Leela and the Forest of Light

by Lin Northrup

  The wolves’ fierce sense of freedom reminded her of the wild mustangs. How could anyone want to shoot such beautiful animals? Why can’t they live without fear of humans?

  Gray Wolf came over to her. “You’ve always held wolves in high esteem, but some humans see us as their enemy.”

  She looked into his eyes. If only people could see what she saw and try to understand the wolves’ sacred point of view.

  Gray Wolf howled and the pack leaped to their feet. A sense of adventure filled the air. He and White Wolf led the pack toward the open land.

  Leela ran with them.

  Chapter 16

  Running with the Wolves

  Twenty miles away from the wolves’ sacred land lay the town of West Ridge, a thriving community driven by the profits of the cattle industry. Miles of fences carved the land into three sprawling cattle ranches that bordered the Native American reservation.

  The town had an array of shops, restaurants and the county sheriff’s office. The main grocery store catered to the tastes of the wealthy ranchers, forcing the poorer residents to shop at a food co-op outside of town.

  It was a cloudy day and the wind sweeping in from the northwest had a bite to it. The main street was almost deserted except for a few shoppers fighting the strong gusts threatening to rip packages out of their hands. Inside the police station, a group of men stood around the sheriff’s desk.

  “Carl, we saw it with our own eyes. There was a kid in the middle of a pack of wolves. It looked like a girl. Who knows if the kid’s even alive, or if they’ve torn her apart,” bellowed one of the men.

  The sheriff picked up the phone and called the newspaper. “Harry, I think we’ve got a story for you. Get over here fast.”

  The dingy office held two metal file cabinets, a computer, a desk and a water cooler. A man in a rumpled suit slept in one of the cells. Carl got up from his desk and ambled over to the water cooler. Their story seemed far-fetched. He hadn’t gotten any calls about missing kids, but he couldn’t take a chance and a story like this would be big news around here.

  When Harry arrived, Wes Sturman, the head of the ranchers’ association, took charge.

  “Harry, we were out looking for stray cattle and saw a pack of wolves attacking a child. I propose we…”

  He turned around, annoyed at being interrupted, when the door swung open and David, a tall, young officer, entered. His uniform was impeccable and his black hair was tied in a ponytail. He’d recently returned to his tribal lands after graduating from the police academy. The sheriff hired him to placate the tribe, but David’s environmental activities often put him at odds with the ranchers.

  As the sheriff relayed the situation, David shot Carl a skeptical look. He didn’t buy Wes’ story about looking for stray cattle. There had been a sharp increase in dead wolves over the last year. He knew the sheriff looked the other way when it came to the laws protecting wolves.

  “David, you stay here and check the police reports,” said Carl.

  Harry gave Carl a sharp look. “David knows these parts better than any of us. And there’s the life of a child at stake.”

  Harry knew the code that kept the town’s residents silent on the issue of wolves. But he was a young father and the thought of a child in danger made him anxious for David’s help.

  “We need him with us. And we might be too late already if we stand here much longer,” he said.

  The ranchers were uneasy around David who had a sixth sense about animals. Put on the spot, the sheriff glanced at Wes.

  “Okay, David,” said Carl. “Go ahead. I’ll see what information I can pull up on missing children.”

  “All right, let’s go. Meet me at the airstrip,” grumbled Wes, pushing one of his men out of the way as he slammed the door.

  The men drove out to the hanger that housed Wes’ private plane. The strong winds had died down, so they quickly made preparations to take off. Wes whispered something to the pilot who looked at David with disdain. Harry was no fool. He suspected that the ranchers had been out hunting wolves rather than looking for stray cattle. Wes was a rich, powerful man who ruled this town with an iron hand.

  Last year an animal rights group came to protest the shooting of wolves. The ranchers ran ads in the papers stating their case for eliminating wolves from the area. They blocked the group wherever they could, but when Wes’ belligerent tactics got extreme, the incident was reported on national TV.

  David spoke at a local rally and made an impassioned plea for the wolves whose natural habitat was being stolen from them. Because he stood with his tribe on this issue, the ranchers wanted the sheriff to find a way to get him fired. But they hadn’t bargained on the strength behind David’s reserved manner. He was determined to stay and be a voice for the animals and the land.

  Carl knew that firing David on some trumped-up excuse would stir up the tribe. He and Wes argued about it last week. “If I fire David the tribe will be all over us.”

  “Okay. Keep him on for now, but watch his every move,” warned Wes.

  Carl walked a fine line with the ranchers. He knew Wes would also get rid of him if he didn’t do his bidding.

  A mist had settled over the valley making it difficult for the ranchers to see as they flew low over the treetops in search of the wolf pack. Harry had his camera ready. David’s keen eyes looked for the signs that only he would know. His totem animal was wolf and he could sense their presence before he saw them.

  When he was thirteen, he found an abandoned wolf pup and named it Koda, which meant, friend. His father told him the wolf pup had come into his life as a messenger. That same night David had a dream and saw himself running with a pack of wolves. The wolves spoke to him of his destiny. From that moment on, he and Koda were inseparable often taking off for days to roam the hills.

  Even after Koda found a mate, he’d return and call to David at night. Hearing Koda’s howl, he’d scramble out of bed and go to their secret spot. When David turned sixteen, the wolf disappeared. Days went by with no sign of Koda.

  He filled his backpack and went to his father. “I’m worried. I have to go find him,” he said.

  His father had a foreboding, but knew his son must go on this quest alone.

  “You know the ways of the land. Be vigilant,” he said.

  David searched the forest and valleys for three days. Each night he made a small fire and went into the deep silence calling to the wolf. On the second night he had a dream and felt Koda’s distress. At the first light of day, he quickly covered the fire with dirt and climbed higher into the hills.

  Pushing his way through the dense brush, he saw the wolf lying on the ground and ran toward him. “No, no,” he cried, when he saw the mangled body of his friend caught in a metal trap. Koda’s mate was next to him. She had already passed over to the spirit world. Their pup was gone.

  He cradled Koda’s head in his arms and pressed his ear against the bloody fur to see if he was breathing. There was only a slight movement. Koda opened his eyes and looked at him. What passed between them would remain in David’s heart for the rest of his life. He vowed to do everything he could to protect wolves from human ignorance and cruelty.

  Years passed and now Gray Wolf roamed the woods where David had buried Koda and his mate.

  David’s memories were interrupted by Wes shouting at the pilot. “Fly lower. Let’s scare the pack into the open.” The plane swerved to the right and headed toward the field.

  Running with the wolves Leela was unaware that the mysterious threads that weave life together were bringing her closer to her destiny. She felt a sense of belonging she hadn’t known since her parents died. If she fell behind, the pack circled back for her. If they sensed she needed to rest, they would lie down and wait. This was their home and she felt their joy as they yelped back and forth to each other.

  When they all settled d
own, White Wolf came over to her. “It’s our way to join together and take care of each other. But our way of life is coming to an end because the human tribe takes more and more of our land,” she said.

  Once again Leela’s outrage returned and she vowed to do something to help them.

  “Tell our story, that’s all we ask,” said White Wolf.

  Leela tried to lie down and rest, but her heart was troubled, so she went to look for Gray Wolf. He was sitting alone on a rocky ledge, guarding his family with the surety of one who knows his purpose. They sat together for a long time watching the younger wolves chase each other around in a game of wolf tag.

  White Wolf came over to her mate. “Do you feel them?” she asked.

  “Yes. We must move quickly.” The pack gathered around him. “We’ve lived on these lands for many generations, but we must leave our home. Leela will come with us and we’ll protect her with our lives.”

  As he spoke, there was a shift in the wind. She could feel the tension spread through the pack. And then she heard the sound of the plane. The hunters were back!

  Wes and Harry hadn’t spotted the pack from the plane, but David felt the wolves and knew they were down there.

  “We won’t see anything if this mist doesn’t lift,” complained the pilot. Almost as soon as he said those words, the mist started to dissolve.

  “There they are,” shouted Wes.

  David looked down at a sight that reminded him of his childhood dream. A child was running with the wolves. It looked like a girl. The wolves had formed a protective circle around her.

  “I told you I wasn’t making this up,” said Wes.

  “I’ve never seen anything like it. Can’t we get closer?” asked Harry, getting his camera ready. He couldn’t help thinking about the money he’d get for these pictures.

  David watched them in disgust. The scene playing out below was sacred. The child was unharmed and looked completely at home with the wolves.

  All of a sudden, the girl fell down.

  “They’re going to attack her,” shouted Wes. He grabbed his rifle and took aim.

  David knocked it out of his hands.

  “Are you crazy?” Wes yelled at him.

  They saw the alpha wolf run back to the child. Holding onto him, she pulled herself up. It looked like she was tying her sneaker. Incredibly, the gray wolf waited for the girl despite the danger he was in. David smiled to himself as the astounded ranchers watched the wolf take off with the child running next to him.

  The pack was closing in on a thick stand of trees. Harry hung out of the open door, his camera recording the surreal scene. When the plane was as close as it could get, he yelled to the child. “We’re going to help you!”

  She glanced up and David saw her defiant look. The pack plunged into the woods just as the plane pulled up to avoid hitting the tops of the trees. They flew as low as they could, but the wolves remained hidden by the dense forest. With the approach of dusk, the pilot had no choice but to head back.

  “I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes,” said the pilot.

  Harry was lost in thought. He was going to call the Associated Press and get this on national news. A child living with wolves. What a story.

  Wes was plotting how he could turn this to his advantage. They’d gotten a lot of bad press when the animal rights group descended upon them. A rescue led by the ranchers would cover their slaughter of wolves and turn things around.

  David could feel the men thinking about how to exploit this story. He had to protect the child and wolves from what was coming. As soon as the plane touched down, they all headed to the sheriff’s office. He wanted to go right to the tribal elders, but that would have to wait. He needed to find out what the men were up to.

  The sheriff listened while Wes made the wolves sound like rabid beasts. He’d been checking reports on missing children but hadn’t found anything.

  “Carl, I’m calling the Associated Press. This is big,” said Harry.

  Wes interrupted him. “We’ll organize a search and rescue party. It may mean shooting a few wolves to pry this kid loose, but it won’t matter if she’s saved,” he said.

  David stepped forward. “It’s obvious that the child is unharmed and living freely with the wolf pack. We need to approach this carefully for the child’s sake and the wolves. If the media shows up, the results could be tragic for both,” he said, looking directly at the sheriff.

  Wes and Carl glanced at each other. They had no intention of delaying this story.

  “David has a point,” said the sheriff. “But we have to move quickly on this for the child’s safety. The more help we get, the better for the girl. Wes, get the ranchers together.”

  The line was drawn. The men rushed out of the office and piled into Wes’ car. “David, you’ve put in a long day. I need to make some calls now,” said the sheriff, dismissing him.

  Sickened by their smug attitudes, David wanted to lash out at Carl, but held back. He needed to speak with the elders so they could intervene before a media circus put the child and wolves in real danger.

  Chapter 17

  The Approaching Storm

  Hiding under the towering trees, Leela watched the plane circle overhead. A man holding a megaphone kept shouting that they were going to help her. The energy she felt behind his voice told her she couldn’t trust him. She had to protect the pack. But how?

  An ominous silence hung over the forest. Every tree and creature knew the next battle was coming. Leela sat next to the sleeping pup while the wolves rested for the night. What would happen to them now? She got up and paced around wrestling with her fears before making her decision.

  “Gray Wolf you’ve protected me, but now you have to let me help you. They’ll keep looking for me. If I stay, you’ll be hunted too. I don’t want to leave, but I have to.”

  Gray Wolf gave her a long look. “Leela, we honor your words. But our journey together isn’t finished yet. I am the teacher of your heart and we are your tribe.”

  The teacher of her heart. Of course, it was Gray Wolf. She’d felt their deep bond when they first met. “Is that why you came to me in my dreams?”

  “Yes, to prepare you for this time. Those who have the power of Wolf are pathfinders. They are forerunners. They answer the call, leave their ordinary lives and leap into the unknown to learn the secrets of the Great Mystery. It’s your destiny to return to the human tribe and teach what you’ve learned.”

  The wolves waited quietly while she took in Gray Wolf’s words. They knew she’d need the independent spirit of the wolf clan to follow her path in the face of fear and resistance.

  Leela looked away overwhelmed by the kindness and trust she saw in Gray Wolf’s eyes. Deep down she knew this was what she was meant to do, but the words to express what she was feeling wouldn’t come. “I’m ready now,” was all she said.

  “The hunters will return in the morning. We’ll travel in the dark until we bring you to the crossover.”

  The pack followed a moonlit path that led higher into the hills. She looked up at the night sky searching for two bright stars. When she saw them shining side-by-side, she hoped this was a sign that the wolves would be protected.

  Miles away from Leela and the pack, David was driving to the reservation. He’d phoned ahead to a tribal elder who quickly called the others to council. They were waiting in the main lodge when he arrived.

  David sat next to his wife Maryann. She smiled and touched his hand. Her spirit always sparkled with a joy and kindness that could bring light to any dark moment. He held her hand knowing she’d been anxious for this moment to come.

  Sky Bear entered the lodge taking his accustomed place. The members of the council sat in silence. When Twyla, the tribe’s eldest woman, entered and took her place, the circle was complete.

  David exp
lained the day’s events. Sky Bear looked at him with pride. David had earned the respect of all the members of the tribe. His nature photography and book, Mother Earth Speaks, spoke eloquently of his love for the earth, so it had surprised everyone when David went to the police academy and returned to work with the sheriff. Sky Bear knew his son felt he could help the tribe by playing that role.

  Maryann lit sage and waved it in the four directions to begin the meeting. She was a young woman of great conviction who worked tirelessly to help educate the children on the reservation. The tribe had clapped joyfully when she and David danced during the sacred ceremony that celebrated their love.

  “I had a dream about this child,” said David. “As I watched her today, I could feel her kinship with the wolves and knew the pack would protect her.”

  “We’ve all felt the spirit of this child and knew destiny would lead her here if she were able to pass the tests laid before her,” said Sky Bear.

  David looked around the circle. “She’s traveling between worlds and needs to remain in that sacred space until it’s time for her to assume her role. Reporters will be here by morning and the ranchers are organizing a widespread search by foot and helicopter.”

  The elders listened. They sat quietly waiting for the wisdom of the Great Mystery to guide them. This was a moment of great importance for the earth and future generations.

  Sky Bear spoke. “If this child isn’t ready to leave the world between worlds, we must help her and we must act swiftly.”

  He stood up. “David, you’ll go alone and call to the wolf clan. Your heart will guide you.”

  The elders nodded in agreement. The wolf clan had chosen David when he was a child and it was his duty to protect this girl from the harsh intrusion of the outer world until she was ready.

  David nodded to his father and walked outside with Maryann. They stood together under the moon, their hands entwined. Months ago, when he told her about his dream of a child running with the wolves, a sense of knowing settled over them and they waited patiently until the meaning of the dream revealed itself. Now that time had come.