The Grey Beginning 1o3z48

Copyright © 2014 L. J. Boles.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN: 978-1-4808-0973-4 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-0974-1 (sc) ISBN: 978-1-4808-0972-7 (hc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014914466

Archway Publishing rev. date: 8/19/2014

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

CHAPTER 1

Years after the great disaster fell upon the earth, there was evidence of healing over all the land and all that lived on it. Plants and animals began appearing on the earth, wild and free. Mankind was beginning to fill the land and was taming the soil just as before. Many things had changed. Many new children were being born with abilities unknown before this time. At first, the children were considered special by some of the older people and odd by others whose minds would not accept the differences. A special female child was born during this time. As she grew to become a young adult, it became clear that she was one of the special people. The special people were called seekers, and this child was a seeker with more than one gift. It was very rare for a special child to have more than one gift. This child was prized among all the people in her village and kept a secret from those outside their community. It was now time for her to be taught about her personal gifts. Her family, reluctant to send her on a journey of learning, went to the leaders of the village. The leaders were men of learning, and their decision was final. The child was to go on the journey of learning—and soon.

GREY Grey was awake. She rubbed her eyes and had the feeling of being alone. Sitting very still, she slowly began looking around at her surroundings. Grey became curious as to why she was sleeping on the ground. Then, with a flash, almost everything started coming back to her. The feeling of being alone and in a panic was now gone; in its place, a calmness settled over her mind and body. Still in the fog of slumber and not thinking properly, it took a moment for her to why she had chosen to fall asleep on the ground. A moment of guilt touched her spirit, and she mentally brushed the thought away. On a normal day, she would have been up and working with the others in her family, either preparing food or taking care of the animals. Since meal preparation was the job of the women, she most likely would either be boiling

something or preparing something to boil. She knew by the position of the sun that it was lunchtime, and her stomach began to make a noise of agreement. Vaguely, she ed resting under a tree while hiding behind a large rock, hoping this spot would keep her safely hidden. Knowing now that the hiding place was a tremendous success, she mentally filed it away for use in the future. Not being fully awake, she did not see the danger that being alone presented. Yawning and stretching, trying to get the energy circulating through her mind and body, her eyes slowly ed over her surroundings. The way the sun rested on her back and the scent of the desert grass filled the air with the sweetness of spring gave her a few more moments of calm. She loved the high desert. It was filled with lovely pink, blue, and red wildflowers that grew in profusion. The flowers were waiting for the rodents and birds to come and eat their fill of the seeds and petals. The area was alive with movement and beauty, much of which she ignored. Grey’s mind, being strong and intelligent, alerted her to a brewing danger. The mental fog that had encased her was beginning to lift. She noticed the emptiness again. In the area where her family would have been working, there was nobody. Her grandmother had told her many times about her gifts and their importance to the lives of others in her family. She came to believe she was too important for menial work and laboring was beneath her. Therefore, she frequently let others do her share of the workload. She realized now that she would have learned much more about life if she had worked alongside her siblings and paid attention to the adults. At the time, knowing that her world was filled with many wonders to investigate, she frequently managed to disappear for hours while others in her family went to classes to learn skills that were necessary for existing in today’s world. She would spend time either daydreaming or playing, never realizing the problem she was creating for herself and for others. She did not exhibit remorse for her actions. She continued doing things her way even though she had been punished for the many times she ignored the rules. She did not want to change. She wished for her grandmother now, her guardian for many years. Grey could not her mother or her father. Her parents had disappeared when she was a toddler. One day they were there, and the next day they were gone. The family had decided that Grey was never to be told about her parent’s disappearance. Pushing her body up from the little nest of grass and leaves, she

watched a twig fall on her sun-bronzed hand, and her dark blue eyes filled with tears. She angrily brushed the tears away, making a vow not to cry as she pretended to be strong. She believed that only the weak cried. While she was looking around, she began ing her dream. Once again in her dreams, she was lifted beyond the stars where she saw many dragons flying from right to left, encircling the earth. Then she saw a very large golden rope hanging down from the Universe and traveling all the way to the center of the earth. It appeared that the Universe and the earth were connected by an umbilical cord of a golden rope, a life force of sorts. In her dream, Grey watched as an enormous snake appeared and began to slither down the rope to the earth. While the snake slowly traveled down the rope, she heard a voice saying, “It has begun.” She was surprised when a great fear filled her soul, and, as always at this point, she woke up and forced her eyes to open, afraid of what she might see and expecting the huge snake. She felt the fear as she continued ing. Every time she awoke from this dream, her lips were in the shape of a silent scream, and her throat was so frozen that no sound could erupt and float up to her ears. Since she had been given the dream more than a few times, she was puzzled at what this dream meant to her, and she wondered if it was important enough for her to study the dream further. Her mind, in the past, would dwell on the dream each time it presented itself, but no answers ever came. Eventually she would give up and continue her day, saying to herself that this dream had no answer. Today, after she awoke from the dream, she decided not to give it much thought and to instead work on finding a secure place for the night—and maybe longer. She did not know at this time. She waited a moment before striking out on her journey, trying to feel the energy and wisdom of her family in the wind. This day was the beginning of her journey to learn who she was and what her greatest strengths were, her path to follow. While she was gathering her courage, she picked up some leaves and twigs. Tossing them into the wind, she watched as the wind showed her the direction to follow. Fate would guide her. Being a person that enjoyed challenging others to contests, she believed she could finish her journey faster than any of the others had ever done. She believed that her accomplishment would become legend. She believed she was better than all of the others. She needed many lessons in humility. She had so much to learn, and she was stubborn about her abilities. She believed that when evening came

there would be a hot meal waiting for her, as well as her family. After eating, and in the comfort of her family, she would study the message of the dream, she decided. Her dark blue eyes began searching the land just in case she needed to prepare a place to camp. She could not being this alone before since she had always had her grandmother near for . She was a little frightened, and though she straightened her shoulders and tried to talk herself into being strong, it did not work, and she felt panic once again welling up inside her mind and body. She was gripped by the hand of panic; her emotions were taking over, and her common sense disappeared. Logic was leaving her mind, and rational thought evaporated. Her need to find her grandmother was very strong, and the fear of being alone escalated. She began to run, as if demons were chasing her. Horrible thoughts filled her mind as she ed what others said happened while they were on their journeys. She ran on, and the demons followed. As she ran, she called loudly for her grandmother but received no replies. She was not thinking straight, and her fear had her running faster and faster. All she could think about was the need to feel the safety of her grandmother. The aloneness screamed loudly in the silence. Eventually, out of breath, taking small gasps to grab air into her exhausted lungs, her mind searched the many possibilities, and she stopped running. She sat down, breathing heavily. She managed to calm herself as her heartbeat yelled, “Move, move, move,” pounding in her ears. Many thoughts filled her mind. One thought was that the family could have been captured by enemies, and logic told her that they would not have taken all their belongings. Then, as if by magic, with each labored breath she took, her mind cleared. Enough oxygen made it to her brain, and she was again able to think clearly. A small memory pushed its way to the forefront of her mind as she vaguely ed her grandmother shaking her and prodding her to get up and to stop sleeping. Although agitated with this thought, she tried to continue ing. She pushed herself into a standing position and found it difficult to get her brain to complete the memory. She knew that being too upset would make it hard for her to focus. She began to walk slowly, taking careful and thoughtful steps, trying to recollect the moment and to know what her grandmother was saying. Walking and breathing, taking slow, long breaths, she

calmed herself, and now she could think. What was happening to her was important, and she knew it. She wished she had paid more attention. She started talking aloud, filling the air with inquiries. Although she heard no answers, she continued to ask the questions plaguing her mind. She wanted to think about what her grandmother had told her and was trying as hard as possible to , but her mind still held a veil. She was left with the nagging sensation that something had been forgotten—a very important something. She knew she was supposed to be doing something, and she felt very uneasy, believing that whatever her grandmother had said was life changing. Vaguely, small bits of information crept through her confused brain. One thought she ed clearly did not help her feel any better. She ed her grandmother telling her of dangers that existed upon the land of people, as well as animals that might do her harm, and even among her family, there were people not to be trusted. This was important, and she could not what or who her grandmother was speaking about, and her brain was fuzzy, and that in itself was unusual. Grey did not know if she were awake or asleep when she saw her Grandmother turn and leave her to finish sleeping. Another memory tiptoed into her mind and gave her a poke. Grey’s mind connected, and with a jerk of fright, the vague and distant voice of her grandmother said that this was the day the family had chosen to travel to a new home, and she would begin her journey. Grandmother was giving her directions. She was to travel alone to their new home. Traveling alone was a lesson in learning her sense of direction and the abilities to make the correct decisions in difficult circumstances. Grandmother also spoke to her about her journey and finding her true purpose in life. She was to learn her gifts and how to use them. Grey was to meet her teacher soon. Grandmother gave her directions to where she and the family would next meet. Then, ing a little more, she mentally saw a family elder approaching her grandmother. He began talking in a very serious manner. She could not hear his words. He gave Grey a drink while he talked to her grandmother, and because she was thirsty, she drank. Her sleep-filled, fuzzy brain did not take in what he was saying at that time. It must have been important because her grandmother nodded her head once and turned to follow him as he walked away. Before he left though, he turned and said something to her about the journey she

was to travel. The elder looked at Grey intently, and then he smiled and nodded before turning and walking away. She ed smiling and nodding back as she watched her grandmother and the elder disappear from sight. Then she ed yawning and sitting down on the grass and leaves and falling asleep. Now, it was as if her mind was in a stupor. She wished she could more; everything was all so hazy. She thought she told her grandmother that she would be there soon, but she was not sure that she had said anything. Now, it was later, and she was on her journey alone, in a desert filled with wild animals and things that slithered. A darkness of fear settled over her heart, causing her body to freeze. Grey could not move. She had not prepared herself properly for this journey; she was not wise. Mentally whipping herself, she tried to become stronger. Grey knew that being afraid could make a bad predicament worse. Now she wondered if she would be able to set up a secure camp before dusk fell. She knew this was not a rational thought, although she wanted to try. Getting up from her place on the ground, she began taking action. Since she had quite a few hours before dusk, maybe this could be done. She was traveling with neither a plan nor a map—a mistake. Grey was walking, trying to keep panic at a distance. She was running away from a fear that she alone was creating in her mind. She finally realized that she did not know in which direction she should travel, and if she kept running away from her predicament, she would put herself in danger. She knew that it took more energy to get fear under control than it did to produce the same type of fear. She decided to walk and think, instead of running in panic, and to breathe long, slow breaths to become calmer. She began studying the ground. This helped to keep her as calm as possible. Her training in tracking was starting to surface, and her panic was slowly coming under control. Maybe she would accomplish something of importance today, if only for her self-respect. The family had left her to complete her journey. Now she needed to work on being safe and make plans to correct this situation of her own making as best she could. She had not prepared herself properly. Therefore, she had no camping equipment or food or water. She made a mental list of all the things she needed while she counted the things she was doing wrong. Shaking herself mentally and giving herself a strong talking to, she began counting the things she was doing right, and this helped her to feel much better about her journey. She decided to do first things first, and this became her mantra for this journey.

Now she was mentally and physically awake. She searched the area and noticed how many things looked and felt so very different when she was alone. The sky was still blue, but it was not as pretty. The birds could be heard singing, yet she did not hear their beautiful music. The animals were still foraging for food and playing animal games, but she did not notice them. All around her, she felt emptiness. She saw no beauty, she heard no music, and everything was deserted. She wondered how long she had slept after the family left her behind for her to begin her journey. She tried to if she had heard anything that might give her a clue as to what happened, but she could not anything. She searched the area, looking around the rocks and red cliffs, studying the scrub trees for evidence that her family had followed this trail or that trail, looking for anything that would help her know when the family had left and in which direction they had gone. She saw nothing. Finally it dawned on her that time was ing and she was still in the same spot of the same area and had learned nothing. She was no further along in her search than she was when she awoke. She was standing still while time was on the move. She made a decision. She was going to follow in the direction of the flowing waters. At least she would not go thirsty. One problem solved—or maybe two. Thinking as she walked and trying to make sense of her situation, she tried to what trail her family had traveled when they made the trip to this area. All she could was that she was very young and the trip was very long and exhausting. She ed her people hunting for food and shelter many times, therefore increasing the travel time from one place to another. It was such a long trip, and just thinking about trying to find her family made her shoulders slump and her body droop. She hoped she was traveling in the right direction and that she would find them in the time allotted for her journey. She knew there was a very good chance of this not happening, but still she hoped. After traveling a few hours, she noticed that the evening was fast approaching. She was more tired than she could ever . Stress, worry, and continual movement had used almost all of her energy, and she just wanted to sit and rest. The need to find shelter was paramount. She began hunting for a safe place to spend the night. She would need something tall enough to climb for safety and strong enough to her weight. Food, she also needed to eat. She berated herself for u her energy in feeling sorry for herself when she should have

been hunting for food and shelter. Not having either flint to build a fire or food to cook on a fire, she knew hunger would be her constant companion if she did not repair this problem. The thought of going hungry tonight did not make her happy, and her stomach agreed by making a very loud noise. She knew that at this time of day her family would have a strong fire burning and a delicious meal cooking over the heat of that same flame. Her mouth began to salivate. Trying to think of something else to keep her stomach from giving her more trouble, she started planning what to do next. She felt the intense emotion of missing, not only her family, but the warm meal that always had her feeling full and content. The comfort of her own sleeping area would be missed greatly on this first night away from the safety of family and friends. Slowly, she saw her world falling apart into many broken pieces, memories of her family drifting before her eyes as she fell on the ground and cried with such emotion that her sobs became uncontrollable jerks. When her crying subsided enough for her to begin thinking straight again, her need for survival began a continual dialogue in her head. She was ing some of the lessons she had learned from her family. Standing up, she realized crying did her no good and neither did confuse thinking. Now she must prepare for the night. One thing at a time, she told herself. When a problem arises, attack it by working on first things first. With a determination stronger than she had ever felt before, she began thinking of ideas for her nighttime preparation. Looking at the shadows starting to appear, she knew she had a small amount of time to plan and make ready a place of safety for the night. She knew that even if she did not sleep, she needed to be safe. She needed to stop feeling sorry for herself. She was responsible for saving her life. With determination, she mentally shouted to herself that this was her journey and she would succeed. Many places presented themselves as a spot to rest for the night, only to be dismissed for one reason or another. Some areas would not keep her safe from predators. Others were too uncomfortable for resting or too hard to get into since they were surrounded by prickly vegetation. She continued searching. She needed to fashion a blanket for warmth, a bed for sleeping on, and shelter big enough for her to rest comfortably through the night. On and on, her thoughts ran. She was angry with herself for not preparing properly for her

journey. Slowly, she realized that this thinking was inhibiting her safety because she was not paying attention to her surroundings, only to her emotions. She had just experienced the first error in survival training, not paying proper attention to her surroundings. She wondered what she had missed and should have seen, but it was too late, and she needed to go forward—not backward—to accomplish her goal. It was not her way to accept defeat, and she knew that this was her problem, one she created and one she would need to solve. She also felt that her calling was above all others and that soon she would be given a sign from the ones that come in dreams. They would show her the purpose she was to find, but first, living through the night was paramount. She did not , in the stories told to her by the elders, that those shown their path in life were neither selfish nor lazy. She had a predisposition to laziness. One day, her grandmother had calmly said, “The day will come, and you will learn that all are equal in life. We all share the work, we all share the fire, and we all share the food. Only the ones that care for the family will survive, for in the family we are strong, and alone we are weak. , you are never alone.” She ed the words, and as she looked around, she was thinking that she was definitely alone today. She ed that her family always traveled within sight of the river, ensuring water for their daily needs. Still, she was not sure this direction was the path her family had taken. For a moment, she considered turning around and going in the opposite direction, although common sense told her that taking the path downhill was a much better way to travel. Shrugging her shoulders, she shook her head, saying to herself that downhill was a more logical direction for her to travel. Her eyes kept scanning the area for a place to rest and food to eat; she was getting very hungry and extremely tired. At first, believing she might see her family soon kept her spirits from plummeting. She thought if she saw them, she would sneak into the camp and grab some supplies as well as camping equipment and maybe a horse or two. She smiled at this thought, and a little tickle of excitement had her laughing out loud. Maybe soon, if she kept moving and was quick enough to see a clue, she would locate them before nightfall. She continued walking and searching, with the sound of the river her only companion. All the while, her eyes were

searching for a suitable place to use for resting through the night. She was very hungry, and there was no food. She was tired, but there was no place to rest. Grey’s spirits fell, and once again she noticed that the day was over three-fourths gone. Her eyes once again filled with tears; although this time she angrily brushed them away. A tear slipped out and ran down her cheek, leaving a clean trail on an otherwise dirty face, falling on her clothing and leaving a dark spot where it landed. She did not notice and continued walking. She thought the least her family could do was leave her food. Her hunger had become so strong that anything to eat would have been welcome—even food she considered distasteful. What she did not realize was that while she was sleeping, food had been left for her and was eaten by either birds or wild animals. They did not care if she went hungry. While walking, she spotted some small plants. After pulling them up, thinking the plant was food, she put it in her mouth. It was bitter and foul tasting and definitely not for eating. The plant tasted like medicine that her family used when someone had the cough that killed. Spitting it out and rubbing her tongue, she tried to erase the taste but was not succeeding. She began tucking the rest of the plant in her clothing to save, thinking that the plant might be needed later if she was sick, and then she continued walking. She was getting thirsty, and the oils in the plant were strong on her tongue. Stooping down at the river edge, she lowered her hands into the water. She began lifting water to her mouth while trying to wash the nastiness from her tongue. She was surprised that the water made the taste worse, and she let the rest of the water fall from her hands back to the river. She tried sucking air into her mouth to eliminate the taste, but it did not work. Looking around for something to munch on that might kill the taste; she saw a small creature in the water. Food! Yes, she knew that this small creature could be eaten. Not knowing exactly how to cook the little creature, and not having the means to start a fire for cooking, she still reached into the water and grabbed the little creature. It promptly clamped one of her fingers with a large claw. Screaming loudly and with a lot of frustration and anger, although very little pain, she threw the thing back into the water and regretted the decision as soon as it was made. Berating herself for this action, she reached back into the water. As she tried to find the creature, she caused the waters to become muddy. It soon became apparent that moving the water and the mud around was not a good idea. She found nothing. Now her arms were covered with mud, and she angrily began cleaning off as

much of the mud as possible. Realizing that tonight she would go hungry, her anger grew stronger. The idea enveloped her whole body, and her shoulders drooped. So strong was this emotion that she picked up a rock and threw it as far as her strength would allow. With a thud, the rock landed on hard packed dirt. She saw no dust cloud, and her depression increased. She felt that the situation was becoming more than she could handle, and defeat filled her. She sat down and cried, this time as if her heart was broken. She was crying because she was angry at herself for not taking the time to prepare for this journey. She knew she had plenty of time to do so; she was being lazy. This thought did not make her any happier as her stomach gave another huge growl of hunger, and she wondered if it was anger instead of hunger making all the noise. Now she was hungry, angry, and depressed. What more could happen to make this day worse? She thought. She stood up and began rubbing the tears from her face. While transferring the mud from her hands to her face, she did not notice that three of the little creatures dove into the water and swam away from the angry noise beginning to come from her as she cried and laughed at the same time. She knelt down again and lifted water to her face to calm and cool her emotions. As she looked into the water, she saw her face covered with mud. An unnatural sound came from her and began a new onslaught of tears.

CHAPTER 2

Grey stopped crying. Her anger at herself for the situation she had gotten herself into made a fire burn in her cheeks. She decided that she needed to stand up and face her predicament—and do it now, if she wished to survive. She raised her head, and everything began sinking into her brain. A shock ran through her as logic hit home. Slowly she turned her head. Her eyes began seeing the vast emptiness that surrounded her and caused her body to freeze into position. Her brain stopped producing the many thoughts that were confusing her, and her mind began focusing and functioning, for the first time, correctly. Then her senses activated. Her spirit of fight or flight was coming alive. Her ears heard the wind blowing, her eyes saw the desert waking to spring, her nose smelled the beginnings of new life, her hands and her face felt the sand and mud on her skin, and her tongue tasted the fear that had been her constant companion since this day began. She felt the stirrings of an emotional change in her soul. Standing up, she started brushing the dirt from her clothing. Oddly, she felt that with each stroke of her hand on her clothing, she became emotionally and physically stronger. The poor me attitude no longer filled her mind. She felt the energy of life surging through and filling her body, mind, and spirit. She had never felt this amount of strength flowing through her body before, and it was coming in wave after wave, filling her with power. Now she knew she would succeed and that someone somewhere would help guide her because this was a test—and a test to win or fail, life or death her choice. She chose life. This test, she was going to , and it with the skill she had worked hard to perfect. She believed that the knowledge she had studied to achieve and the proficiency she had acquired from the many family that were her mentors would enable her to succeed with honors from her family. She decided, there and then, she would win this challenge, and she would this test because it was meant to be her journey, her experience of a lifetime and hers alone. She felt the great need for sleep. Her energy filled her and drained her at the same time. She needed healing rest. She flexed her muscles and knew they were becoming very weak. She looked around for a safe place to spend the night, and

when she saw nothing suitable, she stiffened her spine and decided she must make a suitable place for her to rest. No more waiting; she must do for herself. “Today is the new beginning of Grey!” she shouted. Stomping her foot for emphasis, she began searching and vowing never again to give in to weakness. She was who she was now, and who she would be in the future remained to be realized. She decided to begin as a different person, a stronger person. A person with a purpose was important. With each step she took, she pounded the dirt with her foot and chanted, “I will win. I will be strong. I will succeed.” First things first, her mind kept telling her. She needed to do first things first. The realization of how cold the nights might become invaded her thoughts. With her knowledge of the land and weather, she began looking for a place to rest. She knew it might require a little bit of work and ingenuity, and she was ready for the job. Anything that might supply a bit of warmth during the darkest part of the night was welcome. The memory of the dangers that roamed in the nights had her seeking a high safe haven, and with the teachings from her mentors, she decided safety first, warmth second. She shivered, although not from the cold; it was from excitement. She wanted her family near as she ed how they always shared their protective warmth and loving comfort with her. This, she knew, was not possible, at least not today. Her whole body ached to feel the safety of having her family close. She shook off the thought, knowing that if she gave in to depression, it would kill her spirit and push her into mental danger. She would become weak. That is not going to happen, she mentally said to herself. The evening was setting upon the land, and soon darkness would be falling and the night predators would begin roaming and searching for easy prey. At the moment, she considered herself easy prey. Time was growing short, and in her mind she could see predators. They were not there at the moment, but she knew they were coming. She would be able to tell what type of predator they were when they came nearer, as some had the unmistakable scent of death that filled their bodies. Once again, she needed to shake off the fear and get back to work if she wanted to survive. Soon it would be too dark to seek shelter; she needed to hurry. She began, in earnest, looking for an area that would be a safe place for her to sleep. On this night, she knew she would be sleeping alone, and she began talking aloud,

saying things like, “I can do this. I am smart, and I am special,” her words getting louder and louder. Now nothing would keep her from accomplishing this test of life that had been forced upon her because of her birth line. She decided that she must accomplish her first task, and that was living through the night. She giggled as she ed how many times she had badgered and annoyed her grandmother when she wanted to sleep out on the land alone, saying she was ready for an adventure. Now she had the opportunity to sleep in the wilderness alone, and it put an enormous fear in the center of her body. This night was not the adventure she had dreamed about and wanted for such a long time. Now she was changing her mind and wanting the safety of family near. She heard a noise. It was the sound of a rattlesnake, loud and very near, too close for comfort. Looking toward the sound, she saw the snake and began slowly moving one step at a time backward, trying not to startle it into striking. She continued a constant monologue in a soothing voice as she kept telling the snake she was sorry for interrupting the peace and quiet of its day and intruding on its private space. Her voice stayed calm as her body moved slowly backward. It felt as if time had slowed to a crawl. With all that had been happening, she had forgotten the basic rule of staying alive in the wilderness, which was always staying alert to your surroundings. This, she vowed, would never happen again. She wanted to prevent a disaster, not be the cause of one. When she was far enough away from the reach of the snake, she turned and ran a small distance. She found a rock large enough on which to sit comfortably, and she sat down and tried to calm her shaking body. Her rapid heartbeat was pounding in her ears, making it hard for her to hear anything, and she knew that being able to hear the sounds around her was important. She knew that the need to control her heartbeat was something that she would learn in the coming days. Now her heartbeat needed to be quieted and reduced to the normal regular pounding. She accomplished this by taking deep, calming breaths and filling her lungs with the clean, fresh air as she slowly exhaled all her fears. She was concerned that she would forget to pay attention to the sounds around her, which made her think twice about where she would be spending the night. She would be vulnerable while sleeping, and the need to guard against snakes, the cold, and predators was paramount. Her list of essential things was growing fast. Now she watched where she placed her feet as her eyes scanned the bushes for signs of movement. She felt her mind becoming more alert to her surroundings as her ears perfected the ability to hear minute sounds. To keep her fears at bay,

she began ticking off on her fingers the animals and creatures that were a danger to her in the darkness of the night. She started feeling more confident in her abilities as she ed their good and bad points. Her mind was thinking logically now, and her emotions began settling into the standing and fighting mode instead of running because of fear. One thing that she noticed worried her more than finding a place to sleep. She saw evidence of wolves in the area. Wolves lived in a den, so there had to be a pack of wolves nearby. She knew that once they caught her scent, they would track her because she was in their marked territory. Wolves were pack animals, and they were mean and full of bugs, ticks, and fleas, she thought. They attacked in a pack, surrounding their prey. She knew she would be easy prey. “Plus, they could kill me and have me for dinner, and nobody would know,” she said loudly. Just hearing a human voice gave her comfort. Then she began thinking of spiders, a subject that gave her the shivers, so she decided to change her thoughts to those of wildcats. This was worse, and after a moment, she decided to not think at all about animals and bugs and focus on her next step to safety. Her mind slipped into the thought of food, and her stomach followed with a really loud noise. She tried to think of what to use for some sort of protection and wondered where she could find something to eat, however small. I am becoming a predator, she thought as she giggled. She wondered if anything else in this lonely wildness would be useful for her survival, and instantly her mind filled with thoughts of cooked quail and roasted root vegetables. This thought brought more ideas for dinner. It was then that she ed that other animals, such as rabbits and birds, made great food. Bats that lived on the land could be seen almost every night, but what good would they be at this time? She did not know. Thinking of bats, the creature of the night, she ed many stories that had been told around the fire light, and her determination to find shelter increased. She did not particularly care for bats and their ability to feast on the body while a person slept. This thought gave her shivers. “Some birds are predators, and some birds are prey,” she sang. “I need to be careful and not get in their way.” She continued singing the song taught to her by her mentors. “Some cats are sweet, so cute to hold, and some cats are rats that live in the cold.”

She hoped a predator was not in her near future, with her being the prey. She tried to stabilize her emotions. She wanted to keep herself from becoming more frightened, as the evening light would soon start disappearing. She worked at keeping her mind and body busy until she felt she was rushing from thought to thought and place to place, accomplishing nothing and becoming more exhausted. Her body was becoming more tired, and her mind stopped processing thoughts properly. She could not make sense of anything she was doing, and in midstride, she stopped. Berating herself, she said over and over, “Focus, focus, focus.” This became another mantra while she searched for a place to spend the night. “First things first,” she shouted loudly, and added, “Focus, focus, focus,” more for her ears to hear than anything else. It was a comfort to hear a voice, even hers. Walking faster, she spied something on the ground ahead. Whatever it was appeared darker than the earth and a little above the ground. She wondered what it could possibly be. With her mouthwatering, Grey was hoping that the object was something she could eat. Getting closer to the object, she wondered if it was a bird of prey eating something or a log of a broken tree or maybe nothing of importance. She continued moving toward what she wanted to investigate, going faster, and then she thought What if it’s dangerous? She noticed that there was no movement from the object. It’s not a living thing, she thought. It’s just lying there. Then she saw it more clearly and shook her head as she could not believe her eyes. She began walking faster and faster and then running until she was upon the item. There, on the ground, lay her blanket. Feeling thankful, her only thought was that her grandmother had left her the blanket. Happiness filled her as she picked up her blanket and held it close to her body. This meant two things: one, she would have warmth for the night, and two, which was more important, she was on the right path, the one her grandmother had told her to take to the family’s new home. An emotional wash of relief ran through her body as release of fear and an increase of happiness had her laughing and crying at the same time. Then, as usual, logic filled her brain. She wondered how she had seen the blanket. If she had been walking a little off to either side of the path she was taking, she would not have seen this small package of brown, as it was similar in color to the earth and vegetation in the area. The little blanket blended into the surroundings quite nicely, and she could have ed over it, leaving it behind for the elements to destroy. So how did she see the blanket? A curious thought filled her mind, something to think about later. She was so happy about finding

the blanket that she almost let another tear fall down her cheek, and while brushing away the imaginary tear, she once again spoke to the wind. “If they had not left me my blanket, I would not have comfort tonight. This is my family caring for me and not wanting me to be alone tonight.” She was not going to give up, and with new strength, Grey knew she would do anything to survive and return to her family. As she walked forward, hugging her blanket to her body, she kept her eyes moving across the ground, hoping to find another treasure. While she was searching, she saw a tall, dark spot in the distance that appeared totally out of place. Slowly she walked toward the object and saw a tree with strong branches. She approached the tree and began to climb up as far up as she could. She felt thankful at her ability to be so agile; at least, this was something she was good at doing, a skill that came naturally to her. Thinking that this would be a nice spot for her to make a safe place to spend the night, she tested each branch for strength and safety. The branches needed to be strong enough to hold her weight and wide enough to keep her safe from falling while she slept—that is, if she slept. Two branches crossed over each other with a few feet between them, giving strength and space for sleeping. This was a good spot, she felt, for her to make a bed. She prepared a place for her blanket and studied her predicament. Tears once again filled her eyes, and again she refused to cry. She filled herself with the energy of purpose and pushed the pity out into the wind. She had a lot to do, and now was not the time for the show of weakness. She climbed down and began gathering reeds from the riverbank and carrying them to the tree. After many trips to the riverbank, she was contemplating going back for one more batch of reeds when she heard the sound of wolves. Grey had forgotten the predators of the land, and they were nearer to her than she had realized. Once again she was not paying attention to her surroundings, and once again she was in trouble. She knew the wolves might make a fine meal of her if she tried another trip to the water, so she decided it would be better if she stayed in the tree and tried looking around for the wolf pack. As yet, she had not seen the wolves. Knowing she was no longer safe on the ground and being out in the open, she began climbing fast, hand over hand, lifting her leg up and pulling her body further into the protection of the tree and then repeating the action again and again until she straddled the branches she had chosen as her safe sleeping area. The wolves were too far away for her to see them, and the wind must have been

carrying their sound. That meant she was downwind, a good place to be unless the wind shifted. She was wondering if the wolves could climb trees or jump high enough to grab her and pull her down to the ground. She knew from the training her mentors had given her that they had a strong sense of smell and would eventually find her resting place. Sitting on the branch, Grey began braiding and tying the reeds together. The fronds would make a mat to sleep on, and for comfort she would tie them to the tree in a small hammock. It would also keep her body secure enough for her to rest. She needed to make many strong braided ropes, and so she began weaving the reed fronds as fast as possible. She was making them strong enough to hold her body weight and to keep her body movements from ripping the rope while she slept. The rope also had to be strong enough to not pull away from the tree limb, causing her to fall into the jaws of the wolves during the night. She was constantly testing the strength of the reed ropes. As her hands worked, she sang to her spirit guides, a prayer for her safety and enlightenment of purpose. When she finished weaving the mat, she secured the small woven bed to the tree branches. She put the rest of the reeds next to her. Taking one large, brown reed head, she opened it to the white pulp center and began to eat the pulp inside, a meager meal, but a meal nonetheless. It was spring, and the centers were sweet, moist, and tender. Along with the reed pulp she had pulled some watercress leaves from the mud of the riverbank. She began cleaning the snails and slugs away and bit into the tangy, green leaves. She felt the burn on her tongue as she ate each leaf, and with a frown, she continued eating. She worried that with each bite of watercress she might be eating a slimy water snail that lived on the leaf. Not bad, she thought, and coughed, thinking, not great either. Tomorrow, she would make plans, earlier in the day, for her evening meal. Something much more substantial and filling would need to be decided on, and this meant a change in her journey plans. Her mind strayed to the family, and she wondered what they would be having for dinner. With a shake of her head, she pushed the thought aside. She did not want the thought in her mind. It would make her sad and extremely hungry, and she could not afford to pity herself. It would give an opening for a disastrous mistake on her part. For a time, she studied the landscape and wondered what would be her best way to handle the problem of shelter, food, and clothing. The view of the land filled her with memories, and she could feel the stirrings of sadness approaching when she noticed that the day had ended. Pulling another cattail head to her, she chewed on the fiber inside and was disappointed that it did not relieve her hunger. Giving

up, she threw the leftover cattail to the ground. Her meager dinner over, she yawned and stretched and then leaned on the woven fronds and covered herself with her blanket. Her blanket smelled like home; it was the one thing that gave her comfort. Her sleeping arrangements were not the most comfortable, and she still feared the night predators so much that a good night’s rest seemed impossible. She watched the stars, and then her eyelids closed, and she slept. Her tired, sore body needed a more comfortable bed. She kept waking up during the night, and she used that time to make plans for her survival while on this learning journey. Finally her tired body gave in, and she slept long and deep, only to be awakened by wolves that had found her tree. Panic gripped her heart as she awoke with a fright. The unmistakable noise of the wolves at the base of her tree gave her a moment of fear while she studied their movements. The wolves could not reach her. She watched them as they jumped as high as they could, only to fall to the ground unsuccessful. They searched for a way to climb up into the tree, but all their energies were used for nothing. She studied them, knowing the more she knew about them the safer she would be while on her journey. They decided to spend the night circling the tree, though some lay down and went to sleep. While the wolves yipped loudly, jumping up and trying to reach a body part, hoping to pull her to the ground, she rolled her body into a tight ball and tried to keep her hands and feet tucked away. Trying to be as quiet as possible when they napped, she tried to rest, knowing that when morning came, she would need to make decisions about what to do, and that would require a rested mind. She wrapped her arms around a tree limb for security, and by morning she was exhausted from fear and the strain of staying awake. She prayed, many times, for the wolves to leave. When dawn was cresting over the land the wolves were still circling the base of the tree, and some were lying next to the base of the tree sleeping. The wolves did not appear to want to move on, and she asked the powers above to protect her and to lure the wolves away from her when the stars went dim. She waited. When she saw the sun creeping over the land, she began doing her morning prayers and loudly asked the sun to provide the wolves with a meal better suited

for their stomachs than her, and she again waited. Before the sun finally broke completely clear of the horizon and began its trip into the sky, the wolves stopped circling the tree and began moving away. The wolves started yipping and howling when a deer crossed their path. She listened until the wolves could be heard no more before and then breathed a sigh of relief. She sent a small thank you to the one that guarded her during the night. Feeling safe enough for the first time in hours, she fell into the deep sleep of early morning and did not wake up until the sun was full and bright in the sky. The birds were singing loudly while they enjoyed the morning feast of bugs and seeds. Her stomach gave a growl that rivaled the sounds of the wolves from the previous night. She rubbed her back in the sore spots and thought about hunting for berries. Little shivers filled her body as she kept thinking of what might have happened the night before with the wolves. She searched her memory for information about wolf packs and their way of life, and this helped her build up enough courage to climb down from her perch in the tree. As she climbed down, she stayed alert and was ready to hurry back up the tree, hoping beyond hope that it would not be necessary. She knew that after the wolves ate their meal, they would sleep until evening before once again hunting for food. She wanted to be very far away before hunting time began again. She also wanted to have a store of food and a safe place to shelter by that time. She hoped that she would be home by the time the wolves began their evening hunt for food. Her mind did not comprehend that she was quite a far distance from her family and that the end of her journey would not be on this day. Striking out to hunt for the things she needed, she decided that one more night in the tree might be a good idea; it was high and safe. She needed to prepare a better way to sleep and a place to store food. She also needed to scout the land for a place to shelter. She realized that she had made many mistakes by not planning her journey when asked to do so by her grandmother. Today was the day to begin planning.

CHAPTER 3

GRANDMOTHER Sitting near the fire, Grey’s grandmother was mixing food and worrying about her granddaughter. She had her eyes downcast to hide the worry. Grandmother was always worrying about Grey, her only granddaughter. For many years, she had worried about her granddaughter’s lazy, dreamy ways, and she understood that Grey used this method to think about her parents, always wishing they were still alive. The child does not understand about the hard life of our family, she thought. She believed that her granddaughter loved living in a dreamtime world. She had laid Grey’s blanket along the trail, praying she would be safe and that Grey would know her heart was with Grey while she was on her journey. She prayed that her granddaughter would find the blanket, and she prayed for the girl’s safety. Grandmother knew that if her granddaughter kept her mind about her and walked the path she had been taught by her family, then she would find the blanket and be safe. Grandmother quietly talked to the spirits for help in guiding her granddaughter back to her home and safety. While the family traveled, they discussed the crops and the tools that would be needed for the next growing season. Grey’s family was filled with uncles, aunts, cousins and other distant relatives and they took the place of her missing parents although it was her grandmother that became her main guardian. With the season of planting soon to be upon them, the family knew they did not have much time to waste. Two days after the council gathering, the council met with Grey and her grandmother. The council began by speaking to the older woman about the family leaving their home in the desert. They wanted her to know about the move to a more fertile land and the need to grow the food they needed for the family to survive. After the council spoke about the trip to the lowlands, they turned the conversation to Grey and her learning journey. The council had decided that Grey was to embark on her journey when the family left for the lowlands. The council prepared a small package for Grey. They gave Grey the maps and directions to the summer lands and a package of tools she would need

for her journey. The council believed Grey needed to learn the lessons of life and what better way to do this than to go on her journey. Many of the other children had taken the learning journey and had been filled with excitement and wonder when it was their turn. The difference between Grey and the other children was simple. The other children had parents to teach them how the land and weather worked. Many of the children were taught how to follow maps and to study the stars and the land if they did not have a map. Many children were taught how to camp while they were alone in the wilderness. The fathers of the family always tried to include Grey in the lessons, but when it came to practice, there was no one for her to practice with, and she was left to her own demise. The council decided that it was time for her to grow up and become a useful and productive person, not only to the family, but also to herself. The elders voted, and it was decided that this was the year of Grey’s ing from childhood into adulthood, and they gave her all she would need for her journey. While the meeting continued, they asked Grey to go with one of the men, Red, so that he could teach Grey about the tools and the map. Red knew she had been trained on their uses, but this was to ensure her readiness for the journey. Later after all matters were taken care of, the meeting was closed. One of the men, his heart full of comion and love for Grey’s grandmother, went to speak to her over a cup of tea. This type of news needed a calming cup of tea, and he knew that Grey’s grandmother would worry over her granddaughter, the only child left from her family. Grandmother poured the tea and sat down. She folded her hands, placed them in her lap, looked up, and put a brave smile on her face. The man spoke quietly to Grandmother about the learning journey that would begin the next day. She was to help prepare her granddaughter for the journey. He also promised that he would send a person he had hired to protect her granddaughter while she was on the journey. Now Grandmother’s heart was filled with thanks, and her tears of relief broke and spilled over her lashes and onto her cheek. The man reached out and patted her gently. He brushed away her tears, knowing she would still worry but not as much. Grandmother knew of the council meeting beforehand and the decision they needed to make about her granddaughter. She had tried to prevent them from deciding the future of her granddaughter, but now it was happening, and it would be a very hard lesson for her granddaughter to learn. In her mind, her granddaughter was too young for the journey. Grandmother spoke with her

granddaughter, but Grey was filled with the excitement of the journey and barely listened, a mistake on Grey’s part. The morning came way too early for Grey’s grandmother, as she had been awake almost all night, filled with worry. Grandmother tried to get Grey to appeal to the council and postpone the journey, but her granddaughter was headstrong and stubborn. She wanted to grow up and become her own person, and she wanted to learn all that could be taught to her through her journey. What Grey’s grandmother did not know was that Grey was not excited about going on her journey. Grey’s will and power would need to be strengthened if she was going to benefit herself and the family. Grandmother tried many times to speak with her granddaughter about the trip, and each time Grey pretended to be studying the maps and working with the tools that were her gift from the council. Grey had decided to hide the tools and try to delay her journey; she believed if she could not find her tools, she would not be forced to go on her journey. The council had decided Grey was going on her journey with or without her tools and maps. Now, this day, Grandmother waited and prayed for her granddaughter’s safety as she continued cooking the evening meals for the family. Her friend from the council came to visit her many times to give her updates on Grey’s progress and to sit with Grandmother while she worked. He told her of all the news he had gathered about the family, as he enjoyed the peace he felt when he was around Grandmother. Her calm filled him with quiet. The men of the family did not speak to Grandmother about the person of great morals and strength, Red, who had been given the mission to follow Grey and protect her as she went on her journey. To have a protector follow a child on her journey was unusual, but they had voted this into being since Grey was fatherless and had not had the help when she was learning her skills that a father would give a child. Red was to be available if she was in trouble and needed help. Red was told that he was not to speak with Grey; he was to be her shadow, not her friend. He understood that she was to experience the lessons that the journey would give her to learn, so he was not to interfere. All of the family needed to find their purpose in life, and some, such as Grey, fought the knowing. All needed to learn how to be helpful and useful to those that crossed their paths. Some were very good at hunting, some were good at cooking, and others good at gathering the food. Some had special gifts, and Grey exhibited some of these gifts. Now Grey needed to learn how to use her

abilities. She also needed to learn how to work without fuss and temper. The family knew that Grey would be a great asset to the family after she gained the respect of the family that this journey would give her. They were hoping that this journey would teach Grey to respect all that she met on her journey, as well as become skillful in her gifts. No one knew when one person in the family would be needed to save the life of another, and all needed to be trusted. Grey was not trusted, at the moment, to be called on to help anyone; she was too young and inexperienced. This was why Grey needed to go on her journey, to find her purpose. The family knew she would come back to them, but they did not know how and in what manner.

RED Red watched as Grey’s grandmother left a blanket and food on the trail for her granddaughter. He was very quiet as Grandmother wiped a tear from her face with the back of her hand. It was all Red could do to stay hidden when he knew the woman was in so much sorrow. He knew his mission was to protect the girl and nothing else, so he needed to stay out of sight. Red worried that if Grey kept traveling the path she had chosen, she would miss the blanket completely. He decided to help Grey locate the blanket. He went forward on his belly and moved the blanket nearer to the river and directly in her path. He was pleased that Grey decided to sleep in the tree for the night instead of on the ground; he had heard the wolves in the distance and knew they could be a danger to any lone person walking or camping at night. While he wondered how she planned to stay in the tree for the night and was surprised at her ability to make a place secure enough for resting. Maybe she was more skilled than anyone believed. Red thought that his first night as her protector was going to be an easy night. When the wolves came, he watched and worried, afraid she would leave the tree and try to outrun the animals, and when this did not happen, he was relieved. She stayed in the tree and pulled her hands and feet into a ball, making it harder for the animals to grab her, and he nodded his head in acceptance that she might be a lot wiser in the ways of animals than anyone thought. To while away the night, Red ed how and when his name came to him.

He was sent on his journey two summers ago, and he had found a small, red pony that was ill and lying on the ground. Red knew that if he did not stop and help the pony heal, then he should help it on its journey to the next life. Red took out his knife and went closer to the pony, dreading his next move. When he saw the pony open its eyes and look straight into Red’s eyes without blinking, their souls connected. He could feel the pony’s thoughts and decided not to send the pony into the next world. He felt as if the pony was talking to him and saying that he was not ready to leave this life. It was then that he decided to try to heal the pony instead of leaving it to heal on its own. Day and night, he took care of the pony, feeding it and dribbling water into its mouth. In the process of healing, the pony and Red became emotionally bonded. Red ed his exhaustion after many days and nights, and finally there was evidence of the pony healing. When the pony was healthy, it was very loyal to him and only to him, and from that moment forward, Red was never seen without the pony. The pony grew and became a healthy horse. The pony and Red communicated with each other through their minds; it was as if they were two beings and one mind. When others spied him riding the horse, they watched in awe as Red and the horse appeared to be moving as one. While Red was ing how he got his name, he looked over at his pony and smiled. Then he lay down to rest and sleep while he waited for the morning light.

GREY Grey awoke and surveyed the surrounding area. The tree was high enough to give a magnificent view of distance. Thinking she might see smoke from the fire pits of the family, she strained her eyes. She saw nothing that gave her any clue about which direction she should travel. She could not see any smoke from a campfire or a pathway to be followed. It was as if her family did not exist. She knew that this was not true. She did not understand how so many people could through an area without leaving any sign that they had been there. She began rubbing her back and wondered if the animals of the night were near. Once again, she did a survey of the area. Then, not seeing anything, she tossed her blanket and bedding from the tree. She listened as her bedding made a thud when it hit the ground. She slowly began climbing down from her perch in the tree while being vigilant for any sign of the wolves that had plagued her during the night.

Every muscle hurt, and she was tired, cranky, and very hungry. Thinking first things first, she started rolling her bedding into a compact bundle. Her possessions were meager and easy to carry. Pulling three reed fronds from her pile of greenery, she began braiding then into a rope. Tying the rope around the bedding, she tightened them to make the package even smaller, and then she put the loop holding the bedding over her head. After jiggling the pack, it settled more comfortably in the center of her back, and she nodded in acceptance, knowing it would be easier to handle in this manner. Carrying the pack in this way would keep her hands and arms free for collecting food and protecting herself if the need arose. She needed to hunt; she was hungry and getting weak, and she needed the strength that food provided her body and mind. She would need to find a long walking stick to help steady her body when walking over rough terrain. Plus, the walking stick could be used as a weapon. With her mind preparing a list of things she needed to accomplish, she was ready to begin her day. She began looking around for anything she could use as a walking stick. Many things, after she had picked them up and tested their strength, she discarded for one reason or another. She continued looking, believing that she would find something suitable, because the land was full of possibilities. She was upset with herself because she had deliberately left the weapons and the maps behind, hidden under her sleeping area. That was the past, she thought. I need to stay in the now time and become strong today. She knew that slipping into the daydream part of her mind could put her in danger; she needed to keep her mind present to stay safe. Following the riverbank, she walked with her head down, studying the ground and looking for any tracks that might have been left by her people or an animal that might become breakfast. This part of her lessons from the families’ teachings she knew, because they interested her, so she had studied them more thoroughly and ed everything she had been taught. She liked the mystery of finding something and studying clues. She learned these lessons better than any of the other subjects she was forced to study. Most of the subjects she considered boring because they dealt with inside work or work given to the women of the family. Looking back, she wished now that she had paid more attention to all of the teachings, not just her favorites. Walking as fast as she could, while still searching the landscape for anything that

presented itself as either food for her body or a weapon for her protection, she started mentally ticking off the lessons she could in her classes on survival. After a while, she developed an ache in her neck from looking down at the ground. She thought it would be better if she did a little running to loosen up her muscles and gets her blood flowing. She decided that she would run awhile and then walk awhile, a mix to keep her body and mind alert. Plus, she would cover more ground. Beginning with a small jog, she ran and then walked, ran again and walked again, until exhaustion filled her, and she sat down breathing heavily. If she was to find her family, she would need to build up her body, because it might take all summer. After resting, she began the running and the walking again, only this time more walking. Feeling a pain in her shin, she stopped. A sudden fear of what might have made the sharp pain had her jumping and grabbing her leg. After looking at her leg, she realized she had bumped into a plant that had sharp thorns, and the spines were still in her leg. She knew that any injury, however small, would not be good if it caused an infection. Her sigh of relief that she had not been bitten by a snake was loud, and she gave a small laugh. Distressing over a snake bite was, at the moment, unnecessary, but she decided this problem would need to be dealt with to protect her from harm. Now, besides food and weapons, she needed to prepare for injuries or illness. Her list of things to accomplish was growing larger with each minute. She was on her own and needed to protect her mind and body. She decided that protecting her soul would come later. She sat on a rock and began taking the spines from the plant out of her leg. It was quite obvious to her that she would need to find a way protect her legs. A thoughtful fear nagged her as her mind projected a picture of her without her legs. Thinking hard while she studied the problem, she thought of no solution. Now she had a new worry. If her legs or feet were harmed, she would be in trouble and unable to walk. This would be very dangerous because she would then become an easy target for predators. ing her training about snakes, she knew that the venom of some snakes in the area were poisonous to the body. Some snakes could kill a strong man, and while he was dying, he would be in considerable pain. She felt a strong need to protect herself from becoming a victim to their bites. In earnest, she began looking for something to cover her legs.

After searching around for anything that would work, she saw it—a tree. Not just any tree, but a tree that had been dead for a long time. The bark was loose, and it was easy for her to pull a large piece of it away from the trunk. She pulled a perfect piece for her to make a pair of protection leggings. With a little work and a lot of patience, she could make her first pair of leggings. She smiled because she knew the bark would work until she could make something better. She began brushing away all the tiny bugs and worms. After they were clean enough for her liking, she started shaping them into a form of leggings. Testing them by wrapping the bark around her legs, she found that they hurt the tops of her feet, so she kept breaking off little pieces and rubbing the bark with a rough stone until it fit her foot tops perfectly and did not rub the skin when she walked. She then took her leggings to the water’s edge and washed them thoroughly and then soaked them until the bark became soft. She put them on and pressed them into shape. After that, she was able to begin walking again. While walking and testing her new leggings she came to a small area and decided she should rest. She still needed to find food, and her hunger was making her dizzy. She noticed that the day was getting warmer and this place would make a nice spot to camp and do some hunting. The sun was over the half mark for the morning. She wanted to be better protected when evening came. With the memories of the previous night still heavy on her mind, Grey wanted to be better prepared tonight. Her safety had become the highest priority for her while she hunted the area for anything that would help in making a secure shelter. Realizing, at last, that she would not be finding her family today or any day soon, the task of protecting herself needed to be addressed. Finding a tree that had fallen over, she began cleaning the ground around it of all the debris and then started placing sticks around the remains of the tree and gathering mud to close the gap between the sticks. She covered the sticks to seal them in order to make the walls solid and stronger. She braided reed fronds and used them to tie another package of mud and sticks to make a wall at an angle, and then she repeated the action to make a small room for her shelter and storing of provisions. She planned to stay in this place for a day or two, long enough to gather food and to make weapons and to make a soft pair of leggings from animal fur. She also wanted to plan her journey back to her family. She decided that she did not want to leave things to chance anymore, and she wanted time to study and plan her next move. After she had finished building her shelter, she stood back and studied all the

work she had done and was pleased. She felt hot and sticky, and the day was getting warmer, so she decided on a small break to bathe and play in the river before beginning her hunt for food.

RED Red watched and wondered at her decision to make camp this early in the day. He continued watching, knowing that if she needed his help, he would be available. He decided that he would go into her camp after dark and make sure all the work she had done was secure and safe. He would also check to make sure she was not ill or hurt, and then he would go back to being the unseen shadow as he stayed vigilant. He watched as she built a small room for her sleeping arrangements, amazed at how strong and safe she was making the shelter. She used the dead tree for the back side of her little shelter. He watched as she hunted for items that might make good weapons. He watched as she found and prepared food for eating and storing. He watched as the day began getting warmer, and the heat had his skin feeling prickly. He became very uncomfortable, but he did not move from his position except to get water and to take care of his horse. He watched when she stripped some of her clothing from her body and carried them to the riverbed and began washing them. He watched as she walked into the water to cool her skin and to swim. He watched from a distance while she lay on the ground, her eyes following the birds flying lazily around in the sky. He watched over her as she fell asleep in the shade of a tree. Then he and his horse went further downstream, and they too went into the water to clean and cool off their bodies. He allowed the horse time to drink and play. He was thankful for this moment of calm. After they were finished, he went back to his small camp and continued his mission. Watching over her, he became tired. His eyes closed, and he fell asleep and dreamed of a peaceful moment in time.

GREY As she slept, her dreams were very active. She was dreaming of moments with her family and the joy and fun they had together. She was dreaming of the meals she had eaten, food that had filled her belly and tasted sweet and wholesome.

Her stomach growled loudly. The growl was loud enough to wake her from her sleep, but she snuggled down and continued dreaming. Then her dreams changed. She was in her shelter with her family, and her pet was cuddling up against her, and she felt safe and happy. She did not wake up when a small wolf pup snuggled next to her as she slept.

RED Red’s eyes flew open as he heard a scream. His mind did not immediately where he was or what made the noise that rudely roused him from such a deep sleep. Then with a flash of insight, he ed where he was and why he was in this place. Hurriedly, he grabbed his weapons and prepared to fight for Grey if she needed his protection. When he finally focused on what was going on, he noticed that she was not screaming; she was laughing, but at what he did not know. With a sigh of relief, he dropped his weapons back on the ground and sat down while his blood calmed and no longer pounded in his ears. He tried to decide if he should get closer to her or just let things evolve. He loved hearing her laugh; it was easier on his ears and his spirit than listening to her cry. He began ing the first day Grey was alone on her journey. Grey had mentioned to him during the council visit that she did not want to participate in a journey. The sorrow of that day almost broke him. Now she was happy. Maybe it would stay that way for a few days, or maybe a few hours. He decided to get back to his mission, so once again he patiently watched. He wanted to see what was making her so happy, but he did not want to take the chance of her seeing him. He knew if she saw him it would defeat the orders the family had given him, his reason for being on this journey.

CHAPTER 4

THE SPIRIT GUIDES As they watched Grey’s daily life unfold, the guides waited for Grey to them. They wondered why she did not call on them for guidance. They waited and waited. They recalled the many times in the past she had called on them for help, and they always answered her. Now they were confused. They were there to guide Grey on her path in life. All she needed to do was them, and she had, many times. Although she never pushed them to greatness, Grey called them for little things like helping her find an object she had lost or helping her in one of the learning tests. They knew she was schooled in neither their abilities nor her own, and she was on her journey to learn of their power and her own capabilities. They knew all things were possible if Grey combined their power with the power she possessed. At this moment in time, they were waiting for her to gain strength before they gave her any visions of her life or the future of her world. The guides were beginning to get excited about teaching her, and waiting for the right time to her was hard for them. Every time they saw a way to help her, they had to contain their eagerness and wait until she called for them to help. They believed she would learn very quickly once she started being educated. The frustration of waiting for Grey to call for their help was nerve bending. The guides were known by many names; some called them angels, some called them guardians, some called them spirits or spirit guides, and some called them intuition. They had been around longer than mankind had been on the earth. They were the keepers of the land before humans were planted, and they made a vow to help mankind grow and become strong. They did almost all of their helping through positive energy and love of all living things. The rule, though, was with every positive action, there was a negative reaction, and the same was true of spirit guides. Grey’s spirit guides, although on the positive side of energy, knew that the negative spirits were also watching her and hoping she would fail in life, and the dark spirits would interfere whenever possible. The positive and the negative

were always struggling to see which of them she would be giving permission in controlling her action’s outcome. The negative spirits would send dark thoughts and obstruction to block her path by any means possible. The positive spirits would send her loving thoughts and gifts to enlighten and help her along her path. Sometimes this would be a flower or a bird or knowing what to do in a crisis. So far, on this journey, she had been choosing the wrong path and becoming a lazy, angry, and an uncontrollable person. With the free will aspect of life, Grey had been choosing the wrong path to walk, and her destructive nature was the part of the reason she had been sent on her journey earlier than others in her family. The spirit guides watched as Grey became sad and then angry and then resigned to her situation in life. They were her personal guides, and so far she had not called on them while on this journey. They worried she had forgotten about them; maybe she needed a nudge of remembrance. They still wanted to protect her because they believed in her. They knew if she would learn about her abilities and become a positive influence, she would become a great healer and leader in her life. They sat, the three of them, and discussed how they could get her to pay attention to their wisdom. They talked about when they visited her as an uncle and discarded this idea. They also visited her as a shaman, an angel, and as a childhood friend; none, they decided, would work at this time. Now in order for them to be her teachers in life, she needed to acknowledge them in order for them to help her learn and become who she was meant to become. They decided a small gift was in order, and they looked around the land to see what gift was available to send to her, one that would be logical and easily explained. They saw a small wolf cub, a small falcon, and a frog, but they discarded the frog immediately. They began a discussion about which of the other two would make the best gift to give Grey. Then one of them began arguing that she should not have a gift since she was to be on the journey alone. The first spirit guide discussed the fact that she was alone and needed a companion and felt the falcon would be the best of the gifts, and the second spirit guide said the wolf would make the best gift by becoming a great protector when trouble came. Plus, the wolf would be a great help when it came to finding food. Then, since the third guide could not decide between the two gifts, their discussion continued long into the day. The third spirit guide remained undecided and would not vote. He wanted to be able to have her listen to him and to understand what he was teaching her about her abilities and not to be distracted by an animal friend. The

guides knew that with Grey being strong willed, once she made a decision it would be hard to change her path, so the choice of a gift needed to be carefully chosen and right for her situation. She had not found her purpose yet, and they felt her confusion about her life. They decide that the small, lost, and hungry wolf pup roaming would be the best choice for Grey. They knew that if the pup did not have someone to save him, he would soon become food for a bigger predator. The spirit guides discussed the pup and agreed that he would grow up to be strong and would be useful in helping to protect and guide Grey while she was on her journey. The pup saw the spirit guides approaching, and with his tail wagging, he walked up to them, knowing they were friends and he was not in danger. The pup accepted their offer of helping Grey in return for his safety, and he gladly followed the spirit guides. They guided the small pup to where she lay sleeping on the ground, and then they put a sleeping touch on the pup’s forehead. The pup snuggled near her for warmth and comfort. He was happy that he had found a safe place to rest. The spirit guides were also happy about their good deeds, one for the pup and one for Grey. They smiled at one another and nodded acceptance of the situation. They were pleased that Grey did not awaken when the pup snuggled next to her body. The three gave each other pats on the back for what a good job they had done as they disappeared into time and went back to waiting for her to call on them for help or guidance. Their excitement grew, as if they were human, while they waited to see the girl’s reaction to the wolf pup. When she awoke, they were delighted and surprised at her reaction when she discovered the pup. They did a small dance, and each of them took credit for choosing the wolf pup as the gift. Their smiles and happiness gave a new brightness to the day. They knew that to care for an animal she would need to leave her self-interest behind and put the animal first. This was a great choice, and with a wave of their hands, all the birds in the area began singing a symphony of music. One of her spirit guides began discussing the fact that if the wolf pup was accepted by her then he could possibly put his essence into the wolf and help guide her from time to time if the need arose. He wanted to be available to help her while she traveled the land, and this would be a great opportunity to help in a way that she would not know he was one of her guides. The three decided that using the wolf when she was in danger was a plus, and

again they felt a good job had been done by them. Once again they went back to waiting for her to call on them for help or guidance. They were proud of their selection of a gift for Grey. The three spirit guides found it very hard to not interfere in Grey’s life; they had many years of wisdom, and wanting to share all their knowledge made it hard for them to control their actions. The guides knew that if they shared all their knowledge at once, Grey might have an overload of energy, and this would be very dangerous and something she would not be able to handle. They once again went back to waiting for Grey to call on them. It was a very hard job for them to accomplish. The waiting was wearing on their patience and attitudes, and many times their discussions turned to helping her, whether she asked for them or not and then there would be an argument and more discussion before they decided against such actions. She was always uppermost in their minds, and her daily actions were discussed continuously. Finally it was decided to look for negative spirits that might be following Grey and try to find a way to block the actions of the darkness until Grey was stronger in her abilities. As the spirit guides roamed the land, they saw trouble following her, and their discussion on what to do next became loud and thunderous. A huge storm brewed.

RED Red awoke and heard something unusual coming from Grey’s direction. She was singing, and he strained his ears to hear better, listening intently. He could not hear enough to understand which song she was singing, although the music was filled with happiness. He hurriedly rushed to the edge of his hiding place to see her and try to hear the song better. Grey was standing with her arms raised, and she was singing to raise the sun for the day. Beside her, with his head raised and howling loudly, was the small wolf pup. The two of them were in accordance as they sang their morning song. Red smiled as he decided she had a lovely voice, and the wolf was not bad either. The sun heard Grey’s song and also smiled on her with the morning sunbeams becoming stronger and brighter as the sun found a place higher and higher in the sky to better hear her music. Then she lowered her arms and called her wolf. It

was her signal that the morning song was over and she was ready to begin the day. He noticed how she spoke to the wolf pup and that the pup was looking up to her and acted as if he understood every word she was saying. Red smiled and was happy that she was becoming emotionally stronger. He went back to his area and began preparing for the day, thinking this might be a day filled with excitement.

GREY Grey began walking toward the river and stripping her body of her clothing to begin her morning cleansing. She sang as she bathed, a song of thanks for the water provided to her, and she praised the beauty of the day’s beginning. She did not stay in the river long because the morning was filled with an unusual chill, and the water was very cold. Shivering and rubbing her arms vigorously to bring the warmth back into her body, she walked stiff legged toward her clothing. Picking up her dress, she shook it, hoping that nothing strange had decided to live in her clothing. After giving each piece of clothing a hasty inspection, she pulled on first the dress, and then she wrapped the blanket around her shoulders to help generate more heat to warm her cold skin. Sitting down on a rock near the river, she brushed her feet and then slipped them into her rabbit skin shoes. She had not finished making her rabbit skin leggings yet, and her legs were left bare to dry in the cold air. Later, before going hunting, she would put on her wooden leg protectors that she had made from the dead tree stump. Although the protectors made it hard for her to walk, they were better than nothing, as she needed to protect her legs from any damage that might occur. She needed to finish making the softer version of the legging from rabbit skin, and then she would be able to move faster and with more comfort as she hunted and traveled. After she was dressed, Grey walked toward her shelter. The puppy was running around her doing his puppy dance and Grey began gathering the berries, leaves, and seed that had been arranged for her morning meal. She brushed away the small bugs and flying things that were eying her breakfast, and then a nagging thought filled her mind when she began eating. She was worrying about the food she needed to find in order to feed her dog, the wolf. He needed a name. She did not want to keep calling him puppy, as he was a wolf. The wolf was so little, and

she did not know if he needed his mother’s milk. Suddenly, she laughed and realized that Wolf was the perfect name for the puppy.

RED After Red had dressed, he went back out to watch Grey and her puppy. He thought if he watched her actions, he might figure out what she had planned for the day. Red watched all that she was doing and decided that she was preparing for a longer stay than just a day or two. He made the decision that he would investigate her shelter while she was hunting to see if any other information could be gleaned about her plans. He needed to know the amount of food to gather for himself and his horse. He also needed to work on a stronger, more secure shelter if he was going to be in this area for any length of time. He realized that this mission was going to be longer than he had first anticipated, and he needed to prepare for what was to come next. His mind was working and filling his head with many thoughts, one of which was the fact that he would soon need to go hunting since his food supply was meager at best and almost gone. While searching the shelter Grey had built, a plan began developing; today he would begin his preparations. He planned to go hunting during the night when Grey was sleeping and rest as much as possible during the day. This would prevent him from being detected by Grey. He also planned to build a stronger and more secure shelter while she rested. If she saw him gathering reeds and mud for his shelter, she might try to become friendly, and that would ruin his mission. He also needed a place to keep his horse safe from the nocturnal and daytime predators. All of this was filling his mind as he began looking for a new resting place a little farther away from the shelter Grey had built. He would also need more clothing, and this he would achieve as he hunted for food and built his shelter. Watching her was his primary mission, and his secondary was to provide for his well-being. He would hunt at night as well as in the early mornings when the animals were beginning their day, and he would check in on Grey periodically to ensure her safety. Suddenly, Red felt a change in the air. He studied the leaves of the plants and the

actions of the animals and insects as they were scurrying around him. He also noticed a change in the direction and the force of the wind. Thinking hard on the reason for the change in the air, his mind clicked. The weather was changing for the worse, and the signs pointed to a looming storm. He needed to prepare a place of safety; no more sleeping outside on the ground. He needed shelter and in a hurry. Red began studying the dirt at his feet. Walking a few steps, he would stop and study the ground. When he saw nothing, he would walk further until after a few more steps and along the path he saw the ants, and they were very busy. Kneeling down, he began studying the ants and their actions. After a moment or two, he raised his head to look again at the bushes around him. He saw the leaves begin to send the message to the roots that rain was coming. Now he wanted to know how much rain was coming to the land, so he bent over again to watch the ants. This time, his study of the ants was more purposeful, and as he studied the ants and their productivity, he knew the storm was a very big storm and would be here before the day was over. He watched as the ants carried rocks to cover the entrances to their nests. He watched as they built up the sides of the doorway higher to hold back the water. He watched as the leaves of the bushes turned upside down to collect liquid. He noticed that the underside of the leaves began facing the heavens, and he watched as the animals disappeared into their places of shelter. Time was short. The storm was near. He could smell the rain in the air, and his mind and body were telling him to hurry. He was not ready, and neither was Grey. He worried that Grey would not know the signals that the animals and the insects sent out when their area was in danger from the elements, but he did not have much time. He needed to prepare for the worst, and later he would check her preparations when she was out of her shelter.

GREY Suddenly the spring weather changed. The temperature dropped, and the air was heavy with pressure filled with moisture. A cold wind blew. Grey raised a hand to hold her hair from whipping about her face as she rushed to finish gathering

wood for the evening fire. Her fingers were becoming stiff from the cold, and her face was showing signs of chafing. The wind was now blowing stronger and having an effect on her eyes, causing them to tear up, and this prevented her from seeing her surroundings properly. She was trying to hurry. Her body began shivering. She wanted to be warm and safe. She feared this night would be a very cold and wet night. She continued working, not wanting to stop until everything was ready and her shelter was secure. Then she froze as a memory touched her thoughts. A memory of a cold night long ago, when she was sitting huddled beside a warm, healing fire that was inside a warm, comforting shelter. She ed being surrounded by her family and eating her favorite meal while she listened to everyone talk and laugh at a story being told by one of the elders. This was a good memory, one she wanted to repeat as soon as she could manage the time to just . Another memory froze her movements, and with a harsh laugh, she jerked her body and shook herself out of the dream mode. She knew that there was no delving into her memories and no time for resting with all the work that needed to be finished. Surveying her growing pile of wood, she placed the last log on top of the stack. Before the day was over, she would have the warmth of a fire and a hot meal cooking. She was tired, and still the fire needed to be built. If Grandmother was there, the fire would already be warming her, and the aroma of simmering food would be thick in the air and encircling the camp with the promise of a delicious meal. Grandmother was not there; it would be her job to prepare her evening meals. She dreaded the thought of cooking, since she had not felt the need to learn to cook when she was with her family. She had always escaped to her world of playing as many times as possible. When the question of cooking was presented, she always tried to disappear, and she almost always succeeded. Therefore, she did not know how to cook a complete meal. Working to complete her fire pit for cooking, she began wondering if this was a feat that was becoming an all-day chore, and doing chores was something she had fought against most of her days when she was with the family. She was not a person that enjoyed chores, as the feeling of accomplishing a great thing was something that did not interest her, at least not before this time. She now knew that if she had learned or just listened when being schooled, she would not be having all this trouble, and the fire pit would have been built with a blazing fire by this time, and a tasty meal would be cooking and almost ready to eat. She was trying to how Grandmother started her fires. She decided that making a fire was confusing her, and she was becoming angry. This day was not getting

any easier. Giving up the self-destruction of thought and smiling to herself, she decided that this could not possibly be as hard as it looked and set about hunting for small rocks to spark a flame. She wondered how hard it could possibly be to make a small fire, since there were fires built every day by many people, including her family. She was certain that she could build a fire; all she needed to do was what her grandmother did to make a fire. She was ing the small simple things that had the ability to make her heart happy. Her mind’s eye filled her thoughts with memories of fires that were made for cooking and warmth, with the family sitting around the fire as they recounted the day. She ed heating water for cooking or bathing and the heat from the fire warming the area to an unbearable temperature. When the room was overly hot, the door would be opened to let inside the outside coolness. Now she needed to something that would enable her to build a fire for her shelter and her meals. Her mind continued to deceive her again and again with memories of her family. The family would be visiting with one another as they told stories about their day and about the people that lived before them on this land and the many funny and not so funny experiences that they had in life. She missed family time. These were good moments to , and she again felt tears stinging her eyes. onishing herself, she knew that this was not the time for sorrow, so she brushed the thoughts away and mentally kicked her mind into obeying. She promised herself that she would revisit her memories later when she was sitting beside her fire and eating the food she cooked. This thought spurred her on to try harder and work faster to build a fire for her to use and enjoyment. Now she was hoping she would be as prolific in her endeavor as her Grandmother was at building fires, and she began planning and working on her idea for dinner. Her back was sore from lifting and carrying firewood, so she rubbed the sore spot while she surveyed the area around her, trying to pick a spot for her fire. The fire should not be too close to any flammable object; she wanted the heat for warmth and comfort, not a land fire that would destroy all it touched. She found some stones to place in the pit for the kindling to rest on, and next she placed the dried logs in such a manner that air would circulate and keep the fire from dying. She then built a wall of dirt to keep the fire in one place in case the evening wind picked up speed. Now she was ready to light the fire.

Trying to the correct ritual Grandmother did when she made the camp fire; Grey hummed the tune Grandmother had hummed. Grey searched for the stones like the ones Grandmother used when making a fire. She ed her grandmother using a stone and striking it with another stone as she sang a song to the fire god. Grey bent over and picked up two stones and began hitting them together, but there was no spark. Grey tried singing the fire god song louder as she hit the stones together many more times, and again it did not work. Changing the stones with others, Grey again began striking the new stones together, but still no spark. She wondered what was she was doing wrong. Changing the tune and changing the stones many times did not bring success, so Grey decided that tonight she would be cold and once again eat raw food, something she was beginning to hate. Berating herself for not listening and learning when she was being taught the life lesson of building of fires, she decided she would listen with her learning ears when and if she found her family after her journey.

RED Red smiled as he watched her efforts in building a fire. He was surprised at how unsuccessful she was. He knew that this small task was a very important one if she was going to live in the land of their family. Fire building was the first step in many lessons she was to learn while on her journey. Her neglect of her family and their teachings put her on the path she was now walking. He decided that when she was asleep he would go down to her camp and build a fire. He would leave her the stones needed to build a fire on a rock beside her fire pit. He would then cover the fire to keep it burning all night long for her warmth and to be ready for the morning meal. All she would need to do would be to add a log to increase the flames. First, though, he needed to prepare for the storm that was coming. Red stood; he was tall, bronze, and lean. He moved and looked like the fighter he was, sure of his every move. He reached up to secure his ebony hair and prevents it from blowing in his face, and he noticed the wind was blowing with a force so strong that debris lifted and blew all around his camping area and the land below. The clouds above filled the sky with an ominous darkness as they moved closer to his camp.

He worried about his mission as he watched the sky continue filling with dark, heavy rain-filled clouds. He turned back to his work of preparing a safe shelter. He chose a spot away from the river and up on a hill as high as he could get while still keeping her in his line of sight. He wanted to tell her to move her camp, but his promise to the family kept him from revealing his presence.

CHAPTER 5

The rains started. Grey ran for her small shelter, and with her ran her little, black, furry wolf. They huddled together and ate the meager, cold, and unappetizing meal she had prepared of berries, grain, and various leafy plants. She had trapped a rabbit earlier for the wolf but did not want him eating it in the small shelter. She wanted to keep the area inside the shelter free from bugs and ants that would gather to finish off any of the minuscule leftovers from their meals. After Wolf and Grey finished eating, she cleaned the shelter area, and then wrapping the two of them under her blanket, she was hoping that their combined body heat would soon have them cozy and warm. They listened as the storm grew. The cocoon she had created for the two of them gave them comfort, and they soon fell asleep. The fury of the storm grew in size and sound.

RED Darkness fell swiftly. Red was tired from all the work, and just in time he finished preparing for the storm. Even with the rain falling hard and fast, Red did not worry. He was now secure in his shelter. Red believed that Grey was safe in her warm, little shelter. He thought that during the night he would check on her safety, and with that he fell asleep to the pounding of the wind and rain on the earth.

GREY As the waters began flowing into the shelter, Wolf tried to awaken Grey, and the noise he made got louder and louder. Wolf began crying and yipping, and when he did not get any reaction from Grey, he started nudging and pulling at her arm. Soon he noticed Grey was beginning to awaken out of her deep sleep. The actions of Wolf finally penetrated her dreams, although not entirely. Grey was not fully awake, and she instantly fell further into the depths of slumber. She slept on, and a frantic Wolf panicked and began clawing her hands and face. This

time she awoke, although in anger. She was startled at how fierce Wolf had become and was wondering why. Thinking the dog needed to go outside, she pulled back her small door, which was made of little logs and reed fronds, and waited for him to leave the shelter. Wolf made no move to leave the shelter and continued whining and barking. She was confused at his actions until she felt the coldness of water sweep over her hands, and then the water surrounded her knees. Her mind screamed danger, and with her common sense not working in her sleep-filled brain, it took a moment for her confusion to disappear. Then she knew that her shelter was being overrun by the river and the two of them must find higher ground for safety—and find it fast. In the dark, she felt around to find how far the water was inside her shelter. The shelter was only large enough for her to lay straight out for sleeping, and the top was just tall enough for her to crawl around on her knees. She had room for the few items she owned, and space was sparse. The water began rising, slowly at first and then faster and faster. This frightened Grey. As fast as possible, she began grabbing all her possessions. She took everything she could carry, and moving as fast as she could in the dark, she prepared to leave the shelter. Grey listened to the storm and knew she had just a short amount of time before the shelter would be completely overrun by the river. Grey rolled and wrapped as many items as she could inside her blanket, and anything that did not fit was left behind. She started putting on as many items of clothing as possible in the little amount of time that was available to her. She grabbed her possessions until her arms were so full everything started falling into the rising water. The night was cold, and she frantically searched the area, trying to see through the darkness. She needed to hurry, as she felt the water getting deeper. Hurry, oh hurry. Her mind kept yelling at her to leave and find safety. She heard Wolf cry out in a howl, and a cold chill went through her. She did not want to lose Wolf. He was still a puppy and depended on her for his care. She needed to think of him and not her possessions. She needed to find a better place for the two of them to stay, preferably a dry, warm place where they would be safe from the storm, as well as far away from the rising waters of the river. Grey dropped some of her possessions and leaned over to pick up Wolf. He snuggled against her, and she felt how wet he had become. She left the area carrying as many items as possible, her most important one being Wolf. She believed that when morning came she would be able to go back to her shelter and gather the rest of her possessions. With the oppressive darkness surrounding the land, she did not look back to her

small shelter, knowing she would not be able to see far into the darkness. So she did not see the total destruction of her shelter as the water from the river washed everything into a swirling mass of debris. Grey did not see the river take everything that she had worked so hard to build. She did not realize the danger in sheltering so close to the river. The river was life giving in many ways, but the river held great destruction when the waters were turned free from their banks. Not only was the water needed in life, it should also be feared. Grey was moving as fast as possible away from the river. She did not see the destruction the river did to her small shelter. It was good because she did not have time to mourn the loss of everything she had worked so hard to build. She needed to focus on saving herself and Wolf. Taking a path to higher ground, she was intent on placing her feet carefully so that she would not slip and fall. The darkness was surrounding her, and the only light came when brightness of lightning cracked through the night sky. She kept an eye on Wolf, keeping him near when she could no longer carry him. While Grey and Wolf hurried up the hill, they were so busy trying to stay upright that they did not notice the shelter that Red had built. The two of them ed the shelter by a few feet.

RED Red slept on through the night. Red’s exhaustion from being up during the night before and building his shelter and hunting had taken a toll on his awareness. The noise of the rain masked the sloshing and sucking noise that Grey and Wolf made with each step they took as they ed his sleeping area.

GREY By morning, Grey and Wolf were a few miles away from the river. The rain lasted all night and into the next day. They traveled for many hours, completely soaked and very cold. The rain had erased their footsteps from the ground. With the mud so thick and oozing, she had lost both of her shoes, and her feet were sore and bleeding. Exhaustion filled her, and when she finally sat down to rest for just a minute, she gave a sigh and dropped all that she was carrying.

It was a very dark day, so dark that it appeared to be night. She knew it was midday, and as she looked at the sky, she saw more rain filling the clouds. They needed shelter. The sky was getting ready to drop more of the storms furry upon them, and the chill in the air was increasing. She knew that the two of them needed to eat in order to keep up their strength, and they needed to sleep to rest their bodies. She noticed that her mind was not as sharp as before, and she was afraid that she would not notice danger if any were near. She saw a small stand of trees; maybe, just maybe they would find some shelter among the trees. While she sat, thinking about what to do next, she looked down at her feet. Then lifting one at a time, she carefully inspected each foot before wrapping it with animal fur. She saw many cuts, scrapes, and a lot of dirty mud and decided after she had found shelter she would clean and repair her feet. She unrolled her blanket to see what provisions she had with her and was very disappointed that she had so little. After working as hard as she had to collect their food and make as many useful items as she had, she was sad to notice that she had lost almost all she possessed. Her anger at her predicament grew, but then she was too tired to dwell on the thought, so the anger dissipated, leaving nothing but exhaustion in her mind and body. When the rain finishes, she thought, I’ll fix everything and rest for a day or two and replenish our meager food supply. She took her responsibility for Wolf very seriously. She knew she would make sure the animal ate even if she did not. She had made him this promise when she first saw him, and she would do all she could to not break her promise.

RED Waking up to the sound of more rain, Red crawled out of his shelter and looked around. He noticed that the river had moved and was rushing over Grey’s small shelter. His heart thudded loudly, and fear jerked his mind. Trying to think, he began running toward the dead tree that had once been the back side of Grey’s shelter. She was gone, and so was the shelter. He went back to his shelter and gathered his possession. Red had slept through the storm, and now Grey was gone. He needed to decide his next move. Red knew that he was going to find her, and he needed to believe that the river did not take her and Wolf. He began searching the banks of the river for any sign of the two of them. He felt that she was still alive and his mission to protect her was not finished. As he set out

traveling down the river looking for evidence of her ing this way, he was hoping against all hope that he would find Grey. Anyone looking at the way he carried his body would believe he was devastated. The banks of the now swollen river gave no indication that she had traveled in any direction. The storm had wiped away all traces of Grey and Wolf. Red did not know he was traveling in the wrong direction. With the storm raging, Grey and Wolf had gone up the hill and not down the river.

GREY Grey and Wolf walked and walked through the trees and over land, and finding no place for shelter, they continued traveling. Grey was so tired that she was not thinking, just walking and looking for some small place to rest and feel safe. Then when the rain stopped, the sun appeared, and she smiled. The fear of being washed away in the river was now gone. She was miles away from the river, and her clothing was beginning to dry on her body, a nasty mixture of dirt, sweat, and a little blood from her cuts and sores. She was too tired to worry.

RED Red searched the area nonstop, and days turned into weeks. He heard of a girl that traveled with a black wolf and followed the directions given to him. He would not go to the family until he could take Grey home to her grandmother. It was his mission.

GREY After walking many days, Grey found that her strength was gone. Grey sat down and, opening her meager pack, gave Wolf food to eat. When Wolf had eaten, Grey tried to stand. In a half crouch, she did not have the strength to stand, and her body would no longer obey. She fell and sat hard onto the boulder. Her body was filled with fever. Grey slipped off the bolder onto the ground and slept for two days and nights. Wolf guarded her and did not leave her side except to get water. Wolf watched over her, keeping her warm at night and staying alert during

the day. Wolf was her protector now, instead of her being his protector.

THE BOY A lone boy was walking the land, testing his skills to become a healer of the land and his people. He needed to collect his medicine herbs for his concoctions and study which plants were best for eating and which were best for healing. As he had collected almost all that was asked of him by his instructor, he was singing a song of thanks and not very well. His music made the ears hurt. His singing got the attention of Wolf, and Wolf ed in the song. Surprised, the boy followed the singing animal and came upon Grey sleeping. He shook her and tried to wake her, but she continued sleeping. He felt her forehead. She was burning up with fever, and he knew she was very ill so he began building a fire to heat water for a healing tea. While the fire was burning, he started putting together a small shelter. The girl needed to rest inside, safe from the everchanging weather. Wolf watched and guarded his mistress. The boy began making a mixture of herbs that he knew would reduce the chill that was making her body shake and causing the fever. The boy mixed dried hot pepper with ginger and infused a small amount of sage. He added this to the hot water and let it steep until the aroma filled the air. After this was finished, he istered some of the tea to her every few hours. He also made a pot of hot water and added eucalyptus leaves and set this near enough to her that she breathed the healing steam each time she took a breath. Knowing how sick she was, he forced himself to stay awake through the night and to give her the medicine to reduce the fever. During the night, in order to keep himself awake, he studied the treasures he had picked up for his herb power bundle. A few times he wondered what else he could use to help heal the girl as he studied all his herbs. He knew that studying her symptoms would help him make the right decision about which herbs would help her heal. The wrong decision could be dangerous, and he was very careful. The man of healing in his small village had instructed him to go on his journey to find which path his spirit wanted him to travel. He worried that his spirit did not want him to be a healer. Years ago, the boy had a dream of being a soldier, and for days he was depressed, so he knew that a life of service was better suited

for his temperament. The boy had decided that he wanted to become a healer. He knew harming anyone or anything was something he could not do because he was a gentle soul. At this moment, his bag held herbs, a large feather for moving smoke, and a few rocks because they were special to him and he liked the way they shined. He lifted one of his rocks and knew if it was struck he would make a spark for a fire, and the other rock had an energy that he did not understand, so he wanted to do further study of the substance held inside the rock. There were some sticks and bark for making tea from the sacred prayer tree. Now the boy wanted to add something to help the girl. He opened his ledger and began writing everything he had done this day and what herbs he had used and the reaction they had on the girl. His ledger was his way to which herb healed and which did not heal. He wanted to be a great healer, and he wanted to make sure he did what was right and safe. He knew that once he healed her, he would know more about her illness and how she became ill in the first place, and then he would know how to help others with the same illness. He worked hard healing her because she was his first study case in healing. He wanted her strong and healthy. Painstakingly, he cataloged all the herbs used while healing her. He changed the sage with goldenseal and noticed her color was changing and she was resting quietly instead of thrashing around and disturbing her sleep. Then he added the bark of the sassafras tree to the herb broth, and the aroma filled the small area with a sweet smell of sassafras. Letting the broth cool, he fed her small sips until she had finished the drink. He waited and watched her reactions. She was beginning to heal. The change of herb gave him a small moment of pleasure. He dutifully opened his ledger and made more of his notes, not relying on his mind to all that was necessary. Noting that a small difference in his herbs had so much power to heal an illness, he was pleased. He wanted to tell his instructor all he had done and also show him proof by presenting the girl as whole and healthy once again. He would think on this later. Now he needed rest. He felt good about the direction the girl’s health was taking, and a few hours of rest would help keep his mind strong and clear. Smiling as he lay down to rest, the boy now knew what he wanted to do with his future. Healing others was what he enjoyed doing most of all, and he was sure the answer to this journey had been decided. This decision comforted him as he fell asleep.

The girl moaned and called for her grandmother. The boy woke up and went over to her, and when he spoke, she opened her eyes. The boy saw that her eyes were glazed with sickness, and she did not see him. She felt someone near her and calmed down once again. She closed her eyes and went back to sleep where her dreams were very frightening. She moaned again and began shaking uncontrollably. Wolf whined and walked over to her. Wolf was barking loudly, and he began sniffing her skin and whining. He looked toward the boy and whined again, wanting him to do something for his mistress. Wolf walked a circle around her sleeping body and then lay down on his belly and pulled over closer to her. He began licking her arm and nudging her body, trying to get a reaction. He touched her with his paw and licked her arm again. Wolf was visibly upset. The boy knew the turning point for the illness was near, and he made more broth for her to drink and brought in more cool water to help reduce her temperature. Sitting down beside her, he gently lifted her head and placed it on his lap as he tried to get her to drink more liquid. She gagged as the drink went over her tongue and down her throat. She moaned again, and he picked her up and held her as close to him as possible, talking to her in a quiet, soothing voice while calling her spirit to stay with her through the night. He began singing his spirit healing song of prayer as he bathed her forehead. He felt the heat of her body begin decreasing, and he knew she was starting to heal. He continued to sing his prayers through the rest of the night, holding her. He thought if he kept singing, her spirit would not leave the body, and she would get well. So he sang, and three hours before daylight, her spirit answered, and she opened her eyes. Looking around her, she asked for water. He did not understand her language but knew she needed water, as her lips were dry and cracked, and she was trying to wet them with a dry tongue. Holding the water to her lips, she drank small sips, and as he watched, his heart beat with happiness because she would live. He put her gently down on the bed of furs he had made for her. She, once again, fell asleep, and this time it was a quiet sleep of healing. Wanting to be near if she needed him during the night, he curled up next to her so he would feel any movement she made and it would wake him. She slept. The boy slept. The wolf slept. Morning came clear and bright. The boy was up early in order to prepare her a morning meal of broth and mashed berries and a drink mix of medicine herbs. When she awoke, he had everything ready for her. While she ate, he prepared

her some water for washing. She needed to be bathed. Her body was caked with mud, and while she had a little bit of energy, he wanted to help her get clean and more comfortable. He knew that washing the poison of the illness off her skin would help her heal faster. The boy knew this was an important action, and he enjoyed helping her get well. After eating, her face became very pale as her energy drained from her body. She began shivering again. He went to her and held some warm water for her to drink, trying to get warmth built up inside her body. She drank, and again some of her color began returning. He watched, studying her body’s reaction. She began sweating; the illness was leaving her body through her skin. He needed to remove the rest of the mud quickly for the sweat to flow freely, taking the illness out of her. He smiled and rubbed her arms, flaking off as much of the mud as he could before helping her scrub her skin. Taking a small bunch of basil leaves; he dipped them in the heated water and rubbed her arms, cleaning off as much dirt as possible. Then he picked up the skin of an animal and began drying her. When he was finished with the drying, he started rubbing her skin with the oil he had made containing mint, eucalyptus leaves, and wildflowers perfect for healing. The oil was comforting and gave off a sweet aroma of wildflowers. She vaguely ed the scent, but her mind and body were exhausted, and all she wanted to do was sleep. Her body was clean, or almost, her stomach was full, her mouth was no longer dry, and she was warm. Her wolf was near, she felt safe, and she was content, so she went into the deep healing slumber of darkness.

CHAPTER 6

HUMILITY OF HEART Grey slept for three more days. The boy periodically gave Grey food and drink. Her meals consisted of mashed berries, broth from dried meats, and dried herb tea. The boy carried a food pouch and was constantly adding food to it since he now had two extra mouths to feed. The boy was constantly hunting and gathering food. Sometimes he gathered and crushed wild green herbs for her to eat, knowing her body needed healing foods as well as filling foods. Grey became much stronger and began taking small walks outside of the shelter. The boy helped her walk at first, and then when he saw that she was strong enough, he let her walk alone with just her wolf. The boy would follow her at a distance, intuitively knowing she would want her privacy, but staying within hearing distance for her safety. After a time he decided she no longer needed his help and he left her to her walk as he went about his business of hunting and gathering and working on his journey. The boy stayed at the shelter in case she needed him, and then after a while, he went hunting and was gone from the shelter all day and sometimes two days. The boy would find her every so often to ensure her safety, and after seeing to her safety, he would then continue on with his projects. Grey continued to sleep inside the shelter with the boy guarding the doorway and her wolf sleeping between her and the boy.

GREY Early one morning, Grey arose and quietly slipped around the boy, trying not to disturb his sleep. Grey gathered her clean clothing and walked toward the small stream near their shelter. In the early darkness of the dawn, Grey slipped out of her clothing and went toward the cold running water. She began singing in the morning stillness, thanking the spirits for her protection and her healing. She gave thanks for sending the boy to take care of her and for Wolf, her faithful

companion. She sang on, asking that the sun to give them another day of light and warmth without the rain. She believed that her morning song of prayer would awaken the energy of the land and give them comfort, food, and safety for the remainder of the day. She was very thankful for the boy finding her when she was so ill; she believed her guardian sent him when she needed help. Grey sang with her heart filled with love for the one that kept her safe. She asked for wisdom of heart, mind, and body and also guidance for her to return home to her people. Grey sang through her complete ritual of cleansing her body, mind, and spirit. She no longer held anger for either her family or for her situation. Grey had developed humility of heart. Now she felt that her training would begin as she learned that serving others was her life journey. In a flash of insight, she understood the many ways she had been wrong, and wanting to correct her errors, she longed to be with her family to make amends.

THE BOY When sunlight entered the small shelter, the young boy opened his eyes. Sitting up, he yawned and looked toward the area where Grey should have been sleeping. She was not there. He stood up and moved aside the skins that covered the opening to the small shelter. The light of the day entered with a vengeance, and the boy took a moment to adjust his eyes to the light. Then he looked back to her place of sleeping, thinking he had overlooked her as she slept among the skins. He had not overlooked her or the wolf; they were not inside the shelter. Believing she might have just gone for a drink at the river, he started walking, and when he saw her, he was surprised that she was in the water and was singing as she bathed. He did not want to startle her, so he sat down among the bushes and just waited. He could not see her, although he could hear her singing and knew she was safe. Thinking she was doing a morning ritual and he wanted to participate in his own way as he waited for her, he pulled some cattail fronds and began weaving a small, intricate circle. In some way, he knew this was a moment of prayer for her, so he stayed silent and sent his own prayers up to the spirit guide of his people.

GREY Getting out of the water, Grey pulled together some branches to make a small bridge on which to dry her clean, wet clothing. She had enjoyed taking the time to clean her clothing in the flowing waters. The ritual of cleaning the sweat stains and dirt from her dirty garments was part of her morning cleansing, which had become a sacred moment for her today. While Grey had scrubbed and rinsed the clothing, she quietly hummed another of her family’s songs, the one for cleaning away bad spirits from the clothing and thanking the water for allowing her to use its energy for her clothing. She was happy. When the garments were clean enough to satisfy her opinion of clean, Grey took the garments over to the bridge she had made with the bushes and draped the clothing over the branches to dry in the morning sun. Then, after surveying her work, Grey began to dress in the clean clothing she had brought with her and then rested in the warm morning sun and planned her day. Grey began smiling as she lay on the grass. With Wolf near, she was safe, and soon she knew she would be strong enough to begin again the journey and hunt for her family. Grey knew neither where she was nor how far she had traveled. She wanted to find a way to thank the boy for his caring and healing, but at the moment, she just wanted to rest and get warm in the morning sun.

THE BOY Getting up from his place behind the bushes and trees, the boy watched her lie down to rest, and seeing her smile just before she fell asleep gave him a warm feeling in his heart, knowing she was getting healthier. He quietly went about his work, a little happier than he was when he awoke and found her missing. Later the boy went back to the river’s edge and saw her moving around, checking her clothing for dryness. Fascinated, he watched as she started walking from the water toward where he sat. He turned his head, looking off into the distance, not wanting to interrupt her solitude. With his many times in the wilderness, he knew if he stared at her she would know he was near, so looking away, the mental connection was broken, and he could stay and wait for her as she studied the area. He waited while she watched the birds of the air flying from one place to the other. He waited while she studied the trees, looking for fruit.

He waited while she began checking for ripe berries on the low-lying bushes. When he knew he could no longer see her or her him, he decided it was time to go back to the shelter. He still had a lot of work to do, and it would not get finished if he stayed around waiting for the girl. Getting up from his place on the rock, he hung another prayer circle in the tree and walked toward their small shelter, his mind in total confusion about this new emotion of calm that filled him.

GREY Grey sat down on the green grass and smiled as the warm rays of the sun touched her face. She called Wolf over to her, and he obediently came and sat as close as he could without getting on her lap. She put her arms around him and lay down on the sweet-smelling grass. She again fell into a dream-filled sleep. Her heart was full and happy.

THE BOY Back at the shelter, the boy began finishing the chores, and when time permitted, he continued working on his bag of memories. He tried to decide what he would use for the memory of the girl because he was unsure of asking for a cutting of her long, ebony hair. The boy could not think of anything more significant to put in his bag than a lock of her hair, but he would not ask her for it. The sun warmed his skin, and his thoughts were without stress as he felt the girl was mending, and the fear of losing her to death was over. The realization calmed his mind, and he became sleepy, so he stretched out on the ground and promptly fell asleep.

GREY While Grey slept with her arms around Wolf, she began to dream. In her dreams, she saw and heard spirits telling her that she would get her given purpose soon. They told her that she needed to watch and learn. Soon life would become hard for her, but she needed to endure and become strong. They told her to travel with

the boy to his family and learn all she could learn, including the language they spoke. They told her to learn without others seeing her learn; she must do this all in secret. Again her sleep deepened. While in the deeper sleep, she started seeing animals and birds. Her mind began moving faster, flipping through the knowledge of each animal and the power that the animal’s spirit contained and their capability in life and in spirit. In her life before this time, she felt no nearness to any animal, she felt no compatibility with animal spirits, and she felt no relationship with any of them. That was until she came to a little, gray dove, quiet and delicate with a few little pink feathers under its belly. It was a mourning dove. After she saw the mourning dove, a wolf began walking behind the dove, as if the wolf was the dove’s companion. She continued watching as the wolf followed the mourning dove in such a manner as to be connected through their spirits. In her sleeping mind, this meant something. She did not know what yet, so she would need to study it while she slept. This sleeping was different; it was as if she was asleep but not asleep, awake but not awake. She was learning as she slept. She felt that she was standing and being shown many things, but she could not open her eyes, or maybe they were open and she did not comprehend. Then after seeing the wolf, she went into a much deeper sleep, one that gave her complete rest and a measure of peace. Upon waking, Grey tried to sit up only to find Wolf still asleep in her arms. Her left arm was asleep and tingling from the weight of Wolf. When Wolf woke and wanted to play, she opened her arms, and he was free. Wolf stood for a moment just looking at her and then ran off to investigate the trees and animals. Grey rubbed her arms and brushed away the hair that clung to her damp skin. She felt the cool breeze and held her arms up for the wind to dry her arm from the heat of Wolf. She smiled as she watched Wolf. She was happy and content on this warm spring day. She decided she would study the meaning of her dream later, but now she was hungry. Getting up from her resting place, she began foraging for berries and herbs to eat. She then sat down and began studying her dream. While she sat, a small dove feather fell to her lap. She picked it up and looked at it. She thought of many things that the dream might symbolize, but none of them felt right, so she tried to put the dream in the order that she ed, and still nothing came to her. Giving up, she decided to worry about the dream later. Now she wanted to enjoy this day and the peaceful beauty of the land.

Grey looked at the trees and the way they moved in the wind. She listened to the sound of the water, thinking the call of the dove was so beautiful, and of all the birds, the dove was the most peaceful. She felt that a new chapter in her life was beginning. She again lay down and was captured by sleep.

THE BOY When the midmorning sunlight fell across the boy’s eyes, he woke. As he opened his eyes, his mind told him that the girl was neither in the shelter nor outside in the area around their small camp. Although he was groggy from sleep, he sat up and looked toward the river. A small feeling of worry pushed him to rush, and he started calling the wolf. He heard nothing. He listened for a bark or a whine, but all was silent. He picked up his hunting knife and left the shelter, going around shelter in an ever-increasing circle. Traveling faster and faster, he was searching the ground for any signs of her footsteps or the wolves paw prints. He was increasing his speed by running a slow, loping jog and after each circle, he went faster. He did not want to miss any small piece of evidence that would guide him in the direction she might have decided to travel. He continued listening for her song and calling the wolf by name. He did not panic, and he was not afraid that she might be harmed; he just did not want to lose her to the wooded area around them. He felt protective of her since he had spent so much time healing her body and spirit. He worried she might get herself lost, and he wanted to keep her safe. His mind raced as he tried to if there were any animals that might harm her. He thought of a few but saw no evidence of them being near. After what felt like ages of running and calling, the boy saw the wolf. The wolf was just standing and watching the boy as he ran and searched the area for them. He felt confused and wondered if the wolf had been watching him the whole time, and if so, he did not understand why the wolf did not come when he called. He felt that if the wolf had been watching him while he was running desperately around but did not come when he called, maybe something was wrong. He started to worry that the girl had a relapse. The wolf continued watching, his eyes alert. The boy went toward the wolf and stopped a few feet away, and the wolf went to the boy and walked around him, sniffing. Then the wolf turned and walked away, and the boy followed. The wolf went into some underbrush, and the boy ducked down to make sure he could follow without getting injured

unnecessarily. The boy followed the wolf as quietly as he could manage; he did not know what he would find when the wolf finally stopped walking. He saw her then. She was lying on a small patch of grass where he had left her in the early morning. He wondered why he did not search here first. His heart bumped, and he was afraid she was ill again, for this was a cool day, and she had been in the cold water. Then he saw that she was just watching the clouds making images in the sky. She was very peaceful and quiet. She turned her head to look at him and smiled a smile of welcome. The boy walked toward her, sat down on the grass, and just watched her enjoy the movements of the clouds. He was happy now that he knew she was safe, and he enjoyed watching her movements. He became calm again and decided he would watch the clouds with her.

CHAPTER 7

RED After walking many days, Red became concerned about his water supply. He began hunting for a new source of water when he found a small stream of water. Red was exhausted and thought it would be wise for him to follow the stream for a few days. He wondered where the small stream would lead him. He did not know where Grey had gone; her disappearance was complete, and all he had found was a lost shoe. He would keep hunting for her and hoped he would find her eventually. Red was walking at a steady pace, making good time. He had no clue as to where he was going. He stopped at a river bank and decided to rest.

GREY Dawn was starting to show over the horizon, and Grey quietly got up from her small bed and stretched herself awake. Leaving the shelter behind her, Grey walked to the water’s edge and began her morning song of praise. Today was different. She could feel the breeze whispering new messages for her to learn, she felt her mind growing with new thoughts, and she knew that her world was changing. Her excitement for the day gave her a purpose. She knew that the direction in which she was about to travel in life was an unknown world and a world she wanted to investigate.

THE BOY The boy felt emptiness in his dreamtime, and he awoke looking around for the girl. He instantly knew that she had left the shelter and decided to follow her for her safety. When he found her, he knew she was doing her morning song, and he sat on the grass. While waiting for the girl to finish her morning prayers, he

worked the stems of the cattail leaves into a design. The boy chanted as he weaved a prayer into the cattail, a prayer of thanks for finding the girl. She was unhurt, and for this he was also thankful. His eyes closed as he chanted while his fingers continued the rhythm of his weaving. At the end of his prayer, the small wheel was finished. He took a strand of reed frond and affixed the wheel with a loop large enough to fit over any limb from any tree. He wanted to honor the tree and give thanks for the shade it provided him. Standing, he took his prayer wheel to the nearest tree and hung the wheel in such a way that the wind would pick it up and play a game of push and pull. This became his moment of praise while he waited for the girl and her morning ritual of bathing and prayer.

RED Meanwhile, Red stood on the riverbank studying the land. Red watched as the morning light started changing darkness to daylight. He listened, as if to hear the dawn break into the darkness of the morning or maybe a secret unfolding. It was just a feeling that something had changed within his world, so he stood quietly and listened more intensely for any message from the earth and the wind. Then he heard a sweet song being sung in his language. He knew the words; he had heard them many times before and could not help but into the praise of the day. He knew Grey was singing. Grey was the one mission he had been given, and he had lost her for a time. He began following the sound of the music, the haunting sound the music made as it traveled over the waters. Sometimes he could hear the music clearly, and then it would be gone as if the wind was teasing his ears with an echo of a long-ago memory. The movement of the water kept overpowering the music from the girl. It was hard to follow, and he kept losing the sound of the music in the water’s rush to continue on its designated journey. His heart raced; he knew his search for her was near an end. He knew that if daylight would hurry, he would be able to find her faster. Excitement filled him with a joy of pure disbelief at finding what he had lost. He felt that now he could continue, since he had never failed in a mission before. Now, once again, his life would be calmer, and he knew he would be able to finish the job he had been given. Red laughed aloud in his excitement and joy and waded into the stream. Then the wind changed, and he could no longer hear the music. He stopped to listen and did not hear anything. He held his breath in the attempt to hear better but still heard nothing but his

own heartbeat and the noise that the water made while moving continuously. He begged the sun to bring light faster so that he could see the land around him better, but the sun did not hurry, and the light was weak. He shouted for the water to stop moving for just a moment so all would be still and quiet, but the water continued on its journey. Red waded back to the shore, believing that if he was on land he would be able to hear her singing again. When his feet touched the bank, he stopped and turned and waited. He heard nothing, ad his shoulders drooped. Once again she was gone, and his search for Grey would continue.

GREY When Grey started singing her morning prayer, she was surprised to hear a man’s voice, and she wondered if it was the spirit of the sun singing. Then she heard laughter, and she stopped singing and waited, wondering if the spirits were happy. She felt something akin to a memory; although her mind could not bring the thought forward enough for her to know which memory. After Grey heard the laugh, she waited, hoping for more. Waiting and listening but nothing else happened, and she questioned if this was a figment of her imagination or something real. Grey decided that the sound and the emotion she heard and felt must have been a trick of her mind, so once again she began her song, and this time the wind picked up the song and carried her music in the opposite direction.

THE BOY AND GREY While Grey sang her morning song, the boy usually became busy making one of his cattail wind circles, but when he heard the laugh, he threw the makings for his wind circle down and ran in Grey’s direction. The boy heard her when she stopped singing, and he heard her when she began singing again. When the boy finally reached where she was standing, he was breathing hard. The boy grabbed her by the arm and noticed at the same time that the wind had changed directions. The boy gestured for her to be silent, and she stopped singing. She did not ask him any questions because he did not understand her language, although the questions were showing in her eyes. He took her arm and pulled her from the water, gathering her clothing. He motioned for her to dress, and then

they went back to their camp. Grey did not finish her morning prayers; she felt the fear of the boy, and this fear was enough to reach her mind and have her obeying. The boy hurriedly packed their meager possessions. Then he lifted Grey onto the pony. Making sure she was safe, he looked around for Wolf, and when he saw him trotting along beside her while staying clear of the ponies hooves, the boy smiled. When the boy felt they were ready to leave their camping area and continue the journey to his home, they began to travel. Neither Grey nor the boy looked behind them to see what had been left because it was of no importance. The camp was just a stopping place in a moment of time, not to be repeated. The boy wanted to keep Grey safe; he believed it was a part of his journey entrusted to him by the spirits. Grey decided that before they arrived at the destination, she would begin learning the boy’s language. She would start with his given name. The boy had been communicating with her by hand signals, and she felt that they needed to be able to do more than just point and make motions; a name would be a good place to start trying to communicate with him. She believed that since it was just the two of them traveling together, they had time to learn to speak with each other, helping them become better friends. Plus, her guardian had instructed her to learn the language of his people. The boy began the trek to his people, checking the sun for direction. He held the reins of his pony and followed a path with a gently rising hill separated by a few boulders that he had to circumvent. He wanted the trip to be as easy on the pony as possible since the pony was carrying Grey and their belongings. While on the journey, Grey noticed they were traveling in the opposite direction than she wanted to travel. Her disappointment was great, but nobody noticed except Wolf. The boy, the wolf, and Grey did not stop for three days except for a short time to prepare food and rest the pony. Many times Grey wondered why they were not stopping, and many times she wanted to discuss it with the boy, but she could not surmount the language barrier. The three of them traveled a slow, continuous pace. Many times Grey would get off the pony and walk to relieve the soreness of her body that riding all day had created. A few times she tried to convince the

boy that they should just take a break and rest, and he would resist the idea. Finally, she gave up; it was too much effort. She was exhausted, and tears of fatigue were spilling down her cheek. She wiped them away before he saw them. On the fourth day of traveling, Grey sat on the pony and dozed; she was very tired from the constant moving. She split her time between riding and walking. Her feet were bleeding, and her legs were cramping from walking among the rocks and weeds. They had been moving from place to place for such a long time and never resting for more than a few hours in any one spot that she wanted to give up and tell the boy to leave her alone and go on, that she would follow. The boy would not allow her to stay behind even when she showed her anger. He did not relent. Grey thought it would be nice to sleep for a day or two or at least until she regained her energy. Then when she was so tired that her eyes started to close, she felt herself beginning to slip off the pony. At that time, she saw him. The figure of a man was standing before her. He stood a few inches in front of the pony and moved as the pony moved, not walking but gliding along the top of the ground, all the time facing her. He was floating, and she stared at him wondering why the boy did not see the man, but her confused mind did not dwell on the thought. The man was very tall and dressed in an outfit that she had never seen. Grey wondered if her family had sent this man to find her and bring her home, although she did not recognize him as a friend or family member. She was hoping her thoughts were real. Grey looked at the boy. He was not watching the man. In fact, he behaved as if the man was not present. Grey knew that this was one of the visions she had been experiencing since her illness. Grey’s family had told her about the visions her mother would have and how her mother always knew when something was going to happen. The visions were forewarnings of future events. When her mother received a vision, things happened soon after, and her mother was always ready to protect those she loved. Now Grey was experiencing the visions. Many times while they sat around the campfire, the family would tell the stories of her mother and her bravery. Grey had always assumed they were just stories, but now she knew they were real and not fiction. She loved the stories and the contentment of having all the family near as they spoke about their memories of her mother, and it always filled her with pride that she was her child. She missed the closeness of her family. Now she could use the advice of her family to help her know what to do.

The vision came very near to her. He had to be very tall because Grey was sitting on a pony, and she could look straight into his eyes. He spoke to her without moving his lips, and she was staring at him as she vaguely wondered why he spoke to her in her language. She felt so lonely and thought about how much she missed hearing the language of her people. A tear fell down her face. Grey looked at Wolf and saw that he knew a spirit was near. He watched carefully, wanting to protect Grey. She continued to watch the man, and then his words began to sink into her mind, and she began understanding. He said to Grey, “Begin knowing who you will become begin seeing what you are to see, begin being where you are to be, and you will then know what you are meant to accomplish. It is time for you to grow up and become a woman of life. You will be the one that will help our people through the times of struggle. A great time of struggle is here, and soon your people must prepare and be ready. It is time for you to learn that being a child forever is not your destiny. Many of your people will help you on your journey; just call them with your mind. Look around and see who has been sent to be with you on this journey. There are many waiting to help you, and all you need to do is call on them. They are the ones that give you protection, knowledge, and wisdom. Study all you see and learn from everything around. Miss nothing.” Then he was gone. She looked around to see where he went but saw nothing. Grey looked toward the boy and noticed that he gave no evidence of having seen the man. Grey said nothing about the vision. She knew that this was the beginning of her new world and that her real journey had just started. Many times around the campfire with her people telling the tales of the family journeys, one thing stood out, and it was that the journey was the new beginning of life. Finally on the evening of the third day, the boy put down his pack and prepared a place for them to sleep. He hobbled the pony and watched as the wolf went off to hunt and feed on his own. The boy made a shelter for Grey, and when she sat down on the earth, she instantly fell asleep. The boy did not see her fall asleep, although he knew when she slipped into oblivion because she started gently snoring and snuffling, a sound he was familiar with as he had heard it before many times. Grey slept for many hours, and when she awoke, the dirt and grime mixed with her sweat from traveling stuck to her skin and made her itch. She needed to bathe. She longed to hear the sounds of the river and listened for the water as it

was flowing over rocks and logs. Rubbing her skin to release the tightness, Grey ached to once again feel and smell clean. Grey stood up slowly, her eyes taking in all of her surroundings. Her body hurt, and she rubbed her sore spots as she inspected the camp. She was amazed when she saw the shelter standing strong with a smoldering fire near to the shelter opening; she wondered how long she had slept. All of the camp had been prepared by the boy while she slept. The aroma of food cooking in the ashes sent her mouth into drooling ecstasy. She noticed that the boy kept the food covered in ashes to keep it warm until it was time for eating. She looked around for the boy. It was then she saw the boy sleeping deeply. He appeared to have been standing watch over them when he fell over from exhaustion. Grey went to her little bag of possessions and searched for clean clothing. With a smile, she began pulling out a clean garment and following the sound of running water, her excitement and her need to be clean uppermost in her mind. She decided she would think of food later. Following a path to the water, she came upon a small rise in the land. Thinking that the running water would be over the rise, she hurriedly went to the top of the rise to see what was below her. Looking around, she saw a camp full of people. They were not her people, and when she saw them, she felt sad and then became afraid. She sat down to watch the people and ed what the spirit had told her; she forgot about wanting a bath.

RED Off in the distance on another rise, hidden by a leafy bush, Red crouched as he watched Grey watch the camp of people below. Red began wondering what would happen next in her life. This time he would take great care to keep her in his sight.

GREY AND THE BOY Grey slowly looked around and in the distance saw a man being very still and watching her, and then he disappeared. She began wondering if seeing him was another vision.

Wolf felt Grey’s fear, and he growled as he came to sit at her feet. The boy was awakened, and he silently walked up behind Grey. The boy stood for a moment and then shouted a greeting to the family. When Grey heard the shout, she jumped. She had not heard the boy approach. Grey had been lost in thought, not knowing what would happen to her next. She was a little worried. She had never heard the boy speak loudly before. She also heard the people call him Samson. He had the pony’s reins in his hand and was motioning for her to stay where she was until he came back for her. Jumping onto the back of his pony, he called and waved to his family as he did a full gallop, charging down the ridge to meet them. Grey knew she needed a plan, but at the moment she did not know what type of plan. She needed to wait, watch, and learn, and this she was capable of doing. The boy, Samson, dropped the reins of the pony, and the pony came to a dead stop and dropped its head. The pony began munching the greenery around him and appeared glad that there was no more walking to be done because he was home. Grey did not move from the grassy area, and the wolf went to her and lay down. Wolf was waiting with her. He knew that soon there would be a change in his life. Grey smiled to herself, thinking that now she had a name for the boy. After a while, Samson looked toward Grey and motioned to a clutch of older women to come toward him. Giggling, they moved as one body, excited to know about his journey and the girl he had brought back with him. So many stories, and they were eager for all the news. Grey saw Samson talking with the women and gesturing toward her many times. A small clutch of three women pulled away from the group and began walking toward Grey and giggled as they talked among themselves. The closer the women came to Grey, the more she could make out their features, and Grey saw that they were the old women of the family. ing her people, she believed these women would be sent to care for her and teach her the ways of this family. She knew if this family of people was anything like her people, she would be treated with second-class citizen status. She held no place with these people. Suddenly Grey felt a fear well up inside her, and she did not want to learn about this family. She wanted to escape. Capturing her fear and getting her mind under control, Grey decided she would listen, learn, and obey. Grey would

keep her thoughts and knowledge private until she had time to make a plan. Grey watched the women coming closer and closer. The wolf stood next to her and let out a low growl, and she touched his head to silence him. After quieting Wolf, Grey stood and waited for what felt an eternity. The women stared at Grey and stopped a few feet from where she stood. The women were silent, waiting for her to acknowledge them. Grey ignored the women. Then with a nod, the oldest old woman grunted and walked forward. Grey began fidgeting as the other women surrounded her, blocking her way of escape. The wolf started barking, and one of the women promptly hit him for his efforts. Wolf stopped barking, went over to lick Grey’s hand, and then with a short whimper, he turned and ran into the trees and disappeared from sight. Grey was now alone with the women, and she was worried that she might never again see her wolf. Grey considered Wolf her only friend, and he was gone. Grey gave out a few small sobs and then stiffened her back and prepared for what came next. The old women surrounding Grey were reaching out a hand at the same time. Grey jumped and tried to back away, but the women held her from behind as well as in front. Grey was trapped. They began pulling and pushing her toward the encampment. Grey had no choice but to move with the old women as they took her to the center of the camp. Grey was standing inside a circle of women from very young to really old. She was surrounded and afraid of what was to become of her. As the older women moved, so did the group. The women all moved as one body, a mass of humans surrounding Grey. When the group of women stopped moving, Grey was pushed into a small leanto with a fire in the center of the room. The light radiating from the fire was warm. Grey was having trouble adjusting her eyes to the dimness since the outside light was quite a bit stronger than the inside light. Grey was nervous and began perspiring as a cold feeling filled her with fear. She did not recognize the feeling as fear, but her body started shaking uncontrollably. Her mind had her feeling very small, but not small enough to escape the women’s clutches. The women watched her reactions as they prodded and pulled Grey into obeying them. Grey’s mind was confused, and her legs stopped working. She stumbled and grabbed onto one of the old women and was promptly smacked away. They motioned her to not touch those around her again. Grey gave up any action and let the old women move her around at will. She closed her eyes, thinking if she could not see them, all would be alright. With her

eyes closed tight, she let all thought leave her, and for the first time, Grey went into another world, one of peace and calm. Grey knew there would be no arguing with the old women. They were determined to finish their work, and nothing she could do would stop them. Her mind closed down, and she became peaceful and at peace. Many days, the sun came up, and the sun went down. Grey counted three bright moons coming and going, and as the moons ed, her time for finding her family was getting shorter and shorter. Soon the skies would tell when winter was near, and Grey feared her family would always be lost to her because she felt as if she were a prisoner in this camp.

RED Day after day, Red waited and watched for any sign that Grey would begin another trip. He missed his family, and as he watched the skies for any weather changes, his worry of not making it to the family home was beginning to get stronger and stronger. Red had given his word to the family elders that he would not enter the family home again without Grey. He felt as if his life with his family was being lost to him and he would never be going home. Thoughts of sneaking into the campsite during the night and forcefully taking Grey away entered his mind many times. The thought flew in and out of his mind continually, and every time, it was rejected. This was Grey’s journey, and he was not supposed to interfere with her life lessons. Red prepared his campsite for a longer stay. He felt that he was safe for the time being, although many days he was almost detected by hunting parties leaving the camp on a regular schedule. He became very good at hiding and watching, his fear of not going home to his people becoming stronger and stronger.

GREY Grey started learning the language of the people. They were hard to understand.

Many of the words the women spoke were used for different things. Grey learned that the way words were spoken would mean something totally different if a different intonation were put into the sound. The secret to their language was in the tone of the voice more than the words themselves. While Grey lived with the women, they taught her how to plant and grow many things; some were herbs for healing, and others were vegetables for eating. Wanting to learn as much as she could, she began writing everything down in a small tablet that she made from reed pulp. Grey was learning their language fast, and sometimes Grey could understand more than they wanted her to know. Grey tried to hide any evidence that she understood when the women talked around her. They spoke freely on many subjects. The women were under the impression that Grey did not understand. The women were intent on making the plans for her future, and the discussions were beginning to worry Grey. As Grey sat among the women around the fire, she listened carefully to their language. Grey showed no emotions, and everyone ignored her. Grey’s control of her emotions gave her a feeling of power over the women. This ability also helped her keep a small amount of self-respect. Grey did not like the rules of these people. The women kept her in the place of servant, and she particularly did not like the rules that kept her from enjoying the first fruits of a meal. Since she was not a blood member of the family, she was told that she ate last, which meant leftover food. The food that was left was always the food no other person wanted to eat. Many times the food was spoiled and had a terrible smell of rottenness. Another rule of the people, one that Grey did not mind, was that the workers were to stay in the fields until sundown. Grey did not mind because she was alone almost all day long. When the sun was too weak in the sky for them to see properly, the workers were called to return to camp. The workers that were not family were told to stay in the fields until after the others finished their meal, which meant after dark. A person that was not a member of the family relied on the campfires in order to find the trail back to the camp. Grey was not family. Many times walking back to the camp she became lost. Grey became fascinated with the freedom she had after dark. Very seldom did the family send anyone out to locate Grey, and sometimes she stayed outside of the camp and studied the stars until it was very late. No one appeared to miss her. The old women began discussing the way Grey sang the sun up in the mornings. The old women believed Grey had the power to talk with the god of the sun.

There were many discussions among the old women about Grey. It was decided that keeping Grey in the family would be good for all of them. The women decided if Grey had family ties with them, she would never leave. Then the discussion of how to keep Grey with them followed. The old women decided if they controlled Grey, they would also control the sun’s coming up and going down. One night, when Grey was sitting around the campfire with the old women, Grey was listening. She was not happy with having her future decided without her being in on the discussion. Grey wanted to escape. She began planning. She decided that as soon as she could plan an escape, she would be leaving this camp far behind, and hopefully it would be very soon. Very quietly, Grey got up from her position at the meal and made her way into the night. As Grey walked, she planned. Grey’s mind was working, discarding some ideas and keeping others. She became more excited as her plans began to take form.

CHAPTER 8

When morning came, Grey’s first thought was about the supplies she would need when she left Samson’s family. She began planning how to get the supplies without the women becoming suspicious. She felt bad about leaving Samson, who had always been her friend. Saving her life had put him in the special people’s group. She decided it was her life, and she needed to continue her journey. After Samson had turned her over to the women, he rarely saw her except to ask her if she was all right and healthy, so in her mind, his opinion did not count. She understood that he was busy, and the family had him studying to be a healer. It was obvious that he had no time for leisure or her. She did feel that she owed him something for his kindness, but she knew she needed to leave. She wanted to finish her personal journey and travel back to be with her own people. Grey did not want any part of an arranged marriage; she wanted to pick her life partner. She did not want to marry into this family. She felt she would always be the one that was told what to do, when to do it, and how to do the work. She also felt that if she were a member of this family, she would never find her life purpose. This was not her choice for a life. She did not see any men in this family that she wanted to be attached to in any way beside friendship. Although the old women of the family wanted to ensure her staying with them, she decided against that thought. The job of watching and caring for children being forced to work in the fields was unacceptable. She needed to hurry and leave the area before panic over the situation set in to prevent her mind from working at full speed. Grey started gathering things for the trip. Now she had another problem. Where would she store them to keep them from being found? A great thought came to her, and she decided to make a lean-to for the sun and place the items into the lean-to as if they were gift offerings. Clever, she thought. This just might work. Storing the few things beside her sleeping area, she mentally began planning her lean-to. The lessons Grey had learned when she sat around the campfire with her people about the skies, moon, stars, and sun would now be very useful and would be

helpful for her escape. She ed that soon there would be a day when the sun would go behind the moon and the moon would be orange. This event would be a perfect time for her to leave, she was thinking. Grey gathered some poison berries, knowing they would make her very ill and that she would need an antidote. She knew the antidote for the berries and prepared as much as she could with the time she had available to her before the sun disappeared. She knew that when she ate the berries, she would be sick, and she worried a little about her strength and if she could pull this off and still be alive. She wanted to make no mistakes because her life depended on the right timing. Knowing that the antidote needed to be fresh to work properly, she had to take this medicine less than a day after ingesting the poison berries. Grey knew if she became too sick, she would not have enough energy to realize her escape. She also would not have enough strength to carry her belongings. Care and exactness needed to be uppermost in this plan. She decided she would need to take one of the horses from the camp corral and started watching for the horse that was the easiest to ride and the one she felt ed to in spirit. Grey noticed that one horse was so docile that the people of the camp rarely used it except as a pack horse. She started talking to the horse, and after a while, the horse looked forward to her companionship. She figured it would not be missed for a few days, if at all, and it was a perfect choice. Very diligently, Grey watched the sun and the moon, and when the time was right, she fixed her berry meal and ate a handful for her lunch. Knowing she would be alone at lunchtime, this was the perfect time to begin the trials. She also knew that when the evening meal came, the illness would be very strong in her body, and she would be vomiting and very sick. Grey was careful to tuck the antidote for the poison under her clothing and to keep it near. When it was time, she would be ready to become healthy again. She wanted to be sure she did not go beyond the healing time. She wanted to escape and live, not escape by dying. Grey touched the antidote for the berries, checking and double checking that she, in fact, had the medicine. With the antidote under her clothing, it was very hard for her to keep from taking the medicine before it was time, and she worried because taking the berries was dangerous. When the old ones noticed Grey had not come in from her labors and did not take her place at the evening meal with the other workers around the campfire, a couple of young girls were sent out to find her. Soon they were hurrying back with the news that she was very ill and needed someone.

The old women went to Grey and brought more covers with them, not wanting to take her into the campsite for fear she would infect the others. They believed evil had made her ill, and they needed to protect the family. The old women tried to keep Grey warm and take care of her until she was well or dead. They made a small camp for her at the river’s edge so they could bathe Grey and keep her as cool as possible. The old women informed the others of Grey’s illness, and a few of the women set up a sleeping place for themselves and settled in for the night. Morning came, but the sun did not rise. With fear and wonder, the family began to talk about why there was no sun, and the decision was that Grey did not sing this day, and the sun not know when it was time to rise and shine on the land. They had forgotten that before Grey came to them, the sun was always up and ready for the day. The mayor came into the small camp of women that had been prepared to help heal Grey. He tried to talk to her, but the women forbade him, saying that she had the pain of stomach that a demon enemy of the sun had given her so that night would rule the day. Grey moaned a lot from her pain, and she could keep nothing down. The women had dug a hole near Grey for her to be sick in, and when Grey used the hole, she would push some dirt on top so as to not let the old women see what she had eaten. When evening came, there was still no sun, and the family became very worried and began the song of healing for Grey. Grey asked for more water, and when the old women gave her water, she very carefully took her antidote from the clothing and drank the mixture and then the water. Instantly, Grey began vomiting into the hole again. She kept covering the vomit caused by the poison berries as it was flying out of her body, and she did not want the evidence of what she had done to be known by the old women. Finally, Grey was exhausted, and she lay down and slept. The old women noticed Grey was more at rest, and she no longer moaned, so the old women lay down and rested, believing the worst was over and Grey would be getting well soon. Morning came, and the mayor of the family stood near the old women. They watched as Grey built a lean-to near where she stood and sang to wake up the

sun. Then they watched as Grey raised high above her head the blanket she slept under. She folded it and put it into the lean-to and then raised her spare clothing and did the same thing, thus beginning her collection of items for her trip home, and no one was the wiser. The mayor and the old women decided that Grey was making offerings to the sun god, so they allowed her to continue. After a few times of raising objects and putting them into the lean-to, the sun began rising, and a great shout came from the mayor, who believed Grey had called the sun to shine on the land, and the sun obeyed. He was happy and vowed to help Grey with her offerings, and he turned and went back to the morning fire to let his people know what he had seen. The old women now knew they were caring for a medicine woman with great power, so much power that she commanded the sun when to get up to begin the day. Many of the people were fooled on this day. Grey began making her offerings each morning to the sun. The lean-to that Grey had built was filling up faster than she had expected. She watched as the mayor and others from the family brought their offerings and reverently placed them into the lean-to. When this lean-to was full, Grey began working on another small lean-to. She now had a problem; the people were making sacrifices to the sun god, and she felt guilty at deceiving them in this manner. Grey wanted to ask someone about her dishonesty and scruples in this situation, but there was no one available.

RED Red watched as Grey built the lean-to and wondered about her intent. He wanted to know if she was planning on staying in this area or if it was something to use temporarily. Many days, he watched as the items were put in the lean-to during the day and Grey took them out and hid them late at night. Soon he realized that she was planning to leave. He continued watching for a few more days while he prepared things he would need for a journey.

GREY During the middle month of the summer, Grey called to Wolf. She knew he was

never far away, although during her stay with the women, he never presented himself except at night when only she knew he was near. She knew he would never leave her. When Grey called Wolf, he came, sensing that something was changing. The wolf felt that their time at this place would soon be over, and he patiently waited. The women of the family did not like having the wolf sleeping near them, but they said nothing out of respect for Grey and her powers. Grey was pleased to see that Wolf was staying with her and that she would not need to search for him when the time was right for her to leave this camp. The time to leave was fast approaching. Grey had chosen a week when all the men and the stronger of the young women would be out hunting for the winter meat supply. She knew the ones that did not go on the hunt would be the old men and old women as well as some children. They could not leave the camp to search for her because there would not be enough manpower. Grey had been left alone almost all the time since her illness. She knew that by the time a search party could be gotten together to search for her, she would be long gone and very far away. If she prepared the escape scene properly, they would not believe she had run away. They would think the sun took her. The day approached, the day chosen by Grey for leaving these people. She was excited and barely able to contain her exuberance. On this day, Grey did not stay long around the evening campfire. When it came to the evening meal, Grey gobbled her food so fast she needed water to wash the food into her stomach. Grey secreted many pieces of food into a small pouch under her clothing, hoping that no one would see. She filled the pouch so full of food the drawstring would not close. She hurried back to her bedding and tried to fall asleep, but the excitement of the journey she was beginning would not let her sleep, so she faked sleep. While Grey’s mind was keeping her awake, the rest of the camp were preparing to rest. When the camp was quiet and all were sleeping, she arose and quietly slipped away from the area filled with sleeping women. Grey was motioning for Wolf to follow her, and she watched him as he walked around the women and stepped outside with Grey. The moon was black with no light shining except in the fire pits. Grey began walking, careful where she put her feet, as she did not want to step on anything that would make a noise, such as a leaf, a stick, or an animal.

RED The only person that saw Grey on this night was Red. He waited for her to enter the trees before he went down to the camp to destroy the lean-to that Grey used for gathering supplies for her trip. Red tossed the pieces of the lean-to into the water and let them float down the river. Red then took a leafy branch and began brushing away all the footprints that Grey and Wolf had left behind. He then took all the leaves off a branch, which he had used to clean the pathway, and dropped them one at a time into the river, watching them float away. Red was leaving no marks from his steps as he went into the wooded area, tossing all the stripped branches into the forest and covering them with a new fallen tree. He reached his horse and supplies and once again began the journey to his home. He was being careful, not wanting to make any noise that Grey might hear. He did not want her to become frightened that she was being followed. Red knew Wolf felt him following them and also knew Wolf was his friend, as Wolf had spent almost all of his time with Red while Grey was in the camp. While Red was following Grey, he decided he should go into the water with his horse. The movement of the water would wipe out all his tracks. At the water’s edge, Red was being very careful not to leave any footprints in the dirt. He walked into the water, making sure he was staying in the shallows while following Grey and this helped him focus more on Grey than watching where he put his feet. Red could hear her movements and knew she was going in the right direction. He worried that she was making too much noise but decided that since they were quite a distance away from the camp, she should be safe. Red walked a long time, and when the chill of the night combined with the running water of the river had him shivering, he decided they were far enough away from the camp for him to be safe, and he pulled up on the bank and continued following Grey. Red went over all of his actions during the night to make sure he left nothing behind that would give any clue as to the direction Grey traveled. He studied his actions in the camp and around the lean-to. His mind followed his trail through the water’s edge all the way to where he was, at this time, and he could not think of anything that he might have done in error. Red knew his job, and he was good at what he had been trained to accomplish. Red was to protect and watch over Grey, and he knew that he was doing all that was possible.

Red searched for any marks that Grey might have made during the night that needed to be erased. He had lost her path once when he was cleaning up the area in the camp, and this worried him, as he did not want to lose her again. Red knew Grey was in a new beginning of her life, and he was present to see this transformation. This pleased him. Red had wondered about the people he had chosen for his family, and now he would see firsthand a child growing to adulthood. Red was extremely interested in the outcome. Grey was on the path returning to her people, and she would be learning as she traveled. Grey would become a spirit healer, and from all Red had heard, she would be powerful. Red was thinking that this might be something he should learn, so he intended to pay close attention to all she did and to study all she accomplished. After a while, he did not see any marks of Grey traveling. He was beginning to turn around and retrace his steps to look for where he had lost her trail. There in front of him was Wolf; he was standing very still watching him. Red began following him. The animal started walking again along the trail Grey had taken. Wolf was showing that he trusted Red. Periodically, Wolf would stop and look toward Red, and then he would turn back toward Grey again, knowing he was being followed. Somehow Red knew that Wolf wanted him to follow and that the animal would take him to Grey. He felt the wolf and he were of the same spirit. The two of them were to guide and protect Grey as she made her way through life.

GREY After walking all day, Grey knew she would need to stop soon for the evening. Grey began scanning the horizon for a place to rest when she saw an outcropping of rocks. She started walking toward the rocks. She would be spending the night in this area to strengthen her for the next day’s travel. Running ahead of her, Wolf rushed each animal and bird that was in her path. Seeing a small rabbit, Wolf began the chase. The rabbit ran in one direction and then turned to another direction, and Wolf followed. The rabbit made the chase exciting for Wolf. Wolf lost sight of his mission while chasing the rabbit and gave the wolf cry when the rabbit was cornered. He was going in for the kill, and then Grey called him. He stopped, mid-lunge; his game with the rabbit was finished. Wolf turned to look at Grey, and the rabbit took this opportunity to disappear. Wolf ed Grey,

and he turned back to clearing the path for her to walk toward the outcropping rocks. Wolf was careful to keep a watch for snakes. Grey saw a small rodent on the ground near a huge boulder, and here she dropped her pack and rested her shoulders for a few moments. Then, knowing she needed to prepare the site for the evening meal, Grey went to find sticks and leaves for a fire. Once the area was to her liking, Grey made her meal and settled herself for the night. Alone now, left to his own devices, Wolf called to the night, and after hearing no answer to his call, he decided to go to Grey and rest. Wolf turned around a few times and shifted his body weight once or twice and then settled down for the evening. Excited and worried about what tomorrow morning would bring, Grey needed to make plans for the direction she was going to travel, although this did not happen. Instead of planning, sleep came and silenced her thoughts.

CHAPTER 9

Samson’s people knew that they did not have time to spend lamenting the loss of Grey. One day of singing and honoring Grey was all they could spare, and when evening came, they celebrated the marriage of Grey with the sun, believing that the sun needed Grey in order to begin the day. They believed that Grey had been taken out of their lives to live with the sun because of her adoration in her morning prayers and her kindness to all living beings. Grey was finally traveling in search of her family. Happiness filled her, and she smiled as she laughed aloud. Morning broke, and Grey began her very first song of freedom. After her prayers, she enjoyed fixing her meal to break the fast of the night. She repacked the few items she had taken out of her pack the day before. Then she began walking again, thinking that she needed to find a faster way to travel. She knew the horse could not carry her equipment and her; it was not young or strong. Grey started watching for a gift from the guardians, her spirit protectors. All was silent. This worried Grey since she knew that there should be more animal and bird sounds in the early morning as dawn smiled across the land. She wondered what was happening that would cause the wild life to hide. ing the storm that caused her so much trouble many days ago, Grey began watching the sky. As Grey was checking the distant mountains and looking at the ground for anything to tell her what might be coming, she felt a change in the wind. Grey ed how ill she became from the earlier storm and the reason why she was taken to live with Samson’s family. Grey did not want to do a repeat of the same thing. She was going to be very careful and find suitable shelter for this storm. Grey noticed the clouds gathering and filling the sky until no blue could be seen. The wind began blowing just softly at first and then stronger, picking up leaves that swirled around her feet. Twirling around and loving the feel of the wind blowing in her hair and bellowing her garments, she was happy. Laughing

loudly, Grey let her excitement of being free flow out from her as she danced in the wind. She was free, and she was happy, and it showed in all her movements.

RED Red came over the ridge and saw her dancing in the wind. She was laughing and singing. He was mesmerized, and he stood and watched until he ed that he was her shadow and to stay hidden from Grey. He looked around to find a place to hide until she decided her next move. He wanted to be close enough to help if she needed his help, and he did not want to lose her on the trail.

GREY The gentle breeze had disappeared, and in its place, dust devils formed with a force that stung her face, eyes, and arms. Debris was thrown all around the landscape. The blowing wind did not cool her body; instead it began pushing and pulling her, making it impossible for her to walk. She raised a piece of cloth to cover her head and some of her face as she hunted for a safe place to make camp. The wind began blowing harder, picking up in strength. Grey stopped walking and began watching the sky with more interest. Grey called Wolf to come to her and searched for shelter. She needed to find higher ground, a safer place that would not blow away during a big storm, a place that would not cause her to lose all that she had gathered. Looking up into the hills, she spied an outcropping of rocks. Gathering all her belongings, she and Wolf ran for higher ground and crawled under an overhang for protection. The outcropping had three sides to it, and she walked in and found that she could stand up inside. It was like a small cave built for protection. The rain began in big drops few and far between, and she decided that if the wind and the storm got worse, she could put branches up to hold back some of storm’s destruction. She went into the rain and began gathering the needed supplies for a fire and to shelter her small horse. It started to rain harder, and a deluge of water poured over the land. By the time Grey and Wolf finished preparing the shelter and gathering enough twigs and limbs for a shelter door as

well as the fire, they were drenched. The wind blew rain in every direction, as if the wind could not decide the direction to blow. Grey tied the horse off to the east side of the shelter and gave it some food while thinking she should give it a name later. Grey and Wolf went to the west side of the shelter and made a small fire for warmth and food. While the fire was warming the shelter, Grey pulled some of the branches to the north of the shelter for a makeshift doorway, and this she covered with a few pieces of fur blanket. The shelter was cozy and dry although a little cramped. Grey and Wolf sat on the small shelf of stone behind the fire. Here the top of the small room angled down close to the ground.

RED Red was also hunting for a place to rest until the rain and wind stopped. He saw the overhang of rocks up the side of a small mountain. Running with his head down to protect his eyes from the wind and the rain, he did not see Grey as she entered the small shelter with her arms full of branches. The wind was so loud Grey did not see or hear Red as he ran into the shelter. Wolf did not bark a warning bark because he knew Red and was happy to see him as he came toward them. Wolf was not worried. Grey felt the presence of another person, and when she turned and saw Red, she was startled. Grey jumped and let out a scream. When Grey jumped, her head hit the overhang with such force that she was knocked out, and she fell to the dirt and did not move. Wolf whined and began licking Grey’s face. Red went over to Grey to move her away from the fire into a safer area. He bent over Grey, trying to awaken her, and when he could not, he covered Grey with his blanket. Red then pulled another blanket out of his pack, and using some large branches that he had found lying around the outer area of the outcropping, he made the small shelter more secure from the wind and the rain. He then built a bigger fire to keep the two of them warm and to dry out their wet clothing. After Red finished preparing the shelter, he went back to assist Grey. All throughout the night, it rained. The wind buffeted the blanket that was used to seal the shelter entrance, and small drops of rain found their way into the shelter. The dirt was covered with small rain puddles growing larger and filling the shelter with mud. With every gust of wind and rain, the puddles grew larger

until there were very few dry places on the dirt floor. The mud was tracked in a straight line from Grey to the fire pit where Red kept a pot of herbs and meat boiling in broth, ready for Grey when she needed nourishment. The wind and rain became more severe. Red worked all night to keep the fire burning. Each time the fire sizzled when water from the storm landed in the flames; Red would stand and stir the fire as he added more fuel. By morning, Red was exhausted. The fire had burned down to just embers, and all the dry wood had been used up during the night. The small shelter was becoming chilly. Red needed to find more fuel. He went to the entrance of the shelter to see what the day had turned into, and he noticed the sky was still black. The storm raged on with a fury that turned day into nighttime. Grey still slept, and Wolf was near, keeping her safe and warm with his body heat. Red was worried because Grey had not awakened during the night, and he was not schooled in the healing of the body. He was a fighter and a guardian, not a healer. Red was trying to figure out what he needed to do to help Grey get well. His mind told him nothing except to be present if she needed him, to keep the fires lit for warmth and cooking, and to protect them against the seen and unseen. Red decided to go out in the storm to locate more wood for the fire, as it would need time to dry. Being extremely tired, Red went to his bedding and sat down, holding his head while he rubbed his shoulders. He began studying the storm. After a few moments, he realized that the storm was becoming angrier and would be blasting the last bit of its fury across the landscape. Bolts of lightning were shattering the darkness. The rolling thunder was so loud and fierce it brought demons from the bowels of the earth to tear up the land with the wind from its mouth. Red did not know how long this storm would go on before calming down to a small, continuous drizzle. Feeling as if there was nothing more he could do, Red wrapped his blanket around his body to seal in his warmth and keep out the dampness. He sat down to consider his predicament. Red enjoyed the fury and the fight of the storm more than the drizzle, dripping, and dampness the aftermath would bring. He felt a storm gave energy to the mind and the body if it contained enough fury and was filled with lightning and thunder. A good storm would have enough excitement in it to cause his spirit to jump with energy. All three of them, Grey, Wolf, and Red, slept until the rain ended completely. Red was awakened by the continuous quiet—no thunder, no lightning, and no drizzle of rain. Red called Wolf, and as Wolf was nuzzling his hand, he heard

Grey moan. Red jerked his head around and moved closer to Grey. He touched her shoulder to bring her into full consciousness. She opened her eyes, and he saw the pain in them. Her headache was filling her face with agony. Very carefully, she began raising her body into a sitting position. Red started talking to her, and she motioned for him to be silent. Her mind was not ready to think. She held her head and moaned again, feeling her scalp for evidence of injury. Suddenly her mind clicked, and she answered him, wanting to know how he knew her language. She was thinking he had been sent to help her by one of the guardians. Red did not answer her; he was ing his promise to the elders. The elders were wiser than Red and knew she needed to do this journey. Red knew he would need to disappear as soon as she was safe enough to continue on alone.

GREY Slowly Grey began moving about and becoming more herself. She knew he spoke her language. This brought a memory that was not very clear, and since thinking hurt, she settled for a little broth and a lot of resting with no thinking. While she consumed the herb-filled broth, her strength began returning, and the pallor was leaving her face. Grey began questioning why the guardians sent her this person to help. Or maybe he was one of the guardians. She decided that Red was supposed to be helping guide her home. Maybe she was lost and did not realize the danger. She could be on a wrong path, and until the weather cleared and the pain in her head went away, she was not able to concentrate. He had come during this storm. She ed what had happened during the last storm and how the illness still had her somewhat weak. She decided to wait until she felt better for answers to all of her questions. She was beginning to worry that she would always need help during a storm, and this could be a major weakness. Grey weakly settled her body on her blanket, closed her eyes, and fell into a healing sleep. All the things that had been disturbing her melted away into the distant blackness of sleep.

RED Grey slept, and every few hours Red would stand over Grey and listen to see if she was breathing. Red was doing his job as best as he knew how. When time permitted, he would learn what to do in an emergency like this. Red had a broth mixture of jerky meat and herbs, which he carried in his pack at all times. All he needed was water for him to cook a healthy, filling meal. Red was always prepared with this mixture and used it when he was out camping and traveling. Since the rain was plentiful, he did not need to hunt for water, and Red opened his food pouch to begin preparing a meal for the two of them and also some meat for the wolf. He encountered a problem. He had nothing big enough to cook the amount of food that was needed for the three of them. Red went to his pony pack, which was lying next to his pony. He pulled out the pouch that was used to feed the pony, thinking it might work to cook food in, but thinking ahead, he decided it would burn and be destroyed in the fire, and the water from the pouch would ruin the coals in the fire pit, and there would be no fire until everything dried. As it was, the branches that he had gathered earlier were still too wet to use, so he needed to be careful with the small amount of fuel he had available. Red had brought his pony inside the overhang stone slab. Many times in his life, he had depended on his pony to keep him alive, and he believed the care of his pony was paramount to life. While feeding both of the animals, he made sure they were still secured and safe, and then he went back to the fire. Red had a basket he had made during his travels, and after picking up the basket, he went to the small puddle of water and began soaking the basket until all of the weaving had swollen and would hold water. After filling the basket with water from the drippings off the rock ledge, he added the herbs and meat. Red placed some hot rocks on the outside rim of the fire and laid the basket on the rock. Then he took two hot rocks and put them inside of the basket to heat the soup mixture. Red continually mixed the food and added more water when needed. Soon the food began giving off the aroma of dinner. He wondered if Grey would be well enough to eat something. Walking over to where she dozed, he hoped she was hungry, and as he touched her arm to awaken her, he studied her face. She did have some color in her face. That was good.

Grey arose and stretched her arms out as she sniffed the air, and her stomach growled when she caught the whiff of food. Red smiled as he handed her one of the cups she had carried. It was full of meat, herbs, and broth. They ate in silence until their hunger was sated. Then while cleaning up the remains of their meal, which Wolf devoured, Red asked her how her head felt, and a discussion began between the two of them. They talked until Grey became tired, and with a full stomach and a feeling of being safe, Grey slept. Red decided that he would rest, so he banked the fire coals. He placed pieces of hard wood over the hot coals and then covered the complete mixture with a light dusting of ashes. After telling Wolf to guard them, he lay down and very soon was asleep. Red slept deeply, knowing that if there were any dangers Wolf would alert him. Later in the night, Red awoke. He felt rested. Peacefulness filled him until his mind cleared of the heaviness of sleep, and then awareness of the situation had his mind jumping from one thought to another. A small memory of his mission crossed his mind, and pushing his body into an upright standing position, he went to stir the coals of the fire and warm up their shelter. Red collected the bowl and put in water and dried herbs. He was going to make tea for Grey. Setting the bowl on a stone near the fire, he turned the bowl many times to keep the sides from burning while the water heated. Once or twice, he picked up some hot stones by using wet branches to hold them. With these, he dropped the stones into the water. When the tea was ready, he took it to Grey to drink. He touched her to awaken her, and after she drank, she fell back asleep. He went back to the fire and poured himself the rest of the tea and drank. Red sat next to the fire and studied his thoughts. He stirred the fire and added more wood. In the center of the fire, Red saw a shadow emerge. The shadow grew until it was life size. It changed into a wolf and was stalking a prey. Red watched fascinated with all he was seeing. He knew he was seeing a vision, although he did not know what to learn from it yet. Red collected more water and placed some dried meat and herbs in the bowl. He sat the mix onto a hot rock for cooking. He checked the bowl many times to add water and more herbs and waited for the vision to return. He added more wood to make bigger flames, but the vision never returned. The wind began howling, and the rain started falling again. The force of the rain

and the cold wind was giving a great chill to the air. Red did not want to lose the fire, as he did not think he would be able to find enough dry grass to build another one, so he needed to be vigilant. After some time, while Red was waiting for the bowl to heat the meat soup, Red thought he heard an odd noise. He began checking the dry areas for some unwanted creatures that might have been drawn to the light of the fire. He could not think of an animal that would be out in this storm. Wolf was up and sniffing the air, walking to the edge of the shelter and back toward Red. Wolf went again to the opening and howled. Red watched the animal and wondered if his actions had anything to do with his vision, or was he dreaming while awake? After searching the small area, he finally found what was producing the noise. It was the bowl of water and food bubbling and sizzling. The surprised look on his face told anyone who could see that he had not been expecting this reaction from the mix of the fire, water, and food, although it did smell good, and he was hungry. Wolf caught the scent of food and moved next to Red to check out the noise and maybe get a little bit of food. Red picked up the stick that he used to poke the fire and stirred the food again as his mouth began salivating and his stomach began growling, and then he moved the bowl away from the fire to cool. Grey was awake and asked him to leave the food near the fire and to add more water to the bowl. Red turned to look at her, and she again said to leave the bowl and just add more water. When he just stared at her, she gestured to the bowl and to the water pouch and made a pouring sign. She slowly got up from where she had been sleeping and took the stirring stick from him. She picked up the water pouch, and as she was pouring water into the bowl, she stirred the food and sniffed. Grey acknowledged that she was very hungry and that she knew if she ate the food now, the meat would be too hard to chew, and the action would bring back the pain in her head and neck, a pain she wanted to avoid. Red noticed a change in Grey, and he understood that she wanted to know what made the noise she had heard.

GREY Grey became very still, and her mind was rushing to comprehend what she had

heard. Thinking she had heard Red speaking, she kept quiet, waiting for him to speak again. She was not positive about what she had heard. Memories of her childhood filled her with emotion. She believed this feeling came because she was not well, and with a symbolic movement, she brushed away the thoughts. Grey busied herself with cleaning up the small shelter, her mind continuing to try to understand what she had heard. She attempted to hide her weakness, although Red noticed, and out of comion, he turned his back to be a gentleman. With strength of character, she put her emotions back where they belonged and forced calm into her body. She struggled with herself, blinking away the blurriness her tears had caused and swallowing many times to bring her voice back from the shakiness when she spoke. She told Red that she did not understand why this accident would cause her such a loss of emotions, and she calmed her mind. This accomplished, she tried to calm her insides as well. She knew that, with a little effort, this also would , and once again she would be in control of her emotions and her body. She wondered what she had heard and why she heard it. Now she needed to think. She went over to the fire and stirred in more wood, hoping to find an answer. After a while, Grey declared the bowl of broth, meat, herbs, and root vegetables ready to eat. They sat together, each sipping from the bowl and using their fingers to pull meat and vegetables from the broth, careful not to put their fingers into their mouth, and they ate and drank until they were satisfied. It was hard to know the time of day since the darkness had filled the sky for many hours, so feeling tired, they decided to rest until morning.

RED The next morning when day broke, the beauty of the sun was just appearing in the sky, and Red watched Grey rise from her sleeping area, go out of the shelter, and begin her morning song ritual. Red felt he was watching a sacred moment and wondered if Grey was a child of a holy one because when she sang, the earth sang, and the energy of the wind picked up the song and blew the music to the four corners of the land.

GREY

She was happy. She was free. She was on the road home. She was with a guide that had been sent from the guardians to help her finish her journey. She had been given information on growing food and herbs. She looked forward to her next journey when she would find her purpose. She was alive, and that pleased her spirit, so she smiled and sang louder.

RED Three more days Red would give her before he showed her the way to her family’s camp, and then he would disappear from her sight into the surrounding wilderness. Red believed that her growing time was not finished, and she needed to continue on her own without his help. Red left the sheltered area to hunt for food. Food was one of the necessities for both of them, and he began hunting for both meat and plants. A deer approached the grassy area, eating as it went, not paying attention to its surroundings. The deer was feeling safe and free, hunger closing its eyes to danger. Grey watched enchanted by the moment, loving the delicate way the hooves were placed on the ground, the color of its fur, and the silent way it fell when the arrow that pierced its heart claimed its life in an instant death.

GREY Grey jumped. She knew the animal was needed for food, but her heart was still broken as she watched it die. Grey placed her hands on the animal and sent a thank you prayer to the deer and to the spirit that lived on the earth. Grey began singing a song of thanks to the animal as she watched Red gather the deer in his arms and carry it to an area next to their shelter to be cleaned and prepared for food.

RED When Red came up to the deer, he raised his face to the heavens and sang a song of thanks to the earth for this gift of food. He had noticed that Grey had done the

same, but she had given thanks for the life of the deer, not just for the fact that the deer was now going to become their sustenance. While working on the deer, Red decided that seven suns rising would be needed to prepare the meat for them to travel. Red and Grey worked silently together until the complete deer carcass was cleaned and prepared, and then Red made strips of the meat to use for drying. He placed them on the grass to dry to become deer jerky. Deer jerky was easy to use when traveling. This meat was a favorite of his, and Wolf appeared to like it too. He had watched Grey give him many pieces to enjoy, depleting their food supply. Red was wondering if Wolf would lose his ability to find food if she continued spoiling him. He worried that Grey was making Wolf too dependent on her for life. The meat was ready. It took five days to cure, not seven. Red gave a pouch full of the meat to Grey; he had made the strong pouch from reed strips that were double braided. He also gave Grey one of the basket bowls that he had made, for her to use as she wished. After dividing the food items and showing Grey the path to her family, Red took his pony and left Grey to finish her journey. He wished her safe travels and said that if she needed him, to sing the morning sun song and tell the sun what she needed, and he would be back to help. When Red left, he did not look back.

GREY Grey decided to not waste time lamenting the loss of Red. He was her friend, but now she needed to move on in the direction toward her family. Red had shown her, by drawing in the dust of the earth, her directions home, and she had committed the small map to memory.

CHAPTER 10

Once again, Grey felt abandoned. This time she was not afraid. She knew if help was needed, Red would come. He had given her his word, and she believed his promise. For days, Grey walked. She followed the directions Red had given to her. She studied the stars each night as Red had taught her to do, and her journey, she hoped, would soon be finished. Grey watched the clouds as they swirled in and out and around the sky. She searched the land on all sides of her for anything unusual that should not be present. She studied the ground for tracks that should not be in the soil. She listened to the animals, birds, and wind. She also listened for snakes slithering among the brush. The one sound she feared more than any other was the rattling of the rattlesnake’s tail, the sound it made before striking its victim. It was strange, she thought, that the tinkling sound of water running over rocks was the very same sound that a rattlesnake made. She had heard the water over the rock sound once in her travels. She knew that many times life was lost when the rattlesnake injected its venom into an unsuspecting body. The poison of a rattlesnake’s bite was strong, and her people did not have a cure. Sometimes the bite would be dry, meaning the snake bite left no poison in the wound. A dry bite happened when the rattlesnake was an older, more experienced snake and knew to save its venom for food and its own safety. A younger snake has not yet learned to do that. A young snake, just like a young child, has a lot of learning to do in order to survive the laws of the land. Snakes did not have an adult to teach them protection. The “eat or be eaten” law that they lived by was pure instinct. Many times the young vipers put all their energy into the first strike and saved nothing for later. When this was done, they lost the battle and many times their life. When this long and arduous day was ending, Grey decided to rest for the night. She was exhausted and needed sleep. After searching the area, she found a great spot for a campsite. Seeing a surrounding of big boulders, she decided that this would be perfect for her, Wolf, and the horse. She used her blanket for a

makeshift roof and one of her garments for the door, and in this place she felt a little safer though somewhat still exposed. After feeding herself and the animals, she hobbled the horse, again pondering over a name for the horse. Then she went inside the shelter, and when Wolf entered the small shelter, calm settled upon her, and she instantly fell asleep. Morning dawned, and the sky was filled with crimson clouds that reached into the distant horizon. She knew as she prepared to travel that this day would be different. The air had a strange and electric energy, filling her with anticipation. She felt there could be a life-changing experience today. She felt everything surging, filling her with a surreal energy. This unknown and unusual energy had her excited and watchful and curious. She began watching for anything strange and unsuspecting by way of events or objects. Her body and her mind felt that this day might be a day of testing. The weather was unusual and unpredictable—rain drizzling, sun, wind, and then all three at once. She tried to predict which would happen next, and many times she was wrong. She was learning the unusual behaviors of weather. She traveled through all of the weather changes with her eyes alert. Her determination to keep her feet moving in the right direction pushed her forward into the unknown. When exhaustion enveloped her, she stopped to rest. Many times, she fell asleep instantly, surrounded by her belongings and with Wolf standing guard over her. Sometimes Wolf would doze off in a half sleep. The horse was getting slower, and often Grey would take items off the horse’s back and carry them herself or leave them behind. Grey found a nest of quail eggs and carefully gathered them up and put them in her reed bowl. Grey surrounded them with wild grass and dirt to hold them and to keep them from breaking as she traveled. Her mind went over the ways to fix the eggs, and she hoped she would not be too tired to cook. On this particular day, when exhaustion took over her body, Grey decided to take a two-day rest. She made this decision with much thought, figuring it would be best for all of them to take a longer rest. Grey had noticed that her mind was as tired as her body, and she was not paying attention to the landscape and the dangers surrounding the area. She was a walking victim. Grey took time to search the area, and after finding a perfect spot, she began preparing a resting place. The shelter she made for her and Wolf was big enough for them and a few items she would bring in for their comfort. Although the shelter looked sturdy,

Grey was not pleased. She felt something was amiss. Grey attended to the horse. She fed and watered the horse and brushed its coat while checking for bugs and then settled it down for the night. She began walking toward the shelter and checking her work at a distance. Something was not right. Wolf also picked up an unusual vibration of danger, and when he saw Grey walking toward the entryway of the shelter, he jumped up and began nosily growling and howling. Grey, thinking Wolf was hunting, kept walking toward the shelter entrance. When Wolf jumped up and pushed against her body, she was startled and lost her footing. Grey fell so hard the air was pushed from her body, and she was mentally dazed. Wolf ran toward the shelter growling, and before him was a huge snake, coiled up tight and ready to strike. Wolf grabbed it, and in the process of killing the snake, Wolf was bitten. Wolf cried in pain as the venom entered his body. He lay on the ground thrashing as the venom moved further up his bloodstream. Coming to her senses, Grey panicked and knew Wolf was going to die if something wasn’t done for him and fast. She tried to calm her panic, knowing that in a state of panic she might not make a right decision. Then a cloud of calm came over her, and she began ing small bits and pieces of things people had told her when they discussed snake bites. Nothing she ed was making sense. Trying to think of what to do, she went to her pack of herbs. While searching her herb pack, she called on the one spirit of all to help. While pulling the herbs from her pack, she again called loudly for help. Her mind started moving faster and faster, and she was traveling as her body stood still. She did not recognize this place. It was filled with people in white. One person came over to her and was speaking but not talking, infusing her mind with thoughts. She understood everything the person was saying; it was so logical. She was told about which plants to choose and how to apply them to Wolf’s leg. Then she was back looking into her pack. Wondering what was happening to her; she jerked her mind back to Wolf and decided she would think about everything later when the crisis was over. Wolf needed her now. She began pulling out of her pack some willows bark and a wild plant called rattlesnake plantain. Grey put both on a flat rock and began pounding and mixing them together and making a poultice for Wolf. When the herbs were ready, she grabbed a bit of yarrow, and after mixing this into the poultice, she did a little more pounding. Thinking the yarrow would help with the pain, as Wolf made another loud howl, Grey prepared more yarrow to put directly on the wound. Grey hurried faster. Taking the mixture to her wolf, Grey

watched as the blood made rivulets down Wolf’s leg. She began gently washing the outside of the wound, wanting to remove any venom that was on the outside of the skin. Then, covering the wound with the mixture and wrapping the leg with a piece of material, Grey made sure the binding was tight. Grabbing one of the quail eggs, she carefully cracked it open. She poured the contents of the egg into one of her small bowls and mixed into it some yarrow. She gave the mixture to Wolf to help with the pain. Lifting Wolf up into her arms, she carried him to the water’s edge. Grey placed Wolf on the ground and began digging into the mud, making a depression for Wolf to rest inside. Grey was thinking fast, knowing that soon the infection might take over Wolf’s body, producing a fever. As she placed Wolf into the mud bed, he was whimpering and crying with pain and trying hard not to move. Covering Wolf with mud from head to toe, Grey was careful with his leg. Although the leg was wrapped, she still did not want to take the chance of getting mud into the wound. Grey began pouring a little bit of water on his body to keep the mud wet and cool. His crying in pain was weaker as the yarrow worked through his body. She knew the fever was coming, and it would be a long, hard night for the two of them. Grey was dreading the coming of morning, worried that Wolf might not be with her. Sadness engulfed her heart. All night, Grey stayed awake, attending to Wolf. She poured water over Wolf and gently dribbled yarrow water down his throat to keep him hydrated and calm. Grey monitored his every move. During the night, she felt hungry and thirsty but would not leave Wolf’s side. Grey had built a small fire near her and decided to cook the remaining quail eggs. She needed food to help her keep her strength, and quail eggs were full of protein. She would also make herself some energy herbal tea. After taking a bowl and filling it with water, she sat the bowl near the fire. Picking up some stones from the fire, she dropped them into the bowl. This would help the water heat faster. After cracking all the eggs and mixing them with herbs, she dropped them into the hot water. After a short time, the soup was ready to eat. After stirring the soup with a small stick, she set it aside for cooling. While drinking the soup, Grey took great care to save more than half for Wolf. Taking the soup to Wolf, she tried to get him to drink, but he would not. He was almost comatose. Panicking, she held his mouth and dripped a small amount of the mixture down his throat. He swallowed. Relief filled her as tears ran down her cheeks. She managed to get almost all of the broth into Wolf, and then she went to make herself some tea. While drinking her tea, Grey held Wolf until she

needed to put more wood on the fire. Going back to the fire pit, Grey finished the rest of the soup with a small amount of camp bread she had taken to carrying in her pack. Knowing she would need to keep her strength from fading while she was watching over Wolf, she was careful not to ignore her health. Then she went back to her friend Wolf and continued her vigil. All night, Grey kept cooling Wolf with water and helping him to drink. When morning was a few hours away, Grey was alarmed because Wolf would not wake up. Grey held him and cried softly as she began singing a prayer. Grey, alternating between singing and crying, finally fell asleep still holding Wolf in her arms. The air was suddenly chilled, and a huge cloud was covering the sun. The warmth that had been in the morning air had disappeared. Grey did not notice the change. Grey was working to help Wolf heal, and her mind was not on the weather. The day disappeared into night, and the icy-cold rain began soaking the land. Pain and sorrow filled her mind, body, and soul. She was heartbroken. Grey’s sobbing tore at her body as she bent over, trying to convince her friend Wolf to live. While Wolf lay with his eyes closed and his head in Grey’s hands, she began singing again, believing that singing healed. Grey put all her spirit into the song. She held Wolf and put more mud on him, covering his whole body. She was pouring water over him when she felt his heart beating. She held him closer to her body and fell asleep from exhaustion. For three days, Grey watched over Wolf. She knew he was trying to live. Wolf’s strong spirit kept fighting and responding when she talked to him in a whisper of memories. Grey told him of the birds that were flying above him and the rabbits that were playing in the fields beside him. After three long days of painstaking care, the worst came in early morning before dawn. Grey was exhausted and again fell asleep holding Wolf. While Grey was sleeping, she could not attend to her campfire, and the fire died. The coals went cold.

RED Red saw the fire disappear and became worried and began working his way toward Grey’s camp. Red called to Grey, but she did not answer. Red walked

around the campsite to see what was happening, and then he saw Grey on the ground by the river’s edge. Wondering why she was sleeping by the river, he ran over to her, and when he got close, he saw that she was embedded in the mud of the river, and beside her was Wolf. Red thought the worst as he moved closer to where they slept. Wolf did not wake up to give a warning to Grey. Seeing they were both still sleeping near the river, he wondered if there was a good reason for Wolf being embedded in mud. Red tried to wake up Grey and noticed she was sleeping so deeply nothing would awaken her. Until Grey awakened, no answers could be reached. Wanting to keep himself busy and useful, Red gathered dry grass and began to build a fire. When the fire was strong enough, he carried Grey back to the camp and covered her with the blanket, deciding to get her warm before considering the job of cleaning her mud-covered body. While he inspected her shelter area, he saw evidence of the snake, and he wondered if it was Grey or Wolf that had killed the snake. Then a thought of her being bitten by the snake had him in real fear. Red hurried to where Grey lay sleeping. He checked her arms and legs for snakebite marks and found no evidence that she had been bitten. He felt a huge surge of relief that she was not hurt. With a sinking feeling in his chest, he went toward Wolf. Red noticed, as he got closer, no evidence of life in Wolf. He touched Wolf and felt the hotness of his body and knew he was still alive. Wetting Wolf down and adding more mud, Red checked to see what Grey had been cooking for her and Wolf. Red reheated the tea for Wolf and went about the camp cleaning up all the signs of the snake. Red disposed of the snake’s head since the venom sac was still full of poison. It was not safe to have in the area. Red proceeded to prepare the snake’s body for dinner and began warming water for cleaning the mud from Grey’s body. Then Red went to where the wolf was buried in the mud. Red lifted Wolf up and saw a healing herb pouch wrapped on his leg, and he knew Wolf was the one that had been bitten and in a life battle. Red took some water from the river and dribbled a small amount into the animal’s mouth. When he felt Wolf had enough, he went back to the camp and began the process of making a meal for the three of them. Pulling the cooking bowl from his pack, he filled it with water and placed it on the fire to heat enough water for a soup broth. Searching through Grey’s belongings, he found some dried herbs and meat. These he put in the water, boiling them until soft and well cooked. Red then cooled some of the broth for Wolf. After walking to the river’s edge with the cool broth, he stooped and lifted

Wolf’s head and heard Wolf whimpering. Red new he still had life in his body, and his soul had not gone on to the next level. After working with Wolf and making him comfortable again, Red reinforced the mud pack before going back to care for Grey. She was still sleeping the very deep sleep of total exhaustion, so he left to rest. As the food was cooking around the fire, Red put more fuel on the fire and went to feed and water Grey’s horse. Then he went to help Wolf once again to stay alive. Red stayed awake all night as he watched and waited for any signs that Wolf was healing. He stayed busy—heating broth, keeping the fire burning, and continually watching the land for predators. He was keeping them safe and himself awake. Just when dawn was breaking, Red heard the wolves wail. He knew they were hunting animals that were injured or those that would be easily caught for their morning meal. They were tracking something. The wolves’ sense of smell was very strong, and they could smell Wolf’s illness. Red put more wood on the fire and threw many pieces of animal dung onto the fire to make a more dense smoke, hoping that the wolves would not come near them if the fire was stronger. Red was worrying about Wolf being so far from camp and decided Wolf needed to be inside the camp area. Red took a log off the fire planning to use it for a weapon if needed and then he went to help Wolf. He gently picked him up and brought him into their camp. Then Red went back to the river and brought some water for them to drink. The wolves were getting closer, and Red needed to keep Wolf cool. He went back to the river and carried enough mud to cover Wolf’s body. The closer the wolves got, the more vigilant Red became. He knew soon he would need to awaken Grey. Red gathered some wild sage and threw it on the fire, hoping the scent of it burning would discourage the animals from coming any closer. Each time he left his post and went into the darkness to gather more sage, one of the wolves could be heard matching each step Red took with two of its own. They moved in tandem, and Red did not see their attack until it came. Red was knocked to his knees and screamed. Grey awoke when she heard the screams of pain, and then she heard an animal yelp. She thought Wolf was in trouble, and jumping up and grabbing a huge

stick, she became disoriented and lightheaded. Grey had fallen asleep near the river, and now she was in the shelter. Going outside of the shelter, she was surprised it was nighttime. She listened to find what direction the fighting was coming from and began slowly moving toward the sound. The darkness prevented Grey from hurrying. When she heard a moan, she followed the sound, afraid of what she might find. Lying on the ground under a dead wolf was Red. He was pushing and shoving to move the weight of the dead animal from his chest. It was so dark that Grey could not see if he was hurt. Grey pulled the dead animal off Red. Then when she knew he was free, she tried lifting him, but Red was too heavy for her. Grey ran back to the shelter, picked up her blanket, and rushed back to Red, tripping and falling over another dead wolf. The moon was finally peeking from behind a dark cloud. Red had not moved, and she wondered how badly he was hurt. Grey spread the blanket on the ground beside Red. With a lot of grunting and murmuring she finally was able to roll him onto the blanket. Her hands were covered with a wet and sticky substance, and she wondered if it was blood from Red or the wolf or both of them. If the blood belonged to Red, he was in life-threatening danger. Getting Red to safety was of primary importance, and Grey was trying hard not to panic. After Red was secure on the blanket, Grey began pulling the blanket toward the camp, constantly checking around her to make sure they were safe in the darkness. Grey would stop moving every few feet and listen for anything unusual. When she was sure it was safe, she again would begin pulling the blanket forward. Then on one of her stops, she heard the wolves as they were surrounding them, keeping pace with each step she took. Soon she knew they would attack again; she needed to go faster to reach the camp. She felt fear blocking her throat. Knowing the wolves could smell fear, she tried to calm herself. This idea was not working. Her mind was out of control and her body laced with the fear. The fear took control, and Grey froze. With one last rational thought, she sucked air into her lungs for a loud scream, and then she heard a voice saying, “Sing and do not stop singing until you are inside the camp.” The voice did not belong to Grey or Red, but she obeyed. Grey began singing a song of power and strength. Grey ed the men of her family singing this song when they were working on things that were hard for them to accomplish. Then she heard a faint male voice began to sing with her, and as he sang, his voice became stronger. Now he was singing louder than

Grey, and she knew that Red would be all right, no matter how much of his life essence he had lost. His energy was full, just a little damaged. As Grey entered the camp, the wolves continued keeping pace with her, but the wolves did not attack. She placed Red near the campfire and then went to get a new log to build up the fire. After the fire reached full strength, she went to see if Wolf was healing. Wolf was still alive, and that pleased her. Then her hearing became acute, and she realized the wolves were closer. Grey did not freeze this time; she felt no fear. Grey wanted to think through the situation. She knew that fear was the enemy of all that lived, and she felt no fear at the moment and did not want fear to attach itself to her later. Grey looked around for a weapon. Finding heavy logs, she picked one up and stood ready to defend Red and guard her friend Wolf. While she was waiting, she built up the camp and kept the fire burning. She was filled with relief when the wolves did not enter her camp. She continued making little fire pits around the perimeter of her camp while singing. This went on all night, and by morning she was exhausted. Dawn washed over the landscape, and in the early morning chill, Grey breathed a sigh of relief. Filling her lungs with the clean, fresh air, she watched as clouds once again began filling the sky. Rubbing her eyes to keep away sleep, Grey continued loading wood on the fire. Then she went about warming water for the morning meal. Red watched Grey working, and gradually he stood up while ignoring the pain that filled his body. He began helping by adding fuel to the fire. Grey saw how pale he was but smiled and went to see how Wolf was doing. After the night of sheer terror, she did not think anything else could scare her, and she was ready for anything concerning Wolf. As Grey was working on Wolf, exhaustion took over her body, and she fell asleep. Red became worried because she did not come out of the shelter. He went to inside to check on Grey and Wolf and saw that Grey had fallen asleep where she sat. Moving slowly to keep the pain from his injuries at bay, Red picked up the blanket Grey had next to her and covered her body to keep the morning chill away. He continued working around the camp as he prepared food for the three of them. He also brought more water into the camp. Red was preparing for the next ambush of wolves. He believed that they were not finished with their attacks,

and the next onslaught would be during the night. He took a weapon and went outside the camp to find more food and herbs. Red was searching the area while watching for wolf tracks, trying to decide which direction they had their den. He did not see the animals, although he knew they were around. After a few hours of hunting, Red had found enough food and returned to the camp. When he reached the camp, he saw that the fire was almost gone. All that remained were embers. Picking up some twigs and a few logs, he began rebuilding the fire, and when he saw that the fire had caught and was burning brightly, he sat down. Red began to examine his injuries from the night before, and while covering them with healing herbs, he decided that they were not serious and he would be healed in a few days. After a while, Red stood up and began preparing for another siege of animals attacking the camp. Grey would not have the strength to fight off the animals alone, and he needed to prepare as much as possible before evening came and the wolves began hunting. He was hoping that they would not come a second time, but if they did come, he would be ready. Red was very busy and did not see Grey come out of the shelter after waking from her sleep. He also did not see her wash her face in the river, and he did not see her as she stood up straight and raised her arms in the daily prayer. Because Red was busy, he also did not see Wolf raise his body on very shaky legs and walk slowly and jerkily to the river’s edge. Red did not see Wolf lie down and drink the fresh cold water from the river and then sit and wait for Grey to finish bathing before returning to camp. While Wolf was near the river, he went into the water and lay down, letting the water swirl around him. Wolf washed as much mud from his body as he could manage. Grey watched as the mud melted and drifted away, cleaning his fur and cooling his body. Then she went to Wolf and rubbed the remaining mud from his fur. Wolf gave Grey a nudge as his tongue licked her hand, thanking her for the care she had given him. Grey and Wolf were a team again, and she smiled as she sang her prayers. This Red heard. When Red finally saw Grey, he smiled, and then he noticed Wolf. Wolf was moving very slowly, but he was up and moving, Red smiled again, and a fleeting moment of happiness filled him. Needing something to do, Red reached for the dirty blanket Grey had used to move him to the camp. He took the blanket to the water’s edge and scrubbed it as much as he could before taking it back to the camp. Red found a small boulder and left the blanket to dry.

Red helped Grey prepare a meal since evening was fast approaching. Both Grey and Red were worried about what the night might bring. They needed to eat in order to keep up their strength, and they fixed enough food to have plenty of leftovers for the morning meal. As Red was helping prepare the food, he noticed the air getting colder, and he rubbed his arms. Red knew that soon it would be too late to follow the trail to where the family was staying for the winter. Without the protection of the family, the two of them might not have a very good winter. He had a decision to make. He was still in pain and did not want this to hamper their travels. The wind began twisting the smoke from the campfire into little tornadoes as another storm gathered. Red made the shelter stronger, as it would need to withstand the storm as well as wild animals. Red went to Wolf, picked him up, and carried him inside the shelter. Then he began digging a depression in the center of the shelter in order to move some of the fire inside. When Red was finished digging the pit, he filled the small depression with stones. He then positioned a few flat stones in the center for them to use when cooking. Red placed some sticks and logs around the rim of the pit and then taking two sticks he carefully picked up a hot coal from the outside fire and carrying it to the newly built fire pit he laid the coal on the logs to build a new fire. Placing the items inside the rock circle, he waited until the logs began burning before he was satisfied with his work. Red began bring water into the shelter to store for emergencies. Looking around the shelter, he felt it was ready for the night. The air in the shelter was warming and felt cozy. Red’s whole body wanted to lie down and enjoy a long sleep, but now was not the time. He needed to finish his work; he could sleep later. While Grey was opening her bag of herbs, she was also watching Red work. She threw some dried meat into the cooking pots. Then she began busying herself by preparing the food. Not wanting to think about the coming night, she gave the food more attention than was necessary. Grey felt the change in the air and believed that storms were her nemeses because every time she was hurt or ill, it came from a storm. Grey was worried. After Red made a place for Wolf and Grey to rest inside the shelter, he made a place for himself. Going outside again, Red picked up a larger burning stick from the outside fire pit and went around the camp, lighting some of the bushes

encircling the camp. There was now a protective ring of fire around the camp. After eating, Grey and Red took turns during the night keeping the fires burning. They alternated their watch times so that each of them could get small amounts of rest. They had planned to continue their travels the next day. Time was growing very short, and both of them knew they must hurry or once again they would be spending months away from their people. Morning came, and it was bright, beautiful, and clear. Grey began singing the sun up as she cleansed her face and woke up her mind. Red had begun gathering items and securing them to his horse. Red found two small trees and stripped them down to make poles. He wrapped and laced reeds to make a small hammock, and on top of this he strapped the blanket. The small sled was now strong enough to carry Wolf and some of Grey’s possessions. Red then took Grey’s horse and attached the sled, making it secure enough that she would not need to worry about it slipping. Protecting Grey was Red’s priority, and he wanted Grey to travel with him for the rest of her journey. After speaking with Grey about this decision, she told him that she was traveling too slowly for him and he would be in danger of not making it to the camp of the family before the snow fell. She did not think it would be a good idea. He told her he would welcome her help with the travels, and if more wild animals came around, they were safer together than alone. Red added that they would share all the chores if she decided to travel with him, but the choice was hers to make. The two decided that he would go ahead of her and gather food and herbs. Then they would meet up before nightfall to protect each other during the night. Red picked up his story bag and added a piece of the wolf’s fur to the pouch. Red would not forget this memory, but the fur would give him something to hold, and the strength and cunning of the wolf would be transferred to him when he needed this help. Red also wanted to send a prayer to the spirit of the wolf and explain to the spirit why it needed to die and not Red. After speaking with Grey, Red finished getting ready for the trip. Grey spent some time thinking about their discussion, and when she had made a change in her decision, she walked over to Red and told him that if he would travel slowly, she would travel with him. Red said he would welcome her help while they traveled.

Each morning, Grey sang her song of welcome to the sun, and in evenings she prepared the meals. Each morning, Red fed and packed the ponies and sled, and each evening he prepared the fire for the evening meal. While Grey was preparing the meal, Red would make ready their shelter. During the night, they took turns keeping watch. When it was Grey’s turn to guard the camp, Wolf was always at her side. They had become inseparable.

CHAPTER 11

When Grey was leading the pony, Red would go running ahead of them, hunting for food. Grey would gather herbs for cooking from the trail they were traveling. The two of them developed a way of communicating through bird calls and whistles that did not require speaking, and both would know if they were in danger or if all was safe. The new way of communicating was a tremendous help for them. They could understand each other without talking, therefore saving energy needed for survival. Wolf began getting stronger, and within a week of traveling, Wolf was able to walk with Grey almost all through the day. During their travels, they managed to keep safe all night. When morning came, they had a routine of preparing breakfast and breaking camp. They worked as a team, and everything was going smoothly. They discussed many times the amount of time it was taking them to make the journey, and they both knew time was growing very short. The winter months were approaching. If they did not want to spend the winter on the trail, they would need to move faster. During a bright and beautifully clear day, Grey had a few moments quiet time. She began singing as she bathed. Red again felt a chill in the air as he was gathering items for packing and securing them to his horse. He was planning to leave today and scout the trail ahead, hoping they were closer to the family camp than he thought, and he wanted to hunt for some meat. Even though Red was concerned for Grey’s welfare, they needed food. They were down to a two-day supply of food for one person, and this was dangerous. Red decided to tell her tonight that he was leaving in the morning to hunt. After walking for a few hours, Grey decided to leave the main trail and hunt for herbs and berries. Grey found an area that did not have a lot of brush or trees marring the view, and she saw a very small house. With caution, Grey went toward the building. Her senses were heightened, and she felt something was very wrong. Grey saw a few domestic animals in need of feeding and watering. Taking a few small steps closer, she did not see food or water inside their enclosure. Grey called out but did not hear any answers. Grey tied her horse to a

bush and picked up a broken limb that had fallen from a tree. She was not sure that she needed protection but wanted to be ready if danger was near. Grey began checking around the outside of the house for any signs of life. She was being very careful and extremely watchful. Grey made her way toward the house and felt the area was abandoned. The closer she got to the door, the more she felt that something was wrong. When Grey was close enough, in the darkness of the doorway, she saw a small rabbit running inside and outside, as if it were playing a game of hide and seek. On closer look, she saw that the rabbit was moving babies from inside the building to a small nest it had built outside of the house. She pulled the door open wider and looked inside. When her eyes adjusted the dimness of the room, she looked around thinking that this would be a good place to shelter for the night. Then her ears picked up a very faint sound. Grey decided to follow her ears and hunted for the noise. Grey stopped and stood as still as was possible, holding her breath. She felt a fear that it might be dangerous; she did not know. She held her breath so long that her lungs began to hurt, and she needed to breathe because she was in pain. Hearing a loud whoosh as air entered her lungs, she lost the battle, and her lungs won. Now all she could hear was her heart pounding in her ears. She had been without air so long that she was now panting, and she did this until her body was filled with the oxygen she needed. She began looking around trying to find what had made that noise. She saw items of clothing flung all over the furniture. Some of the furniture was knocked over on the floor, as if tossed or toppled. The room was a mess, and then she noticed the smell. Grey breathed in an awful stench. The air was unhealthy smelling. It was the smell of death. Grey tried to the family rules when being near the dead. It must have been another of the classes she had decided to skip. Now she was disgusted with herself for her negligence and disobedience when she was with the family. She decided that this was one of the days she would be learning the lessons of life the hard way. Grey once again heard the small, quiet sound. She went further into the tiny house, moving slowly toward the noise. Creeping as quietly as possible, Grey was trying hard to not disturb any negative energy. She also tried hard not to step on anything that would make enough noise to awaken anything or anyone. She did not know what she would find further into the room. Grey moved her eyes from side to side, searching the dimness. Once again she heard the noise, and on

moving further into the room, she saw two small baskets sitting on a table. One of the baskets was full of spoiled berries and herbs, and the other held a tiny child. Hurrying over to the basket, she forgot caution, and when she reached where the child lay, she noticed the child was weak from hunger. Her mind began working in a logical fashion, and she thought the child must be very thirsty. Grey pulled the water pouch from around her waist and poured a tiny drop of water into the little mouth. The child moved its tongue in a nursing fashion and drank the drop of water. Grey very carefully did it again and again as the child drink more water. The child did not open its eyes when it opened its mouth. The child was acting like a hungry bird, always wanting more. Grey intuitively knew that she must not give too much water until the child became accustomed to drinking in this manner. She did not want to be responsible for the child choking. She needed to think for the child. The first thing she needed to do was leaving this house of death and getting fresh, clean air. The second was to find food that the child would be able to eat in order to become stronger. A shadow entered the room and fell over her, closing out the only light she was using to see the child. In fright, Grey turned to see what caused the shadow. The fear in her eyes disappeared when she saw a shape that was clearly Red. In front of him, Wolf was standing guard, protecting Grey and the child. Wolf could smell death. Red also could smell death. Red felt uneasy and wanted to leave the house of death. He watched when Grey began searching the room and knew by her actions that she had found the cause of the smell. He watched as Grey’s body jerked to a frozen stop. Grey had found a man and woman. They lay together in a roughly carved, wooden log bed. Their skin had obvious signs of decomposition, but when Grey looked closer, she saw some oddly shaped spots. Without stopping to think, Grey rushed to the child’s bed. She Grey grabbed the child and left the little house. Outside the death room, she wondered why the child did not die with the parents. Rationally, the child should have contracted the same illness or at least died from no food or water. She began putting a fire together, but her hands shook so much from her panic she could not get the fire to begin burning. Red stood watching for a moment or two and then took over the building of the fire. Grey collected as many pots as she could find and filled

all of them with water. She placed them near the fire. When the water was boiling, she stripped her clothing and began washing and scrubbing herself with such energy that her skin turned red from the onslaught. Grey was trying to get rid of the smell of death. When she was finished washing, she brushed her body down with healing herbs. Grey put more water on to boil and then stripped the child and began washing the child with sacred herbs used for purifying the body. Grey turned and spoke to Red and told him why he also needed to strip and scrub and then do Wolf. Without speaking, he prepared to do as Grey asked. Grey boiled the herbs, picked up all the clothing, and shoved them into the pot of boiling water. She added more wood to the fire and moved the clothing from one pot to the other, knowing that she needed to protect them from the illness. While Grey was washing and scrubbing the clothing, Red went to gather more herbs to add to the water. Red needed to prepare water for scrubbing himself and then Wolf. He moved away from Grey into the trees to wash in private, and calling Wolf, he began the chore of cleansing the two of them. Wolf was always playing in the river, but he had never had a bath before. Thinking that Red was making a game for him to play, he was ready. He loved games. Lately everyone had been too busy and had not had time to play with him, and he wanted to play. Red noticed that Wolf thought this was a game, and since they had worked so hard and traveled so far, he decided a game was what they needed. They played, and Wolf had fun. Then when Red became serious about giving Wolf his bath, Wolf noticed the changed in attitude. Wolf did not want to stop playing, and his defiance asserted itself, and Wolf growled. The growling did not work, and Red finally was able to get the upper hand by force. With much yelling from Red and growling from Wolf, a bath was accomplished. While Wolf was wondering why all the fun disappeared, he crept off to rest in the sun and dry off. Wolf sat by the fire and sulked and growled until he noticed nobody was paying him any attention, so he quieted down and fell asleep. Grey continued to shove their clothing in the pots and boil them. While she was doing this, she put another pot on to boil and filled the pot with herbs. When the brew was steeped, she put it into a small drinking pot and began sipping until the bitter brew was completely gone. She shivered and made a face, and then she made a pot of the same brew for Red. When Red came back to the fire, she gave

him the brew to drink, and without a word, he downed the drink and handed the container back to Grey. Then Grey made a milder drink, and after cooling the brew, she fed this to the child. After this chore was finished, Grey cleaned the child’s eyes and nose with the cooled brew and then handed some of the brew to Red and told him to do the same. This was to ensure that any of the sickness that was in their system would not grow. The small group of two plus Wolf had grown to three and quite a few farm animals. The problem still remained as to what a small child would need to eat. Both Grey and Red fussed over the problem as Grey was collecting some mashed berries. Grey fed the berries to the child, and he ate and then cried. Grey made some soft, mashed grain. Grey fed this mixture to the child, and after eating, he still cried. The crying was becoming unbearable. By morning, both Red and Grey were exhausted and confused as to what was to be done next. Wolf had left the campfire and disappeared. He was of no use to anyone, and anger from exhaustion was making a noticeable presence in both Red and Grey. They were becoming very annoyed at every little thing that went wrong. During the day, while trying to comfort the child, Grey knew that they could not move toward their family until the child could be quiet. Grey did not understand why the child was screaming so loudly. Red kept himself busy gathering the cow, two horses, one pig, and some chickens from around the house. He knew if he left them alone they would die of hunger or be eaten by a wild animal. The animals were domesticated and easy prey. There were signs of a large animal searching the area, and one of the chickens had already disappeared. Feathers were the only evidence that it had existed. While Red prepared a cage for the chickens, he was also braiding a rope for the horses and the pig. They were becoming a walking farm. Red and Grey fed and watered the cow, calf, pig, and the horses. Then after hobbling all the larger animals, they began chasing the chickens. After spending quite a bit of time chasing chickens, they put them in the cage and fed them. While hunting for the chickens, they found quite a few eggs. They knew that they did not find all the chickens or all the eggs, but they were low on time and needed to leave the rest of them to the land. One of the hens was making a loud fuss and trying to make a run for the trees. After a moment, Grey pulled her away from the others and tied a string around her neck. Grey walked her toward

the trees. Her mind was working, trying to understand why the hen so upset, and then she heard it, the peep-peep of baby chicks. There were a lot of chicks, and gathering them would take too much time. She waited for the hen to gather the chicks, and while she was sitting, Grey took her jacket and covered the hen and the chicks, picking them up in a bunch and carrying them back to the fire. She accomplished one very worrisome deed, and the baby chicks and the hen were put into a basket with a woven reed lid. While traveling, watering the livestock was easy since they were traveling along the river’s edge. The animals could drink whenever they had a need, but food was a different problem. They did not have any idea of how to feed the larger animals other than to let them graze when they stopped. They packed all the feed they had found on the property into a small wagon that was behind the barn area and in need of a lot of repair. They decided that they would walk the animals near the water’s edge and stop frequently for them to graze on the grass and brush that grew along the river’s edge. The chickens were birds, and they ate berries, grains, and bugs. Horses were easy to care for; this could be seen in Red’s pony. It was obvious the pony had the best of care with his sleek coat and sweet disposition. The pig apparently ate whatever items were put in front of it, and anything they did not want to eat they tossed to the pig. The pig also liked all types of grains, berries, and vegetables—anything that grew on and under the earth. The cow was a problem since it had a small calf, and they needed to travel slowly to accommodate the calf’s frail body. The horse pulling the wagon could carry only so much weight, and it was full with the child, chickens, and grain, so having the calf ride was not possible. Grey walked in front of the horse, holding the lead rein and trying to keep up a steady pace. At the end of the day when Red was preparing their shelter, Grey went about checking the animals for any stickers or problems they might have picked up along the trail. While looking at the cow for any signs of damage, Grey noticed it had begun to leak milk. After the calf drank its fill, she decided to capture some of that liquid to feed the child, thinking that this must be the reason the people had the cow in the first place. She tried squeezing and pulling, but all she could get was a small amount of liquid, so she thought, Why not bring the child over to the cow and let the cow feed the child? She built a small pedestal and took it over to the cow and laid the child on the pedestal. She put the cow teat in the child’s mouth, but it was too big for the tiny child’s mouth. Grey began

thinking of how the calf got the milk from its mother, and she began pushing up and pulling down on the teat opposite the one the calf used for its meal. The milk came out in a stream, and she filled one of her pots with the warm milk. Grey took one of her pouches, filled it with milk, and made a small hole in the bottom. She put this in the child’s mouth, and the child suckled for a long time. The child filled its stomach and promptly fell asleep. Grey had found a way to keep the child quiet; this was a perfect solution to their problem. Grey and Red prepared the animals and the child for moving. They could not stay at this place any longer. They needed to travel now if they were to get to the family. They wrapped the child and laid him in the back of the wagon on the small, soft bed that had been made with ropes of reeds and Grey’s soft blanket. Then they tied the baby snugly so it would not fall out of the wagon. To the back of the wagon they attached the sled that was used to carry Wolf when he was ill, and on this they placed some of the chicken cages. They attached the mother cow to the wagon with a rope, and they knew the calf would follow its mother, so it was left to walk freely. They loaded the rest of the cages with chickens into the wagon along with the baby and the grain sacks. They were ready to travel.

CHAPTER 12

After a full day of travel, they realized that they had not covered much distance. Their entourage made it hard to make any progress. They needed to adjust. Red began traveling ahead; scouting a place for them to rest and getting the camp ready before Grey and the animals and baby were in sight. He also did the hunting and gathering of food for them and the animals. This cut some of the time down, and he would always check back with Grey periodically to see if she needed help or a break from caring for the animals and child. Between the two of them, they were able to keep all safe and fed. Plus, he would build a small area to hold the animals while they slept. After all the work was finished, including the baby fed and asleep, all the animals fed and bedded for the evening, then Red would leave the camp and return in the morning. Red would periodically check them to make sure they were safe, but he wanted to hunt for food while he had the chance. After hunting, Red planned on bedding down in a tree or on the ground for the night when he was tired and then returning to camp the next morning. Red knew the baby would awaken during the night, and Grey would take that time to not only feed the child but check on the livestock. They had decided that the eagle call would be the best signal for her to him if he were needed in an emergency. Red was beginning to believe they would not make the family camp before winter came, and he needed to make different plans for them. Grey decided on this night that they would need to build a shelter for them to stay in rather than just sleeping on the ground. Her reasoning was that the child needed to be away from the night wind. Since the child had been dehydrated and starving when they found it, she knew it did not have a very strong immune system, and it would not be good for the child to be in the night air. After searching, she found a large boulder. She decided that the boulder would be the west wall of the shelter. She began gathering logs and brush for the walls. She would use her animal skin for the door, and this would be on the east side of the shelter. She would place the animal fencing on the south side of the shelter because the wind was blowing from the north. This would keep almost all the animal odor from settling inside the shelter. On the inside of the shelter on the

north wall, she would place all their belongings next to the wall. Grey knew that at this time of the year, the wind blowing from the north would have a very cold chill, and the possessions would block some of the wind from getting inside the shelter. Then she made a place for the chicken cages. This would keep the chickens warm and safe from predators. With the shelter and fencing finished, she placed two heavy rows of brush surrounding the perimeter, leaving a place for the fire pit for cooking and warmth. When all was finished, she was pleased with her work. The shelter was ugly and definitely would not last in a big storm, but she decided it would do for a now, and if they decided to stay in the area, it could be reinforced and made stronger. Grey also needed a small opening in the roof of the shelter to let out any smoke from a small fire. She decided to hang her extra clothing around her shelter walls. She also started filling some of the larger holes in the walls with a mud mixture from the river’s edge. When Red saw the shelter after he returned from hunting, he was impressed and thought they should stay in this place for more than one day and night; this would give him enough time to replenish the meat supply and prepare some meat for travel. Grey looked over the sides of the shelter and put more mud packing in between the cracks for protection from night crawlies and to help stop the wind from freezing the inhabitants of the shelter. On the inside floor of the shelter, she laid reeds from the river. In one small section, she put extra reed packing, and on this she put the child. The area for the child was reasonably soft, and the cold from the earth would not seep into the child’s body because of the insulation of the many layers of packed reeds. When Grey was finished with the work on the shelter, she brought the cow closer to the shelter and tied the cow up on a tree that was next to where she had put her camp. She then took the horses and put them behind her small shelter, and the chickens she brought inside the shelter. Then a she put her animal skin up for a door. Red was adding some branches to the doorway as Grey brought Wolf in to guard the child and the chickens. Grey then went outside to inspect the surrounding circles of brush. She replenished some spots, but almost all the brush looked to be secure and dense. Grey then began looking for rocks to make fire pits outside of the shelter. Grey and Red made three circles of brush around the shelter, and then they opened a pathway from the fire pit going through two of the rows of brush.

When they reached the third row, they did not make a pathway. Grey prepared a place to light the brush. Grey put a pile of dried leaves and twigs together, placing them under the driest dead bush in the row. Now they were ready if they were attacked. In a small way, Grey felt that the pack leader of the wolves was stalking her, and she did not understand why this was happening. Grey felt if she had more time to think, she might find the answer. Now Grey needed to protect her tiny family. If they decided to stay longer, they would need to make a shelter for the animals. Grey felt proud of the brush circle around the shelter. If she lit circle number one, which was the farthest away from the shelter and the largest, the fire that was produced would be very hot and all-consuming and might be enough to deter the wolves. They would leave them alone for the rest of the time they stayed in the shelter. She knew this was supposition, but if this did not happen, then she would light the second circle. Grey discussed with Red the need for him to be near to help protect the animals and the child. He said he would try to not go so far away that he could not see the burning brush from the largest circle. Red gathered his equipment and his pony and left to begin his hunt. They needed food immediately. She felt that Red would be back before she needed to light the brush nearest to the shelter. She knew if he were not back by that time, the small group would be in danger. They needed food, and he was the hunter. If she needed to light the last circle, then she would need an alternative way to defend the small shelter. She was hoping that Wolf would have enough of his energy back and be able to help her defend the camp if that time ever came. She had devised a way to turn the animals loose if the worst happened. Grey began thinking about ways to defend her small family of animals and the child. Deciding it was time for her to start cooking; she began building the fire in the pit at the opening of the shelter. This fire would be kept burning all night, and she kept four lighting sticks near, just in case they were needed. She began cooking their meal and preparing the milk for the child. Grey gave the child a small biscuit to chew on to keep him busy while she was cooking. Now she needed to name the child and the animals, and she still had not named her horse. After feeding the child, she began cleaning him and preparing him for bedtime. After making sure there was no food left on his face or clothing, Grey hugged

him and played with him a moment before bedtime. Then she took the child into the shelter and placed him on the reed bed. After she spent time patting and singing to him, he went to sleep. In front of the shelter, their dinner was cooking. She tossed a piece of jerky to Wolf, and while Wolf was eating, she fed the cow and the horses. Then the animals were hobbled and roaming the area inside their small corral and eating what grasses and weeds could be found inside their circles of protection. After eating, Grey hung the animal skin over the doorway to the shelter. This would help keep the flying bugs of the night outside the shelter. Checking the shelter for space, she noticed the shelter was just big enough for the chickens’ cages, the baby’s bedding, Wolf, Red, and herself. Although Red had left the camp enclosure to go hunting for meat and would not be back on this night, Grey felt they were safe. She had Wolf guarding the doorway, and periodically Wolf would go outside and walk around their small encampment inspecting everything. Wolf took his job of protector very seriously. Grey was sitting outside near the fire and kept watch over all of the animals. She knew they were safe as long as the animals were quiet and content. Believing they were safe enough from predators and no wolves were in the area, Grey finally decided to lie down inside the protection circle and try to rest. She stayed outside the shelter, thinking that she would hear danger coming better if she was not inside the walls of wood, rock, and mud. Even though Red would not be back since he was hunting for food, she still prepared enough food for him, just in case he decided to come in earlier than he had predicted. Grey thought that tomorrow she would take the child and Wolf to the river, and they would go fishing. Grey was getting very tired of jerky broth and berries; she wanted a more exciting meal for dinner. The idea of dried, boiled meat cooked in herbs was getting old and unappetizing. A nice fish dinner had her mind whirling and her taste buds excited. Grey and Red had decided to stay in this spot for more than a few days, to rest and replenish their food supply. Red also wanted to check out the land and try to find an easier path to the camp of the family. Grey felt if she spent time planning for tomorrow, then tonight would not be so dark and frightening.

CHAPTER 13

High up on the side of the mountain, Red could look down and see Grey’s camp. Red was planning to begin returning to the camp by midday and be there by night fall. Although Red knew it would take him a while to reach the camp, he still continued to climb higher and higher. He thought if he could see what was on the other side of the rise; he could calculate how many days they still had to travel. Maybe he might find a faster way. The need to see the other side pushed him further and further until his obsession took him totally out of reach of Grey and the camp. He did not notice until it was too late for him to return. He kept climbing. By the morning of the next day, he had climbed so high that he could see far into the distance. He was pleased that he finally reached the peak of the small mountain. He still needed to climb one of the trees to see further into the distance. He was tired, and so was his pony. For the last few hours, he walked, not wanting to tire his pony any more than was necessary. He believed that the path he was now on would bring him closer to the family’s camp. He wanted to get help in bringing Grey and her collection of animals and the child back to them. After scouting the area a little longer, he noticed evidence of others traveling. He was pleased. Climbing down from the tree, his mind was planning his next step. He knew that continuing along the path they were traveling would take them to the family’s camp. Red turned around and began his trek back to Grey and Wolf. He needed to be careful; he felt he was growing too attached to them. He believed that he could not do the job given to him if he feared for their lives. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something moving. He could not make it out, and whatever he saw was tracking him, stopping when he stopped and moving when he moved. Red stopped and stood very still, listening and watching. He saw it again but not clearly enough to know what was near him. He decided he had better leave this area and get into a better position in case he needed to defend himself. He could not determine if whatever he saw was friendly. This new situation might be the cause of larger problems.

Red was studying his predicament and still trying to calculate the speed the small group would need to outdistance danger. He was worried that whatever was tracking him would cause him harm and he would not be able to get back to Grey and the animals. He knew that Grey could take care of the cow and the horses and the flock of chickens. The child presented a problem with the amount of care it needed. Red began traveling faster since he wanted to try to get down to level ground before dark and hopefully away from whatever was tracking him. Going downhill would be faster than going uphill, but he forgot to figure in the energy it would take to keep from falling head first and rolling downhill. He was still being followed. Red hurried on, and he slipped and began tumbling until something immovable stopped his free-fall. Something that smelled really bad. Opening his eyes, Red was surprised by a short, ugly, brown, hairy thing that walked upright on two legs, with two arms held out as it steadied Red and kept him from falling further down the slope. It did not talk; it just grunted while trying to lift Red into a sitting position. After a moment, Red noticed it was trying to help, not harm him, and he quit struggling. When Red was steady enough, the thing let go of him. The thing sat down beside Red and motioned to Red to not speak and to be watchful. Red nodded and wondered why he needed to be quiet until he saw from the corner of his eye a movement. After a few minutes, the brown blob helped Red up, and they began walking down the slope. The two of them were working their way downslope by walking at a diagonal line one way and then the other to keep them balanced. Red was upset that going downhill was taking twice as long as going uphill. Then Red spied a deer, and the hairy blob began to chase it for food. The chase was over, and Red was helping prepare the animal carcass for travel. Red asked the hairy blob what its name was, and he said Fox. Red thought that he should have known since he looked like a fox. Red did not ask any more questions. He was sure it was a male because of the actions and the voice. Fox wore many fox tales on his outer clothing, and that might have been the reason for the smell, Red decided. After all the deer meat was prepared for traveling, the two of them began traveling down the slope again, and this time they moved faster. Red wondered if Fox was going to travel all the way to the camp with him, but he said nothing.

Red was so busy with Fox that he had completely forgotten all about Grey and the animals and child. Red’s thoughts were about entering the camp with a nice deer, stripped and cleaned, ready for roasting. The deer would sustain the small group until they met up with the family. Red was discussing Grey and the group with Fox when Fox took off at a speed that Red had trouble maintaining. Fox called to Red and said they needed to hurry because the wolves were preparing to attack the small group tonight. Red wondered how Fox knew this. The day was coming to an end. There was chill in the air with the evening temperature change. Red knew they would not reach the camp before nightfall but would be there soon after. Red was hopeful that the wolves would not attack the camp until after he was there. While hurrying down the slope and toward Grey, Red was brooding about the change in the weather. He realized that it was getting colder and the wild animals were replenishing their food supplies. Squirrels were storing nuts and seeds all over the mountain slope. While other animals were eating to increase their fat content, they were also hunting any food items that would be needed for winter survival. Red needed to prepare for a season change and soon. The light was dim, and soon the two of them would be out of the trees and on flat land, and the light would be better, but not for long. It was starting to get dark. Red was worrying that he did not have enough time to get to the shelter before it was too dark to see. Soon Grey and the animals would be bedding down for the night, and if Fox was correct, the wolves were going to attack the shelter. They needed to hurry.

GREY Grey fell asleep while sitting next to the child and before all her evening chores were finished. While Grey was sleeping, her mind traveled until it found what it was seeking, and a voice called to her and asked her why she was night traveling. She moved closer to the voice and stood before a figure of light and waited. Her mind became busy with information that was being poured into her brain. She waited for what felt like ages but in reality was only a few seconds. Then she heard the voice telling her to awaken; trouble was nearing her camp. As she was traveling back to herself, she felt a moment of wanting to rush. She woke up and looked around, her heart beating loudly in her ears.

All was quiet, and then she heard a small noise. It did not immediately. Grey thought maybe the child had awakened. Grey got up and reached over to see the child. He was still asleep. The child did not make the noise. The animals must have made the noise since she had not fed or watered them for the night. Grey went outside the shelter to give them water and food. The animals were very agitated. While she was preparing their food and checking their water supply, she searched the camp area for anything unusual. Grey could not get the animals to calm down. They were running back and forth in their small corral, pawing the ground. Grey walked around the shelter looking for the cause of the trouble. She did not find anything and was confused at the reason the animals were upset. Grey decided to begin guarding the camp. Something was happening, and she was worried. She began preparing for whatever danger was coming. She looked over at Wolf and saw that he was staring out into the night. Wolf’s ears were perked up, and his tail was turned down, all signs that something was alerting him and he was preparing for a fight. Grey double checked the strength of the small corral she had built for the horses and then called to Wolf. Grey wanted Wolf to be with her as she inspected the perimeter of the shelter area. She felt safer with Wolf at her side. Finally the horses began calming. She started another walk around the shelter. Grey was listening to the night and watching the shadows. She heard the katydids and the night birds. She was listening so hard that when she heard the sound again, she thought she was mistaken. Wolf growled low in his throat, and then she heard it again. Suddenly the katydids quieted, and the night birds disappeared. Something was coming, and she hoped she was prepared enough to protect all under her care. She went back to the camp fire. Taking a few small limbs, she began wrapping some dry grass and reeds around them, making some torches. Holding a torch to the flames, she waited until it began burning before Grey roused the courage to walk into the darkness. Grey heard the noise again. This time she knew what was making the noise because she saw them. The wolves were stalking her. Wolf was walking between her and them. She was to be the prey. Quickly Grey put fire to the outer ring of brush that surrounded the camp. Every few feet, she ignited the brush until the camp was encircled with a burning ring of fire. The brush was dry, and she knew it would not burn long before all of it was ashes and embers. The fire ring was burning, the air was hot, and she was throwing more logs on

the fire. She stood for a moment and looked around her. Then she noticed an area of flames getting weaker. The horses were stamping and making a lot of noise, becoming very unruly. She didn’t know how long the horses would stay in the corral before they broke free. Grey walked to the perimeter of the circle and waited. She did not hear the wolves. All Grey could hear was the burning brush and the uproar of the very frightened animals in the coral. All was in chaos. Grey strained her eyes, and she still could not see anything. Now all she could do was wait and keep the fires burning. When things quieted a little, she heard the noise of the wolves. She knew that the wolves would not cross the fire barrier. Doubling her efforts, she worked hard to keep the fires lit all through the long hours of the night. Her first defense was the largest ring of fire. Grey planned to use the animals as her last defense if she had to. Grey would protect the child as long as possible. With all her strength and Wolf at her side helping her, the child would be safe. Grey felt that this moment in time was one of her journey’s life tests. Grey and Wolf walked continuously around the camp. She was reinforcing the fire where it was needed, and going back and forth from the pile of logs to the brush fire was u her strength. She was getting tired, and Wolf was also slowing down. She wondered what the wolves were doing for strength. She did not stop to rest and continued working through the night. All night, she prayed that the child would sleep through the turmoil, as she did not have time to stop and console him. Exhaustion ruled her body. To keep busy and not fall asleep, she picked up a bundle of logs and tied them together with reeds. After she had the logs tied together, she began placing them equal distance apart between the closest two rows of brush. Then she placed a few of the bundles near the opening of the shelter. When she was satisfied with her work, she cut a long stick to make a spear. She had some shale rocks in a pile, and she began sharpening the ends to a point. The weapons would be her last-ditch effort if all else failed. She took her small knife and attached it to a long stick, making another spear. Sitting down just for a moment to rest and catch her breath or get a second surge of energy, she closed her eyes. Just a small rest, she thought. She knew she was not asleep although she could not open her eyes. She sensed everything. While in the dream state, Grey saw a very bright light, and inside the

light she saw a person walking in her direction. The person was speaking to her, saying that all would be well. The wolves had been sent by the by the powers that live in the darkness, and she must fight them with her mind. She felt an enormous energy of peace settle on her mind. Grey could hear the animals yipping and howling. Then the light disappeared, and she opened her eyes. She heard the wolves. They were running away from the camp, not toward her, and she was thankful. Getting up, Grey looked around, trying to find the one that gave her the message. No one was around. Maybe it was just a dream, she decided. She took one more walk around the perimeter of the camp, and she and Wolf checked the animals before resting for the night. The animals were all sleeping and quiet. All around the shelter, it was quiet and calm. She knew she was safe. Grey and Wolf went inside the shelter. She was very tired, and after she pulled the door down, she fell asleep. Morning came, and Grey saw the sun beaming through the cracks in the shelter walls. ing the terror of the night before, Grey slowly opened the makeshift door. Dreading what might be outside the shelter, Grey pushed her head outside into the morning light. She was surprised when the light changed her mood from dread to excitement. Grey was looking at another bright and beautiful day with no wolves in the vicinity. The day was alive with birds singing, and she felt wonderfully alive. After checking the sleeping child, Grey went out to begin the morning. Wolf walked with her as she prepared to attend to the other animals. After Grey finished feeding and watering the animals, she began the chores for the day. Her spirits lifting at such a beautiful day, she smiled and held her face up to the sun to catch the warmth of the rays. She heard the singing of the many birds as they were calling to each other, and their music opened the leaves to the morning light. The sun was rising higher in the sky, giving out the well-being of the day. It was good to be alive. Showing her thanks for their safety throughout the night, Grey sang a song of happiness. Her heart was full of wonder at the beauty of this morning. While Grey sang, she began preparing for the day ahead of her.

CHAPTER 14

As Red and Fox were traveling toward the shelter, Fox kept the conversation going by asking too many questions. Fox asked about Grey and the child. Fox was curious about the animals that were at the camp. Red began wondering why Fox had so much interest in the small group. Red wondered if he would ever be quiet and just travel. Red wanted and needed quiet to think and prepare. Red calculated that reaching the shelter would take an extra day. He had estimated if nothing stopped them, they had another night on the trail. When the end of the day came, they were tired, hungry, and irritated. Red and Fox knew that the danger of traveling during the night was greatly increased since they were carrying fresh meat. They decided to bed down for the night and wait until very early in the morning to finish the last part of the trip back to the shelter. Red chose a protected area that was surrounded by trees for their small camp. He felt the quiet of the place might make it a safe site to bed down for the night. Although Fox, always ready for a debate, was not so positive, Red was correct in his assumptions. Fox began telling Red the problems with the area and continued talking until he was totally exhausted and finally quiet. Red had stopped listening to Fox quite a while back. Red was focused on finding a perfect place for him to store the deer meat. Finally Red located a nice size tree to hang up the deer meat. Red threw a reed rope up and over one of the branches. He began pulling the meat up as high as possible, and when he calculated it to be about ten feet, he tied the reed rope to the trunk of the tree. Red tested the rope, and when he was sure it was secure enough, he left the meat to hang. Red began looking for a good place for him and his pony to rest for the night. After putting his equipment and sleeping gear on the ground, Red began walking around the campsite. Red looked at many possible resting places and discarded them one by one. While Red was looking for a sheltered place for his pony, he wondered how far away from the deer meat he should place the pony for it to be safe. Red asked Fox if he knew the type of wild animals that lived in the area. Fox did not answer. Fox was busy setting up his sleeping arrangements. Red moved away from Fox, still searching for the perfect area to place the pony.

Red believed that Fox was a little miffed at him for not listening to his criticism of the area. Fox did not feel comfortable camping among the trees. Deciding that safety was more important for his pony, Red moved the pony a few yards further away from the meat. Red found a nice overhang for the pony’s shelter, and after placing a few branches around the ground, it made a nice corral for his pony. After giving the pony some food and water, Red began searching for a place to sleep. While checking around and securing everything, Red decided it would be best if he spent the night in one of the trees above his pony. Red wanted to be nearer the pony if there was danger during the night. It would be better to lose the deer meat instead of his pony. Red and Fox, finally settling for the night, decided it might be best if they took turns watching over the camp. They decided not to have a campfire and to fix a small meal from the cold food they had in their packs. When darkness came, it was fierce blackness, and Red had second thoughts about not having a campfire. The trees blocked out the moon and star light. Red could not see much in the blackness that surrounded him. Red had the first watch. He could hear the animals foraging for food all around him, and he tried to identify all the creatures of the night. Red knew he did not name many of the animals. During the night, he could hear the animals trying to reach the deer meat. Red did not go near the meat, as the animals did not sound very friendly. Even though Red went to bed to rest when Fox began his watch, he slept very little. Toward morning, Red finally fell into deep slumber. Daybreak found Red still up in the tree. When he moved, a pain shot up his leg. Apparently during the night, one of the night creatures had bitten him. His leg was bright red and swollen. Because of the pain, getting down from his branch in the tree took a lot of time. Red mentioned the bite to Fox. Fox did not know what might have bitten him. When Fox looked at the bite mark, he made an ugly face and said they needed to have someone to help them. Fox said they should hurry and get help. Now Red was worried, and he told Fox that Grey was studying healing. Red was positive that Grey had the knowledge of herbs and other healing methods that would heal the bite to his leg. With a burst of action, Fox began preparing to leave camp. Red was surprised at the speed with which Fox had everything packed and ready to travel. Red prepared for the short journey by painfully climbing on his pony. With each step the pony took, pain jolted through his leg. Red decided to leave the meat

behind and pick it up later, but Fox said he would handle the meat. Red knew his pony would not be able to carry his weight as well as the weight of the meat. Fox devised a sled from branches, making a harness to put over his shoulders, and he pulled the meat behind him. The deer meat needed three days of hanging for all the blood to be drained. The deer meat needed to cure in order for the meat to be good for human consumption. Red lived by the rule that no life blood should be in any meat eaten by humans. When Red and Fox saw Grey’s shelter, Fox dropped the harness attached to the sled carrying the deer meat and ran toward the camp. Grey recognized Red’s pony but did not know Fox. Grey and Wolf stood in a protective stance as Fox approached. Seeing Grey change her position, Fox stopped and called out to Grey about Red being hurt. When Grey went toward Red, she knew he was ill. Grey helped Red down from his pony and placed him on the ground inside the shelter. Fox kept asking Grey what he could do to help, and Grey told him to boil some water. She wanted to keep him busy and outside of her shelter while she checked the bite on Red’s leg. Fox put water on the fire to boil, and Grey went outside the shelter with a handful of herbs. Grey added the herbs to the pot and asked Fox about himself. Fox did not answer and instead asked about Red and the bite. Grey took this as a sign that he was worried about Red, but a small voice kept telling her to be cautious of this person. Grey went to the water’s edge and pulled out some water moss from the mud, and after rinsing it free of the mud and rocks; she went back to Red and placed the moss on the painful bite area. After this was finished, Grey went back to the water’s edge and pulled up an enormous amount of moss and watercress. This time she spent quite a lot of time rinsing it well enough for her to believe it was clean and free of tiny snails, mud, rocks, and any water-born creatures. Grey carried the moss back to the camp in a basket. She transferred a clump of the moss to a large rock and began crushing and pounding the plant until the scent of it filled the air and its juices ran free. She gathered as much of the juice as she could and made a drink of the liquid and a poultice of the greens. After washing Red’s leg, she made a ball of boiled herbs and added a little of the

water moss. Grey then took some of the moss and smoothed it out, and in the center of the moss she placed some of the boiled herbs. Then she wrapped the herbs up and placed them next to Red’s leg. Grey took her knife and very carefully cut the center of the bite on his leg. She wanted the leg to drain of poison, and then she placed the poultice of water moss and herbs over the wound. Grey tied strips of rawhide to the poultice and around Red’s leg to hold the poultice in place. Grey then gave Red a drink of herbal water to help cut the pain, as well as a sleeping potion to put Red in a healing sleep. Grey watched over Red as she prepared the animals for moving. She wanted to travel early in the morning, and this required having all the chores finished before she rested. After a few hours, Grey went back to check on Red’s leg, and she worked more of her herbs into the cut of the leg, knowing that she had to get his fever down. She heard him moan; he needed more herbal healing tea to relieve the pain. The pain was more than he could handle, and he moaned again, this time almost a scream. He was not sleeping but was not awake. Grey began covering the wound with a new and stronger poultice she had put together with her herbs. She knew the fever needed to run its course in order for the body to heal. After cleaning and medicating him, she went back to doing her chores. Grey watched over him, leaving his side only when the child or the animals needed attention. Toward midday, Grey began preparing for the night, reinforcing her ring of brush just in case a fire was needed for protection. Grey and Fox made many trips to the water’s edge, bringing containers of water and moss to the shelter. Grey made enough herb drinks and poultice to last the night and into the next day. She went into the livestock area to make sure they had enough to eat and drink. Then she went inside the shelter and attended to the chickens. She noticed that the chickens had given her eggs, and she was pleased. These eggs would feed all of them. She started planning the food for the evening meal, and the eggs were high on her list of foods. She was thinking boiled chicken with herbs and decided against it since she did not have enough time to prepare the chicken for cooking. She decided to just work with the eggs and herbs. She did not know if Red would be able to eat since he had not stirred this entire day, and his sleep was restless and filled with pain and fever. Grey decided to feed the child and herself the eggs, and if Red was hungry, she would give him healing herb soup with some eggs dropped into the water for protein. She knew he needed to keep up his strength, and at the moment she was not sure how to feed him if he did

not awaken. Going outside, Grey noticed the sky darkening. It was becoming night, and she still had a lot of work to finish if they were traveling the next day. Grey set about preparing a small fire inside the shelter. If the night got very cold, she would be ready. Grey did not ignite the fire; she would save it for later if it was needed. All the while, Fox was under foot, constantly getting asked by Grey to do this or that to help, or to move when he was interfering. Grey did not know what to think of Fox and did not have time to deal with the problem. Wolf followed Fox and stayed between Fox and Grey at all times. Wolf knew something about Fox, and Fox knew that Wolf knew who he was and why he was in the vicinity of the camp. The night was very dark. The stars and the moon did not make an appearance. Grey was not looking forward to the darkness this night promised to bring. She knew it would be a very long night. Grey felt the weight of exhaustion pulling her down, but still she stayed awake. Fox helped keep her alert by his constant chatter. Grey told Fox about the wolves, and he promised to help keep watch. A few hours before the dawn, Grey, believing the wolves would not appear, went inside the shelter to check the child and Red. The child was still asleep, and there was no sign that Red’s fever was going down. Grey was very worried. Grey ed the drink that she had been given when she very ill. Her mind automatically began gathering the ingredients and preparing the drink for Red. Grey went outside of the shelter and over to her herbal bags to find the herbs she would need. Then Grey went to the fire and started building the fire up to full strength. When the fire was hot enough, Grey placed a pot of water on the stone in the center, and when the water began boiling, she started mixing herbs. Some of the herbs in her bag had been hard for her to find, and she considered them precious. The seeds from her precious herbs needed to be saved, so she would shake them gently before putting them into the hot water. The mixture needed to be strong enough to fight the infection. Carefully Grey began stirring the mixture, constantly breathing in the vapors to gauge their strength. To keep her mind calm, as she boiled the mixture, she sang her song of prayer. Grey always felt better when she sang her songs; they helped her to have

inner peace. When the drink was ready, Grey poured some into a small bowl and took it to Red. Hoping the drink was cool enough; Grey gave Red a few small sips and then continued giving him drinks until the bowl was empty. Grey covered Red and then went to check the child before going out to the fire. The child was still sleeping quietly, with Wolf wrapped around him, protecting the child with his body. Grey went outside and looked around for Fox. Not seeing him, she began banking the fire. When she finished with the fire, she sat down, rubbing her neck. She looked around for Fox but still did not see him. Then she heard growling. It was coming from the other side of the camp where the deer meat was hanging. Grabbing her knife, she called Wolf, and when Wolf was with her, she slowly walked toward the sound. It was Fox. He was eating the deer meat raw and growling like a wild animal. Wolf growled, and Grey stood and looked at him, not knowing what to say or do. Grey walked slowly back to the fire and began gathering her medicine herbs bags. With the herbs in her arms, she took them into the shelter, and calling Wolf, she began securing the entrance. Before Grey could calm her mind enough to rest, she laid thinking about Fox and what she had seen. Then her exhaustion began taking over her body, and she fell asleep. While sleeping, her mind kept going over what she had seen, trying to make some logical sense out of the situation. Grey heard a noise. She had been dreaming about banking the fire, filling the water, and feeding the animals and the noise fit into her dream. She was tired from her bones to her skin, and she slept the sleep of exhaustion. The noise came again, this time she did not hear. Sleep claimed her. She did not sleep long. Her mind was filled with seeing wolves and hearing them howl. Grey woke up worrying about so many things she was blocking her mind from resting. She got up went out into the night. Sitting down beside the embers of the fire, she put on more logs and brush into the pit and brought the fire up again to full strength. Taking a stick that she had tied three or four dried cattails onto, she checked them for strength. Then she put her cattails into the fire. She watched as the cattails began burning, making her a suitable torch. Grey took her torch and began her walk around the shelter. At first Grey was just walking to clear her

head, and then she moved into protection mode. Vaguely she wondered where Fox might be sleeping and if was he in danger. The thought did not last long as she ed her last sight of him, and with a shudder, she shut the picture out of her mind. This was another very dark night. There was no moon or stars to light her way. She noticed Wolf beside her. He was on alert, and she vaguely thought about his being out of the shelter. She needed to check the doorway when she made the circle around the camp. She walked to the outer ring of brush, put the torch stick into a dried brush, and started the outer fires burning. She felt uneasy, as she was not able to see into the darkness even with the brush burning. There was very little light. Standing very still, she began listening, not only with her ears, but with all her senses. She shivered and lit more of the brush. Inside the shelter, the child lay sleeping, and Red was fighting his fever. On the other side of the shelter, the animals were beginning to stir. Something was upsetting them. She continued walking around the shelter toward them, lighting the brush as she walked, thinking it was the smoke bothering the animals. She felt that she needed to light all the brush, but logic would not allow her to be so reckless. She systematically applied fire where she knew it was needed. Now the outer ring of fire was burning nicely, and she went to the center of the ring and stood atop the rock that was being used for the shelter’s back wall. She slowly turned around and looked out beyond the fire ring, and her whole body jerked as she saw movement in the shadows. The firelight gave glimpses of the wolves. She was relieved that she had the foresight to light the fire. Although she was fearful that one of the wolves might have gotten into the circle of brush before she had finished lighting the circle, she decided that it was not possible. Slowly Grey got down from the rock and moved closer to the campfire. She crossed the two rings of fencing made to keep the livestock secure, listening and watching for any signs of the wolves. As she crossed the last set of brush and logs, she saw them making their way toward the shelter. In her exhaustion, she had forgotten to close the doorway. She began shouting loudly as she ran toward the wolves, her stick burning with the fire on its end. She was swinging it wildly, trying to chase the wolves away from the front of the shelter. Her stick was burning itself out, and she rushed to grab another one. She placed it into the fire, and while trying to get the fire to light, she picked up the spear. After what seemed an eternity, the cattail caught

fire, and she stood ready to fight. Grey had two sticks of fire in one hand and her spear in the other; she was determined not let the wolves into the shelter. Her mind racing, she knew if the wolves got into the shelter, the livestock and the people would be an easy kill, and they would all die. Running toward the wolves, she let out a bloodcurdling scream of war and attacked the animals. That was what Red saw when he reached the doorway of the shelter. He was so ill that his mind could not comprehend what was going on in front of him. Then after a moment, a small thought of seeing a mother bear protecting her cubs crossed his mind, and then he knew they were in danger. Grey was a woman ready to defend her family with her life. He ed seeing this when he was a fighter in another place before he went to live with the family. Although he was very weak, he pulled his knife from his side and ed the battle. Fox heard the commotion from his sleeping area and as he ran he grabbed a weapon and ran into the fight. The battle continued until the wolves gave up, and needing easier prey, they began slowly leaving. Some wolves left with a growl, still wanting to fight, but they all left. Exhausted, Red collapsed on the ground. Grey caught her second wind and watched as Red fell clutching his side. She went over and felt his skin. His fever was down, and she was pleased. She helped him up from the ground and walked him back into the shelter while she onished him for being out in the night air. Then Grey began the second ring of fire, thinking that dawn was almost upon them. She understood why the wolves continued shadowing their small group; it was a test from the darkness, something she needed to learn before it was too late for them. Thinking that now they were safe, Grey lay down and fell asleep before her next breath was taken. Dawn came and went while Grey slept. When she awoke Grey was happy to see the sun and upset with herself because of the lateness of the day. Grey began gathering their belongings while she mumbled under her breath at the lateness of the hour. She knew they were going to leave quite a few of their belongings behind, but it could not be helped. She had very little time to feed the child and change the bandage on Red’s leg. Grey asked Fox to feed the livestock and pack the horses and load the small sled for their trip. He hesitated but did as she asked. With a shrug of her shoulders, she resigned herself to come back later for anything that was left behind.

Berating herself for not waking earlier, she made ready to move camp. She knew that since the wolves had been trailing, her they would be back, and she wanted to be as far away as possible before nightfall. Grey did not discuss Fox and the deer meat incident with Red. She did not want him worrying. Grey thought that they could use some of the meat as a way to appease the wolves. Red told Grey the directions to the family camp. He believed they were approximately three days from the family. He felt it was better for Grey to know the direction in case they were separated or something worse. Grey believed the deer meat, if there was any left, would be a welcome gift to their people. How beautiful the day was, and her happiness at going home on this day had been growing since she had awakened. Just the thought of being around her family and seeing her grandmother again gave her joy. The trip was easy, and toward night they stopped to rest. The three of them prepared a shelter, making the work faster. The three of them put feed and water out for the livestock. While Red gathered the brush for the fire, Grey made the supper and fed the child, and Fox carried water for the camp. Grey took the first watch, and Fox would take the second. Both Fox and Grey promised Red she would wake him when his turn to guard came. The night watch went smoothly, and after waking Fox, it was her turn to rest. She went into the shelter and slept. During the night, Grey’s sleep was restless. In the early morning before dawn broke, she went into a deep sleep and was pulled into another dimension. She saw the light from her spirit guide. There was no fear, just calm. He came with a message saying that she must not enter her family home. She must stay outside the family circle and on the first night rest. On the second night, five of her family would visit her and give her five gifts. On the third night, her grandmother would come and speak with her, and she would rest. On the fourth night, she would prepare for another journey. When this was over, she slept deeply for the rest of the night and did not awaken until the sun was high in the sky. During this last day of traveling, she was perplexed; many thoughts ran through her mind. She wanted to know the reason for her not going into the camp of her family. She was not ill, she had learned many things, and she wanted to share her

knowledge. She was getting closer to understanding why she was here on this land, but she was not there yet, and she still had things to learn. Now her spirit guide did not want her to go back into the family circle but to stay alone outside the camp. Maybe this was one of the tests; she did not know. She would wait outside the gathering of her people for the instruction of her understanding. Red and Fox entered the camp. Red told the elders that Grey was not entering into the family circle. The elders of the family had him sit in with the council and speak of his mission to protect Grey’s travels. Red spoke of her troubles and the time she spent in the village of the boy’s family and why she was living with them for this time. Red also told them of her prayer songs and her powers of healing as well as her knowledge of herbs. Red spoke of her inability to build a fire but that she learned to accomplish that, plus making a safe camp when on the trail for three days. When exhaustion overtook his body and he could no longer speak, he was sent to rest, and the holy one of the family was called in to speak with the elders. When he left the elders, he began preparing for visiting Grey. Grey did as she was told and made her camp outside her family. The holy one of the family came on the early morning and told her that she needed to do a cleansing. He told her that he had seen what was coming for her, and she needed to be prepared. He started building a tent for her to do the cleansing in, and he brought medicine herbs and water. While the holy one of the family prepared for her cleansing, her grandmother came to visit. They sat and talked for a time, they ate together, they cried together, they laughed together, and when the time came for Grandmother to leave, Grandmother gave her a small gift and asked her not to open it until she was two days away from the family’s camp. Grey promised. Grey went into the tent and began her cleansing. While the holy one of the family worked to keep the fires going in the pit, he kept pouring water in the pot to increase the steam in the tent. All the while, he was adding calming herbs. While he added more herbs to the fire, Grey began receiving a vision. At first all she saw were shadows of light and dark, and then they came in more clearly. There were seven spirits sitting before her, and before them were seven gifts. One by one, each spirit spoke to her, explaining the gift that was before him. After each of them finished speaking, the gift would appear before her on a blanket that the holy one of the family spread for her to sit on. This cleansing

lasted for seven hours. When this was over, Grey went into a very deep sleep.

CHAPTER 15

DAY ONE GRANDMOTHER’S VISIT She was frightened. She heard the animals snarling outside the entranceway. She heard them digging, trying to get into her shelter. She knew she was safe, but she was still worried. Knowing she was safe was not enough. Opening her eyes, she grabbed a weapon, and then she ed that it was just a dream full of symbolism. Her heartbeat slowly calmed, and she prepared to greet the day. Looking around her small shelter, she saw the gifts. Turning her back on the gifts, she walked out into the freshness of the day. She felt the freedom in the air and the joy of seeing another day. Sitting a few feet away, calmly working on a project, was her grandmother. Grey walked over to her grandmother, sat down beside her, and waited for Grandmother to speak. When she did speak, her words were not what Grey had expected. “Your mother was a great seeker. She could tell you of your future just by being near your energy.” Grandmother continued, “I was hoping you did not have her gift, but I see you also know things before they happen. You also know the reason why things happen, something your mother could not accomplish. Your mother’s gift was the reason she is no longer with her people.” Grey continued listening, waiting for Grandmother to continue speaking. She knew that Grandmother would weigh her words carefully before speaking again. Grandmother walked to the fire and began preparing to boil water. After Grandmother reached into her pouch, she lifted the leaves to her nose and smelled deeply of the herbs. “Ah”, she said “chamomile and catnip. These are my favorite herbs for a cup of tea.” Grandmother busied herself preparing the tea. Then she reached into her pocket and brought out two cakes made with corn and wheat mixed together with onion and garlic. She brought these to her nose

and sniffed and smiled. Handing one of them to Grey, she asked, “Why did you take so long to come back home?” Grey said nothing, knowing that this was not a question Grandmother wanted her to answer. Grey knew Grandmother was thinking out loud and would come to an answer that suited her, one she would believe was correct. Grey did not speak. Grey had learned patience during her journey.

DAY TWO THE SPIRIT JOURNEY GIFT Grey sat outside the camp of her family. She talked with her spirit guide, and she listened to her spirit guide as she was told about her new journey. Grey was sad but realized that she would know the true meaning of her life path if she continued on her journey. She would not be able to stay with her family or live with her family until she finished learning her path in life. She was given the promise that her spirit teacher would be traveling with her along the same path while she journeyed. She was told that she would never be alone. She accepted this as truth.

DAY THREE WOLF’S GIFT Grey called Wolf. Grey was worried that he would be getting too friendly with the family in the camp and would decide to stay behind with them and not travel with her. Grey knew he would protect her with his life and she him if they were together. She also knew he would love to have a stable place to live. If he wanted to stay with the family, she would miss him and his companionship; she did not relish traveling alone. Wolf came toward Grey walking very slowly, and she waited until he was close. Then she saw something. Wolf had something in his mouth. Wolf walked to Grey and placed his head in her lap. He opened his mouth, and out came a little injured bird. Wolf nudged the bird until it moved, and then he sat back on his

haunches and gave a dog smile with his tongue lolling outside of his mouth. He quietly sat waiting for her to do something. Grey touched the bird and noticed that the left wing did not work. Grey turned the bird over on its back and gently opened the wing. Seeing a break in one of the feathers, Grey held the wing with her left hand and gently pulled the feather with her fingers of her right hand. The feather held tight; it would not release. Not knowing what to do next, Grey wrapped the small bird in a moss wrap and tied the wrap onto the bird. Grey told Wolf she needed to study a bird’s wing in order to fix his friend. Grey gave the bird water and some seeds and went to find someone that knew more about birds. Grey knew she should not go into the family’s camp her as guides did not want her becoming weak and staying longer in the area than was planned. Grey decided that the life of the bird was more important and she went to visit her grandmother to ask her grandmother for advice. When Grey was near enough to her grandmother’s shelter, she saw hanging behind the shelter a line of birds hung up without their heads, being prepared for a meal. Grey went to the nearest one and examined its wing. She pulled and pushed the feather until finally she understood how the feather on a bird worked. She went back to her shelter and began repairing the bird she had received as a gift from her best friend, Wolf. After working for a time on the bird, Grey finally straightened up and rubbed her back, feeling the strain of bending over for such a long time. Grey felt the bird’s eyes on her, and she looked down at the little one and asked it what it wanted. In response, the bird opened its tiny mouth, indicating that it was hungry. Grey nodded in understanding and went to prepare some food for the bird. She felt confused that the bird gave her an indication of what it needed when she asked it what it wanted. Then after a while, Grey forgot her thoughtful questions and fed and watered the bird. Making a mental reminder, Grey told herself she would research this idea of an animal understanding what she was saying, when she had more time. Evening was upon her, and Grey prepared a small meal for herself and Wolf. After they ate, Grey decided to walk for a while and enjoy the evening before she retired for the night. The sky was full of stars and night birds. Beauty was alive all around her, filling the landscape. Excitement was growing more and more each moment. After a while, Grey and Wolf went back to the shelter and settled down for a night’s rest.

DAY FOUR Morning came with a brilliant sky, filling her world with excitement. Grey felt something was beginning, and she was on the edge of learning a new thing. Sitting in front of her small shelter during the heat of the day, Grey’s mind went inside her spirit. Grey watched as she began a journey. She noticed the ground on which she was traveling, she saw the birds overhead, she listened to the animals as they were speaking to each other, and her mind expanded into a realm of wonder. She was learning many things that had been forgotten, lying dormant inside the human brain for many decades. Grey continued her meditation until she saw a figure walking toward her, holding out his hand. Inside the hand was the little bird that Wolf had given to her, and walking beside him was Wolf. Grey continued watching, wondering why the figure had her bird. Grey noticed that Wolf was walking beside him along with a plant and a seed. Although seeing a plant and a seed walking was unusual, it appeared all right for the moment. Grey heard him as he started speaking not with his lips but with his mind. “Listen to what they have to say. Go deep inside yourself and listen. They will tell you what you want to know, as well as what you need to know,” he said. The first thing he handed her was the seed. Focusing on the seed, she let her mind go empty, and then she heard the voice. She was amazed that the seed wanted to grow and become a living energy. The seed showed her how it wanted to be planted and what it was put on the earth to accomplish. The second item he handed her was the small plant. Upon listening to the plant, she found that it was a new sapling and would grow into a great, strong tree if given the opportunity. The plant told her that the trees held all the stories of the many generations of the earth, good and bad. The plant told her how the earth could heal itself if given the proper care. She listened to the small tree’s stories until it went silent. The figure handed Grey the small bird, the gift given her by Wolf, her best of all friends. Holding the small bird in her hands, she opened her mind to its thoughts.

Grey watched as the bird became her eyes to the land. The bird was communicating to Grey the sights it saw when traveling. For several minutes, Grey experienced everything the bird had experienced up to the moment when the bird was injured. Then Grey opened her eyes, and the vision was over. Her mind going from one thought to another, she wondered if she did this with other animals, would she be able to see and learn from them. This was something she wanted to try. A small part of her wondered if this was an invasion of the animal’s privacy, but she decided that the animals would be able to stop her from seeing into their brains if they desired. Grey wondered if she would be able to choose what an animal would show or would she be given all the memories, and it would be up to her to separate what she wanted to see from what was unnecessary information used only by the animal. She was eager to try again and began studying all the animals that came into her line of sight. After speaking to her grandmother Grey wandered around her family’s camp and touched many animals. Some of them accepted her touch, and others shied away from her. She wondered if they knew that she was going to try using their minds. Finally she came upon Red’s pony and wondered if it would allow her to see into its thoughts. Putting her hands around the animal’s head, she closed her eyes and focused on seeing what the animal saw. The pony waited for her to finish. She watched as the pony ran free, wild across the land. She watched as the pony played with others, having fun and enjoying life. Grey watched as the pony became ill after being caught in a storm. She watched when Red found the pony. She felt how the pony felt when it knew it was dying and would never walk on the earth again. She watched when Red began helping heal the pony. She felt the gentleness of Red’s hands as he held the pony when he was feeding him. She felt the loyalty the pony had for Red and how he would do anything Red asked him. She watched all the pony’s travels until this moment as she watched herself put her hands on the pony’s head. Taking her hand away from the pony, Grey stepped back and said thank you to the pony, and the pony nodded its head and whinnied as if to say you are welcome. Walking back to her temporary shelter, Grey pondered over what she had learned. She was thinking of all the possibilities that new gift brought, and she

believed that in the wrong hands, this gift could be very dangerous. She wondered if she should tell others but decided that this gift would be kept a secret for the time being. She wanted to learn more about the power she now possessed. She wondered if it would work on people and decided she would try later and see what she could learn. She wanted to learn the problems that would be brought with this new ability as well as the positive uses for this gift. She needed to learn when this power was safe to use and when it was not safe. When Grey returned to her shelter, she saw her grandmother waiting for her, and she had brought some food for the evening meal. Until this moment, Grey had not known she was hungry, but now the hunger pangs were loudly making themselves known. She was happy that she would not be doing her own cooking on this night. She made a solemn promise to the animals that she would not tell their secrets unless it was a life and death situation—theirs, hers, or someone they were trying to protect. After the meal and the cleaning up were over, Grandmother and Grey sat long into the night visiting. Both Grandmother and Grey ed things that each of them wanted to tell the other. When they were tired and both of them were yawning, they still wanted to continue talking. It was as if they both thought this might be their last meeting, and they wanted to make it last forever. Well past the middle of the night, Grandmother got up from where she sat and said she needed to get some rest and would see Grey in the morning. Grandmother appeared as if she wanted to say more, but then shaking her head, she turned around and walked back to her shelter. Grey followed for a few yards and then said she would see her in the morning. Grandmother nodded and continued walking. An odd emotion filled Grey, and she wanted to go to Grandmother and see into her mind. Instead Grey went to her shelter, praying that she would never regret her not giving more of herself to someone she loved dearly.

DAY FIVE Dawn came so early that Grey wanted to sleep longer. She rolled over and found that Wolf was already out of her shelter and playing with some of the children inside the camp outskirts. For the first time in a long time, Grey was rested. She felt a little guilty because she did not get up to greet the dawn, but not too guilty. Grey felt as if she had forgotten something important, but she brushed the

thought away and continued getting ready for the day’s chores. The day before, the little bird that Wolf had given her begun flying around and enjoying a sky filled with beauty. Grey had fixed the little bird’s feather, and the pain had subsided. Nothing was in the way of the little bird enjoying the miracle of flight. Grey enjoyed watching the bird react to the puff of wind as it soared and floated on the wind’s erratic behavior. Then the bird flew out of sight and was gone for quite a long time. Grey thought that the bird went back to its flock, and she wished it a good journey. Grey mentally bid the small bird good-bye, not expecting to see it again. Grey had not seen Red since they arrived at the camp. She thought he was still being treated for the bug bite on his leg, and she did not want to bother him except to know if he was totally healed. With this thought in her mind, she went to find him and get reacquainted. Grey found Red sitting around a small fire pit, talking to the elders of their family. She waved to him, and he nodded to her and made the sign that he would meet with her later. The elders noticed the exchange and were interested in the signal he had sent to Grey. Red began to explain about the communication method they had devised while traveling. They were excited about this idea and wanted to know if it could be taught to the family and would he be willing to teach them. Red was of two minds. One, he did not want to teach, and two; the signals between Grey and him were private. He felt if he shared the information with everyone, when communication was needed for safety, everyone would know, and no one would be safe. Red believed that this family group was not very careful with what they shared with outsiders. After Red said he would think about teaching the signals he used for communication with Grey, the meeting with the elders broke up, and as he left the shelter, he could hear the elders talking about learning this new way of communicating. Red went to find Grey. In the meantime, Grey had gone back to her shelter and prepared herself a small drink. She sat down to enjoy a little bit of quiet. The small bird approached her, and she tossed it a small crumb of her seed roll. When the bird had eaten its fill, it flew to Grey’s hands and sat there. Grey watched for a moment and then decided to use her mind to see where the small one had been. She was in awe of the power this method held for anyone that could learn the secret.

The little bird sat very still, and Grey went on the journey of the bird’s trip. She was enjoying herself when she spied the wolves. It was quite obvious they were following a scent. After watching for a while, she figured that they were on her trail, and they were not far from the family’s camp. Grey put the little bird up on her shoulder as Red and Fox walked over to her. Red noticed a look of worry on her face, and she told him what she had seen. Red wasted no time in finding the elders to explain to them what was coming toward the people. They began rounding up as many of the men as possible, and the work began to build a fire wall and prepare the group and their weapons. Weapons were hard to find, and the people needed to be resourceful for their own safety and protection. Red put a deer leg outside the camp as a determent for the wolves, hoping that they would take the offering and leave the camp alone. Grey and the other women went out to collect all the children from the edge of the camp and bring them into safety. By the time the wolves got to the camp, the people were ready for them. A few hunters were placed outside the camp, ready to destroy the wolves if the action was needed. At the moment, they were waiting and did not want to kill any animals unless it was necessary. The waiting was long and stressful, and many of the hunters were losing interest. They felt that this was just a game, one they did not want to play. This had never happened before, so why should they be in danger at this time? Detecting the danger, the wolves did not go into the camp. They went to the deer meat instead and ate all they could and then dragged the rest of it into the night with them. Grey and Red knew that this was the way they hunted. The wolves had survived over the years by finding easy prey, and their hunger was a constant problem. They believed that the wolves would attack under the darkness of the night when everyone was sleeping. This had happened before when they were on their journey back to the family camp, and animals almost always did what they knew would work. The wolves knew that the best time to attack people was when they were sleeping and unaware. Grey and Red hoped that the people in the camp would continue to be on the lookout, but it could not be guaranteed, so they began walking around the perimeters of the camp, reinforcing the brush circle and checking the livestock for their safety. The camp needed to be ready for the attack, and already they were falling asleep on their feet or playing with the children. Their vigilance was

lacking the urgency needed for their safety. Grey decided that if the night went without anything happening, she would be leaving as soon as she could. During the night, she discussed this with Red, telling him of her suspicion that the wolves were tracking her and Wolf. He argued with her that the animals were not that way and wanted food only, but Grey had been given the vision through the little bird, and she knew what she knew. She would leave in the early dawn. During the night, Grey prepared her things for travel, and when it was quiet, she went to her grandmother to speak to her about her decision. Grandmother was upset, but she knew that what Grey said was true. She prepared a small pouch of food for her, and then they sat down to have their last meal together. Grandmother knew she would not see her granddaughter again for a long time.

DAY SIX Dawn came early. Grey was up almost all night, gathering the items she wanted to take with her and discarding the items that were useless. Grey took some of her small treasures and put them outside the shelters of some of her friends and siblings, a sort of thank you and I am sorry gift. Quietly, before all the people were up and busy with the day’s chores, Grey led her riding horse and her pack horse out into the world to begin her next journey. Red was already outside of the camp watching for Grey to . He was once again her protector, and once again he would travel without her knowledge of him being near until he thought it was prudent of him to show himself. Since the elders of the families had not released him from his duty, he knew there was a real threat to her life, so he would not be as foolish as to not keep a closer eye on his mission. This time she would be totally protected, and he would not need to spend months hunting for her because of his mistake. This time it would be different. Grey knew that Red and Fox were following her, and she decided to let them travel alone for a time, thinking that when she stopped for her meal, she would make enough for both of them and invite them down to travel with her. It would be easier for her to take care of them if they became hurt. Wolf took his time to

run back to Red and dance around him for a while and travel with him. Then he would run ahead and do the same to Grey. Wolf believed that he was to protect all of them. As for the bird, it would fly off and be gone for a while and then come back to Grey and sit on her shoulder, his favorite place to travel.

DAY SEVEN Traveling toward the south of the valley Grey, Red, and Fox were together but not together. Red and Fox were traveling far enough ahead of Grey to scout the terrain, and she was watching the land to find good herbs and edible foods. While slowly walking her horse, Grey was not paying attention to things going on around her, and suddenly she heard Red calling her name. Bringing her mind back to the present, she noticed that he was stationary, and there were two riders beside him. They were carrying on an animated conversation. Grey hurried to Red’s side and looked around for Fox. Grey studied the two riders. She was surprised to see the young boy, Samson; she ed his had taken care of her when she was so ill. He was now a young man. She was very happy to see him. When she looked to the other rider, she saw it was her only friend at the camp of Samson’s people. Lilly was still beautiful and very quiet. She shyly smiled at Grey, and Grey touched her arm in welcome. Grey was happy and moved her horse closer to Lilly and gave her a hand of welcome. As she then moved to get down off her horse, her friend did the same. Grey and Lilly began talking all at once. They stopped and giggled. Both of them decided it would be best to make a shelter and a meal for the night, and then they could visit. Grey wanted to know why they were away from their camp and traveling together, and Lilly said that she and Samson wanted to travel and be on their own. Neither Sampson nor Lilly cared for the strict rules of the family, and they wanted their freedom to choose. Grey understood this all too well. She enjoyed her freedom and knew that living among the family and their rules and laws would cause tension. Grey and Lilly talked as they prepared the meal. They were very busy and did not take notice of Red and Samson as they busied themselves by putting brush around the shelter area. They also did not see Fox preparing the animals for the

night. Red was telling Samson about the fight with the wolves. Red talked about finding the small child and his meeting up with Fox. He also talked about his illness when he was bitten. Finally the meal was ready, and the five of them ate and talked way into the night. They behaved as if they were long-lost friends or family, but in fact they were just travelers crossing paths and wanting company for a while. Traveling was sometimes very lonely. Grey felt the comforting presence of her friends, and she decided to tell them of this new learning journey and how she felt it would be a great experience for all of them if they decided to her on this trip. As she went to sleep that night, she prayed that all of her friends would agree and travel with her into the unknown of tomorrow.