Gold Raven (82 page)

He felt foolish, considered himself silly
for the prayer that she would call out to him. Just as he thought she
would say something to him she up and went. "So much for your
words mother, so much for love."

Rolling up from the ground, he strode off in the opposite
direction, praying for the time they would leave to fight. He was ready
to go.

"Woman of the People, I fear the word has come. Warriors
from other tribes are gathering. They will soon start the rampaging
raids that will lead the militia and army to the chosen spot where they
will wage war and make their assault. I have made another attempt at
trying to persuade Red Crow not to go, he is firm and will not listen.
He has now gone to hide in the caves until it is time for those who
will fight to leave."

Josey sighed, picking up the last book in the schoolhouse while
Greeneye stood by after delivering the news, waiting to hear what she
most desired, if he could deliver that. Looking at him, she nodded
that she understood. "Thank you for letting me know, I'll be fine."

A week later, the time had come. The call to Red Crow had been
made by those he would leave with to fight alongside. Previously to
disappearing he had given them a signal call to sound out at the edge of the bluffs, telling them that he would hear it and respond.

As the braves gathered for their leave, he rode through the village
with all of the weapons he would use and his small pouch of war
paint. Greeneye was there in the center of the village to meet him.
Those who would fight numbered over 50 including Red Crow.

Walking up to his mount, Greeneye placed his hand upon his
horse’s mane to stop him. "I see you are still determined to go
through with this."

"I am."

"Knowing that it is a battle that cannot be won? What of your
wife and family?"

"They will be leaving the village soon. My mother will be
returning to the home of her people. My wife will do the same."

"She has been searching for you. Your mother told her of your
decision; she went searching for you even to the caves..."

"I saw her—I heard her."

"Why then do you continue to avoid her?"

"Because, I love her; I cannot bear the thought of how, because of me, she almost died. I must let her go; she belongs where she is
safe, with her own people."

"You are willing to leave this way, without even a goodbye."

"Goodbyes Greeneye are unnecessary for those who are already
apart. She will soon move on in her life and forget me. It is best for
her. As for you old friend, I say - goodbye. See them off and make
sure they reach their destination safely. Please, that is all I ask of you.
Do that-..."

He was suddenly cut off by the screaming of his name, he turned
on his horse to see Hope running through the village and people
gathered. Her face red, with tears rolling, he could see the mist of her breathing in the cold damp mourning of a sunless sky. This was the last thing that he wanted. She was out of breath by the time she
reached his mount. Greeneye stepped back.

"Red Crow... please - please don't leave this way. We have to
talk. I have so much that I need to say to you." She panted, wiping at
her tears. Red Crow's jaw clenched as he looked up from her to
Greeneye. Who shrugged as if he had nothing to do with her knowing
of the day they would leave.

"I wanted to avoid this." He said, looking into his friends eyes.

Crying, Hope pleaded. "Red Crow listen to me. I don't blame you for any of what's happened. Please Red Crow, I know it was my fault,
I should have never left the village. I should have waited, I should
have - oh please..."

"Did my mother send you in hope that you would stop me?" He
asked as if she had not said a word. She shook her head; swallowing,
choked up and so desperate she struggled to speak. "No, no she
did not. I came on my own. You cannot do this. What about your
mother, your sister? Your people, they need you Red Crow."

He sat looking down at her, his emotions well masked; no matter
how much in love with her he was, this, he knew, they were using her to
get to him. He knew she cared so much for them, that she would
swallow her pride to plead with him.
"They needed him’,
she said but he
knew looking at her, remembering the fiery spit and spirit that was
once in her eyes, that she did not need him. If that fire were ever to
return, he would have to stay away from her and out of her life.

Beholding her as he was, he could not resist. Letting go of his reigns, he reached down for her. Hope responded immediately placing her
hands on his shoulder as she heaved herself up, with his help, onto
his horse.

Palming the cheeks of her face, he gazed over her features, adding
each to his memory as if he could burn it in to stay there forever.
With her hair so short, feathering around her face, he thought her
more beautiful than ever. Knowing that the others were waiting for
him, he pulled her mouth to his and kissed her long and hard. Tasting
the saltiness of her tears as he squeezed her body into his own
wanting to feel her heart beat next to his.

He breathed in long and
deep, inhaling the scent of her as he ravaged her mouth.
Hope clung to him, caught up in a dizzying spell as she ignored
the pain his tight embrace caused her back; she still suffered
discomfort from the hard tightening and healing of her skin. Yet, no
pain would make her turn him loose right then. Her hands went
behind his head as she fused their mouths, pressing her tongue within
as far as she could insert it. It was he who was the first to break
the kiss.

"I love you." She said immediately.

He smiled, using his thumb to wipe the moisture from the corner
of her mouth. "Thank you. I will remember those words finally
coming from your lips, as I ride into battle. I will never forget you
Gold Raven... not ever." Not waiting for another word, he lifted her off his horse and to the ground.

"Red Crow!" Hope stumbled back catching her balance. He
snapped his reigns and sent his body forward, signaling his horse to
ride.

"RED CROW!!!" She screamed his name once more, her heart breaking all over again, “RED CROW –
PLE-E-EASE
!”

The others were following behind him as Hope started running,
screaming his name. Unable to keep up, they left her standing there.
Greeneye caught up to her, "Tell me how to stop him! Tell me how
to bring him back!"

"Only death will stop Red Crow. Only a miracle will bring him
back, alive."

Hope paced back and forth that entire day thinking, weeping,
praying. Josey, Butterfly, Silkie Whisper and a few others were there
helping Josey sort out things they would be taking when they left.
Hope had no interest in helping, there was no way she could focus on packing when her husband was riding into a battle that meant certain
death.

"Maybe it would help if you started pulling your tepee dwelling
down Hope, gathering things from it that you wish to bring along."
Josey suggested.

Hope stopped and stared at her. She bit into her tongue seconds
away from screaming at her, breathing deeply for control she
responded instead with. "You may pack, if that is what you wish to
do, but as for me, I am not leaving my husband to die in this futile
war!"

"How dare you say that to me!! He is my son!!
You think I want to leave?! You think this is easy for me
?!" Josey screamed, then stopped yelling as she felt
herself shaking. "I tried to stop his father, but could not! I tried to
stop him, I pleaded with him, but he is gone. I will not go through
it again, waiting for him to be returned as his father did.”

“
I cannot
bear it. There is nothing
we
can do, but pack. I have my daughter's life to save now,
she
is my priority." Josey wiped at her tears staring
into Hopes eyes.

"See to your daughter then, but I will not leave my husband
behind." She turned to leave. Angrily Josey ran to the door yelling at
her.

"When are you going to learn?! There’s nothing you can do
!! Do you hear me?! You’re going to get yourself killed this time!
! Ho-o-ope!"

Hope stopped at the edge of the yard and looked back at her
mother-in-law. "So be it. Because now, just finding my family, is not
enough. Now, the rest means nothing to me ... if he is not with me."
Wiping her tears, she turned and ran off to the village.

Josey stood quietly wiping her own tears. Taking a deep breath, she turned back into her home, setting her own resolve, she continued packing. Butterfly asked as they did. "Are we leaving without them mother? Can't we wait, just -
to see what happens?"

Josey shook her head and looked up at her. "No! We're moving
on, I have you to
see about."

"No, I will not go - I want to wait."

"Damn it! Damn it!" Josey threw down a plate breaking it.

With her mind racing, Hope occupied her time by breaking down
their dwelling. She had gone in search of Greeneye, but he was nowhere to be found. To kill some time, she began gathering her things, dismantling their tepee until she could find him. Working
stirred her thoughts as well her anger.

'You did this. You made this mess, now it is time to clean it up. Waiting all
that time to tell him you loved him, making him feel unwanted and not as
important as jour father, mother and brother.'
She shook her head at
herself.

Now she understood that bible passage Josey had read to her a
long time ago, when she was about to marry her husband.
Gen.2: 24,-
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his
wife; and they shall be one flesh.
Back then, it made no sense to her,
though she is not a man, she knew the passage referred to the
woman as well. Back then, she had resented the passage, because
there was no man for whom she would leave her family. However,
now... it made all the sense in the world.
'You're not getting rid of me that
easily, Joseph Avery O'Brien. You don't know who I am, but soon, you
will, you will.'
She swore, so angry with him, were he there she would
punch him and hard.

It was not until nightfall that she finally caught up to Greeneye, at
his dwelling she called out to him.

He stepped out, surprised to hear that she had been looking for him most of the day.
Wasting no time, she leapt right to the point.

"Okay, I need you
to tell me why?"

Confused, he asked, "Why what?"

"Why did some choose to fight when others chose not to? Surely,
the more there are of you, the greater the odds of victory!" She
questioned, fuming, angry with him and her husband. He sighed out
of trying to be patient with her, understanding her feelings of
helplessness.

"They are more equipped for battle than we. They have guns,
cannons, and rifles Gold Raven; power to reach their target from a
greater distance. With our arrows, clubs and spears we can and will injure many, kill many... but our loss will be great before we even get
a chance."

Hope stood staring at him, absorbing that bit of
information. "So, what you're telling me is, because of rifles and guns,
you won't join my husband and back him."

"I must see to the village first, Gold Raven. The people, they must
come first."

"What of those who have gone to fight? Why are they fighting? Is
it not for the same thing, for the people? Or else, why have they left
here willing to fight? My husband included."

"In my eyes, this war is wrong because it cannot be won. If both sides were balanced with weapons, I would join. This is not the case, so we cannot all head off to fight, if we did, those left behind would have to pay the greater cost. That is the whole reason your husband's father led so many from Georgia, that they be safe, and cared for. He
believed that they would lose that battle as well through the courts.
Yet... when he knew we were safe, he went off to fight and lost his life. At the time, there were others within the tribe to care for our peoples needs. We cannot all go off to fight, especially in a battle
where we are little equipped to balance the odds."

"If you had weapons, would you join the fight?"

"Even under that circumstance, all cannot go off to battle."

"Okay, to save my husband's life? If you had weapons, would
you go - for no other reason, but to bring him home, would you do
it?"

Hope stood gazing directly into his eyes, waiting and praying with
baited breath. She was willing to beg, and went so far as to bring her
hands before her, her eyes watered up as she thought back in time. Back to her brother's hidden compound. As he stood thinking, she
prayed, imagining the room and the wall.

"Greeneye, please...do you know where they will come together
to fight?"