She is a child of the Sky People. You are only a Tukudeka hunter.
Worse. She belonged to the Bear Clan. Wo'itsa shook his head. It no longer mattered that the bear was her spirit animal and his was the wolf. He could never see her as his enemy, no matter what Mukua had said.
After leaving Natukendra’eh with his mother the night before, Wo'itsa had sought the shaman’s advice, and his words had resonated with him.
“The Bear and Wolf clans of the Sky People were once brothers. The war destroyed both clans. There is no reason to continue the animosity.”
This should have occurred to him long before now, but there had been things Mukua had told him that made sense, and Wo'itsa had seen proof that the white man was coming to the sacred mountains. An elder of the Sky People was wiser than a shaman of his clan.
Wo'itsa knelt by the water and splashed some of the cold liquid onto his face. He stood, then looked toward the village. Since he hadn’t returned to his mother’s wickiup all night, there was no reason for anyone to think that he was interested in Natu . . . Kendra as a mate.
Perhaps he should think of her as Kendra, since that was the name she preferred, and since she’d made it clear that she was eventually going to return to her future time.
Had she been an ordinary Tukudeka woman, even if she’d come from a time in the future, he would have fought for her, but Kendra was no ordinary woman. She was a powerful puhagand, and if her choice was to return to the future, how could he change her mind and stop her?
Wo'itsa stood. It was time he returned to the village. The conflict between his mind and heart was going to drive him mad. Before meeting Kendra, he’d been content with his life and in no hurry to find a wife. Now, all he could think about was her. The sense that they were meant to be together kept growing stronger.
Mukua chose you to help him. He said you possess powerful puha.
Perhaps if he sought Mukua’s guidance again, he might learn more about his powerful spirit medicine so that he’d be worthy of a woman of the Sky People.
Kendra had no desire to remain in this time, though. Would she change her mind if he could somehow show her the way to reconnect with her ancestors? Clearly, the elder of the Bear Clan hadn’t done much to encourage her. He’d simply instructed her to find the time travel vessels for his own gain.
Wo'itsa glanced toward the village. People were talking, and dogs barked. The smoke from morning cooking fires filled the air. His mother would be awake by now to prepare a meal.
Perhaps Day Star would be of some help. She had even known Kendra’s mother. What had she said? Kendra’s mother had hoped it would come to pass. Day Star had looked from him to Kendra as she’d said those words. Had she been hoping for a match between them?
Hopefully she was no longer under that impression, since he’d made it clear that he had no intention of spending time with Natukendra’eh among the villagers. For this reason, he’d remained with the shaman for the last three days.
Yet he had willingly gone to find her when his mother had asked. Day Star could have easily gone and looked for Kendra herself. His mother had seemed more than eager for a match between him and the woman she knew was of the Sky People.
Wo'itsa strode through camp, ignoring the curious glances from some of the older men and women. His friends greeted him as he passed. These men had been his hunting companions all his life, but they didn’t approach him now.
Everyone knew by now that he’d spoken to the shaman, and they were no doubt curious if he’d received a new vision. They were probably also curious about the woman he’d brought back with him, but no one would step forward to ask about her or his vision journey.
Day Star stood outside her hut, building her cooking fire. She looked up as Wo'itsa approached and slowly straightened. He nodded in greeting.
“Good morning, Pia.”
Day Star smiled in response, but something wasn’t right. The way she gripped the piece of wood in her hand revealed the tension in her body, and there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. The only other time she’d had that kind of look had been after the death of his father many seasons ago when he was still a boy.
A feeling of dread washed over him. Had something happened with Kendra? Maybe she’d taken the vessel and had returned to her future time. He dismissed the thought as quickly as it had entered his mind. Kendra would not leave to return to her former life until all the vessels were in her possession. He was sure of it. The woman was too determined and not one to quit a task that had been set before her. He almost smiled. Her tenacity was another thing he admired about her.
“Where is Natukendra’eh?”
Day Star motioned with her chin toward the edge of the woods, well outside the village.
“She waits for you there.”
Wo'itsa’s brows rose. “She waits for me?”
“Along with an elder of the Sky People.” Day Star stepped up to him. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she placed a trembling hand on his arm. The apprehension in her voice was palpable. “The time for truth has arrived, my son.”
Wo'itsa frowned. Truth about what?
He didn’t ask, but headed toward the trees. His mother followed close behind him. Natukendra’eh stood with an elder along the edge of the forest. She looked to be in an animated discussion with him, and by the way her body leaned toward the elder with her hands waving through the air, she was probably arguing with him.
Despite the trepidation flowing through him after his mother’s words about what truth he might learn this day, his eyes focused on the woman. She’d grabbed hold of his heart like a wolverine clamping down on its prey and not letting go.
Even from a distance, she was breathtaking. Her proud and fearless stance as she conversed with the elder, no doubt speaking her mind, was admirable. She was so unlike any woman he’d ever encountered, and something swelled in his heart for her, stronger than before.
Memories of the kiss they’d shared the night before made heat flow through his body. A deep understanding came alive in him for Camehawait’s feelings for his wife. He could now relate to the despair the woman, Kayla, had felt when she’d thought she’d lost Matunaaga. Both of his friends had found their soul mates, and it had never made him envious of them, until now.
Kendra glanced in his direction as he approached, and so did the elder. It wasn’t Mukua, but Wo'itsa had known that already. This must be one of the elders of the Bear Clan. What could the old man possibly say that would convince Wo'itsa that Mukua’s vision of the future was wrong?
The elder smiled and headed toward Wo'itsa with outstretched arms. Once they were feet apart, he looked up to stare into Wo'itsa’s eyes and nodded in apparent approval. Pride and appreciation shone in his gaze. Wo'itsa stared back, then his eyes drifted toward Kendra as she slowly approached.
She looked at him, then quickly glanced at Day Star, who came up beside him. It wasn’t like Kendra to avert her gaze, but today, she seemed rather reluctant to look him squarely in the eyes. Was she uncomfortable now because of what had happened between them the night before? Had she spent a sleepless night, like him, thinking about it and how it had affected her?
“Natukendra’eh,” Wo'itsa greeted to draw her attention back to him. Annoyance rose in him at the presence of the elder and his mother. He had to talk to Kendra alone, but that wasn’t possible at the moment.
Her eyes lifted back to his, but her features revealed nothing about what she was thinking. There was a slight hint that her breathing was quicker, but even that could have been his imagination.
“It is good that you are both here,” the elder croaked, clasping Wo'itsa’s hand and drawing his attention away from Kendra.
Kendra stepped forward. “Wolf, this is Naatoyita, elder of the Sky People.” She motioned with her hand to the old man, then waved it through the air toward Wo'itsa. “Naatoyita, this is Wo'itsa. I think he’s the one you told me to find.” Her voice held a cold edge, as if she was trying hard not to reveal he
r true emotions.
The elder smiled. “You have done well, Natukendra’eh.” Looking at Wo'itsa, he pointed at the bandage that was still wrapped around his torso. “It appears you have been marked by the bear.” His eyes went to Kendra, and he chuckled. “In more ways than one.”
Wo'itsa remained quiet, letting the old man ramble on. It wasn’t his place to speak while the elder was talking.
Naatoyita’s smile vanished, and he glanced from Wo'itsa to Day Star. “I believe the right time has come, don’t you agree?”
The question was directed at Day Star. Wo'itsa glanced at his mother, who looked old and frail all of a sudden. He’d admired this woman all his life for being strong and courageous, and for not taking another husband after his father died. Now, however, she stared at him with sad and fearful eyes. She nodded, then forced a smile at the elder.
“I believe the time is now,” she whispered. Her gaze went to Kendra, who narrowed her eyes, clearly trying to decipher the woman’s words.
“If there is something both of you wish to tell me, then do so.” Wo'itsa stiffened, staring from the elder to his mother.
Clearly, they knew some mysterious secret about him. Day Star looked almost scared. It was not like his mother to keep things from him.
Naatoyita reached up and touched Wo'itsa’s arm. “My brother, Naatosi, and I knew this day would come, when we must reveal ourselves to you.”
He glanced at Kendra for a moment, then returned his gaze to Wo'itsa. “When you encountered Matunaaga’s woman, Kayla, a season ago and protected her from Mukua, we feared that we had waited too long and had lost you. Mukua sensed something in you that day, but he did not know what gave you your strong puha. For now, I do not believe he suspects your true identity.”
Wo'itsa’s forehead scrunched. “My true identity? I am the same man I have always been.”
Naatoyita nodded and smiled. “Yes, and my brother and I . . . as well as your mother, made sure that you lived an ordinary life.” He sighed, glanced at the ground, then back up into Wo'itsa’s face.
“Sometimes, however, our birth is stronger than our upbringing. Your spirit medicine was strong enough for you to receive a vision years ago when you sought answers about a woman you had lost.” He paused. “Instead of answers, you received a vision about your family.”
Wo'itsa closed his eyes for a moment. The vision he’d received years ago, when he’d sought answers about the woman he’d thought he had loved and lost, had been about the Sky People and the battle between the Wolf and Bear clans. What did any of that have to do with his family?
“When you came to the rescue of Matunaaga’s woman and crossed paths with Mukua, he realized he could use you for his own gain.”
Wo'itsa’s forehead scrunched. “Use me? Mukua asked for my help. He didn’t use me.”
Naatoyita smiled. “Mukua told you to seek another vision, did he not?”
The elder paused. Wo'itsa nodded, because it was the expected response, and because the elder was correct. Satisfied, the old man continued.
“He used that vision, one that would aid him in finding the one person he had sought above all others for over twenty-five years.” Naatoyita glanced at Kendra before he added, “and to further his revenge against the man he held responsible for the death of his wife.”
“You make little sense, old man.” Wo'itsa spoke the words between clenched teeth. Anger rose in him. Mukua had always been straightforward with him. This elder spoke in riddles, and it was difficult to show his respect for an elder of the Sky People at the moment.
Naatoyita’s voice rose. “Mukua blamed Agwai Puhagand, shaman of the Sky People and father of Cameahwait, for the death of his wife. He vowed to wipe out his entire bloodline throughout time and with it the future of our sacred mountains.”
Wo'itsa shook his head. An uneasy feeling swept over him. Kendra had told him something similar. He’d always been taught that the Sky People were good, and to follow their teachings. It was difficult to believe that an elder of the Sky People could do evil.
“Mukua has tried to do a lot of good things,” he reasoned. “He sent me to save the life of a young woman, and he showed me some of the changes that are coming to the mountains he’s trying to protect. He said the elders of the Bear Clan have a different vision of the future, one that will destroy the sacred lands, and he wants to make sure it doesn’t come to pass.”
Naatoyita smiled indulgently. He nodded, then gripped Wo'itsa by the shoulder. Nudging him along, he walked beside him and led him further into the woods.
“The woman Mukua sent you to save from drowning was meant to die that day. Death is not something that can be escaped when it is meant to be, especially when it serves a greater purpose. If she had lived, the man you know as White Wolf would have married her and changed the course of the future. That was Mukua’s intent.”
Wo'itsa stared ahead, following a worn path away from the village, avoiding exposed roots and dead trees that had fallen long ago and were being reclaimed by the earth.
Absently, he said, “I have met White Wolf again as an old man, along with the white healer he married.”
“Yes. It was their destiny to marry. White Wolf, or Daniel Osborne, is the grandson of your friend, Cameahwait. The woman he married is the daughter of another friend, Matunaaga. Through them, the family line of Agwai Puhagand continues.”
Wo'itsa stopped and narrowed his eyes on the elder. “You mean, the Bear Clan and their vision for the future continues. What about the Wolf Clan? Is their vision for the future not justified?” His voice grew harsher.
Naatoyita nodded again. “Of course it is, but because of his hatred for the leaders of the Bear Clan, Mukua is blinded to see that the ideas of both clans could help protect the mountains.”
Wo'itsa fell in step beside the elder when he kept walking. Everything that had happened since he’d received his vision played in his mind. The more he thought about the events that had occurred, the more conflicted everything became. The path they walked turned and twisted as it wound through the forest, much like the thoughts in his mind.
He honed in on the sound of footsteps behind him. Kendra and his mother followed. For once, Kendra was uncharacteristically quiet. While nothing else around him made any sense, his feelings for the woman who had come from somewhere in a future time were like an arrow shooting in a straight line. His heart, not his mind, gave him clarity at the moment.
Wo'itsa turned his gaze on the old man walking beside him. “Mukua has shown me the future. He’s taken me there, and I have seen some of it in my vision. Everything I have seen leads me to believe him. He wishes to preserve the sacred mountains so they remain as they are now.”
Naatoyita remained silent for several seconds before he responded. He quietly shook his head.
“Unfortunately, not even the Sky People can prevent change to our sacred homelands.” He stopped and faced Wo'itsa. “Change will come, but we can take measures to protect our mountains as this change is occurring. Mukua refuses to see past this because of his need for revenge.”
Wo'itsa ran a hand over his face. He glanced over his shoulder at his mother, then back at the elder. “What is it that you are holding back from me?”
“You possess strong puha, Wo'itsa, something Mukua knows but he does not know why. With the help of your mother, we have kept your true identity from him, as well as from you.”
Naatoyita stopped and faced everyone, looking at Kendra. “With the return of Natukendra’eh, the two of you hold the power to continue what the Sky People have always done . . . protect our sacred mountains.”
Kendra huffed. Not even she was convinced by the old man’s riddles. No doubt she didn’t fully appreciate Naatoyita’s words, since she’d refused to reconnect with her past.
He glanced at his mother, then at the elder. “I don’t understand. Natukendra’eh is a child of the Sky People. I am nothing but an ordinary hunter in my village.”
This time, Day Star stepp
ed forward. Tears pooled in her eyes as she smiled at him. Her hand trembled when she gripped his arm.
“My son, you are also a child of the Sky People.”
Wo'itsa’s heart pounded in his ears and his temples throbbed as the words his mother spoke slowly penetrated his mind. His brows furrowed and he shook his head.
“How is that possible?” he croaked.
Day Star glanced uneasily at Naatoyita, clearly looking to the elder for guidance. The elder smiled at her and simply nodded. She cleared her throat, but her voice was weak.
“Many years ago, when I gave birth to a son, my husband couldn’t have been more proud.” She laughed uneasily. “As you know, our custom doesn’t allow for a father to see his child until a full cycle of the moon has passed. I knew after a few days that something wasn’t right. My child was weak and sick. I called on Pahamittsi Puhangand, the Sky People healer of the Wolf Clan, to offer me guidance and to help my child.”
Day Star sniffed and wiped her hand under her nose. A soft laugh escaped her throat as she looked at Kendra. “Your mother was heavy with child herself, but she came to see me and my infant. She told me there was nothing she could do for my son, and he would die.”
Kendra’s eyes grew round. Her gaze lingered on Wo'itsa. “She must have done something. Wo'itsa looks alive and well to me.”
Day Star shook her head. “She returned the following day, holding a newborn in her arms, offering the boy to me while I cradled my dead son.”
Naatoyita placed his hand on Day Star’s arm and continued the story.
“Shortly before she was to give birth, the wife of the chieftain of the Wolf Clan came to see Pahamittsi for guidance. She told the healer she feared for the life and future of her child with the war going on. She begged Pahamittsi to take the baby when he was born and find a safe home for him. When Day Star’s son died, Pahamittsi had the perfect solution.”
Kendra motioned with her hand. “So, Wo'itsa is really the son of the Wolf Clan Chief? He was switched at birth with a dead baby? How is it possible that no one would notice something like that?”
Yellowstone Legends Page 26