The Bear: Paha Sapa Saga Book Three Part One
Robin Deeter
The Bear
The Paha Sapa Saga, Book Three, Part One
Robin Deeter
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What does the appearance of power spirit animal mean for the Kiowa tribe?
Cricket’s powerful vision of a bear cub sets off a chain of events that alters the lives of many in the tribe. A warrior goes missing and, despite all efforts to find him, he seems to be lost to them forever. His eventual return brings many surprises. It also creates more questions than answers. Continue the adventure and follow the exploits of our friends as they experience tribulation, face danger, and find love and joy.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to all you brave readers who continue to accompany me on this adventure. We still have new characters to meet, exciting events to share, and new places to explore together. I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. As always, your faith, friendship, and kindness are so very appreciated. Happy reading!
A Special Thank You
To my Essie, you are my rock and my biggest fan. You’re always there to cheer me on and give me a kick in the caboose when I need it. I treasure your love and loyalty and I couldn’t do this without you.
Other books by Robin Deeter
Chance City Beginnings
(Prequels to Chance City Series)
Part One
Part Two
Chance City Series
Mail Order Mystery
On the Fence
Crossroads
Gray Justice
When the Thunder Rolls
And the Lightning Strikes
A Very Decker Christmas
The Paha Sapa Saga
Sacrifice and Reward
Sacrifice and Reward Audio Book
Sacrifice and Reward Print Book
Winter Moon
The Bear, Part One
The Bear, Part Two
The Phantom Horse Bridge Series
Phantom Origins Book 0
Phantom Heat
Wolf Junction Series
Silver Bell Shifter
Chapter One
War cries filled the air as Ten Thunders, a Kiowa warrior, grappled with a Cheyenne brave. Horse hooves thundered perilously close to the two men as they fought, but neither of them paid attention. Their sole focus was on eliminating their enemy.
With a forceful shove, Ten Thunders threw his opponent over onto his back and straddled the other brave. With a swift motion, he slit the other man’s throat with his knife, hating the metallic smell of the Cheyenne brave’s life blood as it gurgled forth from the large wound.
Pushing away the immediate remorse he felt for taking yet another life, Ten Thunders rose and met his next challenger. Although he was a skilled, cunning fighter, Ten Thunders detested war, and even though he would defend his tribe at all costs, he always felt guilty when he was forced to hurt other people.
He smashed another Cheyenne warrior in the face, took his spear and ran him through with it. On and on it went until the fighting started dying down.
“Look! They are retreating!” said one of his fellow warriors, Willow, as she pointed towards the open plain beyond their village.
Relieved, Ten Thunders lowered his knife a little. His relief was short-lived, however. His tribe’s war leader, Fang, motioned for him to give chase and help bring down as many Cheyenne as possible as they fled.
His heart heavy, Ten Thunders picked up a bow and quiver that were lying on the ground and jumped on the nearest pony. Putting his heels to his mount’s sides, he took off after the enemy. From the pony, he shot down two fleeing men and then leaped off his mount onto a third when he ran out of arrows.
They rolled together, and Ten Thunders wound up on the bottom. The Cheyenne warrior tried to drive his knife into Ten Thunders’ chest, but Ten Thunders grabbed his wrists, stopping his enemy’s downward motion.
Struggling against him, Ten Thunders was able to throw the other fighter off him and gain his feet. Pulling his own knife, he stood looking at his opponent, his breathing ragged from exertion as guilt and a sense of duty warred in his heart. Curiosity shown in his enemy’s eyes when Ten Thunders sheathed his knife and shook his head.
“I have no wish to kill you this day,” he signed. “There has been enough bloodshed.”
The Cheyenne brave also put his knife away and signed back, “I do not understand. Is it not your duty to kill me?”
Ten Thunders replied, “It is my duty to protect my people, and I have done that. Perhaps we will see each other again in battle someday, but I hope not. I am leaving now.”
Even though he expected to feel the other man’s knife pierce his back, Ten Thunders turned and walked to where his pony stood. He mounted and saw that the Cheyenne brave still stood there. Ten Thunders lifted a hand to him in farewell and rode away through the trees, back to his village.
Sitting in their tipi across the fire from his brother a couple of nights later, Cricket looked at Ten Thunders with concern. It wasn’t normal for him to sit in silence. He’d been acting odd ever since the skirmish with the Cheyenne the other day. Ten Thunders ate his meal in a perfunctory manner, not complimenting their mother, Green Leaf, or telling funny stories.
Looking over Ten Thunder’s muscular form, Cricket could detect nothing physically wrong with him. The two times he’d asked Ten Thunders if he felt all right, he’d told him he was fine. Cricket deduced that Ten Thunders’ had a sickness in his heart, and he decided to talk to him about it after the meal.
When Ten Thunders finished his food, he thanked Green Leaf and left their tipi. He looked up at the moon and started walking. He had no particular destination in mind. He was just restless and needed to move.
“Ten Thunders!”
He turned at Cricket’s voice and waited for him to catch up.
“Where are you going?”
With a start, Ten Thunders realized he didn’t have to look down as much to meet his brother’s eyes. It had been almost two years since Ten Thunders had been captured by the people who’d adopted him. When he’d first met Cricket, he’d been a skinny boy, but over this last year, he’d grown and filled out, becoming manly and handsome.
Cricket was betrothed to a Lakota maiden named Hummingbird. She was the granddaughter of the Lakota chief whose band the Kiowas had become allies with. Their wedding was planned for the end of the month, which Ten Thunders knew that in English was called August. It was now almost the end of March and everyone was looking forward to spring after the harsh winter.
Ten Thunders gave Cricket a half-smile. “I am just walking.”
Cricket asked, “Do you want to see if someone is playing games?”
“No. I am not in the mood.”
“What troubles you?” Cricket asked.
Ten Thunders stopped walking. “I am what white people call ‘battle weary.’ My heart is heavy with sadness over the lives I have taken.”
Cricket understood. Over the winter, he’d killed several braves in battle. “I feel the same way sometimes. Although I know that I must protect my people, I feel the responsibility for those lives I took, too.”
“I let a Cheyenne brave escape the other day because I could not bring myself to kill him. He was retreating and was no threat to me. I turned my back on him to mount my pony. He could have killed me, but obviously, he did not,” Ten Thunders said.
Cricket stared at him. He was sure that others had done such a thing, but he’d never heard anyone admit it before. “I am glad he did not. I have no wish to lose my brother.”
Ten Thunders said, “I am grateful to be alive, but I am not afraid to die.”
“I know. Perhaps a cleansing would help you. We can do it tomorrow.”
“Thank you, but no. It will not help because I will be called on to kill again,” Ten Thunders said. “I will be fine.”
Cricket wished there was more he could do for Ten Thunders, but this was something Ten Thunders had to reconcile in his heart on his own. “All right, but I will always be here for you.”
“Thank you.” Ten Thunders didn’t want to depress Cricket with his morose thoughts any further. “It will not be long before you have your own tipi and start working on a family.”
Cricket laughed bashfully. “No. It seems as though the time has gone both fast and slow.”
Ten Thunders grinned. “You are thinking about the wedding night.”
“Yes. Waiting has been hard, but it will be worth it,” Cricket said.
His mood lifted a little, Ten Thunders said, “Soon there will be little Crickets running around.”
Cricket said, “Sendeh willing, yes.”
Ten Thunders smiled. “I am looking forward to going to Grand Forks again this season. There are usually a few pretty women there.”
“Do you not wish to marry any of our women?” Cricket asked.
Ten Thunders shrugged. “None seem interested in me, nor I them. And none of the Lakota maidens want me, either. If I do not meet anyone soon, I will marry one of our maidens, but only because it is my duty.”
“There are worse things. You might find love. I was not expecting to fall in love with Hummingbird, but I did,” Cricket said.
“And I am happy for you.”
“You have not asked me to pray that you find a pretty girl lately. Why?”
Ten Thunders laughed. “It is because after Three Deer married, I realized that sometimes one can pray too hard for something that will not happen. Better to let it happen when Sendeh decides and not drive myself crazy over it.” He clapped Cricket on the shoulder. “Now, enough of all this. I have changed my mind about playing games. I am sure Lighting Strike is playing. Let us go see.”
Cricket knew better than to press Ten Thunders further. “All right. If you are sure.”
“I am. Come.”
Ten Thunders led the way to Lightning Strike’s tipi, and the two men found a rousing game of knuckles going. Playing the game that night lifted Ten Thunders’ melancholy for a short time, but he knew it would return. Later, as he walked to his tipi, Ten Thunders decided he would let Cricket do a cleansing for him after all.
Cricket rode on Bison’s back as they crossed a small stream. “Bison, do you know where Ten Thunders comes from?”
Bison swished his tail. “Why do you ask?”
“I have been thinking about something he said over a year ago.”
Several birds flew down to the water’s edge as Bison left the stream.
“Are you going to tell me what it is, or must I guess?” Bison asked.
“He said that his mother had told him that he is named Ten Thunders because he was born on the tenth thunder roll during a storm.”
“That makes sense. What bothers you about it?”
Cricket said, “He said he was taken from his first people when he was about five winters old. Would he still remember that since he was so young?”
Bison started trotting, jostling Cricket a little. “Some people can remember things from when they were very small.”
“Yes, but he said he does not know who his people are. If he can remember a story about his name, do you not think he would remember what tribe he comes from?” Cricket asked.
They came over a rise and looked down into a huge ravine. “Do you see?” Bison asked. “Remember this place. It will make your hunting easy.”
Cricket looked down over the precipice and felt a little dizzy. “Yes, I see.”
“Pay attention!” Bison chastised him. “Do you see?”
Bracing his hands on Bison’s back hump, Cricket leaned forward. “I see a cave. Is it important?”
Bison sighed. “If it were not, I would not show it to you. What is wrong with you today?”
Cricket patted Bison’s shoulder. “Do not be grouchy. I am worried about Ten Thunders. He says he is battle weary.”
Bison shook his head and all at once, they were down in the ravine, looking up at the cave. Cricket grabbed Bison’s fur and steadied himself.
“I hate it when you do that.”
Bison let out a rumbling laugh. “I know. Go look in the cave.”
“Is this a prank? I did not know that spirit guides had a sense of humor.”
Bison chuckled. “No, it is not a prank.”
Cricket slid off Bison’s back and came forward so he could look in Bison’s eye. “You are not going to answer me about Ten Thunders, are you?”
“Not until you go look in the cave.”
Groaning, Cricket started picking his way up the side of the ravine. Gaining the mouth of the cave, Cricket heard a strange moaning cry. “Bison, I cannot see inside. It is dark.”
In answer, a soft glow began to dispel the gloom within the cavern and Cricket crept forward. The cry grew louder, and he recognized the calling of a bear cub. Creeping closer, Cricket saw it crawling along the back wall of the cave.
“Why is it all alone? Where is its mother?”
The fine hair on Cricket’s arms stood up when he heard a deep, throaty growl from behind him. Closing his eyes, he prayed that Bison was playing a joke on him. Slowly turning around, he found himself staring into the eyes of the biggest grizzly bear he’d ever seen. It was a wonder his bowels didn’t give way as fear spiraled through him.
“Fear not, Mighty Cricket,” said the bear in a female voice. “I am not here to eat you.”
Cricket’s heart thundered in his chest as he backed away. His eyes were huge, and his palms had grown sweaty. The bear lumbered closer, and Cricket backed up again as he looked at the bear’s huge, sharp claws and glimpsed its teeth.
“Bison! Where are you?” Cricket shouted.
The bear chuckled. “You have nothing to fear from me, Cricket. Although you have grown, there is still not enough of you to make a meal for me.”
Cricket’s mouth lifted at the corners. “You know me?”
The bear yawned and shook herself. “All of Sendeh’s spirit helpers know you.”
“They do? You are a spirit helper?”
“Yes. You may call me Bear, the same way you call Bison by his appearance,” she said.
“All right, Bear.” Cricket felt calmer, but he was still a little nervous. “Why have you called me to this cave?”
She trained her gaze on the bear cub. “You must rescue this cub. He has no mother. She awoke from her winter slumber early and was killed by hunters.”
Cricket looked at the cub. “You want me to rescue a cub? Why? How am I supposed to raise a bear cub? We cannot have one in camp. It will hurt people when it is older, and it will destroy our tipis.”
Bear’s eyes gleamed with humor. “He is for your sister.”
“Moonbeam? You are giving her a bear?” Cricket shook his head. “I do not understand. Are you helping Bison pull a joke on me?”
“No, Cricket. I am serious. You must rescue this cub and give him to Moonbeam,” Bear said.
The cub had reached Cricket and was sniffing his feet. Cricket moved away a little, but the cub followed him and let out a mournful cry. Smiling, Cricket crouched down and pet it.
“You must find him within the next couple of days or he will die,” Bear said. “Do not let that happen.”
The stern note in her voice made Cricket look at her. “This cub is that important?”
“Yes.”
“Very well. I will rescue him, but what do I feed him?”
Bear yawned. “I will see you again, Cricket. Be well.”
Cricket threw his hands up in irritation as the familiar white light filled his vision, returning his spirit to his body.
Upon waking, Cricket found himself alone in the tipi, most likely because it was late morning or afternoon judging by the sunlight shining through the smoke hole. His family would already be out and about. He yawned and stretched before moving over to the fire pit.
He smiled when he saw a cup of coffee sitting near the fire and knew his sister had left it for him. Moonbeam could be annoying, but Cricket loved her unconditionally. She had far more good traits than bad and doted on him, making him his favorite foods, and mending his clothing.
In return, Cricket made sure his family wanted for nothing. His status as a proven medicine man had grown, and he provided well for them by trading spells, potions, and medicine for goods or services. And since they’d adopted Ten Thunders, who was a proficient hunter, their lives had become even easier.
Cricket added just a dollop of honey to the coffee and stirred it. They were out of sugar, which Ames Duchamp brought for their tribe every year when he went to the various trading posts to the north and east. The last couple of years, Ames hadn’t traveled farther than Grand Forks because the French and English were at war again, and he didn’t want to get caught up in the conflict.
As he sipped his coffee, Cricket thought about his vision. It was the first time he’d met another spirit helper besides Bison, and he knew the dream was extremely important. Was he actually supposed to go find a bear cub, or was it a metaphor for something else?
Bear hadn’t said it in a riddle, though. She’d said he was supposed to rescue the orphaned cub. He closed his eyes, seeing the ravine in his vision. How would he find it? He’d been hunting quite a bit over the last year, but he wasn’t sure if he’d recognize that particular ravine or not. Maybe someone else knew it, though.
Green Leaf entered the tipi, distracting him.
“Ha; cho, Mother,” he said.
“Ha; cho, Cricket. Did you sleep well?” she asked, sitting down the basket she carried.
Cricket smiled. “Yes, until I had a vision.”
Green Leaf returned his smile. “I am not surprised. You were restless last night.”
“Was I? I am sorry if I disturbed you.”
“Do not worry about it.”
Cricket finished his coffee. “All right. I must go speak with Willow. Have you seen her?”
Green Leaf said, “She was at the central fire, last I knew.”
“Thank you.”
He left the tipi and stood blinking in the bright sunlight for a moment, noting that it wasn’t quite midday. The camp bustled with activity. Children and dogs ran here and there, and people talked as they went about their business. Greeting several people as he walked along, Cricket remembered a time when few had acknowledged his presence. Now they sought him out and spoke to him with deference.
“Cricket.”
He smiled when he recognized their chief’s wife, Sleek Doe, waving to him up ahead. Waving back, he broke into a jog to reach her quicker. “How are you?” he asked.
“I am well, but I was wondering if you have any…” She broke off, giving him an odd look.
“Any what?”
Sleek Doe said, “You have something in your hair. Hold still.”
Reaching up, she plucked a large piece of fur from his wavy, dark brown hair. “Bear fur? Where did this come from? Do you have a bear robe?”
Cricket’s breathing quickened as he took the bear fur from her fingers. “No, I do not. I need to speak to Growling Wolf immediately. Where is he?”
“At our tipi. Come.”
As he walked beside Sleek Doe, Cricket’s mind spun with questions. Upon reaching the tipi, they found the chief sitting on a stump, carving a knife handle.
“Ah, Cricket. Come, sit,” Growling Wolf said.
Cricket perched on another stump. “I had a vision last night.”
Growling Wolf put aside his work and gave Cricket his full attention. The young man’s tone of voice told him that something serious had occurred. “Go ahead.”
Cricket recounted every detail of the vision. “Sleek Doe just found this in my hair.”
Growling Wolf’s heart beat harder when Cricket laid the piece of bear fur in his palm.
“I do not own a bear robe, and the one rattle I have with bear fur on it is from a black bear, not a grizzly,” Cricket said. “I brought that back with me from my vision.”
Growling Wolf closed his fist around the fur, so it didn’t blow away. “You must put this in your amulet.”
Cricket took the fur from Growling Wolf, noting how his hand shook. He took off his amulet, opened the drawstring pouch, and tucked the bear fur into it. Putting the amulet around his neck again, he asked, “What does this mean?”
Growling Wolf rubbed his hands together as he collected his thoughts. “When I was a young man, a neighboring band of Kiowa called themselves Bear Camp because a bear had become attached to them.
“Other tribes were leery about attacking them because Bear had marked them as His own. This bear was known to attack outsiders when he was around and many people who meant their tribe harm often met with back luck,” Growling Wolf said. “Bear has marked you for His own and if He is giving you a cub, it is a sign we are being favored.”
Cricket shook his head. “This Bear was a mother bear, not a male. She wants Moonbeam to have the cub, not me. I am just to bring it to her.”
Growling Wolf scratched his chin. “It is odd that Bear came to you as a female. Even so, you must do as She said. Find this cub, and bring him home.”
“It is a very young cub,” Cricket said. “Where will we keep it? What do we feed it?”
Sleek Doe said, “Bear’s milk is very rich, much more so than cow’s milk. And they eat more once they come out of the den. We can give it cow’s milk, but it will need much more than that to survive.”
Growling Wolf nodded. “We must find a way to feed it. If Bear is giving it to us, we must do everything we can to keep it alive.”
“I have to find it first,” Cricket said. “This ravine cannot be very far away since Bear told me I need to find the cub within a couple of days. I am going to talk to Willow since she helps Ames and Firebrand with their trapping line. Perhaps she has seen a ravine with a cave in it.”
“Good luck, Cricket,” Growling Wolf said.
As Cricket thanked him and left, he had the feeling he was going to need it.
Chapter Two
“There is something you are missing,” Ten Thunders said to Cricket two days later. “Think back.”
“I have thought back a hundred times! I have gone over every detail of the vision.” Cricket paced outside of the medicine lodge. “I do not know this gorge, nor does anyone here or in the Lakota camp. This bear cub is going to die, and something terrible is going to happen because of it.”
Ten Thunders knew how much responsibility weighed on Cricket’s shoulders. “Are you sure the ravine does not stand for something else? Was there a stream at the bottom?”
“No.”
“Did it look like there might have been? Like a dry streambed?”
Cricket stopped and squeezed his eyes closed, trying to see the ravine in his mind, but it didn’t help. “I do not know. I was not paying attention to that. I was distracted, and I was not concentrating on my surroundings as much as usual.”
“Distracted by what?”
“You.”
Ten Thunders eyebrows rose. “Me? I was in your vision?”
“No, but I was thinking about you.” Cricket sat down beside him.
“Why?”
Cricket looked up at the sky, noting the sun had just passed the midday mark. “I have been worried about you, and I was talking to Bison about you. I asked him where you came from.”
Ten Thunders’ eyes rounded. “Why would you do that? What did He say?”
Ten Thunders’ almost angry tone alarmed Cricket. “Because I know you often wonder who your first people were, and I thought perhaps Bison could tell me. He never answered me, though.”
Ten Thunders didn’t know whether he should be relieved or angry. “You should not be distracted during visions, especially not about me. My first people are as lost to me as my white father. Do not trouble yourself about it. Besides, that has nothing to do with the way I have been feeling. Now, forget about that. This vision is much more important.”
Cricket shook his head. “I know it is, yet I cannot stop thinking about you.”
Ten Thunders laughed. “Be careful, brother, or Hummingbird will get jealous.”
Cricket laughed with him. “Stop that. I will continue fasting and meditate again tonight. I hope Bison will come to me.”
“Keep trying. If He does, do not be thinking about me,” Ten Thunders said, rising. “I will leave you to your meditating.”
As he left Cricket, Ten Thunders felt guilty about worrying Cricket so much that it had interfered with a vision. He had to do a better job of keeping his dark thoughts at bay.
Chastising himself for his weakness, Ten Thunders went to his tipi to get his bow and arrow. Green Leaf had mentioned at breakfast that she would like more venison for wasna. Leaving camp, he headed south towards a spot where he’d had luck before. The dense forest there provided a good place for deer to bed down during the day to wait for their dusk feeding time.
Ten Thunders took his time and kept a sharp eye out, both for game and for any signs of an enemy tribe. However, that territory didn’t yield any game, so Ten Thunders trekked east until he came to a dry streambed. He found fresh deer droppings and a buck’s hoofprint. It would be worth his while to follow the trail.
The forest started to thin after a little while and the land on either side of the streambed began to rise. Soon Ten Thunders found himself in a deep gulley. Looking at the ground, he was amazed to see that the buck was still following the streambed. It was unusual for a deer to keep traveling in the same direction for so long.
Moving faster, Ten Thunders attempted to catch up with the deer, but even though its fresh tracks showed it was moving at a slow pace, the animal never came into sight. Perplexed, Ten Thunders broke into a run, but the result was the same. He slowed down and then stopped to catch his breath.
The ravine walls were very high now on both sides. The position of the sun told him he’d been traveling for over an hour. It was time to start for home. Turning around, he began jogging to make good time. A noise to his right made him stop.
Looking up the ravine wall, he didn’t see anything. He couldn’t identify the sound, so he waited, hoping to hear it again. A moan reached his ears and Ten Thunders froze. No, it cannot be. The cry came again, prompting the brave to start up the side of the gorge. Even as he climbed, he stayed vigilant for danger.
Unexpectedly, he came upon the mouth of a cave and ducked back from it because he didn’t know what was in it. Scuffling sounds reached him, and he chanced a look inside the cave. Just a couple of feet from him, a bear cub came into the light. It noticed Ten Thunders and shied away for a moment. It scented the air and growled but came back to the ledge.
Ten Thunders looked around for the mother bear, but she wasn’t in sight. Was she in the den? No. If she was, she would’ve already come out and attacked him. Could this be the cub Cricket was supposed to find and bring back for Moonbeam? Cricket had said the cub had been small, but this cub looked closer to a year old.
“This cub is too big to be the one from his vision, and I thought he was supposed to find it, not me,” he muttered as the cub came closer and swatted at him.
Smiling, Ten Thunders dodged the cub’s large paw, but decided not to test the animal further. Even though the bear was just a cub, it was powerful enough to do some damage. He also didn’t want to alert the mother that he was in the vicinity. Giving the bear a last look, Ten Thunders started climbing out of the ravine so he could take a more direct route back home instead of going the way he’d come.
Hearing a noise behind him, he was alarmed to see the cub following him. He didn’t fear the cub so much, but the mother bear was a much different story. Climbing faster didn’t dissuade the cub at all. In fact, it seemed to have the idea he was playing with it.
Ten Thunders shouted at it, and the cub stopped, but as soon as he started climbing again, the young bear followed.
“I am not your mother. Now go!”
Instead of deterring the cub, his voice encouraged it, and the cub climbed right after Ten Thunders. As he gained the top of the gorge, the cub caught up, bit Ten Thunders’ ankle, and yanked on it. The brave was knocked off balance and fell backwards, with no hope of catching anything to break his fall since the area was devoid of trees or shrubs.
Ten Thunders landed on his back and began sliding down the gorge wall. He clawed at the ground, trying to find something to stop his descent. He might’ve been successful if the cub hadn’t followed him again. The cub also slid, fell off its feet, and rolled right into Ten Thunders.
The yearling bear weighed almost as much as a grown man and was more than big enough to propel Ten Thunders faster down the slope. Man and bear careened down the embankment together, hitting jutting rocks and scraping over stones. They landed in a heap at the bottom of the ravine.
Dazed, the cub sat up and shook its head. In a few minutes, its head cleared, and it stood up. The cub pawed at the strange creature it had encountered, but Ten Thunders didn’t awaken. Confused, the cub let out a loud moan and pushed at Ten Thunders, hoping the other creature would get up. However, Ten Thunders lay still and wouldn’t awaken for quite some time.
Cricket grabbed onto the long grass upon which he lay as Bison stomped and pawed at the ground. It shook under Cricket and the sky rumbled. Bear rose on her hind legs and roared at Bison, making Cricket’s head hurt even more.
He didn’t know why, but the two spirit helpers were fighting over him. Bison was his friend and as far as Cricket was concerned, he was the only spirit helper he needed. Why did Bear want him so much?
As Bison and Bear quieted, the chirruping of the creature that was Cricket’s namesake swelled until the sound painfully vibrated Cricket’s eardrums. A single black insect hopped into Cricket’s line of sight and turned its head in his direction.
“I do not know why they think you belong to them, when you are clearly mine,” it said.
Cricket said, “I do not belong to any of you. I belong to Sendeh and you are but His servants, the same as I am.”
The cricket chuckled. “A wise answer, but I will be your spirit helper from now on.”
Cricket detested the bug upon sight. “No! Bison is my one true helper. Sendeh sent him to me from the beginning, and it is Bison who I want.”
Cricket jerked back as enormous hooves stomped on the ground inches from him. Bison bellowed in rage as He continued to pound and paw the ground. As Cricket rolled away and stood up, he saw Bear rise up behind Bison. She held one of her huge paws aloft and swatted at a giant crow, batting it out of the sky.
Cricket now understood that the two spirit guides weren’t fighting over him, they were protecting him. Bison had protected him from a threat on the ground, while Bear had thwarted an attack from the air.
Both Bear and Bison came to stand before him.
Bear said, “Although some have not fared well, you are safe Mighty Cricket. We will meet again when the time is right. Remember what I told you about the cub. Give it to Moonbeam.”
Cricket said, “But I failed. I did not get there in time. It must be dead by now.”
Bear smiled. “You did not fail, Cricket. You did exactly what you were meant to. The cub will be safe until it is needed. Be well, my friend.”
She turned and ambled away. Cricket would have run after her, but Bison stepped in his way.
“No, Cricket. You heard Bear. Let it go. There are other more pressing things to deal with right now,” Bison said.
Cricket felt panicky. “I do not understand what is happening. Who are we being attacked by? You killed a cricket and Bear killed a crow. Are the Crow coming after us? What tribe does a cricket represent? How can Bear say I did not fail? I did not find the cub. If I did not find it, how can it be safe—”
“Silence!” Bison commanded. “If Bear says the cub is safe, then it is safe.”
Cricket bristled but held his tongue.
“The cricket I killed represents no tribe, it represents your pride!”
Cricket stepped back. “My pride? Are you saying I am being conceited somehow?”
Bison nodded. “The last few times we were together, you were too caught up in your own thoughts to pay attention to me. You told the cricket that we are servants of Sendeh, and we are. Your power comes from Sendeh and He can take it away at any time. When I come to you, it is for a reason. Everything I tell you has a purpose and is not to be taken lightly.”
Cricket’s face went slack. “I…I am sorry.”
“As well you should be.” Bison’s voice softened. “I am your friend, Cricket, but I am your teacher first. You must remember that in the future.”
Cricket’s eyes stung with tears. “You are angry with me.”
“I am disappointed, Cricket, not angry.”
“Is that why I could not find the cub? Why you did not lead me to it?”
“Yes.”
Remorse filled Cricket. “I am so sorry, Bison. Please give me another chance. I will find the cub. Show me the ravine again.”
“No, Cricket. You heard Bear. The cub is safe for now.”
Cricket gave a curt nod. “Very well. What are these other pressing matters?”
Bison was silent for a little while before saying, “Go back, Cricket. Remember what we have discussed.”
Cricket woke with a start, his head and heart pounding as he bolted upright on his sleeping pallet in the medicine lodge. Terror gripped him and sweat trickled down his temples and chest. The fire burned low, indicating it was nearing dawn.
Crawling over to the fire, Cricket put a few small pieces of cedar on it and then stripped to his breechcloth while the fire rose again. He wet a cloth, wiped the sweat from his body, and then added sweetgrass to the fire. After bathing well in the smoke, Cricket knelt and begged forgiveness for his conceitedness and for growing too confident in Sendeh’s favors.
Cricket lost track of time, and daylight had come by the time he finished praying. He still felt his penance wasn’t complete and decided that he should give away some of the possessions he’d been going to send with Ames and Firebrand in a few weeks. It served him right for his impudence.
Bison was right. He hadn’t meant to become prideful, but he’d allowed his own agendas to become a little more important than Sendeh’s. The people’s needs came before his own, and he was disappointed in himself that he’d started feeding into the positive things people said about him. His power didn’t come from his own abilities. He needed to remember that he was just a conduit.
Arriving at his tipi, Cricket ducked inside and found Green Leaf making breakfast.
“Good morning, my son. Is your brother with you?” she asked, smiling.
Cricket shook his head. “No.”
Green Leaf turned meat in a pan over the fire. “He did not come home last night. I thought he was with you in the medicine lodge.”
“He did not return from hunting?” Cricket asked.
“No. Maybe he stayed with Lightning Strike or one of the others,” Green Leaf suggested.
“Perhaps. I had a vision during the night,” Cricket said. “He never disturbs me during one, so he could have been there without me knowing it.”
Green Leaf watched Cricket go to his containers and start sorting through them. “What are you doing?”
“I have displeased Sendeh, Mother.” It was a horrible thing to have to admit to her, but it was the truth. “I am offering a penance to Him.”
“Displeased Sendeh? I do not know how. You are so helpful to everyone and have cured many illnesses,” Green Leaf said.
“I do not do those things, Sendeh does them through me. I forgot that,” Cricket said.
Green Leaf smiled. “You are a young man. Being a little prideful is not unusual.”
“Perhaps, but I must act in accordance with my position, and being too prideful goes against my training.”
Green Leaf fell silent, so she didn’t overstep her bounds. It was sometimes hard to balance her role in Cricket’s life. She was his mother, but he was her medicine man, a person to whom she was expected to show deference.
“I will not be eating today,” Cricket said. “I am fasting again until this evening.”
Biting back words of concern, Green Leaf just nodded her understanding.
Cricket kept placing items to give away into a large basket, forcing himself to let go of the things he liked the most. When he was finished, he rose and looked with longing at the meal Green Leaf was making.
“I will go look for Ten Thunders. He was probably up late gambling and just stayed somewhere else,” Cricket said.
“I am sure you are right.”
Cricket took the basket outside and headed for some tipis where a few widows lived, intending to give some things to them first. Several horses trotted into camp from the west, and Cricket smiled when he saw Chief Soaring Falcon and Raging River, Hummingbird’s father. He lifted a hand to them and changed his course of direction.
“Hau,” he said as Raging River dismounted.
Raging River walked to him and Cricket saw that he’d cut off his braids and that a great sadness shone in his eyes.
“Hau, Cricket,” Raging River said. “We were attacked last night, just before sunset.”
“By who?”
“The Cheyenne.” Raging River’s chin quivered. “My heart bleeds for my daughter, whose walk along the Red Road has ended.”
Raging River had only one daughter.
Cricket shook his head. “No.”
“She and four other maidens were collecting wood when it happened. They were all killed,” Raging River said.
Cricket dropped the basket he held, and its contents spilled on the ground at his feet. These mere possessions couldn’t atone for his misdeeds. They weren’t enough. His pride had cost him the one thing he loved the most, the person he loved the most: Hummingbird.
Anger, grief, and self-hatred engulfed him, and he sank to his knees. “No! No! I am sorry! Please, give her back! Please, Sendeh! Please!” His screams gave way to wails of agony as strong hands gripped his shoulders. “No! Leave me! I do not deserve sympathy!”
He struggled to his feet, trying to break loose from several people. Agony clawed deep gouges in his heart, and, as he lost consciousness, Cricket knew it would never be whole again.
Chapter Three
Five years later…
The huge grizzly slapped a big trout out of the river rapids, catching it in midair with its jaws. With a grunt, he waded out of the river and laid the trout at the feet of Ten Thunders. He smiled and ruffled the giant beast’s neck.
“Well done, my friend,” he said, putting the trout with the others in the basket he carried.
They set off for home, where Ten Thunders would cook the fish for their breakfast. King followed Ten Thunders, but roamed around, finding plants and grubs to eat along the way. Ten Thunders’ mind turned towards his muddled past. Fear, curiosity, and longing mixed in his heart, just as always.
It seemed to Ten Thunders that his life had begun the day he’d woken up at the bottom of a steep gorge. He’d remembered his name, but the hard knock to his head had scrambled the rest of his memory. Who was he? Who were his true people? The images of various Indian tribes and a white community rose in his mind, but he couldn’t figure out with whom his home lie.
Fear had rose strong in his heart. He’d been captured many times, ripped away from his home and people he loved. No more. Although his first instinct had been to find people, Ten Thunders had shied away from that thought, afraid he’d wander into an enemy camp and be captured yet again.
The bear had been with him, and it had stuck out in his mind that he was to be the bear’s protector and guide. He’d remembered that something had happened to its mother, and that the cub was all alone. Ten Thunders had started taking care of the young animal right away. He’d found water and started to familiarize himself with the territory.
Five winters later, he was still taking care of the grizzly, even though the bear was almost self-sufficient. At nearly six years old, King could defend himself. Ten Thunders had provided well for King during the past five years, resulting in the bear growing to almost thirteen hundred pounds. Devoted to Ten Thunders, King had killed both man and beast to assure his safety.
Ten Thunders did his best to avoid civilization. Even though he was lonesome, he preferred solitude over being taken captive again. Being alone was better than being tortured or treated like an outcast. He concealed himself so well that he was seldom glimpsed by other humans.
But lately, he’d begun to feel restless and his loneliness had created a constant ache in his soul. Nearing their home, a large cave in a small canyon, Ten Thunders pondered his fascination with one of the villages. Just last night, he’d crept close to watch some of the people. They seemed familiar, but they still scared him. King had accompanied him, staying silent at Ten Thunders’ instructions so the camp dogs didn’t sound an alarm. They always stayed downwind of the village to further avoid detection.
Entering their cave, Ten Thunders started a fire while King ambled over to the huge sleeping pallet his human father had made for him and sat on it. He licked his chops in anticipation of the coming meal.
As he cooked, Ten Thunders determined that he would have to hunt for supper, too. Maybe they would find a herd of deer that afternoon. King was adept at hunting large game as well as foraging, and they’d developed into a cohesive hunting team. Ten Thunders had taught King how to be patient and to use cunning as well as strength in hunting. The intelligent bear had paid close attention to Ten Thunders and had learned well.
Although King could’ve killed Ten Thunders with one swipe of his huge paw, he still viewed the human as his mother and always backed down from him. Most of the time, reprimanding King wasn’t necessary since he was so well behaved.
Looking at King, who was bathing his flank, Ten Thunders smiled. When the fish were done, he set them aside to cool a little and walked over to his furry friend.
“Are you hungry? We can eat in just a few minutes. It has to cool. I do not want you to burn your mouth,” Ten Thunders said.
King nudged him and laid down on his side, encouraging Ten Thunders to scratch his belly. Ten Thunders chuckled and buried his fingers in the thick fur, giving the bear a thorough scratching.
With a final pat, he said, “Breakfast.”
King’s ears perked up at the word, and he rose to his feet. He had a healthy respect for the fire and kept back from it a little as Ten Thunders dished up his meal. Watching King eat, Ten Thunders’ mind drifted to the village again and he decided to return to observe it again that night.
The summer sun shone brightly overhead as Cricket yawned and stretched, waking up when Bison nudged him.
“Get up, Cricket. You have a visitor,” Bison said.
Cricket smiled at the excitement in Bison’s voice and sat up. “Who is it?”
He rose and stopped cold when he saw Bear standing near Bison. Dread rendered Cricket speechless. The last time he’d encountered Bear had been when his beloved Hummingbird had been killed. He now associated Bear with death and heartache, so seeing Her was far from pleasant.
Kindness shone in Bear’s eyes. “It is good to see you, Cricket. It has been a long time.”
Cricket gave a brief nod. “Yes, it has.”
Bear’s smile dimmed and sadness entered her amber eyes. “Do not worry. I am bringing you good news.”
Cricket tried to control his anger towards Bear. “I am glad to hear it. How can I help you, Great Bear?” Despite his dislike of her, it was prudent not to anger Her.
Bear sat down. “I know you still blame me for the loss of your former love, but I had nothing to do with that.”
Cricket resisted clenching his fists. “I do not wish to discuss it. How may I serve you?”
After a moment, Bear said, “It is time to be reunited with the cub.”
Cricket’s forehead puckered. “The cub you put somewhere for safekeeping? The one you punished me for not finding?”
Bear huffed out a sigh. “I had nothing to do with what happened to Hummingbird. Never mind. Yes, that is the cub I speak of. It is time to be reunited with it.”
“Reunited? I was never with it in the first place.”
“Do you remember what you are to do with it?” Bear asked.
“Of course, I do,” Cricket said. “Give it to Moonbeam. Where will I find it?”
Bear scratched Her stomach and stood up again. “You will not. It will find you.”
Cricket watched Bear walk away with relief. Even though he’d accepted his own part in Hummingbird’s death, Cricket would always blame Bear, too. If She’d just given him another chance, he’d have found the cub and he and Hummingbird would be married with a family by now.
“Cricket.”
Cricket looked at Bison. “Yes?”
Bison walked closer. “I have tried to talk to you about your former betrothed. You were not being punished.”
“I was prideful, and I let myself be distracted,” Cricket said. “That is why she died. Because I was too worried about Ten Thunders instead of what you were trying to show me about the cub. Not only did she die, but my brother disappeared at the same time. I lost two people because I was concerned about one of them.”
Bison said, “That is not what happened! I—”
“Bison, let me try.”
Cricket started when he saw his father walk up beside Bison.
“Perhaps my son will listen to me,” Green Turtle said.
Bison snorted. “I hope so. I wish you luck. He is stubborn.”
Green Turtle smiled. “He gets that from his mother.”
Cricket’s heart ached even though he was thrilled to see his father.
Green Turtle put his hands on Cricket’s shoulders. “Look at you! You are as tall as me now and you still look like Green Leaf.”
Cricket smiled. “And Moonbeam looks like you.”
“Yes.” Green Turtle embraced Cricket. “You must stop blaming Bear for what happened to Hummingbird and Ten Thunders. She did not cause either of those things. The Cheyenne attack on the Lakota was the same sort of thing that happened when the Ojibwa attacked us, and I was killed.”
Cricket closed his eyes, relishing his father’s familiar hug. “But how can you explain the timing? I cared more about Ten Thunders than I did what I was being shown. I lost the woman I loved and my brother because of it.”
“Come, sit down with me,” Green Turtle said.
They settled on an outcropping of rock that overlooked a shallow valley.
“Hummingbird passed into the next life because her purpose had been served, not to punish you. As was mine.” Green Turtle held up a hand. “Just listen to me.”
Cricket remained quiet even though he wanted to object.
“I guided you to manhood as far as I could and provided for our family the way I was meant to. I died a good death, protecting my people,” Green Turtle said. “Yes, I miss all of you, but we will all be together one day. I know you and Moonbeam were young when I was taken and that it was hard to lose me, but you have had others in your life who served you better than I could have.”
Cricket shook his head. “That is not true. You are my father. Who else could guide me better than you?”
Green Turtle gave him a knowing smile. “Smoking Fire. I know nothing about being a medicine man, but Smoking Fire does. He has taught you well.”
Cricket laughed. “A Kiowa medicine man being trained by a Lakota shaman. It has been interesting, and I am grateful for all the knowledge he has passed on to me.”
“You also had Ten Thunders, who finally got you interested in learning how to fight,” Green Turtle said. “He was the one who made you see that your size did not always matter. You would not listen to me about it.”
“I used to feel so out of place, so different from everyone,” Cricket said. “I was smaller than the other boys and not good at the games boys played. I was not popular, and I had no skills.”
Green Turtle nudged him. “Your skills were hidden, but Singing Water knew they were there, the same way you knew that Gray Owl possesses the same sort of gifts.”
Cricket smiled as he thought about his new apprentice. The boy was fifteen winters old, the same age he’d been when Singing Water had chosen him as his apprentice. “But unlike me, Gray Owl is a little too eager.”
“Then you must teach him patience, the same as I taught you,” Green Turtled commented. “You must also teach him to pay close attention when others speak, so he hears the true meaning of their words.”
Cricket caught his father’s gentle rebuke. “After feeling alone and worthless for so long, I was finally accepted and treated with respect. I had friends and I loved my calling—I still do. And I had a girl who loved me, and I loved her so much. And a brother, a man who had complete faith in me and who was my friend despite me being awkward. Then my world blew apart! Both of them were gone!”
Green Turtle squeezed Cricket’s knee in a comforting gesture. “I know. You have had a heavy burden to bear for one so young, but Sendeh would not have chosen you if He felt you were not up to the challenge. Tell me something: when you first met Hummingbird, was she not happy to have been chosen as your betrothed?”
“Yes, she was.” Cricket smiled at the memory. “She said that she was proud to be marrying a medicine man and she thought I had a nice smile.”
“So even when you were as skinny as a sapling, a pretty girl was attracted to you.”
Cricket burst out laughing. “Yes, she was. She was worried that she was too plump, but she was not.”
“Well, Cricket, you are no longer a skinny boy. You have grown into a handsome man and when your wife meets you, she will be just as impressed with you as Hummingbird was,” Green Turtle said.
Cricket’s eyes widened. “Are you saying that—”
“I am saying you are not destined to remain alone, Cricket. As long as you are smart about it, that is. Hummingbird had many purposes: we all do. But one of them was to show you that you have much more to offer a woman than you think,” Green Turtle said. “One of Ten Thunders’ purposes was to show you that you are worthy of any man’s friendship. I know it is painful to lose people but take the same advice you give to those you counsel: you must remember all the good they brought to your life and carry it with you.”
Cricket nodded. “It is easier to give advice rather than follow it sometimes. But you are right. Do you know what happened to Ten Thunders? We searched for him for weeks, but never found him.”
Green Turtle shook his head. “No. That knowledge has not been given to me.”
Cricket brushed his bangs out of his eyes. “I think I could rest easier about him if I knew what had happened to him. I have always prayed that he was not captured by another tribe. We made him Kiowa, and if he is dead, I pray that he died a Kiowa.”
“I hope that you will one day find the answers you seek,” Green Turtle said. “But in the meantime, you must let go of your anger. Sendeh has been patient about it because He knows you have had much to face. He also knows He is the one you are angry with. What do you tell others who are upset with Sendeh? If you cannot follow your own teachings, how can you expect Gray Owl or anyone else to?”
Cricket’s jaw clenched. “I am trying.”
“Try harder. Allowing bitterness to consume you is pointless. Now, I must go. I am sure I will see you again,” Green Turtle said.
“I hope so, Father,” Cricket said. “We all miss you.”
Green Turtle ran a hand over Cricket’s hair and then clapped his shoulder. “I love you all and am with you always.”
Cricket’s vision started to lighten, and he floated down into his body.
The sound of a crackling fire greeted him as he opened his eyes. Turning his head, he noticed Ames and Willow’s twins, Mia and Lucien, sitting across the fire in the medicine lodge from him.
“What are you trouble-makers doing?” he asked with a smile.
They laughed, their blue eyes reflecting the dancing flames.
“We were waiting to see what story you had to tell us about your vision,” Lucien said.
“What did you see this time?” Mia asked.
While Cricket loved all the children, the six-year-olds held a special place in his heart because he’d known them even before they’d been born. They’d come to him as spirit children while they’d still been in Willow’s womb.
Cricket sat up. “You know I cannot talk about it right now.”
Mia came over and sat on Cricket’s lap. “But you will tell us when you can?”
Cricket hugged her. “Yes. When I can.”
“Did you see Bison?” Lucian asked. “I remember Him.”
“I know you do,” Cricket said. “Yes, He was there.”
Lucian frowned slightly. “Do you think I will ever see Him again?”
“I have no doubt that you will.” Cricket tapped Mia’s pretty nose. “You, too.”
Mia giggled.
Cricket looked up and saw through the smoke hole that it was dark outside. “Come. I think it is time for you to go to sleep.”
He stood up and led the twins outside the lodge. “Go on home and I will tell you what I can in the morning.”
With an impish smile, Mia said, “Goodnight, Cricket.”
Cricket hugged them both before they ran off. He smiled as he watched them go, remembering the way their spirits had come to him before they’d been born. Although they’d inherited Ames’ blue eyes, Lucien’s hair was light brown while Mia’s was dark blonde. Both were mischievous, but Lucien was more serious like Willow. Mia took after her father, charming everyone and making them laugh.
The breeze toyed with Cricket’s hair as he walked towards his tipi. A shiver took him by surprise, as though his soul had brushed another. However, no one was near him at the moment. Shaking off the feeling, he continued to his tipi.
Moonbeam sat close to the fire, working on a pair of children’s moccasins. “Háːcho, brother.”
“Háːcho. You are going to go blind doing that in such low light,” Cricket said as he sat down.
Moonbeam smiled. “I am almost done. I wanted to finish this one before I go to sleep.”
Cricket looked at the young rabbit lying next to her. Animals were drawn to Moonbeam and the rabbit was no exception. It had a broken leg, which she’d splinted a few days ago. It was content to stay close to her and had no fear of other people. Cricket knew that would change once the animal was feeling better.
While Moonbeam’s patients were convalescing, they didn’t mind being handled, but as soon as they were well, they ran, once again fearing humans. Moonbeam was never offended. She said it was Mother Earth’s way of protecting Her children.
“There is coffee,” Moonbeam said.
“Thank you.” Cricket wanted to tell her about seeing their father, but it was too soon. “Have you thought any more about the marriage offers you received this week?”
“Yes. I do not wish to marry either of them.”
Cricket nodded. “I did not think so. I will let them know.”
Moonbeam grinned. “You do not sound any more excited about them than I do.”
Cricket smiled before taking a sip of coffee. “I am not. I do not think either of them are worthy of you. I also think they are more interested in improving their status than anything else.”
“I agree. That is not the sort of marriage I want.”
Cricket could hardly believe his little sister was now old enough for marriage. She’d grown into a lovely young woman, who still possessed a strong rebellious streak, a high intellect, and an irreverent sense of humor. Cricket loved all those things about her, even though she sometimes exasperated him. He’d never been able to stay angry with her, and she was his best friend.
Should he tell her what Bear had said about the cub? Cricket decided against it for the moment. Tired from his emotional vision, he finished his coffee and laid down. Where was this cub? How would it know to find them and what significance did it have for their tribe?
Releasing a long breath, Cricket tried to let it go for now, knowing that until he got some rest, the answers wouldn’t come to him. “Moonbeam, let that go. It is late. Where is Mother?”
Moonbeam chuckled. “Where do you think she is?”
Cricket smiled. “I do not know why she does not marry Firebrand. He has asked her enough times.”
“Have you told her that you would approve?”
Surprised, Cricket rolled over and looked at Moonbeam. “She is waiting for my approval? Why? I am not her father. She is a grown woman and can make up her own mind.”
Moonbeam shook her head. For all her brother’s intelligence and insight, he could sometimes be dense. “Of course, she wants your approval. And will you be comfortable with another man besides our father sharing her robes and tipi?”
Cricket had thought about it several times. “Yes. It is her tipi and I want her to be happy. Firebrand is a great man and I know they love each other. I will talk to her about it. I did not realize that I was holding her back. Why did you not mention this sooner?”
Moonbeam shrugged. “I am not sure if that is her reason for not accepting, but it is very possible.”
Cricket returned to his back. “I will find out tomorrow. Goodnight, Moonbeam.”
“Goodnight, Cricket.”
Chapter Four
For over a week, Ten Thunders visited the camp each night, just watching the people from his vantage points along the edge. He hadn’t been able to stay away. Names started coming to him and memories were resurfacing in his mind. It made no sense to him, but he couldn’t deny the feelings that were growing stronger each day.
However, he was still leery about letting his presence be discovered. So, he settled for watching the tribe as they visited by the central fire and went about their business. He pulled his robe around his shoulders and leaned against King, who was content to sit beside him.
As the time passed, Ten Thunder’s eyelids grew heavy. He should go home, but he didn’t want to leave. Deciding to remain for just a few more minutes, he smiled when a couple of children ran through the camp. Their laughter reached his ears just as his eyes drifted closed and he fell asleep.
Rays of sun filtered down through the trees, burning off the mist that floated under the green canopy. Moonbeam had risen at dawn and was already at work gathering acorns and searching for a couple of medicinal plants that needed to be replenished. Ever since she’d been young, she’d loved helping Cricket with such tasks, and she’d grown adept at healing. Cricket didn’t hesitate to pass along his medical knowledge to her, and she paid close attention to his teachings.
Passing through a stand of trees, she came across animal tracks that made her pulse run faster. Bear. Judging from the size of the right front paw print, the beast was huge. The track was so fresh that the grass was still springing back up while she looked at it.
A prickle of fear spread over her back as she gazed around. Remaining as motionless as possible, Moonbeam prayed that the creature was moving away from the area. Gathering her courage, she started back the way she’d come. Turning around, she whimpered when she saw the bear blocking her path.
Its ears flattened and it shifted on front paws in an agitated dance. Moonbeam knew better than to scream or run. Both actions could cause the bear to charge her. The best course of action was to remain still, showing the bear that she wasn’t a threat to it.
The bear rose on its hind legs, making a chuffing noise while observing her. Then it dropped back to all fours and took a few steps towards her. Moonbeam trembled as the bear approached. Somehow, she had the presence of mind to avert her eyes from the bear’s, so it didn’t think she was challenging it.
When it came within six feet of Moonbeam, she closed her eyes, shaking so hard her teeth chattered as though she’d been standing in the freezing cold for an hour. She prayed to Sendeh to lead the bear away from her.
“Stay still.”
At first, Moonbeam thought she’d imagined the male voice, but it spoke again.
“I will make sure King doesn’t harm you.”
It took her a moment to realize that although the man was an Indian, he spoke in English. Ames and Firebrand had taught many in her tribe English, and she was almost fluent in it. Something about his voice was familiar, but she couldn’t place it.
“Who are you?” she asked in kind.
“You speak English.”
“Yes.”
He didn’t answer her question. Instead, he stepped around her, putting himself between her and the bear. “King, stop!”
Moonbeam opened her eyes and her suspicions were confirmed. A brave stood only a couple of feet in front of her, his arms raised skyward. The bear didn’t listen to him. Instead it came closer and rubbed its head against the brave. She expected the man to yell or hit the bear, but he laughed instead.
“I’m not playing,” he said. “Go and leave this poor frightened woman alone. Go!”
The bear groaned as though dismayed and backed away.
“Go on, King.”
Moonbeam watched in amazement as the bear lumbered away into the bushes.
“You’re safe now.”
“Who are you?” she asked again, this time in Kiowa.
When King’s chuffing had woken him, Ten Thunders had been startled to find that he’d fallen asleep close to the Kiowa camp. He’d seen the woman facing off with King and known that he had no choice but to intervene.
He was surprised she knew English, and he wondered where she’d learned it. He didn’t know how to answer her question. She would find it odd if he just ran off and was certain to tell her tribe about him. They would be curious and come looking for him. He was trapped. His heart thumping against his ribs, Ten Thunders turned around and looked down at the woman.
Moonbeam met his dark eyes and her breath hitched in her throat. The brave wore his hair loose and uncut like a Lakota man, but there was nothing about his clothes to delineate what tribe he belonged to. His clothes were put together oddly, and they were completely devoid of decoration.
His mode of dress might be nondescript and give her no clue as to who his people were, but Moonbeam would know him anywhere. He was older and more mature, but his eyes still held the same spark of humor and kindness she remembered so well. She’d studied him so much in her youth that his visage was burned into her mind.
Her wide-eyed gaze lowered, coming to rest on the amulet hanging around his neck. Cricket had given it to him on the day of his adoption ceremony. It was faded and showed signs of being repaired, but it was the same one. She should know since she’d sewn the tiny beadwork thundercloud on the front of it.
“Ten Thunders?” she whispered. “Is it really you?”
Disbelief shot through him. “You know me?”
His positive response confirmed his identity to Moonbeam. “Yes, I do. You are Ten Thunders, and you belonged to our tribe,” she said. “I cannot believe that you are really here.” Joy surged through Moonbeam, and she hugged him on impulse. “Everyone is going to be so happy to see you.”
So many emotions struck Ten Thunders that he panicked. He sensed that he knew this woman, but he didn’t know how. He hadn’t spoken to people in so long he was out of practice. Her embrace made him happy, but the contact also spooked him.
He extracted himself from her arms. “Do not tell anyone you saw me. I cannot take the chance…”
His rebuff stung Moonbeam, but the fear in his eyes told her that he wasn’t trying to offend her. What was he scared of?
“Ten Thunders, you must come home. We did not know what happened to you, where you went. Where have you been all these years?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No. I will not go with you. Forget you saw me.”
Moonbeam took a step towards him, but he backed away. “How can I forget? Please come home with me.”
“I cannot take the chance again. Everyone wants to take me,” he said.
Moonbeam said, “Your home is with us. No one will take you. We adopted you. You are one of us. Please, Ten Thunders? I have missed you so much.”
“I…no.”
“Please.”
Ten Thunders hated his fear, but he couldn’t overcome it. “No. I must go. Tell no one.”
Moonbeam held out her hand to him. “I will not tell if you meet me here again tomorrow. Promise me, or I will tell.”
What choice did he have? He was taking a risk either way. “If I agree, do you promise not to tell anyone about me?”
“Yes. I promise.”
Ten Thunders took a deep breath. “Then I will see you at this same time tomorrow.”
He ran off before he changed his mind and went with her.
When Moonbeam arrived back home, Green Leaf greeted her. “Where have you been?” she asked.
“I went to find some acorns to make a mash with,” she said, holding up her full bag.
She felt guilty about withholding information from her family, but she’d made a promise and she would honor it. As she put the acorns to soak, Moonbeam did her best to act naturally, but she wasn’t used to hiding things. Keeping busy would occupy her mind and prevent anyone from suspecting anything was amiss with her.
“I think I will work on the new dress I am making for Mia.”
Since Willow was one of their top warriors and hunters, she didn’t have a lot of time for making clothing and other chores. Moonbeam had started helping Willow with domestic chores when she’d been pregnant with the twins and had been doing it ever since. She often watched the twins when Ames was away over the summer months and Willow was on sentry duty. The twins were as attached to her as they were Cricket, regarding them as their aunt and uncle.
Settling on her sleeping pallet, Moonbeam pondered her meeting with Ten Thunders as she assembled her supplies. A dull throb began in her temples as questions crowded her mind. Why hadn’t he come home that day and why was he so afraid he’d be taken again? Had there been some threat made against him? She knew that some of the Lakota people hadn’t cared for him because he’d been Ojibwa.
She dismissed the idea. Ten Thunders was an excellent warrior and wouldn’t have run because of a threat. That was why she couldn’t fathom his fear. Something terrible must have caused it.
After making two mistakes on Mia’s dress, which she had to fix, Moonbeam did her best to put Ten Thunders out of her mind. It was hard, but necessary if she didn’t want anyone to guess that something was bothering her. With renewed determination, she focused on her task, hoping she was doing the right thing by keeping her secret.
“I had another vision about the cub.”
Smoking Fire, head medicine man of Lakota chief Soaring Falcon’s tribe, looked at Cricket. “Oh? You have not mentioned the cub for at least three years.”
Cricket shook his head. “Yes, it has been a while. I am beginning to think Trickster is playing games with me. The first vision I had about this cub was over five years ago. Nothing has ever come of it.”
Smoking Fire held up the arrowhead he worked on as they sat outside of the medicine lodge. “Even if it is Trickster showing it to you, it is important. It once took twelve winters before a vision I kept having came to pass. Keep meditating about it.”
“I will, but I cannot figure out if Bear is talking about an actual cub or—” Cricket stopped as something occurred to him. “It cannot be an actual cub. Bears stop being cubs when they are around four winters old. Bear said She would protect the cub until the time was right for it to be found. But the cub must represent something else. Am I making sense?”
Smoking Fire nodded. “Yes. A bear would be grown by now, but it must be something that will need taken care of. Something that needed to be hidden away for a while.”
Cricket threw his hands up. “But what? Bear said the cub would find me.”
Smoking Fire smiled. “Perhaps it is a woman.” He laughed at Cricket’s look of surprise.
That had never occurred to Cricket. Had Bear been trying to tell him the “cub” was a person and not an animal? But why would a person need to be hidden for so long? What purpose would that serve?
“I was teasing you, Cricket,” Smoking Fire said.
“I know, but I think you may be right. What if the cub is a person? I do not know why that never occurred to me before,” Cricket said. “What happened to keep it from appearing in my life back then?”
Smoking Fire examined his work on the arrowhead. “I do not know.”
Cricket said, “This is driving me crazy.”
“I can tell. Maybe it is better if you do not meditate on it right now. Trying to force meanings from a vision never works.”
Cricket sighed. “I seldom ask this, but will you pray for me?”
Smoking Fire raised a graying eyebrow. “Of course. What for?”
“That I can overcome my anger over the death of my former betrothed and Ten Thunders’ disappearance.”
Smoking Fire grunted. “While I understand why it is difficult to get rid of, you must. Allowed to fester for too long, it will color everything in your life. Losing her was painful for many people, but I think it was worse for you because you were so young, and she was the only girl you were ever interested in. You were expecting to marry her and live a long life together.”
Cricket nodded. “Yes. I loved her so much. Father said she had fulfilled her purpose in this life and that her journey was completed.”
“But you feel that Sendeh was unfair to you?”
Cricket knew how petty that sounded, but it was the truth. “Yes. I had already lost my father and so many of our tribe. I had worked hard to make peace with that, but when she was killed…I am still having trouble with it. My life had started to turn around and then that happened. I know how selfish that sounds and I hate feeling this way.”
Smoking Fire said, “We are only humans, Cricket. Do not be too hard on yourself, but I am glad you recognize that you need to work on this.”
“I become nervous when things are going too well. I start dreading whatever might be coming.”
Smoking Fire gave him a sharp look. “That is dangerous thinking, Cricket. We should be prepared for the future, but we must take each day as it comes and enjoy the good things. I think a cleansing is in order. When was the last time we did one for you?”
“Not in some time.”
Smoking Fire pursed his lips, irritated with himself for being so remiss. “Then we will do one tomorrow.”
“But I was going to go home tomorrow,” Cricket said.
“You will go home the next day. I have spoken.”
Cricket nodded respectfully and fell silent, his mind going back in time to the days when he’d been reluctant to go home because it had meant leaving Hummingbird. Now, he wasn’t eager to stay in the Lakota camp because she was everywhere. The absence of her smile, laugh, and kisses in his life were still painful wounds in his heart. Would he ever stop longing for her?
Several people had tried to steer him towards marriage, and he knew he’d have to choose a bride someday, but he had no interest in marrying. There were quite a few maidens, both Lakota and Kiowa, who flirted with him, but he knew that in some of their cases, they were angling for status.
Hummingbird had been proud to have been chosen to marry a medicine man, but she’d also fallen in love with him. Cricket believed he would end up marrying out of duty to his tribe rather than find love again. Of course, he hadn’t prayed to find love again.
That reminded him of Ten Thunders, and he smiled. He couldn’t resist laughing as he remembered the first time Ten Thunders had asked him to pray for him. How he’d nudged him in the middle of the prayer and requested for him to ask Sendeh to send him a pretty girl.
“What amuses you?” Smoking Fire asked.
Cricket told him. “Ten Thunders was the only one who ever interrupted my prayer with a request.”
Smoking Fire chuckled. “I would have liked to have seen that.”
“Some people would have gotten angry with him over it, but I could not. He meant no disrespect by it, and he was so charming that it was impossible to hold it against him,” Cricket said. Not wanting to become further depressed, he decided to end the conversation. “I think I will go see the foot races. I will see you later.”
“Very well.”
As he walked away, Cricket began looking forward to the cleansing. He hoped it would rid his heart of his anger and make his soul lighter.
Chapter Five