Chapter 26: Star Catcher

It appeared everyone was going to the rodeo. So after a quick trip back to the Lodge and getting dressed, we all headed that way.

I immediately noticed the large number of military personnel stationed around the support area, but if anyone else did, nothing was said.

Grace held my hand as we walked, but she was quiet. I spent a moment reading her, and saw she really wanted to spend time with me. I already knew she was a romantic at heart, so I begin to try to figure out how to make a trip to the rodeo into a romantic outing.

I pushed everything else out of my mind and focused on Grace. She was truly beautiful and I began to gently push my feelings of attraction and desire to her. Soon we were chatting about the ranch, and the rodeo and other things. Neither of us had ever been to a rodeo, so we were looking forward to the new experience.

I was surprised at the number of people that were there. Sandy later told me the crowd numbered over five hundred for the day. It turns out that this was a pretty big occasion for the community, and there were lots of young would-be cowboys and cowgirls, trying to earn points on the junior rodeo circuit, for which this was an annual event.

There were a couple of dozen vendors set up with everything from cotton candy and soft drinks, to homemade candies and ice cream. I wasn’t carrying any cash, but I discovered that ranch guests could charge purchases to their Twin Springs account, so I bought Grace and me this cool Mexican treat, a puffy, pastry shell with cinnamon sugar and honey on it. It was so delicious, I had two. I’m not sure what they were called. Soapy-somethings.

There were souvenirs, crafts, and T-shirts with different images and sayings printed on them. Most had a rodeo or western theme. There was also lots of western wear. Cowboy hats and boots. Western shirts and belts with big belt buckles. There was also some Indian jewelry, mostly silver with topaz, in a stall run by a very old Indian woman. She saw us coming and made eye contact immediately, as if willing us into her place of business. We just kept going, but I could feel her eyes boring into the back of my head as we passed.

Suddenly I heard a strange phrase in my mind.

I stopped and turned, half expecting to see the Old One, but one glance confirmed he wasn’t there. Curious, I returned to old Indian woman’s stall, bringing Grace with me, and acting as if I was interested in one of the pieces of jewelry she displayed. What I really wanted was time to figure out where the strange phrase had come from, and if it represented danger.

I quickly scanned the area for hostile emotions, and there were none. So I focused my energy on the old Indian woman and scanned her.

I’m not sure what I expected when I read her, but it wasn’t fear. And then, as I continued to read her, the fear turned to awe, before she finally dropped from the small stool she was sitting on, to her knees, burying her face in the dirt.

“Forgive an old woman, Oh Great One! I was forewarned many moons ago you would come. But my age has made me slow to see,” she said with her head still touching the earth. The thing is, she said it in a language I had never heard before, but on hearing it, I knew it was called the old tongue, or sometimes the spirit’s tongue.

And I understood every word!

Reaching for her shoulder, I pulled gently, saying in the old tongue, “Arise Asuratante.”

She rose slowly, with Grace on one side of her and me on the other, helping her to stand. She just looked at me, without speaking.

“Greetings, Star Catcher,” I told her. For that is what her name, ‘Asuratante’, meant. “Are you all right? Would you like to sit?” I asked.

“Please. I am an old woman now, and must regain my breath,” she said as Grace got her stool for her.

“I am sorry if I caused you discomfort,” I told her.

“No! You must not say that, Great One,” she said in a panic. “I should have known and been ready to greet you properly!”

“Please, Star Catcher. Your greeting was fine. My friends call me Michael. And this is my very special friend, Grace. We would very much like to hear your tale ... if you would share it with us.”

“I know you go by many names, but I have never heard that name foretold, Great One,” she mused. “So I shall address you as Waharahi, which means ‘child of the sun’. This is the most common name given you through the ages.”

I simply nodded.

Grace looked at me in confusion. So I smiled at her.

“It’s okay. We’ll be fine. Let’s see what her story is,” I thought to Grace.

Star Catcher must have heard my thoughts too, for she immediately told us, “My story is simple Waharahi. Your coming has been foretold for many generations. My mother and her mother before her, and her mother before her, were what the white men call medicine women. We are actually the spiritual leaders of the tribe. And the healers, and the historians, and on occasion, the leaders.

“It has been foretold that one day, the Great Spirit, what some call the Spirit of the Sun, would send one to walk our paths with us. And this Great One would help us save our world, and all that live here,” Star Catcher said in the ancient rhythm of storytellers.

“Wow! Michael! Can you believe this?” Grace asked.

“I understand the prophecy, and Star Catcher’s genuine belief in this Waharahi. But I don’t understand why she believes that I am Waharahi.”

“Because you are Waharahi!” Star Catcher insisted.

“Grandmother? Are you ill?” came a new voice approaching the stall from behind me.

Her grandmother immediately launched into an excited narrative in a different language, a language that was neither English nor the old tongue, with the young girl who appeared close to our age. The young girl heard the older woman out, then she turned to me and said, “I apologize if my grandmother has offended you. She is getting old, and I’m afraid her mind is not what it used to be.”

Star Catcher was feeling frustrated that her granddaughter would not believe her. So I thought to all three of them, “I was never offended, young one. Quite the opposite actually. I was both honored by her actions and her words, and humbled by her reverence.”

“Thank you for saying...” the granddaughter started. Suddenly, she stopped. “You did not speak, yet I heard you!” she exclaimed.

“There is no need to speak, Morning Star. I can see your heart, and I know your words without speech,” I thought to them.

Star Catcher thought something in their language which I assumed was the equivalent of ‘I told you so’ as she smiled at me.

Morning Star just stood looking at me with her mouth gaping. Her thoughts were jumbled and confused, questions rapidly entering her mind, as long forgotten memories slowly surfaced. I found myself becoming fascinated with her thought process, as they all had deep emotional ties to them. So we stood staring at each other, saying nothing and not moving.

I still had Star Catcher and Grace tied in. Star Catcher was sitting on her stool, grinning at her granddaughter as she watched her think this through. Grace remained silent, amazed at what she was seeing and hearing. It was also Grace’s first time experiencing someone else’s thought processes.

“Oh, no!” Morning Star gasped. “Eve!”

Morning Star was obviously becoming even more upset at something she had just realized. I had quit following her emotions because they were in two different languages and she had kept switching between them. But when she cried out, I immediately tried to read her.

“Uh, oh!” I thought.

“Oh No!” Grace thought.

The Omugi were an old tribe, numbering now less than two hundred families. They lived on a small reservation an hour or so away.

“I can’t believe it, Grandmother! It’s true? The stories foretelling the coming are true?” Morning Star said when she had calmed down enough to speak.

“Rose! Please! You show much dishonor. I thought I had taught you better than that,” Star Catcher told her, but not harshly. “Waharahi wishes to know our story. I was just about to tell him, but now I think he should hear it from you.”

“But Grandmother!” Morning Star cried. “I never knew ... I didn’t think ... I mean I didn’t believe the stories were really true!”

“Your grandmother called you Rose. Is that your name?” I thought to her.

“Yeah,” Rose answered like a typical teen. However, the sound of her own voice caused her to realize that my ‘voice’ had no sound.

“You do not have to speak aloud; I know your inner voice,” I told her.

“Ohmygod! I’m sorry. Please forgive me, Great One. I was surprised, that’s all.”

“Rose, there is nothing to forgive as you have done no wrong. And although I have lived a long time and have been known by many names, please call me Michael, for now,” I thought to her.

Grace was taken aback by the statement and started to speak, but I placed my finger to my lips stopping her questions before she could start. I’d explain things to her later, but I did not want to break my concentration on Rose and her grandmother.

“But you’re so ... so young!” Rose said aloud.

“Looking with only your eyes can shield the death that awaits,” I said in the Old Tongue, quoting an old Pueblo Indian proverb.

Star Catcher’s eyes went wide at hearing my thoughts. Morning Star was still trying to remember enough of the Old Tongue to translate my words. It had been many years since her grandmother had taught them to her.

“You must feel your enemy to know their presence,” I finished the ancient proverb, again in the Old Tongue.

The tumblers finally clicked into place as she heard the rest of the proverb. “Oh, NO!” Rose gasped as the tears began to trickle down her cheeks. “It’s true! You are the Waharahi!” Rose gasped.

“Morning Star!” Her grandmother said harshly. “You are Omugi! For all the ways of the new world, you are still a Princess of our People.” The translation from her native language was a rough one and I’m sure there was more to it. But that was the gist of her words to Rose.

Rose hesitated and then turned towards Grace and me, drawing herself up to stand tall and proud. “Grandmother is right,” she said in a more formal tone. “I am a Princess of my People, Waharahi. I am sorry I doubted you.” Then, dropping to one knee, she added, “I am your servant.”

“Michael?” Grace could contain herself no longer. “Why do they think you are a god? Why is she crying? Why must she sacrifice herself to you? And who is Eve?” she whispered fiercely.

“Please be patient, Grace,” I told her soothingly. “All will be explained shortly.”

Then to Rose I said, “Arise, Morning Star.”

Finally, I scanned for Catherine. She was not far away. Finding her, I tapped her mental shoulder and thought to her, “I am so sorry to bother you, Catherine, but something has come up and I find myself in need of your wise council.”

I could feel Catherine’s raised eyebrows at the formality of my words. I didn’t normally speak like that.

“Where are you?” came her reply. That’s one of the things I admired about Catherine, she didn’t bog things down with frivolous questions.

“I’m at the Indian jewelry stall just outside the entrance to the arena,” I replied.

“Okay. I’ll be right there. Are you all right?” she asked.

“I’m fine. Take your time.” I told her. Then on a hunch I added, “If John’s handy, you might want to bring him along.”

“Are you in trouble, Michael?” Catherine asked.

“Well, I guess that all depends on your definition of trouble.” I laughed as I thought back to her.

Grace and Rose looked at me with questioning looks. They were the same look, but different questions.

“Honored Leader, I have summoned my grandmother to advise me. I’m sorry if the wait inconveniences you,” I said out loud to Star Catcher. I could tell she enjoyed the formal title I used.

“Our people have waited many lifetimes for you to arrive. A few minutes more is nothing!” she replied.

Behind the stall, was an older RV with a canvas roll-out awning for shade. Star Catcher invited us to be seated in the shade, then excused herself, and with Rose’s help, began to remove her jewelry from the stall. I guess her vending was through for the day.

Quickly Star Catcher and Rose put away her wares and were about to offer us something to drink, when Grace spotted Natalie. Of course, Nicky, Randi, Julie, and Jennifer were with her. Along with Grandmother, Liz, John, Sarah, Jeff and Debbie. Candy and Mandy must still be wrangling the calves, I assumed.

I stood and greeted everyone and began the introductions.

“Grandmother, this is Star Catcher and her granddaughter, Morning Star. Ladies, this is my grandmother, Mrs. Catherine Wagner,” I said. “And this...” I waved my hand to indicate everyone else, “is the rest of my family!”

Catherine was surprised when Star Catcher immediately hugged her, chattering away in her native language. Catherine looked at me over the shorter woman’s shoulder, as she wondered what I had done now.

I just smiled and gave her my best teenaged shrug.

Star Catcher suddenly stopped speaking as she realized Catherine hadn’t understood a word of what she had said. “I am sorry. Please forgive this fool of an old woman,” Star Catcher apologized. “I was trying to tell you that I am overjoyed to meet the honored grandmother of the Waharahi.”

“Michael, can you please explain what’s going on?” Catherine asked.

“I’ll try. But I don’t actually have all of it yet. Star Catcher is the spiritual Leader of the Omugi Clan and they are descendants of the Anasazi, one of the oldest cultures in North America, pre-dating the Indians by some two thousand years. They are a small matrilineal society, with a reservation located an hour or so east of here. Her daughter, Rising Star, whom I have not met, is the Village or Clan Chief. And Morning Star, and her twin sister, Evening Star are here for Evening Star to participate in the Ladies Barrel Riding event,” I told her.

“How did you know...?” Rose started to ask, but her grandmother stopped her.

“I told you! He is Waharahi!” Star Catcher said fiercely to Rose.

“It seems there’s this very old prophecy...” I was saying when Star Catcher’s eyes suddenly clouded over, becoming almost milky white. Her voice took on a melodic tone as she began...

“ ... The story goes back to the time when Ekinenea walked the face of the earth, and cared for his people. One day, the sun disappeared for a brief time at midday, and then the rains went away. Soon there was famine as hardship and death stalked the Omugi lands. Everyone knew that Harahi, the god of the sun, was angry but no one knew why, or what to do.

“L’raha, the clan chief’s young daughter, was playing beside the cave that served as her family’s home, one afternoon when a starving wolf snatched her away.