The Princess and the Wolf

by Karen Kay

  Chapter 24

  I celebrate with you each new success,

  Your battles mine as well, I fight them too.

  We’ll face together what the future holds,

  Be there for one another as life unfolds.

  Excerpted from a poem by David Ziff

  “Sonnets to a Soul Mate”

  The sun had barely made its appearance in the sky when two people, one male, one female, approached the Minatarree village. Both figures strode with great reluctance, as though each step were an effort.

  Neither High Wolf nor she had slept through the night. At first, Sierra had thought they might catch tiny interludes of sleep, but neither one had been willing to surrender a single second to unconsciousness.

  No, they had made love to one another over and over, each time bringing a new perception to mind, something else that would keep them close in spirit.

  And then the time had come for them to make their preparations to meet whatever fate might hold. Sadly, they had plunged themselves into the river, washing each other, splashing each other, and for a time, acting as if they were children who had the rest of their lives to play with each other. Neither one had been willing to admit that the time when they would have to part was approaching all too readily.

  But then, much too quickly, it was there. As soon as the sun had shown itself on the eastern sky, they had both known what they had to do.

  They had helped one another dress, he assisting her with the corset he hated so much; she admiring him as he drew on his breechcloth, moccasins and weapons.

  Odd, thought Sierra as they approached the village. Something was missing. What was it?

  Stopping for a moment, she listened to the wind, which was blowing directly in her face. It was a fragrant wind, filled with the scents of morning, of dew, of prairie grass. It was also quiet.

  She had become quite accustomed to hearing the mock battles of the boys in the morning; their drums, their singing. But this morning, no one was about.

  It was as though even the village mourned the couple’s loss.

  “Come,” said High Wolf. “I have an idea where the prince will be.”

  “You do?”

  He nodded. “A white man almost always stays with the chief. It is expected that the chief will entertain him. Therefore, I think we may find him in the lodge of Yellow Moccasin.”

  “Yes.”

  But before they entered the camp, High Wolf stopped, and turning toward her, said, “You know that I would do most anything not to give you up. And yet there are some things I cannot prevent.”

  Sierra glanced away. “Yes, I know.”

  He sighed. “Maybe in some other lifetime distant from this one, we will at last be together.”

  She didn’t look at him. She couldn’t.

  However, she did utter, “I do not believe as you do about such things, but perhaps this once, I will make a wish that it will be so. Let us, then, make a pact that somewhere, somehow, we will be together.”

  She saw him swallow, hard.

  And the knowledge that he was holding back his grief was her undoing, and without her conscious will, the tears came to her eyes.

  But no further words were spoken between them. Instead, when he turned, taking a few steps forward, she simply followed.

  They found him in the lodge of Yellow Moccasin, as High Wolf had predicted.

  And there, reclining around the fire was not only Yellow Moccasin and Prince Alathom, but Mr. Dominic.

  Glancing up, Prince Alathom seemed to recognize the two of them at once, and came up onto his feet, stepping toward them. He was not a tall man, perhaps not much over five feet. But what he had lacked in height, he had always made up for in personality, which was usually sunny and bright.

  “High Wolf. Princess Sierra,” he said with a big smile. “Mr. Dominic has told me that you have been searching for me, Princess. I have come here to end your exploration. Actually, I was on my way to the Mandan village, as I thought you might be at Fort Clark. But seeing you here is a good thing.”

  Sierra didn’t answer. Instead, she nodded toward her servant, saying, “Thank you, Mr. Dominic. You have done very well.”

  “Yes, Your Highness.”

  “But might I ask where is my maid Maria?”

  “Lost, Your Highness.”

  “Lost? But were you not able to rescue her?”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” said Mr. Dominic. “I saved her from the ship, only to lose her after we left the Minatarree village. We were raided by the Assiniboine, and she was carried off. One of our men followed her, but soon returned without a clue as to where she had been taken. It looked as though I had lost both of you. It was then that I decided I should go on and complete my search for the prince, and if I could, bring him to you.”

  “Yes,” said Sierra. “You acted in the best way you could. Thank you.”

  The prince crossed his arms, then, and grinning at them, said, “Well, if the two of you aren’t looking as though the world has suddenly come to an end. You could act a little happier to see me. But where are my manners? Please, won’t the two of you be seated?”

  And gesturing behind him, he offered his own buffalo robe to the princess.

  And if Yellow Moccasin wondered at the strange actions of these people, catering to a young woman, he diplomatically said nothing. Instead, he signaled to one of his wives to place breakfast before his new guests. And he waved forward another wife, bearing the gift of the silver pistol. Then, settling down upon his own robe, he looked as though he might be preparing himself for a siege.

  Sierra received the gift of the pistol with all due grace, and smiling at the chief, said, “I will carry this to Governor Clark. I assure you.”

  And after the old man nodded his assent, she turned to Alathom.

  Princess Sierra was nothing if not forthright in affairs of state. She had been taught to be so, and she came directly to the point, saying, “We had thought that you were no longer alive, Alathom. Word came from the States saying that you had met with an accident.”

  The prince had the presence of mind to cough. “And so I had,” he said. “But as you can see, I am still amongst the living.”

  “Yes,” she agreed. “Though I must admit that you did a grand job making a grave for yourself at the battle scene. What was the purpose of that?”

  Prince Alathom hunched over, his sights for the moment not on them, but on some other unimaginable thing. And he said, “I can see that formalities are useless here.”

  “Yes,” said Sierra. “They are. Now, if you would be so kind, I would like to know what has been your purpose in sending us notice, and faking your own death?”

  He fidgeted. “There are some places on this earth that are more precious to me than my homeland, I fear. I did not, and I do not wish to return to the place of my birth. In truth, I had only received notice from my father that certain persons from his guard would be coming here to escort me back across the seas. I decided I did not want to go…On my honor, Princess, it seemed the only thing to do.”

  Sierra was at once the monarch she had been groomed to be, and her chin shot into the air. “Well, I’m here to inform you that you will be coming back with me, whether you like it or not.”

  “I won’t.”

  “You will.”

  “Are you intending to make me?”

  What she did next was more from instinct than anything else. Slowly, without eliciting a glance from either man, she rose to her feet and grabbed hold of the beautiful silver pistol. And standing, she pointed it directly at the prince. And she said, “Yes, I am. Either you come back with me now, and take up your responsibilities, or you will truly be a dead man. It’s either one or the other. Your actions have proven treasonous to the state, and if need be, I am prepared to be your executioner. Mr. Dominic, take any weapons away from him.”

  Mr. Dominic rose to do exactly that.

  But once done, no one moved. Not the prince, not Yellow Moccasin, not H
igh Wolf. Not even Sierra.

  “Princess,” said Alathom, “it has never been my intent to rule the country. Nor was it my desire to come between you and High Wolf. I thought my actions would have shown that.”

  “They have shown me that you are an irresponsible prince, not worthy of the title.”

  “Yes,” he said, “that is true. I have never been worthy of the title, unlike yourself. I would have thought that you and High Wolf should have married by now.”

  “High Wolf left the country shortly after you,” she said. “I have been coping with things as best I can. The affairs of state, servants, gossip, and war. Yes, war. Your absence has caused a war between our countries. Now, I am prepared to either escort you home, where you will end this war, or I am completely ready to shoot you. The choice is yours.”

  “Well,” said Prince Alathom. “Checkmate.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m not leaving.”

  “Then I’m afraid I will have to shoot you…”

  High Wolf glanced at the princess as though he had never seen her before. He had become used to thinking of her as his lady wolf, crawling beside him across the prairie. But here before him was a sovereign. Here was a woman worthy of all the laurels associated with that position. And she was wielding it with authority.

  Somehow, he had never taken her threat to murder the prince seriously. He had teased her about it, thinking it no more than an empty boast.

  But he took it seriously now.

  Luckily, she paid very little attention to him, and he was able to scoot away from the fire and sneak up behind her.

  But not to stop her.

  No. If she chose to kill the prince, he would not stand in her way. Brother or no brother, this was between the two of them.

  But perhaps he should make her aware of other things. Other very important things…

  Someone touched her shoulder, and Sierra jumped.

  “It is I,” whispered High Wolf in her ear.

  “Do not stop me. This does not involve you. I am prepared, Prince Alathom, to have Mr. Dominic put you in chains if need be.”

  “I would rather be dead,” said Prince Alathom.

  “That can be accomplished,” she said.

  “Princess,” said High Wolf. “Do not brush me aside. I have no intention of holding you back.” He paused dramatically, then said, “But I think you should be aware of something.”

  “What is that?”

  “Look to the fire.”

  “I will not take my eyes off the prince, for he might—”

  But the prince had turned his attention to the fire, and stared at it as though he might be confronting the devil himself. And perhaps he was…

  A brief glimpse told her something, some image was reflected there.

  “Do you remember Grandfather’s words to us, Princess? Remember our true mission. United, together. Stand together in a moment of grave danger. Only in that way can you break the curse.”

  “No,” she said. “You are trying to sway me. The prince has betrayed me. He has betrayed his people. He will either—”

  Pull the trigger, came a low voice.

  Sierra shook her head. “Did you say something?”

  Kill him. Kill the Indian. Kill the prince.

  And then came words from High Wolf, whispered softly in her ear, “Look to the fire, Princess. Look there now.”

  She did.

  It was a face. The face of Father Junipero.

  It was Father Junipero.

  And suddenly, like the right cards in a good hand, the pieces fell together. It was Father Junipero who had told her that High Wolf had left her. Father Junipero who had convinced her of High Wolf’s guilt, of Alathom’s.

  There it was. Without fanfare, without ceremony, without formality, the truth stared at her full frontal. She had been used, had been molded and crushed like a piece of putty to do Father Junipero’s will.

  It was Father Junipero’s advice that had seen her married by proxy, just as it had been his advice that had kept her from searching for the prince all these years. How could she have been so blind? It was Father Junipero who had ruled the country—through her.

  Ten years. For ten years, she had been used and had nursed hatred in her soul…for the wrong man.

  Good Lord, what was she doing? The prince was here. He could be reasoned with. He didn’t want to go back across the seas; he even wanted a marriage between herself and High Wolf.

  “Alathom,” she said, beckoning him toward her with the pistol. “Come here.”

  The prince came to his feet, walking toward her, while she turned the weapon toward the fire.

  “High Wolf, tell Yellow Moccasin to get his wife and children from the lodge. Mr. Dominic, you help him.”

  High Wolf complied, and together Yellow Moccasin and Mr. Dominic quickly gathered together the family, ushering them out of the lodge.

  And then turning fully toward the blaze, she spoke to it, as though the man were standing there with them. And she cried to it, much as the Rain Maker had wailed to the skies, “Do you see that we are united, Father Junipero? Do you see that your curse has failed? We are together. The three of us. Look at us.”

  As though of one mind, both men put their arms around her, and the image in the fire shot up, sparks shooting everywhere.

  Hatred. You all have reason to hate, spat a low voice.

  The only reaction of the two men was to hug her even closer.

  And she continued to speak, “Look at us now. Your evil has come to nothing. Do you see? Whatever you have sent us, we have bested. And do you know why? Because the three of us together are more than you have ever been. Your best, your very, very best has failed. And it will always fail.”

  No, if you don’t do as I say, all is lost.

  But Sierra continued talking as though the shadow had said nothing, and she hollered, “And do you know why it will fail? Because we love one another. We love one another, and we forgive one another. And that is greater than any hatred. It has always been so.”

  No. I am your only friend. Kill them. Kill them now, those who have betrayed you.

  “Yes,” she said. “Yes, I will kill the one who has betrayed me.” And as much to her surprise as to anyone else’s, she cocked the firelock, pulled the trigger, and aimed it straight at the fire.

  But although the image was not made of flesh, and could not be injured, an eerie cry issued forth, not only from the fire, but from within the lodge. Worse, a black shadow rose up from the ashes, enlarging itself as though her action had made it ten times stronger. At the same time, a wind kicked up, stirring the contents of the room as though a whirlwind had been let loose within it.

  Both men stepped in front of her.

  “His weapons are fear, hatred and secrecy,” shouted High Wolf over the noise. “Show no fear. Show no hatred, even of him.”

  But Sierra was not about to be relegated to the background, and she pushed both men out of her way, coming to stand once more between them.

  And she yelled at the image, “Your scheme has been found out, Father Junipero. You, who sought to control us with hatred and fear, your plan has failed. For we have discovered your curse. And why? Why did you curse us? Because you can’t stand to see anyone love one another as much as we did each other. But look closely. Despite your influence, we love, we are together. So go away, old man. You have no power here.”

  But the winds inside the lodge howled, storming as though it might create thunder and lightning within this very lodge.

  Objects flew everywhere, but the two men sheltered her, and at last, High Wolf, catching her gaze, much to her surprise, began to laugh. Slowly at first, but then with more gusto, the three of them seemed to find something very, very funny about it. And together, they began to rock back and forth with mirth, as though this were a tremendous joke.

  No words were necessary. It was as though an unspoken bond between them sheltered them from harm.

  And there,
amid a seething storm, the three of them embraced. And when the prince said, “Indeed, I can’t tell you how glad I am to see you both,” the wind lost a bit of its power.

  High Wolf grinned back. “My brother has certainly put some gray in his hair since I have last seen him.”

  And Sierra, with tears in her eyes, threw herself into both their outstretched arms. “We’re friends,” she said. “We have always been friends. It’s gone. Whatever hatred I have felt is gone. In fact, I don’t know when I’ve loved any two men more.”

  And the shadow, black as it had once been, strong as it had once appeared, simply faded away, as though it had never been…

  …Leaving only the laughter and camaraderie of three friends who had discovered, after all, that the bonds of friendship are, indeed, stronger than any evil.

  In the aftermath, the three of them together began the task of setting Yellow Moccasin’s lodge back to rights, as though each piece they placed were a part of their growing friendship.

  After a moment, however, Prince Alathom spoke up, saying, “Is anyone else hungry?”

  And when the question was met with a round of laughter, Sierra felt as though their bond had brought back to life a part of her that she had thought died long ago.

  Truly, had anyone ever had more cause for rejoicing?

  “I never had any intention of coming between the two of you,” said the prince. “Do you remember our original plan?”

  “Yes,” responded Sierra and High Wolf in unison.

  “Well, when neither of you arrived at the ship, as we had schemed, I suspected that there was trouble. I waited and waited until I could wait no more. It was then that I had to make a decision. Did I go back, and possibly complicate things? For I realized that someone at the castle would be insistent upon us marrying, Princess.”

  “That was certainly true,” said Sierra.

  “Right.” Alathom smiled. “Or did I leave, and allow things to work out for themselves? I’m sorry that my choice has caused you such pain, Princess. It was never my intention to cause you trouble, for I had always thought that you and High Wolf would have stayed together, that once the confusion had blown over, you would marry. I was quite shocked when my father discovered my whereabouts and informed me that you never had married High Wolf. He even insisted I come home. And after so many years, to threaten to send a guard after me…”