Sucoora also related Bonnie’s hard work, intelligence, healing arts, and bravery. She concluded with, “It is good Grandfather tossed the white captive into Windrider’s path. She carries many healing secrets and shares them with us. She is wise and kind, husband. Grandfather has smiled on the tepee of Windrider, even in such dark times.”
The warrior was amazed by the women’s strength, cunning, and wisdom. “I will return to camp and hunt game for those too weak to ride or who have no one to hunt for them. And I will persuade my people to follow my captive’s words. Then I will return and stay near the lean-to area until it is safe to approach my tepee.”
His heart was heavy at the losses of his children and friends. How he yearned to hold Rebecca in his arms and comfort her. He also needed her solace, for now Silent Thunder was his only living child. He could not understand why the spirits had taken the lives of three of his children, but he trusted Rebecca. He would do as the women said to protect his son and love. He stared longingly at her for a time, then rode back to the camp. If he took ill, it wouldn’t be for eleven moons, he realized. In that time, he would have to hunt and supply plenty of game for his family. He raged over this cruel situation, for he had never considered dying at such a young age and in top physical condition. It had never before mattered to him that death was a daily part of each warrior’s life. He vowed that an early death was not for him!
Rebecca wondered if Flaming Star was well. He had returned with the game as promised. She prayed he had not come into contact with anyone ill or infected. He had said he would bring meat again in a week. She worried over Windrider. He had unsuspectingly visited the camp. She prayed he wouldn’t get the disease, but if he did, that he would survive. At least he had Bonnie to care for him—in more than one way. How strange that the vision foretold an undeniable truth. Did that mean there was more to visions than she realized?
For two days, Windrider hunted game and brought it to the village. He talked and reasoned with the remaining council and warriors, convincing his tribe to bury their dead, to burn the scaffolds and all items belonging to those ill or dead, and to move the tepees of those not ill away from the camp. He told them that those who survived were safe to treat those who were ill. He warned those still healthy to avoid the sickness that lived unseen on bodies and possessions.
More Cheyenne took ill; others got well; many died. Within three more days, all Cheyenne either had the disease, had survived the disease, had died from the disease, or were immune to it for some unknown reason. White Antelope and other warriors had healed sufficiently to help with the hunting. With the women who were well and strong, they went on a buffalo hunt. The tribe would need food and hides to survive the winter. Those alive would share food, chores, and new tepees until the spring. It was agreed to burn all of the tepees and belongings once the illness was conquered. They wanted no infection to remain on any items to attack others or to spread over their lands. It would be a harsh and difficult season for them, but such drastic action appeared necessary. Once all were healed, other tribes could be inspired to share food, clothing, and supplies for the water. There was no greater coup than unselfishness, that generous spirit of charity that saved lives and prevented immense hardships.
Those in the little camp anxiously waited to see if Windrider would take ill. In five more days they would know. The plan that Bonnie originally suggested had worked; no one else in Windrider’s tepee took ill. If they could keep everyone away, Silent Thunder, Tashina, Sucoora, and Rebecca were safe. Until the danger was past, Windrider, Little Feet, Bonnie, White Antelope, and Little Turtle would remain in the lean-to.
Windrider began to notice Bonnie more frequently and intensely, especially when White Antelope started showing subtle interest in her. The recovered warrior’s respect and admiration were highly visible, which oddly annoyed Windrider. The white captive belonged to him!
Since coming home, Windrider had been told about the women’s actions, over and over. He was filled with pride that those of his tepee had shown much courage and wisdom. His tepee had helped the whole village, and it was because of the white captive whom he had almost traded! She knew the powers of healing. She wished to help his people. Her heart was good and strong… and she was most pleasing to the eye.
Now he furtively glanced at Bonnie as she prepared their meal. She had helped his people in a time of great sadness and pain. His keen eyes slipped over her face and hair, and he noted for the first time that her coloring reflected the heavens and shades from nature. Suddenly he scowled. He wondered why he was comparing this white captive to the signs given in his vision! Rebecca was the answer to his quest; she was the one who caused his heart to beat fast and his body to burn with hunger! Then he boldly stared at the lovely and gentle Bonnie, recalling the vision in detail. He shook his head in disbelief and astonishment. It couldn’t be…
Bright Arrow directed his canoe toward the bank two miles below the Oglala camp. He had thought at first that he had slipped by his tribe’s camp without being noticed, but now he reluctantly responded to the signals from a Sioux warrior standing on the riverbank. As he paddled closer, he thought the warrior looked very familiar. When the boat touched shore, he asked the man’s name.
“Do you forget your brother?” the twenty-one-yearold teased.
Bright Arrow’s gaze eased up and down his frame, then settled on his ruggedly handsome face and dancing eyes. “You grow tall and strong, Flaming Star. You were ten and five winters old when I… left home. You are a man now, a warrior. Tell me of White Arrow and Wandering Doe,” he entreated, tying the canoe rope to a rock.
When the response was given, Bright Arrow asked solemnly, “What of my father and mother? How does Sun Cloud grow?”
Flaming Star’s expression altered. He hesitated briefly before saying, “Gray Eagle lies wounded. Sun Cloud is Crow captive. Many hunters gone on buffalo hunt. Many warriors fight Crow and Pawnee. I go to rescue Sun Cloud,” he announced with vivid self-assurance.
“You return to camp. I will seek my brother,” Bright Arrow argued. The news had brought anguish and torment to his mind and heart, and he felt he had to act.
“No. You go to Windrider. Sickness and death live in Cheyenne camp. Rebecca need food, protection. Moon Eyes very sick, dying.” He spoke the facts as gently as possible. “I save brother.”
Bright Arrow stared at him. “How do you know such things, Flaming Star?” he questioned anxiously, wondering if Rebecca had tried to contact his people again.
“I head to Cheyenne camp. I see woman hunting. I give meat. She tell me. She Rebecca. Many Cheyenne sick; many die. It bad. You go to tepee, not camp. I save Sun Cloud. No can help father.”
“Will my father live?” Bright Arrow inquired hoarsely, finding it difficult to speak aloud such a heartrending question. Again he was off somewhere while his families faced danger and death.
“Might live. Healing take many moons. Mother sad, afraid. Bright Arrow no go to Cheyenne camp. Attacked by sickness; die. Windrider tepee near river. I promise Rebecca more meat.”
Bright Arrow was torn by the loyalty and love he felt for each of his separated families. His father could be dying; his mother was alone; his brother was a Crow slave; and his people were being attacked by two strong foes. Yet his woman was alone and afraid; one child was sick; they needed food and protection. Flaming Star insisted, “It is certain death to enter Cheyenne camp. No man can fight invisible enemy. Rebecca has Windrider; your mother no one.”
Bright Arrow felt he had to see Rebecca and explain his rescue mission. He charged Flaming Star, “Take word to my mother; tell her I am going after my brother. She is not to worry; I will bring Sun Cloud home safely. Then come to Windrider’s tepee. Together we will seek revenge on the Crow and save my brother. But first I must see my woman and children.”
“Why you not speak with Shalee and Gray Eagle?”
“It is not the time, Flaming Star. I will return when my brother is at my side. Hurry, I need y
our help. Join me in Windrider’s camp.”
The two locked hands and went their separate ways. At the Sans Arc camp, Bright Arrow exchanged the canoe and his gifts for a horse, then rode swiftly toward the Cheyenne camp, nearing it two days later. He observed the curious scene before him, seeing Windrider’s tepee sitting apart from the camp. He noted another smaller camp of tepees farther away. Bright Arrow stared at the graveyard, a white man’s custom, and he was confused and dismayed. As he rode toward the familiar tepee on the riverbank, his heart drummed wildly with fear.
Rebecca dropped her first load of wood near the tepee and saw a rider coming their way. As he drew nearer, she recognized him. Her heart raced with excitement and joy, then with fear and tension. She ran out to meet him. She had to warn him of the perils in their camp and in the Cheyenne village… and she knew she had to find the words to relate her tragic news about their daughter.
He reined in and dismounted. Without embracing or kissing Rebecca, he anxiously questioned her. “Why do you camp away from the village? Where is Windrider?” he probed in dread. Approaching from this side of camp, he had rebelled at the strange sight that had greeted his keen eyes. His astute mind instantly warned of some problem, for his senses had grasped many of the shocking sights and sounds.
Rebecca’s happiness and relief at his unexpected arrival vanished. No kiss? No hug? No warm and tender greeting? Her smile faded. She dropped her entreating hands to her sides. “We’re camped here for our survival, Bright Arrow. Windrider hunts for those too sick or weak to leave their tepees. It has been a terrible time. We needed you. A white trader brought smallpox to the camp the day after you left.” As calmly as possible, she recounted most of the gloomy events.
“Wicahanhan?” He repeated the dreaded word. “You did not fall prey to this sickness?” he questioned, aware she appeared healthy.
“No. Bonnie told us how to battle it. But so many have suffered and died. The hardships have been nearly unbearable. Many times we went hungry. Many nights we stayed awake in fear. We couldn’t allow anyone near our camp for fear they were contagious. All we could think about was protecting the children.” Rebecca explained how they had survived. She didn’t want to reveal their child’s death until he had been calmed and prepared. She carefully observed his dismay and sympathy.
When he thought he knew all, he related his own bad news. “My brother Sun Cloud has been taken captive by our enemy the Crow. Three warriors sneaked into my father’s camp and wounded him. He lies near death and cannot seek his son, my brother. I must do this before the Crow torture him or slay him. I will take you and our children to a safe place, then ride swiftly for the Crow camp. I will return for you when my brother sits in the tepee of Gray Eagle and Shalee. I cannot leave you here in danger. You must prepare yourself and our children while I speak with Windrider. We must leave this very sun.”
Rebecca was startled by his unexpected and untimely news. She was trying to solve one crisis and he was introducing another one! She watched him pace unnaturally as he slipped into pensive planning. Her mind screamed, You are leaving again? What about your family? Have I lost you too? Did you hear nothing I said? He hadn’t inquired about the children, or about who had lived or died. This troubled her deeply.
‘To safety?” she echoed in bewilderment. “Where?”
“Flaming Star will take you to the camp of the Yanktons, where you and our children will be safe from this evil sickness. I will come for you after I rescue Sun Cloud and take him home. The Yanktons are friendly with whites; they know Bright Arrow. They will accept you and protect you until my return. You cannot remain near such evil.”
Rebecca eyed him strangely. “You can leave us at a time like this? We have suffered much. We need you,” she whispered raggedly.
“My father is dying; my brother is a slave to our enemies. My people are attacked by many foes. I must help them,” he argued gently.
“Many have died and are dying here, too. We are being attacked by an evil foe who slays warriors and women and children. No one is safe. Even the chief has died. Shooting Star’s whole family is gone. We need food and protection. We need hides and skins for garments and new tepees. You owe your people nothing! They turned their backs on us and banished us. If not for the Oglala, we would be safe and happy this day! The Cheyenne have helped us; you owe them much! This is the wrong time to choose your people over your family and friends. We need you here. Why must you do this? Surely another warrior can rescue one child? Surely the Crow would not slay a small boy, even if he is a slave,” she reasoned irritably.
Her sharp words cut him deeply. “He is my brother! I must save his life. Do you wish me to remain here in danger from this illness? I can offer no help to fight an enemy that cannot be seen or touched. When I return, Sun Cloud will be safe and the illness will be conquered. I will help the Cheyenne when I return. The Crow will not know Bright Arrow as Clay Rivera. I will be able to enter their camp and steal Sun Cloud. He is the son of Gray Eagle, brother to Bright Arrow. To revenge themselves on us, they could torture or slay him. You are strong; you can take care of our family. He is but a child. You do not understand,” he scolded her.
“I understand our daughter Moon Eyes is dead,” she stated coldly. “It is too late for you to help her. Tansia and Pretty Rabbit are dead. Little Feet almost died. Our Cheyenne friends have died. We have gone hungry and quivered in fear. Many said Bonnie and I were responsible for the evil here; many wanted to kill us. We have done all we could to protect the other children from the illness. I have hunted and fished many days to provide food for our tepee. Now Windrider waits to see if the sickness has invaded his body.”
Suddenly her tone and expression altered, and she told him with a sneer, “You are right; we do not need you. Go, Bright Arrow, we can survive without you. We have done so for many weeks.” She whirled and ran back to the forest to finish gathering her wood. “Go,” she had shouted over her shoulder, “I will seek another to fill the place you have abandoned.” In her fury, disappointment, and anguish, she prayed he would leave before she returned to camp.
Bright Arrow sought out Windrider and conversed with him at a distance, at his friend’s insistence. He told him about the expedition and his conclusions. Then he spoke with White Antelope and Sucoora. Soon the pieces to this monstrous puzzle fell into place. He couldn’t believe what Rebecca and the others had been through since his departure. This had not been merely an illness; it had been a plague! He couldn’t believe his little girl was dead. Pain knifed his heart and guilt pierced his mind. Once again he had almost lost his love and family to danger and death. Again, he had been away. Why was his fate so ensnared by tangled vines? he wondered sadly.
Bright Arrow explained the grim situation in the Oglala camp and told of his brother’s capture. Windrider spoke clearly and strongly against their mutual foe. “You cannot leave the son of Gray Eagle and brother of Bright Arrow in the hands of our Crow enemies, hands stained with Sioux and Cheyenne blood. Show them that the firstborn son of Gray Eagle has the strength and courage to battle them, to cunningly take back what is his. This insult cannot be ignored. Their laughter will sing upon the winds. Soon all enemy tribes will know of this valuable captive. They will seek the life of your father while he lays weak and helpless. Your tribe faces great danger if you do not accept this challenge and overcome this enemy.”
“You speak true words, my friend. But I have others to protect,” Bright Arrow reminded him. “This is not an easy matter to settle. I did not know of the danger and sadness I would find when I rode here to share the dark news from my camp. I stand here with a heart and head divided, Windrider. Too many lives rest on my decision.”
“The illness that attacked my camp grows weaker each sun. Windrider and your Cheyenne brothers will protect your family and provide for them. You cannot return life to Moon Eyes. There is nothing you can do here but watch others heal and wait for your brother to die. You must teach the Crow to fear the Oglala and the son
of Gray Eagle. Without their chief and next chief, your tribe will lose its spirit and direction. You must offer your help and your life. This is why Grandfather called you home from the white man’s journey. He seeks to return your honor and rank by your saving Sun Cloud and your tribe.”
Flaming Star arrived. He told them, “Gray Eagle lives, but he is weak. He will not be able to trail Sun Cloud for many weeks. It will be too late. Your mother sends her love and prayers. She knows the dangers of seeking your brother. She fears losing two sons to the Crow. She does not ask you to save your brother, for she knows the Crow hate Bright Arrow more than Sun Cloud or Gray Eagle. I know the dangers, but I know the courage, daring, and cunning of Bright Arrow.”
The four men talked. It was decided that Flaming Star would take Rebecca and the two girls to the Yankton camp, for the Crow would recognize Flaming Star. All knew that speed was vital. If Bright Arrow assumed his Clay Rivera disguise once more, he could fool them. He could enter their camp as a trader, then find a way to rescue Sun Cloud. Windrider asked Flaming Star to take his son Silent Thunder to safety with them. When this illness passed, he would go after them. White Antelope said he would help provide food and protection for Windrider’s tepee. The four warriors agreed on the plan, and Bright Arrow left them to find Rebecca, to persuade her that the plan was best for all.
He found her in the woods, sitting near a stream and staring into the troubled water. He dropped to one knee beside her. “We must talk, Rebecca,” he stated gently. “I know you have faced many dangers and torments, but I must make you understand and help me. I cannot change what has happened here. The danger had passed in the Cheyenne camp, but not for Sun Cloud or my father or the Oglala camp.”
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