In Neolithic Ireland a shaman discovers a young woman living among a pack of wolves in the forest near his tribes’ sacred river. Little does he know that the secret of Crilla’s birth will bring about the greatest challenge faced by himself and his people. But for now he and his mate raise her as their own daughter and teach her the skills of herb craft, magic, and battle. With the black wolf and the hawk to guide her, Crilla’s destiny becomes Ireland’s destiny.

Prologue

It was a cursed night - a night when evil stalked the land and the echoing cries of a thousand sorrowful mothers filled the air. Darkness enveloped the forest and the wind blew hard against the ancient trees. Winter rain, frozen to sleet, poured from the sky and soaked the blood-red earth below. Neither animal nor human stirred this night - save one – one whose intent was deadly and whose mind was imprisoned by bitterness and hatred. Her dark figure moved through the forest on mud-stained feet. In her arms she clutched a basket with a fur-wrapped bundle inside. The howling wind snatched at her words as she spoke harshly under her breath.

“Brother! You have crossed me for the last time! I take what is most precious to you so your soul will scream out in anguish and your heart will shrivel and die…”

The firmament broke loose and lightning snaked through the darkness as the woman held up her bundle and laughed loudly into the night. Thunder boomed nearby shaking the earth to its depths.

“Be gone, brother, do not haunt me at my work! Long ago you cast me aside like a bag of old bones. May you rue that day until you die!”

Again the lightning crashed over her head sending jagged spears of molten light into the deep of the forest. The woman moved forward, her body bent against the force of the wind. She struggled through the trees and their limbs whipped at her body as if to hinder her way. Soon she emerged from the forest and crossed a small clearing leading down to the river. The roar of the rushing water mixed with the wind and deafened her ears to the soft cries of the baby in her arms. Miserable with the wet and cold the infant longed for the warmth of her mother’s breast. But the baby’s cries did not go completely unheeded and as the woman reached the riverbank the sleeting rain halted and the wind quieted. Overhead the clouds moved and soon a full moon, startlingly luminous in the dark night sky, shone its magical light upon the baby’s head.

The woman glanced with annoyance at the moon. Her secret deeds were of the darkness and she felt angry at the moon for revealing her fateful acts.

“Be gone pale Mother! Seek solace in the shadows for my working this night is no business of yours!” She knelt by the river’s edge and placed the basket on the ground. The baby cried but the woman ignored her.

“It will not be her blood on my hands, Brother! No! Let the river who is your spirit companion take the life of your child. Ha! Now you will regret the turning of my spells!” With those words she launched the basket and the crying infant into the rushing waters of the river and pushed it hard so it slipped quickly into the current. The basket lurched and spun in the dark waters and was soon carried from sight. Above, the moon looked down on the scene and wept, her tears falling from the sky with radiant wonder.

“Hear me, Brother,” the woman cried, “for you and yours are cursed as the wombs of your women lay barren. Soon, you will beg for my forgiveness…”

Without a backward glance to the river the woman pulled her cape tightly about her and moved quickly into the forest. She disappeared among the trees as the clouds returned and the thunder boomed in the heavens.

All Rights Reserved 2009 Denise Sallee

Share the exciting stories of three young women who live in distinctly different  historical eras: 1880’s Mississippi, 17^th century England, and 13^th century Spain. With a touch of magic realism their lives flow together on the spiritual plane. Their journeys are about lessons learned and important choices to be made as they each struggle to find her true self in an environment of social stricture and dynamic change. It is about the interconnectedness of women’s lives and the spiraling flow of the past with the future.

A fascinating story that crosses time and the boundaries of life itself and presents powerful views of three lives and the trials they face. Strongly recommended for all readers with a taste for the unusual."

 - John Matthews; New York Times bestselling author of Pirates and Arthur of Albion.

 Denise Sallee has crafted a compelling story of three young women who, although separated by hundreds of years, share the same independent, questing spirit. Young readers will instantly be drawn into their adventures and empathize with the girls' determination to be true to themselves in the face of life' s challenges. A central theme in these young lives is that each of them feels a deep kinship with the world of Nature. The way each gains a sense of strength and support from the Earth and the Great Goddess offers a truly inspirational path to young women today!

 -Mara Freeman, Author: Kindling the Celtic Spirit, (HarperOne, 2001)