Dwellers of Ahwahnee (The Beyond Collection)

by Sheryl Seal

  “Whatever are you going on about Aponi?”

  “Oh, just that Grey Wolf is really trying to find out who the Evil One is. You know, not picking a woman, like they all think.”

  Well, I suppose knowing that, I should have felt better about what he was doing. Really though, I felt a stab of jealousy at the attention he was giving to the other women. Mostly because now, I knew so many females were hoping to snag him. Well, of course they were. He was a fine specimen of a man. I had absolutely no claim on him! I must have had a frown on my face while thinking this. Suddenly Aponi was shaking my arm and in hysterics. She was saying “Oria? Are you alright? Can you hear me? Stop it, the whole building is going to crash down around us!” I snapped out of my thoughts and just in time. The lodge was shaking and I took some deep breaths and controlled my mind to be calm. Everything settled down around us.

  I looked over at Aponi and she had an amazed look on her face. She was grinning and exclaimed in an excited voice. “Wow girl! Remind me not to tick you off. What were you thinking anyway?”

  “How do you know that was me? It could have been someone else. It could have been an earthquake.” I tried covering for myself but I could see she didn’t believe it.

  Aponi raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow and tucked a strand of her neon green and black hair behind an ear and stated.

  “Yeah, number one, I wasn’t born yesterday. I am very perceptive. Number two, grandfather has kept me up to date on your training. Now what upset you that you almost buried us alive?”

  Embarrassed and not wanting to let her know exactly what I was thinking about. Or that it had to do with the other women and Grey Wolf I said, “Oh, I was just thinking about the Evil One that is still here and how we can catch them. I’m so sorry I don’t have very good control over my feelings yet.”

  “Well we better teach you better control. You could really do some damage when we finally catch this person.” I sensed in her mind she knew the truth. I tried not to read her mind. I feel like it’s rude. I will save it for when I need to use it. So, I played it off.

  “I suppose that was along my line of thinking, but I don’t want to hurt anyone. I just need to control my thoughts better. I think I will go and see if I can find Grey Wolf. He umm, said he could help me with the control issue, and to see what he has found out so far.” She glanced at me like she suspected my motives and winking and nodding replied.

  “Well, I guess I can find something to do. Maybe Red Thunder is back from Hunting. It has been a while since I have seen him and I am getting lonely. He promised when he got back we would take a ride and have a pic-nic.” She smiled a secret smile that I thought was all telling. I thought about the two of them and how everyone had assumed they had disappeared on Po-Ho-No. If they only knew the truth like I did.

  “There will be time for us to get together another time and talk about you and Red Thunder. I would like to hear all about the day you disappeared from Po-Ho-No and what has happened since that time. Would you like that Aponi?”

  “Oh, yes, I would like that very much! Go now and find Grey Wolf. I will go and see if Red Thunder has returned, we will talk later Oria.”

  She gave me a quick peck on the cheek, squeezed my arm and turned around and almost skipped away.

  Chapter 19

  I walked through the village hoping to see Grey Wolf. He was nowhere to be found. An old squaw with long gray hair scattered all over her head called me over. She was sitting by a campfire working on a deerskin. I noticed her dry cracked hands that were crippled with arthritis. They were very efficient. Kneading the leather, she smiled a toothless smile and motioned for me to sit across from her.

  “I am Nokomis. I would offer you a bite to eat as would be polite, but I just watched you come from the big breakfast. This was in honor of you closing the wards and restoring the magic I hear. I too would like to give you my thanks.” I smiled at the old woman who I noticed had very beautiful blue eyes set deep into her dark tanned wrinkled face. They weren’t just blue though, they were shockingly blue. They reminded me of my grandmother. This made me happy to be around Nokomis. She did not wait for me to speak. She just continued on in her sing song voice that I found very relaxing.

  “I have been on this earth for more years than I can count now. I have waited a lifetime for The Golden Queen to come and change some of the deep-rooted ways. Many of the ancient ways are good. Some things need to change with the times. There is much new magic in the lands. This will take a very strong Queen to conquer the evil that has come to the region. I hope you are up for it. You will need the assistance of others and will have to be careful of your choices. Not all will be whom they appear to be. Look inside yourself for the insight you need. Start believing in your intuitions and who you are now. You are The Golden Queen and nothing will change that fact.”

  She paused here and with her contorted old hands reached for mine. She took them both and as she squeezed them, she looked me in the eyes. “Someone you trust will test and maybe betray the new found confidences you have given them. Beware of the dark one. All is not as it seems and there will be traps that you cannot let defeat you. You may also feel alone at times. You need to know that you will never be alone. Do not fear these things; you cannot let fear choose your destiny. I will tell you what my mother told me as a young girl. Enlightenment, joy and peace can never be given to you by another; the well is inside of you. I am here if ever you feel the need to visit me.” She cackled to herself. “Or I will talk and you can listen.”

  I knew this was a dismissal so I nodded. “Thank-you, Nokomis. I appreciate your words of wisdom. I will consider all you have said.”

  As I left the old woman, she started humming an old Indian lullaby; I knew this because sometimes my grandmother sang the same song to me as a little girl. I smiled wistfully missing grandmother terribly; I wondered what she could be doing. Was it so much more important than what was going on with me? How was I ever going to get through this all without her here to help guide me?

  I found myself walking back down the path to the only place I really felt comfortable. Bridalveil fall… I can’t say why I was finding myself drawn here. Maybe it was because this is where my new life started. I still felt like there were unanswered questions here. It could possibly be that I was still having a hard time excepting it all. I thought about what Nokomis had said about the dark one. I wanted desperately to find out who that might be. I wondered about the betrayal of the one I thought I could trust and who that could pertain to. Could it possibly be Grey wolf? I barely even knew him; we shared a few kisses, that didn’t mean I loved him. My thoughts always come back to him though. Eventually, they lead to me daydreaming about our kiss.

  As I was thinking about the kiss and Grey Wolf, I heard laughter up ahead on the trail.

  I looked up, and on top of Po-Oh-No I saw Yori. She was stunningly dressed in a beautiful long, red kimono dress. Her raven hair was down to her waist blowing in the breeze. Her laughter was loud and she was caressing the back of a warrior. He suddenly turned around. She lifted her head up and with her long willowy arm; she pulled his head toward her and kissed him. When they pulled apart that’s when I saw that it was Grey Wolf.

  I must have sucked in my breath so loud that he heard me. He barely moved his head in my direction. It was just enough that our eyes met.

  He looked just as surprised as I was. His eyes had a look that I know I had seen before. I couldn’t think clearly. I turned around and ran down the hill. I ran all the way through the village. I didn’t stop until I got to where the horses were stabled.

  I hadn’t noticed how the wind had picked up and the clouds had rolled in. I just wanted to get far away from here. I felt betrayed. I had no right or claims to him. We had shared a few kisses. He was allowed to kiss whoever he wanted. Apparently now he wanted to kiss Yori. Why then was I behaving like a scorned woman? I didn’t have the answer but I couldn’t seem to control my feelings. I didn’t know why they were spiraling
out of control either. My feelings kept me on a one way path to escape from here; I should have known that my mind couldn’t escape the image so easily.

  I went inside the wooden pen. I grabbed some reins that were lying across the fence. I put them on the first horse I came across. It happened to be a big white peppered mare.

  I walked her through the gate. Using the fence post to climb on her back, I nudged her out into the open. We were galloping at full speed. Rain had started pouring down and Lightning was striking all around us.

  My anger was raging along with storm and I pushed the mare faster and faster. I didn’t even thinking how dangerous it was for her or me.

  I just wanted to go far away and I didn’t care where. In the path up ahead I spotted what I thought was a big gray wolf. It startled me and I yanked on the reins. I shouldn’t have been surprised when the mare slipped on some slate at the edge of the cliff. I had been careless and it was too late now.

  I couldn’t hang on to the reigns because they were so slippery and I fell from the horse.

  Then I started sliding over the edge where I fell even further and hit my head. As I tried to hang on to consciousness I wasn’t sure if I had seen a gray wolf at all. It was raining pretty hard. It could have been anything and I just thought it was a wolf. I tried to focus and stay awake. How did I let this happen? I hope the horse is okay. This had been very selfish of me. Maybe I can shift out of here or call to grandfather.

  That was the last thing I remember before the darkness over took me. Except molten golden eyes that pierced my soul.

  Chapter 20

  I woke up with a pounding head lying next to a fire in a cave.

  “How are you feeling? That was a pretty long drop you took and a bad hit to the head. I had to use my horse and a long rope to haul you back up. I’m afraid you will have to remain here with me. You are not ready to travel yet anyway; it may take a few hours before the dizziness goes away.”

  I tried to shake my head of the fuzziness that I saw when I strained to focus on the face across the fire. That just made things worse, so I laid my head back down.

  “Thank you but how did you find me? I didn’t think anyone was out here.”

  I was coming back from hunting when Little Wolf came running wildly passed me. I grabbed her by the reins and started slowly back to the village. She wouldn’t go past the area by the big cliff, so I got off my horse and peered over the ledge. I thought maybe Grey Wolf had somehow been thrown. To my surprise, it was not him but a Golden Queen lying at the bottom. I am also surprised that you got this far on her; she does not let anyone get close enough to touch her except Grey Wolf, let alone ride her. You must have strong magic. Why are you so far from the village all alone?”

  I thought about that for a split second. I decided he didn’t need to know how careless and foolish I had been. “I was out riding when we got caught in the storm. I guess I wandered to near the edge and Little Wolf slipped. I lost hold of the reins and went over. I hit my head, it was lucky for me that you came along when you did. I would probably still be down there.”

  He nodded and then stated sternly.

  “I do not believe in luck! Our paths have crossed because the Great Spirit willed it so.”

  “I still would like to thank you, I’m sorry, what is your name?”

  “I am called Red Thunder; I know they call you Oria, The Golden Queen. It is nice to finally meet you; I left for a hunt right after you arrived but Aponi, my love, is quite taken with you. She regards you highly.”

  “Yes, we have become good friends; I like her very much too. But how could you know that if you’ve been gone this whole time?”

  “Ah, I ran into grandfather up on the ridge and he filled me in on everything.”

  “Would you like something to eat? There is elk I shot while I was out hunting.” I watched this handsome man with his neck-length brown hair. His dark smiling eyes were slightly creased around the corners. I would bet this man laughed a lot. He would be suited for Aponi.

  While he was scooping up our bowls I must have fallen asleep. I woke a few hours later to a dark night except for the campfire and a growling stomach. I looked around but did not see Red Thunder. I slowly raised my head and when it didn’t fall off my neck from throbbing, I got up and stretched my legs. Smelling the stew, I got a bowl and ladled some in it and ate until I had my fill. I could sense Red Thunder somewhere in the back of the cave. He was thinking of Aponi while he tended to the horses. He was very content.

  After a while Red Thunder came back to where we were camped at the front of the cave. “Good, I see you are feeling better, this is a safe place so we will stay here until the morning. Then I will take you home. The horses have been cared for and the storm seems to be passing. It is too dark to travel safely and I think you need more rest.”

  “Thank you again Red Thunder. I’m sorry I have been so much trouble. You could have been home with Aponi and had a pic-nic. Both of you could have had a nice day together, had it not been for me.”

  Aponi had been looking forward to Red Thunders return and clearly she was on his mind too. I hated to be the reason they were still apart.

  He smiled brightly at the mention of Aponi’s name. “There will be other days for pic-nics and Aponi will be glad that I was here to find you. She would not want you out alone all night, down a cliff. So tell me Oria, how is it again that you were so far from the village, on Grey Wolf’s mare?” He added this last part with a little cocky smile. He could tell there was more to my story than I had given him. I felt like everyone could read minds like I could. Paranoia I’m sure because, I didn’t know who I could trust now. I tried to shift the conversation in another direction.

  “I just felt like taking a ride. I had no idea that was Grey Wolf’s horse, will he be very mad?”

  Not that I cared, I was mad at him. I figured I had every reason to be. He was kissing on that woman after he declared his love for me, what about our kiss?

  “I think he will not be mad about that at all.”

  Red Thunder must have watched all the different expressions cross my face. Clearly I still haven’t learned how to hide my feelings. Then he snickered and said, “I think I will turn in for the night. I will also pray to the Great Spirit that I do not ever encounter the brunt of your anger my Queen.”

  I let it go at that. I really didn’t want to get into any of my love life with this man I had just met. He was probably a very good friend to Grey Wolf. So, I said good-night and laid down on the bedroll. I tried to go so sleep, which, was a very long time in coming.

  I kept seeing these piercing golden eyes that looked very familiar to me. They looked as if they were pleading with me.

  Finally in the late hours I fell asleep.

  That’s when the dreams started. I was soaring high in the sky that was quickly turning dark. I was trying desperately to see what was coming right at me. I could feel that it was something enormous. I couldn’t see anything until it was right upon me though. Then it was too late. I was swallowed up and falling down in total darkness.

  Chapter 21

  The next morning, it was a little gloomy and overcast as we trotted into the village. It was already abuzz with various activities. Many came to welcome us. I had let grandfather know I was fine and that we were coming home with my mind this morning. The village was one big muddy mess. I looked around and felt foolish for my own selfishness. I needed help to get my feelings under control. I could destroy the very people that had brought me here to help them. I did not see Grey Wolf anywhere however, and found that I was disappointed. He didn’t care enough about me to even worry for my safety. Was I secretly hoping he would come after me? No, that’s ridiculous.

  Aponi ran up as we were dismounting. She threw her arms around me first and then Red Thunder. She stayed draped around him while she asked a million questions.

  Red Thunder did most of the explaining and I let him. Then I started to walk off towards the center of the camp. I let th
e voices fade into the back ground. I held my hands out in front of me and slowly swirled in a circle. All the mud grew hard and the village was dried out quickly. The sun was high in the sky and shining brightly now.

  It was a small thing that I could do and I wondered why grandfather hadn’t done it. Except I know what grandmother would say. “Oria, if you make a mess of things. You had better be prepared to take responsibility for the mess, and clean it up.” I imagined grandfather was in the same frame of mind as her.

  The people awed with pleasure and being impressed with this gift of a dried out village I had given them, they all thanked me. Everyone started to drift off back to their chores. Some were training or practicing. I wondered if they would have thanked me if they had all known I was the cause of their discomfort.

  I went back over to Aponi and Red Thunder. I thanked him again for saving me and tending to my head. I had put my hand to my head where the bandage was and felt slightly dizzy. “I’m going to my lodge and change clothes; I’ll see you both later.”

  I was on my way to my lodge when I spotted Yori coming out of hers. Ours eyes met and she smiled what I thought looked like a wicked little sneer. I looked down immediately. When I thought to read her mind all I felt was darkness there. I could also feel she had a strong hatred of me. Nothing else was clear so I continued on and entered my lodge. I had a strong feeling someone was trying to get into my mind. I slammed it shut like a vault, that by instinct I just knew I could do now. I lay down on my bed and quickly drifted off.

  I woke a while later to knocking outside of my lodge.

  “Are you awake, Oria?”

  “Yes, I am, come in Aponi.” She came flowing through the door with a contented smile on her face. She giggled and said, “Love is just grand Oria. Don’t you think so? I am so happy to have Red Thunder home again.”