Chap. 2
"Tug, do you have a minute?" Tug stopped fishing, and looked up at the bank where Kenai sat. "Sure, boy, what do ya need?" Kenai shifted uncomfortably. "Remember when Koda and I joined you guys here a few weeks ago? Well, I wanted to tell you another story." Tug laughed and climbed up the bank.
"Kenai, we tell stories all the time here, what part of the forest are you from again?" Kenai just sat there looking at his paws. "That's part of the story, it's important and Koda agrees." He looked back over his shoulder at Koda who sat some distance away, his eyes downcast. "How's this, we'll do a gathering tonight and you can tell your story then?" Tug looked back at the river and all the salmon that were getting away. "Tug, this is for your ears only and there are some things which the others shouldn't know." Kenai looked pleadingly at him. Tug sighed, and stood up, "alright, if it's that important to the both of you, let's go up to the hill and you tell me this story of yours." Kenai smiled, though it looked a bit forced and they began to climb the hill.
"The story begins the same as Koda's," began Kenai. "When the 3 hunters cornered his mother on cliff, one of the brothers sacrificed himself in the belief that he was saving the other two." Tug lifted arched his eye at the thought of humans protecting themselves. Kenai hurried on. "Anyway, afterwards, the 2 surviving brothers went back to their village, where a ceremony was held for the lost brother. After it was over, the youngest brother, blaming the bear for the death, vowed revenge, and chased after it." It was apparent that Tug was intrigued with the story, though what it was leading to, he couldn't guess.
"Finally the younger brother caught up to Koda's mother high up on another cliff." Kenai paused to let Koda leave, knowing that Koda didn't want to hear this again, but to his surprise, Koda stayed and seemed okay. "They fought, and the young brother was easily outmatched. Then.....he.....he....he managed a lucky blow. And......killed Koda's mother." Tug stared at Kenai for a long time. Koda began to cry, but he still didn't leave. "You better have a good explanation for this Kenai. Telling wild stories like this, these lies will only cause others pain." Tug looked quite upset. But Kenai pressed on. "Wait! Let me finish. After he ki...., after it was over, the spirits intervened. The eldest brother's spirit changed the younger brother so he could see the world through another's eyes."
Kenai paused, took a deep breath and went on. "The changed brother's name was Kenai, I am the youngest brother." A long silence followed. Kenai could see that Tug was wrestling with what to believe and was worried that he might just think that Kenai was crazy, when Koda piped in. "its true Tug. When the Light touched the mountain a few weeks ago, Kenai redeemed himself and was turned back to a human. He chose to stay a bear to look after me."
Tug just sat there and after what seemed like hours, he finally spoke. "That would explain a lot, but why are ya tellin me this?"
"I don't know how to survive as a bear. Koda has given me a lot of pointers but he's still young, and doesn't know much either." Kenai looked at Koda briefly. "We need someone to teach us how to survive."
Tug looked at one then the other. Finally he shook his head, "Ya actually a human? That's a big change, even for the spirits. I have ta say that I don't like ya as much as I did before, but giving up your way of life for Koda, well that don't make you half bad." Tug grinned. "Let's get started. It'll raise questions if I teach you around here, so let's head to my den. Its a couple days from here, but the basics you need won't take long, I hope." Kenai let out a sigh of relief. And Koda managed a smile. "Thanks Tug."
"No problem, but lets get goin now; I need a good walk to think this over some more." Tug got up and began to walk up river into the forest. Kenai and Koda looked at each other and followed him under the trees.
The climb up took him the rest of the afternoon, but it paid off. Just as night was beginning to fall, Denahi reached the top, and looked up at the lights. He walked to the center of the precipice he was on and called out. "Great spirits! Sitka! I need your help! Please hear me!" When nothing changed he continued, "Sitka, you must see what this change has done! I know that Kenai made the right choice, but how are we to stay brothers if we can no longer communicate? I do not want to lose another one! I have no reason to stay in the village without family! Please Sitka, Help me!"
Blue light of the spirits spiraled down out of the sky, dancing around Denahi. A great eagle larger than anything could be floated down out of the night. It condensed into the spirit of Sitka who walked toward Denahi.
Denahi looked at his brother. "Sitka, please..." Sitka walked slowly around Denahi, looking him up and down. Finally, he came to a stop in front of him, and said just two words, "One way." Denahi was puzzled, but what Sitka said gave him hope. "There's a way? Please Sitka, I'll take it, I cannot live with the loss of 2 brothers."
Sitka nodded his head and reached out to Denahi's totem. He fingered it briefly, as if the was something funny about it. Then he stepped back and turned into the eagle once more. He lifted up until he was above Denahi and then picked him up in his talons. Denahi let out a gasp as he was lifted up into the sky.
A glow surrounded him, and his skin tingled. He felt himself growing larger, heavier. Fur sprouted across his skin, and claws grew from his fingers. His face grew outward, becoming a muzzle, and he his teeth became sharper. As quickly as they had begun, the changes stopped and Denahi floated back down to the ground. He was very dizzy and he walked but four steps before he fell down unconscious.
Denahi opened his eyes and looked around. The sun was just coming over the horizon, and the great lights were fading. Suddenly, the memory of what had happened that night rushed to the front of his mind. Sitka turned me into my totem, a wolf! I have to find some water to look. Denahi was both excited and afraid, he hadn't really thought about what the change would be like. Before he had gotten up though, Denahi realized a flaw in his logic. Wolves are the same size as a man, he thought. But I remember becoming larger... I need to find that water! Denahi got up and moved as quickly as he could down the mountain.
About half way down, he came to a stream. Tentivally he looked into the water, and stared at his image. Though his wolf totem still hung from his neck, he was most definitely not a wolf. A bear? Is that why Sitka found my totem funny, because it was not what I would become? Denahi looked much like Kenai did as a bear, though he had a darker coat and slighter larger build. After looking in the stream one last time, Denahi sat on his haunches. I guess it makes sense, Thought Denahi. I better go find Kenai and tell him... I wonder what he'll say? Grinning to himself, Denahi began the climb down the rest of the mountain.
It was a little past midday when Denahi came across the salmon run. At first he stood there just staring at all the bears. He had never seen anything like it. Part of him wanted to scream, while anther part told him that he was one of them now. Carefully, and trying to attract as little attention as possible, he began to look for Kenai.
The sun was fully in the west by the time Denahi gave up the search. Kenai was nowhere to be found, or at least, there was no bear wearing a totem here. Denahi had noticed however, that he could actually see differences between the bears like he hadn't though possible. When he was human, they all seemed alike, but now.... They were as varied as the people of his village, and they acted similar too. The younger bears played and wrestled while the older ones talked and fished. It was a beautiful community and Denahi felt guilty that it had taken a different form to truly convince himself of that fact.
"Haven't seen you before, are you new here?" Denahi turned around and was face to face with a large, light furred bear. "I'm looking for someone, my brother Kenai."
"The larger bear grinned. "Kenai? He's a great one, taking care of Koda and all. So you two are brothers eh? Nice to meet you..." The bear trailed off expectantly. "Denahi." The bear nodded. "Denahi, I'm Durba. You just missed your brother. He, Tug, and Koda left this afternoon, I think they're goin to Tug's den, though I could be wrong." Durba looked up at the sun. "If you left now, you can probably catch up to them while they're sleeping. Follow the river north and you should find em." Durba turned toward the river. "Good luck, I gotta get back to fetching supper." With that, Durba climbed down the bank and began to fish.
Denahi sighed and began the trek up the river.
Toward sunset, Tug began to move away from the river and the trekked off deeper into the woods. They skirted a little clearing, and after going a few hundred feet past it, Tug stopped. "Let's get some rest. We can go back to the river tomarra for breakfast and we can make it to the den by midday." Tug looked around for a bit before settling in a pile of fir needles and closing his eyes. Kenai looked at Koda. Since they had known each other, Koda had never stopped talking about something, but during the trek he hadn't said a word. Kenai was worried but didn't know what to say. Koda had sat down, seeming in his own thoughts when he looked Kenai straight in the eyes. "You miss him, don't you?" Kenai was startled, "Miss who, Koda what are you talking about?"
"Since we began walking, you looked sad and off somewheres else. I remember looking like that the first week after your change, when I missed my mom."
Kenai realized why Koda hadn't spoken, He hadn't wanted to disturb Kenai, and now that he thought about it, he had been off thinking about his brothers almost the entire trip. "Yeah, I do. Sitka is a spirit now and I know he's well, I guess that it's Denahi that I really miss."
"Why do you miss him? You still see him don't you, I mean how can you miss someone who still there, I-" Kenai cut him off. "Koda, it's not the same. Yes Denahi is still here, but we can't talk, we no longer understand one another and that leads to a different kind of loss." Koda nodded his head, though Kenai didn't think he understood.
"Com' on Koda, lets get some rest." Kenai found a niche between to large roots and curled up. Koda paused a moment before curling up next to him.
"Tug, do you have a minute?" Tug stopped fishing, and looked up at the bank where Kenai sat. "Sure, boy, what do ya need?" Kenai shifted uncomfortably. "Remember when Koda and I joined you guys here a few weeks ago? Well, I wanted to tell you another story." Tug laughed and climbed up the bank.
"Kenai, we tell stories all the time here, what part of the forest are you from again?" Kenai just sat there looking at his paws. "That's part of the story, it's important and Koda agrees." He looked back over his shoulder at Koda who sat some distance away, his eyes downcast. "How's this, we'll do a gathering tonight and you can tell your story then?" Tug looked back at the river and all the salmon that were getting away. "Tug, this is for your ears only and there are some things which the others shouldn't know." Kenai looked pleadingly at him. Tug sighed, and stood up, "alright, if it's that important to the both of you, let's go up to the hill and you tell me this story of yours." Kenai smiled, though it looked a bit forced and they began to climb the hill.
"The story begins the same as Koda's," began Kenai. "When the 3 hunters cornered his mother on cliff, one of the brothers sacrificed himself in the belief that he was saving the other two." Tug lifted arched his eye at the thought of humans protecting themselves. Kenai hurried on. "Anyway, afterwards, the 2 surviving brothers went back to their village, where a ceremony was held for the lost brother. After it was over, the youngest brother, blaming the bear for the death, vowed revenge, and chased after it." It was apparent that Tug was intrigued with the story, though what it was leading to, he couldn't guess.
"Finally the younger brother caught up to Koda's mother high up on another cliff." Kenai paused to let Koda leave, knowing that Koda didn't want to hear this again, but to his surprise, Koda stayed and seemed okay. "They fought, and the young brother was easily outmatched. Then.....he.....he....he managed a lucky blow. And......killed Koda's mother." Tug stared at Kenai for a long time. Koda began to cry, but he still didn't leave. "You better have a good explanation for this Kenai. Telling wild stories like this, these lies will only cause others pain." Tug looked quite upset. But Kenai pressed on. "Wait! Let me finish. After he ki...., after it was over, the spirits intervened. The eldest brother's spirit changed the younger brother so he could see the world through another's eyes."
Kenai paused, took a deep breath and went on. "The changed brother's name was Kenai, I am the youngest brother." A long silence followed. Kenai could see that Tug was wrestling with what to believe and was worried that he might just think that Kenai was crazy, when Koda piped in. "its true Tug. When the Light touched the mountain a few weeks ago, Kenai redeemed himself and was turned back to a human. He chose to stay a bear to look after me."
Tug just sat there and after what seemed like hours, he finally spoke. "That would explain a lot, but why are ya tellin me this?"
"I don't know how to survive as a bear. Koda has given me a lot of pointers but he's still young, and doesn't know much either." Kenai looked at Koda briefly. "We need someone to teach us how to survive."
Tug looked at one then the other. Finally he shook his head, "Ya actually a human? That's a big change, even for the spirits. I have ta say that I don't like ya as much as I did before, but giving up your way of life for Koda, well that don't make you half bad." Tug grinned. "Let's get started. It'll raise questions if I teach you around here, so let's head to my den. Its a couple days from here, but the basics you need won't take long, I hope." Kenai let out a sigh of relief. And Koda managed a smile. "Thanks Tug."
"No problem, but lets get goin now; I need a good walk to think this over some more." Tug got up and began to walk up river into the forest. Kenai and Koda looked at each other and followed him under the trees.
The climb up took him the rest of the afternoon, but it paid off. Just as night was beginning to fall, Denahi reached the top, and looked up at the lights. He walked to the center of the precipice he was on and called out. "Great spirits! Sitka! I need your help! Please hear me!" When nothing changed he continued, "Sitka, you must see what this change has done! I know that Kenai made the right choice, but how are we to stay brothers if we can no longer communicate? I do not want to lose another one! I have no reason to stay in the village without family! Please Sitka, Help me!"
Blue light of the spirits spiraled down out of the sky, dancing around Denahi. A great eagle larger than anything could be floated down out of the night. It condensed into the spirit of Sitka who walked toward Denahi.
Denahi looked at his brother. "Sitka, please..." Sitka walked slowly around Denahi, looking him up and down. Finally, he came to a stop in front of him, and said just two words, "One way." Denahi was puzzled, but what Sitka said gave him hope. "There's a way? Please Sitka, I'll take it, I cannot live with the loss of 2 brothers."
Sitka nodded his head and reached out to Denahi's totem. He fingered it briefly, as if the was something funny about it. Then he stepped back and turned into the eagle once more. He lifted up until he was above Denahi and then picked him up in his talons. Denahi let out a gasp as he was lifted up into the sky.
A glow surrounded him, and his skin tingled. He felt himself growing larger, heavier. Fur sprouted across his skin, and claws grew from his fingers. His face grew outward, becoming a muzzle, and he his teeth became sharper. As quickly as they had begun, the changes stopped and Denahi floated back down to the ground. He was very dizzy and he walked but four steps before he fell down unconscious.
Denahi opened his eyes and looked around. The sun was just coming over the horizon, and the great lights were fading. Suddenly, the memory of what had happened that night rushed to the front of his mind. Sitka turned me into my totem, a wolf! I have to find some water to look. Denahi was both excited and afraid, he hadn't really thought about what the change would be like. Before he had gotten up though, Denahi realized a flaw in his logic. Wolves are the same size as a man, he thought. But I remember becoming larger... I need to find that water! Denahi got up and moved as quickly as he could down the mountain.
About half way down, he came to a stream. Tentivally he looked into the water, and stared at his image. Though his wolf totem still hung from his neck, he was most definitely not a wolf. A bear? Is that why Sitka found my totem funny, because it was not what I would become? Denahi looked much like Kenai did as a bear, though he had a darker coat and slighter larger build. After looking in the stream one last time, Denahi sat on his haunches. I guess it makes sense, Thought Denahi. I better go find Kenai and tell him... I wonder what he'll say? Grinning to himself, Denahi began the climb down the rest of the mountain.
It was a little past midday when Denahi came across the salmon run. At first he stood there just staring at all the bears. He had never seen anything like it. Part of him wanted to scream, while anther part told him that he was one of them now. Carefully, and trying to attract as little attention as possible, he began to look for Kenai.
The sun was fully in the west by the time Denahi gave up the search. Kenai was nowhere to be found, or at least, there was no bear wearing a totem here. Denahi had noticed however, that he could actually see differences between the bears like he hadn't though possible. When he was human, they all seemed alike, but now.... They were as varied as the people of his village, and they acted similar too. The younger bears played and wrestled while the older ones talked and fished. It was a beautiful community and Denahi felt guilty that it had taken a different form to truly convince himself of that fact.
"Haven't seen you before, are you new here?" Denahi turned around and was face to face with a large, light furred bear. "I'm looking for someone, my brother Kenai."
"The larger bear grinned. "Kenai? He's a great one, taking care of Koda and all. So you two are brothers eh? Nice to meet you..." The bear trailed off expectantly. "Denahi." The bear nodded. "Denahi, I'm Durba. You just missed your brother. He, Tug, and Koda left this afternoon, I think they're goin to Tug's den, though I could be wrong." Durba looked up at the sun. "If you left now, you can probably catch up to them while they're sleeping. Follow the river north and you should find em." Durba turned toward the river. "Good luck, I gotta get back to fetching supper." With that, Durba climbed down the bank and began to fish.
Denahi sighed and began the trek up the river.
Toward sunset, Tug began to move away from the river and the trekked off deeper into the woods. They skirted a little clearing, and after going a few hundred feet past it, Tug stopped. "Let's get some rest. We can go back to the river tomarra for breakfast and we can make it to the den by midday." Tug looked around for a bit before settling in a pile of fir needles and closing his eyes. Kenai looked at Koda. Since they had known each other, Koda had never stopped talking about something, but during the trek he hadn't said a word. Kenai was worried but didn't know what to say. Koda had sat down, seeming in his own thoughts when he looked Kenai straight in the eyes. "You miss him, don't you?" Kenai was startled, "Miss who, Koda what are you talking about?"
"Since we began walking, you looked sad and off somewheres else. I remember looking like that the first week after your change, when I missed my mom."
Kenai realized why Koda hadn't spoken, He hadn't wanted to disturb Kenai, and now that he thought about it, he had been off thinking about his brothers almost the entire trip. "Yeah, I do. Sitka is a spirit now and I know he's well, I guess that it's Denahi that I really miss."
"Why do you miss him? You still see him don't you, I mean how can you miss someone who still there, I-" Kenai cut him off. "Koda, it's not the same. Yes Denahi is still here, but we can't talk, we no longer understand one another and that leads to a different kind of loss." Koda nodded his head, though Kenai didn't think he understood.
"Com' on Koda, lets get some rest." Kenai found a niche between to large roots and curled up. Koda paused a moment before curling up next to him.