Snow Eagle (10 page)

She leaned against a large tree trunk; her fingers crushed the fallen leaves at her side. Her body grew tense and rigid. Hatred filled her heart.
Little Fawn, it is all her fault that my son will die. It is because of her that I am not Snow Eagle's wife. If White Fox dies, then Little Fawn must die also
. For hours she sat, anger festering in her very soul.

Charging Elk visited the plank house where White Fox was housed. He nodded to the two warriors that guarded the door. They allowed him to enter. White Fox huddled in the corner. The large man approached. “So today you will die.” Charging Elk scowled at White Fox.

“Get out of here you lowly Tagish. I am Tlingit, you are the dirt under my feet.”

“Soon, Tlingit, you will be the ash under mine. The council has spoken and today you die. I have come to tell you that you should make your peace with the Great Spirit. You have hours to live.” Charging Elk glared at White Fox. “Giant Bear of the Tagish has declared that you will die and the Tlingit agreed. Songbird will be avenged. Your days as a trickster are over.” With that Charging Elk turned his back to leave. White Fox lunged at him but the ropes that bound him pulled him off balance and he tumbled to the floor. His face was filled with rage. Charging Elk spat on him. A scream of frustration escaped White Fox's mouth. The guards appeared at the door.

“The swine squeals at the thought of his own death.” Charging Elk pushed past the men leaving them staring at the prone White Fox, who was seething with anger. The two guards gave each other a look, shrugged and closed the door.

The entire clan gathered late that afternoon. White Fox was bound to a large pole; a hood was placed over his head. The elders, wearing ceremonial headdress and painted faces, sat at the opposite end of the large opening. All were solemn.

Sunflower sat between her father and Black Rain. Her body was tense. Her gaze constantly settled on Little Fawn, seated next to Snow Eagle. Little Fawn felt her eyes upon her. Slowly she turned to see the hatred in Sunflower's eyes. A cold chill ran down her spine. Snow Eagle felt her shudder. “Is something wrong? You know this must be done. We must do as the Tagish have asked.”

“Yes, it is not White Fox but his mother that makes me shiver.” Snow Eagle looked over to Sunflower who immediately turned away.

“Are you feeling sorry for her? It must be difficult for a mother to watch her son die.” Snow Eagle mistook her fear for empathy. Little Fawn patted the back of his hand. She would not say anything now.

Several warriors appeared, carrying spears. They stood in a line between the elders and White Fox. A hush fell over the crowd. A single drummer played. Some women pulled their children to their skirts, attempting to hide their faces. Charging Elk and Walks Tall Woman stood behind Snow Eagle.

Raging Bull gave the order. This was significant since White Fox was his grandson. It reinforced the safety and good of the clan must come before blood. Several spears pierced White Fox. His head fell forward, blood trickled from the wounds. The body twitched but soon became quiet. Sunflower turned away. She knew that her son would go to
Ketl-kiwa,
a place of torment for his evil ways. Within minutes, the elders stood and walked away. The people followed. White Fox dead body would remain alone until the next morning. His body would then be burned, not in honor but in disgrace.

Little Fawn reached for Snow Eagle's hand, she felt a great fear growing within her. Sunflower walked, eyes downcast, a single tear fell on her cheek. Hatred was already replacing her grief. Raging Bull reached out for her, but she turned away. She would not be consoled.

The day of the Potlach was filled with excitement. Hundreds of people had arrived in the meadow near the Tlingit village. Temporary tents were erected on the outskirts, children ran and played, and drums and pipes could be heard over the laughter of the people. It was a cacophony of sound, happy and pleasing to the ear.

People were reunited with loved ones. Walks Tall Women stood watching the interaction. Her people were not Tlingit or Haida; they would not be here. She would probably never see them again. She had been taken as a slave in a raid on her Eyak village more than a year ago. The Tlingit had been good to her but she missed her family. Now Charging Elk was her only family and she would make him proud. Little Fawn came to stand beside her. The two women made an odd pair, one almost six feet tall and Little Fawn barely five feet. From their perch on the small mound they could survey the entire meadow. “There are many people here for the Potlach. It will be a great celebration of Buffalo Woman's life. Many will be reunited with their family.”

“Yes, but my family will not be here.” Walks Tall Women sighed. Little Fawn placed her arm around the taller woman's waist.

“You have Charging Elk now. The Tlingit and the Tagish are your family.”

“Charging Elk is a good man, a kind and gentle lover. I am proud to be his wife. But I still miss my family.”

“Yes, I understand. Did you have brothers and sisters?”

“I had three sisters and one brother. A bear killed him, when he was just a boy. There were many huge bears near our village.” Walks Tall Woman remembered the bear they had encountered on the trail. A shiver went through her body. Little Fawn did not notice, her thoughts were with her own sons.

“ I miss my sons very much. It has been years since I have seen Brave Beaver. At last I shall see him again at the Potlach. Now Gray Wolf is with the Tagish until we return to the valley in Grass Moon. It seems I can not have both of my sons together.” The sadness in her eyes made Walks Tall Woman pull her close. Together they stood, missing those that they loved.

“What is the Tagish village like? Do you think Gray Wolf will be happy there?”

“Gray Wolf is happy wherever Songbird is. That is all he needs. Charging Elk says he will be a good leader for the warriors. He will come to no harm from the Tagish.” Wanting to change the subject, Walks Tall Woman stated, “I watched Sunflower when White Fox was killed. It was very sad to see a mother witness the death of her own son.”

“Sunflower is a strong woman. She will survive.”

“I understand there is friction between the two of you over Snow Eagle.” Little Fawn turned to her in surprise, wondering how she would know this. “This is a small village, there are no secrets.” Walks Tall Woman laughed.

“Yes, Snow Eagle and Sunflower had a prearranged marriage, but it was me that Snow Eagle loved. She never got over it.”

“I hope she can get over White Fox's death,” Walks Tall Woman stated as she lifted her basket in preparation to leave. Little Fawn had her doubts. Walks Tall Woman and Little Fawn headed back to the village. “Let us go and find Red Hawk. There is much to do.”

Sunflower glared at the two women as they walked past her hiding spot. She was stalking Little Fawn, waiting for her chance.

The festivities began with dancing and singing. Several children danced around a large fire, others played drums and pipe flutes, some sang. People continued to arrive. A Potlach by the great and powerful Tlingit was looked upon as a great event. People traveled many miles to attend. Many happy reunions were taking place.

Little Fawn was busy placing a large bowl of food on the table. She could not make the feeling of dread go away.
Someone is watching me, I can feel it
. The table was spread with herring, herring eggs, salmon and cod. Goat, deer and seal meat was abundant. Many berries, beach asparagus and both red and black seaweed rounded out the meal. Everyone would eat well. She straightened the bowls. Little Fawn was very particular that everything was in its place.

She tried to concentrate on her tasks when she was grabbed from behind. Her heart leapt into her throat. Fear clutched at her heart. Slowly she turned to look at her attacker.

“Mother, you look lovely as ever.” Brave Beaver pulled her to him in a giant bear hug. He lifted her off of her feet.

“Brave Beaver, you gave me a fright. Oh, how good it is to see you, my son.” She held him tightly; her heart was pounding in her chest. “Where is Swift Otter?”

“She is talking with Red Hawk. Mother you are shaking, are you alright?”

“Yes, yes, you just gave me a fright. Come let me look at you.” Little Fawn struggled to regain her composure. She had been terrified. What was this sense of impending doom that she was feeling? She pushed it from her mind and hugged her son. How happy she was to see him.

The Potlach was filled with music and lively chatter. Many of the children gathered around their favorite storytellers. Storytellers were very popular at gatherings.

“One night as the great ice began to melt, Raven swept down.” The children's eyes grew large. “The cedars, draped with giant moss looked like huge warriors against the dark sky.” The storyteller put great emphasis on his words bringing the story to life.

“Raven was angry that the people did not show respect for the land. He declared that one of every ten black bears from that moment on would be white. The Spirit Bears would remind the people to take care of the world. You must all remember to respect Mother Earth and her creatures. During you lifetimes you will see white bears and even white moose. This is a sign you must never forget.” The children all nodded. Some fidgeted to get comfortable for the next story. Others grew bored and ran off to find more exciting things to do. The storyteller would entertain the children and some of the adults for hours. Food was consumed in large quantities. The atmosphere was electric with celebration.

As the night sky grew black, the northern lights danced above the people; joining in the great festivity of life. Charging Elk and Walks Tall Women stood arm and arm watching the sky dance with pink, green and yellow light. Charging Elk sensed that she was homesick. He smiled at her, pulling her closer. She felt safe in his arms.

Snow Eagle and the other elders met with the nobility of many clans and surrounding kwaans. The safety and survival of all of them depended on these people and the decisions that they made. News was exchanged, food was consumed and a wonderful camaraderie existed amongst them. Snow Eagle noticed that Sunflower was absent from the meetings. He looked over to Raging Bull. He too seemed concerned with his daughter's absence.

The celebrations continued. Games were played. Push Pole was a favorite. Several men held the end of a long pole, at the other end were men from another clan. The idea was to push the pole and the men until they were off balance. In another part of the meadow, around a large fire, several men played the stick game. A large bunch of sticks lay at their feet. Amongst the sticks several were marked. The men would use tricks and cunning to find the marked sticks amongst the others. The men would place bets on the sticks; gambling was popular with young and old alike.

Towards the outside of the festivities, the various clans exchanged slaves. Walks Tall Woman was interested in watching since she had once been a Tlingit slave and knew some of the women that would be traded. She and Charging Elk watched as four women were brought into the circle. A great cheer rose from the crowd and one clan exchanged the women for three others. Slaves were considered a symbol of wealth and these exchanges were common.

Suddenly Walks Tall Woman shouted, “ Dove, Dove, is it really you?” Charging Elk stared at her in surprise. He grabbed her arm as she tried to rush into the circle.

“Let me go, that is my sister.” He held her tight, surprised at the outburst.

“You will see her when the exchange is over. You must be patient.” Charging Elk was confused. Tears ran down her cheeks, she was overjoyed to see her sister after so long.

After the exchange the slaves went with their new clans. Walks Tall Woman sought out her sister. “Dove, it is me Walks Tall Woman.” The older woman looked at her in surprise. Walks Tall Woman noticed that her shorter and older sister was much thinner.

“My sister, at long last I have found you. I left the village shortly after you were taken but I could not keep up with the Tlingit. I myself was captured by the Tsimshian Killerwhale people.” The two embraced, both were crying. Charging Elk stood back waiting to be introduced.

“Dove, this is my husband Charging Elk. You must stay here with us.” Her eyes pleaded with him. Dove looked doubtful that anything could change the situation. She held her sister's hand. “Charging Elk, this is Dove, the sister that raised me after my mother died.” Charging Elk realized how important Dove was to Walks Tall Woman. He was surprised that the sisters did not look similar in any way. Dove was short and stocky, he guessed her to be at least ten years older than Walks Tall Woman. Charging Elk knew how important this was to his wife.

“Let me go and talk to the council.” With that he turned and left the sisters to catch up.

Charging Elk requested permission to enter the council hut. Snow Eagle was curious as to why he was there. “I have a request.” He explained the situation to the elders.

“We will make a decision. You may go now.” Charging Elk bowed his head respectfully and left them to decide his sister-in-law's fate. He walked back to find the two sisters arm in arm.

Crowds were dancing, brightly colored blankets twirled in the firelight, the sound of drums was almost deafening. The Tlingit's Potlach was a great success.

Snow Eagle found Little Fawn with Brave Beaver and Swift Otter. He embraced his son. “So you have come home at last. Gray Wolf will be sorry he missed you. I understand you have brought one of our Tagish brothers and Salmon Catcher home. I must have taught you well, he and Salmon Catcher have been gone for many days.”

“Walks with Fire is in the healing house but I am afraid that Salmon Catcher has gone to be with Great Spirit in Kiwa-a in the Land of the Dead.” Snow Eagle was greatly saddened by this news.

“He was a brave warrior. We must go and sing to Kah-shu-gon-yah to take our brother home.” The two Shaman left in order to pray and prepare the body of the warrior. A death dance would become part of the Potlach and Salmon Catcher's soul would go to join Kah-shu-gon-yah, the Great Spirit. Buffalo Woman would be honored with a large totem, telling the story of her life. The Potlach was a celebration of death as well as life.

Little Fawn and Swift Otter went to see Walks with Fire. They found him lying in the healing hut, Moon watched over him. Swift Otter explained to Little Fawn that Moon was now Walks with Fire's caregiver. Brave Beaver would leave her with him until he was well but then she must return to her own people. Little Fawn could see that Moon was already very fond of the Tagish warrior. Walks with Fire looked up at her and smiled. Little Fawn took his hand, very happy that he was back. Snow Eagle would send Charging Elk to see his friend. It would be a good reunion for the two young warriors. The Potlach was in full swing, but still Little Fawn felt uneasy.
You have come back to us Walks with Fire, Brave Beaver is here with me after all this time and yet I feel danger close by. Why do I feel this way on such a happy occasion?

Snow Eagle appeared before the huge crowd, Brave Beaver at his side. The other villages of Tlingit were not used to seeing such a magnificent feather headdress, it caused quite a stir. Now sporting the long caribou hide coat as well, Snow Eagle was elevated in rank in the eyes of the people. The attire showed his great strength and his unity with other tribes. Reverently, the crowd hushed. Brave Beaver at his side wore his whale mask representing the Haida people. This was a very important statement to everyone in attendance. The tribes were uniting; great strength and more trade possibilities invigorated everyone. A great cheer rose up. The sound of hundreds of people cheering was deafening.

Snow Eagle raised the rattle and the crowd silenced. “We are here to honor Buffalo Woman, a great elder. She has gone to he highest heaven,
Kiwa-a,
realm of happiness.” Many prayers were sung, Brave Beaver danced and Snow Eagle regally reigned over his people. A huge buffalo totem was raised in honor of Buffalo Woman. Red Hawk could not hold back the tears. Waving Pine, Raging Bull, Black Rain and Clouds of Thunder looked skyward, wishing their dear old friend, farewell. Buffalo Woman's only daughter, Prairie Flower was sworn in as a new council member. She would replace her mother as an elder. Like Sunflower she had been taught since birth for this position.

Because Salmon Catcher was a commoner, his burial was held with less pomp and celebration in another section of the meadow. People gathered to show their respect as the fire burned. Snow Eagle and Brave Beaver prayed and danced around the burial site. The Potlach was going very well. The social rank of the Tlingit was ever increasing.