Golden Fox welcomed Father Sun with her arms raised, singing. As spears of golden light spread across the horizon, she thanked Great Mystery for this chance to become more. Her voice became hoarse as she sang songs of thanks to the animals and the plants that sacrificed their lives so that the Peoples could live. She sang praises to the stones who held ancient secrets, and to Sister Wind who nudged and whispered to guide a person. She danced with her head thrown back, as she begged the Spirits to pity her and show her the right path to follow.

As Father Sun climbed across the bright blue sky, she danced until her legs weakened, shook, and folded from beneath her. Fallen to the ground, she continued to sing, sweat running into her eyes as the day became heated.

At last, Father Sun lowered and orange-pink bands glowed, then faded until they blended into the soft grey of coming night. Soon, night swallowed even that meager bit of light. Sister Moon had hidden more of her face, but the campfires in the sky grew brighter.

Slumped on the ground, Golden Fox licked her dry lips. “I thirst.”

A tiny mouse stood in front of her, squeaked, and jumped away as she reached for the water bladder. One swallow flowed down her parched throat as the rest of the water poured down her dress.

“Mouse! You chewed the bottom of my water bladder. Why would you do this?” She blinked and Mouse was no longer there.

Head swiveling from side to side, she searched the darkness. “Grandfather, are you there?” Heart pounding in panic, she shivered.

A gold-red fox with a huge belly popped up next to her. The animal barked once and waddled as she tried to run away. Between one heartbeat and another, Fox was gone.

She gathered her robe tightly around her, and looked up. Sister Moon played hide-and-seek, peeking out with one eye from behind the clouds scattered across the not-so-long-ago-clear sky. A mustang cloud galloped past Moon.

Wolf howled. Another answered, and then another. The howls sounded as if they rose from the throats of young wolves barely out of the den.

Head tossed back, she howled with them, pushed herself up from the ground, and danced on weak legs.

Sister Wind caressed her face as the campfires in the sky changed from white to blues and yellows. Her grandmother whispered to her; though she did not understand the words, courage grew stronger within her. She raised her arms high above her head and stomped the ground hard. No longer did her legs shake.

A young Eagle flew low and flapped wings in her face. She had yet to grow the pure white tail feathers like her parents. A white- and brown-spotted tail feather floated softly to the ground before Eagle faded into the night.

Sweat dampened the hair on her neck and ran down her cheeks. Her legs weakened once more, and she shuffled her feet through the dirt. “How can it be so warm when the nights are still cool? It is dark, is it not? I see campfires in the sky. But, I see Father Sun as well.” Her voice sounded raspy. “How long have I been here?”

All she could do was whisper, her tongue so dry it could not moisten her cracked lips. Still she sang, and closed her eyes.

Did Father Sun go to sleep? She peeked. No! His brightness made her eyes squint. Exhausted, she sat down with her head lowered.

Why do I see both Father Sun and the campfires? Mouse chewed my bladder! Have to keep singing... am so thirsty and cold. Why does my face drip from the heat? I weaken! I am strong! I will do this.

She tried to stand, but her body would not respond.

“I can do this.”

With weak arms, she pushed to her knees, then upward to stand. Her whole body shook. “I... will... do... this!”

Why do I hear mustangs?

She jerked her head as Eagle screamed and bore down on her.

“Eagle, do you wish your feather back?” A shaky hand held the feather high as it split into two tail feathers, each carrying the same color and splashes as the other.

A claw reached for her raised hand, but the claw turned into a human hand. It grasped hers, and then faded.

Fox barked again.

Blue fog surrounded her. The feathers glowed with an intense blue. On one tail feather, a large spider dropped from her sticky strand, ran across the ground, and crawled into a crack in a stone. Red oozed from the stone crack.

A bottle shattered, and red liquid splashed her face. It ran down her throat and burned all the way to her belly. She spat. The feathers in her hand faded, and her hands became bones. A scream ripped from her as the burning raced back up her throat, flew from her mouth, and set her hands on fire.

She jerked up and tried to stand, but her flesh burned away. She tried, but could not stand on her feet, which had also turned to bones.

Her skull dropped into her skeletal hands.

No flesh! She screamed in voiceless desperation.

“Fox Who Is Golden.”

She tried to speak, but had no voice. No mouth to open. No eyes to see with. She had turned to a pile of grey dust.

“I am here, child who is a woman.”

A warm hand picked up the grey dust. Her body grew a skeleton, and skin, and reformed.

She fell to the ground and curled inside her robe. Eyes squeezed shut, she gasped. “I see you with my eyes closed. Who are you? Why are you here? Do you know me? What—”

She opened her eyes. “How? I had turned into dust! I was no more.”

“So many words.... Heh! Just as I once was.”

“Who once was you? I... I mean... who once you?” She shook her head. “I mean to say—”

“Slow down your mouth. It cannot keep up with your mind.” He grinned and shook his head. “I am Shining Light. Do you not remember me?”

A wolf appeared on either side of him, and a tiny mouse sat on his shoulder. His long black hair sparkled with blue specks. With shell beads braided into both sides of his loose hair, his hair and beads touched the ground as he sat cross-legged. His tunic and leggings shone so white that she had to shield her eyes for a brief span. Staring from a round, kind face, his dark eyes brightened with blue circling them. When he tipped his head higher, his square chin showed, the same one she had noticed on Dances In Storms.

An intense glittering blue moved in and surrounded him, the mouse, and the wolves.

The color drifted and enveloped her. It swirled around and through her. She reached for it, but when she did, it turned into blue sand and fell through her fingers.

“What is this... this blue?” Her words climbed from her throat on tiny, sharp feet.

When Shining Light smiled, the blue color became even brighter. “Child, it is the color of our Spirits. You see the red mixed in next to the Wolves? It is the color of their Spirits. See the bit of yellow around Mouse? All of our Spirits make the colors of the rainbow—even more colors than Humans can see.”

Golden Fox gazed around. “Where are we?”

“I will let you explore that for yourself, but know you are in the Spirit Land. Fear nothing.” He faded, and with him the wolves and the mouse.

Strength returned to her legs. She stood and walked around the circle, step by step. “So many colors....”

Hands of many browns, shades of white, blacks, and tans reached out, touched her, and faded into the rainbow. As she continued to walk her circle, human faces appeared and disappeared—so many faces with colors she had never seen!

People she did not know appeared, dressed in long furs. Hairy-faces and their wooden lodges appeared. People laughed as they raised bottles to their mouths. Once again, her throat burned and her hands flamed. Laughter vibrated, became loud, and hurt her ears. She covered them. The heat in her hands cooled. The laughter faded away, as did the people.

She stilled herself.

Spider crawled out of the crack in the stone, and wove a web before her. “Fear nothing.”

She reached out and touched the web, pressed on it, but the web would not give.

“There is much strength when all is woven together. Everything living is a strand in the web of life. If even one strand is broken, the web becomes weaker.”

She spun around as Elk bellowed. He walked up to her and bowed. A baby gold-red Fox sat on Elk’s back. “Stamina and strength is one strand. You strength lies within as well as without. Find it. When you would give up, reach deep inside and keep going. Use your strength to carry others.”

From above, birds called to one another as they faded into clouds of many colors. Elk turned white and became part of the rainbow cloud.

In front of Golden Fox sat a baby Fox. “To hide in plain sight is your gift.”

Fox became a black Wolf, who sat and reached out a paw, which she accepted. “Remember, young Human, a pack can overcome what one alone cannot. When you are pack, you are never alone, Human Sister.”

***

When Golden Fox returned to the mesa, Father Sun had just begun to climb above the horizon. She raised her face and sang a song of thanks. Throat parched, she glanced around her circle of stones. The water bladder lay close to her feet. She bent and picked it up, joy lighting her face. “It is full!”

Quickly untying the top, she drank until she could drink no more, and then laughed as she poured the rest of the water down her dress.