Leela and the Forest of Light

by Lin Northrup

“Right now I’m just happy you’re here whether you’re real or not.” Her fingers gently traced his ears and the fur under his belly. As much as she wanted to continue down the path, she just sat on the tree bridge staring at the mysterious light.

  Her mind was crowded with images. She saw herself standing at the crest of a hill. Behind her a long road stretched toward the horizon. The road was filled with children leaving their broken countries. The older ones helped the crippled children and carried the babies. The air sang with their voices and the light from the moon danced across their faces.

  Leela stood up and walked toward the oval-shaped light hesitating for only a moment before stepping inside.

  Chapter 12

  Sacred Path Stone

  The light inside the oval revealed a lake veiled in a fine mist. Her mother’s words rippled across the water into Leela’s heart.

  “My dear daughter you’ve completed this part of your journey with courage far beyond your years. You’re discovering your true relationship within the circle of life. Always remember, I’m only a breath away.”

  Chills went through her hearing those familiar words. The bubble of light opened to a sight she’d never forget. Gray Wolf, Bat, Mountain Lion, Fox, Bear, Lynx, Eagle, Otter, Hawk and all the creatures she’d encountered were gathered around her.

  Gray Wolf came forward. “You’ve felt the love that exists within the circle. Every part of the earth is sacred. Every tree, every flower, every river, every mountain. The bear, the deer, the hawk, the dolphin, the wild salmon are sacred. Your visit to the new earth has shown you the harmony that is possible when all forms of life respect each other. Carry that vision with you when you return to the world of separation.”

  As soon as Gray Wolf finished speaking, the animals, purple mountains, turquoise oceans and vast forests were hidden from sight.

  Leela flew through geometric patterns of light and sound, slipped through an opening and landed with a thud on a patch of hard ground. The air pressed against her lungs making it hard to breathe. Rolling onto her back, she gasped at the sight of massive cliffs reaching up to the sky. Dazed and disoriented, she tried to think backwards to the bubble of light and Gray Wolf.

  “Welcome to the Canyon of the Four Winds,” announced Spider.

  “But I just came from the Canyon of the Four Winds.”

  “I know it’s a bit confusing. You were in the fifth dimension where the earth is peaceful. Now you’ve returned to the Canyon of the Four Winds in the third dimension. But you’ll soon adjust and feel normal again,” said Spider reassuringly.

  “I don’t want to feel normal. I want to go back.”

  Her arms and legs felt heavy. Everything felt heavy. She stumbled around, awkwardly at first, until her body recovered from the rapid shift between dimensions.

  “Oh no. I haven’t found my totem yet. Is it in this canyon? How will I know what to look for?”

  “You’ll know your totem when you find it,” said Spider, feeling her distress. “It’s waiting for you.”

  She looked across the canyon. There must be hundreds of caves. How could she find the right one? It seemed impossible.

  “You better get going Leela. We’re counting on you,” said Spider, scurrying up its web.

  “I know, I know,” she mumbled, still thinking this was an impossible task. Then she remembered the words, “Be in the present moment where all possibilities are open to you.”

  “Don’t think ahead. Just focus on where I am,” she repeated to herself, as she inched her way along the narrow ridge of the cliff. Her feet kept slipping on loose pebbles that had fallen from above, so she asked the Stone People for help.

  “Observe and you will know,” was their answer. She wedged her body against the cliff and watched the clouds float across the sky like tall masted ships from another age. As the lead ship moved forward, a ray of sunlight poked through like an arrow pointing the way. It must be a sign guiding her to her right place.

  She scrambled down the cliff, determined to find the spot where the arrow had pointed. When she reached the bottom, she looked back. How could this be? The narrow ridge she’d just traversed didn’t exist anymore. It was as if the Stone People created a stairway for her descent and then folded it back into the cliff.

  Staring up at the sheer drop, she could hear Sky Bear’s voice. “Words carry great energy, Leela. The words you speak carry the power of your thoughts into the world. When feelings of gratitude arise in your heart, say them out loud. Always remember, words of fear create one world and words of gratitude create another. You must choose which world you want to create.”

  She crossed her hands over her heart. “Thank you!” she yelled. Her words echoed through the canyon.

  Night was approaching so she began looking for a place to sleep. Maybe she’d have a dream. A dream that would give her more clues about her impossible task. As the sun dipped behind the canyon’s coppery peaks, stars sprang forth lighting the entrance to a shallow cave. She crawled inside, curled up and looked out at the stars. Through half closed eyes she noticed two stars blinking at her.

  “Goodnight,” she whispered, certain the stars were her mother and father.

  High on a distant hill a wolf howled, but all she heard were the sighs of the wind.

  In the morning, Leela crawled back out of the cave. Greeted by the silence of the canyon, she felt small and insignificant. A primordial feeling of timelessness hung in the air. Her stomach growled. Her hunger wasn’t small. In fact it was huge.

  Hearing a faint noise behind her, Leela turned around surprised to see two mice nibbling on corn cakes that were nestled in the hollow of a rock. “Well, my friends, I see you’re enjoying my breakfast.” They scattered when she reached for a cake. “Come back. There’s plenty for all of us.”

  Once again life’s mysterious threads wove around her wherever she went giving her what she needed at the right time.

  Eager to explore the caves that were carved into the canyon walls, Leela made a game out of searching. She pretended the secret caves were dwellings of an ancient people and she was traveling back in time to learn their magic. Hours went by while she looked for signs that would lead her to the right place. By the end of the day, the enormity of the task began to sink in, and with it came frustration at being told to do this alone. She could be here for days and months and never find the right cave. It wasn’t fair that so much rested on finding her totem. Besides, her feet hurt and she was tired and thirsty.

  Night slipped silently into the canyon forcing her to seek shelter again. Complaining out loud to Fox, Gray Wolf and anyone who might hear her, she almost missed seeing a large, obelisk-shaped stone that stood like a sentry guarding the entrance to one of the caves. The stone had markings etched into it that looked like hieroglyphics. She traced the unusual figures and looked inside. Should she go in? A hawk screeched and circled above her. Heeding Hawk’s message, she entered the cave without looking back.

  The cave narrowed abruptly, forcing her to bend down to avoid hitting her head on the low ceiling. If she kept going, she’d lose the faint light of the moon that lit up the entrance. She had no choice but to let her senses take over. Listening intently, she heard the sound of water. Where was it coming from?

  The tunnel made a sharp downward turn pitching her forward onto razor-like rocks. Groaning in pain, Leela rolled up her jeans. Blood oozed out of a deep cut on her leg. She’d have to shapeshift time. Moving her mind back to her visit with the deer family, she visualized them as clearly as she could. Within minutes, the wound was healed. She breathed a sigh of relief.

  The damp, heavy air grew increasingly oppressive. She had to walk like a crab to avoid being scraped by the stalactites that lined the cave. Her body barely fit through the narrow passages. What if she got trapped in this maze of tunnels? How could she ever find her way back? Yet, her instincts said her totem was some
where in this cave. She took a deep breath and kept going.

  After pulling herself through endless twists and turns, she came to a place where she could stand up. It was too dark to see anything, but she sensed there was an open space in front of her. Taking a step forward, her right foot dangled in the air. She grabbed hold of a chink in the wall to keep from falling into the darkness.

  “What should I do?”

  “Keep going forward, Leela.”

  “Keep going forward? It feels like empty space out there. I can’t do that.”

  She flattened her body against the wall and backed away from the dark abyss.

  “Keep going forward,” repeated the voice.

  She heard water slipping down the cave wall splashing below. Inching closer to the edge, she called upon Gray Wolf.

  “How do I know this is the right path?” she asked.

  “You know it is. Feel it in your heart.”

  “Don’t I have a choice?” she asked.

  “Leaders don’t choose their paths. Their paths choose them. It’s up to you to trust your heart and seize your destiny.”

  Taking a deep breath to quell her fear, Leela jumped into the black void tumbling downward until she hit a pool of freezing water. Holding her breath, she slipped into an icy underworld. The numbing cold shocked her body. She grabbed hold of the rocky wall to keep from sinking deeper. A loose stone fell into her hand. Closing her fingers around its smooth surface, a deep calm spread through her body. A rush of energy flowed from the stone giving her the strength to push up and out of the watery tomb.

  She swam to the edge and pulled herself out of the water. Numb from the cold, she held the stone tightly to her chest sobbing as the shock began to wear off. When her cries subsided, she opened her eyes and looked at the gray, oval-shaped stone.

  The river had worn its edges smooth. A brown line ran lengthwise through the center. Her finger traced its path from front to back. Holding the stone close to her heart, she knew she had found her totem.

  Bats gathered and perched above her. In the distance the cry of Hawk echoed through the canyon. Light was coming in from another entrance to the cave, but Leela had no desire to get up until she heard the sound of breathing and realized it wasn’t her own. She rolled over and screamed. Eyes perched atop an enormous murky shape peered down at her. Slowly the shape took form.

  “Bear? Am I dreaming you?” She tried to sit up, but Bear’s big paw rested gently on her chest.

  “Stay still, Leela. You must let the vitality of your new self take hold within the center of your being.”

  “I found my totem. Here it is,” she said, holding up the sacred stone.

  “It takes courage to jump into the void and face the unknown. You’ve undergone the initiation of water and proved that you are worthy of this totem.”

  “Bat told me about the water initiation. Why was it chosen for me?”

  “Water is the element of feelings. Your deep sadness at the loss of your parents and the hurt you endured living with a cold, unloving family needed to be cleansed, so you could claim your rightful place and be your true self.”

  “Does that mean this is the end of my testing period?”

  “You’ve crossed a major threshold and it’s brought you to this point. But the forces of darkness will continue to test your resolve.”

  Thinking about Bear’s words, she now understood why the water initiation was chosen for her. There was a new lightness in her heart. The heaviness she’d been carrying was gone.

  Bear waited patiently while Leela sorted through her feelings and recovered her center. “Now that you’ve completed the first part of your training, you have to join both worlds. You have to practice your skills in the human world.”

  Bear walked toward the entrance. Not wanting to be left behind, Leela jumped to an outcropping of rock and climbed onto Bear’s back. Holding on tightly, her questions went away as soon as they emerged from the darkness into the light of a beautiful new day.

  Sunlight bounced off the red striations of the canyon walls and the sky cast a blue-violet hue over the valley. Bear carried Leela to the bend of the river.

  Eager to wash off her old self, she untied her sneakers and waded into the warm water. Bear stood close by watching her splash about. Leela waved and ducked under water. When she came up, Bear was gone. She ran out of the water. “Bear, where are you?” All she heard was her question echoing back. Holding her totem close to her ear she heard Bear’s voice.

  “This sacred stone carries the spirit of Mother Earth. It will comfort you and remind you of your purpose whenever you feel alone. It’s time to leave the Canyon of the Four Winds and travel north. There you’ll be reunited with the teacher of your heart.”

  Chapter 13

  The Spirit of a Great Horse

  Leela wondered if Bear meant she’d be reunited with Fox. Was he the teacher of her heart? She wrapped the stone in her sweater and tied it securely to her waist. Looking up at the sky, she saw Eagle flying above her.

  “Follow me, Leela,” called Eagle. “I’ll show you the fastest way out of the canyon.”

  “I’m coming,” she shouted, happy to have a friend nearby.

  Eagle led her to an opening that cut through the cliffs forming a staircase that could only be seen from the air.

  Climbing to the top, Leela looked out at the flat plains stretching for miles before her. The land had a strange beauty, but she dreaded facing its stark silence alone. To her dismay, Eagle flew out of sight, so she just kept walking. With each mile the searing sun drained her strength. Her lips were parched and sweat dripped into her eyes. The sacred path stone thumped against her hip giving her some comfort, but the hot, dry miles dragged on under an endless sky. With no water in sight, Leela fought against moments of panic that she could die in this unforgiving terrain.

  At the edge of her endurance, she was relieved to see the sun drop behind the horizon. A cluster of rocks up ahead looked like a good place to stop and rest. When she reached them, she dug a hollow into the earth piling up stones to make a low wall. Thanking the Stone People for the shelter they offered, she tucked her totem safely against her chest.

  At sunrise the earth thundered, shaking her awake. In the distance, a cloud of dust rose up from the barren ground. An opening in the cloud revealed a herd of wild horses racing toward her small fortress. It was too late to make a run for it. Sinking down as far as she could, Leela covered her head. In seconds they would leap over the rocks trampling her!

  Crouched behind her meager barricade, she braced herself. But nothing happened. The horses were neighing, snorting and pawing the ground. She peeked over the rocks.

  What she saw took her breath away. A herd of wild mustangs stood less than twenty feet from her. Their brown, black and white coats glistened with sweat. They neighed excitedly and parted in the center. A white mare cantered toward her, the nobility of the breed showing in her eyes. She tossed her head proudly in full command of herself.

  Leela wiped the dust out of her eyes and stood up. She’d read stories about the wild mustangs, but never imagined she’d be standing face to face with them on their home ground.

  “You’ve come in search for the teacher of your heart. We’ll take you north faster than you can travel on foot.”

  White Mare came closer. Leela backed away. She’d never ridden a horse before. And ride bareback? Impossible! The herd pranced around in their eagerness to get started.

  “Grab my mane, Leela,” White Mare ordered.

  She grabbed the horse’s mane pulling herself onto its back trying to explain her lack of riding skills. But White Mare was already moving through the throng of horses. When she started to trot, Leela nearly fell off.

  “Hold tightly to my mane and lean close to my neck. Press your knees into my sides and blend your body with mine. We have to move quickly.”r />
  Leela did as she was told and soon felt her body becoming one with the mare. The other horses neighed in approval. Picking up her pace, White Mare circled the herd. In a burst of speed, she bolted out of the circle into a gallop. The ground rumbled with the sounds of their hooves.

  Excitement overcame Leela’s fear. A new-found feeling of power spread through her body. She and White Mare were kindred spirits as free as the open land that stretched before them. The herd headed north with White Mare leading the way.

  High above them, Eagle watched as Leela sped toward her destiny carried on the back of the great horse. She flew north to alert the others.

  The mustangs stopped only once to drink from a small creek. White Mare’s fiery spirit fueled the herd’s determination to keep pushing forward. The landscape flew by, a blur of scrub trees tumbleweed and prairie grass. Leela’s arms and legs ached from the strain of holding on. The mare’s coat was streaked with sweat, but she continued to set an unrelenting pace for the herd.

  Leela asked why she was leading the herd alone.

  “My mate was killed by hunters who were trying to capture us. That’s why I keep the herd moving from place to place.”

  Without warning, White Mare stopped nearly pitching Leela over her head. The horses stood still breathing heavily from the strain of the run.

  White Mare trotted around the area. “We’re being followed. A storm is coming.”

  The tone in the mare’s voice shook Leela. Was a storm following them, or was something else following them?

  “Keep your head low and hold on, Leela.”

  White Mare took off. Behind them a huge dark mass was spreading across the sky. The wind whipped up a blinding dust storm. Branches carried from miles away were hurled like arrows. Lightning lapped at the tails of the horses as the black cloud swallowed up the last sliver of light.

  White Mare kept going, pushing against the fierce wind, forcing the herd to keep pace. Leela knew this was no ordinary storm. It had the familiar feel of the dark energy and its tentacles were trying to pry her loose from the mare. If she let go, it would suck her up into the deadly tornado along with the horses.