Dwellers of Ahwahnee (The Beyond Collection)

by Sheryl Seal

The dragon, my spirit animal was the only one that could help here, so shifting quickly; I flew up and blew the snow to the side of the village. Putting flames to the mounds of snow, I melted it so that it would flow beside the village without flooding it. There was now a river flowing beside the village instead of through it. From up here I could really get a better look at the village. As the snow melted all around, I could tell that it was once a beautiful spot for a village. Minus being snowed in, dying of sickness and starvation, it would have been a great place to live.

  The river of water flowed safely outside the village and I could see no more danger, so I drifted back down and shifting back I stood beside my father, White Bear and Black Arrow. They were all staring at me in amazement. I looked at them all with a quizzical look on my face and arching my eyebrow I asked, “What? I just did what needed to be done. You all look like I did the impossible.”

  Father looked at the men standing next to him and they all smiled, nodding their heads in approval. Then he replied. “Yes Oria, you did what needed to be done. What you probably didn’t realize though, is that nobody here can use their magic. It doesn’t work in this land. I haven’t been able to shift since I have been here. So it was impossible for all of us, but not for you apparently.”

  I looked at them all and suddenly felt as if I had been caught with my hand in the cookie jar. “Well, I didn’t know that my magic wouldn’t work here and I didn’t think about it. I just acted on instinct.”

  My father hugged me and responded. “I know and that is the beauty of it. You are very powerful and going on your instincts, you have just saved us all. We will be able to continue on with the ceremony and leave this place. He laughed heartily and the old chief and White Bear patted my arms.

  The chanting and dancing started up again and once more the people seemed content. Then I watched as White Bear wandered off across the village and stopped in front of the pretty young girl that I had noticed earlier. She took her hood off of her head and I could see her clearer. I watched as she smiled at him shyly, and in a matter of seconds he had her giggling.

  It was a beautiful sound coming from her attractive face, which was shaped almost like a heart. She had the biggest silvery eyes and her face was slightly familiar but I couldn’t place why that could be. She was just a petite thing and her dark hair blew all around her head with the breeze. White Bear took her arm and I felt that the two of them had a connection.

  Father interrupted my thinking as he caught me staring at the couple and stated. “That is Sapata. She is not an original member of the tribe. She is very much alive and arrived right after your mother and me. I have taken care of her and she in return has helped with your mother. She is very dear to me. She was so young and all alone except for me when she first came here. We kept each other company and I kept her clothed and fed. She has become like a daughter.”

  “Where did she come from father?”

  “We only know that Black Arrow brought her here like the rest of us. I would imagine she came from a world like ours. She was only a young child when she arrived. I believe the writings were meant for someone else at the time. She was badly hurt before coming here. She had already healed somewhat, but her arm is useless and she will never walk right.”

  I thought, how horrible for her to be put in a land of the dead without her family, when she was so young. I was glad that she had my father and he had her, even if I hadn’t been able to be with him. I really was happy he had someone with him to talk with and take care of, other than my mother who had been asleep this entire time. “How terrible for her, I can see that her arm hangs limply and I noticed that she walks with a gait but nobody at our village speaks of a missing girl that I’m aware of. There are no children even at the village.”

  “It was way before your time, people may not know of her now. I could never figure out where she was from though and her memory of her home only comes in bits and pieces. Someone somewhere misses her I’m sure. She is too precious to not have a family missing her.”

  I felt for her and all that she has had to endure in her life. I hoped there was a family out there still hoping for her safe return. “I’m sure her family hasn’t forgotten her. We will do all that we can to bring her family together with her again. If we cannot find them, she will continue to be our family. I always wanted a sister.”

  Father hugged me and looking into my face he replied warmly. “You my dear daughter are a joy and I am happy with the young woman you have become. Sapata will love you like a sister also. She is very bright. I spent hour after hour teaching her everything I know. She is always thirsty for knowledge. I’m sure you will be the best of friends.”

  Grey Wolf

  Oria has made it through to the world where Sapata, my sister has been for far too long. I can’t believe that with all of our powers, we had to wait so long to have any hope in even getting her back. Sometimes the guilt I feel torments me. My sweet sister, my mind is just full of the thoughts of her pretty face. We are close in age and were very close as children; she had a gentleness and kindness in her that I had always loved. The vision in my mind drifts in and out of focus as my thoughts also turn to Oria. I cannot stand the waiting anymore. Why can’t I do anything to help? There must be something that can be done.

  I wish that I had not been delayed so long. Being taken and placed in the world of man could not be helped I supposed, but it came at a bad time. Right when the battle with the Ale began, I had to go into hiding like a scared rabbit. I needed time to heal from my wounds and then… there was my other sister. I knew that everyone could handle things without me and they did. I also know that they all would feel like I had deserted them. What were they supposed to think though? I had just disappeared. All because of a wayward spoiled child who was in need of help. Now she is of age to become a Dweller.

  Fallyn, my baby sister, she is something else. Fiery spirit and clearly she was spoiled rotten with her human parents. She was sent there to learn a humble life so that when she turned of age and her powers came, she would have compassion and know what her power meant. I think she will have many hard lessons to learn now. She did not learn very much empathy for her fellow man like my parents had hoped.

  Mostly I am mad that I did not get the chance to talk with Oria and let her know what was happening. I do not know if she will be so forgiving. She thinks I just abandoned her. I tried so hard to let her know that she was my life, my heart, and my soul. How will I make her understand that I am not a God? Only the child of Gods, and they have their own demands on me.

  After Yori discovered I was only trying to get information out of her, she turned on me quickly. I think she had been suspicious all along and when I would not be with her intimately she went into the rage of the Ale. Uncontrollable, she turned into a black whirlwind of destruction and I was wounded.

  My mother, the Goddess Tisayac, watching from above, could not interfere with the Ale. She could however give advice. She knew this could endanger my earthly body but I would be alive as long as I healed within the moon cycle. Since I am the son of the Goddess, I could shapeshift while wounded and hide out until the rage of the Ale was controlled.

  “Swiftly, my mother ordered, she means to kill you my son!” I did as I was ordered and tried to stay hidden until my leg healed. Yori had broken it with a flick of her wrist. I had to hunt however, and the day that Oria spotted me was so difficult, but she could not help me. She could not have known that though. I could not shift back until my leg mended and this had to be done without the aid of magic. I mended on time and was immediately sent to the world of man to bring my sister home. This took longer than it should have. There are always complications with Fallyn.

  Will I see forgiveness in my soulmate’s beautiful blue eyes with the silver stars that shine in them? That is all that my heart really requires for my life to be at peace once again. First of all, we need to get them all home. On my way to the cave, I thought on all of this and also hoped that Fallyn would behave h
erself for a time and not cause any kind of chaos. This brought a chuckle to me because she was clearly going to be a handful for some young man someday.

  I was entering the cave and shifting from my spirit animal, the gray wolf. I headed for the back of the cavern where I knew grandfather was trying to read the symbols that had appeared on the wall. He looked up as I approached and smiling he said, “It is good that you are home in the village my boy. The time has come for us to bring everyone back, including your sister.”

  It didn’t surprise me anymore that grandfather knew all. I believed that the ancestors he always talked about consulting with were much more than mere ancestors. I hugged the old man and Oria’s grandmother too. There were handshakes with Red Thunder, and Tim and Jim. Aponi however was a different matter. She looked very shocked to see me and also very mad at me. I knew I was in for a piece of ‘Aponi’s mind’ whether I wanted it or not. She stood with her hands on her hips, something I imagined she had learned from Oria, and I almost chuckled, almost. She was steaming mad and throwing out dagger eyes at me. I took a step back and put my hands out in defense of myself. “Whoa, there Aponi, I come in peace. I want only to help in getting Oria and White Bear back home.”

  She wavered for about half a second and then started in on me in her unique style. She started rambling on and with many questions and demanding answers to them all. “Where in the world did you get off too? We were all worried sick about you, and you just come in here like it’s just another day. Well, I got news for you buster; you have crushed my friend’s… my sister’s heart! We searched endlessly for you, only to have you running us around in circles. It doesn’t matter what your excuse is, because it is too late and now she is gone. White Bear has stolen her away and it would serve you right if she falls in love with him and never comes home.”

  Yeah, I knew she was mad but that last sentence just about tore my heart from my chest. I knew why White Bear did what he did though, and it was not for the love of my soulmate. “When we get her back, I will spend my life making it up to her. There was a reason though, if you care to hear it.”

  Aponi had gone into Red Thunder’s arm where he was holding her weeping body. I continued my story when she nodded her assent. Everyone listened to what had happened even though; I recognized that grandfather already knew everything. I didn’t stop explaining until I revealed all of what my parents had sent me to do. Everyone except Jim and Tim seemed to know of my heritage. The two boys looked like they were in awe. This was just the type of thing I wanted to avoid. “Come on guys…It’s still the same old me. You can close your mouths before you catch a fly.”

  They both slammed their mouths shut at the same time and grinned nervously. I knew they were the ones to help me with Fallyn. The time was growing late and I asked that Jim and Tim go back to the village where the new Dwellers would be coming in soon. Together with a few other elders, they could handle the new arrivals. Then I asked if they could personally help with the training of my sister Fallyn. They looked at me like I had lost my mind.

  “She is but one little girl, surely you don’t need us both to handle her training.” This, coming from Tim, caught me off guard and I laughed out loud. Jim looked at me inquiringly and laughing still, I said to them both. “You do not know my sister; she is a handful for any man. At least two will be needed. Trust me on this and do not fall for any of her trickery. She has been spoiled by her human parents to extreme and is a willful girl.”

  Jim replied he thought they could handle her. “Just watch each other’s backs, is all that I am saying.” He said they would try and laughing again he added. “We will be happy to do this for you Grey Wolf and please, bring our Queen home. We miss her smiles, and by the way, it is good to have you home, no matter what Aponi has to say about it.” He gave her a glaring look and a nod with his head towards me.

  Aponi took great offense to this. She flung her golden hair behind her and defended herself honorably. “I did not say it wasn’t good to see him or have him back. Just that it would have been nice if he would have been here or had let us know what was happening.” Then she looked back over at me and made sure of the reasons that she might forgive me. “I suppose I understand considering the circumstances, it was for your family...”

  I nodded to her that this was the case. She braved a smile at me that I knew she didn’t quite feel yet and I could see she was struck with a thought when her smile spread across her face. “Oria is my family, and if you want to be a part of it, you will bring her home like a good little God!” Then she giggled uncontrollably and tried to wipe the tears that still fell from her eyes. Everyone felt a little more relieved and we all joined her laughter.

  “Hey, I think I’m supposed to take offense to that, for some reason. By the way, I am still just Grey Wolf, a son of the Gods, not a God.”

  “Whatever, I will not argue with you over particulars.” She said this with a genuine smile and I felt that she had started to forgive me now.

  “Alright you two, now that you have made peace, we still have a problem here.” Red Thunder just seemed amused with the both of us. He was right though, we needed to get my heart and soulmate back home.

  Jim and Tim headed out to meet with Fallyn, as I had requested. I headed to the wall to find some answers that I needed very badly. “I know what has happened here grandfather, and I can make out that Chief Black Arrow needed help for his village to go to the West, but why would he use my sister? She would not have been able to help them. She was young and had no powers yet.”

  “I know it is frustrating Grey Wolf, but he does not say here. It just says he tried to bring those he thought could help him to the village.”

  As we were discussing what we could do, right before our eyes more pictographs appeared. Aponi was the one to notice what was happening as we were talking. When suddenly, I noticed that her eyes had gone huge and she was gasping and pointing at the wall. We all looked over at the wall and watched as pictures of a glowing red light continued to magically draw every one of us and we were appearing in what looked like an old small village. The characters also showed other people in the village, including a White Bear and Oria with her wild hair in another man’s arms.

  Growing enraged at what the pictures were showing, I lashed out. “Well that’s just great, now we get a slide show of what is going on there. I want to know how we get there and now!” I pounded on the wall in frustration and anger. Grandfather came over and put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it. It did not relieve the tension and aggravation I felt though.

  Grandmother spoke up as I stood there with my eyes closed tightly trying to gain control over my anger. “All is not lost Grey Wolf, open your eyes boy and look at the wall.”

  I slowly opened my eyes almost afraid of what I would see next, but to my surprise there was a handprint and inside it there was a gray wolf.

  I knew immediately this was my way into the other world, a world where my sister had been waiting since she was a girl. This was a world where the dead waited to go home to the West. This was a world where my heart and soul was. Everyone came over to stand in front of the wall and grandfather motioned that we take each other’s hands.

  The handprint started to glow a bright red and it was shimmering. I wasted no time and taking a deep breath, I put my palm up to the handprint.

  Tim

  Jim and I were heading back to the village to ‘keep Grey Wolf’s little sister in line,’ whatever that’s supposed to mean. Feeling frustrated about having to be a babysitter, I took it out on Jim. “Why did you tell Grey Wolf, we would keep his little sister in check Jim? There are definitely other things I could be doing. There are new Dwellers coming. I would have preferred to train one of them, not babysit a spoiled little goddess.”

  “Stop belly-aching Tim, we’re Grey Wolf’s friends, certainly it won’t kill you to help out our friend.”

  “I’m just saying they’re children of the Gods, what could we possibly help her with? What can we t
each her Jim? You tell me that.”

  “Even children of the Gods have to be taught how to use and control their powers. She just learned who she is and she has no idea what she is capable of. Powers at this level can be very out of control. She probably is feeling very alone Tim.”

  “Well, I suppose for Grey Wolf, I will help train his little sister, but he’s going to owe me, big time.”

  We weren’t even in the village yet and I could hear the commotion going on and I knew instinctively that it was our new little goddess, Fallyn. People were scattering everywhere throughout the village and standing in the center of the rest of the crowd was this big blond beauty. Jim looked a bit frustrated and confused. “What the heck is she doing to them Tim?”

  “Man, I don’t know, they all look like their doing whatever she wants them to.”

  They were performing like they were marionettes on a string doing her bidding. “Hey, Fallyn, what the heck is going on here?”

  Yelling and startling her, everyone in the circle crumbled to the ground and was released from whatever spell she had over them.

  Cautious as always, Jim was worried about me and my hot temper as he warned me, but he also added some sarcasm meant for Fallyn. “Careful Tim, she looks angry, you interrupted her little puppet show.”

  I watched and waited for her explanation but clearly she hadn’t been educated as to what goes on here. If she had been, she just didn’t care. I was betting she just didn’t care. “Well, what do you have to say for yourself?”

  She stomped right over to us both, and looking down on me asked me who I was.

  “My name is Tim and this is Jim. We are your new trainers until your brother gets back and you will quit using people as your own personal toys.” Feeling considerably intimidated at her height and well, everything about her, I tried standing up straighter. It didn’t matter though she towered and out-weighed us both…probably together.