Whispering Sun

by Rita Karnopp

  "I had only seen the white man who took what he wanted. I saw white men who did not respect their own words. I knew white men who killed Indians only because they were Indians. And, I watched the white men who slaughtered the buffalo, only to carve off the hide, leaving the meat to rot in the hot sun. I saw white men who would force himself inside young Indian girls, leaving them with babies that belonged nowhere—not white, not Indian." Two Shadows looked away, afraid he'd reveal his soul if she looked at him.

  "It took me a long time to learn this," he added, then turned his back to her, fighting the emotions inside. "Go wash. We don't have all day to gossip like old women."

  He listened to her shuffling footsteps leaving camp.

  "I won't be too long," she said, her voice soft.

  Telling Sarah about Lame Deer rekindled his hatred for the buffalo skinners. His blood boiled beneath the surface, reminding him he'd never rest until they paid for what they did.

  He dug a fairly deep hole in the ground near the fire, then added several inches of water. A short distance above, he created a platform of sticks entwined together, which he laid the eggs upon. Above this level he created yet another platform, covering it with a layer of mud. Next he dug a smaller hole, slanting into the bottom of the larger one.

  He glanced at the rocks in the fire and noted they were ready. With crossed sticks, Two Shadows lifted the red-hot stones and dropped them into the slant. He watched as they rolled down into the water, heating it. In no time the steamed eggs would be ready to eat.

  He shook out the remaining blanket and spread it on the ground closer to the fire. Flattening his leather bag, pressing an indenture into it, he went back to the eggs.

  Lifting, then throwing the platform of mud, the eggs waited to be eaten. Gingerly, he bobbled a hot egg to the bag. Using the handle of his knife, he cracked the shell, then peeled it away. He'd finished pealing the last of them when he spotted Sarah coming up the trail.

  "Just in time. I'd almost convinced myself to eat two and not tell you how many I cooked." He looked up, taken back by the freshness of her beauty. Her tangled, wet hair clung to her head, making her look even more young and vulnerable.

  "What is that heavenly smell?" she asked, sitting across the bag from him. "They look like eggs. Please tell me they are.

  "Guess what kind and you get them all." He teased, laughing at the suspicious expression on her face.

  "I'm hungry enough to eat just about anything, except snake eggs. Please don't tell me they're snake eggs."

  Chuckling, he shook his head. "They're duck eggs."

  "Of course. I saw a nest by the pond yesterday. I never thought about eating them. Wait. Indians don't eat ducks eggs, do they? I remember Trail Walker telling me his people never ate turtles, fish, frogs, lizards, and I thought ducks."

  He watched her eye the eggs with longing. "Well...that sounds..." He cleared his throat, stopping himself. He nearly said that sounded like Trail Walker. "In the spring my people have great feasts of the eggs of ducks and other waterfowl. But the others you mentioned we don't. Nor do we eat snakes, grasshoppers, worms or other insects." He picked up a warm egg and handed it to her. "Be careful, it's hot." He watched her grab at it with excitement. She didn't hesitate for a moment to take a great bite.

  "This is wonderful. I've never eaten a tastier egg."

  They ate in silence. He watched her lick her fingers with slight humor.

  "I heard Indians eat dogs all the time. Anyone with a dog at the fort keeps a close eye on it, so the Indians won't steal it for a meal."

  He stared at her tangled hair for a moment, then said, "There are tribes that eat dog. My people feel it is wrong. They are our true friends. White men say they are our friends and then turn against us, but our dogs are always true. They mourn us when we are absent, and are always glad when we return. They keep watch for us in the night when we sleep."

  "We've found something both our people agree on."

  "The last two eggs are yours. I'll brush your hair out for you, then we must travel." His offer surprised himself as well as her. She didn't say no. Two Shadows pulled the brush from his bag and moved behind her. Silence followed. He couldn't think of a thing to say. She feasted on the eggs, her spine and neck straight. Did she fear he'd try to kiss her again? A shimmering cascade of yellow draped before him. He thought about the first time he'd touched her silken hair. He thought of his Whispering Sun. Shaking away disturbing thoughts, he pulled her hair back, braided it and tied it off.

  He rose, grabbed the water bag and moved toward Cloud. He spun around on his heels. "You had trouble last night." It was more a statement than question. "Even though the horse thief ran on the young side, don't doubt he could have easily killed you." He paused, waiting for her to answer. Since she didn't, he continued, "You should have woken me. I'm not helpless." He watched her turn toward him. A soulful expression looked back at him.

  "He came to steal horses, not kill us while we slept."

  "Didn't you think he might bring the rest of his party back here to do just that? You should have killed him." He watched the color drain from her face.

  "I couldn't. He was just a boy. He just wanted the horses."

  "How can you be so sure he didn't want to kill you, Sarah?" Two Shadows asked, irritated his words sounded like ice water.

  "He looked me straight in the eyes. He touched me with his bow, then disappeared into the night. I could have thrown my knife and stabbed him in the back, but why would I take a life? The boy meant no harm."

  "You should have woken me and told me about it right away. We have to leave. That innocent boy, who meant you no harm, is probably leading a Sioux raiding party our way this very minute. A white woman with hair the color of the sun, out here in the wilderness, taking care of a sickly Blackfeet would be a great prize. Did you ever think of that?"

  Sarah looked down at the ground. She expected him to be angry about his horse, not because she hadn't killed a Sioux boy. "I don't regret not killing the boy. I do regret not having been able to save your horse from being stolen."

  "My main concern is not for my horse. It is for our safety. I am going to look for signs of anyone coming. Shake out the blankets and be ready when I return."

  Sarah watched him walk from sight. He always sounded angry about something. She picked up the two blankets, then walked over to Cloud. With a gentle touch, she scratched the animal's neck. She leaned her head against his, then nickered to him—he nickered back. She found a slight comfort in the animal's response. She shook and checked the blankets over before placing them across Cloud's back. One horse meant they'd have to ride double. Uneasiness at the thought filled her.

  The long, thick braid, hanging down the back of her head, felt strange. She touched it with her fingertips, then pulled it forward over her shoulder. Two Shadows had used his eagle wing-bone to tie it off. Her eyes misted.

  Thoughts of his warm lips pressing into her own caused a ripple of excitement to charge through her body. She lifted the necklace to her nose, inhaling the scent of him.

  "Sarah?" Two Shadows asked.

  She turned sharply, noting the edge of sharpness in his tone. "What?" she asked in a strained whisper.

  "Here," he said, throwing the water bag near Sarah's feet. Take it down to the pond and fill it. Go as quickly as you can, and keep your eyes ever watchful of any sign of movement. You suspect anything whistle like a canon wren."

  "I don't know what a canon wren sounds like," she stammered in bewilderment.

  He shook his head in disgust. "Even our young bucks at the village know that."

  "I'm sorry. I've not had the opportunity to hear for some time. I've missed out on a few things. I can chirp like a meadowlark though, Trail Walker taught me." Sarah whistled a song deep in her throat, puffed her cheeks, and her favorite bird came to life. His expression told her she'd done a good job, but she didn't expect him to admit it.

  "That will do. Make sure you suspect something before alarmi
ng me."

  She watched him turn on his heels and walk in the opposite direction from camp. He must be checking all directions for signs of the Sioux. She stared after him for a few seconds, then scooped up the water bag and headed down the trail. He'd treated her like a slave and she didn't like it.

  Deep in thought, she worked her way toward the pond. A silent feeling warned her. She stopped and moved behind a boulder and patch of juniper. She dropped to her knees and remained motionless.

  A deer and fawn walked the edge of the brush just ahead of her. Sarah searched ahead with a keen eye, then caught a slight movement up and to the right of the deer. The animals sprung from the area. She caught a glimpse of white and black paint and instantly knew Two Shadows had been right. She not only allowed the young Sioux to escape, she allowed him to bring others back to kill them!

  She stretched out on her stomach, then pressed the water bag into the pond through the thick brush. It seemed to take forever to fill. She lifted it, making each movement painstakingly slow as possible.

  On her hands and knees, she worked her way back up the trail. Looking ahead, she spotted Two Shadows. She pulled in a breath and sang out like a meadowlark. His figure disappeared in the brush. She continued her slow ascent until she reached him. They stayed in a crouched position.

  "I spotted only one warrior down by the pond," she whispered. He'd been stalking a doe and fawn, so I'm certain he didn't see me." She watched his body stiffen as though she'd struck him.

  "Now would you kill that young buck who meant you no harm?" His glare burned through her.

  A twig snapped and they both flattened to the ground. Sarah looked up just as Two Shadows sprung from their hiding place, his hand gripping the elk horn knife. She heard a struggle on the ground, then nothing.

  Without a sound, Two Shadows returned to her side. He handed her a Sioux knife. She shuddered and glanced at Two Shadows. He didn't meet her gaze, just motioned for her to follow.

  Sarah took each step with extreme caution, remembering to place the ball of her foot down before the slow descent of the heel, as Trail Walker had taught her. Her caution had enabled Two Shadows to move a fair distance ahead of her.

  A warrior stepped out from a bush just behind Two Shadows, she nearly shouted out from her surprise. Instinctively, she tossed her knife into the Sioux's neck before he had a chance to make another move. The gurgling from his throat became the only sound escaping his lips. She'd never killed a human before. She felt sickened and weak. He'd have killed Two Shadows, she reasoned. Standing motionless, Sarah stared at the lifeless body. Thoughts of Junior flashed in her thoughts. She drew strength, knowing she'd done what she had to do, just like she'd done everything she could have for her brother. She voiced a silent thank you to Junior for the strength he'd just given her.

  She watched Two Shadows pull the knife out of the warrior, wipe the blood on the Sioux's legging. He motioned for her to come to him and when he gave her a hint of a hug, she felt better. He handed her the knife, then moved up the trail once again. Her body still trembled, yet she followed him to the crest of the hill.

  Their camp appeared deserted, yet Two Shadows kept them crouched in their hiding place for what seemed an hour to Sarah. Just when she thought of asking him if they could move, a Sioux magically appeared near the now dead campfire. Behind him stood the young Sioux buck. The boy looked around the camp, his actions betraying fear.

  Two Shadows stepped from their hiding place, knife positioned, he approached the adult buck.

  Sarah found herself facing the boy. A sickening lump formed in her throat. He jumped at her, pushing her hard. Sarah sprawled to the ground. She turned quick, knife in front of her...only to see...he'd shoved her aside to save her life. He'd taken a hatchet in the chest, thrown by the warrior Two Shadows fought. Having killed the young buck by mistake, the Sioux paused, giving Two Shadows ample time to grind his knife into the warrior's heart.

  Sarah crawled over and pulled the young boy's body into her lap. He'd saved her life, why? Tears formed, sliding down her cheeks. She watched the young warrior's eyes flutter, then open. He gave her a weak smile.

  "Why?" she asked, moving her hand.

  He spoke several words in Sioux, then closed his lids for the last time.

  Sarah wept, rocking his body back and forth in her arms. She looked up and found Two Shadows watching her. "What did he say?" she asked.

  Two Shadows squatted. "He said you could have killed him, you didn't. He owed you his life."

  Sarah drew in a breath and sadness at the death of the young boy filled her. "If I'd have killed him last night, I would be dead this very minute."

  The truth of her words rang deep in the recesses of Two Shadow's mind. He'd thought of telling her if she had killed the boy, these warriors wouldn't have come back to kill them. He knew even that wasn't true. Once the young buck hadn't returned to camp, they'd have gone in search of him. Either way, Sarah wasn't at fault, as he'd accused.

  Another uncomfortable thought occurred to him. Maybe it had something to do with all the things Eagle Shield had told him about Sarah. She did seem protected by the Great Spirit. Had Trail Walker felt it too?

  "We'll bury him," Sarah said, looking up at Two Shadows.

  "We don't have time. It won't be long and another party will be in search of this one. You must realize by now these Sioux must have come in search of Eagle Shield and his brothers. You can be sure not much time will pass before others come in search of these men too. They will send a young buck back to their village with the bodies. Their people will give them burials fitting brave warriors. We must go now."

  With a heavy heart, Sarah let go when Two Shadows took the boy from her arms. She crossed the camp area, went directly to the bearskin and pulled it from the tree branch, dragging it toward the boy's body. The stench made her gag yet she pulled it over the young warrior, certain it would protect him from predators until his people came to take him home. Satisfied, she allowed Two Shadows to pull her up behind him on Cloud. They retreated in haste.

  Sarah stretched back as Two Shadows adjusted his buckskin bag over one shoulder and his bow and quiver across the other. The bulky items afforded her little room for comfort. She'd noticed he hadn't taken the old flintlock, the way it jammed she didn't blame him.

  "Wait," Sarah called out, slipped off Cloud's rump before he'd pulled to a stop. She rustled among the brush and returned with the water bag strap twisted around her wrist.

  Two Shadows reached down, grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in front of him. She'd considered complaining, but when Cloud raced down the incline and across the valley, she found up front a safer place to be.

  It didn't take them long before they came across two lodgepole pines cradling the body of Eagle Shield. Two Shadows slowed Cloud, then stopped. He gazed up in silent respect. He felt Sarah's body tense. A surge of lingering jealousy pulled at his heart. Urging the animal forward, he wondered how a woman could have accomplished such a feat without the guidance and help of Napi.

  They rode hard the rest of the day. Sarah maintained as controlled a distance from Two Shadow's body as possible. At first because she feared contact with his chest would do injury to his recent wounds, and second because contact with his chest might cause her undo injury to her heart.

  As the day wore on, so did her resolution not to lean against him...at least a little. Weariness set in. She wondered how Two Shadows could maintain the grueling pace with all he'd been through. His strength amazed her.

  Did she really care what happened to him? Wasn't he still a stranger to her? No. The kiss they shared took them far from the phase of being strangers. If she were honest, she'd admit it felt as though she'd known Two Shadows her whole life. At times she couldn't explain the tenderness she felt for him. At times she couldn't explain the anger he'd bring to boil within her.

  The shadows of night surrounded them. Two Shadows brought Cloud to a stop and lowered her to the ground. She felt her feet tou
ch the earth, but her numb legs buckled from the extensive riding.

  She watched Two Shadows water Cloud, then rock hobble his front leg. He moved behind the bushes, disappearing from sight. She wiggled her legs, trying to stimulate some feeling in them. Lord, she felt tired. Every bone, every muscle, every inch of her ached and cried for sympathy.

  Two Shadows returned as quietly as he'd left. He came toward her, hands cupped together.

  "Here," he said, extending a hand toward her.

  She opened her palm and looked up at him. "What are they?" she asked, looking down at the slender, swollen bulb."

  "My people call them biscuit-roots. Peal that outer layer away and try it. We often make a tea of it, but since we cannot make a fire, this will have to do. It will give you strength to handle the rugged Mahkwi Opikinayh."

  "The Wolf Tooth? I don't understand."

  "What the white man calls the Beartooth Mountains."

  "Oh, I've heard of them. Surely we're not going there. The snows will be high. There won't be any passes open, if we knew where they were. Have you ever been there?"

  "No. But I will not stop because the path is difficult. A quest is never easy, Sarah. We do what the Great Spirit tells us. If I were unprepared or too weak to manage, I would not have been told to go. I am ready, and the time to make amends is now. I will not back down until I have finished this quest."

  "What is your quest?" she asked, looking at the bulb in her hand. With slight hesitancy, she pealed back the leaves and outer cover, then bit into the pale, pulpy root. "Say, this isn't bad! Reminds me of a sweet, starchy potato."

  "My quest is to avenge the deaths of my Indian mother and sister."

  "It's wrong to go out and kill someone. God will punish them." She noticed his eyes blazed, his jaw clenched, and he obviously struggled to control his temper.

  "That is your God's way. My maker has guided me to this quest. He wants these men stopped before they do more terrible things to my people."

  "No God would encourage killing. You must have misunderstood his message."