circle members. Even more interesting was a certain section of the circle that seemed to really dislike Rafe. Tobal wondered why. This small group went out of their way to be disagreeable to Rafe and to him. After one roughly pushed past him, Tobal asked Rafe about it. “What’s with those jerks anyway?” He asked. Rafe regarded him gravely a minute before answering. There are not many people claiming sanctuary in the winter. Some of these people have been Apprentice for three or more years. They might remain Apprentice for the rest of their lives if they don’t grow up and train someone. They either have no interest in training or no one wants to train with them. Some people pick a partner to train, fall in lust, become sex partners, and don’t care about advancing. Then there are others that want to advance and simply not enough people to train. It is highly competitive, and you really have to hustle if you want to advance. I’ve made some enemies. You’re my sixth trainee in a year. No one else has ever done that before. Another thing is that I’m younger than most of the people here. Some of the older people really resent me. They not only resent me. They resent the newbies I’ve trained because I’ve taught them to be competitive too. Some of these old timers are finding it almost impossible to get anyone to train. They don’t want to camp out at sanctuary for weeks at a time waiting for someone to show up like I did waiting for you. They are getting older and blaming the people I’ve trained for taking all of the newbies. There are some hard feelings out there, and some day something is going to happen. That’s why you have to be careful. Not everyone here is friendly. Some people would like to see you or me disappear or come up with a broken leg or something. Watch your back, brother, watch your back.”

Tobal thrilled at being called ‘brother,’ but a chill feeling of dread swirled around his tailbone. What had he gotten himself into, he wondered? The events of last night’s party were hazy, and he didn’t remember much. He did remember the initiation though and how powerful it had been. He said as much to Rafe. “You’ll have plenty of opportunities to participate in other initiations and experience them more completely.” “In fact,” he grinned, “you can have an active part in every circle and initiation from now on if you choose. It is an important part of your spiritual training. That’s how we do it out here.”

As they walked toward the center of the camp, Tobal was surprised at how big it was and how many permanent log buildings had been built. This was his first real opportunity to see the camp in daylight. There were permanent structures like the sweat lodge nestled near a clear pool of mountain stream water. Others seemed to be just empty sleeping quarters. The larger log building where they were headed was the galley and stood out from the others. Teepees were being taken down and put away. It seemed some of the empty buildings were used for storage. The teepee seemed to be the favorite for those desiring a little more privacy. They were built with long poles lashed together at the top and spread out in a conical shape at the bottom. They were covered with the gray woolen material that seemed to be used for just about everything out here. Many were insulated with heavy furs fastened over the woolen material and tied into place. Tobal wondered in an amused way how many trips through the sanctuary building had been made to get that many of the gray blankets.

They were not the only ones getting ready to leave. Many others were already leaving or saying their final good-byes. Tobal was trying to remember the names of people he had met and failing miserably. He felt good though and found himself looking forward to next month when he would see them again. In the galley, they had a final breakfast of cooked venison, wild onions, and sweet potatoes. With bellies stuffed, packs and canteens full, they picked up their walking sticks and headed out of the camp.

They didn’t go back up the cliff but went down further through the valley and into the foothills. Rafe explained that nobody stayed near Heliopolis. His camp was about 40 miles away from sanctuary, and there were other camps even further out. Most people stayed no further than thirty to sixty miles from the gathering spot though. Everyone was expected to find plenty of food and game in individual areas that were not over-hunted and fairly private. It was mainly a nomadic existence, especially during the training phase. So you followed the food. At various times of the year, animals would migrate and move out of one area entirely and into others. Winters were hard, and people set up permanent camps with stored food caches to help survive when fresh food was hard to find. This time of year, the weather was mild, and the days were warm and beautiful. The snow was rapidly thawing, and new shoots of green vegetation ensured they wouldn’t have to worry about adequate food in a few more weeks. There were small animals and new plant life everywhere they looked, although it was still too early for any insects.

Shortly after leaving the gathering spot, Rafe said, “Give me your map.” Tobal handed Rafe his map, and Rafe marked an “X” on it. “This is my main camp,” he said. “We will be heading there first. That’s where I will show you how I make things and what a permanent camp looks like, especially in the winter. We’ll stay there a week or two while I teach you the basics you will need to know. Then for the last two weeks, we will go out and find you some new territory to solo in. Ok?” Tobal fought a knot of icy fear and managed to nod in agreement. He wasn’t quite certain about how easy this was going to be. Two weeks didn’t seem like very much time at all. “Ok, then,” said Rafe. “You know where my camp is now, so you lead the way!”

Tobal was momentarily confused. Then he understood and took his map back. He studied the spot Rafe had marked and compared it to where the mark for the gathering spot was. He knew they were about ½ mile north of the gathering spot and tried to orient himself on the map. The map showed Rafe’s camp lay about 50 miles in a northeast direction. Damn, he thought, Rafe certainly isn’t one that likes living close to the gathering spot. It would take a hard two days getting to his camp, maybe even longer if the terrain was really rough. He noticed something else. Rafe was making certain his map had sanctuary, the gathering spot, and Rafe’s own permanent camp on it. He felt a warmth of gratitude toward Rafe for that. If anything went wrong, he would be able to find help if he needed it.

Tobal sat down with the map, trying to puzzle out the best way to get to Rafe’s camp. He noticed that it was in some very rough country, which meant it would be at least three days and not two. “I don’t know if we can get to your place by going in a straight line.” Rafe grinned evilly, “It looks like 50 miles in a straight line, but it’s more like 100 miles the way we’ve got to go. It’s going to take us almost four days to get there.” Four days! Tobal suddenly felt very vulnerable and unprotected. How in the world was he supposed to survive in this God-forsaken place? He fought a rising panic and looked at the map again more carefully. Four days meant they were going to need water. He noticed a small stream 25 miles away and decided to make that their first camp. It was a little out of the way, but he felt it was a good idea to stay close to water.

He studied the map some more and decided the second day they could head straight north and set up a dry camp. The third day would be another dry camp, and they would reach Rafe’s camp sometime on the fourth day. They would also reach water on the fourth day before reaching the camp. He explained his plan to Rafe and showed him the map. Rafe studied the map thoughtfully. “Ya, we can try that,” he said. “You did a good job thinking about what you were going to do and made a plan. You also remembered we need water, and that’s very important out here. It looks like a good plan, and I’m willing to try it with you. Lead the way,” he said. As they began, Rafe added, “Yggdrasil guides us through these wilds, Brother Oak—trust its roots to show the path.”

Tobal pulled out his cord and undid all the knots in it. He aligned the red line on his compass for a northeast heading and surveyed the landscape, seeking the best pathway through it. Choosing his route between trees, he set out purposefully with Rafe following cheerfully behind him. It was rough going the next three days. He didn’t need to worry about water because it rained all the way to Rafe’s camp. Tobal was glad for the makeshift woolen poncho that kept him halfway warm even when it was wet. It was miserable traveling. A shadow flickered on day two, hinting at unseen eyes, but the rain masked its source.

He made a hat to keep body heat from escaping out the top of his head. It was welcome protection from both the sun and the rain since Tobal had fair skin that burned easily. Rafe had been insistent he had some type of head covering. One of the quickest ways of losing body heat was not having your head covered. Sunstroke and sunburn could be dangerous killers. In the wilderness, these things were not to be taken lightly. Tobal learned to move carefully and deliberately in the rain and slick mud, his sense of balance sharpening with each step.

Rafe continued his education by pointing out and gathering herbs. The unceasing rain made the snow disappear almost overnight. He explained about tinder and how to find good dry firewood even in the rain. Tobal learned to always have enough dry tinder and kindling to start a fire. He carried it with him in a pouch on his belt. He created the pouch by cutting some of the fabric off the poncho. He used the sewing kit to sew it together. He also used the sewing kit to mend some of his socks.

He made it a habit to gather small pieces of firewood as they went along so he didn’t need to look so hard for it at night. While it was more weight to carry, it was easier than looking in the rain and darkness for dry wood. Each evening, Tobal would select the campsite and start the fire under Rafe’s supervision. Together they would gather the rest of the evening’s wood and take turns preparing the meal. At night, they set snares for small animals. In the morning, they would check the snares and sometimes they would be lucky. Often they would find only an empty snare.

They couldn’t get warm enough in the constant drizzle, but the fire did feel good even if they couldn’t get dry. During the day, they also hunted for small game. Rafe and Tobal each cut a long strip of fabric and made a sling out of it. Together they practiced with small stones at various targets. The first day, Rafe hit a rabbit, and that night they ate rabbit stew. There was always some kind of greens for a salad.

Small animals were not all they would eat. Rafe showed him how to break open rotten logs and find the grubs within them. “They are better cooked in something,” Rafe grinned as Tobal fought off a wave of nausea. “Still, they are better than not eating at all. The large wood ants have a lemony flavor, but you need to make sure you bite them hard before swallowing, or they will try to crawl back up.”

By water, they set traps overnight for fish and set snares for small animals. If they caught anything, it was usually a rabbit or squirrel and went into the stew or was simply roasted. They ate the fish immediately. At noon every day, Tobal triangulated his true position on the map and made small corrections in their course. At times, he rethought the best route to Rafe’s camp from their current position. The wilderness often looked much different than it did on the map, and the differences took some getting used to. Some areas that looked passable on the map certainly did not look inviting in real life, and other times it seemed appropriate to take a shortcut that had not been considered.

In all this, Tobal was the guide, and Rafe simply listened and followed. Once in a while, he would make a comment about some of the changes in the plan that Tobal proposed, but he went along with them. At times, Tobal realized he had made a mistake, and hours were spent retracing the way back to their starting point. Still, with each success and miscalculation, he learned more about both reading the map and moving through rough country.

Late afternoon of the fourth day, they arrived at Rafe’s base camp. The rain had stopped, but they were soaked to the bone. It was in a secluded valley, and Rafe had to show Tobal the hidden entrance, or he would never have found it. The main camp was a large teepee with several small outbuildings made of logs. He had his own sweat lodge built next to a small mountain stream. There was also a rack for smoking meat and making jerky. The first thing they did was get into some warm dry clothes and fix a decent meal.

The rest of the first week passed quickly. They stayed in the area and set traps for fish and snares for smaller animals. Tobal learned the ways of each animal he hunted. Rafe showed him the game trails and what the individual tracks of each animal looked like. They smoked the fish and other meat so it would keep and not spoil.

In the evenings at the campfire, Rafe had him work first on a bow and then on some arrows so he could hunt larger game. He learned how to skin and dress the smaller animals like beaver, muskrat, and mink. He would carefully stretch and dry the pelts for later use as winter clothing. He learned the basics of tanning leather and made his first leather-crafted items. The weather was turning too warm to be wearing furs anymore, and the pelts would soon lose their value as the animals shed their heavy winter fur. He could always use some leather though and concentrated mainly on tanning leather.

Each morning, they explored the area, checking game trails and sneaking up on animals without trying to kill them. They had plenty to eat and practiced stalking larger game animals like deer and mountain goat. During the following week, Tobal learned more about tracking and how fresh an old track might be. He was getting fairly good with the sling and practiced every day with the bow.