Taelo: Journey of Sages

By Ron Mueller

Taelo visualized an adventure that Broken Spear, the seer of the Others who was not able to walk would be able to participate in. This led him to think about all the other leaders of the Others and the Elk clan who were older and would also be able to participate. He shared his vision with Golden Hawk, his cousin who enthusiasticall

• Language: English
• Publisher: Around the World Publishing LLC
• Release date: Apr 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9781682232651

Ron Mueller

About the Author Ronald E. Mueller [e-mail] Ron grew up in what is now Flint River State Park in Southeast Iowa. The 170-year-old house Ron lived in is built into a hillside. It faces a 125-foot-high cliff towering over the little Flint River. The house and the land talked to him about; the passing of time, the struggle to conquer the land, the struggles people faced and the wonder of nature. He climbed the cliffs, crawled into the caves, dove from the swimming rock, collected clams from the bottom of the pond, gigged and skinned frogs for their legs. He trapped muskrats for fur, hunted raccoon in the dead of night, and with only a stick hunted rabbits in the dead of winter. His young life was outdoors, and nature tested him. He walked to a one room stone schoolhouse uphill both ways. A stern but warm-hearted teacher, Mrs. Henry was instrumental in shaping his character as she shepherded him from the fourth to the eighth grade. A Montessori before its time. It was a great way to grow up. His experiences inter-twined with snippets of fantasy lend themselves to the adventures he leads the reader through.

Book preview

1. Mural on the Wall

Taelo and Golden Hawk and the rest of their family were in the valley of the Northern Elk Clan. Several Moons had passed since the completion of their last adventure. The rushing sound of the water falling past the opening filled the cave with the constant but pleasant sound of water rushing past the cave opening. This was the leadership cave that the two of them had found when they first entered the valley many moon cycles ago. The drawings on the walls verified the stories that they had been told, as young children, by their parents and grandparents. The valley was the very first place that their Elk Clan ancestors had settled when they arrived from the other side of the ice bridge.

The cave was high on a cliff behind a thundering waterfall with water that as it fell on its long journey to the lake below, spread out into a mist. The sun shining through the waterfall illuminated the cave with shimmering light. It provided little heat, but it made for a cheerful atmosphere.

They were all staying in the cave while the record of the Journey of Circumvention was transferred from Quiet Rabbit’s and Busy Bee’s travel hide to a mural on the wall. It was a story that she wanted to add to the history of the Elk Clan. He glanced at the story of each of the journeys that they had all taken. There was their first Journey down to the south where they encountered people that had come before the Elk Clan. There was the rescue of the new people coming in from the north. There was the battle against the xxx that followed after he had rescued Lily and Running Stag. There was the Journey of Discovery when they had found the mount and had reached the other sea. They showed him jumping from a high cliff into the sea below to save Golden Hawk. The journey north that they now referred to as the Dangerous Passage depicted the crossing of the Ice Bridge, the battle with the Sky eyes and his near death when his sled fell through the ice covering when they crossed back across the ice bridge. The scene of the Condor Clan Slingers defeating the Warrior Clan was one of his favorites.

The air flowed in a controlled manner from the partially open entrance and was pulled out by the flow of water passing by the cave opening behind the waterfall.

The warmth was provided by the hot spring water that was directed by a hollow wooden log to where it rained down into a shallow pool in the center of the cave.

Their three children, Red Fox, Black Wolf, and Yellow Flower were frolicking under the hot rain shower. Their voices added a light personal warmth to the cave.

The three of them had been on the Journey of Circumvention and would react each time a new scene was etched on the wall by Quiet Rabbit or Busy Bee. Their reactions to and description of each scene added a richness to the drawings that were being rendered.

Taelo and Golden Hawk relaxed by the fire pit and watched. They marveled at the fact that they had circumvented the world. They now knew it was round, like the stone that Taelo had used to explain the concept of the journey.

Everyone but Golden Hawk had initially thought that the idea was crazy, but Taelo had persevered and then had been supported by Broken Spear who said that he had received direction from the Ancients to support the effort. Broken Spear had affirmed the idea and had selected the members of the Others who went on the journey.

Quiet Rabbit and Busy Bee had at first been skeptical but knowing their mates, they had given them their supported. Once on the journey, they had captured key events with drawings on a large buffalo hide. Now they were transferring the drawings onto a wall mural.

Taelo and Golden Hawk relived each step as the pictures were drawn on the wall mural. They laughed as they recalled the first time Taelo had shared the journey with a large group. At a dinner gathering of the Others, Taelo had shared his vision of the journey and had received a thunderous approval for telling the best story of the evening. Burley Bear had complimented Taelo for besting him in good story telling.

The next morning Broken Spear, seer of the Others, shared that the Ancients had advised him that the journey should be guided by the point where the sun rose each morning.

Broken Spear had then introduced the six members of the Others that would make the journey. They were Saber Scar, Marigold, Single Leaf, Sharp Blade, Burley Bear and Meadow Flower.

Burley Bear was as surprised as Taelo when he heard his name called. He then apologized for having thought Taelo was only telling a superb story the evening before.

Taelo was surprised but had been pleased that Burley Bear would be part of the team.

The final membership of the team had included, Feather-in-the-Wind, Running Stag, and their daughter Neiva. Later they were joined by Bold Walker, her brother who had surprised them when they arrived at the Paradise Elk camp.

They traveled the same path, to the far sea, that they had taken on their Journey of Discovery. There they built and sailed across the sea on three rafts.

On the other side the team had met the black warriors. They had made friends and together they had continued the journey until they met the Sky Eyes.

On the Dangerous Passage Journey, Taelo and team had bested a rogue band of Sky Eye warriors in battle. This time they met and made friends with the main Sky Eye Clan. They met some of the warriors that they had defeated in battle. One warrior and his family became their escorts to the next sea. He shared how he had been amazed by the skill with which Taelo and his greatly outnumbered team had easily defeated the Sky Eyed fighters. The defeat had been the first for the rogue Sky Eyes and had marked the end of their rogue adventure.

This meeting was friendly, and they all enjoyed the hospitality of the Sky Eye Clan. Then their black warrior friends announced their return to the land from which they had ventured. The parting of their good friends was a bittersweet moment.

As each step of the journey went up on the cave wall, Taelo and Golden Hawk recalled their memories and shared what they had learned from each event.

The three children had exited from the pool and were now helping with coloring in the figures being drawn by their mothers.

The transfer of the Circumvention Journey took almost a full moon cycle. During this time, Taelo and Golden Hawk took care of the children. The three children had participated in the Journey of Circumvention and had matured beyond the age of most children their age.

They were easy to care for and they loved to hunt. This worked out well and each morning the five of them and Lasher would leave the cave and hunt for that days food. The surrounding mountains were cover with a thick layer of snow and the tall pines protruded up through the snow like porcupine needles. Taelo and Golden Hawk sunk into the deep snow. They envied the fact that the three children, wearing snowshoes, were able to scurry along on top of the snow.

Lasher had a hopping technique that kept him moving along the top layer of snow. Lasher was always ready to go out on the hunt each morning and then when they returned to the cave he would lay down and watch everyone.

When they returned, they would cook the zenith meal and make sure there was enough for the late meal.

Red Fox, Black Wolf and Yellow Flower enjoyed spending time reviewing the drawings as they were sketched. They discussed each event. They got involved in detailing some of the sketches and shared their memories of the journey.

Taelo commented that their participation putting up the wall mural added a depth and a different perspective to the journey.

One afternoon, Yellow Flower asked what the next adventure would be.

Taelo replied that they should all discuss how they could get the sages of the three clans to participate in the next adventure. It would need to be an adventure that was very different from all the rest.

Red Fox asked what sages meant.

After a brief moment of thinking, Taelo, said that Broken Speer was as an example of a sage. He then added White Swan, Grey Fox Running and Red Oak and Quiet Pheasant as additional examples.

Yellow Flower pointed out that Broken Spear was unable to walk without assistance.

Taelo agreed and asked how they would be able to go on an adventure that Broken Spear could also go on.

Everything went quiet. The only sound in the cave was the sound falling water as it swished by the opening of the cave. Even Quiet Rabbit and Busy Bee had stopped to hear what Taelo’s reply would be.

Taelo took in the mounting anticipation. He had shared his idea with Golden Hawk and now asked him how the older people could participate in the Journey of Sages.

Golden Hawk smiled and nodded. He then stood up and dramatically walked to the opening behind the falling water. He then turned and walked slowly back to the center of the cave.

Taelo listened as Golden Hawk pointed to the murals on the wall and made the point that Broken Spear would not have been able to make any of the journeys. The journey that he could make would require a way for him to travel in comfort and yet be able to see the wonders of nature and the world around him.

He looked at the three children and asked if they could think of a way that such a way could be arranged.

Once again the only sound was that of the waterfall.

Busy Bee finally said that she wanted to get back to the mural and she had no idea how such a journey could be achieved and would someone please tell her.

Golden Hawk nodded and said that he had felt the same way when Taelo had put the question to him. He looked at Taelo and told him that he should share the next journey with everyone.

Taelo then stood and took the same walk that Golden Hawk had taken. He turned and said that he was thinking beyond just Broken Spear and was including his two attendants, Chirping Swallow, Sly Squirrel. He was also including White Swan, Grey Fox Running, Red Oak, Quiet Pheasant, Brave Deer, Little Pebble, Floating Cloud, Whistling Arrow, Wise Council, Golden Flower, , Quiet Fox, Little Doe, Lily, Whistling Arrow, Saber Scar, and Marigold.

He waited for a moment and then said that the next journey he was thinking about would utilize one of the rafts and the journey would be to ride the sea down the coast until the waters of the sea turned, took them across and brought them up the other side.

Quiet Rabbit asked why Saber Scar and Marigold were included in the list of names.

Taelo replied that he had include the two because he felt he would need their strength with guiding the raft and they were the ones that did not have other responsibilities.

Busy Bee commented that she would volunteer to do the cooking that would free Floating Cloud and Whistling arrow from having to go.

Taelo nodded. He said that he was sure that Floating Cloud would want to go because she was close friends of both White Swan and Quiet Pheasant, and she would have two grandchildren on the raft as well.

Black Wolf asked how long the journey would take.

Taelo replied that he was not sure, but they should plan on it taking at least as long as the Circumvention Journey.

Red Fox then asked if they would stop anywhere or would they stay on the raft the whole time.

Taelo responded by saying they would stop when they needed to replenish the food and cooking wood supply. He also wanted to stop at the point where he could take everyone to the top of the mountain where they would see the sun rise on one sea and go down on the other sea.

The final stop as they went down was when they reached the land of the Condor. There he hoped to take them all up to the Condor Clan Village and then up to see the condor nest.

Yellow Flower asked if they would be able to see the cave of the frozen princesses.

Taelo replied that he was not sure whether that was allowed but he was sure they would go and see the nest of the giant bird, the giant Condor.

Quiet Rabbit asked about what was planned for the other side of the sea.

Taelo replied that on the far side he wanted to see if they could find the cove where they had built the rafts that were now on the beach. He felt that would be