Leela and the Forest of Light

by Lin Northrup

  Leela and The Forest of Light

  © 2020 by Lin Northrup

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  First Edition

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Printed in the United States of America

  Print ISBN: 978-1-09832-241-0

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-09832-242-7

  To Julie, with love

  To the children of today and tomorrow. May their imaginations be as wide as the sky. May they wake each morning and greet the trees, oceans and animals with love. And may their hearts join to create a new vision for planet Earth.

  Acknowledgments

  I am deeply grateful to my family and friends for their support. Thank you, Julie, Bart, David, Patrick, Catherine and Lenka for cheering me on through the writing of this book.

  My heartfelt appreciation for your time, expertise and insights. Your love for our beautiful Earth is woven into this story.

  Life is a circle.

  We all stand in the circle.

  We breathe together and live together.

  Our lives are One.

  When we love and take care of each other,

  we’re in harmony with the earth.

  Be very quiet.

  Listen.

  Hear the wolf,

  the wind in the trees,

  the wings of the hawk,

  the humpback whale.

  Hear the rush of the river,

  the songs of the dolphins,

  the trumpeting elephants,

  the wild mustangs.

  The animals are our relations.

  The trees, flowers, oceans and mountains

  are part of us and we are a part of them.

  They are calling to us.

  Hear their secrets,

  Feel their love.

  We are all one family

  in the Circle of Life.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Leela Makes Up Her Mind,

  Chapter 2

  The World Between Worlds,

  Chapter 3

  The Tree Nation,

  Chapter 4

  The Cave of Bear,

  Chapter 5

  How to Become Invisible,

  Chapter 6

  Learning About Power,

  Chapter 7

  Shapeshifting,

  Chapter 8

  Keeping a Clear Vision,

  Chapter 9

  The Eyes of a Wolf,

  Chapter 10

  Facing the Darkness,

  Chapter 11

  The New Earth,

  Chapter 12

  Sacred Path Stone,

  Chapter 13

  The Spirit of a Great Horse,

  Chapter 14

  Standing Tall,

  Chapter 15

  The Hunters,

  Chapter 16

  Running with the Wolves,

  Chapter 17

  The Approaching Storm,

  Chapter 18

  The Safest Place of All,

  Chapter 19

  An Unexpected Ally,

  Chapter 20

  Princess of the Wolves,

  Chapter 21

  The Gift of Far-Seeing,

  Chapter 22

  Make It Green,

  Chapter 23

  We Are One Family,

  Chapter 24

  The Path of the Heart Begins,

  Chapter 1

  Leela Makes Up Her Mind

  Leela was jolted awake by the sound of Mrs. Rumsford’s high heels clacking along the hallway above her room. She threw off her blanket. What time was it? Why hadn’t her alarm gone off?

  Mrs. Rumsford was already heading to the kitchen with her morning list of complaints. “Cook, where is that ungrateful girl? Am I a servant in my house? Do I have to walk all the way down here to get my own coffee?”

  “No ma’am. I’ll make you a fresh pot,” said the cook, hurrying to get the coffeemaker.

  “That’s Leela’s job. After all I’ve done for her and she can’t perform one simple task?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I mean, no, ma’am. She must have overslept. She had a lot of homework last night.”

  “Cook, make a special cake for dinner. Alexa and James made the honor roll again. Such brilliant children. Wake Leela up and send her to me. Immediately!”

  Mrs. Rumsford clacked back down the hallway barking orders at the butler. As soon as it was quiet, Leela sprang out of bed shivering in the cold basement. Oh no! Her animal drawings were still taped to the cement wall. She rushed to hide them from Alexa and James.

  But it was too late. The twins were already heading down the basement stairs. They pushed open the door howling and whooping to scare her. When they saw her drawings on the wall, they ripped them off tearing them to pieces.

  “How old are you?” asked James, as he dropped them into the cardboard box she used for a wastebasket.

  “I think the orphanage must have lied,” said Alexa, crumpling Leela’s favorite drawing of a wolf. “I think mentally she’s only four. No eleven-year old would put these stupid drawings on every square inch of the wall.”

  Leela backed into the corner of the bed. James moved closer glaring at her through cold, gray eyes.

  “She won’t talk,” he sneered. “Leave the pathetic thing alone. Lucky for us she’s a mute. Let’s get out of here. This place gives me the creeps.”

  They stomped out of the small room slamming the door shut. She buried her head in the blanket trying not to cry. All her drawings were in shreds. There was no point in telling Mrs. Rumsford because the twins would lie and make it her fault.

  Leela sat staring at the empty spaces where bits of tape hung. The rough cement looked like a prison wall reminding her of the orphanage she was sent to after her parents died. They were flying to a conference when their plane crashed in the jungles of Brazil. She was staying at her best friend’s house when news of the crash flashed across the TV screen. That day the light in her world went out.

  There were no other relatives to claim her. A case worker came and took her away from her home, her friends and everything that was familiar. For three long years she walked the halls of the state-run home wrapped in her memories. The other children wanted to be adopted, but Leela didn’t care.

  One cold January morning Mr. Slade, who ran the orphanage, called her into his office. “You’re a very lucky young lady, Leela. Mr. and Mrs. Rumsford are interested in adopting you. They’re upstanding people and very wealthy. Count your blessings, my girl,” he said, wagging his cigar-stained finger at her.

  Tears filled Leela’s eyes. He thought it was because she was happy, but as bleak as the orphanage was, leaving would mean she would have to finally accept that her parents were never coming back.

  The next day when she entered the office, the Rumsfords were waiting. Mrs. Rumsford was dressed in a fur coat and kept her gloves on as if she didn’t want to touch anything in the musty office.

  “She’s rather tall fo
r her age,” said Mrs. Rumsford, staring at Leela. “But she has nice hair and eyes.”

  Her husband kept glancing at his gold watch, but he did smile at Leela. Mrs. Rumsford rambled on about their mansion and the grand life she would have when she came to live with them.

  Mr. Rumsford, anxious to get to a business meeting and annoyed at his wife’s cold appraisal of the girl, interrupted her. “Now my dear, I’m sure Leela doesn’t want to hear about that. Why don’t you ask her what she likes to do.”

  Mrs. Rumsford shot him an irritated look. “How are your grades? You’ll be attending a prestigious private school and the teachers are very demanding.”

  Leela mumbled a few answers anxious for the interview to be over. Their teenage children, Alexa and James, stood in the corner looking her up and down and making it obvious they didn’t want to be there.

  Weeks later when all the paperwork was finalized for the adoption, a tall, bony man in a gray uniform came to fetch her.

  “Come with me,” he said, walking over to a long black limousine. When Leela climbed into the back seat, he looked down his long nose at her as if she were a stray dog that should have been left at the pound.

  The silent drive to the Rumsford’s estate felt like an eternity. Leela’s stomach churned from hunger and dread as they approached a sprawling stone mansion set in the middle of a rolling, manicured lawn. When the car passed through the main gate, she felt a chill in the air. The chauffeur pulled up to the front door and grabbed her tattered suitcase out of the trunk.

  A woman in a black dress stood in the doorway. She frowned when she saw Leela. “I’ll tell Mrs. Rumsford the girl has arrived,” she said, staring at Leela’s patched coat before hurrying off.

  In the center of the foyer, a huge vase of white roses sat on a marble-topped table with claw-like mahogany legs. An elaborate crystal chandelier hung from the arched ceiling. Leela stood gawking at the ornately framed paintings that lined the walls.

  “Hurry up. Mrs. Rumsford will want to see you in the solarium,” grumbled the chauffeur.

  They passed by a dark room. Blue velvet drapes hung at the windows shutting out the light. Mr. Rumsford was sitting at a desk talking on the phone. He looked up and waved to them.

  “Henry, take Leela to her room. I have some important business to finish. I’ll see you later, Leela.”

  Clutching her sketchpad and a plastic case of colored pencils, Leela followed the chauffeur up the curved, marble staircase. Every step they took echoed off the high ceiling. He led her down a long hallway to a small room at the far end and tossed her suitcase onto the bed. “Follow me,” he barked, irritated that he had to be bothered with the girl.

  They walked through a maze of hallways to a formal sitting room. Tall green ferns stood at the windows and two silk brocade couches were placed in front of the fireplace. Leela stood at the edge of the room not sure what she was expected to say or do. Her new shoes pinched and she felt like she was going to throw up.

  Mrs. Rumsford was pacing around the room followed by a young woman in a gray suit who was writing in a notebook.

  “Rachel, make sure the caterer uses my mother’s china and crystal. Henry, I’m late for my hair appointment.”

  She turned and looked at Leela as if seeing her for the first time. “Ah, Leela, come here and let me look at you. Oh dear, we must get you some proper clothes and look at those shoes. Now that you live with us, you must look like a Rumsford. My personal assistant, Rachel, will take you shopping,” she said, blowing her a kiss as she rushed out of the room lecturing the chauffeur about a wrinkle in his uniform.

  Leela’s days were filled with instructions on etiquette making her miss the familiar routine of the orphanage where she didn’t have to worry about what she said or how she looked. Alexa and James barely spoke to her and evening meals at their long dining room table were stiff and tedious ordeals with Mrs. Rumsford scrutinizing her manners. The twins made it clear she wasn’t welcome and Mr. and Mrs. Rumsford didn’t seem to notice the sarcastic tone they used when they spoke to her.

  After Rachel, took her shopping to get some new clothes, she was allowed to attend a lavish party celebrating Mrs. Rumsford’s birthday. Entering the drawing room, Leela stared at the fairy tale scene of women dressed in fancy gowns and diamond earrings dancing with men in black tuxedos. Musicians hired for the occasion played in the background as maids dressed in gray and white uniforms passed around trays of fancy hors d’oeuvres.

  “This is Leela, the poor orphan we rescued,” gushed Mrs. Rumsford to her well-dressed guests.

  Leela’s cheeks turned red and she didn’t miss the hostile glares from Alexa and James who resented her for being the center of attention. After she was paraded around, Rachel whispered, “You can go up to your room now. This is a grownup party.”

  Before she started climbing the stairs, she heard Rachel mutter something under her breath. “I don’t believe it. He came tonight of all nights?”

  Leela turned to look. A distressed butler was standing next to a tall young man dressed in western style boots. His tan leather jacket, jeans and black hair tied in a ponytail set him apart from everyone at the party. All eyes were on him as he walked across the room with an easy, confident stride. He towered over Mr. Rumsford who looked very uncomfortable as they talked.

  “Who is that man?” asked Leela.

  “He’s a Native American photographer trying to raise money to protect the wolves, or something like that,” she said, eyeing him with distaste.

  Leela couldn’t imagine the Rumsfords having any interest in wolves or nature. They were so wasteful they would order hundreds of flowers for a party and throw them away the next day.

  “But why would they invite him to their party?” she asked, hoping Rachel would tell her more.

  “Some of Mr. Rumsford’s business associates are wealthy ranchers. They want to build a housing tract near the reservation and don’t want problems with the local tribe. But he wasn’t supposed to come until tomorrow.”

  Leela wanted to ask more, but Rachel’s clipped, business-like voice returned. “Leela, it’s time to go to your room.”

  Before she went upstairs, Leela turned back to get one more glimpse of the mysterious stranger. He had an amused look on his face as some of the guests inched closer to listen to the conversation. Glancing across the room, he saw Leela standing on the stairs staring at him. He smiled at her as if he knew she didn’t belong there either.

  Leela wanted to stay, so when Rachel left, she snuck back and hid behind a tall potted fern. The stranger excused himself from the curious guests who had gathered around him and was escorted out by the downstairs butler. He passed by Leela but then stopped and turned back. She crouched down lower so he wouldn’t see her.

  “It’s your bright pink dress that gave you away,” he said, smiling.

  She came out from behind her hiding place. “It’s just that you...”

  “Look a little out of place here,” he said, chuckling.

  “No. I mean...well, yes you don’t exactly fit in here.”

  He laughed. “Fancy parties aren’t my scene. I’m a nature photographer. And something tells me you love animals. Am I right?”

  “Yes,” she said, blushing under his steady gaze.

  “Do you like wolves?” he asked, ignoring the butler who was anxious to get rid of him.

  “Yes. I like to draw them.”

  He reached into his leather camera case and took out a photo of a gray wolf. “This is a picture of a very special wolf.” He looked into her eyes. “Keep it near you.”

  Before she could thank him, he nodded to Mrs. Rumsford, ignoring her look of contempt, and left.

  The twins had been watching them and sauntered over. Alexa tried to grab the photo but Leela pushed her hand away.

  “Go back to your cave, Leela. No one really wants you here,”
said James.

  “Or better yet, leave with that strange dude. Like attracts like. I think the horse dung on that guy’s boots got on you,” said Alexa, holding her nose as they walked away.

  Clutching the photo, Leela climbed the stairs to her room. It disgusted her that Mr. Rumsford was pretending he cared about wolves. They liked to brag about their charities, but Leela saw right through them and their so-called causes. They were fake and only cared about money. I’m for show, like the horses in their fancy stables, she thought, glad to get away from their boring guests.

  When she got to her room, Leela put the photograph on the table next to her bed. Looking into the eyes of the gray wolf she could feel its wild spirit. Meeting the tall stranger gave her hope. It felt good to know there was someone out there who loved them too. She slept soundly for the first time in weeks dreaming of a place where wolves roam free.

  After a few months, Mr. and Mrs. Rumsford were too busy to bother with her and left for their villa in France. Once they were gone, the twins stepped up their campaign to make her life miserable. They were furious that she was enrolled at their private school and spread rumors about her. No one would brave their wrath by being her friend. The twins were master manipulators and Leela felt as isolated at her new home as she was at the orphanage.

  To get away from them she got her bed moved to an empty basement storeroom and was soon left to herself. Her small world fell into a routine of painful days at school and evenings doing homework in her room.

  When the Rumsfords were away she ate in the kitchen with the house staff. Janine, the Rumsford’s French cook, was a plump, middle-aged woman who lived in an apartment over the carriage house. She knew how spoiled the twins were and felt pity for the lonely girl.

  One day when Leela came to the kitchen for an after school snack, Janine said, “Leela, if you go into the pantry you might find a surprise.”