Soul Searching Through Time

Chapter 3

Taha Aki

My name is Taha Aki. My spirit has lived many times throughout the ages in a different body, each time seeking out my true soul mate, my other half. Each time I eventually become chief of this mighty tribe known as the Quileute's. We are a small people, but we are big in our beliefs.

I tell my story of this existence now because it is time to close my eyes in this life. It is time to travel to my next existence, to start a new life searching for my true soul mate. I will make her my wife once again, which I have done many times before, where our story begins with a single kiss to slowly start the memories to resurface again. Until then we will remain strangers.

My father, the chief of our tribe passed away when I was young. I had not seen my 13th winter as of yet. My Uncle took over as chief until I was old enough to take on the responsibilities of our people. My Uncle took over teaching me the ways of our tribe. He taught me to fight and how to maintain a life for my people, in order to be one they could respect. Once old enough, I was inducted as chief and served my people well.

I've had many good friends. Some still live, where some have gone on to a better place. We hunted together and fed our tribe the best we could, thanking the Great Spirit for their bounty as we always do when taking a life, whether it is animal or human. We lived as our fathers did, watching over our tribe in Spirit form while our wives or loved ones watched over our bodies.

"Our greatest threat being other tribes trying to overthrow our people to take our lands and our women as their spoils, only to make slaves of them. We have many warriors trained to protect our people; they are strong in body as well as in spirit.

When in spirit form, although we cannot lay hands on our enemy, we can control the elements. We can send the storms to wreak havoc on them. The animals can hear us, so we use them as well, commanding them to attack. It has worked to our benefit to date.

As of this date, we are at peace. Our neighbors have signed a treaty with us and we live together as friends. This is where my story begins.

I met my wife when she was very young, but to get to that I must tell another story that is very painful to remember, but if it will help someone later in life then I will stand the pain to relive it.

My story begins with a man who I trusted with my life once upon a time. His name was Utlapa.

Utlapa who was not content, though he was one of my strongest spirit warriors; he was a greedy man as well. He thought that we should use our magic to expand our lands, to enslave the Hoh and the Makah to build an empire. I knew nothing of how he felt at first.

While in spirit form, we knew one another's mind. One day, while in spirit form watching over our people, I saw what Utlapa dreamed. I was angry with him. Once back in our bodies we traveled back to the reservation. I confronted Utlapa, telling him I had seen what he had planned. He fought me on this, telling me that we were stronger and must show our power.

He gave me no other choice, but to ban him from our tribe. I felt bad in doing this, but I could not have someone in my service cause harm to another.

I ordered him to leave our lands, to never use his spirit self again. I knew Utlapa was a strong man, and I feared he would try to fight for his honor, but once he looked among our people, seeing there were many warriors, he knew he could not win with so many. With a mighty roar he fled in fury.

He left in a rage, threatening revenge. I had my warriors watch for him, but they did not see him for months. My thoughts were he had got over his anger and fled to another tribe. We went on as normal with no conflict of any kind, living happily. I had married my best friend Oreanna. We grew up together and I loved her dearly.

She was a worrier at times, but I could always calm her fears. Shortly after we married, I was made chief of the tribe and head of the Spirit Warriors. We lived a good life Oreanna and I.

I know she worried more about me after my confrontation with Utlapa, but it all worked out in the end. I recently started patrolling on my own; usually late at night, but this one day I wanted to spend my evening with my wife. I decided to go out in the afternoon instead.

Oreanna argued with me. She didn't want me to go alone and she kept saying she had a bad feeling with me going out by myself. I calmed her nerves as I have done many time.

"I don't like you going out alone, my husband. I worry so when you do this and I have a bad feeling this time. Please take someone with you," she pleaded.

"You always have a bad feeling, my wife, but you have nothing to fear, I have done this a hundred times. Do I not always come home to you?" I asked her. "I always hide my body well. No one will ever find it while I patrol and I will be home soon.

When I return we will spend some quiet time together, I promise," I told her as I kissed her on the forehead and left to patrol.

I went high in the mountains, hiding my body in one of the caves. I covered it with branches making it look like a wild animal's lair. After I left my body, I patrolled the area, pleased when everything looked normal.

I felt someone leave their body, and I asked who it was. They were quiet, but there was something wrong with this spirit, then I heard it. It was Utlapa. I read his thoughts, and realized he was taking my body. I tried to get to my body before he could; only I was too far away to make it in time.

I screamed at him to stop. I begged him not to do this, but my thoughts fell on deaf ears. When I got back to the cave my body was gone. I thought that maybe I could go find his body that I could take over his to find my own. After searching for a while I found it. But after he took over my body, he had returned to his own and hacked it to bits with a knife. I was out of luck. I was in spirit form, and nobody could hear me. There was nothing I could do.

I immediately went back to the village and went to my house. My thoughts were that he would go to the safest place for him to go. He would have to think his plan through. I made it home where my wife was making dinner. I tried everything to get her attention but to no avail. It was then that I saw him coming. My wife turned around with a smile upon hearing the door thinking it was me. At first, he froze where he stood. I could tell that he had forgotten I was even married. Then he planted a fake smile on his face, went to my wife, gave her a hug and proceeded to kiss her.

My wife felt the difference, to my despair. I didn't know what he would do. But of course, I found out rather quickly his plan of attack.

My wife pulled away from him with fear wrapped all over her face. She confronted Utlapa, asking him who he was, wanting to know what he had done with her husband. I tried to get her to quiet herself, but as I said, there was nothing I could do. She began to scream.

That's when Utlapa placed his hand over her mouth, dragging her out back of the house, into the forest straight to the cliffs and politely threw her over the edge. I screamed in horror as I watched my wife fall to her death and from there he began to take over my life.

His first order of business was to order the Spirit Warriors to never leave their bodies again. Of course, I knew why he ordered such a thing. He was afraid if they did they would hear me and his plan would have been folly.

They did exactly as he said, for they would never disobey a direct order from me, even if they thought there was something wrong with my decision.

I stayed and watched as he ran the village the way he saw fit. He slept in my bed and he mourned for my wife in public. It was said she wandered too close to the edge and fell. I wanted to kill him myself with my own two hands, but one thing he couldn't do was carry out his plan. If he could not have the Spirit Warriors in action then he could not attack the neighboring tribes to strengthen our land, which upset him greatly. he knew I was there and he cursed me diligently.

He lived my life for many years as I watched with no way to stop him. He took another wife, who he later found out was barren and decided to take yet another, which was unheard of in our tribe. The girl he picked was very young, no more than seventeen and she was very beautiful.

If I wasn't in spirit form I would pick her myself as I was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. On their wedding night, she was very frightened and she tried to fight him off, but to no avail.

He smacked her a few times as she lay there crying as he had his way with her. Utlapa told her how tight she was and how she felt so good under him, saying he would fuck her until she couldn't walk.

I think I cried true tears for the girl. I could not take any more. I left and sat on the edge of the cliff and prayed yet again for the Great Spirit to help me find my way home.

I had had enough; I went to the mountain and bought down a fierce wolf. Why I didn't think of this before I know not. I took him to Utlapa, but Utlapa hid behind his warriors. When the wolf killed a young man who was protecting the false chief, I felt a horrible grief. I ordered the wolf away.

Suddenly I felt jealous of the animal. At least it had a body and a life. Even life as an animal would be better than this horrible empty consciousness. And then I had the idea that changed us all.

I asked the great wolf if he would share his body with me. The wolf complied, and I entered the wolf's body with relief and gratitude. It was not my human body, but it was better than the void spirit world.

As one, the man and the wolf returned to the village on the harbor. The people ran in fear shouting for the warriors to come. The warriors ran to meet the wolf with their spears. Utlapa, of course, stayed safely hidden. I did not attack the warriors. I retreated slowly from them, speaking with my eyes and trying to yelp the songs of my people.

The warriors began to realize that the wolf was no ordinary animal, that there was a spirit influencing it. One older warrior, a man named Yut, decided to disobey Utlapa's order, and try to communicate with the wolf.

As soon as Yut crossed to the spirit world, I left the wolf to speak to him. Yut gathered the truth in an instant and welcomed his true chief home. At this time, Utlapa came to see if the wolf had been defeated. When he had saw that the older man Yut had disobeyed his orders.

Knowing I had already told him the truth, he pulled his knife out to kill Yut, but Yut saw this as well and returned to his body. He fought with the false chief, but Yut was an older man and Utlapa was much stronger. Utlapa killed Yut before he would warn the warriors.

I felt a great rage more powerful than anything I had felt before. I entered the big wolf again meaning to rip Utlapa's throat when I joined the wolf, a greatest magic happened. My anger was the anger of a man.

The love I had for my people, and the hatred, I felt for their oppressor were too vast for the wolf's body. The wolf shuddered, and before the eyes of the shocked warriors the wolf transformed into a man.

The new man did not look like me in body. I was far more glorious. I was the flesh interpretation of my spirit. The warriors recognized me at once as they had flown with my spirit. Utlapa tried to run, but I had the strength of the wolf in my new body. I caught the thief and crushed the spirit from him before he could jump out of the stolen body.

The people rejoiced when they understood what had happened.

I quickly set everything in the right working order again with my people. The only thing I kept in place was the end of spirit travels. I had realized that it was too dangerous now that the idea of stealing a life was there. The spirit warriors were no more.

From that point on I was more than either wolf or man. They called me Taha Aki the Great Wolf or Taha Aki the Spirit Man. I led the tribe for many, many years. When danger threatened I would resume my wolf-self to fight or frighten the enemy. The people lived in peace.

When I returned to my house I found the two women that Utlapa married in my body. I gave them a choice to leave or stay. The older woman decided to leave, but the younger one begged me to stay. She had no family, and had nowhere to go. As I looked into this beautiful woman's eyes, I saw what I had seen in spirit form. they glowed with warmth. I walked up to the woman placing my hand on her cheek.

"What is your name?" I asked softly, wanting more than anything to place my lips on hers. There was something about this woman, something that was drawing me to her. my heart thudded in my chest so hard that I thought for a second it might rip through my chest.

"My name is Sasha," she said.

"Sasha, such a beautiful name for a beautiful woman," I told her. She dropped her head as a beautiful blush appeared on her cheeks. I chuckled, placing my hand under her chin, raising it enough to look into her eyes once more.

Before I knew it, I placed my lips on hers. They were so warm and soft as I wrapped my arms around her waist bringing her tight against my chest. As the kiss became more passionate and she moaned in pleasure as she wrapped her arms around my neck. That's when I felt a power surge course through my body.

Sasha felt it too as she jumped with the feeling as I did. After that, I heard this older woman's voice chanting a sonnet in my head.

I had heard this before somewhere. At the same time I had a flash of this man and woman kissing in a field. It was me and Sasha. I don't know how I knew that, for the two I saw in my thoughts look nothing like us. I just knew it was us. I pulled away from the kiss, looking into Sasha beautiful eyes, as everything started to come back to me and I was sure it had for her as well.

"Hello, love," I told her with a smile.

"Hello, my love," she returned as I smashed my lips to hers once again.

I fathered many sons and some of these found that, after they had reached the age of manhood, they too could transform into wolves. The wolves were all different because they were spirit wolves and reflected the man they were inside. Some of my sons became warriors with me. Others who did not like the transformation refused to join the pack of wolf-men. I, Taha Aki, had lived the span of three old men's lives. I remarried the third wife that I have known throughout the ages.

Sasha truly is my spirit wife. Though I had loved my first wife, this was something else. I decided to give up my spirit wolf so that I could die when she did. It seemed I never aged while phasing, but if I had my choice of living forever without Sasha, or dying with her after a few years I would rather give up phasing to grow old and die with my soul mate.

Sorry, yes it was short, but to the point more later…

A/N: Special thanks to Untamed Loner for Beta-ing this story for me..you rock girlfriend…hugs.
I do not own anything that belongs to Twilight, that honor belongs to Stephanie Meyers.

Let me know what you think...huggs