And she was gone.
The Great Northern Plains
”Why are you all wet?”
Embarrassed and angry, the silent Wolf strode past her into the cave. Grabbing the first dry thing he could find, he began to wipe the water off his body.
“Hey! That’s my best dress! It’s not your personal towel!”
Wolf held the garment away from his face to look at it for the first time. “Sorry.” The soggy dress was tossed back onto the heap and he snatched up something else.
“Well, I never really liked that blouse, but it is silk.”
“Then find me a towel!” as the ruined blouse was hurled to the floor.
“My, you have such a temper. Here, use this. It’s all I can find.” Omah waited a few minutes as Wolf fumed and paced, giving him time to calm down. Her intuition told her not to prod or question him, to allow him to tell her in his own time when he was ready. “So, what happened? Did you end up in the River again? I thought you wanted to see Lance.” So much for intuition….
As he looked up at the ceiling, teeth grinding together, he knew he was going to have to explain that he made a big mistake. And, to add probable insult to injury, he would also have to ask her for more help. Anticipating the laughter and sarcasm that was sure to come, he didn’t relish relating what had happened. With a mental count to twelve, he took a deep breath in an attempt to rein in his temper. How can I face Kimberly again? That was awful! She’s the wife of my best friend and the daughter of a man I truly cared for. And now I have to grovel for help. Wonderful.
“Are you going to tell me what happened, Wolf, or would you like me to guess?”
His head jerked in her direction. “I thought I just did.”
“You haven’t said anything since you got here.” A half-smile crossed her lips as she walked back out into the clearing. “Come sit in the sun. You’ll feel better.”
Wolf detected no sarcasm or ridicule in her voice. But, he forewarned himself, that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be any. After he ran his fingers through his dripping hair, he reluctantly joined her on a rocky seat and raised his face to the sun.
“Better?” Omah could tell he was slowly calming down. Aware that now was not the time to push any more of his many buttons, she kept her hands folded in her lap as she quietly sat beside him.
“Yes.” The warmth seeped into his body. She was right—it did feel good to sit in the sun. He shook his head and gave a small, humorless laugh. “That wasn’t what I had intended.”
“Ending up in the River?”
He cracked an eye to look into her face. Again there was no trace of mockery, only interest. It was a welcome change and it helped him to open up. “No, I didn’t end up in the Frontierland River. I ended up in a shower.”
“Rain? It’s raining back home?”
“Nope. Not that kind of shower.” He cleared his throat before he continued, a tint of red staining his cheeks. “I ended up in a bathroom. In the shower. With Kimberly.”
There was a burst of muffled sound from her lips. Knowing it would not go over well, she tried to cover the laugh with a cough. “Oh? That must’ve been a surprise for both of you.”
“Go ahead and laugh. You look like you’re about to explode. Then you can tell me you were right.”
Omah managed to get herself under control and swallowed the laughter. An argument with the embarrassed Wolf was the last thing she wanted after the progress they seemed to be making. Still a surprise to her, she found she would rather have him on her side than opposing her. “I’m sure she’ll forgive you. Eventually…. Were you able to talk to her and Lance and tell them where you’ve been?”
“Geez, Omah! It wasn’t exactly the right time for a long chat. I didn’t even see Lance—thank goodness. I’d have to bore my eyes out…. As soon as I realized where I was I came back here.”
“See? Something good did come out of it.”
Wolf looked at her as if she had lost her mind—an expression she saw way too often. “Care to explain that?”
“You just said it yourself, Wolf: You came back here. See? It did work…after a fashion.”
His mind churning, he glanced around the clearing as if seeing it for the first time. “You’re right. How’d I do that?”
Omah patted his knee in encouragement. “You tell me. How did you do it? What happened?”
“I’ve got to think. It all happened so fast.” Excited now, he sprang to his feet to pace. He just had to be moving. If he had been a wolf, he would have broken out in a run. “I thought about Kimberly and ended up…and went to her. When I saw what I did, I got upset and embarrassed, of course, and then I…and then I thought of you. And I was here.”
“With me. Just like you wanted to be.”
He stopped his furious pacing to stare at the beautiful red-head. Why did she word it that way? She just meant that I wanted to return to where I started, right? That is what I wanted, just to come back to learn how to do it correctly. Right? I could have stayed where I was and worked it out with Kimberly. Eventually I’d be able to teach myself. But I came back. To Omah.
“Why are you staring at me? Did you remember something else?” She couldn’t read the expression on Wolf’s face and squirmed under the intensity of his gaze. Suddenly self-conscious, she glanced down to make sure she was wearing everything she was supposed to.
Like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, Wolf swung away from her. “No, that was everything.” He cleared his throat again and ran his hand through his now-dry hair. “What do we do now?”
“Turn into wolves and have a good fight?”
He turned back to face her, his face puzzled. “What?”
Omah gave him a broad smile. “Just kidding. Your mind seemed to be…somewhere else. I think we need to try to travel again. This time with me along.”
Glad to have his thinking back on safe ground, he nodded. “Where do you want to go?”
“Take me to meet your family.” The words sprang from her mouth before she had time to stop them. “I mean, um, you’ve met mine and you talked so much about your father….” She broke off before she started to ramble, not sure how to take it back.
“All right.” One shoulder raised in a slow shrug. “I guess that’s as good a place as any. I did want to try to go back to my past.” Wolf gave her a pointed smile. “Perhaps you’ll get the same warm welcome as I got when I arrived here.”
Now it was her time to blush. “Sorry about that. They were just protecting me. Well, you did keep attacking me, you know.”
Wolf let out of breath of disbelief. “I attacked you? Care to think back on that?”
She waved an airy hand in his direction. “I attacked you. You attacked me. What difference does it make? We’re in a different place now.”
Not wanting another showdown, Wolf let it slide. They were in a different place now—one that he liked considerably better. He just didn’t want to dwell on why he liked it better. “Fine. We’ll go see my father. I’d rather be a man than a wolf. How do I make sure of that? And, how do you come along? Do you just follow me?”
Happy to see she was getting her way, she stood from the rocky bench. “Remember how you got to Kimberly?” At his nod, she continued with more instruction. “You have to be more specific in your thoughts. You have to picture it in your mind exactly as you want it to be. If you want to see your father as a young man, you picture him that way. If you want to see him as he is now, you imagine him as he looked the last time you were there. Do you want it to be in the camp or somewhere else? See what I mean?”
“And, apparently, I have to picture myself as I am now and not a wolf.”
“Yes! Oh, and don’t let your mind wander at the last moment.” She shuddered as she thought of the blizzard in which she had landed.
“There’s a lot more to it than I imagined.”
Omah put a soft hand on Wolf’s arm. “It takes a strong mind and determination. You have both. You can do it.”
“And how do you come with me? You haven’t answered that yet.”
She looked down at her hand. “Just like this. Just like when I traveled with you before. Remember? I held onto your tail. We were touching. That’s the best way.”
Taking her hand, Wolf tucked it through his arm, his hand staying over hers. “This should do it. Now, do you think you can keep quiet long enough for me to think?”
That earned a chuckle. “If it’s that difficult for you to accomplish the Herculean feat of thinking, we’re doomed.”
The Island
The Shaman gestured to the five braves as they sat in front of him, arranged in a semicircle under the stony outcropping. The story he told was how the flute came to their people. His oldest son, Mato, did his best not to fidget. A grown man of his own, he had heard the story regularly while growing up. Now he could repeat it word for word, as his mind was now doing, one word ahead of his father. Out of respect for the leader of the tribe, he remained as he was. This would be his position someday, his responsibility and privilege. It was expected of him as the eldest son.
As Mato forced his eyes to remain in focus and aimed at his father, the Shaman suddenly toppled forward as if pushed from behind. The braves scrambled to rescue their leader from the man who had somehow appeared right behind him, a woman clinging to his side.
In the pandemonium that ensued, Mato, after seeing his father was all right, drew his blade at the intruders. The man tried to push the woman behind him, but she sprang away and pulled a knife out of her boot.
“Ayúštaŋ po!” Stop! “Mato, drop that knife! Omah, this is my family. Knock it off!”
“But he’s attacking….”
“That’s my brother, Mato.”
When Wolf’s words sunk in, Mato’s arm slowly dropped as a look of shock replaced the anger on his face. The danger over, now recognizing Wolf, the braves began to press in on every side to greet their friend.
“Sumanitu Tanka? Is that you? Wolf!” Mato let out a happy shout and embraced his brother, slapping him on the back.
“Do you mind if I say hello?”
At the droll voice of their father, Mato gave Wolf one final pound and released him. “Sorry. I’m just so surprised to see him.”
“As are all of us.”
All the men stepped back to give the Shaman room to approach his son.
“Atewaye ki.” My father. Wolf dipped his head in respect. “It’s good to see you again.”
Smiling, the Shaman ran a hand over the face of his youngest son. It was rare to see him as a man. “You’re still the handsome one of the family.”
“Hey! I’m standing right here.” Mato pretended to be insulted. His father said the same thing to him.
“So, what can I say? You’re the smart one.”
“Hey!” Now it was Wolf’s turn to play indignant. At least he hoped his father was joking.
“Come sit by the fire. It’s cold today. My bones are acting up again.” Turning to their other guest, the Shaman took the silent Omah’s arm in his and led her over by the fire. Since Wolf had spoken to her in English, he tried to do the same. It was laborious, halting, since he had been learning from Mato only a short time. More and more traders from Rainbow Ridge regularly approached the camp and he realized he needed to know more of their strange tongue. “We haven’t met yet. We don’t get to meet many of Wolf’s…friends.”
Omah noticed the odd way he said ‘friends,’ and wondered what the older man thought was going on. With the changes in hers and Wolf’s relationship lately, she wasn’t sure how she would answer if asked. “I’m Omah.” What the heck, she might was well go all the way. “Omahkap’si.”
“Ah, you’re Blackfoot. Welcome to our camp, Wolf Woman.”
She was pleased and relieved when he kindly patted her hand as he guided her to a seat. “Thanks for the kind welcome. I wasn’t sure what to expect.”
The Shaman looked surprised. “Why would it be any other way?”
A blush crept up her neck, blending in with her fiery hair. “My people took Wolf captive.” At the alarmed look on the old man’s face, she rushed to explain, her hands gesturing wildly. “Well, they didn’t know him and he was fighting me. Beat me rather soundly, I hate to admit.” She could immediately see that she hadn’t chosen her words well. Before the Shaman could storm over to his son, she put a restraining hand on his arm. “I said that wrong. You see, we were both wolves and had been fighting…. Oh, rats. Let Wolf tell you.”
“Oh, he will.” The Shaman covered her hand with his own as he examined her face. This one is a beauty. “Are you still fighting?”
“No, that’s all over now.” At least, I hope it is…. “I’ve been trying to teach him how to travel correctly.”
His dark eyes stared into her blue ones. They were the same blue as his son’s. The scrutiny continued as she held herself rigid and didn’t squirm. “I see we have a lot to talk about. Go, have something to eat. I want to speak to my son.” A glance over at Wolf put a fond smile on his weathered face. “That is, if I can pull him away from his nephews. I see word’s gotten out he’s back.” He was curious about this woman and wanted to determine if she might also be a traveler like his son, not like his friend Wals who just came along for the ride. “Usually an intense and sudden storm announces his arrival.” When Omah nodded her understanding instead of looking confused, he knew he had his answer.
“I learned how to do it a different way. One less violent and chancy.”
“Change can be a good thing.” With a mild grunt of pain, he rose from his place on the log. “Go eat something. You’re too skinny.”
That made her laugh. “Okay, Dad.”
The Shaman gave her a wink as he walked away.
Sitting on the bank of the River, deep in thought, Omah watched the reflected moonlight waver and ripple on the ever-moving surface. The sounds from camp, so familiar to her, were muted into the background as she listened to the noises from the surrounding forest. Every now and then she would look over her shoulder at the camp, puzzled. It looked so familiar to her, as if she had seen it before. “But I’ve never been here. Why do I feel like I’ve seen it a hundred times? Even Wolf’s father seemed like someone I know.”
“Talking to yourself? That’s never a good thing.” Wolf had just come from the rocky outcrop where he and his family had been in deep discussion. “What were you saying? You were mumbling.”
“I never mumble. I just talk to myself…in a low voice, indistinguishable to anyone else.”
“You’re right. How could I mistake that for mumbling?”
She looked back at the camp one more time as Wolf sat beside her. A fish jumped in the river, breaking the silence between them. “I was just wondering why this camp looks so familiar to me. That’s all.” She pointed off to the right. “Is that a little cabin on the other side of the River? It’s too dark to see it clearly.”
Wolf still wasn’t ready to tell her that this camp was represented at Disneyland as the Friendly Village on the Frontierland River. It was too close to him. Things were changing between them, but he wasn’t at that level of trust just yet. He gave a noncommittal shrug. “Perhaps it reminds you of your home.”
“This looks nothing like my camp and you know it. I’ll figure it out eventually. So, have you worked it all out with your family?”
Wolf gave a grunt. “I should push you in the River. From what you told him, my father thought I literally beat you with my fists. I had a lot of talking to do to explain everything.”
“Sorry about that. I could tell by the look on his face—what little I could see under that wolf skin—that he took it badly.” She turned to look at Wolf’s face, lit by the full moon as it was. The silver tips of his black hair glimmered in the nocturnal light. “Tell me something. Is that the skin of the wolf that attacked your, and possibly my, mother?”
“Yeah. He’s been wearing it ever since the day he hunted it down and killed it.”
“What if�
��.”
Her voice had been so soft only his wolf-like hearing could have heard her. When she stopped, he turned to her. “What if what?”
It took her so long to answer that he thought she wasn’t going to. She seemed to be staring at the bend of the River, when, in fact, she wasn’t seeing anything. “What if we could go back and save them? You got us here just as you wanted, so I think you’d be able to go back to the right time. What if we could save our mothers?”
Now it was Wolf’s turn to be silent. It was something he had thought about over the years, the decades, the centuries. Now he had been given the tool to possibly make it come true. But, what would be the consequence? What would happen if they were able to succeed? “I’ve thought about that before. I never could come to a decision.”
Omah shook her head. “Me, either.”
“What would it mean if the wolf never bit them and they were to live? What would it mean for us?”
“We probably wouldn’t have blue eyes, that’s for sure.”
Wolf gave a low chuckle. “That’s probably the least of our worries. What would happen to the future us? If we weren’t who we are, we would have lived out our lives with our families in our camps.”
“And we would have been dead for almost two centuries.”
“Yeah, there’s that. But we have lives in the future. We know people and they know us. We have jobs. Well, at least I do….”
She hadn’t seen the small grin on his face. “Don’t start, Wolf.”
He bumped his shoulder into her. “I was kidding. Just thinking out loud. Would we just disappear in the future? Would we be like the Haunted Mansion?”
Her head turned to stare at him. “What? What in the world are you talking about? What does Disneyland have to do with this?”
“Oh. I forgot you wouldn’t know about that.” Wolf settled back on his elbows as he prepared to tell her the story. “I was going back to see my family, and Peter, rebel that he is, followed me through the vortex. He ended up staying with the Gracey’s, and we somehow changed their story. When we got back to our time, the Haunted Mansion was no longer in New Orleans Square. The Chicken Plantation was back in place, as well as the Circle Dances. What made it even odder was that no one we talked to had ever heard of the Haunted Mansion. It had been wiped out of everyone’s memories.”
HIDDEN MICKEY ADVENTURES 4 Page 11
