Page 55 of Cry of the Firebird

"Anya! Do you want these magic lessons or not!" Katya shouted.

Trajan squeezed her hand and let it go. "You had better go. That hunter doesn't seem the patient type."

"I'll catch up with you later," Anya said, getting up quickly, hoping that her face didn't look as ridiculous as she felt. "Thanks, Trajan."

Anya was calmerafter her talk with Trajan, but she needed something to distract her. Her head was swimming with memories and kisses and Trajan's irresistible grin. Aleksandra made them fresh cups of coffee and sat down at the scrubbed wooden table.

"Is Katya okay? She sounded angry just now," Anya asked, hoping that they would all overlook her running off. She was embarrassed and hated it. No matter how horrible the memories, they were a part of her that she needed.

"Katya's fine. Just stubborn. She doesn't really care for magic and has no wish to learn it either. How are you feeling?" Aleksandra asked, placing her hand on Anya's forehead.

"I'm okay. Overwhelmed, but okay."

"Memory magic is tricky. It will take a little while for things to come back to you. Be patient, and don't panic when it happens. It will take some time," Aleksandra explained. "Now, show me your runes."

Anya found her pack at the back of the caravan and dug out her runes and the shaman drum.

"I have no idea how to use either of these properly," she said, putting them on the table. Aleksandra didn't touch the drum as she leaned in for a closer look.

"Where did you get this?" she asked curiously. "The magic on it is strange."

"Baba Yaga traded me for it."

"I don't know anything about drums, so we'll have to ask Baba Zosia about it. It's pulsing with power." Aleksandra went to touch the leather bag containing the runes but jerked her hand back with a yelp.

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure. They zapped me," Aleksandra said, cradling her hand to her chest.

"Sorry, I'm not really sure how they work either." Anya tipped them out. "They didn't zap Yvan when he touched them."

"I can't explain it either, but I'll let you handle them from now on."

Anya turned the runes over so they lay face up, their symbols all showing clearly. Very slowly and with extreme patience, Aleksandra began naming them one by one and explaining what each represented. After the fourth rune, Aleksandra gave Anya a battered notebook and pencil to make notes.

Aleksandra soon had her repeating them back to her—Fehu,Thurisaz,Ansuz…

After an hour of Anya repeating them, Baba Zosia hobbled in and put more coffee on. Aleksandra spoke quickly with her, and Anya heard Baba Yaga's name mentioned more than once. Baba Zosia replied to her in an angry tone. She sat down next to Aleksandra to look closer at the drum, careful not to touch it. She started speaking, and Aleksandra began to translate quickly.

"She says this drum is magic in many ways. It changes with each user. If I were to possess it, the symbols on the skin would change, so they are the most right to me."

"When I first used it, the runestone landed on this bird, the crosses, and this figure here," Anya said, touching the skin of the drum. "Could you tell me what that means?"

Aleksandra translated, and Baba Zosia started cackling before she gave her reply.

"She said if you can't figure it out, you are an idiot." Aleksandra's cheeks pinked a little with the insult.

Anya shrugged. "When it comes to magic, I definitely am. Could you tell me how to use it, at least?"

"Only basics. This drum is Sámi, and it's not our magic. Baba Zosia knows the basics, but as for actually using it traditionally… Well, you'll need a Sámi shaman for that," Aleksandra answered.

"I'll take any information she can give me," Anya replied.

"Very well, drums are read in all directions, from the front, and from the back. From top to bottom. Your eye should move from the highest 'world' to the lowest one, reading the markings counter-clockwise. This is North, South, East, West," Aleksandra explained with Baba Zosia prompting her. "This is the Northern Star. The top half of the drum is usually the Heavenly Realm, especially the northeastern section. This is a church, representing God or divine beings. This bear is the god Ukko. The rune here isAlgizif you remember."

"Protection, defense, and warding off evil," Anya interrupted with a glance at her notes.

"That's right. This bird, I can only assume, is the firebird. Look at its tail, long and beautiful, and its home is in the sky. This section, northwestern, is also heavenly things or higher knowledge. You have Yggdrasil, the World's Tree, from your Northern tales. Also, we have Odin's ravens, Huginn and Munin, Thought, and Memory."

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