Two Bears The dancing firelight from the center of the large earthern lodge lit the hollow sunken faces of those in the circle. The silence of the shadow-filled room was broken by Running Crow. "We must have meat! Will this killing storm last forever? Our little ones grows weak from hunger." Murmurs of agreement were heard around the fire. "But who can live in this storm?" "To go hunting in this storm is to die," said another. More murmurs of agreement, then silence, and the crackling of the cedar fire. It was late when Two Bears returned to his fire. He rekindled the dying fire left by his woman and sat down to think. Just before the first light the woman of Two Bears awoke to hear chanting, mixed with the howling of the wind. As she lay still, she knew that today Two Bears would hunt for the tribe and that her man would die. Many hours of hunting, the weight of the icy wind has worn Two Bears out. Finding a small cove of shelter from the wind, he rested. In his exhaustion, Two Bears slept. As he slept he dreamed of a buffalo herd with huge white wolves running between buffalo. Two Bears noticed that most of the buffalo weren't nervous or jittery about the hungry wolves. The wolves ran around nipping and barking, but most of the herd stood calmy still and the wolves didn't attack. Shortly, a nervous cow broke away from the herd and ran. Wolves attacked her from ever direction. The rest of the herd stood calmly. Two Bears awoke with a start. The hunger chewing at his insides drove him back into the storm, the dream forgotten. After hours of fighting the wind and snow, Two Bears, exhausted and disheartened, found a fallen tree, the branches forming a natural shelter from the wind. As he was breaking off branches of the pine needles for his bed and covering, he found a small, nearly dead bird. Placing the small bird inside his robe, Two Bears laid down and covered himself with the branches..."It is better to die with a friend. At least he will be warm," was his last thought as he drifted off to sleep. Slowly awaking to the tinkling music of a spring and the singing of birds. Two Bears enjoyed the warm breeze on his skin. Coming fully awake Two Bears jumped as though pierced by an arrow. "Can this be real? I must be dreaming!",he said as he sat up. There above the small spring stood that same bird watching him. As Two Bears watched, the bird spread is wings. They seemed to grow until the tiny bird had become an eagle. As the eagle closed his wigs, he said in a thunderous voice, "I am the spirit guardian of this forest and this day you have given me my life. In payment of my debt, you will find food for your people and I will give you the meaning of your vision." "My thanks to you Guardian," Two Bears stammered. "But I am a hunter, not a Holy Man who sees visions." "The herd of buffalo and the wolves were your vision," thunderd the eagle. "The buffalo herd is your people. The white wolves represent a time of cruelty and harshness that the Great Spirit brings among your people to cleanse them. The children of the Great Spirit have forgotten the teachings of love and peace brought by the Ancient ones. Your time is spent in warfare and murder. Your people must return to the teachings of the Great Spirit and live as the Ancient Ones, in peace with all beings. They your people will be like the buffalo herd, unharmed. But woe to any who do not heed this warnng, for they will be removd from the breast of the Mother Earth, as the buffalo cow removed. "After the cleansing period the white wolves will die of their own hand. The true children of the Great Spirit will again live in peace. Hold true! And stand courageous like the buffalo of your vision. Now return to your people. Tell them and teach them and your children. Then go out to all the people and teach them. Let no one forget! "Now awaken!" thundered the eagle. Ojilaka Zicahota