by D. J. Holmes
* * *
“The drums are calling the tribe. Are you ready to go, Mother?” Gray Wolf asks Snow Flower.
“Yes, my Son. Get Running Deer, and call your Father.”
Blue Cloud comes out of the tipi wearing his best ceremonial clothes. As he looks at Snow Flower, he sees his beautiful wife, wearing the dress that she wore on their wedding day. “Look at us. Don’t we make an attractive couple, Snow Flower?” Blue Cloud says proudly.
“Yes, husband. We do,” Snow Flower responds very proudly.
“And look at our two little Eagles. They are already squatting down, flapping their wings and screeching.”
“You have taught them well, they will be the smallest, and cutest, Eagles dancing tonight.”
Blue Cloud looks at Snow Flower. “You have made me so happy. We have such a beautiful family.” Smiling as they gaze into each others eyes, Blue Cloud quickly comes to his senses. “We had better hurry or we will be late.”
As they reach the tribal gathering place, they look around at everyone.
“Look, little ones. There is grandfather, Chief Joseph. Would you like to go stand by him?”
“No father, not today. Not until you talk to him about being so loud,” Gray Wolf says shyly.
“No Father, he scares me,” Running Deer says boldly.
Snow Flower looks at Blue Cloud and quietly says, “I hope you take care of this soon.”
“Don’t worry everyone. I’ll talk to him tomorrow!” Blue Cloud says with a laugh. “But tonight, let’s have fun.”
Everyone in their tribe has been able to make it to the festivities. There is plenty of food, including Mother Red Rose’s famous Corn Bread, Tribal River’s fish and, of course, Walking Turkey waits until everyone else has gathered what they are going to eat, and then he gathers what he is going to eat, still leaving plenty for everyone else to come back again. Full stomachs create joyous contented energy, which then creates a great deal of talking and contagious laughter. Finally, it is time to dance. “Snow Flower, I left my Eagle wings back at the tipi. Stay here with the boys, I’ll be right back.”
“All right, Blue Cloud. Hurry back. Our sons are anxious to dance.”
“I will,” Blue Cloud calls back as he hurries to their tipi. Running Deer and Gray Wolf run back from playing with their friends.
“Mother, we are ready to dance. Where is father?”
“He went back to the tipi to get his Eagle wings. He left them there, because they are a lot bigger than yours are. Here are your Eagle wings. Are you ready to put them on?”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Take off your bow, and quivers full of arrows….
Oh look, here comes grandfather,” Snow Flower says, trying to prepare her sons.
“I’m getting out of here,” Running Deer quickly says.
“Me too,” Gray Wolf says in a hurry as they both run toward their tipi, where their father has gone.
Just as Snow Flower realizes that her sons have turned to run away from their grandfather, he says, “Good evening, Daughter. Have you been having a good time?”
“I have, my Chief. What about you? Have you and Mother Willow, been having a good time?”
“Yes, my Daughter. I can’t wait to dance with my grandson’s. Where are they?”
“I don’t know. They were here just a minute ago,” Snow Flower says as she scans the surrounding area.
As the boys are running toward their tipi, they see a stranger trying to sneak up on the village celebration.
“…Gray Wolf, who is that person? Have you ever seen him before?”
“No, I’ve never seen him before. He has war paint on his face. Maybe he’s trying to harm our tribe.”
“We are the only ones here, Running Deer. We have to save our tribal family.”
“Get your bow and arrow ready like father taught us. There are two of us, and only one of him. We can do this!”
With their bows ready, they bend over trying to hide themselves in the foliage of the forest. Coming up behind the stranger, they shoot their arrows striking their target. He falls to the ground.
“We got him, Gray Wolf. We got him!”
“Let’s make sure that he’s dead.”
Walking up to the stranger and looking at him on the ground, not moving or breathing, they begin to celebrate by dancing.
“We saved our tribal family,” they both chorused. As their backs are turned, the stranger gets up and grabs both of them, holding them under his strong arms.
“We thought that you were dead!” a surprised Gray Wolf yells.
“As you can see, I am alive. This is something that you should have learned today. Never turn your back on your enemy.”
Feeling confined because his strong arms were holding them so tightly, Running Deer commands, “We learned it! Now put us down!”
“Are you, Blue Cloud and Snow Flower’s, sons?”
“Yes. Who are you?” Running Deer asks.
“I am your uncle. I am Flying Eagle, your father’s brother.”
Gray Wolf speaks with strength, “We don’t have an Uncle. My father has no brother. We have never met anyone by the name of Flying Eagle.”
“Well, you have now.” Holding them firmly under his arms, he begins to run in the opposite direction of the festivities.
The twins begin to squirm around, kicking their legs and hitting him with their small fists, trying to wrestle out of his arms. At the same time, they begin to make their Eagle screeching sounds.
Blue Cloud returns to Snow Flower. “I have my wings. I can hear our sons making their Eagle screeching sounds. Where are they, Snow Flower?”
“They said that they were going to the tipi to help you Blue Cloud.”
“I never saw them!”
Alarmed, Blue Cloud quickly drops his Eagle wings while running toward the direction of both of his son’s screeching sounds.
Snow Flower’s heart is pounding! She feels fear! Her eyes widen as she looks at Chief Joseph. He begins to assemble the other braves.
Running with the boys under his arms, Flying Eagle stops for a moment and turns around, as he hears Blue Cloud yell, “Running Deer, Gray Wolf where are you?”
“Father, Father. Here we are!”
Looking to his right, Blue Cloud sees Flying Eagle. His war paint tells Blue Cloud that he is out for revenge.
“Father, this man won’t let us go!” Running Deer yells.
Also yelling, Gray Wolf, says, “Tell him to let us go, Father.”
Standing where they can see each other Blue Cloud tries to calm his brother, while getting as close to his sons as he can, “Flying Eagle put my sons down and let them go to their mother!”
“You took everything from me, Blue Cloud. Now I will take your sons.”
“I will feely give you my life, if you will let my sons go. Please Flying Eagle, put them down. They have done nothing to you,” Blue Cloud pleads.
“My whole life, you have been a thorn in my side. Father would always say, ‘Blue Cloud can do this, and Blue Cloud can do that.’ I never once heard him say what, Flying Eagle, could do.”
“Flying Eagle, please, put my sons down, we will talk. We will smoke the peace pipe to bring peace to our many years of strife.”
“Blue Cloud, don’t come any closer. I don’t want to make peace with you. I just want what is mine! You took the woman that I wanted for my wife. Your sons are now my sons. I will take them with me to my new life and we will be a family.”
“Flying Eagle, do not make these small boys part of our problem. Please put my sons down. We can settle our differences between ourselves.”
The village braves arrive with bows drawn and arrows in place. Blue Cloud turns around to face them. His hands are raised, signaling them to stop.
“Thank you my Brothers. Please put your bows down. This is my brother Flying Eagle. I am trying to make peace with him. Please go away so that we can settle our differences. Just turn around and go away, so that
I can get my sons back.”
With the braves assembled, Flying Eagle knows that he will have no chance of survival carrying the two boys. Blue Cloud is distracted, trying to get the braves to leave. Flying Eagle takes this opportunity to rid himself of one son.
Blue Cloud hears Flying Eagle state, “Since I can’t have your sons, no one will have them!”
Gray Wolf yells, “Father, help us.”
Blue Cloud turns around just as Flying Eagle is running off. At first he is relieved to see Flying Eagle leave, but where are his sons?
With his heart pounding, Blue Cloud runs over to where Flying Eagle was standing. He sees blood. Looking behind a nearby bush, he finds Gray Wolf’s lifeless body, his throat slit from side to side.
“…Gray Wolf. What has happened to my son, Gray Wolf?” he says as he kneels down and tearfully tries to bring his son back to life.
Black Bear gives the rest of the brave’s instructions.
“…Follow Flying Eagle. Do not approach him unless you feel that he will hurt, Running Deer.”
As the Braves leave, Snow Flower arrives to see Blue Cloud trying to save their son. She can see that Gray Wolf is dead. As her eyes meet with her husband’s, sadness, pain and fear radiate in their faces.
“It was, Flying Eagle…he’s here, Snow Flower.”
“My husband let me take, Gray Wolf. Go and find Running Deer,” she tearfully requests.
As Blue Cloud and Black Bear run they quickly find and join their brothers as they hide, watching Flying Eagle as he talks to Running Deer.
“Why did you hurt my brother?” Running Deer asks Flying Eagle.
“He’s all right. He’s probably with your father and mother right now.”
“Why can’t I be with them?”
“You will be. I just need you to be with me for a little while.”
“I want to be with my family!”
“You’re with me now, do you understand?”
“My father will come to get me.”
“You don’t see him now do you?”
“No.”
“Gray Wolf was his favorite anyway. He doesn’t care about you.”
Standing up, with his hands on his hips, Running Deer demands, “Yes, he does! My father and mother love both of us equally. They have no favorites!”
“You don’t want anything to happen to your mother, do you? Just remember. I know where they all are. If you don’t want anything to happen to your family, do what I tell you to do.”
Losing some of his fight as the sadness of being separated from his family becomes real Running Deer remembers, “But we were all going to dance the Eagle Dance tonight.”
“You know the Eagle Dance?”
“Yes, my father taught me.”
Trying to keep his captive occupied, Flying Eagle asks, “Show me. Dance for me.”
Running Deer begins to dance, and in a short while Blue Cloud comes from behind the bushes and begins to walk quietly toward him.
Running Deer looks up, “Father!” he yells.
Flying Eagle quickly looks up, “Blue Cloud.”
“Father, he told me that you didn’t care about me. But, I told him that you loved me just as much as you love, Gray Wolf.”
“You’re right, my son. I love you and I will always be there for you.” Blue Cloud motions for Running Deer to come to him as he continues to walk toward him.
Running Deer begins to run toward his father.
“Running Deer, remember what I told you I would do to your family!” Flying Eagle warns him.
Turning his head Running Deer stops. Confused as to what he should do he looks back to Flying Eagle as he points to Blue Cloud, “But, my father is here now.”
“Yes, but your mother and brother aren’t!” Flying Eagle quickly grabs him, putting a knife to his throat.
Looking at Blue Cloud, Flying Eagle states, “If you are here Blue Cloud, then the other braves must be here also. Running Deer could have had a great life with me in my new world.”
“A son belongs with his parents!”
“He should have been my son… now neither one of us will have a son.”
Simultaneously, Blue Cloud begins to run toward his son as Running Deer holds out his hands yelling, “Father!”
All of the braves have their bows raised, but Blue Cloud and Running Deer are in the way of their target.
Flying Eagle calmly slits Running Deer’s throat, just as he had Gray Wolfs, dropping him to the ground as he quickly turned and ran to the side of the mesa.
Blue Cloud reaches his son as he is drawing his last breath. There was nothing that Running Deer could do to stay with his father. And there was nothing that Blue Cloud could do to help his son to continue to live.
Black Bear instructs the braves, “Follow Flying Eagle, but don’t kill him. We will bring him back to Blue Cloud.”
Following Black Bear’s instructions they fan out, following Flying Eagle’s tracks.
“He’s starting to climb the mesa.”
Black Bear runs in the opposite direction around the mesa, to the stair case that he and Blue Cloud had discovered as young boys, just one hundred feet around the side from where Flying Eagle is climbing. Using this staircase, he is able to reach the top of the mesa before Flying Eagle. “I will wait for you, Flying Eagle and then I will fight you,” he says to himself.
Half of the braves follow Black Bear up the rugged stair case. The other half follow behind Flying Eagle, letting him know that there will be no turning back.
While the braves follow his brother, Blue Cloud picks up his son. With tears running down his cheeks, each step feels like an eternity, as he carries his son back to his beloved wife.
After several long minutes, he finally sees Snow Flower kneeling, while she holds, Gray Wolf, in her lap. Rocking back and forth, she is mournfully chanting. Blue Cloud stops, “How can I hand her another dead son?” he says to himself.
Sensing her husband’s presence, her head turns, as he quietly calls her name. “Snow Flower…Snow Flower… I’m so sorry, I couldn’t save our sons.” Their eyes meet…she looks up at her him…finally holding out her arms for her other son. Blue Cloud brings Running Deer to her. Holding both of her sons, she rocks back and forth, continuing her mourning chants. Blue Cloud kneels behind Snow Flower, trying to comfort her, while he is still trying to handle his own grief.
At this same time, Flying Eagle has finally reached the top of the mesa.
“We have been waiting for you, Flying Eagle. You have caused Blue Cloud, a great deal of pain. We are going to take you back to him.”
“I guess we’ll see about that,” he declares as he pulls out his knife. Holding it in his hand, high above his head, he runs toward Black Bear, loudly screaming. Black Bear responds to this threat with his own scream, running toward Flying Eagle, ready to fight. The braves encircle both of them so that this time, Flying Eagle won’t escape.
The fight continues as they move across the mesa. Flying Eagle begins to think, “Even if I win this fight, the other braves won’t let me leave. I’ve got to get to the portal.”
He manipulates and maneuvers his positions to move across the mesa. After Flying Eagle falls to the ground, Black Bear allows him to get back up on his own. Standing up, Flying Eagle steps backward, and disappears.
“Where did he go?” Black Bear asks, astounded. The other braves are equally mystified. “Everyone, please look around. We have to bring him back to, Blue Cloud.” The braves begin to scour the top of the mesa.
Trying to deal with his grief, while still kneeling behind his wife as she holds their sons, Blue Cloud finally says, “They were together in birth. They will be together in death. Flying Eagle will pay for the death of my sons and for all the pain that he has caused me throughout my life.”
Earlier, Chief Joseph, and the rest of the tribe have followed the sounds of Snow Flower’s chanting. Finding her holding Gray Wolf’s lifeless body, in utter confusion, they watched as Blue Clou
d had brought back his second son. Nothing like this has ever happened before. They can’t believe what they are witnessing, a mother holding both of her dead sons, and the father supporting her from behind.
Finally completely overcome with grief, Snow Flower begins to yell, “Great Spirit, why? My sons never deserved this. Why. Why did you allow this to happen? WHY?”
After a while, completely worn out and overcome with grief, Snow Flower looks up at Blue Cloud. “I love you my husband…, but our sons need their mother. They can’t be without me, they’re too young…. I will go with them to take care of them.”
Before Blue Cloud can comprehend what his wife is saying, her eyes roll back in her head, her breathing stops and Snow Flower slumps over in his arms.
“Snow Flower, wake up! Don’t go. I need you!” He shakes her, but she is gone. He pulls his wife to his chest. With grief edged into his face, he looks down at his sons and Snow Flower in disbelief.
“How can this be? My sons…my wife…what has just happened?” …Blue Cloud questions, mystified at the circumstances that he now finds himself in.
Blue Cloud looks to the sky hoping for an answer. He has held back his grief to support Snow Flower, but now she is also gone, and he can’t hold it in any longer. Finally, his body takes over expelling his great sorrow. His gut wrenching cries reverberate throughout the mountain range.
“GREAT SPIRIT, WHY HAVE YOU TAKEN MY SONS AND MY WIFE? HAVEN’T I ALWAYS DONE WHAT YOU WANTED ME TO DO?”
Blue Cloud’s cries can be heard on the top of the mesa. The braves immediately stop searching for Flying Eagle, looking to the sky trying to understand the strange sounds that they can hear.
“Come, my Brothers, Blue Cloud needs us,” Black Bear suggests.
Chief Joseph, Mother Willow and the rest of his tribe, drop to their knees in disbelief. “Mother, what has happened to our family?” Chief Joseph asks Mother Willow. She turns, putting her head onto her husband’s shoulder, crying in disbelief.
The braves return, dropping to their knees in respect for their Brother. Black Bear says quietly, “We heard your cries my Brother and we came, may healing be sent to you.”
From mountain range to mountain range, the valley fills with strange vibrations of loud mournful tribal chants, and cries of grief.
* * *
“I can’t handle this, Jon! I never knew that Evan had experienced such pain,” Julia slowly says with tears running down her cheeks.
Jon was quiet. He was having a hard time also, but didn’t want to express it.
The monitor changes to the next day.
