Lakota Winds (Zebra Historical Romance)

by Janelle Taylor

  Her father's command ... The thought came unbidden that another urgent request of his had compelled her into joining Dull Star. Yet, she reasoned, if she had not united with that repulsive man, she might have chosen another mate later and been unavailable when she met Wind Dancer. Perhaps it had been Wakantanka's plan. If she had not walked a sad trail long ago, she might not be walking this wonderful one now, for it had placed her in the right setting to find true love. That thought quieted her roaming thoughts so she could drift off to sleep.

  For many suns, men hunted small and large game for their families and for those in need to use during the impending journey to the Plains. That was done as a safety precaution to protect the band while it was at its most vulnerable, for they would not need to halt along the way to hunt unless it became absolutely necessary. They scouted for any signs of an enemy approach, and posted guards around the area at all times. While in camp, they sharpened and repaired existing weapons and made new ones for those which had worn out. They worked on numerous arrows for the big hunt and for defense in the event of an enemy attack. They braided leather bridles and harnesses for their horses and conveyances. To ease their restless spirits-as most were eager to depart-and to relax after chores, they played games with each other and with young boys.

  The women gathered berries, roots, and plants to complete their meals. They sewed extra parfleches for carrying food and for the imminent storage of the papa saka and wakapapi wasna, and made replacements for old water bags. Hides and pelts from the men's daily hunts were either staked to the ground or stretched on wooden frames to cure for later tanning. Torn garments and moccasins were repaired; unusable ones were replaced; and new ones were made for growing feet. The best poles from their winter tepees were chosen and marked to become part of their drag-alongs. Other poles would be piled near the rocks to be burned as firewood next winter, as nothing of the Creator's should go to waste.

  The sun following the Wi Yaspapi, the fullness of the New Moon whose black face could not be seen at night, the departure signal was given by Winona for Rising Bear. Winona revealed that it was time to strike camp and begin their journey by taking down her tepee. Rising Bear knew the White Shields were timing their departure farther south to arrive on schedule at the site they had selected on the Plains.

  The camp quickly bustled with activity as tasks were done with speed, eagerness, and efficiency. The numerous lodges were dismantled, belongings were packed on conveyances, weapons and horses were readied, water was fetched, children were given final instructions, babies were secured in their cradleboards, the elderly were assisted with rides, and the travel plan was repeated for everyone's benefit.

  The Shirt-Wearers, including Wind Dancer, took their places as leaders of the event; they were the ones who set the daily schedule, chose the route and nightly campsites, and resolved any problems. The Strong Hearts-including Red Feather-and Sacred Bow Carriersincluding War Eagle-rode to their assigned spots to act as guards along the way.

  After everything and everyone was prepared, Rising Bear, poised at the head of a lengthy column, waved his hand in the air to indicate it was time to go; and the long line followed his lead.

  As Chumani rode beside Zitkala-their mounts pulling travois loaded with their belongings, supplies and tepee-she looked at her best friend and asked, "I wonder what joys, rewards, and sufferings await us on the grasslands."

  "I do not know, Dewdrops, but we will have answers soon."

  A vast expanse of rolling landscape stretched out before the band of Red Shields on the move. At first, their pace was leisurely to get the people's stamina and muscles in condition for traveling. Soon the sacred Paha Sapa would be left far behind, along with its cooler air and dense forest. Eventually, most trees they would encounter would be lining river and stream banks.

  As each day passed without trouble, the people's excitement and anticipation increased, as the summer buffalo hunt was a vital part of their existence. The farther they traveled, the warmer the weather and the flatter and more repetitious the landscape became. Soon only solitary low hills would appear in certain spots and there would be nothing to shade them from a blazing sun except tepees.

  A variety of intermingled grasses covered the terrain in lush abundance; some flourished in singular stalks and others in snug bunches or separate patches. Sunflowers, segolily, pasqueflower, mariposa, goldenrod, beeplant and other blossoms were plentiful. Plants with edible leaves, stems, roots, or bulbs thrived here and there. Also growing along the route were many varieties of berries and weeping willows for making flour. Some of those fruits, plants, and berries were ready for gathering and others would be ripe during the next full moon and the two following it. Herbs for seasoning foods or tenderizing meats cropped up in certain locations.

  Scattered groups of antelope and deer, and an occasional coyote were seen. Small herds of buffalo roved the area, their massive and dark shapes easily sighted even at a long distance. But what their people sought were the large herds which spread over the green surface farther than the eye could see and roamed eastward of their current position. They had hunted before their departure, so the animals were left in peace to graze. Later, when a need for fresh meat arose, the group would halt for the men to hunt and the women to gather plants and berries.

  Cetan was allowed to take flight and hunt for a while each day, as his injury had healed. Otherwise, he perched upon Chumani's travois and also observed the scenery in passing.

  The sky was clear and blue, but storms could strike swiftly and violently during early summer. Once in the center of the Plains where nothing obstructed the view, an impending storm could be seen a long way off as it moved toward them, though some jumped upon them with little warning. Rains could be heavy and perilous, but were needed to quench Mother Earth's great thirst during the growing season. Lengthy and vivid rainbows often followed that awesome event, their colors, according to legends, stolen from flowers on the Ghost Trail.

  As they journeyed forth, days appeared longer because there was little to nothing to block out the sun's light in any direction. The distance, between destinations was deceptive, the journey was always longer than it appeared; so knowledge of the territory was imperative, as was knowing when and where to halt to camp for safety and fresh water, a responsibility which fell into the hands of the Shirt Wearers.

  One evening at dusk after a long day on the move, Wind Dancer and Chumani took a stroll after their meal. They did not go far away, just walked enough to give them a short time of privacy to enjoy each other's company.

  As Wind Dancer gazed across the open terrain, he was reminded of one of the biggest differences between the Whites and Indians: the land and its creatures belonged to the Great Spirit and were to be used by man, not owned or abused or destroyed by him. He looked at his wife. "You must teach me more of the white man's tongue, mitawin. It is good and wise to know the words and ways of our enemies so we can defeat them. I know a little English, and a few words in French and Spanish, for trappers and traders with those tongues have passed through our lands and my people accepted them before they realized the great perils in doing so."

  "While we camp on the grasslands, I will teach you all I know of their tongue," Chumani promised, then asked her husband, "Have you ever made friends or blood brothers with a wasicun?"

  "No, I have been close in body only to White-eyes when I went with others to trade at Fort Pierre in past seasons. I no longer do so, for it encourages them to remain in our territory and for more to come. I try to get others to avoid them, but that is a choice each man must make for himself."

  He lowered his gaze for a moment, then looked at her and divulged, "Long ago, a white woman lived in our camp, in my father's lodge. She was a gift to him from a Cheyenne ally for helping his band defeat Pawnee, who craved their hunting grounds. He did not wish to have a white slave, but it is not our way to refuse a gift from another chief. She was called Omaste, for her hair was the color of the sun. When my mother was ca
ptured by other Pawnee and taken far away twenty summers past and was believed lost to us forever, Omaste took care of me, for I was but four winters old. She was good and kind and accepted her life with us. One dark moon when my father's hunger and sadness for Mother were so great, he allowed Omaste to comfort him. She gave birth to a baby before the next summer. Father named him Cloud Chaser, for the wind blew so hard and fast that the sun and clouds above his birthing spot raced swiftly across the sky as if being chased by a spirit. She died when I was fourteen winters old. She was buried as with her kind, her body placed within Mother Earth."

  Chumani was shocked to learn that a great and proud leader like Rising Bear had placed his seeds within the body of a white woman and created a child with her, but she masked her reaction to avoid hurting her beloved. "What happened to her son, your half-white brother?"

  "Cloud Chaser vanished as the morning dew when I was fifteen. Father believes he was found and stolen by whites, for the trail of their wagons was nearby. He and his band followed the deep cuts across the face of Mother Earth for many suns, but they could not catch up to the cloud-covered wagons and rescue him. He was forced to return to camp and to accept that sacrifice. Omaste died of winter-in-the-chest six full moons before my brother was lost to us. It is good she was not here during that time, for it would have broken her spirit to lose her child."

  "It must have saddened your mother's heart to share her mate with another woman, one who was not even Lakota. I could not share you."

  "She did not have to share him," Wind Dancer explained. "Father mated to Omaste only one time and it was while he believed my mother was dead. After she escaped the Pawnee far beyond our lands and returned to us after two circles of the seasons, his heart was filled with joy, and only she lived within it and within his embrace. Omaste remained in our tepee and helped with chores until she died, for my mother understood and accepted what happened while she was gone. After Omaste left us, my mother raised her son as if Cloud Chaser were her own. She grieved over his loss, for he was more Indian than white in looks and spirit, and he carried my father's blood and seed."

  "Perhaps the Great Spirit will return your second brother to your family one sun."

  "I do not believe that will happen. If Cloud Chaser still lived and our ways still burned in his heart and mind, he would have returned to us by this moon, for he has reached nineteen summers and could find his way home."

  "There is an unknown reason why Wakantanka sent him away and there is another for why he will be returned, or for why he will not be allowed to return. We do not grasp the thinking of the Great Mystery until such things are revealed to us."

  "That is true, mitawin. Those were hard times for our family, so we do not speak of them. But that is how I know a little English; Omaste taught me as a game, as we taught her our tongue."

  Chumani realized he wanted to cease talking about that painful and perhaps embarrassing episode. It had occurred long ago and during a hard time for Rising Bear. She had no doubt that the chief loved Winona and would not turn to another woman as long as his wife lived. Although her husband had another brother and a sister by his parents, it was obvious from his expression and tone that he loved and missed Cloud Chaser. "I will teach you more English," she promised gently.

  "That is good, mitawin. " He caressed her cheek as he said, "I do not see and touch you enough while we travel and this short time alone fills me with joy, but we must return to camp and sleep."

  "My heart and body yearn for you in those same ways, my beloved husband. Do not forget, after we reach our new location, Zitkala will return to the lodge of her parents and we will be alone in our tepee once more." She saw Wind Dancer's smile broaden and his gaze gleam with anticipation and desire, the same feelings which flooded her.

  "How can it be I come to love and want you more each sun and moon when you already fill me with such emotions? How does more water go into a hag which already overflows with it? Yet, I know that is true."

  "I do not understand such a mystery, but I also know it is true. I never grow weary of seeing your face, of hearing your voice and laughter, of smelling your familiar scent, of feeling your touch and tasting your lips, of mating with you. They are as food to me and I must have them to survive. I thank the Great Spirit each morning and night for sending you to me."

  Wind Dancer was consumed by happiness at her words. His LifeCircle was complete and wonderful with her sharing it. "I do the same, mitawin, for He has rewarded us greatly. My love and desire for you are larger than the sacred mountain, and I would challenge any force which tried to steal you from me."

  "As I would challenge any force which took you away from me, even if it claimed my life to save yours," she vowed as a strange and powerful chill swept over her and caused her to shudder.

  "You are cold?" he asked, and rubbed her bare arms with his hands.

  Chumani sighed deeply to shake off that eerie feeling. "We must return now," she said, "for it grows dark and cool and there is little moon to light our path to camp. We must not linger here and risk an injury by returning in near blackness."

  "Come, mitawin, a blanket and fire await you."

  "All I need for warmth is your arms and body, mihigna. "

  "And you will have them," he said as he guided her toward the others.

  At last, before the radiant sun was overhead, they reached their first temporary encampment on the lush buffalo gapland near the Sahiyela River which branched off into streams and creeks along its winding course as it headed southwestward. Trees, bushes, and other vegetation lined its bank, including the sacred cottonwood. Everyone knew the badlands area-Makosica-was located in a long stretch running east and south of them.

  The Red Shield women went to work setting up their tepees, and Chumani was delighted to have Zitkala's assistance. While females were busy with that task, young girls and grandmothers watched babies and toddlers or played with small children. Boys too young to help their fathers romped together under the watchful gazes of grandfathers.

  Winona and Hanmani erected their highly decorated tepee in the spot assigned to the chief, its entrance facing the rising sun as was their custom. On either side of it was Wind Dancer's as the future chief, leader of the Shirt Wearers and Strong Hearts, and the Vision Quest Man; and Nahemana's, as their shaman. Across from it was Blue Owl's, their war chief. The dwellings of other Big Bellys-Nacas, past leaders and great warriors who no longer went on the warpath and hunting trail and now formed the head council-completed that inner ring. A large area was left unobstructed amidst its core for an eventual campfire where meetings, dances, and rituals would be held. From that large hoop which established the center of camp, the people's lodges were situated in ever-widening circles by rank of honor in the band. Ample space for seasonal work and movement of travois was left between every tepee and each row. Afterward, the women unloaded their family's possessions, gathered scrub wood, fetched fresh water, built fires beneath three-legged stands, and put food-mainly stews-on to cook.

  While women performed their chores, the men carried out theirs. Horses were watered and grazed before being tethered beside their lodges. Huyamnis were set up at the entrances and weapons were placed upon them to soak up powers from the sun and earth, ready to be retrieved in a hurry if needed. They went to the river where trees and large bushes grew to gather and cut sturdy limbs with which they would construct drying racks for the game they would soon pursue and slay. They returned and erected many frames on their sites, tall enough to be out of the reach of wild animals and small children. Afterward, most sat on rush mats to whittle sharp pegs for staking out buffalo hides they would send or bring home. As they did so, some talked with friends working nearby and taught sons how to do male tasks. Others left the area to scout for signs of enemies and to locate the nearest herd's position; amongst those small groups were Wind Dancer, War Eagle, and Red Feather.

  It was late afternoon when the White Shield band was sighted in the distance as it approached. New
s quickly spread of their imminent arrival.

  An excited Chumani and Zitkala checked the fire and simmering food to be sure it was safe to leave them unattended for a brief span. Hanmani said she would watch the flames and kettle and Cetan for Chumani, as the hawk sat on his T-shaped perch nearby. The Brule women leapt upon their horses and galloped to greet their families and friends. They passed and waved to men who rode ahead to select their campsite. They slowed their pace as they neared the lengthy column to prevent stirring up excess dust. Chumani trodded alongside Tall Elk for a short time to speak with her father, while Zitkala proceeded to find her parents and do the same. The men who had been riding with the chief dropped back slightly to give them privacy.

  "Much has happened, Father, and I will reveal it to you later. It is good to see you again, and I am happy you reached us in safety."

  "It stirs my heart to look upon you again, my daughter, and to see a glow of joy lives in your eyes and upon your face. It pleases me you have accepted your new life and await the Great Spirit's workings in it."

  Chumani smiled and related in a low voice for his ears alone, "Yes, Father, I am happy and I do well with the Red Shields. They are good and kind people, and they have accepted me into their band with love, pride, and generosity. I thank you for urging me to cast away my fears and doubts to honor Wakantanka's message to our shaman and His vision to Nahemana."

  "It was hard to do so, my child," Tall Elk admitted in a near whisper, as it was wrong when I asked you to join to Dull Star, for that union brought us much suffering and you, much unhappiness."

  "It is not so with Wind Dancer; I am happy as his wife."

  "I can see it has become a union of love and desire," he said in relief. "When you say his name or speak of him, your expression is as radiant as the sun, your eyes sparkle as the stars, and your voice softens as tranquil water flowing gently around rocks in a stream."