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Image: Free Wallpaper from http://www.scenicreflections.com/ ~Sephrena.

Author's Note: Thank you Hope for your encouragement and help in editing. Thanks to Sephrena for making the post look professional. And Mostly thanks to all who have commented or left Kudos. ~Barbara.

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Chapter 28: The Back Forty
 
“No. I'm not a werewolf,” replied Jesse.

“That's good. I don't have any silver bullets.” said Gabriel. “Not that I would shoot you if you were to turn into a werewolf. I did hear a wolf howl earlier while you were out gathering wood. They usually don't attack people unless they are either very hungry or they are surprised and cornered.”

“There is an old pack that lives back up in the wild part of the ranch,” answered the girl. “According to Granddad, they help keep the other varmints away. We haven't had any trouble with coyotes or pumas with them around. Granddad lets them take an old stray during the winter to help get them through. We treat them like neighbors and they seem to help us protect the ranch.”

“Maybe, if we start treating them like neighbors, they will help us protect our ranch. There has been a bit of cattle rustling up north of here. Do you think that George ran into rustlers?”

“I hope not. The two of us could find ourselves in a place that we don't need to be.

“Do you know much about a Native American Spirit Quest?” asked Jesse.

“Not really. Just what I have seen on TV and Walker reruns.” he laughed.

“Let me explain it to you. A young man of a tribe would leave his home and go into the wilderness to fast and pray for guidance from his ancestors and the spirit guides. He usually went alone. While he is fasting and praying his spirit guide would come to him in the form of an animal. The spirit guide would direct him to prosper and protect him in battle. I started on my spirit quest as directed by my grandfather to find my spirit animal and to seek Coyote. An old shaman found me and taught me the rituals of the People.

“Do you know what I mean by the People?”

Gabriel scratched his head a minute. “You mean the Native Americans.”

“Yes. They, also, call themselves the First Nations. Anyway, he led me in the prayers of the People and then left the sweat lodge I had built. As I continued to pray, I left my body and seem to float above the sweat lodge and enter another place. The place was misty and as the mist cleared a large Coyote came walking toward me. He was as tall as a man at the shoulders. I bowed before Him because I had met Coyote. He told me to follow Him, but I couldn't stand. He had turned me into a she wolf. He led me to the Great Spirit. I had to stay a she wolf for a week and join the pack that lives on my ranch. The Great Spirit said I would stay a girl when I changed back to being human. Once a year I am to travel back to the lake where I was changed to seek Coyote and the Great Spirit. I can go more often if I feel the need. Also, when I need to or want to I can run with the wolves from my pack.”

“You do realize that this is more than I can get my head around in one night.” said Gabe.

“I know, but I figured that if I get it all out at once, it would be like taking a band aid off. The shock and hurt would be gone faster if you decided to leave.”

“Do you mind if I sleep on it tonight. I promise I won't run out on you until we find George and get him back to the house.”

“Fair enough. I know it was a big load to lay on you. Do you remember when you first called after I arrived from back east and I said I needed to talk with you?”

“Yes?”

“I was going to tell you I was a boy and hope you understood that I didn't mean to deceive you. Now that I am a girl I guess that is a moot point.

“I'm going to turn in. How about banking the fire, and I will cook breakfast in the morning.”

Jesse rolled out her sleeping bag in the small tent they had pitched. The young man sat staring at the fire thinking. After awhile, the young cowboy added more fuel to the fire and banked it for the night. He rolled his sleeping bag out next to hers and then crawled in. She smirked to herself as he squirmed to get comfortable. She had watched him pitch the tent. When she started to object as to where he was pitching it, he huffed that he knew what he was doing. Now, he was paying the price for not listening as he tried to find a way to get comfortable on top of the root under his back. One thing Jesse learned from her grandmother and mother was to never say I told you so to a man. Just let him suffer in peace and maybe, someday, he may learn to listen.

The next morning dawned bright. Jesse was up before daylight and had gathered firewood as the sky began to brighten enough to see. She had some coffee going and started some bacon. Gabe was still in the tent sleeping. He had rolled off the root closer to the young woman sometime in the middle of the night. As he was waking, he thought he had his arm over her. He snuggled closer to the being sleeping next to him and sniffed its hair. The smell of dirty dog brought him out of his revelry instantly. He tried to set up, but the animal was laying on the loose folds of his sleeping bag. He tried to pull the sleeping bag out from under the animal until it started to growl. The young man realized that this was no ordinary animal. It was a rather large wolf that was black with gray ears.

He whispered, “Jess.” Then a little louder “Jesse” The animal didn't move. When he tried to pull the covers out from under it again, the animal growled a little louder. The cowboy was trying to think what to do next. He gently poked the wolf and said a little louder “Jesse, wake up Honey.” Still the wolf didn't move. With nature making itself known, he had to get out of the tent. “Jesse, Sweetheart, Wake up. I have to go!”

Jesse stuck her head in the tent, “Are you talking to me?”

The young man looked at her then at the wolf. “I...I...I thought this was you.”

“Oh, Don't be silly. My fur is all white.” She reached in and gave the large wolf a swat, “Wake up Silver Ears before Gabriel pees on himself.” The large wolf got up and stretched in the downward dog position, then stretched its hind legs. He looked over at the cowboy snorted and walked out of the tent. Gabriel scrambled out of the tent and ran into the bushes to relieve himself.

The young rancher walked back into the camp. The girl looked up from frying biscuits in the bacon grease. “How did you sleep last night?”

“I could have been more comfortable, but it was good until this morning. Dirty dog is not one of my favorite....”

“Careful, Silver Ears might not like being called a dirty dog.”

“Ah, the wolf. Well waking next to a smelly wolf is still not my idea of a good morning. Especially,
with him growling at me.”

“I am sorry. He came in late and it started to sprinkle. You were the one who decided to snuggle with him.”

“I thought it was you.”

“So you have decided that you still want to date me?”

“Well, I did think about it, but I didn't have to think too hard. You are still the most beautiful girl and person I know. It was a no-brainer. I would ask you to marry me now, but something in the back of my mind tells me I need to ask your family.”

“That would be nice.”

“Who should I ask? I know you are estranged from your father. Do I ask George or Doc Henley?”

“If I were you I would make amends with Silver Ears. He is one of the elders of my pack.”

“Where is Silver Ears?”

“He is over there trading stories with Big Spot”

“I thought horses were scared of wolves as they kind of prey on them.”

“Those two have a special relationship as they have traveled together before and have become friends.”

“Where is my horse?”

“I think it is hiding behind Big Spot. He is tied well enough that he can't run, though he tried.”

“Do you think if I take the wolf some of this bacon he might begin to like me?”

“It would be a start. Just don't treat him like a dog. He's a wolf. A wild savage animal. Respect that.”

Gabriel started over to where Big Spot was standing with the wolf. As he got closer, the wolf turned his head toward the man. The man slowed to a stop and turned back to Jesse, “Ah...Maybe you should come with me the first time.”

“Don't be silly. If you are going to date me and ask him to be my mate you are going to have to treat him as an equal. Don't be afraid. Go introduce yourself.”

“Will he understand me?”

“He understands more than you think.”

“You know it would be easier if he were human.”

“Why?”

“I know how to stand up to another man, but... I know how to deal with a horse and my dog. This is a wild animal.”

“Come on over and I will introduce you because we need to get going. I will explain more to you as we ride.”

The two humans walked over to the animals, “Silver ears, Let me introduce Gabriel Johnston. He is the young man that lives on the next ranch.”

{Yes, I recognize him. He hasn't used the load noise toward us, but members of his pack have.}

“He doesn't know how to relate to animals”

{Most humans don't, but most animals don't know how to relate to each other. Wolves are top predators, as are humans. It can be hard to relate to your food. We kill or go hungry at the blessings of the Great Spirit.}

“I can understand. It must be tough to think of Big Spot as a friend instead of prey.”

{It can be, but a horse as smart as this one is easily seen as a friend. If he was wild with a herd of mares, we would have trouble taking one from his protection. It would be better to make an uneasy peace to protect each other, than to risk injury or death trying to take a member of his herd.}

Jesse turned to Gabriel, “Did you follow any of the conversation I had with Silver Ears?”

“To be truthful, just bit and pieces.”

“Did you understand anything that Silver Ears was saying?”

“I thought a heard a voice in my head. At first, I thought it was my mind playing tricks on me, but as I listened it became more clear that the wolf was speaking to you and I was able to listen in some.”

“Remember, he is not just a wolf. He is Merry's father, elder in my pack, and my friend.”

“I will remember. He has my respect and I hope I can earn his,” said the rancher.

“Don't be afraid of him and treat him as an equal and you will earn that and more,” said the young woman.

Gabriel rolled the sleeping bags as Jesse cleaned the dishes from breakfast. “Maybe I should have listened to you last night when I pitched the tent. I feel like that root left a permanent mark in my back,” said the young man stretching after rolling up the tent to find the root. They saddled their horses and packed their gear. The young man poured water on the campfire to make sure it was out. He helped the girl onto her horse then got on his. His horse was skittish with the wolf around. Big Spot tried to tell it that the wolf was a friend, but that is like telling a mouse that a cat is a friend.

The girl called to Silver Ears, “We are trying to find the ranch foreman. He left to take care of something in the back forty. That's the last field before we start up the mountain to the south. Do you know where I am talking about?”

{I know the area.}

“Would mind going with us? I don't know what we will find and the keen senses of the wolf are needed to keep us safe.”

{I will go with you and run ahead to watch and hear. I can smell the fear of your friend's horse. I will be able to concentrate better if I can put that out of my mind.} With that, he trotted ahead to a knoll to get a look into the next small glade before the riders got there. Each time the riders would catch up he would run ahead reading the signs as he went.

The first part of the morning the riders remained quiet in their thoughts. Jesse was thinking about what life might be like with the young rancher beside her. She did like him, but did she love him. They had many things in common. She could make a life with him, but did she really know him. Her mother had married her father and they produced her. Did they love each other? Did her mother really know his father and what he would become when they married. The rancher was honest with her about being uncomfortable about her past. He did say that he could live with her having been a boy. He was freaked about her being a wolf, he said he would manage to get through it. Though he has not seen her as a wolf. Can he live with her future? Can he live with her being a shaman?

The young rancher was in his own thoughts. Jesse had not professed her love for him. He had made it plain that he loved her. She claims she was a boy, but how could a boy be so beautiful? How could a boy get him so excited that he can think of nothing else but how to win her heart? Then she claims that she was changed into a wolf. She says that he must ask a bunch of wolves to be able to date and marry her. Was she deliberately trying to run him off? There was the wild wolf he found in the tent with them. She wasn't afraid of the animal, and she seemed to be able to speak with it. He seemed to understand the wolf some, but was it just his imagination following her conversation? Still he could not get her out of his mind.

“What did you say when you stuck your head in the tent this morning?” He finally asked breaking the silence.

She came out of her meditations. “What?”

“When the wolf was laying on my sleeping bag so that I couldn't move. I said I thought the wolf was you. You said something. What was it?”

“I told you, you were silly because my fur is white.”

“I don't understand. Your hair is jet black like an Indian, but your fur is white? I don't see you as being furry.”

“When I'm human, I'm not furry, but as a wolf my fur is white.”

“So you weren't saying all those things last night to run me off?”

“No. You needed to know my past and my present. The future is up to us. I don't know you any more than you know me. You have told me you want to marry me. I hope that is because you love me, but I am not sure that I love you yet. I like you , and we have much in common, but we need to get to know each other better before we declare our love for each other. I believe we will get married, but let’s go out a few times and get to know each others family before we run off and get hitched. There's much for me to do in the next year before I can even begin to plan to get married, much less plan a wedding.”

“I can wait, and I want a chance to win your heart.”

“That may not be too hard, but let’s not rush into something we could regret.”

“You said earlier to today that the wolf is Merry's father. Are you her mother?”

“What if I said yes?”

“I would have to live with that if I want you.”

“Good answer. No I was given Merry by her mother and father at the request of Coyote. Merry has a hole in her heart that I can't heal. I have contacted a doctor in Helena that will fix the hole and then she'll grow up as my daughter.”

“So she was a wolf?”

“Yes”

“What did you mean by you couldn't heal her?”

“Gabriel, I am a shaman for the People. I am to learn from Mr. Two Bears, but one of my lessons is that sometimes I am to point people to modern medicine. My job is to care for the People. I was given the task to heal their bodies and spirits if possible. Sometimes I can help someone heal bodily, sometimes I have to point them to doctors, and sometimes I may have to escort them to Coyote. I have been able to heal a person's spirit. I do not know all the tasks that Coyote will have me do. I just have to keep an open mind and listen to the spirits. I hope you can keep an open mind, because it may be a bumpy ride.

“I know your family is Christian. Your mother is devout, but can she see you marrying a shaman of the People? She doesn't have to know all my secrets, but I'm not going to hide in a closet. I have reconciled the Christian faith with my Native American heritage. Will she be able to accept me as her daughter-in-law? How about the rest of your family? Will you? I don't want to you to have to choose between your family and me. You will resent me, and I don't want that. We don't need them saying things about me when I'm not around.”

“I don't believe my family is like that, and I understand your concerns. I think my family will accept any girl I finally bring home, but like you've said, let’s take it slow and get to know one another better and our families. Then we will talk marriage.”

They rode along in silence each lost to their own thoughts. “Gabriel we're getting close to the last field. Keep your eyes open for George or his horse.” They had just rode through the gate when Gabriel reined in his horse. “Is that Silver Ears standing up there?”

Jesse stopped and looked. “I can't tell” Gabriel took his binoculars out of his saddle bag and handed them to Jesse. “Yes, that is my friend.”

The rancher dismounted and tied the horse to a strong looking bush. “I don't like the feel of this. We'll leave the horses here and ease up to the wolf. Bring your rifle.”

Silver Ears had kept well in front of the two humans and their horses. He knew the male's horse was uneasy around him. He could hear a few of the words the humans were saying and sometimes he would stop to listen. He could tell they were trying to work out a problem between them, but they were friendly about it. As long as the male does try to force himself on Far Wanderer, he'll just watch.

The wolf had entered the field that the ranchers called the back forty, and trotted up to the top of a knoll. He stopped and was peering into the distance. His sixth sense was telling him something just wasn't right. He could smell blood on the wind. His keen ears could hear voices on the wind, but they didn't sound right to him. He had heard voices similar before, then the next day there was one of the human's flying machines and their machines they ride in with the lights flashing. He kept his distance that day and thought it wise. Today, he had been asked to go ahead to alert his companions of danger. He turned around to howl back to Far Wanderer when he saw the male get off his horse. {Maybe, he is smarter than I thought.} So the wolf turned back to peering down in the valley.

Silver Ears was listening to the male come quietly up behind him. Quietly for a human. The human lay down beside him and start looking through a tube on top of his loud noise maker. {I will never understand humans} he thought to himself. Then Far Wander lay down beside the male with her noise maker and was looking through two tubes. {Far Wander there is something not right in the next valley. Do you want me to sneak down there and take a look?}

“Silver Ears we can see well enough from here. Let’s slip down below the knoll.

“Gabriel did you see George or any one of my hands down there?”

“Thought I saw some people lying on the ground. They were face down, so I really couldn't tell much about them. It did look like their hands and feet were tied.”

“That's what I think I saw. The bad guys have a refrigerated truck. That means they are butchering here. If the truck is full, they may try to pull out. I have brought the satellite phone. It has a GPS so you can give the sheriff a good fix on the location. Unless they have taken the fence down somewhere, they will have to come through this gate to leave, So you need to get the horses out of sight.”

“And what will you be doing while I'm doing this?”

“Silver Ears and I are going to try to get closer. I want to know if my men are alive and how many baddies there are.”

“And how do you expect to accomplish that?”

“Didn’t I tell you, I can run with the wolves?”

“Yeess?”

“Well, when I run with them I am a wolf. If we are spotted we will look like a couple of hungry predators attracted to the smell of blood. We will be back in a few. Once the horses are out of sight you can watch our movement from the knoll. Be sure the sheriff brings an ambulance. He probably will anyway. There may be a fire fight. He will need to stop at the ranch house to get someone to show him the way out here. Wait here while I change and then pick up my clothes.” Jesse ran back to the horses to change in to a wolf.

She stopped by Big Spot. “If you hear any shooting, get Gabriel out of here!”

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To Be Continued...