One second, Kit was having a conversation with Deer, and seemingly the next moment, Kit was on all fours, locked eye to eye with a wolf! Instinctively, Kit’s eyes lowered.

“Don’t be afraid, young pup,” said Wolf. “I know you. You are Kit, the human who lives with the bears.”

Kit didn’t say anything. Kit’s muscles were so tight that even breathe, let alone words, could barely escape.

“The Pack has just had a successful hunt!” said Wolf. “As promised at the Great-Council, we will treat you like a member of the Pack. You can share our kill.”

Still Kit did not move or say anything.

“Come with me Kit and let the rest of of the Pack meet you. It would be good for each member of the Pack to learn your scent.”

Slowly Kit came away from the rocks and was soon surrounded by wolves. Kit’s heart was pounding so hard that it seemed to block out all thought. With weak legs, Kit sat down as various wolves came over, the boldest actually touching Kit with their noses. Kit’s eyes were very large and Kit’s chest felt very tight.

“I can smell your fear,” said Wolf. “Try to relax. Your fear is making the younger wolves nervous.”

Kit tried to relax, but Kit’s muscles remained tight, and Kit’s mind was clouded.

“I do not know what has given you such a fright,” said Wolf, “but tonight you can sleep well, knowing that the Pack is all around you and will keep you from harm.”

Long into the dark, Kit stayed awake, watching the wolves settle in for the night. Without quite realizing it, Kit finally fell asleep.

Kit’s dreams that night were very troubled. In Kit’s mind… it was once again that dark night, hiding in the brambles, hearing wolves search for a way to get at Kit and the dying baby cougar in Kit’s arms. Kit woke up, covered in sweat, only to see the dark shapes of many sleeping wolves.

Now is my chance to get away, thought Kit. Slowly, Kit crawled past several wolves.

“Where are you going?” said Wolf, suddenly appearing from behind a slight rise.

“No where,” said Kit, in a small voice. “I don’t know…”.

“I am no expert on humans, but I have looked at your eyes and think they are not made for seeing at night,” said Wolf. “It would be dangerous for you to journey in the dark. Morning will be here soon enough. You should wait,” advised Wolf.

Without a word, Kit sat against a rock, arms around legs, head resting on knees.

Some time later, Kit suddenly woke up. It was day time, and the wolves were gone.

The rest of that day Kit journeyed alone, traveling many miles with little awareness of the surroundings. As evening approached Kit settled in at the base of a small cliff, just above a shallow stream. Kit was pleased to see Coyote walking along the river bank.

“There you are!” said Coyote. “How was yesterday for you? Did you learn anything more about your journey? Hey, you have the scent of wolf on you!”

“The wolves found me yesterday,” said Kit.

“Well, it’s a good thing we separated then,” said Coyote. “What a great opportunity for you! What did Wolf have to say about the two-wolves who live inside all human beings?”

“Uhm… er… I didn’t actually ask Wolf about that,” said Kit, looking down with slumped shoulders.

“I think you do have a story to tell. But, maybe not right now. Perhaps this is a good time to go over the final step in Coyote-Thinking.”

“Okay,” said Kit, glad for any excuse to put off telling Coyote about being too scared to ask Wolf anything.

“Coyote-Thinking takes your problems and figures out WHAT is the larger journey. You want to think big. Any one problem is just a waypoint. This will give you Clear Vision, which forms the northern border of your journey map.

“Next figure out the WHY of your journey. What will different in your life because of this journey? This will give you Clear Heart, which forms the eastern border of your journey map.

“Then seek to journey with a Clear Mind. WHERE, WHEN, and HOW will you get your needs met? WHO are your possible allies? Look for OPPORTUNITIES and THREATS as you travel. Look to use your STRENGTHS and eliminate your WEAKNESSES. Clear Mind is the southern border of your journey map. Does that make sense so far?”

“I think so,” said Kit. “I guess I missed an opportunity with Wolf.”

“That leads to the final step. Just as the sun sets in the west, each evening work on the western boundary of your journey map – Review, Report, and Revise.

“Review your day’s actions. It’s very difficult to know if you achieved Clear Actions in the moment. Afterwards though, you can think about it. When thinking about your actions, focus on the outcomes of your actions, not only on what you did.

“Organize your thoughts into a Scout-Report. What was going on inside of you during the day? What was going on in your immediate surroundings? What was going on in the larger surroundings? What opportunities were present? What threats and dangers? What strengths did you use? What weaknesses affected your day? What outcomes came from your actions?

“Once you’ve Reviewed your day and organized your Report, think about how you might Revise your actions and your journey for the next day. Coyote-Thinking won’t guarantee a successful journey, but it will give you the best chances.”

Kit and Coyote traveled together throughout the day, saying little but enjoying each other’s company. That night they stopped at a good viewpoint.

“So…” said Coyote, “how about a report on your encounter with Wolf.”

“I was speaking with Deer, when all of a sudden there were wolves everywhere. I tried to hide but Wolf found me. Then all the wolves were smelling me and some even touched me…. I am ashamed to admit it, but I was so scared that I couldn’t even think or speak!”

“Fear-of-Animals, the fear of being attacked, is something that all creatures feel,” said Coyote. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s why I separated from you that day. That probably kept me alive!”

“But when you were afraid of being attacked by wolves, you took action. I just froze…” said Kit, in a small voice.

“When fears overwhelm the mind, it is impossible to think,” said Coyote. “At that point you cannot see The-Way-of-The-Scout. When you are filled with fear, The Warrior, that part of you that takes action, can only follow The-Way-of-The-Artist. The Artist is a master at experiencing and expressing feelings. But when The Scout is silenced, The Artist only has three behaviors – freeze, flee, and fight. In this case, you were wise to freeze.”

“I don’t feel wise,” said Kit. “I had a perfect opportunity to learn more about the two-wolves that live inside all human beings, and I blew it!”

“It is understandable that you feel that way,” said Coyote. “A key Warrior skill is how to remain relaxed, even when freezing, fleeing, or fighting. That way you can still think.”

“King Snake taught me a way to use breathing to stay relaxed, but at the time I didn’t even think to use it,” said Kit.

“Please continue with your report,” said Coyote. “What happened after the wolves all greeted you?”

“Nothing really… Wolf said something about the Pack keeping me safe and eventually I fell asleep.”

“It must have taken a certain amount of bravery to fall asleep in that situation,” said Coyote.

“It wasn’t easy. And then I woke up, all sweaty, with my heart pounding! It was dark out and I thought this was my chance to sneak away. I crawled past a few sleeping wolves only to again practically bump into Wolf who told me that I should wait until daylight to leave. After a while, I fell asleep again, and when I woke up all the wolves were gone.”

“It sounds like your fears invaded your sleeping mind,” said Coyote. “Do you have a particular reason to be scared of wolves? Have you encountered wolves before in an intense situation?”

Kit didn’t say anything but gave a yes head shake.

“You’ve learned a lot about fear during your journey in the south-lands. You’ve learned how the Gifts of the Elders can balance the fears felt by all people. You’ve learned how to use Coyote-Thinking to find your path.

“You should also know that if a fear is experienced in a very intense way, it can become stuck, not only in your heart and head, but also in your muscles. This is what happened to you. Your muscles became so tight that you could not speak, you could not move, and you could not even think.”

Kit looked at Coyote. “Will it always be like that?” as water overflowed Kit’s eyes.

“That will be up to you,” said Coyote. “If you avoid facing the fears that dwell deep in you, then they will always have the power to overwhelm you. They will always be able to cloud your path. You will need to learn The-Way-of-The-Warrior.”

“Can you teach me about The-Way-of-The-Warrior?” asked Kit.

“If you always look for allies, you will find many people who can teach you. In this case, I suggest you start with Bear. As Spirit-Keeper of the West, Bear knows many techniques for mastering fears. A deep muscle fear will not just go away by itself.

“You will have to master the warrior-skill of relaxation. To experience fear while part of you also feels calm. To experience fear while still being able to think. To experience fear while still being able to keep your body relaxed. Without this warrior-skill, a person can still become a good fighter. But with this skill, a person can become a true warrior who acts in support of The Chief and all the people.”

“It would be good to see Bear again,” said Kit.

“Travel to the west then,” said Coyote. “Perhaps I’ll see you and Bear at the salmon feast!”