Prologue for Together - They Danced
Never-ending blankets of untouched snow cover the valley. Total silence fills the air. Millions of eyes both large and small roam, from a safe and unseen fortress. Icicles hang on evergreen trees and resilient bushes. North Wind whistles an ancient tune, sending delicate snowflakes whirling through the air. Grandmother Moon beams brightly overhead. Trillions of Star People sparkle, gracing the predawn sky. Brother Wolf bays in the distance. Through wide awake eyes filled with wisdom, Sister Owl silently sits upon a tree limb, while a solitary line of pine scented smoke swirls upward, from the log cabin’s chimney. Totally satisfied, the Creator enfolds it all, within loving hands.Wrapped inside warm blankets, Bright Star snuggles closer to her husband, listening to the rhythm of his steady breathing. With a sigh of relief, she reverently prays and thanks the Creator for sparing his life. Last month, Two Eagles lost his footing and slipped into Waterfall Lake. Thereafter, he stayed outdoors a long time, wearing soaking wet clothing. Unfortunately, pneumonia set in. However, without ceasing, she doctored him day and night, until his fever broke. The death angel passed over, this time. Trying not to awaken him, she slowly gets out of bed. She walked over to the dresser and filled her small, hand-painted, clay bowl with a mixture of sweetgrass, cedar, sage, pine, and tobacco. Silently praying, she lights the sacred herbal mixture, and uses her eagle feather fan to guide the smoke over to where her husband peacefully sleeps. Mato groggily lifts his head and watches her do what he had seen her do many times before. Then he curled his head between his chubby paws and fell asleep again. After she finished praying, she casually strolled to the bedroom window and peered outside.Fires crackle, drums beat, and rattles shake. Male and female voices rise in harmony. Seasoned dancers keep in stride with the drumbeat. Spirits of the Ancestors dance, while she stares through the window and enjoys the spectacle. Hearing a whisper, she slowly pulls the curtain further aside to scrutinize her surroundings. Without mistake, Bright Star hears a feminine voice say, “She will come, Bright Star. Welcome her warmly. Please, help her find the way home. She is lost.” Broadly, smiling, she acknowledges the voice with a forward nod of her head.Not realizing she had dozed off, she awakens to the beautiful melody of her husband chanting morning prayers. When he concludes praying and notices that she has awakened, he greets her. “Good morning, beautiful wife,” he said with a gigantic smile on his face. Blushing, Bright Star held out her arms and embraced him. Mato wobbled over and forced his way into the loving embrace. Both of them chuckled at Mato. “You’d think he wouldn’t still be jealous, after all this time,” Two Eagles said. She laughed and replied, “Oh! He’s not jealous; he’s just a big baby wanting attention!” They shared a hearty laugh. Mato stared at them, as if he was saying, “What are you two laughing at!” After filling the heater with wood, Two Eagles and Mato walked outside, stood on the front porch, and inhaled fresh, crisp, morning air. Rusty, the couple’s little beagle hound, came running from around the corner of the cabin, at full speed, barking and chasing a rabbit. Two Eagles laughed and called out to him. “Good morning boy! I see adventure fills the day, already!”Suddenly, a loud crash fills the air. Two Eagles turned toward the direction of the sound and stared with concern. Rusty immediately stopped chasing the rabbit and lifted his ears. Mato stood on his hind legs and growled. Bright Star opened the front door and called out, “What was that?” He replied, “I don’t know! But let’s put on some warm clothing and go see what we can find!” The Elderly couple, along with Mato and Rusty, headed down the path. Two Eagles held firmly onto his wife’s elbow, while she held firmly to her walking stick. “This snow is really deep,” she said. “Yes, it is! But it is also beautiful and clean,” he said. As the couple traveled along the path, they discussed the day’s events thus far. Bright Star told Two Eagles about the vision she received this morning. Mato and Rusty walked ahead of them. When Rusty lifted his ears, Mato stood on his hind legs, the couple knew, Mato, and Rusty had spotted something out of the ordinary. Not knowing what to expect, the couple pushed forward. Just as they rounded the curve, they saw a small car on its side inside the ditch. Snow had almost completely covered it.Awestruck, the couple stopped and stared. “What in the world is this,” Bright Star asked. “Don’t know but I’ll check it out,” he said. “Be careful!” She warned. “Someone is badly hurt, inside! We must get them out,” he said. “Do you think the car might explode,” she asked. “No, I don’t think. The smoke is actually steam, coming from the radiator,” he said. He begins digging and pushing away snow, with his bare hands, as fast as he could. After faithfully watching for a moment, both Mato and Rusty joined in. Not knowing what to expect, she prayed. The threesome frantically worked to rescue the person inside the car. It seemed as though time stood still, as they struggled. Finally, they removed enough snow to open the car door. “Don’t worry honey! This is not Alan,” he said, as if he could read his wife’s thoughts. She breathed a sigh of relief. “Alan usually contacts us, before he comes. However, I thought maybe he might want to surprise us,” she replied. “Not with all this snow,” her husband said. “You’re right! But who could it be,” she asked. He grinned and said, “Maybe it’s the one who the Ancestors sent! Remember the vision you had this morning!”With all his strength, he pulled the body from the snow-covered car. Next, he checked for a pulse and realized the person is female. “It’s a woman!” he informed his wife. “A woman!” she repeated. “Yes! She is unconscious,” he said.Bright Star made her way to the woman’s unconscious body and gasped. “Do you know her!” he asked. “I’m not sure, if I know her or not. But, she favors my first cousin, Caroline. Yet, it cannot be Caroline because she made her last journey several years ago,” she said. Undoubtedly, Two Eagles and Bright Star knew they must get this young woman inside the cabin, where it is warm or she will go into shock. Fortunately, Bright Star listens to the Ancestors. Following their advice, she gathered and carried extra blankets, when they left the cabin. Together the couple spread a blanket on the ground and gently pulled the woman’s body onto the blanket. Then Two Eagles tied another blanket to the one on which the woman’s motionless body rested. Next, he tied the end of it around Mato’s neck. “Pull Mato!” Both Two Eagles and Bright Star yelled, together. With his tail wagging, Rusty led the way. Again the group traveled down the path and headed home. When they reached the cabin, Two Eagles helped Mato carefully pull the woman inside the cabin. “Pull her close to the heater!” Bright Star instructed. Immediately, she removed the woman’s wet clothing and wrapped her with warm blankets. In the meantime, Two Eagles made a pallet and gathered dried healing herbs that he and his wife had picked during the summer. He handed them to Bright Star. Without hesitation, she crumbled the herbs, blended them with a small amount of aloe, and applied the gel to the woman’s wounds. Two Eagles lit sage, prayed, and smudged the area, to remove unwanted energy.With a strong clear voice, Bright Star sang her healing song. Before long, the young woman opened her eyes and stared into the faces of both Bright Star and Two Eagles. The visitor gasped, when she turned her head and faced Mato nose to nose. He had patiently lay beside her and waited for her to awaken. Bright Star said, “Do not be afraid! I am Bright Star and this is my husband Two Eagles.” She continued, “This is Mato! He helped us bring you to the cabin. This little fellow wagging his tail here is Rusty. He helped too!” The young woman smiled. Two Eagles held up three fingers in front of her face. He asked, “How many fingers do you see?” The young woman painfully replied, “Three!”Bright Star turned and walked into the kitchen. She heated left over soup she and Two Eagles had for supper last night. After it warmed, she put it into a bowl and fed the young woman. “We don’t think you broke any bones. However, you have many bruises! Eat this! It will help you gain strength,” Bright Star said. With love, Bright Star placed spoonfuls after spoonful into the young woman’s mouth, until the bowl was empty. “Now, tell us who you are!” said Two Eagles. “Please wait. Let her drink this tea first. It will help with the pain,” his wife said. Two Eagles gently lifted the young woman a little higher off the floor, so she could sip the tea. “This is good!” said the young woman, between painful groans. “It is a special medicine mixture. It will help you rest and it will help alleviate the pain,” she said and resumed, “I know you are one of my relatives because only relatives come to visit.” Groggy from the tea, the young woman said, “I am your cousin. I am the granddaughter of Caroline Bear Claw.” Bright Star smiled and asked, “How did you end up in the ditch?” The young woman sighed. “A gigantic deer ran in front of me and I tried to avoid hitting it.” Glancing at Mato, she continued, “The animals around here grow big!” Before she could finish speaking, the young woman fell asleep. “She definitely resembles Caroline!” Bright Star said, with sparkling eyes. “But I wonder what brings her this way! I have not seen her since she was a small child!” Two Eagles smiled. “When she wakes up, you’ll find out,” he said, “We need to rest our old bones too!” He playfully kissed and embraced his wife. Rusty wagged his tail. Mato softly growled and inched as close to the heater as he could.It was close to sunset, when the young woman woke up, to the aroma of freshly baked bread. “It sure smells good in here,” she said, “and what was in that tea? I had the most unusual dream.” Bright Star chuckled and remarked, “Dream! Please share your dream with us!” The young woman continued, “Well, in the dream, I ran through the forest like the wind. With bare breast and bare feet, I wore some type of short skirt! I’m glad my hair is long enough to cover my breast!” She resumed, “I could identify all types of berries and wildflowers. I watched sunbeams filter through gigantic trees. I inhaled the sweet aroma of the forest. Occasionally, I stopped and spoke with the animals. I could hear myself speaking a strange language. Anyway, they understood, whatever I said to them. I could also impersonate the birds and they cheerfully chirped greetings back to me. The dream was amazing and I wasn’t afraid or ashamed of my nakedness, until I stepped out of the forest onto a black top road.” Overwhelmed, the young woman waited for a reply. “Sounds like our guest is wide awake and she is ready for learning!” Two Eagles said, with a big smile on his face. Bright Star briskly made her way over to the pallet. She slowly slid her rocking chair beside the young woman and sit down. She smiled with sparkles inside her clear, hazel eyes. “Your dream is what I call a medicine dream! Some people call it a past life experience. You simply relived a past life. Now, tell me! What brings you to Waterfall Lake, during the middle of a blizzard?” Bright Star asked. The young woman smiled and shyly told them the reason she had come to Waterfall Lake. Patiently, the couple listened to every word the young woman spoke. Weeks passed and Sister North Wind blew additional snow and ice on the valley. Daydreaming, the young woman stared outside through the window. “It appears you’re stuck here with us, until spring!” Bright Star said. The young woman dropped her head. “I don’t want to be a burden. You’ve done so much for me already.” Bright Star walked over, wrapped a blanket around the young woman’s shoulders and explained, “You are not a burden! You are a relative!” Startled and touched regarding that statement, the young woman turned and faced her. Crying and smiling, they embraced. In the background, Two Eagles watched, with a smile.After regaining complete strength, the young woman stayed at Waterfall Lake with her relatives, for several months. She witnessed winter turn into spring promising new birth. Snow covered plants received coaxing from Grandfather Sun and anxiously reached for the sky. Birds merrily chirped and searched for food to feed their young. Wolf pups tugged and wrestled with each other. Mother Bear led her cubs to streams and taught them to catch fresh fish. Mother Doe nursed her fawns. Honeysuckle scented the valley and decorated furrows as well as trees growing along the path. Before long, spring turns into summer and Waterfall Lake glows with purple, yellow, blue, white, and red wildflowers. For miles and miles, the aromas of fresh cornstalks fill the air. Rivers, creeks, brooks, and streams brim with brand new wildlife. Hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees collect nectar and pollinate plants. Cricket and rain frog medleys create sonatas with Mother Nature as composer. Dragonflies and Damselflies effortlessly soar through the air; June Bugs buzz and sing summer songs, while annoying mosquitoes fly from ear to ear sharing secrets. Each day, from sunrise until sunset, the young woman observed nature’s beauty throughout Waterfall Lake. During the first rays of Grandfather Sun, Morning Doves coo to announce an extremely hot day. Meanwhile, as Grandfather Sun travels across the sky, Grandmother Moon makes her entrance and twilight sets in. Fireflies encourage ghost stories and spook the night. Nocturnal Creatures great and small hunt for food beside the river. Sister Raccoon washes her meal. In the distance, Brother Owl loudly hoots. Her attitude about life completely changes. All through her stay in Waterfall Lake, she learns valuable lessons from Bright Star and Two Eagles. She learned about Ancestors from as far back as Leah, Wildflower, Strong Bear, Sakinda, King Johan, King Baradi, Many Hands, and Lania. She listened to legends about Yellow Wolf and Raven. Lastly, the young woman listened attentively listened to stories about her great-great grandparents, Raven Song Bird and Gray Wolf.Wholeheartedly, she listened as Bright Star said, “Your great-great grandparents had two daughters. The couple had one daughter named Spotted Fawn, which is my mother and another daughter named Little Pine, which is the mother of your grandmother, Caroline. Little Pine married Stands Alone. My mother, Spotted Fawn married Whitehorse.” She continued, “You descended from a strong and noble family! You have a rich heritage! You come from the blood of Kings and Queens! We are royalty!” The young guest paid close attention. Without interrupting her teachers, she listened and learned as much about her heritage and her ancestral homeland as possible. Bright Star reminded her, “You can never truly know yourself, until you know who your Ancestors are!”Finally late one afternoon, after the trio enjoyed supper, Two Eagles said, “The Spirits say that you must go home and soon! Great things await you! Pain and heartache last forever, if you refuse the healing! If you accept the healing, joy lasts forever! Mistakes are natural and a way of life. Therefore, each mistake offers us a lesson.” Bright Star listened to her husband’s wisdom and then she added her own. “That lesson my husband speaks about is the ability to learn from our mistakes. We must always listen to our Ancestors and our surroundings. The Ancient Ones are not dead! They simply made the transition from physical form into spirit form. For as long as we live on this physical plane of existence, the Ancestors watch over us, lead us, and guide us, if we listen and obey. The only way to fix your problem is to face it!” Bright Star declared.She resumed, “Remember, what you have learned here! Attitude is everything! You are my flesh and blood and I love you! Our Ancestor, Zerondi endured heartbreak, exploitation, chains, and the journey from Africa to America. After arriving in this country, what seemed like a curse to her soon turned into a blessing.” Two Eagles nodded his head in agreement and he said, “Creator blessed her to avoid the plantation. Zerondi never lived as a slave. Although she found friendship and love, when she met Yellow Wolf, she still faced language barriers and racism but she overcame. Legend says that she never complained and she held onto hope!”Smiling and nodded in agreement, Bright Star said, “We can only imagine, how she felt, after roaming through unfamiliar territory for weeks, and at the same time, constantly fainting from pain and starvation. However, when Yellow Wolf discovered her, she discovered love, security and family, because he listened to his heart and the Ancient Ones! Unfortunately, Strong Bear suffered from racism. Nevertheless, his son faced him with respect and Strong Bear conquered the disease. Yellow Wolf refused to let hate control his heart. He married her and they raised a family, right here, in Waterfall Lake. We are their offspring!” With tears inside her eyes, the young woman nodded her head forward. She believes her relatives and she knows they speak the truth. Staying in Waterfall Lake, through winter, spring, and summer and listening to the wisdom of the Elders gave her the courage needs to face her fears. The young woman sadly kissed Rusty and Mato goodbye. After exchanging hugs, with relatives, she lifted her luggage. Bright Star and Two Eagles said, “Safe Journey!”