Dwellers of Ahwahnee (The Beyond Collection)

by Sheryl Seal

  Looking around at everyone, I could see that I wasn’t the only one that was surprised by this revelation. Everyone was upset and waiting for instructions on what to do about Fallyn and Grey Wolf. I still caught a few smirks, which were subtly hidden by a hand to the mouth, and a quiet cough or clearing of the throat.

  You have got to be kidding me; seriously, all there ever is with this family, is more secrets. I have more family than I ever knew I had. I didn’t know what to think about this latest secret though.

  We have of course, all seen these signs everywhere we travel. Who knew these signs were really all about, my grandmother’s brother? Of course it would make perfect sense, because that is what the Ale does. Avalanches and rock slides are all a part of the destruction she causes wherever she goes. There have been some devastating tsunamis, rock slides, tornados, and earthquakes of late.

  Many of the wars that have been going on all over the world are because of the Ale. We are not so isolated from the world of man. There are always Dwellers that search for the Ale and report back. I just didn’t know it had anything to do with my family.

  “Grandmother, do you think your brother still has any connection to his own mind after all this time? It has been so many years that have passed. There have been many disasters and so much war, that I find it hard to believe Falling Rock has any sanity left.”

  Grandfather actually answered my question, and I imagined it was because, grandmother was so overwhelmed and as usual, he was protecting her. “I have seen this in my vision with the ancestors, and I believe he is in control sometimes. That is why there hasn’t been total devastation. I believe it is because; they have grown up together and are always fighting for control. The Ale was young and unproven when it ventured into the world with Falling Rock. Falling Rock was also young and inexperienced. They have only known each other, and are in unity.”

  “Okay, but how does that help us with our present dilemma?”

  Clicking his tongue for a brief second, grandfather replied. “I think if we can find Falling Rock, who the ancestors believe, lives mostly in Yosemite National Park, we will have an advantage in finding the Ale, which has now taken Fallyn. They are linked and I believe that all the Ale really wants is to bring the other one home. If we can bring the young one back to this world, I believe that the other Ale will follow. We can send them to their own realm and then maybe, the disasters and the wars that keep happening all over the world, will stop. There can finally be security and peace.”

  Grandmother found her voice again and it was strong and determined. “Oria you must do what needs to be done, even if the outcome is not what I would like. Much time has passed for my brother and it will be up to you to make the call of what is to be done. Grandfather and I will stay here and take over the duties of putting the wards back up and protecting the village. Your mother and father and Red Thunder and Aponi will go into the world of man with you. The rest will stay here and help rebuild the village, and keep up with the training of the new Dwellers. First however, you need to have your runes hidden from view, so there are no unnecessary questions from those that you come in contact with.”

  Grandmother waved her hands over my face and body, and I felt a slight tingle as the runes embedded themselves under my skin where they would not be seen, for now. I really didn’t see the big deal. People all over the world had tattoos. I suppose mine were a little more colorful, for just a regular tattoo though. With my runes covered, I was ready for a new battle with the Ale.

  “We have wasted enough time.” I was anxious about this, and all too aware that we were on a mission now to save the world, where evil had escaped into it. I just hoped that I didn’t fail again, or there would be no world and probably without even realizing it, we would all cease to exist.

  I hugged and kissed grandmother and grandfather. I waved to everyone else and one by one, my mother and father, Red Thunder and Aponi and I, shimmered through Horsetail Falls. My mind was on Grey Wolf, and I prayed to The Great Spirit that I would once again, see his handsome face. I closed my eyes and held on to the image of him, as I went into the world of man.

  In my mind’s eye, I could see his muscular body standing on the top of Bridalveil Fall. His arms outstretched, receiving the power of a lightning bolt and his long raven hair blowing in the wind. My soul was aching with the need of him and the fear of losing him forever.

  I knew one fact for sure. My love for Grey Wolf would not matter in the least, if the Ale consumed the World.

  Book Three: Beyond The World Of Man

  You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles,

  And everything tries to be round. In the old days all our power came to us from the sacred hoop of the nation

  And so long as the hoop was unbroken the people flourished

  The flowering tree was the living center of the hoop, and the circle of the four quarters nourished it. The east gave peace

  And light, the south gave warmth, the west gave rain and the north with its cold and mighty wind gave strength and endurance.

  This knowledge came to us from the outer world with our religion.

  Everything the power of the world does is done in a circle. The sky is round and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball and so are all the stars.

  The wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours.

  The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon does the same and both are round. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were.

  The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves.

  Our teepees were round like the nests of birds, and these were always set in a circle, the nation's hoop, a nest of many nests, where the Great Spirit meant for us to hatch our children.

  Black Elk, Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux 1863-1950

  Over a hundred years ago Black Elk had a vision of the time when Indian people

  Would heal from the devastating effects of European migration.

  In his vision the Sacred Hoop which had been broken, would be mended in seven generations.

  The children born into this decade will be the seventh generation.

  Prelude

  From the Memoires of Oria ~ ~ ~

  I remember the first time I came into the Beyond. It is at the foot of Bridalveil Fall. This world is where the people of our tribe come when we reach eighteen years of age and have abilities. This is a world where we learn to fight evil and protect mankind. I am an Ahwahneechee Golden Queen and a shapeshifter. Everyone in this village is a shapeshifter and has a spirit animal. Some of us have more powers than others and we are all called Dwellers of Ahwahnee. If you are reading this my daughter, you too will be an Ahwahneechee Golden Queen. This is my story and the words in this book have been protected from evil.

  Many exciting and wonderful things have happened to me since arriving here. I have made many friends and with the help of my grandmother and the other Dwellers, we have defeated the Ale and saved the World of Man time and again. We could not save it all with this last battle and many things went wrong. Much of the world was destroyed but with my magic, it has been growing again. Things are different though, with the world growing and altered, the humans have also changed. There are still many dangers to overcome as we enter into a new age of the new world.

  In fact, I had a dream of the future and I know what it holds in store for me. Now I just need to make sure that everything turns out the way the Great Spirit intends. The safety of the Dwellers is all that matters and a Golden Queen to lead them forward.

  These are the words that I will leave on paper for the next Golden Queen that will come after me…just in case things do not go as planned. There will be much responsibility with this knowledge.

  Remember my daughter; evil has alway
s searched for a way into The World of Man. We have tried to prevent this from happening. Too late I realize we must now beware The World of Man…

  The True Peace

  The first peace, which is the most important, Is that which comes within the souls of people

  When they realize their relationship, their oneness, with the universe and all its powers,

  And when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells Wakan-Taka (the Great Spirit),

  And that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us. This is the real peace, and the others are but reflections of this.

  The second peace is that which is made between two individuals

  And the third is that which is made between two nations. But above all you should understand that there can never

  Be peace between nations until there is known that true peace, which, as I have often said, is within the souls of men

  Black Elk, Oglala Sioux & Spiritual Leader (1863 - 1950)

  Chapter 1

  “Grandmother, I am to meet with grandfather today, he has important things to tell me about mother and father but he is nowhere to be found. Do you know where he is?”

  “Elsu is speaking with the elders on important matters and must not be bothered Spirit Walker. Come sit by the fire and I will tell you of the great Golden Queen Oria and her soulmate Grey Wolf. They had many adventures together and with the help of the other Dwellers of Ahwahnee they protected the World of Man the best way they could.”

  Sitting down beside grandmother and her campfire outside her lodge was comforting. She was weaving a basket with her gnarled old hands but was swift and efficient. “Can I hear the one of their great love for each other? I love to hear stories of romance. I have read many of them in her journal but there are many that haven’t showed on the pages yet. I miss them so much.”

  Grandmother smiled sadly and nodded her head and gave me a quick hug. “I know you do my dear, so do I. You are not ready for the words if they have not appeared yet. Your mother designed the book to be read as you aged Spirit Walker, not only in years but in your mind. I have a story of love that a Golden Queen must possess for her people. It is time that you know of this story, so just be patient and listen to an old woman.”

  “You are not old grandmother. You have not aged since I have been alive. I think you have always been the age you are now.”

  “Believe me child, I was once very young and now I am old. That is a story for another time though. Now then, sometimes things don’t always go as planned and there are places and people that have to be sacrificed. Sometimes you or the ones that you love will have to be forfeited for a future full of uncertainty. It is because of the decisions of a true Golden Queen that we are all here safe and sound today. That you are able to sit here and listen to this tale of a great battle is a testament to the love and devotion that this Golden Queen had for her tribe and family members. There are many things that you may already have heard about Oria and Grey Wolf and there are also some things I’m sure you haven’t heard.”

  “I have grown up listening to many stories grandmother. I already know of the great battle that caused the rift in the world. I still want to hear more of their love.”

  “That is probably because you are older now and are a beautiful young lady. There is plenty of time for you to read about that in this book. Now it is time you learn about being a brave and strong Golden Queen. We will start with what happened when the Ale possessed Grey Wolf’s sister, Fallyn. Possession is the only way the Ale can enter the World of Man. We learned of this many years before when Ale had also possessed Falling Rock. Falling Rock was my brother and we hoped we could also bring him home one day. The Ale will consume everything in their path. It is inevitable and they have only been mentioned throughout history as women. We of course have no way of knowing why this is, but we do know that she creates chaos and brings about devastation wherever she goes, in any of the worlds. She causes wild fires and earth quakes, twisters and tsunamis. There are many other disasters and it’s like a domino effect when the Ale moves through a world. The World of Man is no exception and the catastrophes that followed were devastating. There was no time after Oria saved her mother from being possessed by the Ale, or to foresee what would happen next. With the Ale’s next move, she possessed Fallyn and escaped into the World of Man and even though Grey Wolf was close behind them, the Ale burned her way through Yosemite National Park. This was the beginning of one of the biggest wild fires in California history. Destroying everything in her path, we learned through the connection that Grey Wolf had with his sister, the Ale was searching for her offspring.”

  “Grandmother, how could Grey Wolf communicate with Fallyn if the Ale had possession of her? I know shifters can communicate with each other, but how could he communicate when the Ale was in control?”

  “That is a very good question Spirit Walker. Grey Wolf and his sister are very strong and magical in their own right. They are after all, the children of ‘The Gods’ and as such, there were times when Fallyn had some control. These were the times, which Grey Wolf was able to help her gain back her power. Being younger, Fallyn was just learning of all that she was capable of and she did love having the power. She had always known she was a beautiful bomb shell, just a big-boned gal. However, in the World of Man, she was often treated unfairly. She wanted some people to pay for the way they had treated her. In the times that the Ale rested, was the time that Fallyn was able to create her own chaos. She would then lead the Ale with her mind to other parts of California. Many more disasters ensued, including earthquakes and many people suffered and died. Grey Wolf would try and help her through her anger and while she rested, the Ale would then gain control and renew its search for the younger Ale. Grey Wolf had learned through Fallyn that the younger Ale was the offspring that had gone into the World of Man in possession of Falling Rock many years before. We now believed this is why the Ale was always trying to get into the World of Man. It is as simple as a mother that never stops searching for her lost child. She hunted to regain her offspring; just like I have always searched for my brother.”

  “I will keep searching for mother and father until I find them also.” I whispered and grandmother held my hand for comfort.

  “Now like I said, this all began in Yosemite and right Beyond Horsetail Falls. The fires escalated quickly and burned their way through many surrounding states. The younger Ale traveled the world creating havoc wherever it went all of its life. Remember it was young when it crossed over into the World of Man. It really did not know any better. The young one searched but we don’t believe she knew what she searched for. That is why we have always fought with them. We thought the Ale tried to destroy us but in reality, she searched worlds for her offspring. Every state and country was always in danger until her child could be reunited with her. The wards to other worlds were always in place so the Ale could not search The World of Man. She must have finally figured out, this was where the offspring was. It took the connection that Grey Wolf had with Fallyn to get this information. Now that we knew this, we needed to form a plan to herd the Ale back towards us and separate Fallyn and Falling Rock from them. That was a mistake, as hard as we tried to predict the future; some things could not be foreseen.”

  When you were born, you cried

  And the world rejoiced.

  Live your life

  So that when you die,

  The world cries and you rejoice.

  White Elk

  Chapter 2

  “I thought the Golden Queen could always see the future, grandmother.”

  “No Spirit Walker, sometimes the Golden Queen dreams of the future, but the future is unpredictable. Grey Wolf had barely made it through the border right behind his sister and the Ale. The storm that Fallyn and the adult Ale created together were like none we had seen before. It ripped a hole through the fabric of time and brought all of us that were to follow right back here to the Beyond. We were unsure of what to do n
ext, none of our usual borders into the World of Man would let us through. While we re-grouped and thought on our next move, Oria went to Oria Falls to seek guidance from The Great Spirit. There, she did have a vision and the way into the World of Man was clear. Sometimes we upset the balance and the future is forever changed. Thank goodness Oria had the presence of mind, to be the most powerful shifter there had ever been. She had learned that we have the power to change many things. She had seen some of the future but it was not all good. Things were going to change and all Oria could do was hope to save most of the worlds. Into the World of Man is where they thought they were going but that did not seem to be the Great Spirit’s plan at the moment. To get to the border, the Dwellers had to use their shifting abilities because this border was near Yellowstone National Park, not Yosemite. It was around the town of Broken Spur, where they came into the World of Man at an old Victorian farmhouse. The sign that greets its visitors says, “Welcome Too Rest Inn Peace…Where Life Begins at the End of the Road.”

  “Wait grandmother, I know this place. It is a magical place but I thought it was only a story. I have many books by this great and wonderful author. Her name is Bonnie Bernard and all of her books are magical.”

  “Sometimes Spirit Walker, an author has great insight into worlds that wait beyond the realms. I have met the many people from this book that you speak of and just between me and you; I have also read her books. I know the author portrayed them accurately.” Grandmother winked at me and we giggled together as I promised to keep her secret. “It will be our secret. So you met Zoe and The Snake man Cobra, oh, and Faust? They are some of my favorites and Frieda; she is a Yeti you know?”