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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 27: Home

'Home,' thought Jesse. 'Yes this is home. I have never been more welcomed than I have been here.' She hugged Cindy and Gail. “It's good to be home and among people who care.” She sat Merry in her lap and asked her to tell her how her days had been while she was gone.

“Aunt Gail, keeps telling me I am a little girl,” pouted the young wolf.

“You are a little girl. A very pretty little girl.”

“She won't let me run with Chipper. She says that little girls have to wear shoes and play quiet games.”

“I think Aunt Gail is afraid you might get sick. Once we get your heart fixed you'll be able to run and play all you want. Until then, you and I can play with Chipper.”

Cindy interrupted the two wolves, “Who's Chipper?”

“That's Grandfather's golden retriever wolf mix. He's quite old and very good with young children,” replied the young woman.

“How did Merry know his name?” Cindy asked.

“He told me,” said Merry.

“Cindy, there are things best left unasked. You may not believe them anyway,” said the shaman.

Gail said, “It's time for little girls to go to bed. You can talk to Jesse all day tomorrow.”

“Do I have to?”

“I will take you up and tuck you in,” said the young lady. “I will read you a story if you like.”

“Okay.” Jesse gathered the little girl in her arms and carried her up stairs. The older girl selected The Cat in the Hat to read to the little girl.

“Can't you just tell me a story like my mother used to do when we couldn't sleep?” asked Merry.

“I could and some nights I will, but reading to you from these books helps you learn to speak properly and to learn to read if you follow along.”

“Why do I have to know how to read?”

“Didn't your daddy take you out and show the signs on the trails?”

“Yes”

“Why do you think he showed you these signs?”

“So I would know what was good to hunt and what was dangerous in the forest.”

“Were you good at learning these signs?”

“I was better than my litter mates because I couldn't run around as much.”

“As humans, we have many signs to learn. And we have many ways to talk. It is not polite to sniff another human when you first meet them. I don't have to stand outside and howl to talk to my neighbors. I don't have to talk to them at all to talk to them. I can write them a letter or note and send it to them because we all know the same signs similar to the wolves knowing the signs marking each others territory. You have much to learn and that learning begins with learning to read.

“When Coyote changed you into a little girl, he gave you a great gift in knowing how to talk in my human language. It takes human pups years to learn and years to learn how to express themselves. I know I have used a bunch of words you may not know, but you'll learn them and be able to use them. That's why we read books to our pups, so that they may learn quickly, and they are fun to read.

“Lets get you in your pj's, get your teeth brushed, and get in bed.”

It was just a few minutes after tucking Merry in bed that she was fast asleep. Jess kissed her forehead saying, “Goodnight little one.” She walked back down stairs to find Gail sitting alone in the kitchen. “My mother used to do this when she was alive.”

“What? Tuck you in?”

“No. Just sit alone in the kitchen staring off into space.”

“If she was like me she wasn't just staring, but she was remembering the day and thanking God for the gifts of children and praying that they grow up well and happy. Now that Cindy is grown, I pray that she remains happy and that her husband is always able to provide for them. Also, I have the new grandchild to pray for. You will learn and soon with Merry to care for.

“Every time you leave them or they go out to play; every time they go off to a friend’s house; or when they start to drive, adds another gray hair or a worry line as my mother called them. I call them prayer lines. I always pray they come back safe and unharmed.

“So this is my time to thank God for his mercies and to unwind after another day. Grab some milk and sit with me awhile. George isn't back yet from the south forty. He's been gone since you left, so I add him to my prayers to come back safe to me.”

Jesse did as the older woman asked. They sat quietly in thought and silent prayer. The young shaman could hear nature around her in the farm animals and insects. She listened to the wind and listened to her spirit. She knew she had much to learn and that every day she would learn something new. She, also, learned that everyone had something to teach her. The only requirement was to keep her mind open.

The young woman started nodding off, when the older woman touched her. Jesse jumped bumping the table with her knees. “Ouch! You scared me. I must have fallen asleep.”

“That happens sometimes. Let’s go to bed. Maybe, George will be back in the morning.” They got up from the table and walked upstairs turning off lights as they went.

They were up early the next morning preparing breakfast for the ranch hands that lived on the ranch. Gail looked over to the shaman, “Thank you for sitting with me last night. I'm getting really worried about George.”

“If he's not here by noon, I'll take Big Spot and try to find him, but I'm sure he's fine.”

The women busied themselves about the house. Jesse and Merry went outside to play with Chipper. Cindy stayed close by with her baby to watch. When Jesse threw a ball, Chipper would run to get it. After a few throws, the young shaman had Merry throw the ball. She could see that Chipper had slowed down in his old age. The little girl couldn't throw as far, so the old dog didn't have to exert as much energy. The baby would laugh and coo at the dog whenever he brought the ball over trying to include it in the game. The baby's mother picked up the ball to explain to the small child what it was and what they were doing. Then she would explain to the animal that the baby is just too small to understand and would throw the ball back to the little girl.

After a few minutes, Merry and Chipper were showing signs of tiring. The young women took the children back inside for lunch and a nap. After lunch, Jesse saddled Big Spot and prepared to ride to the south forty where George had rushed off to before she left to go to court. It was unlike her foreman and his ranch hands not to check in. She loaded a bed roll and her rain gear, then filled the saddle bags with enough food for a couple of days. She packed the carbine and her pistols. As she was finishing up securing everything onto the horse, Gail came out of the kitchen. “There's a phone call for you.”

The young woman walked into the house and answered. “Hello?”

“Hi Jesse, Its Gabriel. Do you have time to talk? Gail said you were heading out to find George.”

“Hi Gabe,” She wondered why her voice went up a lilt. “Yeah George hasn't returned and we're getting worried.”

“How'd you like some company?” asked the young man.

“That isn't necessary.”

“I didn't ask if you needed me to go along. I asked if would like for me to tag along. I'd like to spend some time with you.” Jesse could hear the frustration in the young man's voice. She had been ducking him since she had returned. She remembered that he was the first one she called in her excitement after winning the trial.

“Yes, I'd like for you ride with me. Do you want me to saddle a horse for you?”

“I'll bring my own horse. I will be there in about an hour.”

“Okay, see you in about an hour. I'll have some food ready for your saddle bags when you get here.”

Gail had been in the kitchen listening to Jesse's side of the conversation. “Is that nice young man going to go with you?”

“Yes, And since you called him to ask him to go with me, you can prepare some trail food for him while we wait for him to get here.”

Gail blustered, “I never called...” The young wolf had cocked her head with that knowing smile. “Well, IF I did call him, a young lady shouldn't be riding alone. There are too many things out there that could harm you.”

The young wolf walked over to the older lady and hugged her. “Be sure to add me to your prayer list tonight and until we get back.” She knew the plump woman would worry and to tell her not to would be a waste of breath.

Gabriel arrived sooner than he said and was unloading the horse when Merry woke from her nap. He was checking the saddle and making sure he had everything he would need if they stayed out overnight. Jesse and the little girl came out side to greet the young man and to see if they could help him get ready. The little wolf walked over to the young cowboy and cocked her head to one side. “Who are you she asked?”

“I'm Gabriel. I live on the ranch next door.”

“Oh, are you going to help Far Wanderer to find Mr. Shilling.”

“Who is Far Wanderer?”

“That's my new mommy's name. She brought me here from my real mommy so I can get help with my heart.”

“What's wrong your heart?”

“I have a hole in it. Far Wanderer went east to find a shaman to fix it for me.”

“You still haven't told me who Far Wanderer is.”

Merry pointed to Jesse and in voice that sounded of annoyance like everyone should know the young woman's wolf name, “That is Far Wanderer, silly”

“I am silly. I should have known that,” said Gabriel.

The older wolf having finished packing came over to see what the two were talking about. “Far Wanderer, did you know that Gabriel didn't know your name? He is so silly.”

“I am sure you told him. Did you tell him how I came to be called Far Wanderer?”

“No. He didn't ask.”

“I guess that makes me even more silly,” said the cowboy.

Jesse squatted to Merry's level and said “Give us a hug and we will get started. I want to make some distance before dark.” As she hugged the little girl she said, “you be a good little girl while I'm gone, don't give Ms. Gail a bad time, and do what she tells you.”

Gabriel squatted and asked the little girl, “May I have a hug too.”

The little wolf walked over and hugged the rugged man. She turned to the older girl, “He smells funny.”

“Really! Let me smell.” She hugged the young man “Yep. He smells funny...Hmm...Like Old Spice. Did you like it Merry?”

“Maybe a little,” said the little girl. The older girl giggled at the discomfort of the young man.

Gabriel said, “Let’s mount up and get started,” trying to avoid any more embarrassment.

Jesse asked Gabriel to check her saddle. The she asked Big Spot, “Is the saddle too tight?” The horse shook his head from side to side and walked over to the porch to make it easier for the girl to mount with her broken arm. “Thank you Big Spot. Are you ready for another adventure?” The horse nodded his head up and down.

“You have a well trained horse,” said the cowpoke.

“Lets just say we have an understanding that most riders and horses don't have,” answered the shaman.

They started at a slow walk until the horses and riders muscles warmed up. Then they urged the horses into a ground covering lope. Jesse had an idea of where George might be, but the ranch was so large it could take many hours to days to find someone. They rode until just before dark to a small copse of woods that had a spring and decided to camp.

They gathered enough wood to fix their supper. The girl asked the rancher to fix supper while she gathered more fire wood for the night. Once she was out of sight of her companion, she put her hand to her mouth and gave a loud howl. She was hoping that some of her pack mates might be near enough to hear her. She gathered some more wood and before she turned back to the camp she howled again. This time she thought she heard a response though it was a long way away. She decided she would make one more howl and hope Gabriel doesn't come looking for her. She knew if one of her pack mates had heard her, they would arrive sometime in the middle of the night. She didn't know if Big Spot would alert her to the presence of a wolf, especially one from her pack, but Gabriel's horse would react quickly and alert them of the presence of the hunter.

After the girl cleaned up the supper dishes, the two companions sat to discuss where their lives had taken them and where they thought their lives should go. “Gabriel, what have you done since the summer I left for college?” asked Jesse.

“Mostly, I worked the ranch and learned ranching from my father. He didn't think I needed to go to college, but I did attend the local trade schools. I picked up an associate’s degree in business which taught me enough to run the books on the ranch. I learned some mechanical skills and some electronic skills that will help around the ranch. Dad said he is going to leave the ranch to my sisters and me, but I was the one who would have to run it. Also, he set up the ranch into a LLC, so that it is a bit more protected. If one of my sisters or their children want to sell their portion of the ranch. The others in the LLC will have first right of refusal.”

“What about girls? Surely you would have had to have dated some of the girls around. I thought for sure you would have married one by now.”

“Oh, I dated a few, but none of them were a match to you.”

“I know there are better girls than me out there”

“No! Really! The girls either thought I was an uncouth country hick and wouldn't have any thing to do with me, or they couldn't see themselves settling down as a rancher’s wife. Some just wanted me to sell my part of ranch and move to town. I think they wanted someone who could keep them comfortable. A couple just wanted to have sex with me. I wasn't brought up that way.

“What about you?”

“My life is a bit more complicated. When you called after I first got here I needed to tell you something, but I didn't have time. And I wanted to tell face to face. Then I went on my spirit quest and things became even more complicated. I'm glad you came on this trip with me as it will give you time to understand what has happened and you can ride back to your ranch if I disappoint you.”

“You'd never disappoint me.”

“Don't be so quick or sure of yourself until you have heard me out. The trouble is I wasn't born a girl.”

“I don't understand. You look like a girl to me.”

“Did I ever tell you I had an aunt.”

“No.”

“Before I was born, My aunt was killed in a car crash. It devastated my grandmother and she never really got over it. One time when I came out to visit, the airline lost my luggage. Instead of stopping and buying me new clothes. My grandmother dressed me in my aunt’s clothes saying that they were just going to waste. Why she hadn't given them to Goodwill or some other charity I don't know. After seeing me in my aunt's clothes, she stared treating me like a girl. It seemed to make her happy and my embarrassment was a small price to pay to make her happy.

“I was a boy when we went on that first date.”

“And you let me kiss you.”

“I was so afraid that you would find out that I wasn't a girl, and you'd be mad and beat me up. I was so stunned that you kissed me, that I just stood there. Then you kissed me again. My grandfather was laughing so hard when I came in I thought he was going to have a stroke or something. My grandmother was gushing about how grown up her little girl was becoming.”

“I can see why. Your grandfather was bit of a prankster according to my grandfather. They were after the same girl in high school, and he played some dirty tricks on my grandfather to keep him away from the girl. Then your grandfather went to Vietnam, and the girl dumped my grandfather. I think she just kept them around for entertainment.

“That is why I keep thinking you're pulling my leg with this boy idea.”

“I wish. I was happy being a boy. At college, I dated a few girls and thought I was in love once. Then she left me for someone else. I had just finished getting my degree in agriculture and animal husbandry when my grandfather passed. After the will was read and my father realized he wasn't getting the ranch he kicked me out. I had to hitchhike to get out here. I don't know if you knew my grandfather was into the Native American culture and religions. He wanted me to take a spirit quest as quickly as I could once I was out here. It was on the spirit quest when I found out that my father had petitioned the court to overturn the will.

“So, if you are happy being a boy, then why are you dressing and acting like a girl?”

“Because, I am a girl.”

“Now you are starting to scare me. Do I need to keep one eye open tonight?”

“Remember the spirit quest?”

“Yes.”

“Well I met Coyote on this quest and he turned me into a girl as a trick on me and the Great Spirit.”

“Coyote?”

“Coyote is an ancient deity of the southwestern tribes that was tricked into bringing death into the world. He is also known as a trickster. The Great Spirit decided I should stay a girl and become a shaman to the People.”

“So you are a girl now?”

“Yes. I am a fully function female with ovaries. I can have babies. Even though I was born a boy and now I am a girl, do you still want to date me?”

“Are you into boys, having been a boy? I think that would creep me out if it was me.”

“It kinda does, but then my body overrides my mind and I start to think how good it would feel to be a mother and the only way that will happen is if I have sex with a male.”

“I believe I can get over the creep factor of you once being male.”

“Gee Thanks...Not”

“No. That didn't come out right. I still want to date you and see where this will lead us. I have dreamed of being your husband and father to your children for so long that I can't think of anyone else.”

“Well I have one more secret to get out in the open”

“What's that? You're a werewolf?”

“Close”

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To Be Continued...