Chapter 10: Day of Prayer

The Family

“Delta Oh Niner, this is base,” Cole said into the radio.

“This is Delta Oh Niner, base. Come in.”

“What’s the status?”

“No way to keep them from knowing we’re here and still keep them away from scattering the cattle. It seems that was their intent all along.”

“What’s the plan?” Cole asked.

“We had a parlay,” the voice on the radio said. “We explained the terms simply. They could run around their base with the ATVs all they wanted and we wouldn’t say a thing if they ran west. But we would stop them from approaching where the wranglers were rounding up the cattle they’d scattered.”

“How’d they take that?”

“About how you’d expect. A lot of shouting and waving their guns around. It’s all quiet now. We simply showed them that we had bigger guns. And more of them.”

“I don’t want any firefights,” Cole said. “I just want my cattle rounded up.”

“They’re sure to call in reinforcements,” the voice said, “but not right away. At the moment, they’re busy discovering their cell phones don’t work up here. By the time they send someone out on the west side of the mountain because the FS Road has been washed out, it will probably be nightfall before they can call for reinforcements. We figure they’ll have to go all the way to Rawlins to make a phone call.”

“The Forest Service Road was washed out? We haven’t had any rain,” Cole said.

“Local storm,” the voice chuckled. “I figure it was about fifty feet wide.”

“You guys know your business. I’ve asked too much already. Take care and be safe.”

“Roger that. Delta Oh Niner out.”

“Ramie, could we ask about our ride?” a young woman leading a chestnut mare said.

“Sure, Dawn. Everything is open except the trails up to the ridge. With the cattle getting ready to move down and the oil company acting aggressive, we don’t want anybody risking that ride,” Ramie said.

“That’s just it,” Dawn said. She’d been boarding her horse here for three years and a dozen of the regular riders were tacked up by ten on this Sunday morning. Another dozen had trailered in and all twenty-four or twenty-five horses and riders were gathered together. “We’d like to go someplace to ... um ... meditate with our horses. Sort of ... consider the land,” she said sheepishly. Ramie couldn’t help herself. She hugged the young rider.

“Yes,” she said. “The land needs you.”

“Where would you recommend?”

“Take the south trail around the pond. Then bear east a little and you’ll hit the river. There’s a nice trail there and about two miles along the river, you’ll come to an open meadow. Not many people go down that direction because it’s not a mountain ride, if you know what I mean. It just meanders along the river. We’ve noticed a lot of pronghorn gathering in that meadow this summer. I think it would be a great place to sit and consider the land.”

“Thank you, Ramie. I knew you’d understand. We ... we’re all concerned about what’s happening to the environment. At least this is something we can do.”

“Tell everyone to take curry combs, brushes, and blankets to rub their horses down with,” Ramie said. “There’s nothing that helps meditation like brushing your horse.” The girl grinned and went back to her friends. After scrambling to get their tack together, the long line of horses filed out of the yard and hit the trail.

“Let’s pause to consider the land,” Cole said as the family sat at the table for dinner.

It was a ritual that had been passed down for generations in the Bell family. Before each meal, whether spoken or understood, the family paused to consider the land. For generations, this land had supported the Bell and Alexander families. They weren’t religious, but they felt a deep connection. Markers on the hillside, expanded by Cole, Ramie, and Kyle to include people who had never found their way into the family Bible, lay on the hillside above the woodlot. Generations that went back to Laramie Wyoming Bell and Kyle Redtail Wardlaw, Miranda Lewis and Jason Wardlaw, Theresa Ranae Bell and White Horse. Six generations laid to rest. All tied to the land.

On this particular Sunday, people of many faiths and no faith at all paused with them to consider the land. The land that fed them, clothed them, provided the energy for their lives, and the pleasure for their eyes. Whether they were on the side of corporate exploitation of resources or conservation of the land, people paused to consider the land.

Fifth Live Report

“There is a different tone to the drums from Yellowstone Grizzly Village today,” said Evan Waitley, the NNN network newscaster. “It is soft. Humming. Even from here, a mile from the Grizzly Lake, we can hear the chants as they rise and fall. But it is not this that has made this moment one of awe. It is what lies in the valley around the village.” The camera swept away from the reporter and focused on a valley full of animals.

“‘The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.’ Those words from the prophet Isaiah have never been more fully realized. As you can see, the animals in this basin—thousands of them—lie at peace with each other and at odds with man. All men except the two we have come to know as the White Wolf Twins wandering among them. We can see buffalo, elk, wolves, mountain goats, rabbits, and mountain lions all lying together, staring at the site of the Shale Oil Company well.” The camera picked up Earth Sister coming from the village, approaching the reporter.

“A Park Ranger was led by this couple to walk among the beasts a short time ago. The man and woman are different from those around them, both being fair-skinned and light-haired. Yet they wear only loin cloths and a robe made of wolfskin. When he returned, the Ranger said only, ‘It is all real. They are really here.’ Now Earth Sister approaches.”

Mandy had been clipped with a microphone as the camera watched, but no one noticed the technical maneuvering. Tears ran down Mandy’s cheeks.

“You called this a day of prayer to consider the land, Earth Sister. Is this what you had in mind?” Evan asked.

“I’ve lived in their heads for five years and never imagined they would do this,” she said. “In all that time, they have prepared for a war they did not want. Look at them. Prey and predator, all knowing their place in the cycle and accepting it. Except man. Except the corporations that hold man captive. This is what Néške’emāne wants for her children. My beloved Wolf Twins do not want this war, but they will not relent if the injury to Grandmother Earth continues.”

“The Wolf Twins are the two we see wandering among the animals and who led the inspection of the animals with the Park Ranger?” Evan asked.

“They are one aspect. The Twins span time, race, and species, I think. But this is sure. Tomorrow, Shale Oil Company has declared it will begin the pseudo-fracking operation that will force Earth Mother to give up her life blood for their greed. If they proceed, all those animals you see lying peacefully in the valley, and millions more than you can imagine, will rise to fight for their mother. Today, we mourn, for tomorrow, when the thunder echoes from the mountains, those who remain there—or at any other site where the corporation would harm Earth Mother—will die.”

The Family

“Radio Rafe,” Ashley said. “They need to start the cattle down from the ridge now.” Cole ran to the office and made the call to his surprised foreman.

“We won’t know for sure if we have them all,” Rafe said over the radio. “We could lose ten percent or more.”

“We’ve got two hours of daylight left. We’ll lose them all if you wait until tomorrow,” Cole shot back. “Don’t stampede them, but get them moving. Everyone gets a twenty percent bonus if we have four hundred head when you arrive here tomorrow.”

“We’ll move them, boss,” Rafe said. “I don’t think we can break and move the camp, though.”

“Leave it. Abandon everything and put every person on the drive.”

Cole switched bands on the radio.

“Delta Oh Niner, this is base.”

“Come in base.”

“We’re moving the cattle. Fall back as they move and get away from the ridge. Maintain a defensive position behind the herd. Do not leave anyone on the ridge.”

“Understood, base. Delta Oh Niner out.”

“If these wild ones get to be too much, I’ll take them to the kitchen,” Aubrey said as the family settled in to read. “It will be bedtime before long.”

“There’s six adults,” Mary Beth laughed. “Eight if we count you two,” she pointed at Kyle and Ramie hosting Jason and Miranda in their heads. “We ought to be able to ride herd on two little ones.” She flopped down on the floor with a bit of a groan and Theresa toddled over to her grandma. “When did the floor get so low?” she asked. “Never used to be that far down.”

“I think I’d better read today,” Ramie said. “It’s the only way I’ll be able to sit still. I want to ride up to the ridge just to see what happens.”

Ramie lifted the pages from the box.

Phile: Leaving Mandy

The battle at Greasy Grass didn’t all happen at once. It was four years from the time that we visited until Custer led his army into Crazy Horse’s trap. In the same way, we weren’t ready to march off to war, either. We didn’t even know yet who we were doing battle with.

Once Caitlin and I left Kyle’s spirit walker, we just turned and headed toward the mountains. We’d planned to take more with us, but the revelation of what we’d done hit us hard. I didn’t know who he was beyond his name, Jason, but we’d both done our deeds and he seemed to be at peace with Kyle. It was news, though, that Kyle and Ramie were spirit walkers and they had been inhabited by people from the past. There were more bridges being built than just our simple drumming.

Caitlin and I just needed to get to Mandy. We met at the thermal spring up on the ridge. We’d been coming here, it seemed, for centuries. It gave us a focus on the land. We could feel it in our bones.

We waved at the hands watching over the cattle in the summer pasture, but we didn’t stop to talk. We rode on up over the ridge and Mandy was waiting for us. Cait and I jumped from our horses and wrapped that girl in our arms. We linked and projected every soft touch and kiss to Wolf Rising and Wolf Riding Woman. Caitlin got herself naked before she helped me pull Mandy’s dress over her head. I was still working on getting Mandy’s brassiere unfastened when Caitlin hauled my pants down my legs and sucked my cock into her mouth. I felt Wolf Rising gasp and knew Wolf Riding Woman was giving him the same treatment. I kissed Mandy and caressed those beautiful breasts that we all loved so much. I guess we were all desperate because in fifteen minutes we’d come in every combination we could and rode in the heads of our partners while they came. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of experiencing a woman come. It’s so different than the way I spurt. Well, maybe it’s partly because it always makes me spurt at the same time.

We ate cold rations from Mandy’s saddlebag. We didn’t want to start a fire that night because we didn’t know how long we’d be there. If everything worked like we expected, we’d all be gone by morning. We stayed naked, but stowed all our clothing in bundles on our horses. We cleaned the site and made sure our waste was buried deep.

We’d taken to carrying prayer drums attached to our rifle scabbards wherever we went. They were flat and about ten inches across. They looked like decorations, but we took them off and began a steady rhythm. Mandy had a slightly bigger one that she tapped at. Wolf Rising and Wolf Riding Woman had a bigger drum and we could feel it setting the rhythm over the centuries as we fell into a dance and made the thunder that would let us open the gate.

We were going visiting.

It was an hour before sunrise before we opened the gate. Three people and three horses with all our gear intact stepped into the clearing in front of Wolf Rising and Wolf Riding Woman. The drumming ceased and we collapsed into each other’s arms.

Our two other selves, of course, wanted some hands-on time with Mandy. I could feel and remember everything those two had done, but it was still different to be physically in touch. While Wolf Rising, Caitlin, and Mandy got in every position imaginable, Wolf Riding Woman took me in her arms as well. I looked into her eyes.

“It is strange, isn’t it?” she said. “I look into your eyes and I see the same spirit as Wolf Rising’s looking back at me. Yet the body excites me because this body does not know it well like it knows Wolf Rising. Do I excite you as much in this body as I do in my now-time body?” she asked.

“Caitlin/Wolf Riding Woman, I know you are one person, but you excite me in different ways. I know that as I enter you, it will be as if I have never been there before and it excites me beyond measure. If ever there was meaning to the term soulmate, this is it. No matter what body we occupy, our souls have been mated from birth. Twice,” I said.

Our loving lasted most of the day. It was curious as we switched partners and loved in all the combinations. And I mean all of them. I watched Caitlin as she crawled on hands and knees between Wolf Riding Woman’s legs to eat her. I found myself stroking Wolf Rising’s rising erection as he stroked mine. I guided his cock into Cait’s waiting pussy, caressing his balls. It felt good. It was my cock. As he bent over Caitlin’s back, pumping into her, he sucked my cock into his mouth. It didn’t feel weird. Like most guys, I’d wondered what it would be like to suck my own cock. Some guys I’d heard in the locker room had said if they could suck their own cocks, they’d never bother dating.

Mandy kissed me as she petted Wolf Rising’s hair.

“It’s a new dimension of masturbations, isn’t it?” she asked. When we’d kissed each other thoroughly, she turned and sat on Wolf Riding Woman’s face. When I came in Wolf Rising’s mouth, I tasted myself and decided that it was good, but I’d rather have any of the women. Nonetheless, I would never shy from giving myself such a satisfying come.

We couldn’t spend all our time making love, though most of the day was spent in some stage of undress. We had work to do and five pairs of hands would be better than two pairs. Even living in two times and knowing what life was like in primitive times, our bodies were not accustomed to the level of hardship. We had to hunt. We had to gather. We would need a good shelter before snow flies.

And we needed drums.

Wolf Riding Woman had prepared two skins that we planned to stretch on frames Wolf Rising had prepared. We laced rawhide strips through carefully cut holes in the skins. These were threaded through a rawhide disk in the back. The skins were stretched wet. That way they would tighten after we had laced them tight. Wolf Rising tested the head by tapping it lightly when it had been stretched. We tightened the braided rawhide by twisting a stick in the disk to tune the drum. Then we set it aside to dry. We would not be able to use it for at least a week as it dried. To beat a drum too soon would stretch the skin and it would lose its timbre.

As Merv had indicated, we would need more rawhide. We needed a big drum that Merv would make, but we needed drums for the whole Oxėse village. Fortunately, with five of us to feed and winter supplies to put in, we had no difficulty using all the meat we killed. We had bows and spears, but Cait’s and my Remington 700s had come through the portal with no trouble. We didn’t use them until the day we saw a moose. Wolf Riding Woman backed us away.

“There are certain animals that we cannot take. Moose hide is very tough. Piercing it with a spear would only make him mad, and a rampaging moose would most certainly kill at least one of us.” I nodded, pulled my Remington from its scabbard and drew a bead. In the best of all worlds, I’d prefer something a little more powerful, but I was confident that I could bring him down. The bolt on the rifle drew the big bull’s attention and he looked straight at me.

“So, you have come across time for my hide!” he screamed in my mind. I was so startled by his contact with me that I lowered the gun. He pawed at the ground. “Let us see who dies!” he challenged, and began his charge. I was not more than fifty feet away and barely got the gun to my shoulder. He was lowering his head and the round went into his skull. He didn’t stop and I sent the second round into his chest. He stumbled forward, still trying to reach me as I jumped back and he fell. His heavy antlers hit my leg and pain lanced up into me.