A Collection Of Works Read online

  As soon as the Alpha finished, heat rushed through the two wolves starting at their joined paws and ending in their tails. Awareness followed the heat, feelings not their own, memories shared. It was as if they had become one, one being, no barriers, no questions, just understanding. They nodded as one to the Alpha, and he unbound their paws. The wolves released their hold on their form and they shifted back to human.

  Sasha and JT still held each other’s eyes as they regained control of their bodies. Their minds forever linked, as was their hearts and souls.

  Hi. JT's thought filled Sasha's head.

  Hi. Sasha thought back as tears of joy started to fill her eyes. They both reached at the same time and found each other's hand.

  One heart, one mind, one soul. They both thought as smiles started filling their faces. For eternity.

  Yes, for eternity.

  ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

  Children Stories

  Peace of Cake

  By Ahmari Das

  Caketanna was petrified, hands chained above her head, feet chained to the ground. All the while the smell of sulfur was infiltrating her nose. The ground around her was blackened and charred. A deep rumble could be heard coming from the cave to the left of her, and the ground started to shake. Smoke started to curl out of the caves opening; soon a massive green head appeared.

  “Who dares to disturb my slumber!” rumbled the dragon.

  “I have no desire to disturb you; my village elders chained me here in hopes to appease you so you stop raiding our village.” Caketanna said in a shaky voice.

  “Appease me? With a girl! They are polluting the waters, cutting down the forest, tearing up the land in search of metals and gems and they think to appease me with a sacrifice of a young woman! How barbaric” roared the dragon, causing loose stones to tumble down the side of the mountain.

  “You’re angry about how the villagers treat the land?” Caketanna asked in wonderment. She never imagined a dragon being an environmentalist.

  “Of course, what would I sustain myself with if the land all around me was ruined?” asked the dragon in a huff.

  “Are you not going to eat me then?” She asked hopefully.

  “What is your name tiny one?” the dragon asked as he lumbered closer.

  His drawing near made Caketanna quake with fear. “ C-C-Cake-”

  “Cake? Well that sounds delicious!” laughed the dragon. “Should I have a piece?”

  “NO! Caketanna is my name, and if you release me I can tell the elders what it is you want and they will stop destroying the land. Then we’d all be happy” said Caketanna.

  The dragon thought it over, for he didn’t want to eat the human. They tasted horrid, and if the villagers took care of the land he could live peacefully with them. So he agreed, gently broke the puny chains holding Caketanna and ordered her to return with village elders.

  “If you don’t return, I will destroy your entire village!” promised the dragon.

  Caketanna returned to her village as quickly as she could but it was nightfall by the time she traversed the distance. Upon seeing her, the villagers were outraged until Caketanna explained her mission. The villagers then set out to gather the elders.

  When everyone was gathered in the village square Caketanna explain that the dragon was not evil, but that it was trying to drive them away over the way they treated the land.

  “We are poisoning the water and killing the fish with our washing and sewage, killing the habitat for the animals with our chopping of trees and ruining the ground with our mining. If we don’t leave or stop he will destroy the entire village.” Caketanna pleaded with her people.

  “But how are we to survive without wood to burn, disease will spread if we don’t get rid of our waste and we need metal and gems for tools and trade.” one elder argued.

  “I don’t know the answers but I do know we must meet with the dragon tomorrow or we will all parish and quickly.” Caketanna stated firmly.

  So on the morrow Caketanna and the elders set out for the dragons lair. It wasn’t an easy trip for the elders but what choice did they have. About half way they came to a large clearing and spotted the dragon flying in for a landing.

  “Cake!!! You kept your word. Excellent! I thought I’d meet you halfway and make your travels easier.” explained the dragon.

  “That was kind of you as some of us are not as young as we used to be.” The head elder stated with relief. For a moment he thought they were all going to be roasted.

  The elders sat on a huge log that used to be the giant oak that formed the clearing and stated their concerns to the dragon. In turn the dragon offered his services. He could burn the waste if it was put into ditches by the town away from the water, he could heat rocks to warm they’re homes in the winter and he had tons of scales that he has shed over the years for trade as they were more valuable than gems for their heat resistance, beauty and rarity.

  The elders were skeptical. ”Why would you do this for us?”

  I’d rather live in peace with you, than to have to keep destroying village after village. This is a rich and fertile valley. Men always come to settle here.” explained the dragon.

  So peace was happily reached, all because of a girl named Cake.

  Mrs. Sheffer and Makenna

  By Ahmari Das

  Mrs. Sheffer, an elderly hedgehog who wore wire-rimmed spectacles, lived in a hollow oak tree in the village of Meadowville. She shared the tree with the school teacher, Mr. Farrell, a dandy red-breasted robin who always wore very spiffy tartan vests. Mr. Farrell had the top half of the tree, which suited him just fine as he found stairs difficult, but could fly to the upper branches with ease. Mrs. Sheffer had the entire bottom of the tree, plus a neat garden surrounding the hollowed trunk.

  Mrs. Sheffer was Meadowville's only healer. She helped birth babies, gave people medicines when they had coughs or sneezes or tummy troubles, treated burns, and mended bones. She made her medicines out of plants that grew in her garden. There was dill for upset tummies, and meadowsweet for headaches; daisies for sprained muscles, and valerian for sleepless nights.

  People from far-away Seaside came for Mrs. Sheffer's medicines, and she was often called to places as distant as Cliffhaven to tend to people. Even the Fair Folk came to Mrs. Sheffer for healing. On many occasions, she had treated sprained wings, or scrapes and bruises caused by flying too fast.

  Despite her busy schedule as a healer, Mrs. Sheffer always had time to sit in her garden, sipping a cup of tea with a new patient or to teach children about her plants while the children nibbled on home-made horehound candy or lavender tea cakes.

  The people of Meadowville were very thankful that Mrs. Sheffer lived in their tiny town. They brought her special things in exchange for her remedies. Mr. Dewberry, a gruff badger who was the town's baker, brought scones weekly in exchange for a special salve that helped soothe sore joints and muscles caused by kneading bread. Mr. Bankins, a small striped cat who was a cabinetmaker, made a beautiful chest for all of Mrs. Sheffer's many jars and bottles in appreciation for a poultice for his broken thumb. And even Queen Maeve of the Fair Folk sent an ever-blooming magnolia tree in gratitude for Mrs. Sheffer's headache tea.

  Mrs. Sheffer's advice and opinion were so widely sought that she often found that she could not finish her weekly marketing because so many people stopped her in the streets to ask her questions. Finally, the day came when she decided that it was time to take on an apprentice. Her schedule was simply too busy and after all, she wasn't getting any younger. She went to the Meadowville Gazette's newspaper offices and took out an advertisement, which read:

  "Apprentice herbalist needed. Must be willing to work long hours and have a cheerful, helpful demeanor. Inquire at Mrs. Sheffer's. Room and board provided in return for hard work."

  The ad ran for one week and out of fourteen hopeful applicants, only one fit the requirements. Young Makenna, a small white-tailed rabbit who was the eldest of the f
ourteen Tufts children, was indeed everything Mrs. Sheffer was looking for in an apprentice. She was hired immediately and moved her few belongings into Mrs. Sheffer's guest bedroom, the one with the blue gingham coverlet and matching pillows.

  Makenna woke before dawn every morning to collect the dew from the garden plants for making floral essences. She weeded the garden, ground dried seeds using Mrs. Sheffer's grandmother's mortar and pestle, shook the many bottles of maturing tinctures, collected beeswax and honey from the hive in the dead cypress tree, and sometimes even did the weekly marketing, too. Her hard work freed up more time for Mrs. Sheffer's many patients and even let her go out and see more. Mrs. Sheffer's trips to Seaside and Cliffheaven became more frequent and she stayed away longer, confident that Makenna could handle whatever problems that might arise while the herbalist was away.

  One morning while Mrs. Sheffer was away on such a trip, Makenna woke to discover that the air was warmer than usual and a fine layer of dark gray smoke hung over Meadowville. The young girl went out into the garden to collect dew, but found that it was dirty with soot and ashes. She stopped Mr. Dewberry as the baker was delivering the week's scones.

  "Mr. Dewberry, do you know what's happening?" Makenna asked.

  "Methinks there's a fire a-brewing in the Old Forest," the baker replied.

  "Oh no! A fire!" Makenna gasped. "Mrs. Sheffer is away in Cliffhaven tending to the young Morris twins. I do hope she can make it home safely."

  The baker shook his head. "She'd be better off staying in Cliffhaven. She'll be safe up there."

  Makenna thanked the baker for the news. The young girl then returned to her work. The dew was completely ruined by the soot and ashes, and the bees were sleepier than usual. Makenna supposed it was because of the smoke hanging in the air. When she left to do the marketing, Makenna discovered that most of the shops were closed and their owners were standing around the town square, gossiping about the fire.

  The town constable, a large friendly bulldog named Mr. Ashton, said that the fire had started at the base of Cliffhaven Mountain and was spreading through the forest towards Meadowville. Mrs. Cawker, the town's seamstress, worried about her family in Cambric Downs. Makenna reminded the tiny sparrow that fires rarely swept through meadows, instead preferring to feed off the tall trees that surrounded them. Mrs. Cawker felt much better after hearing this and went to open her shop for the day.

  Makenna was suddenly very worried about Mrs. Sheffer. Deciding that she should go and have a look at the destruction caused by the fire, Makenna scurried back to the herbalist's home and packed a small bag. She set off on the road toward Cliffhaven and on the way, she met many families that had been displaced by the fire. When she was on the edge of Cambric Downs, she encountered the Morris family from Cliffhaven. Makenna's eyes went huge when the young mice twins informed her that Mrs. Sheffer had left the day before, after tending to their illnesses.

  Mr. Morris thought that Mrs. Sheffer might be in the path of the fire and handed Makenna a small leather bag filled with sage, fennel, broom, and a bit of fluorite, after she informed the family that she intended to find Mrs. Sheffer and bring her back to Meadowville.

  "Keep the bag in your pocket, young Makenna. It will protect you from the Fire Salamanders should you get too close to them," Mr. Morris instructed. Makenna thanked him and hurried on her way.

  After a bit more walking, Makenna could feel the heat from the fire and could see flames licking at the tall old-growth trees. She could see the Fire Salamanders dancing and laughing in the flames, enjoying the destruction their dance caused. Mrs. Sheffer had taught her about Elementals and Makenna respected them all very much.

  She went as close to the fire as she dared and called out in a strong voice, "Fire Salamanders! Why are you destroying this forest? What has happened to anger you?"

  A particularly large Salamander danced towards her when it heard her call. It brought with it a huge pillar of boiling red-and-orange flame that singed Makenna's fur. "Mortal girl!" the great black and red lizard cried. "It is the careless ways of your people that has angered us. Your thoughtlessness and wasteful ways are destroying the Earth. Your rubbish is fouling the streams; your hunger for more land is killing trees and their Dryads; and your disrespect for the plants has caused their caregivers to abandon them. Your people need to be punished!"

  Makenna knew that there were people who thought that the plants and the Earth weren't worthy of respect and did the things the Salamander had said. But she also knew that there were people like Mrs. Sheffer who respected plants very much and treated them with love and kindness, who never wasted the precious gifts of the Earth, and who never acted out of greediness. She told the great Fire Elemental about Mrs. Sheffer and her love and respect for all things green and growing and she told it about the townsfolk's respect for Mrs. Sheffer and her ways.

  The Salamander paused in its dance and seemed to think about Makenna's words. Finally it nodded and seemed to diminish in size and the heat from the great fire lessened. "We will stop our dance. We did not know that so many people respected the trees and the flowers and the Earth. We would like to meet this Mrs. Sheffer and thank her. And thank you, young girl, for your kindness towards our green friends." With that, the Salamander danced back into the fire, which slowly died down as the Elemental disappeared from Makenna's sight.

  Makenna rubbed the soot and ashes from her hot cheeks and went on searching for Mrs. Sheffer. The Fire Salamander's words rang in her head. She decided that she would try to teach as many people as she could respect for the Earth and all of the gifts she gave to Makenna's family and friends and neighbors.

  Finally finding Mrs. Sheffer in a small cave in which a grumpy old bear lived, the young rabbit excitedly told them about her experience with the Fire Salamanders. Mrs. Sheffer swept Makenna up in a great big hug and kissed her cheek. The grumpy bear shook Makenna's hand and said, "Good show, young girl! Good show! You've saved the day!" Makenna shook her head and said that really, Mrs. Sheffer had saved the day by teaching Makenna respect and love for the Earth.

  On their way back to Meadowville, Makenna and Mrs. Sheffer look over the burned land. Many trees had burned and most of the grasses and flowers had perished in the heat. Makenna cried when she saw that the old cypress tree and the beehive it sheltered had burned. Mrs. Sheffer comforted her.

  "It's all right, dearie. At the Spring Equinox, we'll come back here and you'll be amazed at how wonderful the fire actually was. I promise."

  The Wheel of the Year turned quickly for Makenna. She learned so much under Mrs. Sheffer's mentoring that the elderly raccoon announced to Meadowville that she would only be working part-time and that the tiny town now had two healers. Mrs. Tufts, Makenna's mother, wept when she heard this news. She was so proud of her daughter that she gave Makenna a silver necklace with a rose-quartz pendant. Makenna put it on as soon as she opened the box and never took it off.

  A few days after the Equinox, Mrs. Sheffer and Makenna went back to the site of the fire. As sure as Mrs. Sheffer's word, there were tiny sprouts poking up through the blackened soil and some of the burned trees were even beginning to bud. "Those tiny sprouts are wild raspberry brambles, dearie," explained Mrs. Sheffer. "They always thrive in the first season after a fire. And look over here," the hedgehog pointed at a tall plant covered with hot pink flowers. "Fireweed. This whole place will soon be covered with it. Sometimes it's good for a forest as old as this to be burned. It prevents further destruction from an even worse fire and helps renew the soil."

  As Makenna stood in the blackened forest, now covered with bits of new spring green, she felt both sad and happy. She was sad that so many plants had died, but happy that so many new ones could grow. She looked up into the leafless branches of the burned trees and saw the Dryads beginning to wake up, after a long winter spent healing. She smiled and felt the truth in Mrs. Sheffer's words. The fire was indeed good for the forest. Mrs. Sheffer began to walk back towards Meadowville and Makenna foll
owed behind, her thoughts full of green and growing things.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Ahmari Das was born in upstate New York, in a city not far from Canada and on

  Lake Champlain, with the Adirondacks always as her backdrop. She often says

  how can you grow up in all this beauty and not want to be an artist. So

  unsurprisingly, she became an artist! Under her birth name Angela Gonyea, she

  is a known Adirondack Artist with many landscapes of the local lakes, ponds, rivers and mountains of this area. She is also a charcoal portrait artist, loves painting and drawing abstract, and sells prints of her charcoal ballerina series

  Ahmari's husband is the reason Ahmari writes about soul mates in her shiffter

  books, as he is hers. The first time she saw her husband, she couldn't breath for

  a minute, the attraction was that strong. She knew he was going to be hers.

  Ahmari has now been with her amazing husband for 30 years. They have

  two incredible sons, both married. Three granddaughters, one on