White Wolf!
A kindred spirit? Were they of the same clan?
The other man stepped in front of his companion. His back turned to Wo'itsa, blocking his view of White Wolf.
“Stubborn, perhaps, but I have good reason. Why don’t you return to your wife, and leave me in peace, Elk Runner? I told our mother I would think on the matter.”
White Wolf took a step around his companion, but the other man’s hand on his chest stopped him from moving away.
“It is time you took a wife, White Wolf. Our mother only wishes to see you find the same happiness I have found with Little Bird.”
White Wolf laughed. “You speak with such boldness now. It took you long enough to finally find the courage to express your interest in her.” His voice sobered. “I’m not ready to give my heart to a woman.” After a pause, he added, “I don’t believe I will ever be ready.”
Pushing past Elk Runner, White Wolf strode ahead, but the other man was quick to keep up with him. Wo'itsa remained hunched over, but followed the two from a safe distance.
“You know as well as I do that our mother would not ask you to marry just anyone. Her good friend’s daughter is in need of a husband. When she approached our mother to ask about you, Mother felt obligated to speak to you about it. You are her son, and the only unmarried hunter in the clan.” There was a slight pause, then Elk Runner sniggered. “Not even you can be so blind to not notice Morning Fawn’s beauty. She comes from a good family and will make an excellent wife.”
White Wolf stopped again to face the man he’d called Brother. “She may make an excellent wife, but I don’t wish to be anyone’s husband.” His voice turned cold and almost menacing.
“I understand that you had feelings for a woman while you spent time in the white man’s world, and I also understand why you won’t talk about it.”
Elk Runner paused and slapped White Wolf on the back. He grinned broadly. “The spirits have done you a favor, Brother. They want you to remain here with us, not live as a white man in a faraway place where the sun rises. It is a good thing she shunned you.”
White Wolf nodded, his first indication that he’d agreed with something Elk Runner had said. “I have no plans to live in the white man’s world, but that does not mean I need to take a wife.”
Elk Runner shook his head. “What will it require? Do you need a woman to drop out of the sky before you will consider her a match? Perhaps you need the Sky People to send you a woman? Would you then consider marriage?”
The other man scoffed. “I said I will think on the matter, and I will give our mother my answer when I am ready.”
“Perhaps you need to go on a spirit journey. A vision might bring you some understanding. If you can speak to the Sky People spirits, they will tell you that you are ready to marry.”
Wo'itsa ducked behind a wide shrub. Sky People spirits? Were the elders no longer alive in this unknown time, and had to be referred to as spirits? Everything Mukua had told him about the future was coming true. His people were moving away from their ancestors.
Kendra was proof of that. She seemed to have lost all connection to the spirits, and without a doubt she’d come from a time much further in the future. Perhaps Mukua had brought Wo'itsa to this time to show him that the Tukudeka were losing their connection to the Sky People.
If the woman White Wolf was supposed to marry was in danger, it could destroy that connection even more. Somehow it was important that White Wolf marry this woman. Perhaps she was the key to keeping the beliefs alive.
A sense of urgency engulfed him. He needed to find the woman, Morning Fawn. Then, without being seen, he had to make sure that White Wolf was going to marry her.
“I will leave you with your thoughts, White Wolf. Don’t take too long to decide. You don’t want to embarrass our mother.”
White Wolf stared at the other man, his eyes filled with indecision and doubt. It was plain to see that he struggled with a sense of honor and obligation, fueled by Elk Runner’s words.
Elk Runner gripped his brother’s arm and leaned forward. “I know you won’t seek guidance from the spirits, but perhaps you can talk to Morning Fawn and get to know her better.” He grinned. “I hear she’s at the river this morning.”
With those words, Elk Runner veered away from White Wolf and headed back in the direction from which the two had come.
Wo'itsa remained motionless. If the woman he was supposed to protect from harm was at the river, it’s where he would go to make sure she was safe, but he had to remain hidden until White Wolf left the area, or he’d risk being discovered.
White Wolf stood unmoving, his hands clenched at his sides. He stared in the direction Elk Runner had gone. For several minutes, Wo'itsa studied him. Anger was evident on his face, but it was soon replaced with a quiet resolve. He turned and continued along the path that led away from his Tukudeka brother.
Wo'itsa moved his sore limbs. If White Wolf decided he would honor the match and marry the woman called Morning Fawn, he would be able to protect her from whatever danger might befall her. Until then, however, it was best to keep an eye on the woman.
He stopped and waited until White Wolf had moved far enough through the trees ahead of him that it was safe to make his way directly to the river and look for Morning Fawn.
When the forest thinned near the edge of a rise overlooking the valley, Wo'itsa stopped to survey the area. Wisps of smoke drifted into the sky from between the trees to the west.
It was risky to leave the forest and chance being seen, so he stopped along the tree line to remain concealed. He was close enough to the river that he could see a young woman kneeling at the water’s edge, washing clothes.
She wore a plain doeskin dress, adorned with fringes on the sides. Her legs were wrapped in leggings, and her dark hair was unbound, spilling down her back. Her overall appearance was that of a proper young Tukudeka maiden.
Unlike Kendra, whose clothing didn’t resemble anything a Sheepeater woman would wear. Even her raven hair wasn’t quite as straight.
Wo'itsa cursed himself for where his thoughts had led. He focused on the woman by the river. This had to be Morning Fawn, White Wolf’s intended bride. If she wasn’t the one whose life needed to be saved, Wo'itsa would have to wait for Mukua to return and give him better guidance.
Another woman approached from the direction of where the village was nestled among the trees. Wo'itsa squinted. For a split second, she looked familiar. Kendra?
He shook his head. No, it wasn’t her. This woman was much older. For some reason, her small stature had reminded him of the perplexing female from the future who simply refused to leave his thoughts.
The new arrival called out to the young woman kneeling by the water’s edge, but he was too far away to make out the words. Something the older one said must have startled her. She scrambled to get to her feet, but at that exact moment, the riverbank gave way, sending the girl tumbling into the strong current.
Chapter 15
Kendra pushed her way past Cameron to get closer to the old man who’d addressed her by the name her grandfather had insisted on calling her. For years, she hadn’t heard anyone call her by that name – least of all people she’d never met – but all of a sudden everyone seemed to know her by it.
“How do you know who I am?” she demanded, stepping fully outside the crude and dark wooden structure to catch a better glimpse of the old man in bright daylight. He was very similar in appearance to Mukua, but it wasn’t him.
The old man smiled almost smugly as he turned on spindly legs, away from the cabin to face her. Cameron stood in the doorway with an amused look on his face. His wife, Riley, came up beside him, holding their son against her hip. Clearly, both of them were eager to see and hear the exchange between their two unexpected visitors.
Kendra’s heart pounded uncharacteristically as she waited for a reply. It had become a common occurrence over the last few days. With all the unusual things that had happened in recent weeks, an
d especially her surreal experience of traveling several hundred years into the past, it was remarkable that she hadn’t completely lost her mind. At least, not yet.
The old man appraised her with eagle eyes, nodding and smiling, as if he’d just scored a great buy on some valuable antique. When he finally spoke, it wasn’t in response to her question.
“I have waited for this day for a long time.” His eyes pored over her and he nodded with satisfaction. “You favor your mother in many ways.”
Cameron stepped from the cabin at that moment to stand in front of both of them. He glanced from one to the other, shooting the old man an indulgent look while his eyes conveyed to Kendra to have patience with him.
She shouldn’t have been surprised that her questions were being evaded. Whenever she’d asked Kunu something, he’d always left her with more questions than before.
“Kendra, this is Naatoyita, one of three remaining elders of the Sky People. You’ve already met his brother, Mukua, and I’m sure you’ll soon meet Naatosi, as well.”
The smile instantly left the elder’s face, and the sadness expressed there when he’d stood outside the cabin door was back. Cameron seemed to take no notice of the change when he addressed the elder.
“And clearly you seem to know who Kendra is.”
“Kendra? Is that the name you go by?” The elder smiled again, but gone was the luster his eyes had held before.
Kendra shifted weight from one foot to the other, feeling judged all of a sudden.
“The only person who ever insisted on calling me by that ridiculous full name was my grandfather. It caused me nothing but grief when I was growing up. When I finally left the reservation, I shortened it to fit in with modern society.” She straightened and raised her chin. “And you still didn’t answer my question.”
Actually, there were several questions racing around in her mind, but she’d get to those in a minute. One at a time, but the one she was most curious about was his reference to her mother. No one had known who her parents were. Could this old man finally shed some light? Did she really want to know?
The elder nodded indulgently. “When you were an infant, I’m the one who gave you into the care of the man who raised you. Your kunu, Harry Swift Elk, protected you and raised you to fulfill your destiny, as I instructed him to do.”
Kendra blinked and shook her head. Growing up, she’d never questioned that Kunu was her real grandfather, but as the years had gone by, she’d had her doubts. After she’d become a police officer, she’d done some digging, and her suspicions had been confirmed.
“I was abandoned at an orphanage for native American kids. Harry Swift Elk adopted me from there. There was no record of my real parents’ names.”
Naatoyita nodded again. “To make it legitimate in the time in which you grew up, and to hide your true identity, I had to take you to the orphanage first. Harry Swift Elk was instructed to take you in and raise you as his own. He was told to teach you to remember your true family so that you might return at the right time to fulfill your destiny.”
Kendra scoffed. Her brows rose. “My destiny? All my life, Harry Swift Elk told me stories of the ancients, and forced me to live in a way I didn’t want to, but he never told me why. Everything was always a secret with him. He said I’d understand one day.”
“That day has come, Natukendra’eh.”
Kendra’s knees went weak as a chill crept up her spine. Was this old man really offering to enlighten her about the things she’d questioned all her life? Maybe she should be excited to finally have someone who truly understood her standing in front of her. Her eyes darted from one person to the next, and mentally shook her head.
“You are all crazy. How did you know my mother?” With trembling hands, Kendra peeled her jacket down her shoulder and glanced at her tattoo. Her voice cracked. Never before had she felt this unsure and scared about getting to the bottom of something. Maybe it was safer not to know. “What do these images mean?”
Riley stepped up to her at that moment. “I’m going to keep supper warmed up. I’m sure you’re hungry, but I know there are questions you need to have answered, and it shouldn’t wait any longer.” Looking at her husband and then the old man, she smiled. “I will leave the three of you alone. I think Cam should probably hear all this, too.”
Kendra glanced at the man standing next to her. His face was hard and unreadable, but just as she’d sensed a strange connection between herself and Matt Donovan, she felt it now with Cameron Osborne, and the vibe was even stronger.
“You have lost sight of your family, Natukendra’eh. Perhaps this was a good thing while you were growing up, for it helped protect you from being discovered. Now, however, it is time that you remember where you belong.”
Beside her, Cam shifted. “It’s time to give her some real answers, Naatoyita. I understand how Kendra must also be feeling.”
Their eyes met, and a sense of unity passed between them. Cam smiled slightly before his features turned hard as he addressed the old man again.
“Matunaaga is dead.”
The elder’s lips tightened, and he nodded. Cam stiffened, and the anger in him was almost palpable.
“You knew already, didn’t you? If you and Naatosi had been more forthcoming with information, my best friend’s death might have been prevented.”
Naatoyita’s eyes clouded with sadness. “I have done my best, as has Naatosi, to prevent Matunaaga’s death. Yes, we knew he was in danger, but we took precautions to keep him safe for as long as possible.” His gaze went from Cam to Kendra. “As we have done with you. In order to protect you – the children of the Sky People – Naatosi and I had to act in secrecy.”
“Mat was a child of the Sky People, too.” Cam’s voice calmed and quieted considerably, but spoke of the frustration and pain of the finality of his words. “And you failed to protect him.”
Kendra glared at the old man as renewed anger and sadness grabbed hold of her. Not much about this conversation made sense so far. Earlier, Cameron and Riley had hinted at something about being a child of the Sky People, which had left Kendra with a distinct uncomfortable feeling.
What if it was true?
The thought plagued her again, as it had several times already in the last couple of days.
How often had Kunu told her that she was special? It was meaningless jabber. After all, what grandparent didn’t think their grandchild was special. Was she a child of the Sky People? What did that even mean?
“You still aren’t answering my questions,” she blurted, her hard stare on the old man as if she was interrogating a suspect in a criminal investigation. “I think it’s time you go back to the beginning, and that starts with telling me who my mother was, since you seem to have known her, and what these images on my arm mean.”
Naatoyita nodded. “Walk with me, Natukendra’eh. You, too, Cameahwait.”
He veered away and headed toward the wide river that flowed through the valley a short distance from the cabin. Kendra exchanged a quick look with Cameron, and they both fell in step beside the old man.
They walked in silence for at least five minutes until they reached the marshy banks of the river. A flock of Canada Geese honked loudly in protest to the intrusion and took to the water.
The gentle breeze of early evening created a rustling in the tall grasses, which the setting sun illuminated in a golden glow. Kendra inhaled the strong scent of damp earth, a hint of bison, and water. The gentle eddies in the river as it flowed along its course added to the serene ambiance, which was in sharp contrast with the unsettling turmoil swirling within her.
Finally, the elder spoke, his raspy voice cutting through the quiet air.
“What has Harry Swift Elk told you, Natukendra’eh?”
Kendra sighed deeply. More questions directed at her instead of answers she sought. She wasn’t going to play along for much longer.
“He talked about the Sky People and made me learn the old language, and brought me here
to Yellowstone to reconnect with my ancestors.” She laughed, and shook her head. “All it ever did was give me nightmares.”
Her eyes dropped to the ground, and she blinked rapidly a few times. Her feet sank slightly in the squishy earth, and she took a step away from the marsh. She wasn’t going to lose it in front of this old man or Cameron Osborne.
She ran a trembling hand through her hair, brushing strands out of her face. “The night Matt Donovan died, I had a dream about a bear in a car. The car swerved to avoid a wolf in the road, and then went over the edge of a steep ditch and hit a tree.”
Kendra gritted her teeth as she spoke about the painful memory. A sudden thought occurred to her. Her eyes widened, and she shot a hasty glance from Cameron to Naatoyita.
“Kunu tried to warn me about the wolf that killed Matt and his wife, and then he died, too. I know their deaths are related, but I can’t prove it.”
Naatoyita walked as if he were part of a funeral procession. “You are correct, Natukendra’eh. Mukua is responsible for the deaths of Matunaaga as well as Harry Swift Elk.”
Kendra stopped. She frowned. Mukua? The other old man of the Sky People? She shook her head.
“No, not Mukua. Wo'itsa is the wolf.”
Naatoyita turned to face her. “You have met Wo'itsa?” Then he nodded without waiting for an answer, as if something had just made sense to him, and a look of resignation came over him. He took a step toward her. “You have met both Mukua and Wo'itsa.”
Kendra frowned some more. “Wo'itsa was with that old man when I traveled to this time. He wanted me to give the snakehead to him. He acts like a guard for the elder.”
“Now I understand how Mukua has found you.” He looked at Cameron. “And how he found Matunaaga.”
“Because of Wo'itsa?” Cameron’s brows furrowed in disbelief. “He was Mat’s friend. Why would he betray him?”
Naatoyita waved a hand in front of his face and shook his head. “I am certain Wo'itsa had no knowledge of what he was doing. My brother, Naatosi, informed me once that Wo'itsa encountered Mukua when he tried to protect Matunaaga’s woman from a wolf. We both knew that Mukua would sense great puha in Wo'itsa, if their paths ever crossed.”
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