Dwellers of Ahwahnee (The Beyond Collection)

by Sheryl Seal

  Acheri is known for watching the pain and suffering of others, and soon everyone feared a sighting from her. Clearly with all becoming paranoid, this spirit girl was thriving. People were afraid of every shadow they encountered, fearing it was this ghost child. The Acheri did pose a real threat but Oria was frustrated with the way the people were acting. If sickness came to the village the whole community of Dwellers would be lost and the world of man would be in terrible danger. Evil would escape and all mankind would be devoured.

  The Golden Queen decided to go to the mountain where her grandmother had spotted the spirit girl and confront her. Not an easy thing to do with this spirit, because she cannot be trapped or killed. Oria knew enough to take with her a piece of red cloth. She also wore a dress this day that was made of leather and Huyana had embroidered a big red dragon on it. Her grandmother insisted, so our Golden Queen wore the dress just to appease her.

  Oria waited until the silvery moon was high in the sky and when she heard the little ghost girl singing a mournful song she snuck up behind her. Suddenly the spirit child looked frail but this is how she always escapes people. Oria was saddened and almost turned back. She then remembered the tale that her grandmother had told her and how this is what the ghost will do to entrap you so she can get away. She knew that she probably couldn’t kill her because nobody has ever been known too.

  This is not what Oria would have wanted anyway, but you can put the creature to rest. She continued her approach to the girl and taking the red cloth she had brought, she wrapped it around the spirit child’s neck and in a matter of seconds, the ghost girl disappeared and the mournful song faded into the night breeze.

  All our Golden Queen wanted was for the Dwellers of the Ahwahnee to be able to live their lives and get back to training and their responsibilities. With the curse lifted off of the village, there was a big celebration when Oria returned. Life got back to normal with defending the borders once again, from the evil that is always trying to find its way in.

  With Matoskah being the medicine man he would have been the one to send this ghost child away. He was in the world of man in the Dakota’s at the time. He had trained Oria, so now she was a medicine woman with all the knowledge and accountabilities as one. He said she had done the only thing that will keep the Acheri away. It was exactly what he would have done.

  Ahh, yes, that was one of the good memories I had of the way that Huyana had raised her granddaughter. Oria had told me that she felt so sad when the child was gone and sometimes the melody still haunts her.

  I let her know that she was strong and true of heart, just like her grandmother and that this story would be told for many moons to come. She should be proud because she saved the village from sickness and death that always followed the Acheri.

  With the memory fading, I knew that The Golden Queen could handle anything life demanded of her. I had total faith in her and The Great Spirit that she could also send these lost souls home to the West. I decided it was time to go in search of Black Arrow.

  Oria

  As everyone dismantled the last O’chum and threw it up on the pyre we all started learning the dance that the dead were introducing. Many times my eyes would seek out Grey Wolf only to find him watching me also. Sometimes he would have this far-off dreamy look in his eyes and I wished so badly that I could read his thoughts.

  It made my heart soar with the knowledge that life would be good for us when we finally got back home. I had no doubts that his thoughts were of our future that we would share together.

  Trying to think of other things that didn’t make me want to go straight over and drape my arms around him and do unspeakable things, I decided to think on topics.

  It was still so hard to wrap my head around the fact that Grey Wolf’s missing sister was my new friend and sister Sapata. Aponi and Red Thunder had told me the events that unfolded in the cave after Grey Wolf suddenly showed up out of nowhere.

  As I understand it, they searched for Sapata for many years. Being trapped in the land of the dead, even the power of the Gods could not find her to bring her home. They described what had happened with Grey Wolf and why he had suddenly disappeared. There was absolutely nothing he could have done to prevent what had happened with Yori the Ale, or what his parents had him do after that. Anyway, it sounded like Aponi had let him have it pretty good. Red Thunder had laughed hard as he told the story to me, and we were all laughing by the end.

  I had been worried all this time and he couldn’t even contact me. He did try, in his own way. I think that’s why I spotted him on the ridge, and then in the moon light. He was trying to let me know what he could. Even if it was subconsciously, at least this is what I would choose to believe. Only a few moments at a time but it was enough so that I never gave up hope.

  I forgave him instantly for everything. He didn’t need to know the terrible guilt I had felt with his disappearance or how I blamed myself. I was sure he felt just as much guilt. It was not in our control and as much as we all like to believe we have control over our lives, more than not, it is in the hands of the creator.

  He also has another sister at the village right now, her name is Fallyn. Aponi thought she sounded like quite the little trouble maker. Red Thunder laughed as he remarked on how Grey Wolf just hoped the village was still standing when we all got back home.

  I looked at them both and as the same look crossed their faces, I knew it was no joke when Grey Wolf had spoken those words.

  “He was really worried that Fallyn would cause trouble of some kind.” Aponi said quite seriously. “As a child, apparently she caused chaos quite often. Then she was sent with no memory to live with a human family. She was to learn compassion so that when she had powers she would not abuse them.”

  Red Thunder added his worries also. “From everything Grey Wolf has said this didn’t work the way they had hoped.”

  It made me smile as I thought about her because we are who we are and as grandmother used to say to me, ‘Do not wish to be anything but who you are and be that perfectly.’

  Fallyn just needed to find who she is. Life is full of so many harsh lessons, and although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. I didn’t see anything wrong with a few antics here and there as long as they were harmless. She couldn’t be all that bad. She is after all, Grey Wolf’s little sister. She should be fun.

  We had deer jerky for dinner that father had dried over the stones. Everything was in its place for tomorrow and it was time for us to sleep for a while. We all knew what had to be done and we had all learned the dance and the ritual that would send these people to the land of the distant West. A lot had happened and knowing that Grey Wolf was just across the lodge from me sleeping, pretty much made it impossible to rest at all.

  I could still smell him lingering on my clothes from when he held me just before we went to our mats to rest for the night. The aroma of the woods and smoke filled me as I inhaled and I savored it. I also thought on the kiss that we shared and my whole body was warm and tingly.

  I squirmed around trying to get comfortable but couldn’t. I tried to lie still because I knew I was bothering other people, although I heard quite a bit of snoring. One more turn ought to do it, and I flopped onto my stomach.

  I opened my eyes because I felt like I was being watched, and I was… Grey Wolf’s shimmering silver eyes pierced through the darkness and held mine. The more I focused on his face, he came into view clearer and I watched as a grin spread across his face. I couldn’t help myself, I had to smile back. It wasn’t just me; he was having the same trouble as I was. I put my hand up to my lips and kissed it and blew it towards him, with my eyes adjusted well now, I watched as he snatched it from the air and kissed his own fist. Then with a wink he closed his eyes and I swear I heard him sigh.

  Eventually, I did fall asleep and it was only for a few hours but there were many disturbing dreams. My mother was in them and she was awake. She also was
n’t very nice to me and I was trembling when I woke up. I didn’t have time to think on all the rest of it, as the spring day shone bright and early. There was plenty of work ahead for all of us.

  The first day of spring dawned warm and sunny and the village was all dried out. The lost souls wandered around impatiently waiting for the ceremony that would finally lead them home to the West. Before that could happen though, there were rituals that had to be done, and these started with celebrating all day and feasting.

  Then there was the paint that needed to be renewed so that we could use it to paint our faces. We would just have to improvise with anything else that was needed. With the time at hand, I now looked to chief Black Arrow as he gave the sign for the funeral pyre to be set.

  Grandfather did the honors and magically lit the fire with his staff. The spirits are filled with awe and warmth. This was the first fire in centuries. Immediately the spirits started chanting and dancing. We joined in just like we were taught. The wailing started with the women and the men merged in. It was the most mournful sound I’ve ever heard or had a part in.

  The dancing began with our group and the women were shuffling around and around the fire. Red Thunder, White Bear, Grey Wolf and my father looked awesome as they stomped to the beat of the wailing and weaved in out of the women. Their faces were painted and Red Thunder looked remarkable with his face painted black with a red Thunder bolt zigzagging across his face. Then there was White Bear, and somehow he looked just like a bear, all white and yet vicious. He used some of the fur from the mounds that my father had. Aponi and Sapata helped them both and were quite proud of how they looked. My father came next and with his face painted white and flames strategically placed all over, he looked like a mighty fire cloud.

  I helped Grey Wolf and he was fierce looking, and breathtaking, I thought with pride. He was gray and white and his face actually looked as if it had taken on the shape of a wolf. Somehow he managed to keep his eyes the color of gold and I wondered how he was doing it. I even asked but he just smiled and said, “Top secret, he could tell me, but then he would have to gobble me up.” I giggled and he chased me in a circle until I let him catch me. Of course I let him catch me; I needed a kiss desperately about then. Being so close to him the whole time I was painting his face, all I could think of was kissing his perfect lips. After I got my kiss, I had a pretty good feeling how he was keeping his eyes so gold and glowing.

  The chanting was underway, Him-i-la-ya-Him-i-la-ya-Him-i-la-ya was heard by the criers and when they tired, other criers would take their place. Aponi, Sapata and I helped out here along with grandmother and grandfather. Their voices carried loudly over everyone else. We didn’t paint our faces but we did leave our hair down and we each had coloring added in. Aponi couldn’t have been happier with this. Then the lost souls of the village drifted into the fire.

  The dancing and chanting went on for hours and hours until the fire had just about died out. The ritual was almost over and with the ending of the ceremony, there came an amazing event.

  The Ahwahneechees live very close with nature and all animals, so it was only right that with the end near, the shapeshifting started. Grandfather warned us all that if the ceremony was performed correctly, everyone would be shifting into their spirit animals. This meant that the magic was completely restored.

  Grandmother was sitting next to my mother who was still sleeping. I came over and hugged my grandmother and kissed my mother on the cheek. Then I walked away and shifted into my spirit animal. An incredible red dragon, I took to the astounding dusky sky overhead.

  Looking down, I could see Grey Wolf as he helped his sister for the first time in her life, shift into her spirit animal. Then he shifted into a gray wolf and wove in and out of everyone by the fire. Sapata was an awe-inspiring grizzly bear. White Bear was nearby, and they continued dancing around the fire.

  I noticed that Sapata didn’t have a limp and her arms worked in harmony with the rest of her. Together, Sapata and White Bear remained an overwhelming site. I recalled in my mind that this is what Sapata’s name means, and what Grey Wolf called her as a child, ‘Dancing Bear’ and I knew that I had just witnessed one of The Great Spirit’s plans for her.

  Red Thunder and Aponi were together and they were beautiful as golden eagles. They breezed the now fiery skies together and they glided in circles around the fire.

  Grandfather put a shield around my mother and grandmother. Mother could not shift in her condition and grandmother would not leave her side. This shield would keep them safe from the shifting cycle that was taking place.

  Then there was Grandfather, who sat as an awesome falcon, like a sentinel near the shield and by my grandmother. I was often curious about their relationship, grandfather always guarded grandmother closely.

  I wondered why but then was pulled away from that thought as I watched my father reach down and kiss my mother through the shield. Then he walked away and suddenly jumped up and shifted into his spirit animal.

  Much bigger than me and the color of an emerald that reflected so brightly, I was almost blinded. He swooped passed me at a speed that would break all barriers. I heard him say in my mind, “Just once around and up high. It has been many years since I could be myself. I need to stretch my wings, so to speak.” Then I could hear him boisterously laughing.

  I giggled with him and watched as he came by me already back and together we went around the fire a few times and then settled in where we hovered over the pyre.

  With the close of the ceremony, grandfather shifted back and gathering up his staff that was always near, he stamped it on the ground. It sounded like the earth had cracked in half because the roaring and thundering was so loud.

  Father and I drifted down and so did Aponi and Red Thunder. We all shifted and gathered around the now cooling remains of the fire.

  I watched Black arrow as he pulled out his long wooden flute from his shirt of bones and began playing the sad music I had heard coming from the caves. One by one the lost souls wandered away up to the El-o’-win.

  It was a very emotional vision to behold and there were many tears.

  Now that the evil spirits would stay away, and the people were gone, grandfather gathered up some ashes and put them in a medicine bag chief Black Arrow had given him. He would take this back home and it would be given to the ancestors. I noticed he also retrieved the wooden flute that lay in the ashes and stashed it in his clothing.

  With everything done, we all gathered in a circle like chief Black Arrow had advised and everyone looked to Grey Wolf, Sapata, and I for the way home.

  Grandfather released the shield from mother and grandmother and everyone held hands. My father lifted my mother up into his arms and grandmother and grandfather encircled his arms.

  I stood in between Sapata and Grey Wolf and together we raised our hands. I held onto Sapata’s useless arm and raised it for her. Both of my hands grew warm and appeared to glow. If I had ever tried to deny a connection to Grey Wolf, I couldn’t now. Clearly, I was linked to him and his family. There would have been no other way that any of us could have gotten home without the other.

  The light glow spread down our arms and across every single person in the circle. We all seemed to shimmer. Every time Grey Wolf and I touched there was an instant heat and the earth seemed to shake. Well this time, it shook to the core and there were the brightest explosions of colors and then I started to feel nauseated. I squeezed my eyes shut and wavered on my feet and held tightly to Sapata and Grey Wolf’s hands. When I felt the moment had passed and I wouldn’t be sick, I opened my eyes again.

  We were all somewhere dark and Grey Wolf, Sapata and I were still holding hands. My fingers felt like they were being crushed. There was no more glow coming from us though. Suddenly there was light and grandfather was standing in front of us with a lit torch. We were in a cave. This apparently was the cave we all came through to get to the world where the lost souls had been.

  Grandfather held the torch
to the drawings on the wall. They were bright red, glowing in fact. He followed the drawings as they covered the wall and I watched as the story unfolded.

  It was amazing to see the story there on the cave wall and that I was a part of it, we all were. Grandfather pointed to the drawings at the end. “These are the new ones after we went through, what we all accomplished and how it all unfolded.

  There were pictures of a grand fire with animals all around it. There were golden eagles and dragons hovering in the sky. There were two dancing bears and a falcon sitting to the side with two people. Clearly this was grandmother, and mother was sleeping. Then through the fire you could see a beautiful gray wolf with golden eyes looking up at the red dragon flying high in the sky.

  The last drawing showed the Ahwahneechees as they ascended to the distant land of the West. As we watched, one more diagram showed itself and it was a picture with us all in a circle and we were glowing red.

  The drawings on the cave wall looked as if the story had been told and this is where the story would stay now. Magically the cave lit up a glowing red. All over the cave walls, red stones had been embedded. They dimmed and the only light was from the glow of the torch. The cave was beautiful with its markings and stones that were left behind as a reminder of our journey to the Village of the Lost Souls.

  We all left the cave and headed home to the village where I was sure there would be more trouble waiting. Chills had crossed over my skin and left me shivering. I hoped it was the cave and the moist air that blew through but I knew better.