Dwellers of Ahwahnee (The Beyond Collection)

by Sheryl Seal

  This cannot end here. There are new forms of evil that we must stop for the world to begin anew, starting with this creature.

  Once again I find myself tiring but my faith is stronger now. I whisper into the dark as I hang in the cold damp cave. “We will get out of this my love and go home where we belong.”

  Honor the sacred.

  Honor the Earth, our Mother.

  Honor the Elders.

  Honor all with whom we

  Share the Earth:

  Four-legged, two-legged,

  Winged ones,

  Swimmers, crawlers,

  Plant and the rock people.

  Walk in balance and beauty.

  Native American Elder

  Chapter 13

  ~Spirit Walker~

  Since father had been gone for several months and mother was apparently in search of him, we searched other worlds for any sign of both of them tirelessly. Having no luck, we also practiced in the Village of Lost Souls which is where grandfather and my brother would be waiting for me now.

  Grandfather has been preparing me and my brother for many years to fight against evil. We have been going to the Village of Lost Souls lately and training.

  Our tribe was now combined and all live beyond Bridalveil Fall once again.

  As I strolled through the village, my eyes fell on the sight of the very handsome but arrogant Brave Eagle. He was talking with a very pretty girl that I hadn’t met yet. I felt a moment of jealousy and fought it off. His muscles were rippling in the morning sunlight and his raven hair was flying around in the morning breeze, which sent chills up and down my spine. “Dang it!” I growled inwardly. “How that man infuriates me!”

  I decided to ignore him and my mother’s prophecy of us and slipped between a few lodges that would take me out of the village and away from his sight. Just as I neared the stables where the horses are kept, I heard his voice ring loudly in my head. Laughing he teased, “Thought you could sneak out of the village without me again Wild Cat?”

  Rolling my eyes, I whipped around and hand on hip, proceeded to set him straight. “I have no desire to have you tagging along after me while I check the borders. I am perfectly capable of doing it all on my own. Go on back to your girlfriend.”

  Still chuckling at me, he managed to speak between laughs. “Oh, I have no doubt that you can handle any situation on your own Wild Cat but grandfather said that I am to go with you today and with you, I am going. She will wait until I return.”

  So he would have me believe this was his girlfriend. I wondered why he would play such a game when he must know that I could read his thoughts. I would think on this later. “Grandfather did not say anything to me about you coming with me.” I said rather nastily, and he hadn’t, so I was feeling irritated. “Is this the truth? Do not play me for a fool Brave Eagle, I will know the truth. And stop calling me Wild Cat that is not my name!” I used my Queen dominate voice which would persuade anyone to obey me. My body heated up and my face felt as if it was on fire but I stood firm.

  Backing away from me and holding his hands in front of him, he tried to calm me. “Hold up there Wild… umm… Spirit Walker, I speak the truth and I am supposed to come with you today. You do know that your eyes are on fire and you look as if you are going to burst into flames.”

  I tried to calm my anger before I looked at him again. I had turned and was nonchalantly stroking the mare in front of me and tried to change the subject. “So you are coming with me, this is good. It is time you knew what my brother and I are all about. Let’s go now and you better keep up, I will not wait for stragglers.”

  Turning and walking away from the stables and taking a few quick steps, I shifted into my dragon and was in the air and flying towards Oria Falls. I didn’t look behind me and hoped that he had not followed. I did not get far when I heard him in my mind and he was laughing again.

  “I am not a straggler and I can handle more then you give me credit for. And I can certainly take care of myself, but I thank you for your concern. Where are we going first?”

  Pouting a bit as I looked him over and the big Golden Eagle he had shifted as, I noticed that he was indeed keeping pace with me. Ignoring him, I glided into the meadow by Oria Falls and shifted back. I swiftly walked towards the pool that sparkled silver and gold and made my way through the falls and into the cave that glowed with the red rubies.

  Waiting for him to stand beside me, I felt his confusion so I spared him and let him off the hook. “We are not putting wards on the borders Brave Eagle. We are going to the Village of Lost Souls where we will meet grandfather and my brother for training.”

  He looked uncomfortable and I could feel the many questions that he had and held silent on. “Give me your hand and we will go now, unless you wish to stay behind.” I secretly wanted him to come and blocked my mind so he couldn’t read my thoughts.

  “I will not stay behind.” With that said, he slapped his hand into mine and I felt a shock go through my body. Ignoring the way he made me feel, I placed my other hand into the handprint on the wall of the cave which had a grey wolf in the center. This would only let the bloodline of Grey Wolf through unless you knew how to use the rubies.

  Magically and with an array of blinding colors, we were taken to the Village of Lost Souls and into a wonderful mystical world.

  “This is where you grew up? It is much nicer than the world where I came from. It smells clean and it is so warm here. It is almost as beautiful as the Beyond.”

  “Yes, it is a wonderful place, was it really so bad in your village?” Feeling the sadness that came over him, I immediately rebuked myself for my insensitive words of before. I knew by now what they had faced in their world. From what I had heard from grandmother, they were all lucky to have survived the land where they had lived.

  Before he could answer me he spotted my brother and grandfather and the question was forgotten as he greeted them. “Fire Walker, it is good to see you my brother and how are you grandfather?” Clasping arms in greetings and patting each other on the back, grandfather answered for the both of them. “Good my boy, we are all good and now we can get down to the business at hand.”

  “What exactly is that grandfather and why all the secrecy? Why are we here in this land?” Brave Eagle seemed bewildered. I was also, as I wondered what was going on. He still looked around in wonder at this land that was surreal. We have many beautiful mountains and waterfalls and endless meadows full of beautiful flowers. The surrounding forest is full of wild life and the village here is huge with many lodges spread out all over the valley.

  I think mother had tried to create a world that was just like the Beyond. However, it was eerily quiet with just the four of us here. It always seems so deserted and strange whenever I come here to train.

  Pushing back my melancholy thoughts, I tried to listen to grandfather as he explained to all of us what was on his mind. “I thought it was time that you three learn all there is to know of each other’s powers and begin to work as a team.” He looked at each one of us and clicked his tongue, waiting for the explosion that was sure to come.

  Of course he settled on my face, as he knew that I was the one with the hot temper. I would not disappoint the old man and started right in on him. Although ever respectful of my elders, I couldn’t imagine what he could be thinking, unless he had finally lost his mind. “What are you talking about grandfather? What do you mean work together as a team, and what other powers besides shifting could Brave Eagle possibly have?”

  Brave Eagle was smiling ear to ear and Fire Walker and I were staring at him like he had leprosy or worse. “How did we not know that he… he has other powers?” I stammered.

  “If you please, Brave Eagle.” Grandfather was also smiling and with a dramatic wave of his hand he stepped aside for Brave Eagle. As I watched with curiosity, Brave Eagle shimmered and shifted and my interest turned to astonishment as he shifted into grandfather.

  Amazed, I stared and was wide-eyed and stunne
d for a moment as I heard his voice coming out of grandfather’s mouth. “Speechless, I bet that’s a first Wild Cat.” Then he was laughing and shifting back. Grandfather and Fire Walker were also laughing. Once again I found my temper rising.

  My brother gave him a high-five. “Can you do that with anyone? I mean be whoever you want and just like that it happens?” Fire Walker was impressed and I suppose I was, but that was something I would never admit to being.

  “Yes so far and now I can become you.” He shifted into Fire Walker and I stood there still, but I had figured out how he did it now. He shifted back and explained just as I had thought…that he has to touch the person prior to becoming them. Then he can just think of that person and become them whenever he needed.

  Finally I found my voice, “This is certainly amazing, but just how is this type of shifting useful?” It was awesome, I will give him that, but I don’t like surprises and anyone that knows me knows that.

  I had enough going on worrying about mother and father and where they were at, had me drained. Sure I put up a good front most of the time and knew what we really came here for. I did not see how this could help us find my parents.

  “Well, can you turn into a stream of water and slither between rocks and the ground Wild Cat?” Brave Eagle said rather arrogantly.

  “No I can’t, and when I am bathing in the pond, it had better not be you Brave Eagle.” I snapped.

  Smiling a sly grin, he promised he would never do such a thing to me, his mother had raised him better, and he added as an afterthought that his mother would beat him to death with a horsewhip if he ever used his powers that way. “I was raised with morals ‘Wild Cat’.” He said deliberately.

  Earth, Teach Me

  Earth teach me quiet ~ as the grasses are still with new light.

  Earth teach me suffering ~ as old stones suffer with memory.

  Earth teach me humility ~ as blossoms are humble with beginning.

  Earth teach me caring ~ as mothers nurture their young.

  Earth teach me courage ~ as the tree that stands alone.

  Earth teach me limitation ~ as the ant that crawls on the ground.

  Earth teach me freedom ~ as the eagle that soars in the sky.

  Earth teach me acceptance ~ as the leaves that die each fall.

  Earth teach me renewal ~ as the seed that rises in the spring.

  Earth teach me to forget myself ~ as melted snow forgets its life.

  Earth teach me to remember kindness ~ as dry fields weep with rain.

  -Ute Prayer

  Chapter 14

  “Okay, I showed you mine now show me yours.” Brave Eagle winked at me and my heart shipped a beat. I was still mad at him and now I was mad at myself. Having your emotions betray you is not a big confidence booster.

  I was also mad at grandfather and the Gods who did not let me in on his little secret. I should know everything going on around me. How can I be a good Queen if I do not have all the facts and am the last to know such things?

  I quickly pulled myself together and quizzed grandfather. “Really grandfather, you could not have warned us about this? How can I possibly be a good Queen if I do not have all the information I should have?”

  “You are right granddaughter; I apologize and forgive me, my Queen. It was not until I spoke with Red Thunder and Aponi that I had any idea of what Brave Eagle could do. We all know of the many different characteristics that have happened with the people but this is something they kept to themselves. They feared for him. It is not always a safe thing that he does. They contained him as much as possible for fear they could lose him forever somewhere in the elements. I myself have checked this new shifting out thoroughly. I have come to the conclusion that although unique, it is the Great Spirit’s gift and Brave Eagle has perfect control. This is his destiny and no harm will befall him. ”

  I supposed this made some sense to me. They did all seem rather weak as a tribe. It is as if they live only in fear, except for Brave Eagle. I think we might be able to put this ability to use. Yes the more I thought on it, the more I believed this could be useful indeed.

  Feeling satisfied with my conclusion, I smiled. “Fire Walker, it is your turn.”

  In a blur, my brother was a massive whirlwind of fire. Spinning like a giant tornado, he grew taller than the trees and reached clear up into the sky. Moving all around us yet touching nothing in the village. He was in total control of this power of his. He should be, grandfather had worked with us and trained us since we were children.

  There were plenty of times that we weren’t in control of our powers. Fire Walker burned plenty of things over the years before he mastered his ability, including me and grandfather.

  Fire Walker shifted into a giant fire dragon, breathing fire right down at our feet, where Brave Eagle quickly jumped back out of the way. Showing off a little he spun and shifted again back into the fire wind and then settling back to the ground he finally stopped spinning and became himself right beside me. Laughing at the look on Brave Eagle’s face he said, “That my brother, is how I roll.”

  I rolled my eyes at him because he always thinks he is so cool, (as mother would say). She was also the one to teach us the ‘cool sayings’ as she knew them when she had come to the Beyond. Secretly, I thought he was cool. I was very proud of my brother and how he had learned to manipulate his fire gift.

  Looking very awestruck, I could see Brave Eagle was indeed impressed. “Wow, that is marvellous Fire Walker, I bet you can really do some damage with that power.”

  “It is a gift from the Gods and the Ale. The Great Spirit gifted us with abilities to fight evil. The Ale gave our parents gifts to help the new generation. The Ale knew the evil would be much greater in this new World of Man and that she was also responsible for the rift.

  She did not mean for the world to be destroyed, she only wanted her child back. After receiving her child, she gave our parents a little extra gift from her world to help with the next generation of children. Mind you it is just in my family, not the whole tribe but I am thinking maybe your parents received this gift also. These gifts will be enough though now that we have you.”

  Fire Walker never spoke a lot and that was quite a speech for him, even he seemed surprised. Smiling, he nudged me that it was now my turn.

  Stepping behind my brother, and shifting, I then walked from behind him. I strolled over to Brave Eagle and looked at his handsome face before deciding what to do to him. I blew in his ear and stepped back.

  He thought it was a bug and swatted at it. I stepped up and blew again and moved away. He swatted again as he peered around Fire Walker. “I’m waiting Spirit Walker, come out from behind your brother and show me what you can do, Wild Cat.”

  I kicked him in the leg and hard. “My name is not Wild Cat and I told you to stop calling me that!” I snapped at him, as he hopped around on one foot holding his leg and searching the area for me. I stood beside grandfather for safety.

  Smiling big and with his dark eyes all lit up and sparkling he got down on his knees and bowed off to the side of grandfather where he had heard my voice. “My Golden Queen, I am humbled by your presence.”

  “Whatever, get up you fool, I am not your Golden Queen, and my mother is not dead.” I reappeared in front of them all in a blinding light. “We are wasting time here grandfather lets go searching. Now we have one more to help us in these worlds we cannot seem to penetrate.”

  As Brave Eagle rose from the ground, I noticed the appraising look he gave me and then turned his attention back to my brother as they spoke in hushed tones.

  “What now? What are you two hens whispering about?”

  They both gave me a disapproving look and Brave Eagle spoke up. “Fire Walker was just informing me that your powers of becoming invisible are far more than they seem to be. I was curious is to how your powers are so much better than mine. He assures me there is more to them and you.”

  “Yes, we are all more than we appear to be.” I said s
mugly. I knew my brother did not elaborate, there was no time. Just the same, I gave him a condemning glare and he had enough common sense to at least look sufficiently admonished.

  Being a spirit walker as my name suggests was not something I talked about. I especially did not like talking about walking through the dead. Learning to control this part of my power has been difficult for me. It is not something I like to do necessarily. It can be too informative at times, scary even, when it is the dead whose spirit I walk through.

  I do this only on a need to know basis. Grandfather of course, has made me explore this often lately so that I will be comfortable in spirit walking.

  “So it would seem.” Brave Eagle said proudly with a smirk on his face and a fiery wink. I am curious as to why you cannot use your magic for other worlds though. Can’t you just appear in them and disappear out of them?”

  “Unfortunately, I have to be in that world first. My gift does not allow me to appear in other worlds.” I explained feeling hopeless. I was not about to tell him I may be able to walk into mothers mind if she has not blocked me. I haven’t been able to yet so there wasn’t anything to tell anyway.

  Having enough of our bantering, grandfather cleared his throat. “Yes, now we know what we are all capable of… more or less and need to get on with finding your parents.” He did that clicking with his tongue and knowing very well that grandfather had a piece of wisdom and some advice, we all stood silently and waited for his next words.

  He leaned on his staff and looked at each one of us. In his thundering voice he spoke the words that I had heard him repeat to my brother one time while spying on his training with the grandfather. I didn’t understand these words at the time but I looked into some of the many books mother had gotten from the World of Man over the years. I am older now and have heard enough advice from grandfather that I listen carefully and when I don’t understand some of his wisdom, I look it up. I know that his advice and words are to be used carefully. They are always meant to help with the decisions we make in this life. “Most people can look back over the years and identify a time and place at which their lives changed significantly. Whether by accident or design, these are the moments when, because of a readiness within us and collaboration with events occurring around us, we are forced to seriously reappraise ourselves and the conditions under which we live. So we make certain choices that will affect the rest of our lives.”