The Grey Beginning

By L.J. Boles

As a child, Grey learned the ways of healing and the mysteries of spirits. She also learned how to make and keep good friends. As she nears adulthood, she believes the world has nothing more to teach her. When she comes of age, she and all the other children of her family are sent on a journey, but Grey quickly learns there is more to life than she thought she knew.

Greys problems begin when she realizes she left her maps and equipment behind. Her nights are soon filled with danger and fear. In order to survive, she must learn quickly. She finds a way to build a shelter to keep her warm during the night. She also finds protection from animals who may mean her harm.

One of the animals she meets is Wolf, who she befriends. Along her way, she meets many animals, spirits, and people who teach her things and help her grow. In secret, Gray has another protector named Red. Red is to follow and protect young Grey, but they are never to meetuntil this unexpected journey brings them face-to-face. Gray was wrong; she has a lot to learn, and if she lives through her journey, she will be stronger for it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Aug 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781480809734

L.J. Boles

L.J. Boles has been writing for many years. In the past, she published poetry and art. This is her first book. She resides in Arizona.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Years after the great disaster fell upon the earth, there was evidence of healing over all the land and all that lived on it. Plants and animals began appearing on the earth, wild and free. Mankind was beginning to fill the land and was taming the soil just as before. Many things had changed. Many new children were being born with abilities unknown before this time. At first, the children were considered special by some of the older people and odd by others whose minds would not accept the differences.

A special female child was born during this time. As she grew to become a young adult, it became clear that she was one of the special people. The special people were called seekers, and this child was a seeker with more than one gift. It was very rare for a special child to have more than one gift. This child was prized among all the people in her village and kept a secret from those outside their community. It was now time for her to be taught about her personal gifts. Her family, reluctant to send her on a journey of learning, went to the leaders of the village. The leaders were men of learning, and their decision was final. The child was to go on the journey of learning—and soon.

GREY

Grey was awake. She rubbed her eyes and had the feeling of being alone. Sitting very still, she slowly began looking around at her surroundings. Grey became curious as to why she was sleeping on the ground. Then, with a flash, almost everything started coming back to her. The feeling of being alone and in a panic was now gone; in its place, a calmness settled over her mind and body. Still in the fog of slumber and not thinking properly, it took a moment for her to remember why she had chosen to fall asleep on the ground. A moment of guilt touched her spirit, and she mentally brushed the thought away.

On a normal day, she would have been up and working with the others in her family, either preparing food or taking care of the animals. Since meal preparation was the job of the women, she most likely would either be boiling something or preparing something to boil. She knew by the position of the sun that it was lunchtime, and her stomach began to make a noise of agreement. Vaguely, she remembered resting under a tree while hiding behind a large rock, hoping this spot would keep her safely hidden. Knowing now that the hiding place was a tremendous success, she mentally filed it away for use in the future. Not being fully awake, she did not see the danger that being alone presented. Yawning and stretching, trying to get the energy circulating through her mind and body, her eyes slowly passed over her surroundings.

The way the sun rested on her back and the scent of the desert grass filled the air with the sweetness of spring gave her a few more moments of calm. She loved the high desert. It was filled with lovely pink, blue, and red wildflowers that grew in profusion. The flowers were waiting for the rodents and birds to come and eat their fill of the seeds and petals. The area was alive with movement and beauty, much of which she ignored.

Grey’s mind, being strong and intelligent, alerted her to a brewing danger. The mental fog that had encased her was beginning to lift. She noticed the emptiness again. In the area where her family would have been working, there was nobody. Her grandmother had told her many times about her gifts and their importance to the lives of others in her family. She came to believe she was too important for menial work and laboring was beneath her. Therefore, she frequently let others do her share of the workload. She realized now that she would have learned much more about life if she had worked alongside her siblings and paid attention to the adults.

At the time, knowing that her world was filled with many wonders to investigate, she frequently managed to disappear for hours while others in her family went to classes to learn skills that were necessary for existing in today’s world. She would spend time either daydreaming or playing, never realizing the problem she was creating for herself and for others. She did not exhibit remorse for her actions. She continued doing things her way even though she had been punished for the many times she ignored the rules. She did not want to change.

She wished for her grandmother now, her guardian for many years. Grey could not remember her mother or her father. Her parents had disappeared when she was a toddler. One day they were there, and the next day they were gone. The family had decided that Grey was never to be told about her parent’s disappearance. Pushing her body up from the little nest of grass and leaves, she watched a twig fall on her sun-bronzed hand, and her dark blue eyes filled with tears. She angrily brushed the tears away, making a vow not to cry as she pretended to be strong. She believed that only the weak cried.

While she was looking around, she began remembering her dream. Once again in her dreams, she was lifted beyond the stars where she saw many dragons flying from right to left, encircling the earth. Then she saw a very large golden rope hanging down from the Universe and traveling all the way to the center of the earth. It appeared that the Universe and the earth were connected by an umbilical cord of a golden rope, a life force of sorts. In her dream, Grey watched as an enormous snake appeared and began to slither down the rope to the earth. While the snake slowly traveled down the rope, she heard a voice saying, It has begun. She was surprised when a great fear filled her soul, and, as always at this point, she woke up and forced her eyes to open, afraid of what she might see and expecting the huge snake.

She felt the fear as she continued remembering. Every time she awoke from this dream, her lips were in the shape of a silent scream, and her throat was so frozen that no sound could erupt and float up to her ears. Since she had been given the dream more than a few times, she was puzzled at what this dream meant to her, and she wondered if it was important enough for her to study the dream further. Her mind, in the past, would dwell on the dream each time it presented itself, but no answers ever came. Eventually she would give up and continue her day, saying to herself that this dream had no answer. Today, after she awoke from the dream, she decided not to give it much thought and to instead work on finding a secure place for the night—and maybe longer. She did not know at this time. She waited a moment before striking out on her journey, trying to feel the energy and wisdom of her family in the wind.

This day was the beginning of her journey to learn who she was and what her greatest strengths were, her path to follow. While she was gathering her courage, she picked up some leaves and twigs. Tossing them into the wind, she watched as the wind showed her the direction to follow. Fate would guide her.

Being a person that enjoyed challenging others to contests, she believed she could finish her journey faster than any of the others had ever done. She believed that her accomplishment would become legend. She believed she was better than all of the others. She needed many lessons in humility. She had so much to learn, and she was stubborn about her abilities. She believed that when evening came there would be a hot meal waiting for her, as well as her family. After eating, and in the comfort of her family, she would study the message of the dream, she decided.

Her dark blue eyes began searching the land just in case she needed to prepare a place to camp. She could not remember being this alone before since she had always had her grandmother near for support. She was a little frightened, and though she straightened her shoulders and tried to talk herself into being strong, it did not work, and she felt panic once again welling up inside her mind and body.

She was gripped by the hand of panic; her emotions were taking over, and her common sense disappeared. Logic was leaving her mind, and rational thought evaporated. Her need to find her grandmother was very strong, and the fear of being alone escalated. She began to run, as if demons were chasing her. Horrible thoughts filled her mind as she remembered what others said happened while they were on their journeys. She ran on, and the demons followed. As she ran, she called loudly for her grandmother but received no replies. She was not thinking straight, and her fear had her running faster and faster. All she could think about was the need to feel the safety of her grandmother. The aloneness screamed loudly in the silence.

Eventually, out of breath, taking small gasps to grab air into her exhausted lungs, her mind searched the many possibilities, and she stopped running. She sat down, breathing heavily. She managed to calm herself as her heartbeat yelled, Move, move, move, pounding in her ears. Many thoughts filled her mind. One thought was that the family could have been captured by enemies, and logic told her that they would not have taken all their belongings. Then, as if by magic, with each labored breath she took, her mind cleared. Enough oxygen made it to her brain, and she was again able to think clearly.

A small memory pushed its way to the forefront of her mind as she vaguely remembered her grandmother shaking her and prodding her to get up and to stop sleeping. Although agitated with this thought, she tried to continue remembering. She pushed herself into a standing position and found it difficult to get her brain to complete the memory. She knew that being too upset would make it hard for her to focus. She began to walk slowly, taking careful and thoughtful steps, trying to recollect the moment and to know what her grandmother was saying. Walking and breathing, taking slow, long breaths, she calmed herself, and now she could think. What was happening to her was important, and she knew it. She wished she had paid more attention. She started talking aloud, filling the air with inquiries. Although she heard no answers, she continued to ask the questions plaguing her mind.

She wanted to think about what her grandmother had told her and was trying as hard as possible to remember, but her mind still held a veil. She was left with the nagging sensation that something had been forgotten—a very important something. She knew she was supposed to be doing something, and she felt very uneasy, believing that whatever her grandmother had said was life changing.

Vaguely, small bits of information crept through her confused brain. One thought she remembered clearly did not help her feel any better. She remembered her grandmother telling her of dangers that existed upon the land of people, as well as animals that might do her harm, and even among her family, there were people not to be trusted. This was important, and she could not remember what or who her grandmother was speaking about, and her brain was fuzzy, and that in itself was unusual. Grey did not know if she were awake or asleep when she saw her Grandmother turn and leave her to finish sleeping.

Another memory tiptoed into her mind and gave her a poke. Grey’s mind connected, and with a jerk of fright, the vague and distant voice of her grandmother said that this was the day the family had chosen to travel to a new home, and she would begin her journey. Grandmother was giving her directions. She was to travel alone to their new home. Traveling alone was a lesson in learning her sense of direction and the abilities to make the correct decisions in difficult circumstances. Grandmother also spoke to her about her journey and finding her true purpose in life. She was to learn her gifts and how to use them. Grey was to meet her teacher soon. Grandmother gave her directions to where she and the family would next meet.

Then, remembering a little more, she mentally saw a family elder approaching her grandmother. He began talking in a very serious manner. She could not hear his words. He gave Grey a drink while he talked to her grandmother, and because she was thirsty, she drank. Her sleep-filled, fuzzy brain did not take in what he was saying at that time. It must have been important because her grandmother nodded her head once and turned to follow him as he walked away.

Before he left though, he turned and said something to her about the journey she was to travel. The elder looked at Grey intently, and then he smiled and nodded before turning and walking away. She remembered smiling and nodding back as she watched her grandmother and the elder disappear from sight. Then she remembered yawning and sitting down on the grass and leaves and falling asleep. Now, it was as if her mind was in a stupor. She wished she could remember more; everything was all so hazy. She thought she told her grandmother that she would be there soon, but she was not sure that she had said anything.

Now, it was later, and she was on her journey alone, in a desert filled with wild animals and things that slithered. A darkness of fear settled over her heart, causing her body to freeze. Grey could not move. She had not prepared herself properly for this journey; she was not wise. Mentally whipping herself, she tried to become stronger. Grey knew that being afraid could make a bad predicament worse. Now she wondered if she would be able to set up a secure camp before dusk fell. She knew this was not a rational thought, although she wanted to try. Getting up from her place on the ground, she began taking action. Since she had quite a few hours before dusk, maybe this could be done.

She was traveling with neither a plan nor a map—a mistake. Grey was walking, trying to keep panic at a distance. She was running away from a fear that she alone was creating in her mind. She finally realized that she did not know in which direction she should travel, and if she kept running away from her predicament, she would put herself in danger. She knew that it took more energy to get fear under control than it did to produce the same type of fear. She decided to walk and think, instead of running in panic, and to breathe long, slow breaths to become calmer. She began studying the ground. This helped to keep her as calm as possible. Her training in tracking was starting to surface, and her panic was slowly coming under control. Maybe she would accomplish something of importance today, if only for her self-respect.

The family had left her to complete her journey. Now she needed to work on being safe and make plans to correct this situation of her own making as best she could. She had not prepared herself properly. Therefore, she had no camping equipment or food or water. She made a mental list of all the things she needed while she counted the things she was doing wrong. Shaking herself mentally and giving herself a strong talking to, she began counting the things she was doing right, and this helped her to feel much better about her journey. She decided to do first things first, and this became her mantra for this journey.

Now she was mentally and physically awake. She searched the area and noticed how many things looked and felt so very different when she was alone. The sky was still blue, but it was not as pretty. The birds could be heard singing, yet she did not hear their beautiful music. The animals were still foraging for food and playing animal games, but she did not notice them. All around her, she felt emptiness. She saw no beauty, she heard no music, and everything was deserted.

She wondered how long she had slept after the family left her behind for her to begin her journey. She tried to remember if she had heard anything that might give her a clue as to what happened, but she could not remember anything. She searched the area, looking around the rocks and red cliffs, studying the scrub trees for evidence that her family had followed this trail or that trail, looking for anything that would help her know when the family had left and in which direction they had gone. She saw nothing.

Finally it dawned on her that time was passing and she was still in the same spot of the same area and had learned nothing. She was no further along in her search than she was when she awoke. She was standing still while time was on the move. She made a decision. She was going to follow in the direction of the flowing waters. At least she would not go thirsty. One problem solved—or maybe two.

Thinking as she walked and trying to make sense of her situation, she tried to remember what trail her family had traveled when they made the trip to this area. All she could remember was that she was very young and the trip was very long and exhausting. She remembered her people hunting for food and shelter many times, therefore increasing the travel time from one place to another. It was such a