Ajijaak continued along the westward trail and followed it into the forest. Many paths from all the different villages converged and criss-crossed. All journeyed to the Land of Souls, a place where death and pain did not exist. Steadily Ajijaak walked, searching for signs of Wiinizik’s footprints. From time to time he would call out her name, and just hearing his own voice brought a sense of awe to him. To no longer be silent was a gift. When he found Wiinzik and they entered the Land of Souls, they would have all eternity to speak to one another. Late in the day he passed the trail that came from the land of the Sioux. In the land of Souls he would live among his enemies, only they would no longer be enemies, for war did not exist in the land of Souls.

Excitement fought with his apprehension. He felt sure of his journey.He would find Wiinizik and he would help her cross over. Deep down, he had a knowing that he would. When night fell, he stopped and by a stream. He was hungry and thirsty. He drank long from the stream but it did not ease his hunger. He began to worry about Wiinizik. Where was she? Was she hungry? Had her uncle’s family supplied her with enough food for her journey? If they did not would she perish on the path. He looked down at the water. His reflection was obscured by the ripples. He stood, studied the landscape and committed to memory. As he ran through the dark forest, he chanted and prayed. The dust of the path made small puffs as his feet hurried over its surface. The path became more and more narrow. Surely he had not been headed down a dead end. Yes, in his haste he had. The trail stopped. He had to turn back.

Once he was back at the stream he surrendered himself to sleep. Perhaps he would have a dream that would help him find Wiinizik. When he awoke the next morning, a bowl of food was placed beside him. In life, his mother had prepared this and given it to him. He ate swiftly. He had lost time last night. Wiinzik was somewhere ahead of him and he must hurry. He placed his bowl down and found a bag of dried berries and meat. His noko had fixed this for him. There was also a flask of water. He knew this was a gift from Ziibi. He pushed the thought of her away from him. He must not think of her or what she had said about the child he had abandoned. His only priority was Wiinizik.

The day passed just as the first, with him following trails. He did not meet any more dead ends. Late in the day the trees thinned out and then fell away all together. A great prairie stretched before him. A single wide trail now wound its way through the grass. He was going the right way. He looked down at the dust of the trail and he saw the small footprints of his beloved. She could not be far ahead. Ajijaak broke into a run. In the distance a blur of red appeared. It was the great red berry. He saw the form of a woman beside it. She was reaching out her hand. He cried out, “Wiinizik!”

She turned, but she did not drop her hand.

He shouted, “Do not eat of that!” No one knew what became of the souls that tasted the great berry. Ajijaak reached her and knocked her hand down. He took her into his arms and felt her arms go around him. Her tears wet his neck. She said, “I have been so afraid. I am so hungry.” Ajijaak handed her his pouch of berries and dried meat, then scooped her up into his arms. How good it was to hold her. She plunged her hand into the bag.

She was indeed hungry. She ate almost all of what it contained. Ajijaak was not worried. His mother and his noko would provide for him. When she had finished eating she asked him to put her down, which he did. She wanted to talk to him. He told her, “There is no need. That was part of our earth life, now we are headed to our soul life. The past is behind up.”

She slipped her hand into his and did not try to say more.

It was dusk when they reached the great river that surrounded the Land of Souls. A long, thick, log spanned the river from the Path of Souls to the Land of Souls. It looked like a log, but Ajijaak knew it was really a serpent, at least that is what he had copied in the Sacred Record for Misko-amik. The log was slippery. If they slipped into the water they would be transformed into fishes or frogs for all eternity. They must not fall. Along the shore of the river were busted cradle boards. It was very difficult for babies and children to cross the rolling log. How many of the fish had once been somebody’s child. Briefly the image of his own son came to mind. Who would teach him the skills necessary to survive this passage? Who? Who would raise his son?

The sun was sinking. Wiinizik asked, “Can we make it, or should we wait until morning?”

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“I think we can make it.” He was anxious to get safely into the Land of Souls. He longed for the peace the place offered. He helped Wiinzik jump onto what looked like the head of a snake. The log began to roll like the body of a snake in the placid water. Wiinizik cried out. Ajijaak steadied her. He told her to hold onto him and match his steps. She clung to his waist. The log was slippery and Ajijaak thought he saw the pattern of scales upon it. He remembered the Snake King and Ziibi’s valor. When her time came, she would not have any trouble crossing this log. Her last words to him echoed in his mind until he pushed them away. He was almost there. Peace was close at hand.

When they reached the Land of Souls they were awed by what they saw. It was a vast village filled with tents and houses as far as his eyes could see. In a huge field children played and men ran races. Ajijaak saw Waabooz. Why was he here? Had his skill and his strength had secured him a place in eternity? The revenge that would have choked Ajijaak in life, did not spring up within him here. Waabooz was no longer his enemy. Still, he did not want Wiinizik to see him. He led her to the village. The sound of drums, bells, rattles and pipes filled the air. The clothes that the people wore were not skins, because there was not any death here. All their clothes were made of substance beautiful and shimmering such as Ajijaak had never seen. People he did not know moved about him. Some were eating what looked like fungus. A man emerged from the crowd. It was Misko-amik. Wiinizik ran into her grandfather’s outstretched arms. He held he tight and long. When he let go of her, he turned to Ajijaak. He did not speak. His face registered displeasure. Wiinizik did not notice. She asked, “Can you take me to my noko?”

“Yes.” He began to lead her away.

Ajijaak said, “Wait, for me.”

With eyes filled with anger and sorrow, Misko-amik asked, “Why are you here?”

“Because my soul has brought me here.”

“Has it? Or have you once again been deceived into abandoning your destiny for the love of a woman?”

His words cut through Ajijaak. This could not be so.

“Have you passed on the knowledge I gave you?”

“Only a little.”

“Then the sacred record is lost forever as well as the secret of my drums.” Misko-amik shook his head. He did not speak again, but led his granddaughter into the crowd. Ajijaak tried to follow but he they melted into the crowd.

A woman he did not know pulled him to the far edges of the throng and then out of it all together. She told him, “I am Migi, the sister of your noko.”

“Is my grandfather here?”

“Yes.”

“Can I meet him?”

“In time, now, come with me. We have much to do before it is too late.”

“Too late for what?”

She grabbed hold of him. She was very strong. “I said come. Hold your tongue that now flaps. It flaps too much.”

Migi more or less drug him all the way to a small hut. Inside was a pallet of soft filmy substance like spider webs. She told him to lay down.

He remained where he was and asked, “Where is Wiinizik?”

“You ask too many questions. You do not obey. It is no wonder the Great Spirit saw fit to still your tongue. It would have brought you to more grief in life than you had.” She pushed him and he fell onto the pallet. The next thing she did was straddle him and pour something bitter down his throat.The medicine made him feel very strange. Emotions he had pushed away from him rose up. He heard again the voice of that strange man telling him to remain with his son. Where was his son? His son did not even have a name yet. He had not become a person, he was no more than a heap of potential until he had a name. The image of the busted up cradleboards along the river came to his mind.

Migi said, “Return to your son, hurry before the light fades.” She slipped something into his hand. It was cold and round.

He tried to ask about Wiinzik, but the words would not come, his throat was frozen again. He had lost the ability to speak. Migi shouted, “Go, NOW!”

He ran from the hut frantic to find Wiinizik. He entered a great dancing crowd. They danced him to the edge of the river where the log was, only now the log was not a log, but a huge serpent. Its great head darted toward him. Barely, he escaped being struck. If this snake drug him into the river, he would never see Wiinzik again. He would never see his son either. If Ziibi were here, she would help him. Ziibi was not here. Only he could fight this snake. The gigantic creature’s triangular head shot straight at. Ajijaak. Ajijaak leapt onto the flat head of the snake. His fingers dug into the eye sockets of the snake and held on. The snake tossed his head back and sent Ajijaak flying. Below was the water, below was eternal separation from Wiinizik. He twisted his body and managed to get his feet to land on the back of the snake’s body. The snake plunged again. All around him the water boiled. Broken cradle boards shot into the sky. Another section of the snake’s body rose into the air, again Ajijaak leapt. As the snake ducked and dived Ajijaak leapt from section to section until he reached the tail. The tail flung him onto dry land. He was on the other side, but he was not safe. Much lay ahead of him and he had no idea how he was to pass from the path of Souls back to the Path of Life. If he failed he would disappear and that was worse than being a fish or a frog for all eternity.