Destiny's Bride

by Ginger Simpson

  The baby giggled with delight at being swept playfully into the air.

  While Lone Eagle played with his son, he listened as Cecile took the opportunity to tell what had transpired between her and Little Elk. “I told him I knew you loved him and nothing his mother did could dim that. I also let him know he was always welcome in our home because he is family.”

  Lone Eagle’s chest swelled at his wife’s warm heart. “I am very proud to have you as my wife. Not everyone would be so forgiving, no matter that Little Elk was not at fault. He will live with his grandparents, but I will continue to watch over him and teach him the things he needs to know about being a strong Sioux brave.”

  Cecile nodded her approval. “That’s wonderful. Maybe if he needs a younger woman’s advice, he will come to me.”

  ***

  Instead of playing, the children helped clear the village. Even Rain Woman, despite her advanced years, was excited and eager to begin the move. For her advanced years, she had the energy of someone half her age. Cecile envied her organization and vigor.

  “Un`ci, you amaze me. How do you remain so active, and why on earth are you looking forward to moving? It’s so much work.”

  “Each change is like a new beginning and a time for renewal.” She reached around Cecile and lovingly patted Two Clouds’ cheek. “And if we want that, we have to earn it.”

  Little Dove and a group of women appeared to help Cecile. She struggled, trying to tie two supporting poles to a horse, and wondered how others did it with such ease and speed. At Cecile’s apparent confusion, Little Dove stepped forward and offered instruction. “The ends not attached to the horse, form a triangular frame held together with ties made from buffalo hide, and will drag along the ground and carry your secured possessions.”

  “Tall, straight trees are scarce on the prairie,” Rain Woman interjected. “So, when we find ones that make suitable lodge poles, we treat them with great care so we can re-use them again and again. As you see, they serve more than one purpose.”

  Cecile helped disassemble tepee after tepee, truly appreciating the versatility of her home, and even more the skills and abilities of her new people. If only her father could see her now. She pulled her lips into a frown. Maybe that wasn’t such a good thing to wish.

  By the noon hour, the entire village was packed and ready for the trip. Hard to believe that only a few hours ago, an entire village stood on what was now an empty spot. Only someone with a trained eye could tell the tribe had lived there for months.

  She sidled next to Lone Eagle. “I feel protected in the safety of the mountains. I worry about leaving here. Will it be as safe on the plains?”

  Lone Eagle smiled, his eyes sparkling. “Don’t worry, you will love your home on the prairie just as here.”

  His vivid descriptions of prairie wild flowers and cool, running waters of the nearby river caused her to flash back to her trip from Silver City with Walt. The endless prairie. How could she forget the vastness of it? Its beauty swallowed up everything and in the end, left her nothing but pain.

  Bad memories dissolved, replaced by her reality. The prairie had also brought her Lone Eagle. She squeezed his hand, finding solace in knowing when winter returned they would seek the familiar shelter of the mountains once again.

  Lone Eagle took Two Clouds from his mother, cradleboard and all, and helped fasten the baby on Cecile’s back. Helping her mount her mare, he gazed up at her when she was astride. “I cannot tell you how happy my heart is to have you in my life.”

  She smiled down at his handsome face, knowing that another new chapter in her life was about to be written.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Everyone chattered in raised voices as the familiar journey to their summer home began. Some traveled on horseback while others walked. Smaller children rode on the travois with the supplies, while the older children kept pace alongside them. Cecile joined the long line, awkwardly trying to match her body’s momentum with that of her horse’s gait. Her riding skills were still dismal, but the cheerful sounds of her new people filled the air and warmed her heart. The mild weather promised a smooth trip.

  The caravan stopped for their first rest in the same spot where Cecile and Lone Eagle had camped on the way up the mountain. He left the tribe’s herd in the care of others and rode up the line to help her dismount. “Does this place look familiar?”

  “It looks much more appealing this time. I can’t believe how nervous I was about meeting your people. And now, I’m carrying my child in an entirely different way.” She swiveled, letting her husband glimpse the baby on her back.

  “I guess all that riding lulled him to sleep.”

  “I’m glad one of us enjoys it.” She rubbed her backside, searching for a place to sit and nurse her son when he woke.

  Cecile removed the cradleboard and found a comfortable spot against a tree to relax. She wasn’t quite sure when she dozed off, but she woke with her head resting atop her child’s carrier and Lone Eagle staring at her. Behind him she saw their pallet ready for sleep.

  “Aren’t we going on?”

  He shook his head. “This is a good spot to camp, so my father decided we would spend the night and start at first light.”

  “How long have I slept?” She craned her stiff neck from side-to-side.

  “I tried to wake you for the midday meal, but you and our son seem to be worn out. You said you weren’t hungry, so I left you alone.”

  Something delicious still wafted in the air, but there was no trace of what it had been. Between feeding and changing the baby, chatting with friends about the next leg of the journey, and helping Rain Woman search the area for abundant medicinals, the sunset came quickly.

  Cecile eagerly helped herself to a bowl of communal soup and soothed her hunger. Although she offered to help clean and put away the utensils, the women in charge shooed her away, claiming they would handle repacking everything.

  Despite her earlier nap, Cecile settled her baby near their bed, cuddled against her husband and fell asleep. She dreamed of wild flowers and green grass waving in the breeze

  ***

  By the time Cecile woke, most of the people had already packed for the next leg of the journey. Two Clouds fussed for his breakfast while she changed him and replaced the lining of his cradleboard. While he nursed, she listened to the hungry rumblings of her stomach and wished for something to eat. Her single bowl of soup had long ago digested.

  In order to get an early start, no fires were built, and morning breakfast consisted of jerky and stone bread. Cecile was so hungry, anything sounded good.. She suddenly thought of coffee and how wonderful it would be to have a hot steaming cup with milk and sugar. It had been a long time since she’d had any and wondered what made her think of it. She shrugged the thought from her mind and gladly took the bread and jerky her sister-in-law offered. A drink of cool water would have to do.

  With Two Clouds dry, clean, and fed, Cecile propped his cradleboard against a log, allowing him to watch her roll the bedding and repack the travois. His happy giggles were much more satisfying than breakfast had been.

  After tying the last of their belongings onto the conveyance, she was re-braiding her hair when Lone Eagle walked up behind and gave her arm a quick squeeze. “I’m proud of you, my wife. You did a fine job of packing. Have I told you how much I love you?”

  Well aware that public displays of affection between husband and wife were rarely witnessed, she resisted the urge to fling her arms around his neck. “I guess that quick hug will just have to convince me you do.”

  Lone Eagle playfully smacked her saddle-sore behind and urged her to get moving. She stifled a painful cry and instead gritted her teeth. “I’ll get even with you later.”

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  The tribe traveled the same steep trail Cecile and Lone Eagle had traveled to reach the village—only this time on a downhill slant. Hating this part of the trail, she tried to keep her horse reined to the left, close
to the safety of the mountain wall. Her mare’s hooves kicked up loose rocks and gravel that splattered over the cliff’s edge and tinkled to the valley below. She couldn’t help but wonder how sure-footed the animal was. Having made this seasonal trip for years, the Sioux navigated the trail with ease while she clung to her horse with a death grip. The steep drop to her right served as a grim reminder of Spotted Doe’s fate.

  Cecile focused her attention on the strong, muscled shoulders of her husband, who rode in front of her. The fluid movements of his handsome body provided a welcome distraction, and kept her attention until they reached flatland. Fingernail indentions marked her palms, clear evidence she’d clenched the reins too tightly.

  She scanned the vast flatness of the prairie, finding it quite different than what she remembered. The brown grasses that danced in the strong winds of the late fall had turned to an endless sea of swaying green decorated with colorful wildflowers as foretold by her husband. The horses tramped through the knee-deep grass, bringing, the prairie alive with all types of birds and animals skittering to safety.

  The children frolicked through the tall pastures, singing songs of the renewal of the land; the girls plucked flowers and placed them in each other’s hair while the young boys aimed invisible bows at the fleeing rabbits and cheered when make-believe arrows found their mark. They were hunters in training, eager for the real thing. One day, Two Clouds would be old enough to join in the fun.

  Cecile smiled at the image of a miniature Lone Eagle running amuck with the other children. Despite noisy laughter and childish war whoops, the constant plodding and rocking motion of his first long horseback journey fastened to his mother’s back had lulled Two Clouds into a deep sleep.

  She pondered his future. As a young warrior, numerous rituals lay ahead for him: his vision quest, visits to the sweat lodge, and joining other tribes at the yearly Sun Dance. She grimaced, remembering Lone Eagle’s tales of the dance and the skewered skin endured by the men. Why did they put themselves through such torture? She still didn’t understand.

  With the arrival of summer she’d experience it firsthand. Frightened or not, her participation in this and other customs would only draw her closer to her new people and help her and her son understand tribal beliefs.

  Several days of travel left a defined path in the green carpet of the plains. The tall grasses ended at the bank of a fast-running river. Lone Eagle circled back and reined his horse next to hers. “Beautiful, isn’t it? The fish are bound to be plentiful this year as the melting snow has given us more water this year.”

  “The river is beautiful, but way too bright.” The glistening reflection of the sun on the water blinded Cecile. She shielded her eyes. Was this to be their new home?

  Chief Broken Feather answered her unasked question when he motioned for everyone to stop and dismount. From the immediate whoops of excitement, she now knew for certain they had reached their destination. The noise awoke Two Clouds who joined in the noisy raucous with cries of hunger.

  The jubilation was short-lived as the women immediately turned to setting up their new campground before darkness fell. Since Cecile had assisted in disassembling the lodges, the task of erecting them was easy; now the framework made sense. Depending upon the tepee’s size, they draped anywhere from eight to twenty buffalo skins over the frame. They joined the coverings at the top of the lodge pole with wooden pins.

  Working alongside Rain Woman, Cecile noticed a similarity in the village set up. “Why is it important to always have the entrances facing east?”

  “We don’t want what we so carefully put up to blow down. The west wind on the prairie often blows with much strength. . If the lodge door is tilted slightly toward the east, the wind’s power is lessened.”

  The explanation made little sense. The wind blew from different directions, but since she’d never lived in a tepee before, Cecile shrugged, secure again in the endless knowledge of the old woman.

  Tribe members bargained and argued over whose tepee would be erected where. Voices lifted and people huffed away, settling for a second choice spot. The chief’s dwelling would be the hub around which the village was built. Families tended to live in clusters, so there’d be no bargaining necessary for Lone Eagle. As next in line to be the chief, he and his kin were assured a prime spot.

  The village was completed before darkness set in. The lodges were up, campfires lit, and already the enticing smells of the evening meals wafted through the air. A young girl had tended Two Clouds most of the day, and he barely made a sound. Now he loudly protested his hunger. Grateful for the respite from carrying in their belongings and putting them away, Cecile ducked inside her newly erected home to feed her child. Their fire hadn’t even been lit yet.

  Lone Eagle carried in an armful of stones and arranged them in a circle. After a second trip outside, the returned with several pieces of wood and, very soon, welcoming flames danced within the fire ring. He toted in their belongings, dropping bundles against a far wall. The parfleches he brought inside would eventually line the tepee walls, serving as storage for smaller items. An adjacent wall would house his bow and arrows and medicine bag.

  With her baby at her breast, Cecile took a deep breath. “I feel like I’m home again. I still have work to do, but once I’m done, I’m sure everything will be perfect again.

  “Did you know the tepee is considered a good mother who shelters and protects her children,” said Lone Eagle. “Much like you do with our son.”

  Cecile smiled at him, amused at his comparison. She’d learned that the Sioux were very family-oriented, with all elder members of the tribe called mother, grandmother, father, or grandfather as a matter of respect. As a new mother she was pleased to be among the honored. “Good mother or tepee, I’m just happy to be home. But I do have a question. Why does it seem that the women have more than their share of responsibilities?”

  “You will see the men work hard when the time comes to hunt buffalo.”

  “True, the men slay the buffalo, but the women tan the hides. They make the robes, blankets, and clothing. I know marriage in the Sioux tribe is a partnership, but sometimes it seems a little lopsided.”

  “What does it mean, this lopsided?” He arched his brow.

  “It means more one way than the other.”

  She noted the indignant look on his face. “Oh, I don’t mean in our home. I’m very lucky to have you as my husband.”

  In the privacy of their lodge, Lone Eagle did far more than most husbands. She would keep his contribution to the chores their little secret, never wanting to embarrass him in front of the other braves.

  Two Clouds had ceased nursing; he'd fallen asleep. His bow-shaped lips displayed a contented smile, and with a full stomach and a dry bottom, he would sleep through till morning. Exhausted, Cecile tucked him into his blankets, straightened and pressed a hand against her rumbling stomach.

  As if on cue, Rain Woman appeared with a piping hot bowl of rabbit stew for dinner. The delicious smell permeated the entire lodge, and from the way Lone Eagle quickly accepted the bowl, it was obvious he was ready to savor the welcome treat. “Thank you, Grandmother, but we insist you join us.”

  Her toothless smile indicated glee at the invitation. “I have already eaten, but I would be happy to stay for a while.”

  Cecile patted the mat next to her, anxious to hear more tales of Rain Woman’s bygone days. It was from listening to Un`ci that Cecile learned that the men of the Sioux were considered mighty warriors feared by most other tribes, and despite their fearless reputation, they valued their responsibility to their families above all else.

  “The Wakanish, or, as you would say, children, are the center of importance in our village—our future.” Rain Woman’s eyes sparkled in the firelight. “Waka means sacred, and that is how we think of them.”

  Cecile glanced at Two Clouds, sleeping soundly with his little fist against his pudgy cheek. She truly agreed with the meaning of the word.

  “In al
most all villages, the women outnumber the men. Many of our men are lost during buffalo hunts and others during raids on other tribes.” Rain Woman’s age and experiences provided her with a never-ending source of topics.

  Cecile shuddered. The thought of losing Lone Eagle during a buffalo hunt had never crossed her mind. Of course, he’d mentioned his brother had been killed during a raid, but she didn’t make the connection. Would there be raids? She feared asking.

  “You know, Lone Eagle took care of Spotted Doe and Little Elk when his brother went to the spirit world,” the old grandmother continued. “Such happens often, and sometimes our men take more than one wife to provide for one who has lost her husband.”

  Cecile stifled a gasp. More than one? She’d never noticed a lodge where two wives dwelled. The idea of multiple marriages formed a knot in her throat. A sudden image of another woman sharing the same lodge and bed with her beloved Lone Eagle crossed through Cecile’s mind, setting her cheeks ablaze. “Well, I will never share Lone Eagle with another woman! I am all the wife he needs.” Her loud and abrupt tone caused her husband to chuckle.

  She cast him an icy stare. “I have no idea what you find so amusing. I mean it what I said. I will not share you or my home with another woman.”

  “No need to tell the entire village, my Green Eyes, or to be so angry over something that will never happen. Yes, you are the only wife I need or want.”

  Rain Woman fidgeted and quickly changed the subject. Her tale about women of the Sioux nation regained Cecile’s intent interest. She’d witnessed some of the tribal ceremonies and knew of the vision quests from Lone Eagle. Now she was learning about rituals celebrated on behalf of the young females.

  “No time is more significant than when a young woman experiences the first blood that notes her rite of passage into womanhood.” Rain Woman continued regaling Cecile with facts. “The young girl tells her mother, who in turn tells the father, who shares the news with the entire village. The occasion is a time to celebrate with feasting and dancing.