Lakota Winds (Zebra Historical Romance) (14 page)

As they returned to the feast in chilly silence, Chumani suspected
that Wastemna was going to be anything but "sweet-smelling" as her
lovely name alleged, and dreaded to discover if her instincts were accurate.

As Wind Dancer and Chumani settled down to sleep for the first
night in their new tepee, they shared the same buffalo hide mat but
did not unite their bodies as both desired without the other's knowing.
Each had enjoyed their welcome feast and hoped to close the gap
between them, but both were reluctant to make the first romantic move.

Chumani did not ask Wind Dancer about Wastemna or any other
female who had longed to join to him as the female had alleged. She
wondered again if he did not truly desire her for herself or could not
bring himself to make love to her, a woman he had not chosen and one who had no doubt made a bad impression on him at their first
meeting. Out of pride and not wanting to suffer anguish and loss again
from a mismatched love, she told herself she must continue to control
such desires. Also, she reasoned, as long as they did not bond on the
sleeping mat, he could not plant his seeds within her body, which she
feared would prevent or halt her participation in the sacred task. She
prayed for the strength to deny her urges and for the cunning to avoid
insulting him while doing so. She knew that task would be difficult
since her husband was so tempting in many ways.

The following morning while the men were hunting game, Chumani
gathered herbs and plants and collected firewood with Hanmani, her
best friend Macha, her grandmother Little Turtle, Rising Bear's sister
Pretty Meadow, Winona, Songbird, wife of Winona's brother Strong
Rock, and Little Deer, sister of Winona who had never joined to a man
and who still lived in the tepee of their parents Nahemana and Little
Turtle. As they talked and laughed while they worked together, her
affection and respect for his family and people increased and she learned
more about them and the events which had bonded them as a close
band. She was delighted and relieved to discover that the family circle
of Rising Bear and Winona was loved and esteemed. She was proud
that her second father was the son of a reputable chief and her second
mother the daughter of a revered and beloved shaman. There was no
denying that her husband's bloodline was a good one, just as their future
son's would be.

Chumani's father did not come from a long and honored bloodline
of chiefs. When she was three winters old, Tall Elk had been chosen
as chief by their council and accepted by the entire White Shield Band
after their last leader and his two sons were slain in a fierce battle with
a joint war party of Crow and Pawnee where her father had taken charge
following their deaths and led his warriors to a glorious victory. Her
brother would become their next chief, unless Fire Walker did something
to dishonor himself and his rank or was slain. Since her brother was a good man and renowned warrior, she must not imagine either ever
happening.

That afternoon, Wind Dancer asked her to take a doubleback ride
with him in the Spearfish canyon to one of its water falls, the largest
in that area.

Chumani was elated when he suggested Cetan go with them so the
hawk could exercise his wings and hunt fresh meat, but mostly by the
implication he was courting her with a romantic ride together. A private
outing also would reinforce his people's belief in their intimate relationship, which should please him and cause him to continue his restraint.

She quickly put away her tasks, released Cetan, and accepted Wind
Dancer's hand to be pulled up behind him on his brown riding horse.
She sensed his pleasure at her willingness to comply, and she smiled to
herself for her fast thinking and cunning. Perhaps, she mused, this
pursuit game would be fun.

At first, the canyon was shallow and wide and filled with radiant
sunlight as they traveled near a rapidly flowing stream whose water was
cold but refreshing. The setting was lovely and peaceful. The day was
clear and warm and without even a hint of a thundercloud. Vegetation
was abundant and green, especially spruce and tall grass which swayed
to and fro in a gentle breeze, and wildflowers flourished amidst the
verdant covering. Their arrival flushed a variety of birds and animals
from or near their path and spooked them into temporary concealment.

As they continued along a well-worn trail, the black cliffs on both
sides of them rose higher and steeper and more jagged. When the canyon
narrowed, less sunlight entered that lovely domain, yet, a strip of blue
sky was overhead and made a vivid contrast with the greens and blacks.

After they reached the falls and dismounted, Chumani was amazed
by the loud noise of water rushing over the towering cliff occasionally
spraying a light mist on them. "I can see why your people chose this
location for your winter camp," Chumani observed. "It is well protected
from the cold and snow, and the water moves too fast to freeze. I am
sure there is always something growing here for your horses to eat, and animals lingering to furnish you with game. Those are the reasons why
my people camp near the place where the warm springs bubble from
the face of Mother Earth far away. See," she said as she pointed upward,
"Cetan likes this place and soars in freedom as he seeks his prey."

"I am glad this journey makes you both happy. Many suns past you
said we had not shared rides, so we must do so many times to bring
us closer. Tonight I will play the flute for you, for I did not do so
before we joined."

Chumani smiled at him. "It is good to share such things before we
become as one. I thank you for your patience and generosity. You have
much respect for the Four Virtues and practice them well."

Wind Dancer smiled in return. "It stirs my heart to hear you speak
such words to me." He yearned to caress her cheek, to kiss her lips, to
hold her in his arms, to lie upon the grass with her, and to make love.
But first he wanted to pull her closer and tighter to him.

"It stirs my heart to have a husband who is good and kind to me,"
Chumani said in response. "It also stirs my heart to see the beauty of
Mother Nature and the work of the Great Spirit's hands. He has created
many things for us to use and enjoy."

"That is true, and I thank Him each new sun for doing so."

"As do I, mihigna. " she sighed then before speaking. "I wish we
could stay longer, but I must return to our tepee to prepare our evening
meal. I thank you for this good deed."

"It is only the first of many, mitawin, "he vowed.

En route to camp, Wind Dancer ached with desire as she rode with
her breasts pressed against his back with her arms laced around his
waist. He enjoyed the sound of her laughter, the soothing tone of her
voice. His wife was a heady mixture of strength and softness in mind
and body. Her pleasing scent was already familiar to him. Even her
breath whispered of fragrant dried herbs when she spoke or they kissed.
The only scars on her sleek flesh were the two mourning cuts on her
forearm, which were signs of great love and courage and a tragic loss.
Since their joining, she had done nothing to disappoint or shame him;
her behavior in private and public had been perfect. His family and people liked, respected, and had accepted her. His brother and best
friend had told him how fortunate he was to have her. Yes, he concluded,
she was the best choice for his wife, quest companion, and mother of
his children; for which he silently thanked Wakantanka.

After placing a shaft-skewered rabbit over two end Y-shaped posts
to cook slowly, Chumani went inside the tepee to fetch tenderizing and
flavor-enhancing herbs to sprinkle over the meat. After that task was
done, and from pouches hanging on the dew-cloth, she retrieved elk
antler spoons, chokecherry plates, and buffalo horn cups with their
points driven into blocks of pine for balance. Knowing she had plenty
of time before the rabbit was done, she walked a short distance to the
river to fetch fresh water. As she did so, she realized she felt aglow in
heart and body from the outing with her handsome and virile husband.
He was so enticing and-

"Your fire is too large and the meat burns past eating."

While kneeling to fill the bladder bag, a distracted Chumani turned
and looked up at her tall husband and asked him to repeat what he
had said.

As quietly as possible for privacy, he warned, "The flames of your
cookfire are too high and hot and burn the meat; it will soon be ruined.
It is not a man's place to do such work, so I came to alert you of
trouble."

Chumani hurried to the site beside their tepee. She was astonished
to discover he was right; lofty flames licked greedily at the meat and
were charring its sizzling flesh. She quickly hung her water bag on its
post, pushed most of the high pile of wood aside, and doused their
roaring flames with water she had just fetched. As she studied the meat
to see if it was past saving, she murmured almost to herself, "There is
mischief at work here; I did not make my fire so high."

Wind Dancer moved closer to her to ask in a whisper, "Do you say
a trickster lives in my camp or one has sneaked into it?"

Chumani understood his concern. She knew it was reckless to accuse
an unknown member of his band of this wicked trick, but-to avoid appearing careless-she was compelled to say, "I do not know, but I
did not make a bad fire. I used only a small amount of the wood I
gathered this morning and the rest is piled nearby. I also do not use
the dried wood of the pine for slow cooking, as it burns too swiftly."

Wind Dancer did not want to believe one of his people had done
such a thing on purpose; nor did he want to believe she was lying to
him to cover her carelessness. Either way, he was worried about the
strange incident. He felt it was wisest to advise her in her low tones:
"It is best if we do not offend others by asking if someone did such a
bad deed or to cause fear by saying an evil spirit sneaked into our camp
to play a trick on Waci Tate and Dewdrops."

"It is agreeable to me to walk that path to prevent trouble," she
concurred, but added to herself, I will use the eyes of the eagle to watch
for more trouble.

"I will sit here and guard our lodge and meat while I play the flute
for you." He assumed others would think he was only entertaining
them, but she would know from his earlier words that he was courting
her.

As he played music and she worked, Chumani's mind whirled with
questions about the cooking fire. Even the type of wood used was not
what she had gathered. She wondered who disliked her so much and
wanted to make her look bad to her husband, and to cause him to
think even worse of her for accusing one of his people of such a foul
deed. She knew if Cetan had not been tethered inside the tepee out of
the bright sun, he would have sounded a warning to her about the
encroacher; and if he had not been tethered outside, he would have
attacked the person responsible, and his injuries would have exposed
the guilty one. She realized that with the placements of the tepees, as
many-like theirs-were backed up to the forested hills and all entrances
faced the rising sun for spiritual reasons, it was easy for a clever person
to sneak up to her site and create such mischief. Also, each woman's
cooking and working area was to the left of her dwelling to prevent
one's smoke from blowing into the next woman's face as she did her
chores.

Then, another and more irritating speculation crept into Chumani's
mind. She wondered if Wind Dancer had created the event to see how
she reacted. Perhaps he wondered if she would display bad temper, or
panic and cry in helplessness. Would he do such a sneaky thing? Had
their outing been nothing more than a means to relax and dupe her
before he tested her character and skills? She did not know, but in time
she would discover if he was fooling her.

Both were a little guarded since the disruption earlier. After the
evening meal was ready and as they ate it, they talked about many
things as they sought to get to know each other better. It was the custom
for men to eat first when in a group of them or with male guests present,
but if they were with only their families, everyone ate at the same time.

Neither Wind Dancer nor Chumani commented on the places where
she had scraped away burned sections on the meat or remarked on its
slight dryness from excessive heat. They also had camass bulbs which
she had found that morning and roasted in the still-glowing coals, along
with bread made from corn, nuts, and dried berries. Wind Dancer did
smile and tell her how good the bulbs and bread were, and she thanked
him.

Afterward, they took a short walk through the camp, stopping several
times to speak with friends, his grandparents, and family. Neither noticed
anyone watching them or behaving oddly since the fire incident, though
both kept a sharp and furtive eye out for such a person.

Later as they lay on their sleeping mat, Wind Dancer suggested they
practice kissing and touching to make their behavior appear more natural
and convincing in public. He said, which was true but not his sole
motive, that he was concerned that his people might worry about the
sacred visionquest if it appeared they were not well matched in their
joining and feelings. To his delight, his wife agreed.

Even so, Chumani told herself she was cooperating only to safeguard
the secret of their unconsummated relationship, and to dupe the trickster-who might be a jealous woman-about Wind Dancer's feelings
for her and commitment to her. Yet, it was a fierce struggle not to lose
herself in the passion and pleasure of her husband's lovemaking. His mouth was skilled and delicious upon hers. His hands were gentle and
arousing upon her body, though he did not touch her intimately. His
mood was tender and caring, and he seemed to enjoy their game. Her
previous doubts about him vanished for a while as he enchanted her
entire being. It was exciting and flattering to have a great warrior and
future leader pursue her, and to do so with persistence and without a
great rush to seek his own appeasement. She liked viewing this side of
him, the gentle and sensitive man. It gave her the chance to become
more relaxed around and with him before they united their bodies. She
also wanted to delay their bonding for as long as possible because, if it
was not enjoyable or was painful to her, that would breed resentment
in her, and problems between them. It was best to move along this
path slowly, even if she was tempted to race along it in wild and
wonderful abandonment.