Dwellers of Ahwahnee (The Beyond Collection)

by Sheryl Seal

  She was mumbling about disobedient children and wondered how her daughter had ever gotten the nerve to go through the door to the Beyond. Caught up in her own thoughts and mumblings, she didn’t even hear when my twin brother entered the room.

  “They will all think you are crazy mother, if you keep talking to yourself.” He chuckled as he kissed her hello.

  “Oh Fire Walker, I’m sorry son, I didn’t hear you come in.”

  “I imagine not mother, you were too busy talking to yourself.” He chuckled again as he walked across the room and picked a piece of fruit out of the bowl on the table.

  “Yes, it is your sister again, and this time she will have to be disciplined.”

  “I have kept a close eye on my sister and she hasn’t done anything to worry about.” He took a big bite out of a passion fruit and swiped at the juice that ran down his chin.

  “Well, I’m afraid she has. She has gone over to the Beyond and is lucky she was not killed.” Mother was pacing back and forth anxiously.

  She heard the cough as he choked on his bite and turned to look at a young man who looked very much like his handsome father. He started to say something as she looked at him, but then he stopped himself. There was no point in coming up with excuses because she knew immediately that he was probably in on this. We always did everything together and she knew he kept a close eye on me. Those were the words that had finally sunk in to her mind. I felt it as she realized, well of course he already knew this.

  “Out with it, what are you NOT trying to tell me Fire Walker?”

  “It is nothing… just that Spirit Walker is not the only one who has been to the ‘Beyond,’ all the people that had not been there before the destruction of the worlds, have been crossing over the border. We want to see what is going on with that world.”

  “You have also disobeyed and gone into the Beyond? How is this even possible? The wards have been in place for many years and I check them constantly so that any evil that moves in there does not come through to this world.”

  “I’m sorry mother, but to be honest, the wards do not hold us anymore. Our powers are strong and we easily crossed over. I think it is safe to go there. It seems like a peaceful place. The air is good, and the mountains and waterfalls are fully grown. The trees are big and strong and there are animals and birds and lush meadows… and people.”

  “So how long has this been going on? How long have you been sneaking over there with your sister? All of the young ones are doing this? You have been told how dangerous it is. Why would you put yourselves in such danger… and the rest of our tribe? I don’t understand. You are usually the rational one.” A million words a minute, this is Aponi coming out in her, as father would say.

  “We were searching for father. We only went a few times and we were careful not to be seen. We are all worried about him. He has been gone far too long this time.”

  “Your father can well take care of himself. Leave me, find your sister and grandfather. You two will stay here for punishment and grandfather and I will go to the Beyond and see this person who is in our world.

  Fire Walker hesitated for a moment as he considered talking her into letting him go, then changed his mind and left the room quietly.

  The room was now empty and I was alone with my mother and her thoughts when grandfather entered. She was worried not only for our safety but for the security of the land that was to be our future home. She relayed everything to grandfather and they decided to go into the Beyond immediately and see for themselves, the transformation that had taken place and who this person who plays the flute is.

  Once again I was pulled along with my mother’s memories. So in a way, I got to go after all.

  Thanksgiving

  We return thanks to our mother, the earth, which sustains us.

  We return thanks to the rivers and streams, which supply us with water

  We return thanks to all herbs,

  Which furnish medicines for the cure of our diseases

  We return thanks to the moon and stars,

  Which have given to us their light when the sun was gone

  We return thanks to the sun

  Which has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye

  Lastly, we return thanks to the Great Spirit,

  In whom is embodied all goodness,

  And who directs all things for the good of her children.

  Iroquois

  Chapter 7

  As we entered into the Beyond from the cave at Oria Falls, mother noticed first, how large the waterfall had become. Falling from the highest of mountains, it was at least four thousand feet of beautiful flowing water. This is Oria Falls and she knew it because the pool at the bottom glistened with silver and gold. The meadow that lay before it was full of blooming wildflowers. It was even more beautiful than the day she battled her first Ale. They might have all been destroyed but they were back and bigger than life. She could not deny that the Beyond had grown much more in the last year than it had in twenty years.

  There were also high cliffs and more breath taking waterfalls surrounding the beautiful valley or what she calls, Ahwahnee. Up above the cliffs and mountains, there is forest everywhere. Also catching her attention was the lovely sound of cascading water, birds chirping and other varieties of insects and animals making noises from the nearby forest. Together we took everything in.

  Grandfather clicked his tongue and leaned on his staff. Mother could hear him thinking, which meant I could also hear him. The Great Spirit had given the world a second chance. Then he said the words aloud. “The Great Spirit has allowed this world to grow magnificently and I feel this land is very powerful.”

  I watched them as a silent witness on the sidelines and could feel as the apprehension for this land turned to excitement. Then mother’s feelings were flowing through me. “I feel it also, grandfather. It is all around and rushing through my veins. It was not like this, the last time I came here. It has grown so quickly.”

  There was no time to seek the answers as to why this land was abundant with so much power, when a short time ago, it was still very young. From up above could be heard a shrill cry and there were two great golden eagles that were coming at us swiftly. I felt my mother’s emotions swell with pride and love as she whispered the names of Aponi and Red Thunder clearly in her mind. They shifted and landed right beside us and I could feel love and happiness radiating off everyone.

  They gripped each other in many hugs and just like the stories I had heard about Aponi, she rambled on like they had never been apart. Red Thunder clasped hands with grandfather and they embraced. I had heard stories all my life of Aponi and I kept my attention on her as I tried to follow her words that were full of excitement. “My sister, I have missed you so much, you haven’t changed a bit. You are still young looking, how is this possible? You haven’t changed at all. We didn’t know what happened to you. You must have found the land of youth. See, I told you they were safe in another world Red Thunder.”

  Standing tall and handsome, Red Thunder had sucked in his breath as Aponi had nudged him with her elbow to his rib cage. Laughing and holding his side, he recovered like a seasoned warrior. “Yes, my love never gave up hope and we have taught our tribe everything of our Golden Queen and of all the Dwellers of Ahwahnee.” Red Thunder hugged mother and spun her around and gently placed her back on the ground. “We are happy you are home again My Queen.” He added.

  Shocked, and with a million questions running like wild horses through my mind, as well as mothers, she tried not to act so amazed that they had survived the rift. It had always occurred to her that there could be survivors but after twenty years, the hope had dwindled. Now, she was ecstatic. It is so good to see you both. I wasn’t sure that anyone else survived. I knew if you could get to another world all would be well. But I wasn’t even sure that you made it out of this land alive. “Wiping the tears away from her eyes, she questioned in her mind how old they both looked. Of course the magic between moth
er and father hadn’t aged them; it was still a shock to see that her friends had aged so drastically. Pushing aside her thoughts, she concentrated on Aponi and the questions that assailed her. “How have you stayed so young looking? Grandfather still looks the same also. Is everyone so young looking?” Aponi repeated her question.

  “I do think you are right about the land of youth Aponi, of course Grey Wolf and I joined together as mates so that could have something to do with it. We are older though and our children are proof that we have aged. As for grandfather, he always seems to remain the same.”

  They all laughed at this, and grandfather said it was his genetic heritage to forever remain an old-looking man. “I am after all a Lesovik. This is the age I was when I became the Forest Lord and when I was at my most handsome.” His laughter echoed throughout the mountains despite the eye roll he was given by mother. She had told me when I was very young about grandfather. His clothes were always raggedy, just the way he liked them and even if it seems uncomfortable to others, he wears his shoes backwards. Being a Lesovik, he always has twigs and leaves hanging from his long white beard and hair. He is part of the land and mother says that he is happy enough so do not tug and pull off the debris. He is very powerful and can show up anywhere and in any form. He can be the smallest blades of grass, to the Giant Sequoia trees and is the wisest of all of the Ahwahneechee, except for maybe grandmother.

  Brought out of that memory, I heard Aponi as she continued to ask questions. “So you and Grey Wolf have children? I’m so happy it worked out for the two of you. It certainly had been a bumpy ride. Tell me everything.”

  Mother giggled like she was a young girl again. “Yes it has been a bumpy ride. We have twins, a boy Fire Walker, and a girl, Spirit Walker. As a matter of fact, everyone in our world had twins. It has been different in that world and the children matured faster and we started them in the training at the age of sixteen instead of eighteen. This is when all of their powers came to them.”

  “Everyone has twins?” Aponi quizzed with a puzzled look on her face.

  “All the couples that were married over the years that had children have all had twins. Remarkable really, and we are stronger as a tribe now. Tell us about you and those that survived.” Mother was hanging on to Aponi. Arm and arm, they were filled with happiness to be together again. Then I could feel a sadness creep into the circle of friends. Aponi turned from mother to Red Thunder.

  Red Thunder took hold of Aponi’s hand and squeezed tightly and held her in an embrace as she spoke of their son who is brave and strong. She also spoke of much heartbreak. She spoke of children that did not survive. In the world where they had been living, there were many deaths and the atmosphere had been very difficult on the tribe.

  “That is why, when we noticed this world was once again growing at an incredible rate, we kept our eyes on it and then about six months ago, we came home. We knew this was because of the Golden Queen’s magic. There could be no other explanation that it was evolving so fast.” Aponi finally took a deep breath and Red Thunder spoke up and said to come and see the village and what they had accomplished so far.

  Arm in arm everyone walked in the direction of their village. Aponi and mother had their arms around each other tightly and kept stopping to hug each other. Mother’s thoughts were a constant in my mind. It was almost like old times for her except her worries over Aponi. She felt frail to mother and her hair had no colors in it. These were some of the first things she noticed that everything was not so great with the tribe. No matter what in the worlds had been going on, Aponi always found a way to put bright colors in her hair. If there was no magic to be had and they weren’t able to go into the World of Man, there were always plants and flowers and berries that could be used for color. I had a picture in my mother’s mind that showed me what Aponi looked like twenty years earlier. Maybe it was just something she stopped doing as she aged. Many questions raced through her mind. Mother wasn’t sure yet but she did know one thing, she could feel Aponi’s pained heart from the past twenty years. I could also feel the tension draining from Aponi and her heart becoming lighter, the longer her and mother were together. With my mother’s healing hands, she would heal Aponi and mother clung tightly to her hoping the process would happen swiftly.

  Although the rest of the worlds were in total chaos and we pretty much have to start over, there were still things our tribe could accomplish with magic. Mother looked around at the village, which was much smaller than the one that was destroyed. I glimpsed a scene of the old village in her mind. This one was smaller but had a homey feel to it. It would definitely have to be expanded for the rest of us to live here again. There were less people here than her and grandfather had hoped would be. They had not progressed as well as we had in our world.

  People were excited and had come to greet us as we approached the village. News traveled quickly and all knew the Golden Queen had returned to the Beyond. This did not last long because all at once there was yelling and fear on every face I could see. Panic ensued all around us and people started shifting into their spirit animals. They were racing around afraid of every shadow that crossed their path. I could feel the fear coming from everyone but I could also feel a real threat of danger.

  There was evil coming. It wasn’t like the Ale that mother had once described as evil. I had never experienced evil before, but mother had and although there was none where I grew up, I knew the danger was near. Mother had been close to this kind of evil recently. There was a brief flash in my mind as she recalled a moment in the World of Man a few short months before. These beings were altered and they were each one, disorganized in their thoughts.

  “We must escape now Oria!” Aponi was terrified and screaming at mother.

  “Aponi, there is nothing to fear. We do not run from the evil. We stand and we fight.”

  “You don’t understand Oria; this is an evil you cannot win. They have no sense about them. They are insane and don’t even have a purpose to their frenzied actions. We must go to the caves and stay out of site until they are gone.”

  “What did you say Aponi? I will not run and hide like a scared little rabbit. What is wrong with this tribe? How long are you going to let others decide the future for your children? Are we not warriors? It is time to stop talking and start doing. A long time ago when our ancestors rode into battle, they did not know what the outcome was going to be. They did it because they knew it was in the best interest of the children and the people. Do not operate in a place of fear. Operate from a place of hope. Anything is possible but you need to take action. The movement is here, the time is now! We are Dwellers of Ahwahnee! I say stand our ground!”

  That quickly, mother felt the old fight back in her and so did the rest of the Dwellers. I watched the others shifting and preparing themselves for a fight. I was swept away with mother as she shifted into her red dragon and flew above them all to get a better look. We all knew there were some new and strange species here in this new world. Her thoughts were scary to me. These creatures were spine tingling and they were traveling in packs even though they were such different breeds.

  These were at one time men. Now, there was no sign that man even existed within these creatures. There were at least fifteen, and each one was different then the next. So altered in appearance that some were hard to distinguish exactly what you would call them. Monstrosities that came from the very depths of Hell would be a good description.

  I do not think the measure of a civilization

  Is how tall its buildings of concrete are

  But rather how well its people have learned to relate

  To their environment and fellow man

  Sun Bear of the Chippewa Tribe

  Chapter 8

  We flew above these creatures trying to draw their attention away from the Dwellers as they shifted. We weren’t fast enough for a few that were shredded and devoured right before our eyes. This terrified many who once again started to scatter. There were some who stayed
to fight, including Aponi, Red Thunder and grandfather. They attacked from above, as eagles and a giant falcon as they swooped in to claw and peck out the eyes of one of the creatures. As some of the small but vicious spirit animals brought these creatures to the ground, other spirit animals continued the attacks until they were dead. Bears destroyed one creature as they tore it limb from limb.

  It was already too late for some members of the tribe who had died and mother took her time as she let the other Dwellers get the feel of victory for their kills. She then let go her fiery arrows. She destroyed every one of the creatures that were in our sight without harming any of the Dwellers. With all of the creatures dying or on fire and near death, we shifted back and lit softly on the ground. Never having been in a battle before, I understood more of what all the fuss was about for my mother the Golden Queen. The Dwellers had appeared to be making progress but she was fast and effective. It was over that quickly with minimal loss to the tribe.

  We walked around examining the remains and trying to figure out exactly what it was we were looking at, when the rest of the tribe started wandering back into the village. Grandfather came and shifted beside us from his falcon spirit animal. He and Aponi and Red Thunder all played their part along with a few others and they seemed different to me somehow. They seemed exhilarated and full of life.

  “Are they not the most horrible creatures that you have ever seen my Queen?” Red Thunder stood proudly and strutted around the charring bodies. Aponi was visibly shaken and had started to cry when she caught sight of some of the dead Dwellers. To watch as members of your tribe are eaten, is nothing less than horrific. Mother was right about there being worse things than death. I suspect this was just some of what she spoke of. She is stronger than I had ever known or given her credit for and now she demanded answers. “They all look so alien. What causes such mutation grandfather?”