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OPENING QUOTE Shahala started out her run as usual. Building up speed, she sprinted across the meadow not even noticing as it started to rise gently. She turned from her regular path that curved around the sharp incline and headed straight for the mountains and Camel Back Pass. It was late spring and the huckleberries hung like miniature Christmas balls on small bushes dotted liberally throughout the Pacific Northwest of Ecotopia. The hard-packed earth on the narrow path gave slightly under her powerful stride, the atmosphere shading her with chartreuse light and surrounding the path with spotted white from the beech trees dotted about the mountain meadow. She accelerated slightly as she turned onto the northern pathway and its steeper incline gave her well-toned muscles a good workout. Nearing the summit, Shahala raced along the top of a fifty-foot cliff overlooking a small stream gurgling through the green valley below. Accelerating even more, she headed towards the cliff edge and leaped off, falling out into the void. Then something miraculous occurred. She shimmered, and where skin and clothes had been, feathers appeared effortlessly, seamlessly. Two beautifully toned human arms melded into wings covered with iridescent viridian green feathers. Her chest expanded to exchange two human sized lungs for an entire system of avian ones, much more efficiently adapted to the demands of flight. Her entire body shrunk to bird size and soared upwards to greet the rising sun at a hundred feet into the air. Before a nuclear catastrophe, the West Coast of the United States had been demanding drastic cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, nuclear power, oil drilling, and just about everything else that industrialized nations needed in order to function. By 2040, the western states seceded from the U.S. and formed the nation of Ecotopia. Shortly thereafter, similar ecologically conscious nations formed worldwide. In the year 2045 a terrible nuclear disaster sent a cloud of radiation over the entire Northern Hemisphere causing an epidemic of infertility that was destroying the stability of the original United States. The story begins when the first children from outside are invited to summer camp in Ecotopia, unaware of the strange world they are about to enter for the first time. It was her 13th birthday and Christina Braggio was in a foul mood. She had just returned from the fertility clinic in Chicago and had been found to be fertile. In one month, she would be registered as a Breeder and her life would then be reduced to forced impregnation and child bearing until she was forty years old. True, she would live in luxury and have anything and everything that she wanted --- but she would be guarded and “protected” until she had given birth to twenty healthy babies. She would be allowed to marry and allowed to bear and keep one or possibly two children from that marriage, but would never see the other nineteen children that she would carry for nine months each. These children would be adopted and raised by state approved couples and would have no contact with their birth parents. Christina’s status in U.S. society would be almost ggoddess-like and no one would dare to commit the slightest wrong to her on penalty of death, but Christina was still a child. She didn’t want to be subjected to any of the procedures that she had suffered at the fertility clinic. It was painful and embarrassing. Just the fertility test had been bad enough, but imagine having similar procedures every year. Now her whole life would change forever. What was she going to do? As Christina rode the tubecam home from the clinic, she thought about the summer vacation her father had promised her. He was taking her and her brother to Milan Italy, the "Fashion Capitol of the World". Even though most fabrics were made in India and China, Milano still produced some of the most talented and creative clothing designers in the world, and fashion houses were still passed down in families from one generation to the next, each generation creating its unique version of the house style. Her father was going to take her to three of these fashion houses and let her choose a complete outfit from one. Then she was going to take a six-week art course with her brother, in Florence, and they were going to eat lots of Italian gelato every day. But now that she was found to be a Breeder, their vacation would have to be cut short. The clinic was required to report her breeder status within three3 days and she would then be monitored constantly until she reported to the breeding facility in her region. That would be the end of her freedom for the next 20 - 30 years. It just wasn’t fair. When she arrived home, she went straight to her room and locked the door. She skipped her usual "Hi Dad" when she passed his office. Nobody knew she had gone to the clinic. Her appointment wasn’t until the next day, but she had been impatient and had gone early, hoping that they could fit her in. She was lucky; there had been a cancellation. Now she wished she had never gone at all. Christina's father, Ernest Braggio, sat in his comfortable office chair reading the letter he had received earlier. He had finally gotten the answer he had been waiting for. He’d been sending letters to the Ecotopian Assembly for over two yearsa year and he was getting tired of their apparent indifference to his simple requests. All he had asked for was a meeting, preferably on Ecotopian soil. He had a proposition for trade that he thought would benefit both sides and had requested a meeting at their convenience. What did they have to loose; they could always say no? That was why the letter that had arrived an hour ago was so unexpected. As he puzzled over this development, he heard the stomping of his daughter's footsteps going up the stairs and the absence of her customary greeting. He was basically a single parent and tried his best to be a good father to his two children. Now that they were entering their teens it was going to get more complicated. Maybe this letter was a blessing in disguise. Christina flung herself onto the synthomattress in the middle of her rather over-sized bedroom. She needed time to think. Last night her girlfriend, Jessica, had called her to wish her happy birthday. Jessica had been found to be a Breeder six months earlier and knew Christina would be going for the test. Jessica was almost five months pregnant now and said it wasn’t that bad, once the nausea passed. She said the perks were really great, and that Johnny Door, (the current teen heart-throb) had actually come to her apartment with his band and performed for her, a surprise visit arranged by her parents. The food was great, and she could eat as much as she wanted. After all, she was eating for two and had already gained fifty pounds. Besides that, she had her own masseuse, a clothing designer, a gym with a personal trainer, jewelry designer, hair dresser, chauffeur, cook, and three maids. Her apartment was so big she still hadn’t found the kitchen. “They’ve spoiled me so much already, I don’t know if I could ever go back to being ordinary,” she had confessed. “But I miss being able to play buzz-ball and go to the Imaxigon. I wish they could have waited until I’m twenty-one and let me have some fun first.” Christina had known Jessica since 1st grade but didn't know what to say. Jessica was still the same girl but now she had chubby legs, a rounder face, and the little baby belly. She also knew that after Jessica became pregnant, she was the only friend who still came to visit her, and the security she had to go through was nothing if not intense. Soon, her friends and family would be going through the same intense scrutiny to visit her. Christina sat on her bed thinking about her friend and tried to imagine being pregnant and having a baby of her own. She just couldn’t imagine it. Standing up, she appraised herself in the full-length mirror of her vanity. She was 5' 5'', slender but not skinny, with light brown skin, and curly dark brown hair with a number of purple streaks. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, but they were normally hazel and quite pretty. Maybe she would be a beauty when she grew up, but it was hard to tell with the dyed hair and purple and green synthosuit she wore. She grabbed her pillow and stuffed it into the front of her suit, looking at her reflection sideways to see how she would look pregnant. There were so few babies anymore. Jessica was the only other girl who she knew was fertile. They said that giving birth was no longer dangerous but legend still told stories of mothers dyingieing during childbirth in terrible agony. What did it feel like to be pregnant? Would she get really fat and ugly? How would she feel when the baby was born and they took it away from her? All these questions went through her mind as she sat alone in her room and she wished she had a real mother to talk to, not the parade of stepmothers her father exchanged every two to three years. She pulled the covers over her head and sobbed into her pillow. I wish I could just disappear were the last thoughts she had until… she was jolted awake by a knocking sound. She hadn't even realized that she had fallen asleep. "Crissy!" George called as he knocked loudly on his sister's door. "Get lost!” she shouted. Her little brother could be such a brat. Didn’t he realize that girls needed privacy? Besides, she had told him a million times, if my door is closed, I don’t want company, especially pesky little brothers. Out loud she said, "Georgie, I don't want to talk to anyone right now, OK?" She couldn’t stand anyone seeing her cry, especially her little brother. They had gone through a lot together. Their dad was usually away somewhere on business and their bitch of a stepmother basically ignored them. “You will this time, sis. I’ve got a surprise for you that you’re never going to believe...a big surprise.” George Braggio loved his older sister even though she pretended not to like him very much, so he was always trying to impress her with anything he could dream up. He liked to jump out at her from around the corner and laughed when she jumped, and sometimes he teased her about her weird hairdos and clothes, but she was all he had, besides their dad., Their mom had died mysteriously years ago and Braggio had refused to talk about it. George and Christina were actually very close, but George was an eleven-year-old boy. It was his duty to pester his big sister. Besides, this time he really did have something spectacular to show her. He stood there confidently. Something in the tone of Georgie’s voice told her that this wasn’t just one of his tricks to bug her. She went to her plasticon sink and splashed cold water on her face. “OK, I’ll give you two minutes," she said, "and then you have to leave.” She clicked open her door and her little brother slid in, looking very pleased with himself. His big brown eyes always made her smile, but not today. He stood there for an entire minute with his little chest puffed out, holding something behind his back. “You have 50 seconds left, Georgie, 40...30...20...10...5...” He pulled an envelope from behind his back and handed it to her. It was pale green, made of something that had clearly visible fibrous strands in it, like squashed together plant stems, but he hadn't really noticed the unusual paper. “You won’t believe what it says,” he stated with conviction. Christina did notice the strange handmade paper. She opened the envelope and withdrew a notecard made of similar pastel paper, only with tiny pink flowers mashed into it at irregular intervals. This is what it said: Christina and George Braggio,
Daughter and Son of Ernest Braggio, Are Hereby Invited To the First Bi-Cultural Student Summer Camp At Meadowdale, Ecotopia May 15, 2065 rsvp Could this be another of her brother’s pranks? But where did he get the strange paper? Where did he get any kind of paper; nobody even used paper anymore? “Very funny, Georgie. Everybody knows that Ecotopia is a closed country; nobody from the outside ever gets in. This isn’t even funny.” "Honest, I'm not making it up, Crissy. This isn't a joke." She studied the invitation a bit more in more detail. It certainly looked real. Maybe this was the chance she needed. Maybe she could stay in Ecotopia until she was twenty-one, or longer. But what was Ecotopia like? It had been closed since before she was born. There were rumors that people didn’t have cars or synthosuits or any of the necessities of life, and that they lived like animals and didn’t bathe. Obviously, they still used paper. Maybe they didn't even have internet technology. If that was true, she didn’t want to go there. She never went anywhere without her T-com. Maybe she should just resign herself to a life as a Breeder. At least that way she would have all the comforts of a normal human beinglife. But what if the rumors were wrong? “Tell me the truth, Georgie. Is this letter real?” Cristina looked at her brother, and then turned to see the large, dark imposing figure appearing at the bedroom door, leaning in slightly. He was over six feet tall with thinning curly black hair graying slightly at the temples. Dark eyebrows emphasized hazel eyes that could be stern or kind depending on the occasion. His beer belly was much smaller since he had started going to the health club that he had installed in his corporate offices, but he was still a goodover twenty pounds overweight. “Come in, Daddy. Look what Georgie gave me. Can you please tell him to stop playing his stupid jokes?” “Actually sweetheart, I gave that letter to your brother and it’s no joke. I received the message through special couriers this afternoon. They have invited 120 kids to various different parts of Ecotopia for summer camps.” Braggio looked at his daughter and remembered how she had beenwas just a few years before... long dark hair and skinny, always smiling, and not too concerned about her hair or clothes. SheIt was a whole new girl now, stretching her wings. Part girl, part woman, Cristina was trying out all the latest syntho-styles and her present choice was the too tight synthosuit in gaudy colors with rocker hair to match, kind of a throwback to the lateearly 201sth Century. “But Daddy, if only 120 kids are going, why would Ecotopia invite us?” He tried to smile as he continued, “The invitation to attend the summer camp was part of a longer letter in response to a request of mine to open trade negotiations with Ecotopia, so I imagine that was the reason you were both invited. They want to start with joint camps for children as a goodwill gesture before they consider letting any adults into their country." "If the visits go well, they will consider trading grapes, wool, wine, apples, oranges, milk, and mercury-free fish, in exchange for steel, the newer computers and other electronics produced by the United States, and computer technicians.” He sat down next to his daughter on the bed. “I’m as surprised as you must be about the invitation to the camp. Of course, you’ll have to be cleared to go after your fertility test tomorrow, but I’m sure that even if you’re fertile, they could delay your … What’s the matter, Crissy?” Christina hugged her father and was sobbing into his sleeve and blubbering something that he could barely understand. “I’m f-f-fertile, Daddy. I t-t-took my test after school t-t-today. I’m a B-B-Breeder.” Braggio tried to hide the shock he felt that his daughter’s future would now be decided for her. She was his baby girl and always would be. He couldn’t even imagine her giving birth at the age of thirteen. He put his arms around his daughter’s slender shoulders and patted her head. “Don’t worry, sweetheart," he said, but he wasn’t as confident as he sounded. "We’ll figure something out.” When Braggio returned to his room, he sat down to think. He should have expected this and he wasn’t surprised that the test had proven his daughter to be fertile. She was healthy and with her background, well she was, after all, her mother’s daughter. He was glad she was fertile, but she was still so young, way too young, to be having babies. She would be well cared for and live in luxury, but he already gave her everything she needed or wanted. The state would make her a baby incubator at only thirteen years old. He wasn’t prepared for this. As these thoughts ran through his head, he poured himself a scotch on the rocks and took a long drink, letting the smooth liquor slide down his throat until he felt the warm glow spread through his chest. Then he pushed it away and dialed up coffee instead. He knew he wasn't the best father in the world. He spent way too much time running his business and he knew his kids needed him to be more involved as a parent. They hadn't had a mother in their lives since they were very young, so he had to be both father and mother. He figured he was a better than average father, but not much of a mother. Around 7:00 the cook dialed up dinner for the kids, but Braggio didn't feel like eating. After long contemplation throughout the evening and halfway till morning, heBraggio came up with a plan. He would ignore the results of the fertility test. After all, they couldn't be sure if his daughter had told him yet. If they caught them, he would plead ignorance. Besides, there was nothing they would ever do to hurt a Breeder, and he was an important man…with connections. By the time his daughter's breeder status and the invitations from Ecotopia were reported to the government, it would be too late to stop them from going. For now, he would just be taking his kids to the mountains for a weekend retreat. He had a private hoverjet and didn’t have to report his exact flight plan, so he wouldn’t be breaking any laws. He would report the “cultural exchange” trip after he returned and face any consequences then. For now, he would sleep what was left of the night and deal with the final plans in the morning. CHAPTER 2
ECOTOPIA Shahala started out her run as usual. Building up speed, she sprinted across the meadow not even noticing as it started to rise gently. She turned from her regular path that curved around the sharp incline and headed straight for the mountains and Camel Back Pass. It was late spring and the huckleberries hung like miniature Christmas balls on small bushes dotted liberally throughout the Pacific Northwest of Ecotopia.
The hard-packed earth on the narrow path gave slightly under her powerful stride, the atmosphere shading her with chartreuse light and surrounding the path with spotted white from the beech trees dotted about the mountain meadow. She accelerated slightly as she turned onto the northern pathway and its steeper incline gave her well-toned muscles a good workout. Her long dark hair was carelessly pinned up with two silver hairpins, with cascades of oval turquoise beads hanging from each one. A golden lock of hair slipped out of its coil, trailing like a dove over a dark sea of mahogany tresses, now slipping out everywhere. She could never get her hair to stay up, even when she wore braids. It was too fine and too slippery. She reached up to grab the hairpins before they fell out, stuffed them into her pocket, and turned onto the high path to really test her endurance. She was going to need it if she was to succeed in the bi-cultural summer training camp she was about to lead for the first time. Nearing the summit, Shahala raced along the top of a fifty-foot cliff overlooking a small stream gurgling through the green valley below. Accelerating even more, she headed towards the cliff edge and leaped off, falling out into the void. Then something miraculous occurred. She shimmered, and where skin and clothes had been, feathers appeared effortlessly, seamlessly. Two beautifully toned human arms melded into wings covered with iridescent viridian green feathers. Her chest expanded to exchange two human sized lungs for an entire system of avian ones, much more efficiently adapted to the demands of flight. Her entire body shrunk to bird size and soared upwards to greet the rising sun at a hundred feet into the air. Tiny black beads for eyes acutely adapted to both long and near sightedness enabled her to see the smallest details in the verdant forest below. The sun was just rising above the Cascade Mountains and the early morning air was crisp and fresh. Her human emotions reveled in the beauty of the new day. The easterly breeze lifted her tiny avian body as she dived and soared in the cool gentleness of a Pacific spring morning. Perhaps Shahala should have called him earlier, but now she felt the link in her mind and called the traditional greeting. “Chihalii, my friend, may the day bless you!” "Eechilii, Eechilii, my friend, may the day bless you as well!" A tiny swallow dove down like a fighter jet and swerved deftly to fly at her side. He always called her by a special name he had for her, more befitting of a swallow. He didn't actually speak. What sounded like birdsong to others was combined with the telepathic sending that his Familiar could hear as words. "You are sweaty, Eechilii,” he sent. "Are you trying out for a marathon?" "No, Chihalii, I just felt like running and I needed the extra workout to warm up for our big adventure. You didn’t forget, did you?" "I cannot come yet, my friend," he sent. "Choruki still needs me to help tend the chicks, and then we must teach them to fly. Can you not stay a while longer and share in the fun?" "No, my friend," she sent. "The children will be here soon, and there is much I must do before they arrive. I’ve asked for help from the Redwood Clan in northern California. I’m meeting their representative near Centralia, Washington. Can you come that far with me?" "Perhaps, but only for a moment." He paused as if to smile. "I want to check him out." Chihalii darted off in an up and down dance, swallow style. Shahala flew after him, soaring and diving effortlessly after her beloved Leer. These seemingly impossible occurrences were not as unbelievable as they appeared. From time immemorial, “Eearth Mmagic” had existed in the world. As technology replaced the old ways, those few who practiced this magic disappeared, but a secret few remained living in isolated environments in the vast wilderness of forests, mountains, and remote islands. The San Juan Islands of Puget Sound were especially blessed. With the strong environmental movement that grew in the West, “earth healers,” “Shaman," and "Leer” revealed themselves to those who sought complete oneness with nature, sharing the gifts of the old magic that lay dormant in the earth. Thus, Earth Magic was reborn in the new nation of Ecotopia. Earth Magic manifested in a variety of ways: rain shielding, air warming, minor levitation, pain management, minor healing, and various other useful skills. Only a few had the ability to bond with an animal called a Leer, and this life-long bond manifested between the ages of five and sixteen but usually before the age of ten10. The ability of a girl, Animena, or boy, Animen, to transform into the essence of one’s Leer didn’t usually happen until the age of puberty, which was a good time to distract a child from that difficult age. FamiliarsLeer came in a variety of shapes and sizes but were always birds or mammals; bobcats, lynx, cougars, otters, beavers, wolves, ravens, eagles, owls, and swallows. The smallest ever was Susie Ryan who bonded with a hummingbird, and the largest (in North America) was a Kodiak bear. In other parts of the world there were cheetahs, lions, jaguars, monkeys, and parrots, toucans, and flamingos, etc., and there was said to be one instance of an elephant, and two giraffes who bonded with twins. Some of the coastal peoples could transform into seals, dolphins, and killer whales. Nobody had ever had a chimpanzee or an ape as a Leer. It was thought that the genetic connection was too close. FamiliarsLeer lived as long as their humans, regardless of species, and were stronger than their kin. They also possessed a deep intelligence at times beyond that of their humans, now commonly known as Familiars. It was part of the deep magic with which they had been blessed. Before the formation of Ecotopia, Eearth Mmagic was a closely guarded secret. Gradually, the higher environmental and spiritualjoint consciousness of all Ecotopians revealed allowed many gifts previously hidden to be revealed. Now these gifts were universally accepted. . Soaring and diving with Chihalii, Shahala remembered how she had first found her familiarLeer. She was seven years old, and she lived near IssaquaSnoqualmieh, Washington, a beautiful little town nestledd among the between the foothills of the Cascade Mountains and the Issaquah valley. She had stayed home with a fever and was feeling extremely restless and lonely. Her mom and dad were working in the vegetable garden and she had been advised to stay in bed. When her mom came to check on her, her window was wide open and Shahala was gone. Little Shahala had heard an incessant chirping at her window and had crawled out onto the roof below her dormer. There she sat with a little green-blue swallow perched on her finger, sitting and talking with her new friend who said his name was Chihalii. He was also very lonely because his mother had taught him how to fly and now refused to feed him. Shahala was consoling him and he was consoling her - the bond of Leer and Familiar was born. Every day from that point on, girl and bird were nearly inseparable. That was twenty years ago. "Eechilii, where are you? Eechilii!" Chihalii sang. Shahala came out of her daydream and thought her reply, "I am here, Chihalii. I was thinking about the day we met, my friend. I am just behind the large fir to your left." Chihalii sent back, "I remember well, Eechilii. I was so lonely then. It was as if my soul was missing… and then I felt you. You had a burning hunger in your soul and it drew me to you. When I got close to you, my soul was filled and I knew I was a part of you forever." They perched on a branch near the top of the Douglas fir and rested for a moment. "Yes, Chihalii, I was burning with a fever and I didn’t know why. I think my mom suspected, though. She later told me the same kind of fever had come over her sister when she was my age and that same day her Leer came to her, but it was a cat, a lynx." Chihalii jumped. "Horrible creatures! Always slinking up on poor unsuspecting birds. They usually go after robins, though, and especially rabbits and mice. But my uncle was eaten by a lynx, poor thing." "Bbut I thought you said your uncle flew into a window?" "Yes, he did, but after that he was so dizzy, he wasn’t paying attention to where he was going. He practically flew right into the lynx’s mouth. Oh, my poor, poor Auntie Chandii. She cried for hours...." Shahala laughed. They spent several hours talking and catching insects in the air, heading in the general direction of Centralia. Birds spend enormous amounts of energy in flight and must eat hundreds of insects every day. Since Shahala hadn’t packed a lunch, she took advantage of the meals in the air but was careful to think about food only as a swallow and not with the human part of her mind. Chihalii chatted about his many affairs with the neighboring females, and Shahala teased him about his mate’s similar affairs. "It doesn’t really matter to us, you see; it’s all about the chicks. As long as we have healthy chicks and take good care of them, who cares who the biological fathers are? The dad in the nest is the real dad. Aren't humans the same?" Shahala laughed. "That's very true, Chihalii, but as for the cheating, well...there are some humans who think the same way as swallows, but many are faithful to one partner. I prefer a monogamous relationship myself." Chihalii could not understand his Familiar's peculiar attitude and replied, “But you have no relationships at all, my dear friend. How can you live without the pleasures of love?” Shahala did not answer. She just hadn’t met anyone she was interested in. She wasn't worried about it. Love would come when it came. After several more hours of flight, they arrived at a particularly large hill, and on the other side they found a meadow dotted with orange ribbons. "This must be it," Chihalii sang. "I’ll just sit here and watch." Shahala glided down to the meadow transforming at about five feet from the ground. As her wings spread out into arms, the feathers re-formed into her traveling clothes and raven hair. The lung system melded into two and the body stretched and grew into the full 5'10" that was Shahala of Meadowdale. The transformation was so smooth it seemed as if an artist had pulled concentrated paint from a small bird-like speck into a fully finished masterpiece in one stroke of the brush, every curve and color flowing into its rightful place. As she landed on two moccasined feet, she moved forward towards the ribbon-lined path. A large cougar entered the meadow and saw the healthy deeply tanned woman entering the other side, but it was the man who saw what appeared to be an angel coming down the path towards him. She had the graceful walk of an athlete, her dark hair flowing almost to her waist, with a streak of gold mixed in. He transformed as he moved towards her, noting her leather tunic, much like his own, laced up over a slender but strong torso and matching leggings with side lacings from the knees down. On her feet she wore moccasins, richly beaded with turquoise, red, white and black seed beads, with tassels hanging down on all sides. Around her neck she wore several necklaces of what looked to be turquoise, coral, and pearl, with a small leather pouch at the center. He had to pause; she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he was going to be working with her. He could hardly believe his good fortune! Realizing that he was not moving, he continued towards her, more slowly than before. (Harry) Shahala saw the huge tawny-colored mountain lion emerging from the ribboned path, yellow-green eyes studying her intently. As he drew nearer, he sprang into the air as if to attack. Instead, a transformation took place. Where tawny head and round ears had been a moment before, she could see blond hair, about shoulder length, but the same vivid cat eyes. The sun at his back made his hair a glowing halo around his face, contrasting sharply with the deep tan of his arms and a muscular chest that showed slightly below his open tunic. He paused briefly, as if in thought when he was about thirty feet away, seemed about to say something, but perhaps decided against it. He then continued walking towards her more slowly than before, smiling a greeting.hello. She walked purposely towards him, extending her hand. “Greetings, I am Shahala of Meadowdale, and you must be Darrel.” “Ah, yes, of course…greetings Shahala. It’s so nice to meet you.” I hope she can’t hear my heart beating; I heard she was beautiful, but she is much more than that. She’s absolutely magnificent. But all he said was, “I’m here to help you, Shahala, for as long as you need me.” He paused, smiling warmly. Why had he said that? While Darrel had been approaching, Shahala and Chihalii had been sending back and forth. “He looks very healthy, doesn’t he?” “Oh yes, I can see that he is more than just handsome… for a human." "What do you sense, Chihalii?” “I detect only nervousness, and an elevated heartbeat, Eechilii. I can’t read anything else.” Shahala thought, Look at that body; and he’s even taller than I am. This could be interesting. "Indeed, it could, my friend...you should think about what I said…but I must go. Goodbye for now." Shahala then sent her thanks and farewell and Chihalii flew off to rejoin his mate. Long before Christianity, wizards and witches, dragons and druids had been a part of human mythology and there were various types of magic as well as scientific discoveries. There were legitimate healers who knew the healing properties of plants and how to use them, and others who could heal by laying their hands on someone and/or by using incantations. This was considered to be magic and the healers were called witches, shamans, or sorcerers. Nobody knew exactly how long there had been familiarsLeer because their existence had been hidden for thousands of years. All familiarsLeer had the gift of telepathy. They could talk to each other and to their humans, but the humans could only talk to their own Leer. Those who were blessed with Leer and who could transform were called vampires and werewolves, a story bred out of fear and ignorance. Then various religious leaders started the rumor that all magic was evil and that those who practiced magic worshipped Satan. After that all magic, even the benign magic of healing, was met with many hangings, burnings and other forms of extermination. Magic diminished worldwide and familiarsLeer died of loneliness. Their human counterparts turned to drugs and then suicide, never knowing where the emptiness and despair in their souls came from or how to cure it. Small underground organizations survived and communicated via avian messengers mostly in remote or rural locations of the world. It took hundreds of years before Earth Magic reemerged in a few parts of the globe. Eventually it reached Ecotopia. But no one in the United States knew of the existence of transformation, telepathy, or any of the other types of Earth Magic. Heading back in the direction from which she had come, Shahala lead Darrel up the path and into the forest talking in human form or sending in animal form, depending on which shape they chose to take. He is a beautiful tawny cougar, thought Shahala, strong and fleet of foot but an even more beautiful man. She hadn’t been in a relationship for years, the last one ending badly, and she didn’t really need a man to complete her. Nevertheless, all kinds of thoughts ran through her head. She pushed them to the back of her mind. They traveled until nearly dusk, making good time in their animal forms. Shahala then transformed into human form and asked Darrel to do the same. “Camp Meadowdale is just over that ridge,” she said. “I’ll show you around and then we can plan what we need to do first.” “Ah yeah...sounds great,” he responded. Why am I so inarticulate around this woman? They walked the remaining distance on human feet and Shahala pointed out the camp layout. “The whole camp is arranged in a large circle. The staff’s cabins are over here, southeast of the showers. The children’s cabins are on the other side of the showers, farther north. The camp leader’s cabin is also over there, I guess that’s where I’ll be staying.” She indicated the cabin directly north of the showers. “Cook’s cabin is on the other side of the children's section, just north of the kitchen. He and his wife and kids always move up here in the spring, just after school gets out. He’ll have dinner ready in about an hour. The common area, we call it the Commons, is in the middle. That's where we have meetings, eat our meals, and do some of our other activities.” “Are any of the staff cabins already taken?” Darrel asked. “Joseph, our horseman, always takes cabin 4. Other than that, you can choose any cabin you like." She hoped he would choose the cabin next to hers, but she pretended indifference. Her heart was beating so fast she thought he could hear it. He decided he would take the cabin closest to Shahala’s, on the other side of the showers. “This should do fine,” he said, throwing his backpack onto the porch. Since they were standing in front of it at that moment, he didn’t think she noticed that he’d selected the cabin closest to her own. Did she smile when she saw his choice? He couldn't be sure... When a person transforms, anything they are wearing either becomes part of their animal body or is attached in some way. Darrel’s rather heavy backpack had been a much smaller lighter backpack on his feline body. He was glad to be rid of it. Shahala took him to meet the cook after he had unpacked some of his things, and they both received warm greetings and hugs. Cook’s wife, Molly, was just as warm and inviting as Cook, and the three children were cute, polite, and extremely active. Cook and Molly both had round bellies, but the children were all as skinny as a rail, which wasn’t surprising, never sitting still long enough to accumulate fat. The oldest boy, Luke, had braces on his legs but it didn’t seem to slow him down at all. eat much! They were famished after their long journey, so they were doubly grateful for the hot stew set before them. The meat was venison, with scallions, celery, carrots, and red potatoes, and another tuber that tasted like sweet potato. The bread was homemade, right out of the oven. Darrel poured everyone seconds of apple cider from the pitcher on the table. “This is absolutely delicious, Cook. Thank you so much,” Darrel said between large bites of bread. “I never expected a feast today.” “Save some room for apple pie,” Molly said. “It’s my specialty.” Darrel sighed. He could always make room for pie. The children, who had been served first, had eaten in the den. They now came back to collect their pie, then left the grown-ups once more to finish their dinner and the last four pieces of cinnamon rich apple pie in relative peace. While they were enjoying pie and ice cream, the four adults discussed what needed to be done the next day. The belt and the on and off switch on the washing machine needed to be replaced, and a few heads in the showers needed replacing as well. Cook had gotten the parts but hadn’t had time to make the repairs. He had oiled up and restarted both the hydrogen and hydroelectric generators and had brought enough groceries to fill the pantries and root cellars to bursting. All the linen needed to be re-washed, having sat nine months from last year’s camp, so Darrel decided to repair the washing machine that night and get the first few loads of sheets and towels started. The next day they would clean the cabins, the common area, and the showers. Then they had blackberry vines to cut back, and weeds and grass to trim. All the linen had to be washed, dried and folded, and the beds needed to be made. There was sewing of deerskinleather tunics and moccasins that Shahala had begun several months earlier and wanted to finish before her new guests arrived, so most of the other work would be Darrel’s responsibility. Cook would work with Darrel, and Molly would give Shahala help with her tasks. With the beginning of camp only a few days ahead, Shahala was grateful for everyone’s help. |
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