Little Flower

by Jeanie P Johnson

  “I must warn you, it would not be proper for me to do so,” Madison mumbled.

  “No one is here where we are. Who would know?” Daisy insisted.

  Madison glanced around and saw that she was correct, so he gave a shrug, as a grin stole across his face. “Very well, if you insist, only you must be careful in the future with asking me to assist you with your…underclothes.”

  “I do expect I can trust you. I hope you are not like Talking Dog!”

  “Talking Dog?” Madison questioned.

  “He is a horrible young brave who was rude to me the whole time I was with the Sioux. Then, just before my father came to collect me, he…he…well, forced himself on me. I can’t tell my parents because my mother is so set on me finding a young man to marry. However, who would have me? I am no longer a virgin! Not even Gray Wolf would want me now, which is another reason I will never take a husband. If that is what it is like to be with a man, I refuse to subject myself to it!”

  Madison paused and looked down into Daisy’s eyes. “You poor dear,” he breathed. “I am sorry to hear about you having to be subjected to such treatment. I must tell you, though, that being with a man you love is nothing like what you suffered at the hand of Talking Dog. You have to take my word for it.”

  “It doesn’t matter. As I said, I am no longer a virgin. Rather than advertise it, or have to explain it when someone asks for my hand, I prefer to let my parents know in advance that I shall never marry. And it is true, I am in love with Gray Wolf, only he is not here, and even if he was, he would not have me now. A virtuous wife is very important to the Sioux.”

  “I never thought it would be, from what I have heard about how the Indians treat women. I hear they treat their own wives like slaves.”

  “It is not true. They respect their wives. You just don’t understand their culture.”

  “Perhaps not,” Madison agreed, as he started to unfasten the buttons on the back of Daisy’s dress.

  Daisy held onto the gown so it wouldn’t slip off of her body, once the buttons were undone. She could feel Madison’s fingers working with the ties of her corset, and it gave her a strange giddy feeling, which she was trying to ignore. As the corset loosened, she took in a deep breath.

  “I can breathe again!” she laughed, as Madison pulled the corset free, and began to button the dress up again.

  “There,” Madison said, his voice sounding a little shaky as he turned Daisy to face him. “You are a liberated woman,” he laughed.

  Daisy bent over and picked up the corset that Madison had let drop to the sand while he was fastening up her gown. Then she tossed it out upon the water, and watched the waves pull it out to sea like a lifeless white bird, she thought. She started laughing wildly, and Madison joined her. They stood together laughing as they watched the garment disappear beneath a wave.

  “You have a beautiful smile,” Madison said, when the laughter began to die.

  Daisy stopped laughing; feeling self-conscious by the way Madison was looking at her. “Thank you for your kind remarks,” she said, giving a little shrug. “I suppose I should be getting back, though. You have brightened my day, and I thank you for that.”

  “I hope to brighten all of your days,” Madison told her as they turned in the other direction and started following their footsteps back.

  “I will probably be reprimanded for spoiling my nice dress,” Daisy mumbled.

  “I am sure your father can afford to replace it.”

  They walked in silence, and when they reached the road, Madison lifted Daisy up and placed her on her horse again, handing Lucky up to her.

  “I’ll ride with you, back to your house,” he offered, mounting his own horse. “After this, I suggest you contact me the next time you wish to go riding on the surf again, or at least bring a servant with you. It is not proper for a lady to go riding alone.”

  “I don’t think I will ever get the proper things straight. It seems in your world, nothing is proper for a lady to do.”

  Madison gave a short laugh. “You may be right,” he chuckled. “I am sure your mother will inform you of all the things you are not allowed to do. Anything left over is probably permitted.”

  “I wish she would inform Davy it is not proper to lock his sister in the outhouse,” she fumed.

  Madison started to laugh. “I am sure he already knows that,” he smiled. “Perhaps you can think of some way to make friends with him.”

  “I thought he wanted to be my friend, at first. He liked my wolf and offered to show me the gardens. But like you said, because I am here, it has probably changed all his plans for the future. I think he expected to always remain the only child.”

  “He will get used to the change. I will talk to him and let him know he needs to mind his manners.”

  “Why would he listen to you?” Daisy asked.

  “I have always treated him fairly. He seems to like me. Because your father expected him to take over the business when he grew up, he had me taking Davy under my wing. He never expected you to be found. I am sure he will have me train your future husband to run the business when the time comes.”

  “Unless I marry Gray Wolf, then what will he do?”

  “Considering Gray Wolf is not around for you to marry, I don’t think that will present a problem. Beside you said yourself he would not have you now. If he truly loved you, the way you claim to love him, what Talking Dog did would have no effect on the way he feels about you. Perhaps you are prejudging Gray Wolf.”

  “What does it matter? Gray Wolf is at the Sioux village and I am miles away from there. I will probably never see him again.” A tear escaped Daisy’s eye, and Madison stopped his horse, leaning over and wiping the tear away.

  “Don’t cry, Little Flower. You will find love again,” he promised.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Gray Wolf stood before Chief Beaver. “I have had a vision,” he told his father. “I have seen the face of Little Flower. I have even touched it. My body floated to the place where she is kept. She is unhappy there. She was crying. I must find her and bring her back to our village. She saw me there and called out my name, so I know she was real. I could smell the sweetness of her. My heart is empty without her. I wish to have permission to go to her.”

  “It is not wise to travel to the place where white men dwell,” Chief Beaver warned him. “They do not trust us. They may take you as their captive. If they believe you have come to take one of their people, you will be punished.”

  “I have to risk it! I must have Little Flower at my side. If she does not wish to come with me, I will understand, but I must at least try. Talking Dog abused her. I have to let her know I still love her regardless of what Talking Dog did. She begged me to tell her I still loved her before I went on the hunt, and I refused to answer. She probably hates me now, but if she wishes to return with me, she can ask permission from her father. I will not take her like a captive. I will leave the choice up to her.”

  “How will you find her?” Chief Beaver wanted to know.

  “My vision led me to her. I will rely on the Great Spirit to guide me and use my tracking skills as well. Do you know where her father was taking her?”

  “To a place called California. He said he came from San Francisco. It is a place in California, from what I hear.”

  “The place I was carried to was no small village. It had many white man buildings. There were many people there.”

  “And you will be out of place there. The moment people see you riding through their town, they will believe you to be the enemy.”

  “Only I will be alone. What danger would I represent to them? Other Indians have worked for the army as scouts. The white man knows that some Sioux are friendly. The Shoshone help the white man, fighting against other tribes that attack their wagons.”

  “We are the other tribes they fight against,” his father reminded him. “The Shoshone are friends with the white soldiers. We have always been the enemies of the Shoshone and the w
hites. If the Shoshone see you traveling alone they may take your life. In a battle, several seasons ago, we killed the Shoshone chief’s son, before his very eyes. He has never forgiven us for that, and any Shoshone warrior would gladly kill a lone Sioux traveler, to avenge the chief’s son’s death!”

  “I will be on the lookout for any danger. I will risk whatever it takes to find the woman I love.”

  “Even if you survive the journey, her father will never allow her to leave with you,” Chief Beaver warned.

  “I must at least try. Even if she will not return with me, I must tell her of my true love for her so she will not doubt my love. That alone will lighten my heavy heart.”

  “If the Great Spirit has given you a vision, then you must follow it. He will protect you,” Chief Beaver said at last. “Just be careful on your quest and rely on the gods to guide you. However, I cannot give my blessing for you to follow this quest until you have taken part the Sun Dance first and become a man. Then, you must take two other braves with you so you do not travel alone into danger.

  Gray Wolf hung his head in disappointment. “When will the Sun Dance take place?” he asked, feeling that the longer it took for him to start on his quest the less chance he would find Little Flower eager to return with him. Already he had spent the time it took to get a vision and now more was requested of him before he could bring the woman he loved back to his village.

  “Soon the preparation will take place. Little Flower is safe where she is. She has her father to protect her. She may be sad, but if her love for you is true, once you find her, she will gladly return with you. If it is the Great Spirit’s wish, you will be guided. However, the customs must be followed first so when you go on your quest it will be a man, not a boy, who accomplishes the task. Find two braves that are willing to go with you, so after you have recovered from the Sun Dance you will be ready to leave.”

  As Gray Wolf left his lodge, feeling frustrated that he should have to wait even longer before he could search for Little Flower, he almost bumped into Sleepy Fox.

  “What troubles you, brother?” Sleepy Fox asked, seeing the expression on Gray Wolf’s face.

  White Wolf’s face brightened. “Will you come with me when I leave to find Little Flower?” he asked anxiously.

  “Why do you wish to find her? I heard she had lain with Talking Dog, she is not worthy of you now. Besides, her father will never release her to you.”

  “I have had a vision, and I know she is unhappy where she is only I have to wait until after the Sun Dance to rescue her from her sadness. Talking Dog took her against her will. It is no wonder she is sad. She will think I do not want her any longer. I have to let her know I still love her.”

  “I too must do the Sun Dance,” Sleepy Fox told him. “I will gladly travel with you if your father has given you permission to go.”

  “He has, but not until after the Sun Dance and I need one more brave, besides you, to go with me.”

  “Ask Spotted Coyote he would be anxious to travel over new territory where we seldom go. I hear he has the wanderlust in him and knows the ways of surviving on a long journey. He once followed a group that stole his horse clear across country for several moons to retrieve it. He is a good tracker and did the Sun Dance many seasons ago.”

  “Yes, I will ask him,” Gray Wolf agreed. He knew of Spotted Coyote and had heard of his many feats.

  “I cannot believe you are going after her,” the low voice of Merry Morning cut into the conversation. She had been standing at a distance listening. Gray Wolf, had noticed her watching him ever since he returned from his vision quest but he had merely ignored her.

  “I told you that I no longer consider you as my friend. It matters not what you believe or think,” he hissed at her. “It is your fault that her father came for her.”

  “You are throwing your honor away trying to bring her back,” Merry Morning persisted, ignoring Gray Wolf’s comment. “She is now a ruined woman and not worthy of you. She has made you crazy. She is trying to pull you away from your own people. She is not worth it, Gray Wolf. Talking Dog claimed she was enjoying what he did with her. She wanted more, only she wouldn’t admit it.”

  “If that was the case, why did she kick him?” Gray Wolf growled. “Talking Dog’s words cannot be trusted. Even if she enjoyed it, he took her before marriage. She loved me. I could have taken her, but I chose for her to remain a virgin until we were tied. Now he has spoiled all that. Now he has left a bitter taste in her mouth for even wanting a brave to touch her. My mother mentioned that she looked upset and ill when she came back to our lodge. And then she collapsed in front of the council. Talking Dog thought to ruin her for me. He thought his actions would mean that Little Flower would have to become his woman, if not his wife. I will never let that happen!” The growl was low in his throat as he glared at Merry Morning. His very look frightened her and she ducked her head.

  Gray Wolf turned from Merry Morning and strode away, trying to calm a new wave of anger rising up in his chest. He decided to look for Spotted Coyote so he could ask him to join his quest.

  It took ten days to prepare for the Sun Dance. Ten days that Gray Wolf would have to put off his quest to find Little Flower. During those ten days he would have to purify himself the same way he did for his vision quest. He would have to have a special sponsor who would care for him and guide him through the process, and then take care of his wounds when the ceremony was complete.

  Although he was participating so he could become a man and a warrior, the Sun Dance was also available for those warriors who wanted to recommit themselves and also when someone wanted to go on a revenge raid. It took a sacrifice to go to war or achieve certain goals and the Sun Dance would afford that sacrifice of broken skin and scars to prove one’s bravery.

  It was preformed once a year on the evening of a full moon, or for very special occasions, when needed. It lasted all night when the dancers would greet the morning sun, which afforded both the moon and the sun to join together to support the braves who took part in the dance. It wasn’t for Gray Wolf’s village alone. Many other members of Sioux villages and even close allies from other neighboring tribes would come and join in to witness and take part in the ritual.

  This meant that a Sun Dance Lodge would have to be built, using the sacred wood of the cottonwood tree. It would be made round, with a single cottonwood pole in the center, which would be topped with a sacred doll and other sacred objects, along with an eagle feather that the dancers could focus on. It would be large enough to house those who came to witness the ordeal and the circle of braves, who would be attached to the center pole, as they blew on their whistles. The lodge walls were made only of poles a fair distance apart from each other, creating the circle with long poles attached to the top of each upright pole linking them together to form the top of the circle. From there, longer poles were placed on top of each upright pole all gathering in the center of the circle to make the peaked roof over the middle above the center pole where the long tethers would be attached.

  The eagle bone whistle blowing would start long before the braves were attached to the tethers, lasting for hours as they danced throughout the night until all the demands connected with the Sun Dance had been fulfilled and they greeted the sun of the final morning. Each Whistle was painted with red, green, blue, and yellow dots and lines which represented the remarkable perception of the eagle.

  The Sioux believed that by suffering at the pole at the center of the Sun Lodge they took upon themselves much of the agony of their people. Everyone would gather at the great encampment where the huge Sun Lodge was built. The clans and bands converged like lines of ants coming in a splendid parade from all directions, winding over the prairies, visiting, laughing, and singing as they came. They would set their teepees up in a circle around the place where the Sun Lodge stood. They wore their finest apparel and rode their best horses. They would bring all the food that could be had for feasting. It was a time to get reacquainted and enjo
y each other’s company. Even the children enjoyed playing special games together during the festive occasion.

  A renowned priest or lodge maker conducted the entire ceremony, instructing the individual pledgers in a preparatory teepee while other tribesmen followed his guidance in collecting the special items which would be needed for the great lodge. Men dressed in war costumes went to choose the sacred center cottonwood pole which had a fork in the top. According to legend, it was the cottonwood tree which taught them how to make their teepees. The leaf of the tree was an exact pattern of it. Also, if a person cut an upper limb of the tree crosswise, the grain revealed a perfect five-point star, which represented the presence of the Great Spirit. Even in the very lightest breeze they could hear the voice of the cottonwood tree offering its prayer to the Great Spirit. It was believed that all created beings were alive and prayed to Him continually in their own ways.

  Before raising the pole, the builders put a bundle of brush, a buffalo-hide human effigy, a buffalo-hide effigy in the shape of a buffalo, long slender sticks with small tobacco bags attached to them, and other carefully fashioned religious offerings into fork, which was then topped with a sacred eagle feather. The finished bundle was called an eagle’s nest. After the pole was raised they built the Sun Lodge and covered the top with green tree branches. The lodge represented the universe.

  A place for a sacred altar was designated inside the lodge where buffalo skulls were placed. The designs on the skulls were panted black with yellow eagle’s feet and purple spots of the turtle. A sun on the skull was painted in red with yellow radiating lines, and a quarter-moon was done in half yellow and half blue. Dark red lines were placed where each horn met the scull. Balls of sacred sage were placed in the eye and mouth holes. A little bag of tobacco was tied on the tip of the south horn, and a piece of deer hide was tied to the north horn.

  A burning coal served as an eternal light and kept burning throughout each night of the Dance. Before the main celebrants did their Sun Dance, the great warriors of the tribe gave a public dramatization of their war exploits. Then the young braves and warriors who had vowed to do the Sun Dance itself entered the lodge, purified, and painted in special ways by their sponsors. These sponsors were called grandfathers. The braves, having fasted and gone without water in preparation, were now all ready to dance and blow their special eagle bone whistles.