Title: Chepi
Pairing: Chepi and Cheula, Chepi and Xander
Rating: T Genre: Fantasy
Summary: This is loosely based in honor of the real of Prometheus a real Bristlecone Pine that was cut down in the 1960's in Nevada. It is claimed the tree survived over five thousand years not millions... This is also not about the Titan of Mythology who was brother to Atlas, Lapetus and Monetius but that is a great story for another time.. Some say the oldest tree "Methusalah remains a secret in California" to keep it from harm. .I did find a Magnolia that was said to be over 95 million years old. The river will have a bit of facts and then my own ideas...It is MY story and not a real depiction.. This is MY fantasy adventure story.
Chapter 1
Millions and Millions of years ago a tiny sapling took root and sprouted from the Earth. It grew in a different world. It grew before the age of man.
The tree took root in what most would think would be unlivable. It was a harsh environment filled with deadly high winds and dry and dusty soil.
The tree's exterior changed from smooth to rough as it fought to survive. Its bark changed into a gnarled and rough exterior that in the direct sun gleamed a blood rust and silver hue. Its needles changed to a lemony shade and cones formed into a royal purple then grew mature into a deep russet. Its seeds from the cones became food later for the animals on the sharp mountain peak for squirrels, chipmunks, mice and woodpeckers.
The tiny tree grew slowly in the arid land. It clung to the high ridge line and witnessed the Earth shift as the land around it lived and died.
Yes, the tree held on.
The days and nights never ended and the seasons changed as the tree watched it all.
It conformed and survived the harshest weather. Its rough exterior formed into a ghastly shape twisted, gnarled, bent and appearing almost frightful in the night. By day the tree transformed into an image of beauty with green tiny pine needled brushed arms filled with delicate brown pine cones.
The great tree witnessed the Earths infinite changes of weather, of sweltering heat and searing sun to the grips of deadly ice and snow. But the mighty Pine grew amid all its adversity and clung deep within the earth rooted for dear life while its arms reached up toward the heavens. It was balance.
The tree watched as the Earth grew in creatures and the lightening would take other trees in the storm. The tree watched the stars at night and clouds sailing by in the horizon.
The tree grew and learned day by day. It became sentient. The tree was now full of knowledge of the World. The tree learned from the four elements Air, Fire, Water and Earth. The tree could feel.
The tree was filled with hope.
But man did not know what secrets the Tree kept deep inside. Man did not know how old the ancient Bristlecone Pine was that looked so deformed. Man could not hear the Tree speaking to them through the wind.
One day men surrounded wise Prometheus. They had large machines that shook the earth. They aimed the auger into the Earth as the old relic's ancient roots felt the vibration.
Alone standing appearing crippled and hunched the lonely Pine stood overlooking his world. A world that he had mastered. A world that he had survived for so long, a world that he had learned to dream and to think.
Prometheus the survivor stood and watched as the hands of fate slowly shook needles off his body.
His animal friends scurried or flew from the loud noise and tremors. Prometheus could not move, he could not run and flee as they. He stood and felt a burning searing of pain as the first battle blow hit his body cutting deep into his torso. His sap oozed in blood red ripples splattering across the rocks and dry dirt.
Prometheus was dying.
Pieces of his body flew in the air as his skin of bark was torn and shred. His delicate pine cones now shook from his arms as another slash of pain sliced into his side. Prometheus could not howl in pain. The wind kissed his body in a soft farewell as the sun slowly turned sadly behind a cloud. The earth where his strong roots clung now began to shift as the heavens bathed him now in a sprinkling of tears.
Poor Prometheus felt his body split as he body swayed up toward the Heavens. The gentle giant was soon to fall.
The wind picked up a deadly gale to push the men away but they leaned against the machine for footing.
Prometheus gazed at his world as the machine hissed and rumbled. The mighty heavens rumbled and shook back sending lightening bolts across the sky. The sun hid so the men could barely see. The bolts of electricity stabbed at the dusty earth trying to hit the men.
but it was too late..
His body creaked and echoed into the valley below as he wondered why he was dying.
Why? Why are they killing me?
His roots began to erupt up from the earth as he teetered back in his last moments.
In a thunderous jolt his body hit the hard dry earth as he stared up to the Heavens his last glimpse of the world as it slowly faded.
The men turned and walked away as the gentle giant lay lifeless, defiled, arms fetal curled, mangled , and bloodied.
His woodland friends came to pay their respects as the heavens poured a torrent pelting tears and raging thunder.
They men carried him away in chunks and bits. Little remained of the peaceful little giant.
It was as if he never had existed.
It was as if that ancient tree was never here at all.
All those years, all that he was, is gone forever.
Chapter 2
A Hawk flew down and lifted a limb and flew into the heavens. It coasted down the dry valley and followed the river to a lusher green tree-lined meadow. The Hawk gently placed the twig deep on the top of the towering tree. Her mate appeared with another. One by one they finished this nest of love.
Inside that nest they nestled their soft downy bellies just as night fell. The sticky warm sap seeped past their slick feathers. They took their bills and gleaned themselves taking pieces of Prometheus into their body. The dead trees blood now entered their souls. They opened their eyes in the sunrise suddenly able to see for miles. The chicks burst cracking into the azure dawn bathed in his blood. They began this new life.
A girl ran across the wet meadow singing. She had wildflowers in her hair and wore a long flowing white dress. Her bare feet skipped clinging on stones in the river as she jumped them one by one. She landed in a laugh at the river bank. She bent down on the edge of the river under the tree of the hawks. The river was old, second only to the Nile. It spoke to her in murmurs and echoes of splashes. It brought song in its eddies and currents that never ceased. It brought life, it gave life and took life in its rage or in its absence for she is the River of Life filled with microscopic beings and water bugs that walk on water, fish of every size, frogs, salamanders, crayfish, snakes, turtles, dragonflies, to the land animals black bear, beaver, cotton tail rabbit, the gray and the red foxes, the gray and white squirrel, the mice, the muskrat, the opposum, the otter, the racoon, the white tailed deer, the coyote, the badger, the bobcat, the elk,that step on her edges, and the birds tiny to large that dip their beak into her to quench their thirst. and forage in her pools. She feeds them all. The Indians lived in harmony with the Elements and were the first to give the river of life her name. They called her Kanawha.
Kanawha was one of Prometheus oldest friends. She had watched him from down below in the valley standing brave on his summit through out the ages. The winds would carry to her his news and together they became kindred beings. The river missed him and carried a remnant of the gentle giant bobbing on her surface. She chartered its course to land directly at the toes of the happy girl.
Prometheus lived on. Where his body was ripped from its roots a fairy mushroom ring had formed encased by forget-me-nots. The Earth said from the flower of life the egg of life is born. To the outskirts tiny sapling began to sprout from the dusty dry earth. The sun shown down from the heavens and proclaimed in prism rays of light "His sons and daughters will live on through him." The rain gently fell down over the tiny shoots clinging to the tiny little needles in tiny beads of tears of joy for their birth.
The girl bent down and picked up the wet and bent stick. The cold water dripped down onto her palm she shook it and heard Kanawha and Prometheus all speak through Zephyr the west wind all at once. As she whirled the magic wand she heard in three voices "You must travel and spread the news."
The girl dropped the stick in fright and looked side to side. Kanawha touched the girls barefeet coaxing her to listen.
The timid girl reached down again and swung it forcefully through the air as the story of the ages were told to her. The hawks spread their wings and flew around her in a circle crying for her to be brave.
Kanawha told the girl she will guide her . Zephyr whispered how a Manifest Destiny would resurface again to pillage the Earth. Prometheus told her of all the people who once lived around him in peace with the world, taking only what they needed and planting to replace what was taken. Kanawha joined speaking of her friends the Mohawk, the Oneida, the Tuscarora, the Onondaga, the Seneca of long ago and how once there had been the great six nations. Kanawha had been close to them as they fished . She told how they made their own angling with fibers of plants and their hooks from shards of bone, she told how they would make dams to trap the fish, netting and spears. They moved through her paddling and drank from her. Zephyr told how they had cried and how the battles raged bloody as many died from the greed for the Earth. The bloodshed over land was not the only murderer when gold, the ore that lies deep within the Earth was discovered and even how fashionable were pelts of beaver, otter, fox and rabbit skins. Wood, yes Wood also brought them here..Wood worth its weight in gold. Wood that built the great sailing ships, wood that built their homes. wood that built the bridges, yes wood was now plentiful . Wood for miles and miles...Zephyr pushed the girls hair back as she raged over human's greed.
The girl began to cry into Kanawha and the river slowed down. Zephyr stirred around the wand and said "You must travel to the largest fissure cave in North America. It is there that the great wise bat will tell you what we must do."
"Me?" Why me? Travel to a cave? All alone?"
The hawks landed above as the sound of chirps above made the girl look up. She watched the parents feeding the two young chicks and smiled.
" You will not falter in their lies and trickery. You belong with us. You are a part of us and we are a part of you. You were born on the first day of Spring under a Super Perigree Full Moon. You have no parents as you are a Fairy or the Fey. You were born from laughter. You have magic in you. Your name is Chepi."
And thus the journey began. Zephyr pushed her toward a giant thicket. Under the low boughs of the laurel sat on an old canoe made of "Muxelhemenhshi" from the Tulip Tree. The boat was old and knew Kanawha well.
Muxelhemenshi will take her on past Kanawha into the Rocky Broad Rivers that dips and curve into the steep lush mountains of the great Chimney Rock . There they will see the massive statue standing on the rocky bluff overlooking the great Lake called Lure. The river is fast and deep filled with treacherous whirlpools and deep neck breaking falls.
Zephyr tells the girl not to worry that Hiawatha, daughter of Nokomis and Wenonah will be waiting to help them through the narrows, the steps and the great falls. The cave is hidden in a gorge of Hickory Nut Trees and is 535 millions years old. It holds in its mile long tomb the secrets to our new world.
Chepi reaches inside the front of the boat and lifts a lid to a large woven basket. It is filled with a colorful Indian blanket, a buck skin shirt, moccasins, a wampum necklace, a flint rock, a knife, one old arrowhead, netting, one gourd canteen(3), a metal pot, and a quartz crystal. Lining the back of the boat lays a large hide from a bear a pelt of a beaver, a rifle and a lantern.. Zephyr tells her the canoe had belonged to many Indians. She said they met European fur traders along the river and would swap things for metal wears, tools and weapons. Finding the arrowhead means good luck in a hunt and the crystal the Cherokee used for guidance holding it up to the sun."
She wraps the arrowhead and crystal in a chord of leather and ties it securely around her neck. She lifts the two wood paddles and places them inside and lifts the bow of the boat and drags it beside the waters edge. The red tailed hawks land on the bow of the boat hopping and singing softly telling her not to fear. They spread their wings and soar into the heavens leaving her feathers that blend into her ruby hair that she now twists.
Chapter 3
Chepi waves goodbye to the Hawks and grabs the belt from the buckskin shirt and loops her wand from Prometheus tightly around her waist. She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.
She lifts her white gown and steps into the bobbing canoe one bare foot at a time. Her feet touch the soft pelt of the black bear as she nestles down on the tiny wooden seat and pushes off with one paddle. The current takes her suddenly right., she paddles hard at the left side of the boat. She sees a rock ahead and hits it causing the boat to bounce and spin to the side. She adjusts sliding her paddle back toward the rudder of the craft. She slowly learns how to steer. Kanawha begins to slow allowing the girl to look at her surroundings. She floats past turtles laying on fallen trees basking in the sun. A beaver dips his head up then dives down splashing his mighty paddled tail. A brillian blue and white kingfisher dives into the still water to the right grabbing a fish, a dragonfly follows her and lands on the from of the canoe flashing his luminescent wings.
Chepi now paddles gliding in between large rocks and down swift currents. She watches as fish jump from the still side waters catching bugs off low lying tree leaves. She unties her wand as Zephyr, and Prometheus tell her the names for all the fish, amphibians such as the frog, the salamander, the birds olike the crane, the flycathers, the jays, the crows, the ravens, the magpies, the larks, swallow, martin, chickadee, titmice, nuthatches, wrens, thrushes, mockingbirds, starlings, wagtails, pipits, waxwings, warblers, sparrows, longspurs, cardinals,oriolies, finches, meadowlarks , wood ducks and the Canadian geese. They tell her this area is known as Carotank of land of the wild goose. They tell her the names of the brook trout, the brown and the beautiful rainbow.
Chepi watches the playful river otter splash and the diligent beaver work. She sees the graceful white tailed deer skip across the thickets and tiny cotton tails darting. She smiles and listens to the sound of Zephyr and bird song. She is happy. Then it suddenly stops as she hears a painful shriek. She paddles closer to the river bank. A brush shakes as the wail continues. She slips her paddle toward the back of the boat then forward easing to the bank. Her eyes go wide in horror at the sight of the suffering.
A scared little fox lay hunched down panting. His tiny black leg caught in a metal trap. The animal tugs and struggles biting at his own bloodied leg. Chepi banks the boat and runs to the wounded animal. He is too weak to fight. He closes his eyes as if to give his last breath as Chepi uses her wand and places it inside the giant metal trap. The magic stick pops the vise grip open. The fox still lays there lifeless. The red haired fairy lifts the limp animal and cradles it into her arms. She places her hand and rubs his soft chest and whispers. "Please don't die!" The weak animal flutters his coal lined eyes then shuts them. "He's not dead!" she shouts and gently places him in her boat on top of the bear skin.
Chepi paddles on. She kept watch on her new friend the fox. They covered many miles but the day was drawing to an end and she would have to go to land. She managed to get the fox to drink some water. Kanawha was happy that he was thirsty. Zephyr told her of plants that could heal and Prometheus said to use a fallen stick for a brace.
Dusk soon sets over the tree tops as tiny fireflies emerge from the earth twinkling. The young fairy paddles to a sand bank and steps out. She tugs the wood canoe up and checks on her friend the fox who is now looking around. She runs and collects fireflies and blades of wet grass by the rivers edge. She places them in the lantern just as the sky turns a bright magenta, persimmon and gold.
Prometheus tells her to search for a clearing and to gather dried sticks sto build a fire. She lifts her friend who smiles up at her and says "I shall call you Cheula...Cheula are you hungry? " The red fox opens his mouth and gives a tiny bark. She gathers in her white dress piles of blackberries, and wild strawberries. She dumps them on the Indian blanket and watches her new friend eat with a sly grin. It stains her dress and hands and lips now into a purpllish reds. She sits down a circle of large stones to conserve the heat from the wind and rests beside Cheula with his new brace on his leg and stares up at the stars smiling.
Chepi and Cheula were awakened by the songs of the birds just before daybreak. The furry red fox moves his large bushy tailed curled in front of his face and tilts his ears. The birds fluttered in the canopy of trees chirping the news from her friends the Hawks who had spread the news to the flocks migrating toward the green mountains and lakes.
Glowing embers still moved inside the wood as she pokes the hot coals. She stretches across the Indian blanket and checkes Chuala's leg then takes the lantern and lifts the hinge and releases the tiny black and white winged bugs with little red faces. They dive down into the grasses to slumber during the heat of the day.
"Are you hungry Cheula?" she asks the red fox. He replies with his wet black nose sniffing and gives a tiny yelp tilting his head back.
Chepi heads into the woods in search of food. She returns with her skirt filled holding red mulberries, blackberries, pawpaw, and earthworms and grub worm and hickory nuts,black walnuts and leaves ,sassafras and dry grasses. Cheula sniffs at the air and tries to stand but falls back. "Rest my friend and let your leg heal. I will take care of you." Chepi says spreading him a picnic breakfast. The weak fox smiles up at her then hungrily devours the food.
Chepi swirls Prometheus over the campfire and they instruct her to grab the pot from the woven cane basket and dry grass and blow over the hot coals. She sets it over the coals and boils the sassafras roots for a tea.(3)She then removes the nutmeats from the hickory, mixes with water into a milk. She swirls her wand again and is told to make a walnut jam to ease and battle any infection for Chuela.(4)) She tears the hem her white skirt again and ties the mixture against his leg and ties it back into the brace. The fox trusts her continues eating his pawpaw. She finishes making the ganu gwali sti, a hickory milk drink rich in nutrients.(5)
The red headed fairy and the red coated fox ate and drank happily. She straightens up their camp site and leaves it as if they had never been there. She packs up their belongings and stowes them in Muxelhemenhshi. Cheula is alert and sits in her lap as they paddle down Kanawha in search of the great cave of the bat.
Trout are jumping out of the water all around Muxelmenshi. Zephyr meets now with Hiawatha who warns of a great falls ahead. Chepi paddles to the side of the River to inspect the drop ahead. It is too steep to paddle so she drags Muxelmenshi over rocks. Her feet hurt. She drops the boat and reaches into the cane woven basket and grabs the moccasins for her feet. She turns hearing a loud growling noise. Cheula ducks down shaking in the boat. She grabs her wand as is speaks " gv-ni-ge-yo-na.(6).We mean you no harm."
The great black bear stands on its mighty legs and holds her powerful clawed paws up and roars loudly. She then falls down onto three legs holding her front paw up. It is filled with porcupine quills. The bear tugs at the sharp spikes then yelps as one punctures into her jaw.
Chepi spins her wand and it speaks to the great bear. It tells her she will help it. It tells her she can take away the pain. The black bear snorts and shakes her paw then sits calmly for Chepi to approach.
Chepi is gentle in removing the quills one by one. The bear sniffs her. She does not smell to her like a human. She smells like the woods. The bear smells traces of bear on her from where her feet had sat on the bear pelt and gently rests her other paw on Chepi's shoulder and gazes around as if bored by the act. Chepi finishes with the last quill in her jaw and inspects once more the great paw and backs up. "You are fine now my friend Yona!"
The furry black bear now skips toward the river happy to be free of the painful quills. She stands in between three large rocks and scoops fish with her now mended paw and tosses them on the shore. Cheula's eyes dart at the sight. He tries to get out of the boat but his leg has not healed.
Chepi walks and lifts the fox and lays him by the sandy pebbled shore. He attacks the large flopping Trout and tears it open with his teeth holding it down with his good leg. His tail wags happily as Yona tosses another to the bank. Chepi watches as Yona waddles back to the bank to feast beside Cheula. Chuela smells like bear from the bearskin. Yona tears open the fishes belly with her mighty teeth holding it with her paw. She raises her head and smells the air as she eats.
Chepi empties the basket and places the extra fish inside. She places Chuela into the boat and waves goodbye to Yona. Yona stands on both legs then bounces down and charges toward them. Chepi drops the boat and stands as Yona's great muzzle sniffs the boat then turns down a path stops and looks back. Chepi follows her down a tiny deer trail down past the falls. It is a short cut. They end up below the falls. Yona sits on her haunches and waves as Chepi lifts the basket tied by a leather chord to the boat and drops it into the water to keep the fish cold as she paddles on waving and saying "o-gi-na-li"(6)
Chepi and Cheula paddle on until dusk. They make another camp site and Chepi fillets the fish with the knife and places them in the metal pot. Cheula licks his lips in anticipation as the stars begin to twinkle and the fireflies dance around the happy pair. Their bliss is cut abruptly be the sound of footsteps. Cheula growls as a silhouette stands at the edge of the fire light.
"Hello." a male voice says. He walks closer and the firelight flashes over his smiling face. Chepi's heart leaps at the sight of him. "I hope I didn't startle you. I am Xander. I am a ranger. I saw the fire." He looks at Cheula and scratches his black hair.
"I am Chepi and this is my friend Cheula. He was injured in a trap up the river."
Xander walks closer "I knew it! I knew they were going to come back! I am so sorry little guy!" Xander leans down to look at Cheula's leg.
"It looks like it is healing. What is that ointment?"
"it is from the walnut." Chepi says and tosses the fish into the air flipping them over.
"That smells great! Did you catch them yourself?" Xander asks looking around for her camp site and friends.
"No Yono caught them." Chepi says.
Xander looks around again. "Oh where is Yono? How many of you guys are here? Where is your camp?"
Chepi giggles in the firelight. "No Yona is a black bear. She gave them to us as gifts me removing the porcupine quills from her paw."
Xander bends down closer looking at the girl. "You can't be serious."
"Oh yes. It is true."
The boy sits down on the ground and fold his legs and watches the red haired beauty gently place the steaming fish on a giant Catawba leaf to cool. He stares at her mesmerized while she tells him "Chepi and I are on our way to the ancient cave of the bat. We will sleep here under the stars."
Xander snaps back to reality. "Listen these woods can be dangerous. Batcave is a ways from here and filled with many treacherous falls. You do not want to try to paddle your way in."
Chepi smiles and twirls the hawk feather in her hair."I am brave." she says with confidence.
"Yes. I am sure of that but it has rained and the water is deep and fast toward the Rocky Broad... Why do you want to go there anyway? Why are you here all alone? It is dangerous for a girl to be out here alone in the wilderness. He stares at the canoe.
Chepi feeds Cheula bits of fish. "I was chosen. I have friends who help guide me alone the way. The Earth, The Water, The Wind, and The Fire speak to me."
"Yeah well. It is dangerous..It has rained and the Rocky Broad is up and fast..I paddle it and know where to steer. Let me take you."
"I have Prometheus." the girl said. Handing him the fish on the leaf.
"Oh. where is he?" the ranger asks.
"Here." she said and pulled out the stick.
The boys eyes got wide. He nodded trying not to laugh. "So you have a stick to help you?"
Chapter 4
Xander unwraps the warm trout from the leaf and eats it skin and all.
"best trout I think I have ever eaten...and you had no butter..."
Chepi giggles " butter? I added things from the forest such as fennel, shalotts, rosemary, and bits of Kudzu blooms and vine then wrapped them in the catawba leaves to steam on the rocks beside the fire."
"really? well it was really good, thank you."
Chepi smiled back not familiar with the word thank you and welcome so she said "I am glad you liked it."
He tosses the tail and head he had cut off the fish with his knife to Chuela. The foxes eyes dart back to him then devour it bones all.
Chepi giggles "He likes you!" as she watches Cheula eat.
"Chepi. I know you want to paddle there, but really, you and the fox could get hurt. It is miles and miles to a hospital. Your boat has no floatation devise. That thing looks ancient..no offense."
Chepi smiles "We will be fine. We have friends who will help us along the way. The boat also was a gift from Zephyr."
"Zephyr?" he asks.
"Yes the west wind."
Xander wipes his hands on his khaki's "Listen, I've seen all types of people in my days as a ranger. From the usual good old boys, the nudist hippies, to the sopisticated in grand r.v.'s, but never in my life have I met anyone like you."
The fairy laughs and hands him a handfull of strawberries. "I am different. That is what my friends say."
"Yes. yes, you are." the ranger said eating a sweet stawberry and looking back into her hazel eyes.
He stands and gets more kindling for the fire. "Where are you from exactly?"
Chepi begins to tell him of where she came. The ranger sits in silence as she tells him of her past living in the woods and how she met Prometheus, Zephyr, Kanawha, the Hawks, Chuela, and Yono. She tells them of how Prometheus died and what she learned from him.
The boy had never heard anything so beautiful in all his life. He struggles and chokes back the tears. It is a fairy tale but her heart believes it to be true. He feels his heart ache suddenly deep down inside for this lonely girl who loves the world.
Chapter 5
Chepi stands and whirls the wand around and around so Xander can hear their stories. The boy looks at her tilting his head.
"What are you doing Chepi?" he asks.
"Can't you hear them?" she says.
The voices tell her he cannot hear them.
"Why? why can he not hear you?" she asks spinning around in a circle.
"He has not grown up in the woods like you." Prometheus says.
"He does loves the creatures of Earth...He loves the mountains, he strives to help..Yes.. To them he rushes to save..He is good." Zephyr and Hiawatha whisper. Chepi nods as they all tell her "His heart is pure, let him go with us"
Hiawatha tells her more about the Xander as she stops and continues to spin the wand around in circles. She stops moving the wand and looks at Xander. "Yes. You may go with us if you wish."
The boy smiles back.
Chepi walks to him in her berry stained white dress and sits bending her knees and hugging her moccassins. She tells him what they have just told her.
"But...WW-whatttt? HHHH-hhhow did you know all of that about me? He asks astonished.
Chepi laughs and twirls her magic stick.
The boy leans closer to her. Chepi, I shall make sure no harm comes to you or Cheula."
The fairy girl leans on his shoulder and stares up at the stars.
"I know." she says with a smile.
Chapter 6
Xander wakes up to find Chepi asleep sitting leaning against his side. He gently lays her down beside Cheula who flits his tail in front of his eyes then closes them back. He covers her with the Indian blanket and watches her sleep. She looks so beautiful in the moonlight.
His mind races with thoughts how she is, the things she says, her quest, and the things she knew of him. He wonders what will happen once they get to the cave, will she be upset? He knows there is no ancient bat there waiting to speak to her, and yet she is right that there are many real bats there. Bats from all over. He had helped the Indiana brown one summer there. He watches as her face forms a smile while she dreams. He smiles back and whispers "Chepi."
Xander knows he was has fallen for this strange girl.
She wakes up as if she heard his whisper and looks right at him. It is as if she knows his thoughts too. She reaches out her hand to him and he takes it. She pulls him close beside her. His heart is pounding in his chest. She snuggles his arm around her waist then said "You should rest Xander. We have many miles to go. The narrows will be tricky and the great falls."
"Yes he says smelling her hair that reminds him of waterfalls, jasmine and strawberry. How did you know? You said you are not from here."
She laughs again...It is the kind of laughter that was infectious. He can not hold back the noise as he laughs along side her letting all his emotions rolling out into waves with her. He finally manages to say "Thhhh tthat stick told you right?"
"Yes." she says and turns to him and looks into his eyes.
He swallows hard. He now looks deep into her eyes. Her eyes reach in and swallow his soul. He almost looks away as the moment is more intense than any he has ever felt in his life. It is as if he now knows her somehow...She... He cannot restrain his hands from touching her face. It is soft like petals of a rose... He could not form words, he could now not move. He just lays there holding her as she looks right back..with her knees curled up against her chest
(( Whomever she is...whatever this is... Am I in a dream? Is this an illusion? Am I drugged? Have I died?)) all he knew was this moment right now he couldn't feel more alive..Right now all he wants is here, right now... I don't care what we do, where ever she wants to go...caves... scaling mountains...paddling raging rivers...I don't not care..I just want to see it with HER...))
"Chepi..."he whispers with his chest thudding.
But she places her fairy finger on his soft lips and whispers "Sleep Xander..."
So as quickly as she said it, he closes his eyes while holding her hand. (All she has to do is ask, and I shall.)he thinks as he drifts off to a deep peaceful slumber.
Chapter 7
They wake up to the sound of the river and bird song. Chepi begins to straighten up their campsite.
"Are you hungry?" He asks helping her load the canoe. "I have food in my truck, loads of supplies."
Chepi nods yes and giggles causing him to laugh back loudly.
He runs full speed up the deer path that leads up to his Forestry Service Truck. He wants to impress her. He fumbles with his car keys and grabs all the gear then sprints back down the trail. He stops suddenly and looks all around.
Chepi is gone!
He runs to the waters edge and screams her name looking up river. His heart is beating fast. She's gone..why did she leave me?
He feels empty inside as he drops all his things at the waters edge. The forest suddenly goes still as he turns in circles with his mind racing.
A voice travels from up river, across the bank. He sees a bush moving. He makes out the canoe now shoved up on the bank surrounded in tall grass under a tall Sycamore. His heart beats faster as she emerges waving shouting "Cheula and I saw the birds eating at these berries bushes. I will be right back!"
He waves back smiling but the distance across the water makes him want to race to her, hold her close, and ask her to never leave his side again, but he nods as if he was not effected by her absence and begins breakfast all the while watching her in the corner of his eye as she picks the berries singing and laughing.
Xander does his best to show his off his acquired skills of the woods. He waits for her to dig into her plate and yet she sits there in silence with her eye closed.
He wonders if there is something wrong. Then he realizes that she may be praying.
She finally opens her eyes and instead of eating it, she begins to half everything and feed Cheula. He holds his fork in mid air transfixed by her and the fox. He watches the two interact. She lifts him into her lap. The fox needs her. He would have died without her and yet he can tell she clings to him, she babies him, she needs him also. They have a special connection that only near death brings to living things. He watches how docile and trusting the fox is to her. He knows all the ones he has encountered were always timid and leary of man, but Chepi was not like most people.
They finish eating and pack up the gear and Cheula. He adds his equipment with a bungi net to the front of the canoe and shoves off. "The water table is not as high as yesterday but it will still be fast. He hands her a two life vests. Please put this on. She stares at the objects. The small one is for my Jack Russel and should fit Chepi, the other is mine. It may be big but the buckles adjust."
She slides it on leaving the bottom unbuckled so that her wand can stick out where it is tied around her waist. He watches her touch the stick.
He paddles gliding the boat into the middle of the stream and says "Chepi tell me more about what that wand tells you."
So Chepi lays her paddle inside the boat as Xander mans the rudder with his oar as the move slowly in the deeper slow water. She tells him about her home before she was ever born.
"Chepi, where is your family." he asks when she pauses.
She laughs and he starts to laugh "here she says raising her hands up high to the heavens and swirling it all around.
Xander gets quiet watching her wave her arms. He wonders if she has some how gone through some kind of trauma and is blacking it all out.
"No, I know you love the forest and all, but where are your parents? Do you have any brothers or sisters? Do you have grandparents?"
Chepi turns with deer like eyes They look so innocent as she says "What is a parent?"
Xander almost hits a rock as he moves the boat suddenly.
He doesn't respond at first. He just paddles on staring at the back of her head. He wonders if she just cannot talk about her family. He wonders if they hurt her in someway of if they are all deceased. He tries to think of the best way to bridge the subject.
He finally says "You didn't just pop out of thin air. Someone made you."
Chepi dips her magic wand into Kanawha and laughs again causing him to ripple into giggles. "I was told that I was born from laughter."
Xander almost chokes and says "Yes. I would say that sounds about right."
She turns and like a priest annointing heads with holy water she flicks her dainty wrist as Prometheus, Kanawha and Zephyr make contact to his brow in tiny beads.
Xander suddenly feels a splash of cold yet warm, his eyes see her in myriad of colors, voices now whisper to him. He frowns trying to make out what they are saying but it is too muffled.
Chapter 8
The sun was now high above their heads. It is hot and humid. He decides that they should take a break and cool off.
"Do you want to go for a swim?" he asks.
"Yes! I love to swim!" she says with laughter.
He laughs back "I figured you did!"
They pull the canoe up under the shade of a tall River Birch. Chepi lifts Cheula out and spreads the Indian blanket out for him. She takes off his vest and fluffs the sheet. She does not dare leave until the kit is resting his eyes content. Xander waves "Over here!" as she unbuckles her vest.
He climbs upon the great rock. It is perhaps like these mountains older than the Himalayas. He turns looking out at the water, the mountains and the sky.
A mermaid splashes below in the deep water. She laughs and sings a Siren's song of life, of hope and love. She pulls at him like a magnetic force.
His heart thuds in his chest as sweat beads over his bare chest.
He spread his arms like a bird and for one brief moment soars into the wind.
A smile forms over his tan face as the pull of gravity hits his gut.
His eyes mark his swan maiden as his arms touch each other then graze the water's clear cool surface breaking it like shattering glass as he slips into the cool magical abyss.
He opens his eyes kicking under water. He holds his breath as the water envelopes him in the watery domain. It makes him light and buoyant as his head darts side to side in search of her.
His hands wave as his feet hit soft silty earth. Through the bubbles and mist he sees her, her red hair waving wildy, eyes open and soft lips pursed closed.
He pushes off the floor of the river bed and floats anxiously looking into her eyes.
He dares himself closer. She floats like art, her white dress floating in the currents as he dares his heart to reach and touch hers.
He paddles strong with his arms behind and gently and so softly places his lips to hers in this divine moment surrounded by prisms of rays of sunlight that surround them like a blessing that only the world allows for two souls that were made for one another.
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credits for some information goes to
(1) Laura Redish and Orrin Lewis Native Languages of the .org (2) .org (3) -article of Early Tsalagi Culture by Chief Terry "Cherokee Warrior" Evers (4) .com (5) . (6). (7).