Secrets: The Truth is Slowly Revealed - 28. Chapter 28 S1

Chapter 28 – A Family of Bears

I was even more antsy on Sunday morning, so the shaman had me chew on another button of peyote after breakfast, and luckily the effects had mostly worn off by the time I heard the SUV pull up outside. I wanted to bolt out of the hohrahn to greet them, but the shaman told me to wait until they came inside. Reluctantly, I did as he suggested, but I was more than ready to greet them energetically as they entered the hohrahn.

Devin walked in first, so I ran over and gave him the biggest hug I could manage, and then we kissed before I released him so I could greet Gramps and Pops. I had to be a little more careful and less energetic in welcoming them, since I realized they were each carrying something as well. I hadn’t noticed that Devin had a couple of plastic grocery bags in his hands that were filled with some items, but I could see Pops was carrying three thin boxes that were stacked on top of one another. Gramps was behind him and carrying a larger and obviously heavier box.

“I know the shaman’s note said we could come here after breakfast,” Gramps began, “but we decided to wait until lunchtime and then go off the reservation to purchase a few items before we came here. We picked up three pizzas with mushrooms, green peppers and olives, and we also stopped to buy some pretzels, potato chips, crunchy corn twists, and cashews.”

“We also purchased a case of green tea,” Pops continued as he let us see the item he was carrying, “but let’s eat the pizza now, before they get cold.”

“Isn’t Gramps holding a lot more pizza than we need?” I asked.

“Yes, but we thought we could finish off the leftovers later, before we transitioned and headed out for the night. We felt you might not be anxious about the prospect of eating the types of food we may have to consume as bears and this would allow you to delay that prospect a little longer.”

“Yeah, that’s a great idea,” I enthused, and then I whispered to Pops.

“You had mushrooms, green peppers, and olives put on the pizza because of the shaman, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I know he prefers vegetables,” he whispered back, and then he spoke more loudly as he made his next comment. “And there is enough here for the haatali as well, if he wants to join us.”

“Thank you for thinking of me and I would appreciate a slice or two of pizza and a green tea to wash it down.”

We chatted as we ate, and they asked me a lot of questions about the progress I’d made since we’d last been together. As soon as we finished eating, they also wanted me to demonstrate what I had accomplished, so I undressed and transitioned for them. I took on the form of a bear cub first, which caused Devin to make a comment.

“Hey, I thought you couldn’t transition into something smaller than yourself.”

“I didn’t really,” I said as I transition back into myself. “The cub is the same size I am when I’m squatting down, and since it’s also bulkier than I am, it worked out perfectly.”

Now that I’d responded to his concern, I continued my demonstration and transitioned into a juvenile bear, a young adult, and finally a full-size black bear.

“Very impressive,” Gramps stated when I was done. “If I remember correctly, it took Devin a few weeks to learn how to adjust his size so he could duplicate different size animals.”

“Yeah, I was having trouble with it too,” I replied, “but the shaman kept pushing me and my bears started getting a little bigger each time. Eventually, he made me so mad that I transitioned into a black bear that was even larger than the last one you just saw.”

The shaman chuckled before he clarified my statement. “Yes, young Michael required some additional motivation to do as I wanted, and I discovered that he responds best whenever I anger him and he can prove me wrong.”

“You must be a parent,” Gramps replied, “since you understand the younger generation so well.”

“Yes, I have a son who could also be obstinate at times while he was growing up.”

We continued chatting until just before it started getting dark, and then we chowed down on the leftovers. As we ate, Pops made a few suggestions about what he thought we should do and how we should act while we were out roaming around as bears.

“First of all, I think it would be best for each of us to have brown fur once we transition, since it’s the most common appearance for black bears in this area. It will also help us blend in with our surroundings better and possibly keep us from becoming too obvious.”

“That is a very wise move,” the shaman agreed.

“We will only walk or trot most of the time, but we’ll only trot for short distances because bears don’t trot for long periods of time, such as wolves might do. We’ll only gallop if there is a need, but we’ll gallop as we leave the hohrahn to move farther away from here and also when we return to the hohrahn. However, we’ll do it one at a time in order to minimize the chance of being spotted.”

I knew Pops comment had been mostly for my benefit, since Gramps and Devin had probably talked about it with Pops previously, and then the shaman let us know he had something to say.

“There is not enough room in the hohrahn for all of you to transition at once. In fact, I am afraid that if you all attempted to transition in here simultaneously you might accidentally destroy some of my belongings or damage the interior of the hohrahn. For that reason, I suggest you transition one at a time, from the oldest to the youngest, and then you can go outside and wait behind the hohrahn for the others to join you.”

Before we did this, however, the shaman pulled Pops aside to remind him about which areas of the reservation were the safest for us to go, and which would be the most dangerous. When they finished their discussion, Pops thanked the shaman for his advice, and then the shaman turned to address the rest of us again.

“As soon as each of you has taken his bear form, you can go off and do whatever you wish, but stay in your bear form for most of the time you are out there. You may transition into your human form after dark so you can talk about the day’s adventures, but I suggest you sleep as bears. The fur will help to keep you warmer than any blankets I could supply.”

“Uh, how long can we do this then?” I wondered aloud.

“You may stay out all night tonight, all day tomorrow, and during the day on Tuesday, if you wish. However, I will need you back here by Tuesday night so we can get some rest before I continue your training on Wednesday.”

“Why? What are we going to do next?”

“Patience, grasshopper, and you shall see.”

“He just called you grasshopper, the same way Pops does with us,” Devin observed.

“Yes, I guess a lot of older people like to do that,” I replied, and then I turned back to the shaman. “So, what else are you going to teach me?”

“We have a great deal more for you to work on and I have had to adjust my schedule to accommodate your desire to go out with the others after you had learned how to transition into a bear. For that reason, we will continue with you taking the form of a deer next, both a white-tailed and a mule deer.”

“I don’t understand. Why did you have to change your schedule?”

“You and Devin will want to go out together after you’ve learned to transition into the next animals as well, and that will not always be possible with each of the other animals. I allowed you to go out with Isaac after you learned to transition into a wolf, but I warned you to be careful because there are no longer any wolves in this area. I also agreed to let you go out together as bears, even though I was worried about it, since bears are solitary animals and do not usually move about in groups.”

“You mean you changed your schedule so we could do this?”

“In a way I am merely depending on your ability to avoid being seen by others when you go out as bears, but after this I have chosen animals that are normally seen in groups, beginning with deer. I have to warn you, however, it is still unusual for a group of bucks to be seen together, but since you and Devin will most likely be going out as button bucks, I felt we could take the chance. You see, button bucks are male deer whose antlers are just starting to grow and they will merely appear as if they have two buttons on top of their heads. I am hoping that if anyone sees you they will assume that you and Devin are each a doe.”

“Maybe we should tie a bow around their heads to make sure,” Pops teased

“Very funny,” I sneered.

“That might help,” the shaman agreed tongue-in-cheek, “but the reason I chose to work with Michael as a white-tailed deer next is so you will all be able to go out together again. I will begin with having him transition into a button buck first, and then we will progress until he is a sixteen-point stud. Once he has done each of those things, he will be ready to go exploring with Devin and the rest of you, and when you return we will move on to the mule deer. After you all go out in that form when he is ready, I will continue with the animals I had planned on training him on next. Therefore, rearranging the schedule should not affect the timing of the process or our progress a great deal. I just hope it does not result in any unwanted side effects.”

“It sounds like we still have an awful lot to do.”

“Yes, we do, and after you complete working on mammals, we will move on to some of the smaller animals. You have already learned how to increase your size, but you will also have to learn to decrease your size and transition into much smaller animals, even smaller than the cub. That ability may come in handy for you at some future point.”

“Ok, but which smaller animals are you talking about?”

“I have not decided yet, but I may have you try a rabbit, a raccoon, or maybe a mouse. I might even have you attempt to transition into a porcupine, to see if you are able to replicate its quills correctly.”

“So, I might have to transition into a rat?” I squawked in disgust.

“I did not say a rat. I said a mouse, and if your attitude does not improve I may have you transition into a skunk instead.” I got the message and didn’t say anything more.

“It would be best if you return between 10:00 and midnight on Tuesday, because most people on the reservation will be in their homes and getting ready for the following day,” the shaman stated. “After that, they will be going to bed and will pose no further problem. You may also return on Monday if you would prefer not staying out any longer, but if you do that then it would be best if you return at the same time that I have recommended for Tuesday.”

“But how will we be able to tell the time if none of us has a watch or a cell phone?” I asked.

“Do not worry about that, because I am certain Isaac’s internal clock will let him know when he should head back, and I will be waiting for your safe return.”

“But you’ll need your sleep too,” I objected.

“Thank you for your concern, but I will sleep while you are away and I will set the alarm on my wristwatch to wake me at 10:00 on both days, since I will not know for certain which day you will return. I will then go back to sleep with the rest of you, so I will be fine.”

“Damn, I didn’t even know you had a wristwatch.”

“That is because I keep it covered with a decorative wristband when I am not looking at it,” he replied with a chuckle, and then he pulled the wristband down so I could see the watch.

I’d definitely noticed the wristband before, because it’s decorated with some of the same symbols that he uses in his sand paintings: the sun, moon, river, and mountains. I thought it was a very clever way to disguise his wristwatch and make it blend in with the way he normally appeared.

“Did you wear it at the ceremony on our first night here?”

‘No, I take it off during rituals and ceremonies.”

“Ok, I think we’ve asked and he’s answered enough questions for now,” Pops stated, “and we should start transitioning so we can leave.”

After we undressed, we placed our clothes on top of the larger chest, and then Pops transitioned first. After he had exited the hohrahn, Gramps went next, and then I let Devin go after Gramps. Devin transitioned into a slightly smaller bear than the other two, and then I went last. Before I started to transition, though, I took a moment to say something to the shaman.

“Thank you for allowing the others to come out here and do this with me. I really appreciate everything you’ve done on my behalf so far and I’m looking forward to you teaching me even more.”

“I appreciate that, grasshopper. Now, go off and be with your clan.”

I then transitioned into a bear as quickly as I could, but I chose to transition into a smaller bear, similar to what Devin had done, before I went out to join the others. It was kinda strange, though, because we were only able to grunt, growl, huff, and snarl at each other, although Gramps and Pops also used tongue clicks and blowing to get their messages across.

As we started our journey as bears, we galloped from the hohrahn and headed in the direction of the area the shaman deemed to be the safest. Devin and I followed Gramps and Pops, and doing it was exhilarating, because bears are able to run up to 35 mph (56 kph), but they usually only do it for a short time. We didn’t stop, however, until we were safely away from the hohrahn, and during that time we covered a vast stretch of ground in a reasonably short amount of time. A new adventure had officially begun for me.

When we eventually slowed down, we walked around as bears for a couple of hours longer before we found a secluded area to transition back into our human forms briefly, so we could talk. Right away, the others wanted to know what I thought about being a bear.

“I really enjoyed the run when we started out, but then it all slowed down quickly and it was a lot slower than when I went out as a wolf with Pops. I guess being a bear isn’t totally a bad thing, though. At least we don’t have much to be afraid of, except for men with guns or bows and arrows.”

“That’s not exactly true,” Pops countered. “As bears we may not have to deal with threats from other animals, except for possibly other bears and humans, although mountain lions have been known to attack bear cubs and smaller bears.”

“Damn, I didn’t know that, so am I a target for mountain lions because I chose to be a smaller bear like Devin.”

“No, I think you’re safe, but there are other problems bears may have to deal with. Like other animals, they have to worry about droughts, starvation, and the loss of habitat and other resources they rely on. The last two problems may be caused by wildfires, changes in the climate, or when humans encroach into their territory, but no matter which of those things occur, it eventually shrinks their habitat. Bears may also have to deal with internal parasites and other diseases, although humans are often their most serious threat.”

“Yeah, I guess I only thought about the human threat, and not just the threat of being hunted, but also from the humans moving into the bears’ territory. But now there’s something else I’m wondering about. What are we going to eat for breakfast?”

“You’ll have a few choices for your meals while you’re a bear, and that’s because bears are omnivorous, which means they eat both plants and animals. You will have the choice of consuming roots, grass, berries, fruits, and succulent plants, which are plants that store water in their leaves. Bears also eat meat and they’re known to enjoy deer, elk, and antelope, as well as a variety of smaller mammals. They may also eat fish, insects, and larvae, so we’ll just have to wait and see what’s available in the area we’re in at the time.”

“Most of that stuff sounds yucky and I don’t want to eat roots, grass, or insects. I also know the meat and fish they eat will be raw, so that doesn’t sound much better. Do bears really like honey? I used to read stories about Winnie the Pooh when I was younger and I remember that he really liked honey.”

“Yes, bears like honey and they are often attracted to beehives. It means bears sometimes wind up getting stung as well, and often multiple times.”

After we finished talking, we decided to transition into bears again so we could get some rest. That way we could get up early and have the entire day to do whatever we wanted, as long as we did it as bears. As the others were getting ready to sleep, I took a moment to explain to Devin about why the shaman had called me grasshopper.

“Ok, I get it now. Pops never explained that to me before,” he stated after hearing me out, and then he and I joined the others in a restful slumber.

When we awoke the next morning, I was experiencing severe hunger pangs because the last thing I’d eaten was the pizza and snacks we ate before transitioning last night. I was fairly certain the others must be just as hungry as well and we began to wander around looking for something to eat. Luckily, Devin and I found some berries and apples to chow down on, but they didn’t suffice for very long, so we had to start looking for something else.

After wandering around for quite a while and not finding any more fruits or berries, Devin finally gave in. I watched as he started eating a variety of plants and roots, so I decided I’d have to do the same thing. He was eating dandelions at the time, and I remembered that his mom often used dandelion greens when making a salad for us when I was staying at the cabin, so I felt it would be a safe place to start.

As I watched Devin consume these items, I noticed he was eating both the greens and the roots, so I did the same thing. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be, so I continued doing it. I also watched Gramps and Pops to see what they were consuming and noticed they were currently eating burdock roots. The biggest problem with doing that was the burdocks would cling to their fur if they weren’t careful. Whenever that happened, they would have to remove the burdocks from their fur or have the other one help them remove the clingy objects. It seemed as if Gramps and Pops were constantly using their claws to remove the burdocks from the other one’s fur and I thought it was a waste of time to repeatedly have to do that.

We continued foraging throughout the day, but the things we were eating didn’t seem to fill us up. I was growing discouraged and began to think I’d have to go to sleep slightly hungry when we came across a small river where we could catch some fish. Devin and I merely watched as Gramps and Pops waded into the river and used different methods to catch the fish. Sometimes they would pin the fish to the river bottom or catch one with their mouth, and they also scooped some out of the water with their paws and tossed them onto the shore for all of us to share. Eventually, they’d caught enough for all of us to eat, but Devin and I waited and watched as Gramps and Pops started to eat the fish first – raw.

I’d eaten plenty of fish before, but they were always cooked, so I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to do this. I suspected it would probably be similar to eating sushi, except I’d never done that before either, and the bears ate a lot more of the fish than what was served in sushi. I watched as Gramps and Pops ate one of the fish, and during that time I was trying to decide if I could do the same thing. Before I reached a conclusion, however, I saw Devin pick up one of the fish and then he started eating it as well.

After watching Devin do this, I remembered what he’d told me about having to learn to eat the same things as the animal we transition into, so I went over and picked up a fish with my mouth. I was slightly repulsed at first, but it didn’t take long before I overcame my initial reaction and queasiness and devoured the fish as well. I also ate another one, because Gramps and Pops had caught enough fish so we could each have a couple of them. They finished their meal long before Devin and I did, and then they just lay around and watched us.

As soon as I had finished eating, Devin tackled me and we began to wrestle. After he pinned me on my back, he clobbered me on the snout with one of his paws, and then he raced off and climbed a juniper tree so I couldn’t retaliate. I didn’t hesitate, though, and climbed up after him, and then we swatted each other with one paw as we clung to the tree with our other paw. After doing this for a while, we finally gave up and climbed down.

As soon as we were on the ground, we started wrestling again, at least until Pops stood up on his hind legs, came to his full height, and growled to let us know he was displeased with our actions. We took the hint seriously and stopped, and then we followed Gramps and Pops as they took off so they could continue looking for something else to eat, but we wouldn’t have long to do this before the sun set.

Devin and I found some more berries and a few pears, while Gramps and Pops ate other plants and roots. When it started to get dark, we checked out the rest of the area to make certain we were alone, and then we transitioned into ourselves so we could talk about the day.

“Well, what did you think about being a bear today?” Gramps asked.

“It was still kind of boring. We spent most of the day just wandering around looking for things to eat and after we ate those items we’d begin looking for more things to eat. Now, we’re getting ready to go to sleep, so it wasn’t very much fun. Oh, but it was kind of fun when Devin and I wrestled and climbed the tree.”

“We’ll talk about that stunt a little later,” Pops chimed in, “but when it comes to eating, I’ll just say that you’re lucky it isn’t fall yet. That’s because bears will spend up to 20 hours a day consuming whatever they can find so they’ll put on enough fat to last them throughout the winter while they’re hibernating.”

“You mean we didn’t spend that much time eating today?”

“No, not even close, although it probably seemed as if it was that long to you.”

“Yes, it did. So, if they’re spending that much time eating, then it must not leave them much time for sleep or to do anything else.”

“No, but they’ll get plenty of sleep while they’re hibernating. Now, I’d like to discuss the horseplay that you and Devin were engaged in earlier. You two were behaving like cubs, but the shapes you took are that of small adults, so your behavior wasn’t appropriate.”

“So, older bears don’t wrestle?”

“Bears do not wrestle or fight with each other unless there’s no other alternative. If they have a disagreement, they usually settle the dispute by posturing until one of them backs down.”

“So, they never fight with each other?”

“On occasion they might, but generally it will only occur if they’re fighting over a mate or having a territorial disagreement.”

“Oh, I thought bears fought more than that.”

“No, not if they can avoid it.”

“Oh, I almost forgot,” I continued while changing the subject, “what were the different plants we were eating earlier? Other than the dandelions, I only recognized the burdocks, and I didn’t eat any of those, but what were the other plants I ate?”

“Let me think for a moment,” Pops said as he thought back to identify those items. “I believe you joined us in eating chickweed, agave, and hog potatoes, and then as we got closer to the river we found some dayflowers and chokecherries. I was also impressed that you and Devin worked up the courage to eat the fish.”

“It took a while, but we finally did it.”

Now that we’d finished our discussion, we transitioned into bears again, and then we found a place to lie down and get some sleep.

When I woke up in the morning, I was experiencing even worse hunger pangs than the previous morning, so I was hoping Devin and I would be able to find some more fruits and berries. After finding a few of those items and gorging ourselves on them, we moved on to other plants and I started eating whatever it was that the others were eating at the time, but I had no idea what the plants were.

After I’d learned what I’d been devouring earlier, we resumed looking for other items to eat as we moved toward the river again. When we eventually reached it, we got a drink first and then waded out into the river to catch some fish. Devin and I tried our hand, or should I say our paw, at catching fish as well. We weren’t nearly as successful at doing this as Gramps and Pops, but we were learning by trial and error. We eventually discovered the easiest way for us to get fish was by using the ‘scoop’ method, so we used our paws to scoop the fish out of the water and toss them onto the shore. After we’d done that with multiple fish, we got out of the water and climbed the bank to reap our reward.

After each of us had devoured several fish, we started making our way back toward the hohrahn, because it was going to take us a while to get back there. Along the way we found more berries, as well as some apples and pears, so it wasn’t necessary for us to eat quite as many plants.

We’d been walking along for quite a while when we heard Pops roar, so we all turned to look and see what the problem was. Gramps had been leading, with Devin and me following, and Pops was lagging a ways behind. Just as we turned, we saw an arrow whiz through the air and nearly hit Pops, and then he started to gallop toward us, so we all turned and did the same thing. We galloped for quite a while, but it was starting to get dark during this time, so we slowed down to a trot and kept moving. Eventually, Pops found a spot where we could take cover in a small copse of trees, and after Gramps and Pops had sniffed the air and looked around, they began to transition, so Devin and I did the same thing.

“Did you get hit with an arrow?” Gramps asked, while looking at his dad.

“No, he missed me twice. The first time was just before I roared to alert the rest of you to the danger, and I think you all saw the second arrow miss me as well.”

“Yeah, that was scary,” Devin and I agreed.

“He obviously wasn’t a very good hunter, but do you think he spotted the rest of us?” Devin asked.

“No, you were far enough ahead of me at the time that I think you were beyond his line of sight. I believe the hunter was merely a younger teenager, so that worked in our favor as well.”

“Yes, I guess it did,” Gramps agreed. “Do you think he followed us?”

“He might have started to, but as it began to grow darker I believe he gave up. I don’t think he wanted to risk being caught off guard by me at some point.”

“Then do you think it’s safe for us to head back to the hohrahn?”

“Yes, and after we transition back into bears, we can cover the final distance quickly to get there.”

We all did as he suggested and started out again. We had galloped for longer than most bears would have, and then we trotted for a while longer after that, so we were all a little winded and weary, but we pressed on. I was happy that we were returning to the hohrahn, because I guess it wasn’t quite as safe out here as I’d thought.

I wasn’t sure how close we were to the hohrahn, but we couldn’t have been too far from it. Eventually, I was able to see the hohrahn in the distance, and before I knew it Pops was nudging me, which I realized was his way of letting me know that I was to start galloping toward the hohrahn first.

After I reached the back of the hohrahn, I transitioned into my human form and made my way toward the doorway so I could go inside. I knew Devin was already on his way behind me, because we were going in reverse order of the way we’d left the hohrahn to begin our adventure. As soon as each of us had entered the hohrahn, we got dressed and sat down so we could chat with the shaman.

“Before we talk about your experience, we will have something to eat first. I saved the food that was delivered for Michael to eat since you were gone, and I have used it to prepare something for all of you to eat, since you are probably starving. It will also give Devin and Jacob an opportunity to sample our typical meals.”

“Thank you, that was very thoughtful of you,” Pops stated.

“I have made both our typical breakfast and supper to sample, since there is not enough of either one for all of you. But when they are combined, it should be sufficient.”

The shaman then partially filled a bowl with the blue mush for each of us, and then he scooped out a portion of the beans, squash, and mutton onto a plate for each of us as well. He also handed us a chunk of blue bread to go with it, as well as a bottle of the green tea that had been left over after we’d all eaten together on Sunday.

“It’s all pretty good,” Devin said after sampling both.

“Yes, it is,” Gramps added. “I had no idea what your meals were like, and this is quite enjoyable.”

“And it’s a nice change after eating plants, roots, and raw fish,” I added.

As soon as we finished eating and each of us had gotten comfortable, the shaman spoke again.

“Did you experience any problems as bears?”

“Sort of,” Pops replied. “When we were heading in this direction on our way back here, someone sent a couple of arrows flying in my direction, but fortunately he wasn’t a very good shot. I was aware of his presence before it happened, although I didn’t know he had a bow and arrows with him. I believe it might have been a young teenager that was testing his skill as an archer, and fortunately he wasn’t a better shot.”

“Yes, you were indeed fortunate, because some of the activities set up for our youngsters is learning proficiency with a bow. Were there any other problems?”

“No problems, except that I wasn’t exactly fond of eating raw fish, roots, and plants,” I responded.

“That may be, but when you take the form of an animal it is important that you eat as they do,” the shaman confirmed. “Did you run into any other animals or hunters?”

“No, the other animals kept their distance when they caught our scent,” Pops replied, “and we didn’t see any other hunters either, except for the young archer.”

“I didn’t see any other animals out there?” I gasped.

“That’s because you were merely focusing on the new experiences and looking for something to eat, so you weren’t paying attention to your surroundings,” Pops pointed out. “Don’t worry, though, because that was what I was expecting from you, since it was your first time doing this, but you’ll have to do better in the future.”

“Did you see any other animals when we went out as wolves?” I followed.

“Yes, but none of them were threatening. Once again, you were so wrapped up in absorbing the new experiences that you were oblivious to everything else.”

“Damn, I’ll try to be more observant from now on.”

“That is a wise choice, grasshopper,” the shaman added with a stern expression, “otherwise it might cost you your life. Think what might have happened to Isaac if he had not been so observant.”

“Yeah, I know.”

After the Pops, Gramps, and Devin left, I chatted with the shaman for a little while longer, but during that time he merely wanted to get my personal impressions about my time as a bear. Since there wasn’t much more for me to add, except about the time that Devin and I had wrestled and climbed the tree, we decided it was time to go to sleep.