Lakota Winds (Zebra Historical Romance) (30 page)

For a short while, they cuddled together and whispered words of
endearment and satisfaction.

Later, Chumani used the bladder bag she had brought with her to
rinse away the pleasant aroma of their bonding and dried herself with
a cloth she had secreted beneath her fringed top. Wind Dancer did the
same. They pulled on their garments and moccasins, kissed and
embraced, and returned to their campfire which was now burning low.

They decided their friends were either asleep or were successful in
pretending to be so. They exchanged smiles when they noticed their
buffalo mat had been spread out for them, and they reclined upon it.
With a thin blanket covering their nestled bodies, they eased into
peaceful slumber.

As the returning party entered their camp, the shaman and others
came to greet them. All five stared at the elderly man with white hair
and weathered skin as Nahemana disclosed astonishing news to them.

"After you rode from camp many suns past, I went into the sacred
hills and ate the peyote so the Creator could speak to me. Wakantanka
gave me a vision of powerful medicine which calmed my troubled mind.
He showed me the Old Woman's dog companion sitting at her feet as
she quilled the Life-Hide. Soon he looked toward a forest and raced
that way, making no sound as he traveled. When he returned, he carried
a Crow quiver with many arrows. He sat down at her feet again and
chewed upon it until it was destroyed, as their threat to us will be
destroyed with his help."

Wind Dancer exchanged looks of amazement with his companions.
"We left camp to seek a Crow scouting or raiding parry to defeat and
blame their slayings on the wasicun, " he explained. "but the Creator
rewarded us by crossing our paths with Four Wolves, the enemy who
led the attacks against us two winters past and since the last full moon,
and the attack on the White Shield camp which claimed the life of
Dewdrops' son. He and his band are dead."

Though it was not their custom to interrupt another while speaking
and he had not waited to see if the chief's oldest son was finished, an
anxious Raven asked, "Why do the Strong Hearts and Sacred Bow
Carriers not attack our enemies in the open where we can strike many
coups against them and show we do not fear them and are great warriors?
Why does a small band pull sneak attacks we can not share with our
friends and allies?"

"The Strong Hearts and Sacred Bow Carriers are needed here, Raven,
to guard our camp and people," Wind Dancer clarified, "for the Crow
are sly and lack the honor and courage to fight us on even ground. The
plan we use was given to me in my sacred vision and was placed in the
thoughts of Dewdrops by the Creator," Wind Dancer reminded him
and those gathered around him. "It is meant to evoke hatred, mistrust,
and war between Whites and Crow. Their peoples are abundant, and the Bluecoats have mighty weapons. Do not forget the soldiers have a
big firestick which swiftly sends forth many hard balls and tears into a
warrior's body and slays him. We cannot remove enlodged balls and
have no medicines to treat such strange wounds. If we allow them to
make truce and come at us as one large force, we will be destroyed."

"My grandson speaks with truth and wisdom," Nahemana told Raven,
as he had witnessed the destructive force of the howitzer when it was
fired long ago at Fort Pierre.

"Tell us of your challenge and victory," Blue Owl coaxed.

Wind Dancer looked at the war chief and said, "As in Grandfather's
powerful vision, a Spirit Dog helped us defeat the Crow band." While
his family and people observed and listened in awe, he related the details
of that victorious episode. Then he revealed, "We could not find the
arrow quiver of Four Wolves which the Spirit Dog snatched and vanished
with into the forest; he took it to the Old Woman Who Quills as
Grandfather was shown by He-Who-Created-And-Knows-All-Things."

That night, the Red Shields celebrated a glorious victory over the
Crow party that had attacked them twice in a vicious and despicable
manner. Following a feast and the second retelling of the great deed,
Wind Dancer walked around a huge campfire in a large clearing beyond
the scattered tepees as he held aloft Chaheechopes's war shield, bow,
and scalplock for all to view. As he did so, the Strong Hearts performed
their society dance and they chanted his and Red Feather's coups to
honor their fellow members.

Afterward, the Sacred Bow Carriers did the same for War Eagle as
he displayed the war prizes he had collected. Then both societies chanted
the recent coups of Chumani and Zitkala, who sat on either side of
Rising Bear in places of great esteem. The chief wore a broad smile of
pleasure and pride for his three loved ones, his son's best friend, and
their Brule companion. As the two women were being praised for their
courage and skills, Winona reached over and gave Chumani's hand a
gentle squeeze, and smiled in affection, respect, and gratitude.

Chumani returned the gesture, then looked at Cetan who was perched on a thick leather strip on Hanmani's shoulder and appeared at ease
there with his bandaged wing. She watched his head move from side
to side as if he was following the animated talk between the girl and
her best friend, Macha. She glanced down at the strip secured around
her left forearm where she had sustained a minor injury during the
recent clash. She had been tended to by Hanmani and Dawn who
wanted to practice their medicine skills. The others in the visionquest
party also had been tended again, by Winona and others who found
great pleasure in doing those good deeds.

Chumani was glad when the activities ended and it was time to return
to their tepee. She was both exhilarated and weary, for she had not
gotten much sleep last night. Even so, she was not regretful, as she had
spent the night blissfully in her husband's arms, laying in the grass and
making love. Just recalling it warmed her body and spirit. She could
hardly wait for Zitkala and Red Feather to experience such joy, and her
two friends appeared to grow closer every sun and moon.

Once she was in her tepee, sleep failed to come. Too many thoughts
filled her mind. Soon she would be reunited with her family and people
when the two bands would jointly hunt the buffalo as was their summer
custom and that elated her. The entire band would move to the vast
grasslands where small groups of men and women would leave to spend
many suns away from the others as the warriors hunted that game which
was vital to their survival and the females skinned and gutted the massive
animals where they fell. Young braves would transport the meat and hides
back to camp on travois to be divided and prepared by each family.

She knew it was a lengthy and arduous task; and every family was
expected to do its share of the work. In the large encampment, wooden
racks would be constructed for hanging strips of meat while they dried
and became papa saka. Other portions of meat would be packed in
parHeches to be consumed as was. The remaining sections would be
sun-and-air dried and pounded almost to powder, mixed with berries
and hot fat, allowed to cool, then formed into rolls of wakapapi wasna.
The latter was the main source of their nourishment in the winter, as
it would not spoil for many circles of the seasons if made properly.

She had performed those chores many times in past seasons and knew
them well. Though she had hunted smaller game to help feed her parents
and others, she had never gone after buffalo because her father, brother,
and male members of her band had believed that was too dangerous
for a woman; and she was told her help was needed more by the females
with their labors. Being an obedient daughter and tribe member, she
had honored her father's command.

Her father's command ... The thought came unbidden that another
urgent request of his had compelled her into joining Dull Star. Yet, she
reasoned, if she had not united with that repulsive man, she might have
chosen another mate later and been unavailable when she met Wind
Dancer. Perhaps it had been Wakantanka's plan. If she had not walked
a sad trail long ago, she might not be walking this wonderful one now,
for it had placed her in the right setting to find true love. That thought
quieted her roaming thoughts so she could drift off to sleep.

For many suns, men hunted small and large game for their families and
for those in need to use during the impending journey to the Plains. That
was done as a safety precaution to protect the band while it was at its
most vulnerable, for they would not need to halt along the way to hunt
unless it became absolutely necessary. They scouted for any signs of an
enemy approach, and posted guards around the area at all times. While
in camp, they sharpened and repaired existing weapons and made new
ones for those which had worn out. They worked on numerous arrows
for the big hunt and for defense in the event of an enemy attack. They
braided leather bridles and harnesses for their horses and conveyances. To
ease their restless spirits-as most were eager to depart-and to relax after
chores, they played games with each other and with young boys.

The women gathered berries, roots, and plants to complete their meals.
They sewed extra parfleches for carrying food and for the imminent storage
of the papa saka and wakapapi wasna, and made replacements for old
water bags. Hides and pelts from the men's daily hunts were either staked
to the ground or stretched on wooden frames to cure for later tanning.
Torn garments and moccasins were repaired; unusable ones were replaced; and new ones were made for growing feet. The best poles from their winter
tepees were chosen and marked to become part of their drag-alongs. Other
poles would be piled near the rocks to be burned as firewood next winter,
as nothing of the Creator's should go to waste.

The sun following the Wi Yaspapi, the fullness of the New Moon
whose black face could not be seen at night, the departure signal was
given by Winona for Rising Bear. Winona revealed that it was time to
strike camp and begin their journey by taking down her tepee. Rising
Bear knew the White Shields were timing their departure farther south
to arrive on schedule at the site they had selected on the Plains.

The camp quickly bustled with activity as tasks were done with
speed, eagerness, and efficiency. The numerous lodges were dismantled,
belongings were packed on conveyances, weapons and horses were readied, water was fetched, children were given final instructions, babies
were secured in their cradleboards, the elderly were assisted with rides,
and the travel plan was repeated for everyone's benefit.

The Shirt-Wearers, including Wind Dancer, took their places as
leaders of the event; they were the ones who set the daily schedule,
chose the route and nightly campsites, and resolved any problems. The
Strong Hearts-including Red Feather-and Sacred Bow Carriersincluding War Eagle-rode to their assigned spots to act as guards
along the way.

After everything and everyone was prepared, Rising Bear, poised at
the head of a lengthy column, waved his hand in the air to indicate it
was time to go; and the long line followed his lead.

As Chumani rode beside Zitkala-their mounts pulling travois loaded
with their belongings, supplies and tepee-she looked at her best friend
and asked, "I wonder what joys, rewards, and sufferings await us on
the grasslands."

"I do not know, Dewdrops, but we will have answers soon."