Dwellers at the Threshold continued....

If you are reading my blog, you may recall that the first chapter of my new novel began with Fran and Ridley who live in Alice Springs, Australia. It is the year 3,000. Across the Earth a smaller human population is organized in federated govenments by biomes.

The world's human community has learned the value of earthkeeping. Each biome (desert, tropical forest, temperate forest, savannah, deciduous forests, tundra, etc.) has governments linked across the world according to the distinctive plants communities, weather and topography that define these ecosystems. Fran is getting ready to join fellow desert leaders at their annual meeting in southern Arizona in the Sonoran Desert.

In this part of the chapter, readers begin to learn that animals and plants are important partners with humans in monitoring the health of the earth. During the milennium after the great earth changes, humans began to communicate with trees, plants, and animals, rediscovering the ancient wisdom of earth's first people: all life has consciousness. Here we are introduced to one animal who will help Fran and her fellow delegates understand the state of the Sonoran desert in what was once called Mexico.

Chapter 1 continued...

"Across the world, Yareen made her way down a jagged escarpment on the Sierra Madre plateau. Her ebony and tawny flanks rippled with reflected sunlight through the pale green of manzanita and scrub oak. Falling pebbles pushed from their earthen beds by her great paws scattered noisily down the slope ahead of her.

Her mate roused from an afternoon nap in the tree high above her. He greeted her with a low rolling hello as she bound up the tree in which he lay. Yareen rubbed her head against his and breathed in his pungent scent, her golden eyes wide open with their reunion. They had been together for many sunrises and sunsets. Soon he would leave her and she would return to a solitary life and the birth of their cubs. It would be her second pregnancy.

They made their way to a pool of water in the bowl of the river for a swim, catching what fish or turtles that swam by. As they lingered by the water's edge, a trembling deer stood immobilized in the brush, caught unaware by their silent arrival. His breath was barely discernable. Later on the pair left the water's edge together and he could breath again. The great cats were more numerous as was so much of the community of wildlife.

On the other side of the world, in the ancient walls of a city long ago destroyed, Bidrha sat down upon a sacred spot where Earth's energy was strong - one of many energy grids discovered by Earth's people after the Great Conflagration and subsequent Age of Awakening.

Bidhra focused on her journey from the high plateau, ringed by mountains. Her breathing slowed and began its deep, pendalur rhythm. She could feel her body transfiguring into wave form. Her vision lifted suddenly. She was above the plains of the Gobi desert, now flying over the Himalayas, gaining velocity as her material form released to pure energy. Crossing the great blue ocean she winged through white clouds beneath a dome of azure sky. At a certain point her decent began by predetermined intent, tumbling energy down, down to a peak she could see now, on a mountain range bordering a city by a river that poured red on a southward race to a blue green ocean.

As she descended, her form began its rematerialization. She felt the tug of Earth, of mass - her body form so heavy now. When Bidhra opened her eyes she was greeted by a ring of elders drumming and singing her welcome, creating a space of positive energy, and blessing her arrival.

A woman of awesome stature, like a great tree, stepped forward to take her hand.

"Welcome, Bidhra, welcome to our homelands." Bidhra bowed her head and clasped her hands together, pulling them slowly below her chin as was the custom in her home.

"Do you need water. How do you feel?" Ofelia asked.

Bidrha felt a little unsteady. "I think I could use a little food to anchor my body to the Earth!"

Ofelia chuckled, "Come on, we have a feast going with the new arrivals. About half of us are here."

End of Section in Chapter 1: Dewellers at the Threshold.

Be well my friends! Let me know what you think about the story so far!

Susan