An unexpectedly cool breeze blew across the arid landscape of Northeastern Arizona. It dipped and weaved above the ground and squeezed through the tightest of spaces. It danced between bushes and brushed across the backs of small creatures. It grazed the surface of the sprawling Colorado River and caressed the walls of the Grand Canyon. The breeze was searching for something. Or rather, someone. A woman? A man? It wasn’t sure. People we so difficult to tell apart. The breeze only knew that the person would be able to acknowledge it.

The breeze flew by people quickly. They felt its chill, but passed it off as an afterthought. The breeze reached out to person after person, but none noticed. That was until it chose to go westward. It came upon a place filled with water amidst the desolate landscape. The breeze was meandering above the ridge of a valley when it found a waterfall of all things. The waterfall was filled with a cloudy turquoise water that splashed down into pools and tributaries. The area where the land and the water met was full of rocks and silt. The largest edge of the water was directly across from the waterfall and shaded by trees.

At the edge of the water sat a tall stately woman in a dark green sundress. She had a deep brassy tan that seemed to give off a golden glow. Her long inky black hair was pulled into a loose bun at the nape of her neck. Her hairstyle showed of the large traditional style bird tattooed across her back. As she moved to brush the fly-aways from her face the bird seemed to shake out its feathers and flap its wings. She was barefoot and had taken to sticking her feet into the wet earth. The day was so warm that the muddy silt was a blessed relief. Its coolness crept up her body and settled on her like a wintery blanket.

When the breeze noticed the woman in green it floated down towards her. As it did the woman looked up and raised a hand to beacon it closer. So, the breeze did just that. It moved in closer and wrapped itself around her. To the woman, it felt like she was being given a gentle hug.

“Mapiya,” the breeze whispered as it continued to wrap itself around her. Its voice was light and wispy. The average person wouldn’t be able to hear it even if they tried. “Your brother to the north searches for you. The wolf has told him the end grows ever closer. The four must call for the father. Your brother solicits your aid.”

Mapiya let out a frustrated breath. Just a minute ago she had been relaxed, calm, and centered. “My brother knows that is not possible. Our creator will not answer. He has not answered for thousands of years. He is done with this plane.”

“Your brother solicits your aid.”

“I cannot help him.”

The breeze’s voice grew in volume. “Your brother solicits your aid.”

“I cannot help him,” Mapiya replied forcefully.

The air around Mapiya grew cold and the wind started to move more aggressively. The once polite breeze was no more. It was now a storm. The silt around her was kicked up by the growing squall. It stung her exposed skin and forced her to cover her eyes with her palm until it passed. The sky above the waterfall and its pools became as dark as the night sky. Mapiya began to shiver. While she was well dressed for a day out under the merciless rays of the Arizona sun, she was poorly equipped for near-artic conditions. Mapiya began to lose feeling in her fingers and toes in under a minute. She also watched as the water along of the edges of the water fall’s pool began to solidify. A light frost settled on the ground and plants around her.

“Your brother solicits your aid,” The storm screeched.

“But there is nothing to be done!” Mapiya cried out, her breath clearly visible in the cold. “I cannot leave this place. The four cannot come together. He knows this. We cannot call Wankan Tanka!”

This response clearly displeased the now malevolent storm. It voiced its displeasure with thunder and threw down bolts of lightning. The entire waterfall and its pool were now encased in ice. Mapiya felt numb all over. Even her eyelashes were thinly coated in frost.

“Your brother solicits your aid!” The air howled.

Mapiya’s eyes flashed briefly from their normal black to a milky white.

“FINE!” she yelled, slamming her hand down on the ground. The force of her hand hitting the earth caused the newly formed ice on the waterfall’s pool to splinter with a loud crack. Her response was enough to grab the storm’s attention. In a matter of moments, the sky cleared, the warmth of the day returned, and all the storm’s ice disappeared. The tempest was once again a gentle breeze that settled on Mapiya’s shoulders. Noticing that Mapiya was still shaking lightly the breeze warmed itself as it lay there.

“Reply?” the breeze questioned softly. Becoming so large and boisterous had rendered it quite exhausted.

Mapiya took a moment to bask in the sun and warm herself. Her hair, which had been covered in frost, was completely soaked so she removed it from its bun to dry. Her dress was equally wet, which she found quite uncomfortable. Mapiya stood up and closed her eyes while raising her hands above her head. She focused on the sun’s warmth and the balmy air around her. She then coxed the heated air towards her and asked it to settle on her clothes and hair. Minutes later she was completely dry. The warmth also aided in the messenger breeze’s recovery.

“Tell my brother I will write to him soon. I will give him answers,” Mapiya stated.

Having completed its task, the breeze floated off Mapiya’s shoulders. It brushed her face lightly as it drifted out over the water and out of sight. Mapiya watched it leave before turning and disappearing into the tree line.