Forever Ecstasy
Page 16
Running Badger, who had been standing with his legs spread, dropped to his knees and moaned. He saw the sneaky girl race away and knew he must recover and pursue quickly, as his male pride was stung.
A quick glance toward the ceremonial chief told Morning Star the others were captured and bound. Still free, she ran to the war chief’s side and asked, “Do I continue, Lone Horn?” To conserve energy, she hoped he would say no.
Wolf Eyes responded for the judge. “The others are bound,” he said. “You run free. You fought well. You are winner. Give her a stone, Hawk Eyes.”
Morning Star clutched the hard-won prize, then handed it to her father to hold. They exchanged smiles, his eyes full of pride.
The others were cut free for nunpa, the second test: English. Thunder Spirit, son of White Arrow, was to quiz and judge her, as he spoke the white man’s tongue.
When the event was over, there was a tie between Morning Star and Buckskin Girl, whose father was as skilled in English as his brother, her judge, and he had taught his daughter well.
Hawk Eyes held out his closed fists to the woman he had been wooing for a long time for her to choose first. When he opened the one Buckskin Girl tapped, the second stone was awarded to her.
Morning Star was upset that her best friend had denied her a second victory. Now each possessed one stone. She wondered if the medicine man had intentionally stared at the hand which held the coveted prize.
Yamni, test number three, was to play the part of a squaw, the role which would be used at Joe’s side. Each girl acted out a part before the council, who voted on their performances. Each was told why she lost. Morning Star heard that she talked too much and kept her eyes up: squaw should be quiet and humble and almost grovel in fear of her owner! The stone was handed to Flying Feather, who held it up and giggled.
Topa, test number four, was with the bow and arrow. Tracks Good was Morning Star’s judge. She tried not to dwell on the two losses and three-way tie, but had trouble keeping them off her mind.
Flaming Star whispered to her to take her time, as he knew she had been ill and weak. He, too, wondered why his child was competing.
When all five of her arrows struck the center of the target, Morning Star won her second stone. She took a deep breath that did not lessen her tension. She knew she was tiring again from her recent sickness. She also knew what loomed before her.
Zaptan was a knife-throwing test. Buckskin Girl won the fifth stone easily, tying her friend once more with two stones each.
Sakpe was a lance-throwing test. Morning Star ordered her arms to stop trembling. She grasped the lengthy weapon and flung it with all her might, but it did not hit the center of the circle drawn on the ground. She watched with apprehension as the other girls hurled theirs. She mopped away glistening perspiration before she handed her third stone to Sun Cloud.
Wolf Eyes announced a break for the girls to rest and to take refreshments. They were given thirty minutes until the next event.
Morning Star went to her tepee and lay down. She had to relax. She had to gain strength. She had to win. She kept recalling what her brother had said about the shame of losing after being so cocky about winning. She admitted that her pride had been too large. The contest was not the “simple” victory she had envisioned it to be.
“Toniktuka he?” Singing Wind asked how she was.
“Weak as a rabbit the moon of its birth,” the maiden responded.
“Must you do this, Morning Star? There is no shame in stopping because you are weak from sickness. It is worse to continue and lose.”
“As Morning Star, would you quit a task so important?” she asked.
“No, my daughter, I would continue.”
Thank you, Mother,” she replied, grateful for the honesty.
Payaba arrived and gave Morning Star soup and tea laced with herbs. “They will give you strength, precious one. Do not be discouraged.”
Morning Star consumed the liquids and rested until it was time to rejoin the others. She noticed Hawk Eyes speaking with Buckskin Girl, praising her and wooing her. A surge of anger, frustration, and disappointment engulfed the daughter of Sun Cloud, and she hurriedly quelled those feelings.
Sakowin was a test for reading tracks and trail signs. Catch the Bear was her judge. It included fourteen parts. She guessed the three smoke signals correctly: one puff for danger, two puffs for all is safe, and three puffs for send help. As each Indian nation had different moccasin prints, it was vital for a tracker to be able to recognize those he found and trailed. She guessed correctly for the Crow, Dakota, Cheyenne, and Pawnee prints. Trail signs were tested, as they gave crucial information: directions, warnings, water locations, and so forth. Most were made of grass bunches tied differently, or rocks stacked in certain patterns and numbers, or cuts made on trees. Morning Star read all seven accurately.
Pleased with herself, she waited for the others to finish. It was another tie between her and— this time— Gray Squirrel for the seventh stone. Tracks Good, her grandfather, had taught her competitor well.
The drawing did not go in her favor, and she lost another stone. It was terrible to lose an event she had done successfully! At least, she reasoned, she was still ahead by one victory. She had to try harder!
Saglogan was another tracking test, a skill vital to survival and success: locating or avoiding enemies and finding game. Each girl was shown to a different starting point and told to return with a certain object. Morning Star’s was her father’s wanapin, his name and medicine symbol. The clues and tracks had been made and the objects hidden during the break. Whoever returned with her object first was the winner.
Morning Star followed the clues into the woods and located her father’s medallion. She hurried back to camp, but Gray Squirrel was there holding the eighth stone. She almost wanted to scold Tracks Good for teaching the girl such expert skills. Again, she had succeeded, but still had lost. Perhaps her renewed fatigue was slowing her down and dulling her wits. Now Flying Feather possessed one stone, Buckskin Girl and Gray Squirrel had two each, and Morning Star owned three. Ahead, she fretted, but in danger of being caught up to and passed. At least three of the remaining five events were in her strongest areas, if her lagging body didn’t fail her.
The test of napciunka should be easy for her: sign language, vital for communicating with friends and foes of other tongues. Hawk Eyes was her judge for the fifty-six chosen signals. She cautioned herself to make no mistakes. When the shaman spoke a word, Morning Star made the motions for it. Some included: counting, tribes, greetings, responses, foods, supplies, colors, trade, gratitude, names, and farewell. Her last two were for indicating tribes. For Crow, she signaled bird and Indian; for Dakota, she signed “throat cutter,” used by others over the correct meaning, friends.
Hawk Eyes went to meet with the other judges. Then Wolf Eyes announced a tie between Morning Star and Gray Squirrel. The two females approached the shaman, and Gray Squirrel won her third, the ninth, stone to tie Morning Star in the running for victory.
The chiefs daughter was visibly dismayed and fatigued. Buckskin Girl touched her arm and smiled in empathy. At that moment, Morning Star did not feel kindly toward the woman who possessed the two stones she would have herself if Buckskin Girl weren’t a challenger. She sensed something was terribly wrong, as if dark forces were trying to defeat her. If only she could draw first one time; if there was another tie, maybe her luck would change! She chided herself for thinking the shaman was to blame for her losses.
“Kiinyanka iyehantu.” Wolf Eyes called out it was time to race.
Event number ten— wikcemna— was to prove escape skills. The course was marked, and the council as a whole would observe and judge. The five females lined up, readied themselves, then took off at the signal.
Morning Star gave it her all, but she was too weak by now to keep up. After a stumble and near fall, she came in fourth. She watched with envy and discouragement as Comes Running accepted the tenth stone.
Morning Star was aware of her friend’s skill with the knife, as Buckskin Girl had taught her how to trap and slay small animals with one! This event was in two parts— Ake wanji and ake numpa: number eleven was with knife, and number twelve was with a bow. In each, the first girl to return to camp with a kill by the specified weapon was the winner.
After Buckskin Girl accepted her third stone for skill with a knife hunting, there was a three-way tie between her, Morning Star, and Gray Squirrel. Hawk Eyes praised the oldest woman highly.
At the signal, Morning Star raced into the woods, determined not to lose another event and stone. Her pride was taking a beating, as were her body and spirit. She urged herself to win this hunt and the last test. She saw a fawn tangled in underbrush. She knew she must hurry. With reluctance, she lifted her bow, placed her arrow, and drew back the string. From the corner of her eye, Morning Star caught a glimpse of a beautiful doe. The mother deer moved about nervously, sensing danger and refusing to leave her baby imperiled.
Morning Star knew she could not slay the panicked fawn, and knew what her tender-hearted generosity could cost her. She put the bow aside and freed the small creature, who hurried to its mother. She watched the two race off into hiding. She retrieved her weapon, then heard noisy chatter overhead. She looked up and saw a fussing squirrel. Carefully she took aim and brought down the furry rodent. Size didn’t matter, only that she used an arrow and returned to camp before the other girls.
Morning Star succeeded, and claimed her fourth— the twelfth— stone. Again, she was one victory ahead of her two closest competitors.
“Akanyanka iyehantu.” Wolf Eyes said it was time to test riding skills.
The last event— akeyamni— would reveal who could mount, ride, retrieve objects astride the horse, dodge thrown objects as substitutes for arrows and lances, and dismount the fastest.
Morning Star was an expert rider, but so were two of the other girls. To win, she must ignore her lack of strength and energy, as she didn’t want another tie or loss. Flaming Star was her judge to see how many or if any objects struck her, and to see if she retrieved others fairly. As she lined up with the four girls behind their mounts, she was stunned to see that Buckskin Girl would be riding Knife-Slayer’s pinto, a well-trained animal. That told Morning Star that her friend’s romantic pursuer wanted her to lose! All she could do was hope that Hanmani did not fail her today.
The signal was given and all ran to their horses having no trouble mounting swiftly and agilely. After three runs of a marked course, each girl raced to her assigned testing area. As each rode her course, warriors jumped from behind rocks, trees, and tepees to try to hit the contestant with soft leather balls. The judge was to count how many struck the female target. Afterward, she was to ride past posts and grab various-size hoops from them, then return to her judge.
Morning Star wondered why her beloved animal faltered several times and seemed agitated. She was third to reach her assigned area. As she galloped that course, only one warrior succeeded in hitting her, and only one hoop was left behind— both results of unusual mistakes by her horse. She urged Hanmani to hurry back to Flaming Star, then dismounted and handed him the hoops. She spoke soothingly to the Appaloosa and noticed how wild-eyed he was. She must ask Payaba to check him.
Wolf Eyes met with the five judges, then announced a tie between Morning Star and Buckskin Girl.
Sun Cloud’s daughter knew that if she got the stone, she would win with five of them. If she did not, it would be a fourstone tie, and a final drawing. As feared, Buckskin Girl won her fourth— the thirteenth— stone.
As the council complimented all of the girls on their skills, courage, and victories, Morning Star fretted over another drawing, as she hadn’t won a tie yet. She was suspicious of several things— Hanmani’s strange behavior, the three drawings to settle ties with a challenger always choosing first and right, and her curious illness the day before. If the Great Spirit rescued her yesterday and helped her save the fawn today, why was He deserting her now? It was disappointing enough to lose fairly, but infuriating to lose unfairly.
“The others also have skills, Morning Star, but that makes yours no less great,” Flaming Star murmured. “You did not lose the ties because your skills were less, but from bad luck. If you had not missed one sign, you would be winner without another draw. It is my fault you missed it, as I am the one who taught you and practiced with you.”
Morning Star gaped at her elder. “What do you mean? I missed none.”
The sixty-eight-year-old Big Belly looked surprised. “Hawk Eyes said you missed one. That is why you tied, then lost.”
At that moment, the shaman called the two women to settle the tie and the championship. “Victory is in the hands of the Great Spirit,” he said, then extended both closed fists to Buckskin Girl to select one first.
“No,” Morning Star refuted, pushing her friend’s hand away before it touched Hawk Eyes’ left fist. She worried over a loss of face by her challenge of their medicine chief. Yet she despised cheating and defeat.
Sun Cloud stepped forward and asked, “What is wrong, Daughter? It does not matter who chooses first. Grandfather is in control of victory.”
Morning Star’s determined gaze met her father’s confused one. “Flaming Star said a strange thing,” she explained. “Hawk Eyes told the others I missed a signal in the sign language test. That is why Gray Squirrel tied with me and she drew the winning stone. I say, I missed none!”
The crowd was silent and alert. Sun Cloud looked dismayed by his daughter’s challenge of the shaman’s honesty. Hawk Eyes looked angered by the bold insult on his honor. Morning Star locked her gaze to the shaman’s.
“I missed none, Hawk Eyes,” she stressed with confidence.
“She did not give the correct sign for treaty,” he alleged. “She-”
“No!” The girl shouted at him to halt, shocking everyone. “Speak only the word, then Wolf Eyes will watch me give it to see if I was wrong.”
“You say I did not speak the truth?” Hawk Eyes asked indignantly.
“I say you made the mistake, not Morning Star,” she replied.
Sun Cloud was distressed by his daughter’s behavior. A woman did not speak this way to a man, especially to a holy man, a council member! Even though she had chosen her words and reply carefully, she had called him a liar, a cheater. If she was wrong, she and all in her tepee would be dishonored. Yet he had never known his daughter to be rude and unkind. It was obvious she believed she was right and that this victory was important to her. Too, she was still suffering from her recent illness and was not herself.
Wolf Eyes eased a difficult situation by saying, “I will ask her.”
“If you give our chief’s daughter a chance to correct a mistake, to be fair, you must do the same with the others,” Hawk Eyes argued.
“I made no mistake,” the maiden emphasized.
Wolf Eye asked the other females if they would be troubled by his testing Morning Star’s challenge.
Flying Feather, who had entered the contest for the fun of it, replied, “I lost the other stones fairly. I do not wish to repeat any test. It is her right to lose only because she was wrong. Ask the word again.”
“It is the same with me, Grandfather,” Comes Running added.
Gray Squirrel, who was serious in her vie for the championship, said, “Morning Star is skilled in sign language. It is strange she was wrong. If she missed before, she will miss again. Ask her, Wolf Eyes.”
Buckskin Girl had no choice but to say, “I wish to win, so my feelings are confused. I will accept the ceremonial chief’s decision.”
Morning Star, who was well liked by the other girls, was grateful for their understanding and help and relieved that none of them protested. She sent each girl a smile of thanks. Even though she did not comprehend Buckskin Girl’s motive for competing, she appreciated her honesty.
&nbs
p; “It is agreed to test the word again,” Wolf Eyes said. “Morning Star, what is the sign for treaty between two tribes?”
The maiden moved her hands to give the signals for much, smoke, and handshake. “Is that not right?” she inquired with confidence.
Hawk Eyes debated. “She is right this time, but in the test, she gave the signs for handshake and white; that is the sign for treaty with a white man, not with another tribe.”
“She is right,” Flaming Star announced to the whispering crowd. “She must be proclaimed winner.”
“She was ill and shaky; she was wrong,” Hawk Eyes protested.
“No,” she argued on her own behalf, “I was not. Perhaps in the excitement, you were confused. Flaming Star taught me well. I did not confuse the two different signs. I swear on my life and honor.”
Wolf Eyes, ceremonial chief, suggested, “Why do we not repeat one of the events to settle this disputed tie? This will make the victor win on her skills, not on luck or mistakes.”
The council members quickly nodded agreement to the solution.
“The sun will sleep soon,” Hawk Eyes said. “Tracking is too long. They are skilled at all others. Use the foot race. It is quick and fair.”
Morning Star guessed why the medicine chief selected that event; he realized she had little or no strength left to run a race against Buckskin Girl. Yet, she could not demand one of the other tests, in which all knew she was strong; she could not refuse a deciding test she had risked dishonor to obtain. She nodded.
Buckskin Girl knew she had an advantage in strength over Morning Star so she held silent. She wanted to win. She truly believed the white man was not Sky Warrior in the sacred vision. When her lost love returned and claimed that rank from Tanner Gaston, all would understand her motive, especially her friend. To ride at her love’s side, she must become the vision woman. Perhaps the Great Spirit had weakened Morning Star so she herself could become victor. With her friend at her best, the contest would have been won easily by the chief’s daughter.
Darkness settled on the land as the talk took place. “Night blankets us,” Wolf Eyes said. “They will race when the sun returns. They can rest and grow strong while Wi sleeps. The race will be fair to both.”