Lakota Winds (Zebra Historical Romance) (27 page)

During the next four days, the Red Shield party traveled in elated
spirits. They laughed and talked, while they maintained their alert, and
always kept a guard posted at night as the other four slept in shifts
assigned by Wind Dancer. They spoke about the current adventure,
past conflicts and battles, their families, impending episodes, and about
their friendships and events they had shared since early childhood.

On their last night on the trail, they camped amidst dense trees and
at a rambling river northwestward of their winter village, a location too
far to reach that day, though a near full moon would light their path.

Back within Lakota territory, they could relax their alert slightly, so
the women built a fire and roasted several rabbits the men had slain.
Again, the group talked and laughed together about many things as
they ate.

Afterward, Chumani went behind some bushes to excuse herself prior
to joining Wind Dancer on their sleeping mat and was slightly distracted
by thoughts of being in his embrace for the first time in many days.
Then she sensed movement from the corner of her eyes. She came to
instant alert as she looked in that direction, her hand going to the
handle of the sheathed knife at her waist. She reasoned it was probably
a nocturnal animal, but it could be an enemy trying to sneak up on
them. She kept still as her gaze searched the shadows beyond her. Then
she sighted her target, bathed in moonlight, as it appeared and halted
beside a sacred cottonwood.

At first she thought it was a wolf but changed her mind. Yet, it did
not look like any dog she had ever seen. Its eyes were tawny and seemed
to glow, perhaps from the moon's reflection upon them. His fur was
thick and long and had a silverish gleam, again perhaps a trick of the
moon's light. As he returned her stare, she sensed an awesome power
exuding from him. She was enthralled by the beast. He seemed to fill her with sensations of peace and joy. Was he, she wondered, spirit or
real? Was he trying to communicate with her? If so, why?

Chumani continued to watch the beautiful creature until it nodded
its head twice and backed into the shadows, to vanish among them.
She looked and listened, but no further sign of him was evident. She
rejoined the others and told them about the strange event as she sat
down on her mat.

"Perhaps he came from the mating of a she-wolf with a white man's
dog who escaped their wooden tepee," Wind Dancer ventured, "for
they have brought many unknown kinds with them to our lands."

"That is true," Red Feather concurred, "for I have seen them at the
trading post. It is good he did not attack you."

"I sensed no danger from him. It was like ... a mystical experience.
His eyes and pelt seemed to glow like magic," she repeated earlier words.

"Perhaps he is a spirit and he comes to help us with the sacred quest,"
War Eagle said. "A strange beast traveling with us would frighten the
Crow into fleeing from us." He grinned and added, "Perhaps you are
so weary you fell asleep while standing and dreamed he was there."

"You tease me, my second brother," Chumani playfully scolded him
as she glanced at a quiet Zitkala whose gaze was locked on Red Feather.

"I do, my second sister, but I mean no harm," he said with a chuckle.

"As I will mean no harm when I tell every young woman in camp,
she has caught War Eagle's eye and they all pursue you with great
hunger. You will be the one to grow weary from their chases and seek
a place to hide."

War Eagle sent her a feigned grimace and chuckled again. "You
would not play such a mean trick on me, for we are family now. But
when the moon comes when I must take a mate, I will choose one like
you."

Chumani smiled at her husband's younger brother. "Your words are
kind and your tongue is smooth, so I will be good to you."

"Your words calm me so I can sleep this moon." War Eagle responded.

Wind Dancer was amused by their exchange of words. He was glad
his wife and brother had become friends, as had his sister and wife. He told the others, "It is time for us to sleep, for the new sun brings much
to do."

The Red Shield band encircled the five riders at the edge of camp,
as their approach had been sighted and news of their return had spread
fast amongst them. All listened as the stirring tale of their adventure
was related by Wind Dancer in colorful detail. The group's courage,
cunning, and skills were praised highly by the warriors, and the women
concurred with nods and murmurs of `Han, "which meant yes, that is
right.

Chief Rising Bear, Winoma, Hanmani, Nahemana, and Little Turtle
were especially relieved and overjoyed to see their loved ones return
unharmed. He commended the party on their great achievement and
prowess. Afterward, he said, "We must let them eat and rest, as they
have traveled far and fast and must be weary."

"Come, my children," a happy Winona invited, "I have food prepared. Hanmani, fetch fresh water for us to drink."

Red Feather's parents smiled at him, and did the same to Zitkala at
his side, who was asked to join them for the evening meal.

Zitkala was tempted to accept so she could spend time with her love,
but she thought it best before his people to politely decline and to eat
with the others. She thanked them for their offer and said she would
join them on another day. Yet, she could not help but wonder if they
had asked because Red Feather had revealed an interest in her to them.

As they reached the area where Wind Dancer's and Rising Bear's
tepees were located, Chumani stared at the empty space to one side of
theirs. "Where is the lodge of Buffalo Hump" she asked. "Was there
trouble while we were gone? Was it destroyed? Were he and his family
harmed?"

"Come inside," the chief almost whispered, "and we will tell you."

Chumani, Wind Dancer, War Eagle, and Zitkala followed Rising
Bear into his dwelling where he disclosed shocking news.

"Hanmani and her friend Macha were doing their private task in
the bushes in the forest when Wastemna and her mother approached, and spoke of doing a terrible deed. They planned to give Cetan bad
meat to slay him and to do bad things to Dewdrops and Zitkala when
they returned. They also spoke of many bad deeds they had carried out
on past suns. They want to drive Dewdrops from our camp and my
son's tepee. Evil stole their minds and hearts, for they desired for
Wastemna to join to my son and their plan was defeated. If she could
not have him, she would seek Red Feather as a mate. They were angry
that his eye was also captured by a Brule woman. Hanmani returned
to camp and told me all. I summoned the council and they were exposed
before it. We voted to banish them from our camp and land. Buffalo
Hump accepted our words and the truth of his family's evil. He loves
them and could not endure losing them, and could not remain here to
live in shame alone. He took them to join another band far away from
our territory. Blue Owl was chosen to take his place as war chief. You
can be happy now, Dewdrops, for no more mischief and evil will strike
at you, my second daughter."

Chumani smiled at Rising Bear. "That is good, my second father,
and I thank you for your kindness and help in that matter." Now she
understood the strange look the older woman had given her before their
departure; it truly had been one of hatred and hostility. At last she
could relax, for the tricksters had been exposed and banished, though
it saddened her to be the unbidden reason for the loss of their war chief
and friend. She hoped the other Red Shields would not resent her.

"If the snake had bitten Winona before Dewdrops took its life, my
beloved mate would be lost to me." Rising Bear added. "I thank the
Great Spirit for sending you to us, Dewdrops, and I thank you for
saving her life and that of her father during the Crow attack. It is good
to have you live among us."

Chumani smiled again and nodded appreciation, her throat too constricted by deep emotion to respond with words. When Hanmani
returned, she warmly conveyed her gratitude for solving that mystery
and for tending and protecting Cetan so well.

"We are good friends, and his wing heals swiftly, but he cannot take to the sky until it is strong again. I am happy Wastemna and her mother
will no longer trouble your spirit and tepee."

"As am I," Wind Dancer concurred with his sister. He was sorry he
had ever experienced even a tiny suspicion that his wife had been to
blame for the past mischief; he would never doubt her and her place
in his destiny again. "We believed Wastemna was causing the mischief,
but we could not accuse the daughter of our war chief and friend before
others until she exposed herself. We did not suspect her mother worked
with her."

"It is wise you waited for Wakantanka to reveal their evil to others,
but our people would have believed your words to be true," Rising Bear
told him.

"Do our people object to Red Feather's interest in Zitkala?" Wind
Dancer asked for the Brule women's benefit.

Rising Bear glanced at the woman in question and smiled. "We did
not tell them those words, for Red Feather has not revealed them and
it was not our place to do so while he was gone. But I am sure his
parents and our people will be happy for him to take a mate during
the coming season. It will be good to be twice bonded to our allies, the
White Shields."

Zitkala smiled and thanked the chief for his kind remarks. She had
not expected her relationship with Red Feather to be exposed before
they had grown closer and made a decision about a future together.
She could not help but worry about the effect of that news upon him,
as his "interest" might not be that serious yet, or ever.

Afterward, Winona and Hanmani served the food and water; and all
sat on buffalo hides and rush mats to eat and talk together. Once more,
the tale of their adventure was related and discussed, as was their next
journey.

It was after dark when they parted company. Wind Dancer, Chumani
and Zitkala went to his tepee to sleep. Cetan rested nearby on a temporary
perch, happy to have his longtime companion returned. It was as if he
understood that another, a man, now shared her life and affections.
Even so, he grasped she still loved and needed him. Yet, an instinct deep within him yearned for a mate of his own and soon he must seek
and find one.

The following morning, Chumani went to the cansakawakeya to
spend the next few days beading and quilling during her woman's flow.
While she was there, Hanmani would tend her hawk, and Zitkala would
cook and do chores for Wind Dancer and bring her food and water.

As she settled herself in the secluded willow shelter, she wished there
had been time and privacy to discuss Red Feather with her best friend.
She could not help but hope and pray they two would join and Zitkala
remain there. She did not want to imagine how it would hurt her friend
if that relationship failed to become more than friendship, as she was
certain Zitkala was in love with Wiyaka Lute and wanted to become
his wife and mother of his children.

Children ... The appearance of her blood flow told Chumani she
was not with child, though she had mated many times with her husband.
She decided it was not the season for her to bear a son or daughter and
the Great Spirit prevented that condition to keep her a part of the
sacred quest. She now looked forward to becoming a mother again,
especially since the baby would be fathered by Wind Dancer, a man
she loved deeply. Just thinking of him caused her to quiver with renewed
passion and her heart to sing with joy. She was so fortunate the Great
Spirit had chosen them for each other and crossed their paths, that total
trust and acceptance existed between and within them.

As she worked in solitude, she thought about the challenging and
dangerous adventures which loomed before them. Within a few moons,
their party of five would be leaving again to carry out their next daring
and cunning task against the Bird Warriors. Afterward, they would head
for the Plains with the Red Shields where their two bands would camp
and hunt buffalo together, and where she would be reunited with her
family and people for a short time. From that site, they would head for
the trading post at Fort Pierre and hopefully dupe the Whites living
there. To prepare herself for that perilous encounter and trickery, she
practiced the Crow and English languages.

She was all too cognizant that if their cunning ploys succeeded, the
Crow and Whites would be too busy battling each other to give them
trouble during their annual buffalo hunt and ensuing move to their
winter camp. But if they failed and were exposed, the Bird Warriors,
white settlers, and soldiers would wreak vengeance upon them with a
fury.

At dusk on the third sun later, Chumani carried out the customary
departure ritual of bathing and donning clean garments. When she
arrived at her tepee, she found Zitkala sitting and eating with Wind
Dancer and Red Feather, savoring a deer stew and bread made from
trade-corn.

The three greeted her with delight, and, after putting away her sewing,
she joined them to eat and talk.

As they chatted, Chumani noted how radiant and happy Zitkala was.
She noticed the smiling woman was wearing a fringed dress with lovely
beading and a decorative ornament in her dark hair, which hung loose
tonight around her shoulders. She realized Zitkala no longer wore a
wide and tight band around her ample breasts to flatten them to conceal
her femininity. Instead, her friend seemed to be trying to heighten
feminine attributes, and she was succeeding. Her face seemed slightly
fuller and softer, her hands were no longer rough, and white edges grew
from the tips of her normally short or ragged nails. Even Zitkala's hair
seemed thicker, shinier, and more flattering to her face. It was undeniable
that no one could mistake Zitkala for a man.