Tiopa Ki Lakota (41 page)

Below her was a small hollow full of Lakota lodges, many of them familiar. There were no warm fires, no sign of movement, not even the whiffle of ponies. Frozen bodies lay everywhere in the camp.

"Anpo!" Kathleen gasped as she sat up, blue eyes wildly searching the loft for the scene she'd just left. Darkness met her gaze, a claustrophobic sensation washing over her. Heart thumping madly, the blonde tossed off her blankets and fled down the ladder.

Standing outside on the porch, she gulped the cold air of early spring. The blonde shivered with fear and cold, her breath drifting away in clouds of steam, her feet bare upon the rough wooden planks. Teeth chattering, Kathleen wrapped her arms about herself as she stared out over the yard.

The nightmare rolled around in her head, not letting her go as it worried her soul with sharp teeth. She could still feel the snow on her face, feel the wind whipping at her clothing, smell the faint odor of musty decay. Never had a nightmare been so real. Questions whisked in and out between the scenes and emotions that played out, adding to her mental maelstrom.

Was that a vision? And if it was, what does it mean?

Kathleen took a shaky breath and stepped from the porch. Her feet hardly flinched from the icy ground as she made her way to the barn. Soon, she was inside, the warmth of the animals causing her to shiver even more. She neared the stall her pony was in, hearing the soft nicker of welcome and feeling a nose nuzzle her hair. With relief, she hugged the spotted mare's neck and buried her face in the long mane.

If it is a vision.... Has it already happened? Or is it the future?
The sight of her warrior dead and frozen in the snow caused a sob to well in her throat. In silence, Kathleen wept her fear and worry onto her steed.

Is it possible to change a vision?

Several days later, the McGlashan siblings were in the barn, Stewart milked the cow while his sister collected eggs. Teca visited with his pony nearby, perched on the stall fencing and explaining in patient Lakota how they would ride like the wind this year.

Kathleen heard her son mention
inanup

several times, her heart seizing in her chest with each repetition.
What am I going to do?
she asked herself for the millionth time.
He deserves to know his family.... All his family.

"Yer nightmares are gettin' worse, sis," Stewart spoke up, breaking the silence between them. He peered sideways at her, his cheek against the cow's warm side as he worked the udders. "Ye've got shadows under yer eyes and ye haven't spent a full night in bed for a week."

The woman turned away from his gaze, reaching into a wooden box and pulling a brown egg out. Setting it in her basket, she shrugged. "Aye, I'll not lie to ye, Stew. It'll pass."

"Will it?" her brother murmured.

Pretending not to hear him, Kathleen finished finding the last of the eggs.

Stewart sighed and decided to change the topic. "Why do ye think she left ye here? Threw ye away?" he asked, damning himself for having to hurt her.
But she's got to do something or she's goin' to waste away!

Kathleen froze, shoulders tense, a lump in her throat. Forcing herself to breathe evenly, she answered, "Because she thinks I don't love her."

"Because ye let her sleep in the barn, right? Didn't tell the folks about the two of ye? Didn't go to her that night?" the man prodded. Behind him, he could hear his nephew trail off into silence as he listened for the answer.

"Aye, Stew," the blonde said with an explosive sigh, a tenacious hold on her emotions. "And what
that's
got to do with anything now is beyond me." She twitched her skirts with her free hand and made her way towards the barn door.

"Well, I think it's high time ye stopped feelin'
sorry
fer yerself and did something
about
it, is all!" Stewart's voice rang out clearly just as she reached the doorway.

Kathleen halted, looking out at the early morning yard, eyes unseeing. Anger flared and she whirled about, set the basket and its precious cargo down and stomped forward with blue eyes flashing.

To give her brother credit, he didn't flinch away as she loomed over him, rage on her face. Instead, he continued to milk the cow, his body language showing unconcern.

"And what would ye have me
do
, Stewart Franklin?" the woman demanded in a hiss.

Aye, yer in fer it now, laddy
, he thought at the use of his middle name. The man swallowed nervously but refused to turn. As he finished with the cow, he shrugged and spoke with the nonchalance he didn't feel. "Make up yer mind, sis. Ye won't remarry, though mum and da have paraded half the eligible bachelors through here the last year and a half. Ye won't give Teca there a Christian name or forbid him to speak that infernal language. Ye won't even let mum cut his hair!"

As Stewart rose to his feet, pulling the pail out from under the cow, his sister could only stand and stare at him in shock. After a few moments passed, she began to sputter in fury, unable to speak through the emotion. They were both surprised when she slapped him across the face.

The sound of flesh hitting flesh rang through the suddenly quiet barn. The man didn't respond, only looked down at his sister as a red handprint blossomed on his cheek.

Teca interrupted the tableau as he threw himself from his seat and wormed his way between them. "You leave my
ina
alone!" he insisted with all the scorn he could muster, pushing his uncle away. "You will not touch her!
Inanup
said to protect her!"

The man took a step backwards to appease the young boy. His mouth quirked in a crooked smile. "
Hanka

has raised him well," he told Kathleen in Lakota.

Kathleen blinked, her eyes narrowed in confusion as she placed the word. The fury drained from her face and she reached down to touch her son's shoulder. "Thank you, Teca. It is not as it seems."

Anxiously looking up to his mother, the boy studied her face for clues.

The woman smiled at him and squeezed his shoulder. "You have done a fine job of protecting me,
cinksi
.
Inanup
will be very proud."

Teca allowed his stern look to fade into a pleased expression and he turned to the blonde, hugging her close. "When will we see
inanup
again?" he asked, his voice muffled against her skirts. "I miss her."

"I do not know,
cinksi
," Kathleen murmured, her throat tight and eyes burning.

Stewart settled the pail of milk down. Draping an arm across the broad back of the cow, he leaned against it as he watched the pair.
Now's the time, lad.
"What's stoppin' ye from goin' to her, Kath?"

With a weary sigh, the blonde shook her head. "What do ye think, Stew? It's not easy for a woman to travel so far without horrible accidents befallin' her." She looked up at him, her lips pursed in exasperation. "Would ye have me take my son into the unknown? We'd be dead inside of a week."

The man sighed as well, stooping to settle the stool and sit. "Way I see it, ye'd do worse by stayin' here." With a gesture to his nephew, he continued, "Ye want to see Teca become a farmer? Or a warrior?"

"A warrior!" the boy exclaimed. "Like
inanup
!"

Stewart chuckled. "What's it goin' to be, Kath? Ye can't have it both ways for much longer."

What's it going to be?
she wondered, a glimmer of hope sparking deep in her soul. "She threw me away, Stew. That's the way they divorce," Kathleen argued.

"Aye, so ye've said. Way I see it, though, it was a misunderstandin'."

The blonde made a dismissive noise in her throat and looked away, her eyes lighting on the spotted mare. "It's not that easy, Stew. It took us two months of travel to get here and I don't even know where she is!"

"But, they get together each year for their summer camp, don't they?" the man prodded. At her nod, he shrugged. "If'n we hooked up with any Lakota between here and there, they'd show us the way, wouldn't they?"

"Well, yes, but...." His words finally reached her and Kathleen's face became cautious. "What was that again?"

A smug grin was on the young man's lips. "I said, if we found any Lakota they'd lead us to where summer camp was."

"You said,
'we'
," Kathleen clarified.

"Aye. That's what I said."

Chapter 12

Wana Yagli
(wah-nah yah-galee)
Coming Home

1783

Holding her breath,
Wi Ile Anpo

released the bowstring. With a sharp whisper, the arrow flew through the still air and hit its intended target. The antelope had time for only a few surprised steps before it collapsed to the ground. Bow strung across her back, the warrior jogged towards her prey, pulling her hunting knife.

The animal lay on its side, breathing labored and liquid brown eyes wide with fear and confusion. Anpo approached from its back, mindful of the antlers, and knelt near the head. With a solid, quick motion of the knife, she slit the buck's throat.

As blood gushed onto the ground, she murmured, "Thank you,
nigesanla

, for your sacrifice. My family will feed well and long on your flesh. Your bones and sinew will be used as tools to keep us strong. You will always be with us in our hearts."

Within a few minutes, the antelope was gutted, the entrails that were not useful scattered further away - an offering to the other animals that lived in the area. It was a bit of a struggle, but Anpo got the carcass onto her pony, lashing it down behind the saddle. She hopped atop the red stallion and slowly began the return trip home.

It was good being alone out in the hills near summer camp. Since Kathleen, the warrior had found it harder and harder to be around people. She rarely spoke, even to her own family, preferring to watch from a distance.
Because it is more difficult to hide this evil cloud that hangs over you
, Anpo thought to herself.

Shaking her head, she steered her thoughts to her well-worn daydreams.
Ketlin.... Have you joined with another? Have you given him sons? And
Teca

.... How do you fare in the white man's world?

With only half a mind on her destination, she allowed the pony to take her where he may.

Kathleen led the spotted mare along the creek. Ahead of her rode
Stewart

and Teca, the boy proud to be on the back of his own pony. Around her were others headed for summer camp,
winyan
and
wicasa
, some familiar, some not.

It had been the most outrageous of fortune. After two solid months of travel, working their way across the plains, finding other natives and speaking with each in turn, the trio had found the camp of
Wicasa Waziya Mani

. There had been quite a tense moment upon their arrival, the chief having heard a version of what had happened between Kathleen and her warrior. But, Mani felt obligated to the blonde for her help with the white traders and allowed them to join.

Stewart had been accepted as the woman's
misun

and, while he wasn't shunned, he had become the butt of a few jokes among the men. The young blond took it all with good humor, telling his sister that it wasn't any worse than what she used to throw his way when they were children.

The one who was welcomed back with open arms was Teca. The first three nights, he was a guest of the chief and sat with Mani at his fire, being regaled with tales of his
inanup

and how proud and brave she was. Kathleen watched fondly, serving her brother and son their food.

And now they were almost there.
Summer camp.
Kathleen swallowed, feeling the butterflies in her stomach.
Has she joined with another yet? Maybe adopted another child? Will she be happy to see Teca? Or angry at seeing me..?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the thunder of hooves as the first of the welcoming committee found them. As expected, the warriors circling caught sight of Stewart on his horse. In minutes, two
koskalaka

were within reach of him, staring at his clothes and coloring. Kathleen hustled forward, dropping the reins of her pony.

"Are the Lakota always this rude to a guest?" she demanded, hands on her hips and glaring up at the riders.

The pair looked down at her, recognition on their faces. One pointed at Stewart, his dark eyes narrow. "He is not
my
guest!"

"He's
mine
," came the low voice. Mani kicked his pony into the fray, his mount forcing one of them back. "Do you wish to challenge my right?"

Unsettled, the two warriors dropped their eyes and pulled away. "
Hiya

, Mani. I do not wish to challenge."

The other shook his head.

Nodding in satisfaction, the chief said, "Good. Now, go tell the people at camp that we are coming." He turned his steed away, resuming his path.

Reprieved, the two warriors threaded their way out of Mani's traveling camp and rode with their comrades back the way they'd come.

Stewart blew out a breath and rolled his eyes. "Thanks, sis," he murmured.

"I felt the same way the first time I came to summer camp, lad," she answered with a smile. "It can be a bit overwhelmin'." Memories of a young woman defending her assailed Kathleen's heart.

"Aye. And that's a fact," the white man answered, not seeing the pained expression on his sibling's face.

Once they'd made it to summer camp, Kathleen thanked Mani for his help and invited him to eat at Stewart's fire in the future. The chief thought about it for a few moments before nodding assent, studying the pair. They then parted ways, Mani moving his people towards their usual place and the woman leading her family to the camp of
Wagmiza Wagna