Suddenly, there was a bright light. She Who Talks With Animals opened her eyes and it was the light of the new day's sunrise. Something or someone was standing in the light, and the old woman rubbed her eyes, not sure what she was seeing was man or animal, or even anything at all. Could it be? There stood a huge silverback bear. Standing as a man, the color of its silver back sparkled in the new morning light.

"Come with me She Who Talks With Animals." said the bear. The old woman stood up and she followed the bear. They walked a long, long time, yet the old woman did not feel tired, nor did she feel pain. Higher and higher they climbed and at last, the bear stopped. "This is your home now She Who Talks With Animals." It was a beautiful place with trees and ferns and hundreds of wild flowers of all different colors. The air smelled sweet and there were so many birds flying about and each singing their own special song. Tall, strong trees surrounded them and made a musical sound as the winds traveled through their tops.

"This is your home, woman. This is your den." She Who Talks With Animals followed the bear into the mouth of a cave she had not seen before. The cave was cool, but not dark. The light within was bright and there were hundreds of flowers and waterfalls and the old woman felt as she entered the cave, her age, and illness and pain leaving her body.

The village now knew that She Who Talks with Animals was missing. A search party was sent out and she was nowhere to be found. Dark Elk was part of the search party, but the other men shunned him and the women gave him dark looks of anger. She Who Talks with Animals had been loved by the people of the village and the Elders respected her for the gift she had been given - the ability to talk with the animals and birds, the winged and finned ones, the ones that crawled. Many felt a deep sadness.

They did not find her. Laughing Dove was punished in the ways of the people. Dark Elk lost the respect he had gained in the village because he had shamed his wife and himself and had foolishly given in to the weakness of his lust for another woman.

Several winters passed. Most believed She Who Talks with Animals had gone into the mountains to die. Dark Elk remained in the lodge that had once been their home, alone. Laughing Dove was shunned by the village women and eventually married a man from another village. She moved away and no one in the village saw her again.

Life went on, but often when the women were together they would speak of She Who Talks With Animals and prayed that her time passed quickly and she did not suffer alone in the mountains.

Spring arrived on the mountain. The winter snows were long gone and the flowers were blooming. The land was ablaze with new life returned.

Inside the cave, the silverback bear reached out to She Who Talks With Animals. "It is time to return to your village." he said. She Who Talks With Animals, once an old sick, tired and sad woman, who had struggled up the mountain top so many winters before, was now young and strong and more beautiful than she had ever been.

"Bear, I feel young and beautiful like the wild mountain flowers. How can this be?" she asked. The Bear did not reply, but led her down the mountain and she followed him without question. In a very short time, they were at the end of the path and the village that the old woman had left so many winters before, was not far off. She heard the voices of the children, their laughter - the smell of cooking fires and the sound of dogs barking. Life in the village in the morning sun.

She Who Talks With Animals turned back to say something to the Bear but he had disappeared. She looked all around, and called out to him, but he was no where to be seen. Her voice caught the attention of some of the women in the village and they waited, until the woman appeared, to find out who this stranger to their village might be.

She Who Talks With Animals entered the village where she had been born - where she had married Dark Elk, where she had spent her life till that day she had left to walk up the mountain to die.

"Who are you?" one of the village women demanded. "I am She Who Talks With Animals." "How can that be?" the woman asked. "She Who Talks With Animals was an elder and she disappeared many winters ago. Are you crazy woman?"

"Be quiet!" It was Morning Rain, so much older now, that She Who Talks with Animals could not believe how old her dear sister had become. "It is you. Oh my sister, it is you!" Morning Rain slowly walked up to She Who Talks With Animals and held out her arms and they embraced. "I knew you did not die on the mountain. You are so young and beautiful again, even more so than when we were young women together! How can this be She Who Talks With Animals?"

"I do not know the answer to that myself dear sister." She Who Talks With Animals replied. "I do know something special happened to me on the mountain top."

By this time, all the village knew of the young woman who had returned. The Elders and Council heard the news and the Chiefs immediatley gathered all the villagers together in a circle. Dark Elk was there too. An old man, She Who Talks with Animals saw, and she was shocked to see him. She felt the stirring memories of their love and time together, but no longer did she feel the overwhelming pain in her heart and spirit. She was no longer ashamed.

The Chiefs and Elders and those on the Councils asked that she tell them where she had been, what had happened that had changed her so? How could this be? She told them of her journey and of meeting the silverback bear. The old wise ones said nothing. Some had heard the story of the silverback bear, but none had ever seen such a bear.

"It is time for a feast." the Chief and Elders declared. "We will give thanks to the Great Spirit for returning Talks with Animals to her people and for this miracle of the silverback bear.

Talks with Animals smiled with joy to be reunited with her people and the great feast began. There was food and drumming and dancing and singing. The people were filled with joy and happiness and gratitude that the Bear had chosen one of their own people to remind them of the wonderous gifts Grandfather gave to all of them each and every day.

As the feasting continued, She Who Talks With Animals was drawn to the river, to the very same spot she had seen Dark Elk and Laughing Dove on the day she left the village as an old, sick and very sad woman. Shamed and ready to die on the mountain. Betrayed by one she had been of one skin and who she had trusted with her life and heart.

As she drew close, she heard a sound behind her. It was Dark Elk.

"Can you forgive me She Who Talks With Animals? I love you. You are still my wife. I never married another woman and mourned the day you left."

Before She Who Talks With Animals could answer, there was the sound of something large and strong making its way through the woods. Dark Elk and She Who Talks With Animals said nothing, waiting to see what could be making so much noise in the woods.

It was the silverback Bear! Dark Elk, drew his bow. "Stop!" shouted She Who Talks With Animals. "Do not harm him!"

The Bear stood as a man and as they looked at the silverback Bear, he suddenly began to change. The Bear became a man! A tall, strong, young and handsome warrior. He smiled at She Who Talks with Animals and reached out his hand to take hers. She Who Talks with Animals put her hand within his large strong one and they stood close together.

"Get away from her whoever you are!" shouted Dark Elk. "She is my woman. She is my wife."

"No Dark Elk." said the Bear that had become a Man. "She is a gift of a good woman and a good wife. You threw that gift away many winters ago."

"What you saw was an old woman, sick and no longer a delight to your human eyes as that of a young girl, called Laughing Dove, who knew no shame in how she lived and who cared for nothing but herself. Just as you did Dark Elk."

"The gift you had been given is no longer yours. You made that choice many winters ago, here on this very spot. You failed to see that the woman you once called your own, was as beautiful then as she is now."

"Go to your lodge Dark Elk. You chose your path a long time ago. It is done."

"She Who Talks With Animals is now my wife and we shall become one skin. She will always be beautiful to me and I will honor and treasure the woman who will become my wife. For I will never risk losing such a wonderful gift as a good woman, a good wife, who will make our lodge home for us for as long as the sun rises and sets each day for many, many winters to come."

With that, the Bear who became a man and the old woman who became young again, walked toward the river and together entered its cool, refreshing flow..renewed, refreshed and as one skin forever.

Svhyeyi Aga~Evening Rain ©
Cherokee
October 26, 2001