Dwellers of Ahwahnee (The Beyond Collection)

by Sheryl Seal

  Looking around the group I could see the amazement that was on the faces of my friends. We all knew that we could travel to other worlds. We have all travelled to the world of man. I have had to travel many worlds. No one had travelled to a world such as this though. With the help of chief Black Arrow, we were here in the land of lost souls.

  Finally, I would get to see my sister after all these many years. I would be able to bring her home where she has been much missed. I just hoped getting back would be as easy as getting here. The woman that was my heart and soul was also here and I could not wait to have her in my arms holding her close.

  As grandmother looked around, I watched her eyes grow wide as she noticed a cot in the back of the lodge where a woman was sleeping peacefully. Immediately she released a breath of air and hurried over to the woman. Grandmother was a small round woman but moved graceful and quickly. In a blink of an eye she was beside the woman on the cot.

  All I could see was there was an abundance of auburn hair and my breath caught in my throat. My heart hit the ground. I reached grandmother’s side in four long strides where she stood.

  There was a remarkable resemblance to my soulmate, but this woman had burns covering most of her face and body. I could tell straightaway that it was not my heart and soul. Releasing the breath I had been holding, I put my hand on the grandmother’s shoulder. I knew that this was her daughter that she had thought was dead for all these many years.

  The tears were running down her face as she knelt down and hugged the woman and crying openly she talked to her. I left her alone with her daughter and headed for the lodge door.

  As I stepped out of the lodge and into the village of the dead, the first thing I couldn’t help but notice was how bright the sun was shining down on the snow all around. I put my hand up to shield my eyes. Then, I strode purposely toward the group of people that were standing a few feet away from the lodge. My eyes found her immediately, wrapped in the arms of a man I did not know. I could see her curly hair peeking out of her rabbit fur hood and she was bundled up tightly in more furs.

  She spotted me also and releasing the man, I watched as her whole being lit up in amazement. The happiness that showed on her beautiful face, as her bright blue eyes sparkled just for me was overwhelming. I felt my eyes water at the sight of her. She was safe and that had an overpowering effect on me. I released the breath I had sucked in when I spotted her and my whole being sighed with relief. I didn’t have another moment to think on how much I had missed her because she was almost airborne. Her hood flew off and with that gorgeous, wild auburn hair flying all around her; I could swear her feet never hit the ground, as she threw herself in my arms.

  I held her tightly and the aroma of vanilla enveloped me, just like I remembered. Then she looked up at me and I could tell she didn’t much care about the past, all between us was forgiven. I lifted her chin upwards so I could run my fingers over the eclipse and stars that had appeared since last I had seen her. The golden eclipse that marked the corner of her eye and tiny silver stars that traveled down her cheek only made her face more stunning.

  I looked into her eyes then and watched as silver flecks appeared sparkling against the bright blue color and I could see the love that she had for me, and it set my soul on fire. I could no longer resist her rose colored lips that I knew tasted of sweet honey and dipped my head towards hers to steal just one kiss, although I knew one kiss would never be enough. She pulled my head down and held on to me tightly however, and the kiss I thought was to be short, lengthened until I felt that I would surely burst into flames from the intensity of it. I could never get enough of this woman that was my soulmate and all thoughts of anything else escaped me.

  Somewhere far away I dimly heard a few coughs and some clearing of throats that made their way into my mind. Somehow we both found the will to pull away from each other. Immediately there was a cooling of my body that I found I did not like very much. My whole entire being craved the nearness of her.

  She pouted her beautiful lips that were now swollen from our kisses and I heard a sigh escape from her. The need to have her in my arms again made me groan, along with her pouting lips but the promise of tomorrow was in her eyes. Reluctantly I released her hand that I was still clutching. There was no need for words between us.

  She was instantaneously into the arms of Red Thunder and Aponi, and Aponi was already commanding all of Oria’s attention.

  With Oria’s attention now on Aponi’s many questions, I noticed that grandfather was speaking with two other men, the chief of the village (this was clear by his headdress), and the man that Oria had been hugging.

  I knew from the drawings on the wall, and what grandmother had told us, that the woman on the cot in the lodge was Oria’s mother, and this man here must be her father.

  I spotted White Bear heading in my direction. Walking beside him was a beautiful woman that walked with a limp. They were dressed warmly in furs but I could tell that she favored one of her arms. I knew immediately that this was Sapata. She was a woman now, not a young child. I wondered what had happened to her. She was in perfect health the last time I had seen her, and clearly her wounds had healed. This was something that she has lived with her whole life.

  She looked very much like my father and I, and there could be no mistake this was my sister. We had the same characteristics. I would never forget her eyes, or the smile she was timidly trying to hold in place.

  White Bear and I shook hands, patting each other on the back at the same time.

  “It is good to see you my brother.”

  Smiling big, White Bear said the same could be said of me. “I thought you would want to kill me for what I have done; I hope you know it was not me but the chief that possessed me. I would never do anything to hurt Oria, Grey Wolf.”

  I chuckled at the thoughts I had before I knew he was possessed. I did want to kill him, and all the ways I thought of were full of many agonizing tribal tortures. I cleared my throat and pushed the images away of my friends long drawn out death. “We all know this White Bear… now. We also know that you are not at fault. There is no one here that blames you. We all witnessed the cave drawings and as the story unfolded, all came to understand that you were possessed and you could not have controlled your actions. We have all come to help. Then we will take everyone home again.”

  “This is good my brother and friend, because I would not want anyone to think that I could ever hurt my friends. This land has my bones freezing! I cannot wait to be home where the sun always shines. I am also glad to see you are well, we thought you were lost to us forever Grey Wolf, where have you been?”

  “Ahh… a story for another time, it is long and drawn out and… I was looking out of the corner of my eye and studying this long lost sister of mine, when she suddenly looked paler than she had been a few minutes ago. Our skin color matched perfectly to our Ahwahneechee heritage but she was certainly growing paler by the second. Maybe it was something that we were talking about. I wasn’t sure and then she looked as if her whole body had taken a shock. Her eyes got a quizzical look and then she frowned as she stared hard at me and finally she released her breath and her legs gave out.

  I quickly had to reach out my hands to grab her as she started to crumble. White Bear reached for her the same time I did and together we kept her from falling completely to the water soaked ground.

  “Sapata, my dear sister, are you alright?

  Sapata

  Matoskah wanted me to meet his good friend so we walked over to this very attractive man who seemed familiar. I knew he couldn’t be for whom would I compare him too? I have been here almost my entire life. When Matoskah mentioned his name, Grey Wolf… I felt I knew this name in some distant past. He continued talking and although it was a man’s voice, I could clearly hear a child speaking in my head.

  First things started to grow dimmer and I started to see what looked like little stars swimming in front of my vision. I felt my legs starting to shake and the
n they got wobbly. Before I fell to the ground though, White Bear and this man caught me. The haziness in my eyesight improved. I was looking into a boy’s face and then a young man. I knew this face, I knew this name. “Grey Wolf is that you my brother?”

  “Yes, it is I, Sapata, my tiny dancing bear. I thought you did not recognize me.”

  As my vision improved the young boy/teen that was in front of me turned into a handsome man that was my brother. He was all grown, and we were together again. I couldn’t help the tears that gathered in my eyes and they started to fog up his face again. Irritably I pushed them aside with my one good hand so I could see him better and I tried to stand alone.

  White Bear was looking stunned, but both of the men helped me to stand and neither was letting go of my arms. Until Grey Wolf grabbed me up and spun me around like he used to do when we were kids. He was laughing and I was crying and the memories just kept colliding one into the other.

  This is my brother Grey Wolf, and our parents are the Ahwahneechee warrior, Tutokanula and the Goddess Tisayac. How could I have forgotten something like this? I had no idea. It did not matter anymore because now I remembered it all. The visions were coming quickly to my mind.

  I remember our home and that we were playing a game of hide and seek when I decided, Grey Wolf would never find me another world. I thought I was so clever at the time and although it was against our parent’s rules, I went there to hide anyway. Grey Wolf was always good at hiding and I wanted to be good at it too. I knew he wouldn’t find me there.

  He yelled for me in my mind, I heard him clearly, “Where are you Tiny Dancing Bear?” I remembered, I fell down a ravine and was hurt very badly. My leg and arm were broken. I couldn’t call to Grey Wolf or my parents because I would be in terrible trouble. As a child of the Gods I did not have powers yet, except those of my own body healing itself.

  I waited until I was partially healed and had enough strength and then I made my way to the cave above by crawling. It took me awhile with a broken leg and arm but I knew I couldn’t go home until I was healed. No one could ever know that I had discovered the secret way into another world. So I waited and I wasn’t in the cave very long when I spotted a pretty red stone. The moment I held the stone, I was suddenly removed from the cave and placed here in this world, with no way to go home. There was also no more healing that could be done for me, so I was left to grow up as a cripple in this world.

  Grey Wolf stopped spinning and landed me perfectly on my feet. He hung on to me for a minute though, good thing because I had gotten dizzy, not only from the spinning but also because of the memories that flooded my mind.

  “The Great Spirit certainly works in mysterious ways.” White Bear was standing there shaking his head back and forth with his arms folded across his chest. Then he grabbed a hold of Grey Wolf’s hand and pumped it up and down. “I am so happy for you my brother. This is amazing. I had no idea you had a sister, and to find her here of all places, this is remarkable.”

  “I actually have two sisters White Bear. This is my sister that went missing when we were all very young. The other one is at the village, she has also just arrived. Her name is Fallyn; she is also all grown up now. She is just eighteen this week and yes, The Great Spirit works in mysterious ways indeed. You would not even believe how mysteriously. I have much to tell you my friend… when there is more time.”

  I felt like crying again, but Grey Wolf put his arm around me and assured me. “We have plenty of the future to spend together and there will also be time to get to know each other before we are called home Sapata.”

  “I remember everything Grey Wolf, I have not remembered anything for my whole life, but suddenly I remember it all. It was my entire fault; I went into the other world and hid from you. I knew you would not find me, because you didn’t know about the secret door to the other world.” I told all I remembered about that fateful day.

  Grey Wolf comforted me with a hug and told me that I was safe now and would soon go home. “You will tell me all about the life you have had here Sapata and you are not to feel guilt for something you did as an innocent child. We are all just happy to have you back again.” He smiled lovingly at me and squeezed me again.

  Oria came from out of nowhere and jumped right on Grey Wolf’s back. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck so he let me go. She looked over at me and winked and whispered something in his ear, he chuckled rather huskily and then twirled around with her while she giggled. They were most undoubtedly happy to be together and I was sure that my brother had a soulmate and they seemed to be perfect for each other. He flipped her up and around in front of him and stood her on her feet and not caring about the public display he kissed her deeply. Not wanting to pry into such an intimate moment I turned around.

  I looked over at White Bear who was looking at me as he rolled his eyes. It made we giggle which made him laugh also. Then I heard them both laughing as well. I turned back around and we were all interrupted by a very odd looking older man.

  He was wearing very peculiar clothes and his shoes which seemed to be on backwards. He smiled as he walked in between us and to the center of the village. I knew that everyone called him grandfather, but that was all I knew of him. He had a long staff and slammed it hard on the ground. It made a thundering boom and the activities of the village stopped. Everyone turned to look at him as he began to speak.

  Grandfather

  I could see that everyone had gotten reacquainted and it was now time to move on with what we were brought here to do. I made my way to the center of the village where most were gathered and excitement filled the air around us. I used my staff to get their attention and as usual it had the desired effect. I still didn’t have any magic here, but my staff had just enough to silence the people and bring them forward. I could feel the magic growing and tingling its way through me slowly. It wouldn’t be long now.

  The people were gathered and listening and I explained what we needed to accomplish. “We have much work that needs to be done if we are to send these spirits to the land in the distant West and get back home by tomorrow night. The village will need to be taken apart and every piece with the exception of Fire Cloud’s lodge, placed on this pyre. Then we will all learn the dancing ceremony that will be done to send these lost souls onward.” With that said, I walked away and everyone immediately started to work.

  I stopped and asked Oria if she could come with me for a short time into her father’s lodge. I knew her grandmother would very much want to see her. Huyana was afraid to leave her daughter but she would want to know that her granddaughter was not hurt in any fashion. We entered the lodge and I could immediately see the relief that flooded Huyana’s face.

  They hugged each other tightly and Oria expressed how amazing it was that her parents were alive and that they had been here along. That we all were here in this land was something surreal to them both. To all of us, I thought. Huyana told her granddaughter she would look after Titania while Oria helped bring the magic back to this land so everyone could go home.

  Oria left her mother in the care of her grandmother and went to help the others with the task they were brought here to do. I watched Huyana for a few more minutes silently and then sat down by the magical fire to think for a while. The memories of the past came to my mind. My heart ached for the lost time that Huyana had been apart from her daughter. I knew she had never given up hope entirely. When all seems lost, you find that there can always be hope.

  After Titania and her husband Fire Cloud disappeared, Huyana blamed herself for many moons. She seemed to believe that it was somehow her fault. Her daughter had a new baby and she shouldn’t have had to try and fight the Ale that fateful day. Titania had been in the village with her husband and her new baby Oria. They had all come back so Huyana could meet her granddaughter.

  There was no warning. Everyone was unprepared and it all happened so quickly. Then the wild storms died down and the Ale was gone, unfortunately so wa
s Titania and Fire Cloud. Huyana was left to raise her granddaughter.

  The whole village considered Titania and Fire Cloud dead, but I always knew that Huyana held out hope. For many moons that’s all she could focus on, trying to find them. They could, as she knew from experience been in any number of worlds.

  Oria won her heart and Huyana started taking on full time care of her. She even took her to the human world to raise her. That was what Titania had wanted and where they should have been that day. She wanted as much of a normal childhood for Oria as possible, knowing what the rest of her life would require, and that it would be anything but average.

  She was often fearful that the same evil that took her daughter’s life, would also take her granddaughter. With the Ale anything was possible. She just wanted Oria to have all the powers she could to protect herself when she needed them.

  She did a fine job raising Oria and gave her the normal life Titania had wanted for her daughter. When the time came Huyana sent Oria back to the world that would train her to be the next Golden Queen.

  Oria mastered all of her training and has become the Golden Queen that our world needed. She was thrown into it quite fast, but rose to the occasion and has helped to keep the evil from going into the world of man. Her biggest battle so far was with the Ale and she was magnificent.

  There have been many other evils to be defeated also. One such battle I found endearing because it had to do with her grandmother and her sighting of an Acheri… Now these creatures have not been sighted for many centuries but Huyana swears that she was drawn to one when she was high up on the mountain-tops one starry night as she camped out. This child-like creature wore skeletal deer skin robes and was singing Huyana’s death song, which clearly is a dark omen. Huyana came home directly and found every piece of red clothing she could find and took to wearing them daily. She also wore red beads. This is all said to protect one from this curse. Pretty soon everyone in the village was looking for something red to wear so they would be protected from any sickness that the Acheri might spread.