Fireblossom

by Wright, Cynthia

  She laughed in spite of herself, then pressed her face against his shirtfront. "Oh, Fox, what about Sun Smile?"

  "What about her?" He was careful to keep his tone even and reasonable. "We're taking her back to meet your father, just as he asked. We succeeded in our quest; not only did we find Sun Smile, it's working out that she can return to Deadwood with us. In fact, I'd venture to say that we're helping her in the bargain. Sun Smile doesn't really belong with Crazy Horse's band at the moment. She needs to be sheltered until she recovers from her grief."

  "Do you believe that's possible?" Maddie was ashamed of the unkind note that crept into her voice. "I have my doubts."

  "Give her time," Fox advised. "Just be patient."

  There wasn't time for further discussion. Watson was prancing around, delighted to be embarking on another journey, and Maddie suggested that Fox exercise the roan while she guided the mule-drawn wagon.

  At last, when everything was on board except Sun Smile, she appeared from the tipi she shared with other members of her dead husband's family, holding a buckskin bag and looking lost and frightened. Strong took her arm and led her over to the wagon. Maddie hung back as her friend explained to Sun Smile that she would be safe and well cared for. Then, Fox and Kills Hungry Bear showed her the little nest that would be hers during the journey to Deadwood. Sun Smile sat down on the quilts, dirty and smelly and yet graceful in her movements. She fixed her eyes on her lap and remained thus, frozen, as various friends and relatives reached into the back of the wagon to wish her well.

  Runs Away declined to speak to the departing trio, but she watched with narrowed eyes. Strong let Maddie embrace her and thank her for her friendship, but they did not say goodbye.

  "Do not fight the guidance of the Great Spirit," Strong told her, looking into Maddie's green eyes. "You have many blessings. Be grateful for them, and be careful. Others will be envious of your good fortune."

  Maddie wasn't certain what those cryptic words meant, but she stored them away in her memory. So many feelings churned inside her as she looked back at the picturesque village and thought of all she had learned and what this place and these people had come to mean to her. One thought, sharp as a dagger, kept recurring: This life is nearly past for all Indians. Even now, these people are clinging to the end of the dream....

  It hurt too much to realize that there could be no victory for Crazy Horse's followers. Soon, they would have to surrender to life on the agency.

  Nearby, Kills Hungry Bear was admitting this same fact to Fox. "I don't know if I can do it, when the time comes," he said in a low voice. "Can I live behind a fence and pretend that cattle are buffalo? It sounds very dull."

  Fox looked over to see that the wagon was ready and Maddie was perched on the high seat, holding the reins. He could offer no words of consolation to Kills Hungry Bear or any of the other people here; they all knew it. Instead he swung onto Watson's back, touched the fox's tooth at the base of his neck, and smiled.

  "H'g un, kola. Keep up courage, my friend. I will never forget, and if you have need of me, call and I will come."

  They started on their way then, slowly moving south from Bear Butte, Crazy Horse's birthplace, toward the Thieves' Road that George Armstrong Custer had made into the Black Hills.

  Watson was overjoyed to be loose again and he galloped merrily ahead of the wagon with Fox giving him free rein. The sky was robin's-egg blue and dotted with whipped-cream clouds while the prairie spread out around the tiny travelers, a sea of golden green grass. Maddie watched Fox and Watson run in the sunshine, but she felt none of their pleasure. Her mules seemed to crawl toward the distant Hills and the silence was oppressive.

  From time to time she glanced back into the wagon, where her half-sister sat facing the other way. She was glad that Sun Smile couldn't see her because she wouldn't have known what to say or do.

  It was bittersweet to wish that life could imitate dreams. Maddie longed for more from Fox, and she had imagined that Sun Smile would be very different from the way she was.

  But, Maddie decided, perhaps she didn't have to relinquish her dreams. Who could say what the future held?

  PART 4

  He fumbles at your spirit,

  As players at the keys

  Before they drop full music on;

  He stuns you by degrees...

  ~ Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

  Chapter 22

  August 16, 1876

  The front door banged, then banged again as the wind caught it and slapped it backward against the house. Stephen Avery, still as pale as his pillows, winced slightly.

  "I have asked your son repeatedly to take one additional moment to close the door securely on his way in and out of the house," said Annie Sunday Matthews from her chair beside Stephen's bed. Removing her spectacles with one hand, she put aside Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables, which she had been reading aloud.

  "My dear Mrs. Matth—"

  "Annie."

  Stephen sighed. "Annie, you know how pleased we all are that you've come to Deadwood, and I can never thank you enough for all you've done to entertain me during my convalescence, but I do hope that you'll remember that this is the West." He had the sense, watching her back stiffen, that his chances of swaying her were equal to stopping a railroad locomotive with his bare hands. "What I am trying to say is that Benjamin is just a boy. He doesn't mean any harm. His mind is off on a hundred pursuits of childhood."

  "Believe me, Stephen, I fully understand the ways of male children. However, understanding Benjamin's behavior does not mean that we must also condone it. A few simple rules are good for him."

  Watching as Annie rose to her full, statuesque height, Stephen was struck again by her unadorned good looks and the forceful purity of her character. The woman was at once mesmerizing and frustrating. Physically she was quite a handsome representative of her sex, with glossy chestnut-and-silver hair drawn back in a plain chignon, clear hazel eyes, and a taut body complemented by the simple, high-necked dresses she wore. However, she was definitely a force to be reckoned with. She had appeared a fortnight ago looking for her son, accepted their welcome, and then set about improving the Avery household. Now, Stephen feared, she was about to stride into the parlor and collar his son, who would probably leave the door ajar twice as often in retaliation.

  "Benjamin?" Annie called in a calm schoolteacher's voice.

  The bedroom door burst open and the boy entered with a shout, nearly crashing into Annie Sunday.

  "Hey! There you are! Where's Gramma Susan, for Pete's sake? An' Titus?" His sandy hair stood up in sweaty cowlicks and his freckles were bright with excitement. When Fox's mother held his shoulders in an effort to quiet him, Benjamin wriggled free, yelling, "Leggo of me, lady!"

  "Mind your manners!" his father ordered.

  "Listen to me! This is important." He stopped, panting, until he was certain that both adults were giving him their attention. "Maddie an' Fox are coming! I saw 'em and Watson and the wagon, with Maddie driving, coming down Sherman Street! They're prob'ly on the way up the hill by now!"

  Stephen was agog. "Dear Lord. I wonder... Oh, my." He began to struggle with the bedcovers. "Where is my dressing gown?"

  "Daniel? Daniel's coming? Right now?" Annie Sunday tried to make sense of Benjamin's announcement. She'd been waiting to see her son since the day she'd left Washington, D.C., after receiving word that he was living in Deadwood. She'd grown so used to waiting that the notion that he was finally going to be in front of her was almost more than she could take in. "This is so sudden," she murmured to no one in particular.

  "Papa, I don't know if you're supposed to get outta bed," Benjamin was saying doubtfully as he brought Stephen's dressing gown.

  "I'll be fine. I won't go beyond .the front door, but I have to see... just in case..." Stephen felt invigorated, as if a magical cure had suddenly taken effect. Knotting the sash of his brocade robe, he slipped his feet into half-shoes, glanced down at the
bare calves that showed pale beneath the hem of his nightshirt, then stepped out with dignity. "Benjamin, I believe your grandmother said that she was going to lie down upstairs and take a short nap. Go and see, will you? And then look around Fox's house for Titus. We should all be present at this moment." Extending his arm to Annie Sunday, he added, "I shall escort Mrs. Matthews to the front porch."

  Benjamin nodded, then started out the door, only to be halted once more by his father's voice.

  "Son... did you see them? I mean"—he cleared his throat—"I realize that you were above, on our hill, looking down, but I thought that perhaps you might have seen if there was anyone with them. Another young woman, perhaps...?" His voice throbbed with hope.

  "Huh?" Benjamin tossed back an impatient look. "I saw Fox riding Watson and I saw Maddie driving the wagon. I could tell it was her by her hair. That was all. Nobody else."

  "I see, I see." Stephen nodded nervously. "Well, that's fine. Let's go forth to greet the travelers, shall we, Mrs. Matthews?"

  Annie Sunday, now slightly recovered, beamed at her host. "By all means, sir, but you must take my arm!"

  * * *

  They made an odd little group, clustered on the porch, but Fox found that his heart swelled with affection at the sight of these people he'd known only a scant few weeks. He had brought Watson alongside the mules to help Maddie navigate the wagon up the deeply rutted hillside drive that led to their homes.

  "Oh, look, Fox! It's Father! He must be feeling better."

  With the reins still in her hands, Maddie shaded her eyes against the sunlight and tried to get a better look. "How wonderful to see him out of bed! And there's Gramma Susan, and Titus, and Benjamin... and a woman. Oh dear, I hope it isn't Garnet Loomis—she'd alert the entire town to Sun Smile's existence."

  Fox shrugged. "Word will spread quickly enough, I fear. You may as well brace yourself."

  "Poor Father." She stole another look into the depths of the wagon, where her half-sister had hunched in silence for more than three days. If not for her smell they might have forgotten she was even present. "I don't know if he'll be glad we brought her or not."

  "Of course he'll be glad," Fox countered, a trifle exasperated. "For God's sake, Maddie! Don't you think it's crossed his mind that she might not be the pristine Indian maiden you'd obviously hoped for? He wants to see his daughter, just as she is—even if she doesn't smell like a bed of roses!"

  Chastened, Maddie nodded. Fox was right, and the knowledge made her ashamed of herself. Sun Smile had left behind everything familiar to her—she would need loving-kindness and sympathy, support and encouragement. And it was up to Maddie as her sister to take care of her, not find fault with her!

  They were rounding the crest of the drive and she could see Benjamin jumping up and down. Titus was holding the back of his shirt to keep him from rushing out to meet them. Her father was smiling, but... "Fox, who is that tall woman? Do you recognize her?"

  Now that they were in the clear and he didn't have to worry that the mules would misstep off the side of the hill, Fox placated her with a hurried glance toward the porch. Susan O'Hara waved at him, and he waved back. And then he saw her.

  "Fox?" Maddie felt a pang of worry at the sight of his open mouth and wide eyes. Watson nearly wandered into the mules. "Who is that woman?" Please God, no more surprises, she thought. "Fox?"

  Suddenly his mouth was dry as dust. "I—" He swallowed and dragged his eyes from the figure on the porch to look at Maddie. "I can't believe it. Maybe you should pinch me. I think that's my mother up there!"

  Pandemonium reigned over the next several minutes as Maddie and Fox were drawn into the different family dramas that awaited them. After hugs, greetings, and introductions were exchanged on the porch, Fox gave all his attention to his mother. Annie Sunday had traveled two thousand miles to visit her son, and they had a great deal of catching up to do. Maddie, meanwhile, was left to deal with her father, who fixed her with the questioning look she'd been expecting.

  "I could take a switch to your legs for running off like that, Madeleine," he said sternly, then gave her a smile. "However, now that you're home safely, I am anxious to hear your report. I'm grateful to Fox for going on my behalf and for looking after you, but this is a family matter, and I'm rather glad that you were there as well." Stephen leaned on Benjamin and smiled sadly. "I gather that you were unable to find Sun Smile."

  "Actually..." Maddie plucked at her threadbare calico skirt and searched for Fox beyond Annie Sunday's head, trying to catch his eye. "We did find her, Father."

  Fox moved through the group to her side. "We did as you asked, sir. Sun Smile is with us, in the wagon, but I ought to explain a few things before you meet her."

  "Fox, why don't you three sort this out," Susan suggested, "while Benjamin, Titus, Mrs. Matthews, and I go inside and prepare a light meal."

  Annie Sunday obviously didn't want to leave her son, but in the interest of Stephen's health, she complied without protest. Fox brought a chair out to the porch for Stephen to sit on. Then, as concisely as possible, he and Maddie told their story.

  "She's really here?" Stephen murmured, staring at the wagon in disbelief. "What must she think of us, leaving her out there in the heat?"

  "I believe she's having a nap," Fox assured him.

  "Father, you may not be prepared for Sun Smile," Maddie began uncertainly. "She's—"

  "I understand what it means for a Lakota woman to be in mourning," Stephen interrupted. "And I'm aware that she must be frightened now. Fox, please, bring her to me."

  Maddie stood beside her father's chair and watched with him as Fox went to the wagon, roused Sun Smile, and helped her down. In this more civilized environment, the girl looked more than ever like a wild animal. The sunlight showed every detail of her filthy appearance and she blinked and cringed, looking around her warily, as Fox led the way to the house.

  Kneeling beside her father, Maddie prepared to comfort him, prepared to see him recoil from Sun Smile. Instead she saw that he was weeping softly.

  "How much like Yellow Bird she is," Stephen murmured. When Sun Smile approached him on the porch, their eyes met in recognition. "She's been told who I am?" Stephen asked.

  "Yes," Maddie said doubtfully. "But she doesn't speak, and it's rare for her to communicate with anyone."

  "That's part of the reason Kills Hungry Bear, her brother-in-law, thought it would be best for her to come here," Fox explained. "Given the uncertain future of the Lakota, it seemed best that Sun Smile have someone to look after her."

  Stephen seemed not to notice any of the aspects of appearance or behavior that so distressed Maddie. He reached out to touch Sun Smile's arm and she curled up into a protective ball on the porch step.

  "She's going to get better," he said quietly, firmly. "We'll see to it."

  "Kills Hungry Bear says that she was fine until her husband was killed at Little Bighorn," Fox told him.

  "Well, no wonder! Little Bighorn was just a few weeks ago, and Crazy Horse's people have been on the move ever since! Our poor Sun Smile hasn't had a chance to recover, and the Lakota mourn for a year, as I recall. So this is nothing out of the ordinary...." His voice trailed off uncertainly, and for a moment there was silence as each contemplated the obvious contrast between mourning and Sun Smile's total withdrawal from life. At last Maddie sighed.

  "Well, what shall we do with her now?" she asked.

  "Your sister will sleep upstairs with you and Gramma Susan," Stephen said.

  Maddie's eyes widened. "But, Father—"

  "I know that you must be as pleased as I to have brought Sun Smile into our family," he cut in. "We shall all have to make certain sacrifices to ensure that she feels welcome and is able to conquer her grief with all possible speed. We must give her a great deal of love, unfailingly, and show her what it means to be a member of the Avery family."

  After a brief hesitation, Maddie nodded. Again she had the uncomfortable sensation that those around her we
re more generous of spirit, and purer of heart, than she. She resolved to try harder. And whatever her feelings now, she would acquiesce gracefully—not just to please her father, but for her own sake as well.

  * * *

  "Well, well, I'd say that you have undergone a few changes," Gramma Susan murmured as she and her granddaughter washed dishes. "I always heard that living with Indians would change a woman, and I guess that's so."

  "Oh, honestly, Gramma!" Maddie cried, then glimpsed the twinkle in the old woman's eyes. "You're teasing, aren't you? I'm sorry, I suppose I'm tired." She paused. "Would you think me very horrid if I confessed that I'm not altogether enchanted with my new sister?"

  "So I perceived," Susan said. She dried an ironstone plate and set it on the shelf.

  "How can I come to love—truly love someone who—who behaves like a rabid dog?" she exclaimed defiantly.

  "Shh. You're acting rather like one yourself, my dear."

  "But to sleep in the same room with that smell—! If she would at least bathe..."

  "In case you have not noticed," her grandmother interjected, "Sun Smile has yet to set foot inside this house, and I highly doubt whether she will in the foreseeable future. Unless I miss my guess, that poor child will stay in the wagon where she can be alone and feel a bit more at home. She'll be more comfortable under that canvas top with a view of the outdoors, fresh air, and privacy. You're not the only one who is making adjustments, you know."

  Maddie stood with her hands in a dishpan of soapy water, thinking. "Do you think that Father would let her stay outside in the wagon?"

  "If it is her choice, of course he'll let her. He'll allow whatever is necessary for Sun Smile to feel comfortable. You might try to see someone else's side now and then, Maddie." Gently she reached up to smooth back an errant curl from her granddaughter's brow. "I've never been a great admirer of your father's, but I'm proud of him now. He must have been very guilty all these years whenever he thought about Yellow Bird and Sun Smile. He's taking a big chance, trying to bring her into this family, and I'm quite certain he's more scared than he'll let on. You might show him a little compassion, sweetheart."