Leela and the Forest of Light

by Lin Northrup

  “Listen, and you’ll feel the spirit of all living things.” She listened for the sound of Raven’s wings and kept going.

  Hours seemed to go by as she followed the mysterious bird. The strain of listening for the soft swoosh of wings finally took its toll and exhaustion dulled her senses. Afraid she was lost, Leela sank down into the soft leaves hoping for a sign that Raven was nearby. A flickering light cast shadows on the treetops. She ran toward the light and came upon a small fire framed by a circle of round stones. The night air was chilly so she held her hands over the warm embers. Who had made it? She looked into the darkness, but no one appeared.

  Worn out from the events of the day, Leela curled next to the fire. She didn’t know where she was going, but she knew she would never go back to the Rumsford’s house.

  Raven, the bringer of magic, had led Leela into the world between worlds. As she drifted deeper into her dreamtime, the shadowy figure of the dark-haired woman in a white robe reappeared.

  “Leela, the Great Mystery is giving you a gift. Will you accept it?” she asked.

  Leela heard her own voice whispering, “Yes, I will.”

  “Welcome, Leela, to the Forest of Light.”

  Chapter 3

  The Tree Nation

  After she finished telling her story to Fox and Finch, Leela was exhausted from reliving her painful memories, so she didn’t protest when Fox told her it was time for her to rest. As soon as she was asleep, he curled up next to her and settled in for the night.

  The next morning, Leela woke up unaware that she had crossed a threshold and was lost to the ordinary world. Yawning, she sat up and brushed off the dry leaves that clung to her sweater. A white-tailed doe standing near the thick green pines sent her a look of encouragement before sprinting away. The morning air was chilly so she put on her sweater and started searching for Fox and Finch.

  “Fox. Finch. Where are you?” she called, running from tree to tree. For a moment she panicked. Was this all a dream?

  “I’m right here, Leela,” said Fox, emerging from the underbrush. She turned around surprised to see him right behind her.

  “You’re so quiet. I didn’t even hear you,” she said, relieved she hadn’t been left alone.

  Finch landed on a nearby log chirping cheerfully while Fox told her she would be traveling deep into the Forest of Light to meet her animal teachers.

  “I’ll begin by teaching you Fox wisdom so you can hide yourself until you’re ready to return to your human tribe,” he said.

  “And I’ll sing to you of a world where animals speak, plants listen, stones heal and the cloud people paint messages in the sky,” chimed in Finch.

  “You’ll be entering into the Great Mystery,” said Fox.

  “What do you mean? What’s the Great Mystery?” asked Leela.

  “There’s a force that flows through the wind, the rocks, the trees, the animals and the oceans. We call it the Great Mystery. When you open your heart to that force, you’ll feel connected to everything around you.”

  Leela’s eyes were shining as she listened to Fox explain his role as her guardian. She trusted him completely and couldn’t wait to get started.

  “But why do I need to hide from other humans?”

  Fox ignored her question. “Follow me,” he said.

  He must mean the Rumsfords, she thought, glad to leave them behind forever.

  Fox ran so fast she could barely keep up with him. She had to stop and retie her sneaker after tripping. Finch flew back and coaxed her on. Determined not to be left behind, she kept her eyes on Finch until she saw Fox sitting under a giant sycamore tree waiting for her. The steady drilling of a woodpecker echoed high above them. The noise stopped as soon as she stood beneath the tree’s massive branches. A pileated woodpecker with a jaunty red cap flew to a lower branch and called out to them.

  “I’ve been waiting all day. Is she the one?”

  “Yes,” said Fox, looking proudly at Leela.

  “Well, it’s about time,” said Woodpecker. “We have to get busy. Not a moment to waste. Have her sit against the tree and concentrate. She needs to feel its life force before she can talk with the Tree Nation.”

  Having no idea what was going on, Leela did as she was told. Energy surged through her. She shot upward. Arms and legs flailing, she was dropped onto a branch close to the top of the tree. When she looked down, the sheer height made her gasp. Finch flew to the branch and sang her a reassuring song.

  “How did I get up here, Finch? It feels like I left my body at the bottom of the tree.”

  She looked at her hands and feet, but they seemed normal even though she felt light enough to float away.

  “I admit we helped you a bit with this, but you’ll see how it works. It just takes practice. Have fun,” said Finch, as she flew away.

  Dizzy and lightheaded, Leela didn’t dare move or look down. Her mother taught her to take a deep breath whenever she was upset. On the third deep breath her nerves quieted down. She didn’t want Fox and Finch to think she was afraid, so she thought about her favorite beech tree and how it was her secret hiding place. When she took another deep breath and looked down, her fear of falling was gone. Holding onto the trunk, she stood up on the branch and waved to Fox who could hardly contain his joy. Leela was beginning to remember her true relationship to all living things.

  “Leela, climb to the next branch,” called Woodpecker. “Hurry up.”

  Oh, no problem if you’re a bird, she thought, looking at the empty space that stretched between her branch and where the woodpecker sat pecking at the bark. How does Woodpecker expect me to get up there?

  Determined to show Fox she could do this, Leela grabbed the broken stubs of branches that protruded from the trunk and pulled herself up. Sweat dripped into her eyes, but she kept climbing until Woodpecker announced that she’d reached her right place. Trying to catch her breath, she stood up slowly, mesmerized by the beauty of the giant sycamore trees whose branches wove a canopy above the forest floor.

  “I feel like I’m in another world between the earth and the sky,” she whispered, not wanting to break the spell.

  A deep rumble came from inside the giant tree. It sounded like a heartbeat. “Good morning, Leela,” said a voice.

  Her fingertips started tingling. Was the voice coming from the tree?

  “Of course,” the tree answered, shaking its leaves.

  Leela looked around to make sure no one else was there. She was beginning to accept the idea of talking with animals, but talking trees?

  “Keep your mind open, Leela, and let your doubts vanish. When you listen with your heart, we speak the same language.”

  “How did you know what I was thinking?”

  “We’re all connected in the circle of life. How could I not know?”

  She rubbed the bark gently. “My parents told me that trees are the earth’s lungs.”

  “We are. We are a bridge between worlds. Our roots dig deep into Mother Earth and our branches reach toward Father Sky. We’ll teach you how to stand like a tree in your own sacred space.”

  “When my mother and father took me on tree walks, they’d tell me the story of each tree. I had a special tree and when I felt sad, or just wanted to dream, I’d climb it and sit there for hours.”

  “I know, Leela. And that tree felt your love.”

  After hearing those words, Leela stood confidently on the branch. “If everyone could feel your heartbeat and listen to you, they wouldn’t hurt so many trees. I promise, when I leave this forest, I’ll tell everyone about the Tree Nation.”

  “I know you will. That’s why we chose you.”

  She hugged the tree. How strong and alive it was. Closing her eyes, she saw a future where everyone learned how to listen to the language of the trees. The Tree Nation grew and the earth breathed fully for the first time in
many years.

  Leela was enjoying her vision when she felt something tickling her arm. She brushed it away not wanting the vision to end, but the tickling continued. When she opened her eyes, she saw a bushy-tailed gray squirrel staring at her. Smiling at the bold little creature she reached out to touch its tail, but the squirrel scampered up to the next branch making high-pitched scolding sounds. They stared at each other in a face-off until she made the first move.

  Climbing too fast, her foot slipped. She grabbed for a broken stub crying out in pain as the rough bark scraped her hands. Her heart pounded wildly, but she resisted the urge to look down. Wedging her foot against the trunk, she hung on until her heart slowed to match the steady heartbeat of the tree. Then she looked up to the branch where Squirrel waited and started climbing again. Every tree and forest animal held their breaths. When she finally reached Squirrel, she yelled, “I made it, Fox.”

  Leela peered into Squirrel’s hole and saw an impressive stash of nuts. Her furry friend perched next to her. He talked so fast she could barely understand what he was saying, but it sounded important. She loved learning animal language. It wasn’t something she was making up.

  “Well, well, well, here you are on top of the world. I hope you’re enjoying the view. It’s a rare human who gets this far,” said Squirrel. “As for me, I can travel anywhere - up and down, all around, tree to tree. I’m a free spirit, that’s what I am. But that’s part of my purpose. Of course, every living thing has a purpose. Tell me yours.”

  Leela shook her head and shrugged her shoulders not knowing what to say. She’d never thought about having a purpose.

  “I’m not sure, but Fox said I’ll be learning the ways of the animals. Is that my purpose?”

  “You have to find your purpose yourself. No one can find it for you. Didn’t anyone ever tell you that?”

  When her face turned red, Squirrel looked at her sympathetically. “No wonder why so many humans are confused. They don’t know their purpose. Every animal, flower, stone and buzzing bee knows its purpose. It’s what makes them happy. They know their place in the circle of life. They offer their gifts and know they are useful.”

  “I like to draw. But, do you know what my gifts are?” she asked, hoping she might discover her destiny in this magical forest.

  Squirrel’s tail plumped up making him appear even bigger and more important. “I must say, you’ve come to the right place. But first you must learn my lessons, otherwise we’ll waste precious time.”.

  Leela sat down on the branch ready to listen. She desperately wanted to discover her purpose and her gifts. Squirrel scampered up and down the branch getting warmed up for his speech. In a final grand gesture, he swished his tail three times.

  “Squirrels are famous for storing things. Our actions teach the human tribe to do the same. They need to gather and store what’s important in a safe place.”

  Leela squirmed around on the branch, impatient for him to answer her question. Squirrel sat on his haunches, rested his sharp claws on the tips of her sneakers and twitched his whiskers. She giggled. He looked like the principal of her school when he was ready to address the assembly.

  “To know your purpose, you must gather knowledge and then store what you’ve learned in the safest place of all.”

  She perked up thinking he was close to telling her what she wanted to know. “Where is that?”

  “Why, your heart, of course,” he answered, as if it was something she should know.

  Leela was disappointed. What kind of an answer was that?

  “It’s simple. What you’re learning in this great forest will be stored in your heart. When it’s time, you’ll use what you’ve learned for your true purpose,” said Squirrel, jumping to another tree.

  “Squirrel. Come back! I have more questions.

  “I’m too busy, Leela. Lots to gather before winter.”

  She looked down and saw Fox waiting patiently at the bottom of the tree. “Fox, how do I get down from here?” But instead of answering, he took off into the bushes.

  “Fox,” she called again. “I don’t know what to do. Finch, where are you?”

  Finch was nowhere to be seen and Woodpecker was drumming her beak into a neighboring maple tree. Even the sycamore tree was silent and didn’t answer her pleas. No one seemed to care she had no way to get down. And she was hungry.

  Hours went by as night draped its black cloak over the forest. Leela tried to push away the worried thoughts spinning inside her empty stomach. Where was Fox? He was supposed to be her guardian. She waited and waited, but he didn’t come back. Finally, she closed her eyes, too tired to be afraid. Within moments she was asleep. In her dream, she saw a huge spider weave a web around her and when it was finished, four beautiful women dressed in white carried her gently down to the ground as if she were a baby in a cradle. Wrapped in the silken threads of the web, she slept on the soft green moss that grew around the roots of the tree.

  Owl flew to the branch above her, his keen eyes staring into the night as he watched over her. So sound was her sleep she never heard him call.

  “Whoever travels near take another path, for she who has come to help us, must rest.”

  Chapter 4

  The Cave of Bear

  The steady sound of Woodpecker announced the new day waking Leela from her deep sleep. She rubbed her eyes and looked up through the branches of the giant tree. How did she get down? She couldn’t have fallen. There wasn’t a scratch on her. She really had been talking to Squirrel at the top of the tree. It wasn’t her imagination.

  Or was it?

  Her growling stomach interrupted the rush of puzzling questions tumbling through her head. A small pile of nuts and berries were nestled in the moss. She gobbled them up. Did Squirrel leave them for her? Thirsty, she sipped the water trapped in the knotty roots of the tree.

  The forest was so quiet she couldn’t ignore the anxious knots inside her stomach. “I’ll just stay here until you come back, Fox,” she shouted, trying to reassure herself. Slumped against the tree, she tried to pretend everything was fine until a grunting sound came from the other side of the tree. Her resolve to be brave, fled. Something was there and that something sounded big. Very big. She peeked around the trunk and ducked back.

  A huge brown bear was having a breakfast of insects lodged in the bark. Leela flattened herself against the tree not daring to breathe. She was trapped! If the bear caught her scent she’d have to run. Maybe she should try to talk to the bear. Maybe it was one of her allies.

  “Hello, Bear,” she said, inching around the tree. “I’ve come to learn the ways of the forest creatures. Are you…?”

  The bear growled loudly. She stood very still while it sniffed her from head to toe. When the creature rose up on two legs, she slid to the ground and covered her face with her hands. But nothing happened. When she opened her eyes, Bear was walking away.

  “If you’re willing to be taught, I’ll teach you. Follow me to my cave, so you can learn about the stillness.”

  Relieved that Bear had decided to befriend her, Leela got up on shaky legs and whispered, “stillness.” For some reason the word felt strangely comforting.

  “What do you mean, learn about the stillness?”

  Bear turned and grunted. “You’ll see,” she said.

  The forest creatures watched Leela trudge along behind Bear whose great size made the girl seem like a small child. When they got to Bear’s cave, Leela looked back worried that Fox wouldn’t be able to find her. She walked around outside the cave while curiosity battled with worry. Curiosity won.

  Inside the cave, the darkness quickly closed around her. She tripped over something protruding from the floor of the cave and fell down. “Ouch!” she cried. To make matters worse she landed on Bear’s paw.

  “I’m sorry. It’s so dark in here I can’t see very well,” she mumbled, tr
ying to stand up.

  “If you can’t see, let your other senses take over. Smell the damp earth and hear the trickle of water seeping through the rock.”

  Leela tried to concentrate. It grew very still. She felt as if she had slipped inside of herself.

  “Good. You touched your inner place. Unless you know how to go into the stillness, you can’t discover your true self or your destiny.”

  She tripped again and landed on a rock. “How can that help me know my destiny?” she asked, reaching around to find Bear.

  “My teachings show you how to hibernate in a quiet place and listen to your wise voice inside. When you touch that quiet place, you’ll be able to know many things. I’m going to leave you alone now so you can practice,” said Bear, turning to leave.

  Not wanting to be left alone in the dark, cold cave, Leela pleaded with Bear. “Please stay with me. Can’t I practice this with you?”

  But she sensed Bear wasn’t going to give in. This teacher had an air of authority about her that said, “This isn’t negotiable.”

  Bear walked away leaving Leela with a queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. “What if I can’t hear my wise voice?” she called out. Her question echoed in the hollow silence of the cave.

  The heavy darkness pressed against her. What could she possibly learn sitting here? She took three deep breaths trying to calm down. A memory of the Rumsford’s house crowded in and she could hear them yelling at each other and arguing about money. But I don’t want to remember the Rumsfords, she thought, closing her eyes tightly to push those memories away.

  Her mind was so busy thinking she had to start over. Just when she finally got into her quiet place, something swooped by her, then another and another. Her senses told her what she didn’t want to know. Bats.

  She crouched down low afraid they might land in her hair. After a few minutes, the whirring sound of their wings stopped and a pleasant voice spoke.