The Legend of Tyoga Weathersby

by H L Grandin

  “What do you mean ‘someday’ be together. We are together now. I won’t ever let you go.” She pulled herself even closer to him.

  He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent. He sighed. “You must be starving. I have much food inside. Let’s get something to eat.”

  “A gi yo si.”

  As they both turned to step into the cabin, Sunlie stopped and looked up at him. “Ty, how did you know that I saw Wahaya on the trail? I didn’t tell you that.”

  Tyoga kissed her on the head, put his arm around her waist, and led her into the cabin.

  Chapter 35

  Half a Man

  The sun was setting. An early fall chill was in the air. The warmth of the cozy fire was made all the more welcome by a slight breeze out of the north, a harbinger of the winter weather soon to come.

  Sunlei and Tyoga had eaten a large mid-day meal of fish and squash and bread. She had spent the remainder of the afternoon sleeping. She was still tired and her back was red and raw from the beating she had received at the cruel hands of Seven Arrows. Tyoga had anointed the wounds with a salve of bear fat and willow sap to numb the pain.

  With the man she loved, she was warm and safe. Sitting side by side, they stared into the flames when the long shadows gave way to the descending darkness of the night.

  It was the quiet time that Tyoga so relished. It was the time of day that the promise spoke most clearly.

  This evening, it was silent. It had made the path clear long before this night.

  Tyoga knew what he had to do.

  “Sunlei.”

  She could tell by the tone of his voice that he had something to say and that there was no need to acknowledge her name.

  “Y a to la gowi eh a lo. Tesa e ta leawo.”

  Lifting her head from his shoulder, she pierced him with incredulous eyes that rejected what he had said out of hand. “Why? Why must we part? I don’t want to go away.” Her eyes were already filling with tears. “I want to go back home. I don’t understand.”

  “Sunlei, you’ve got to go away from here. You’ve got to go where you cannot be found.”

  The pitiful look of desperate confusion dulled the natural shine of her eyes.

  Reaching out he enveloped Sunlie’s tiny shoulders in his powerful hands and tried to explain, “Don’t ya see, darlin’? You were the only one with Seven Arrows when his throat was cut. His men were right there when it happened. They will tell Yellow Robe that it was you for certain—sure. If I had gotten there before whoever beat me to it, no one would have been left to tell the tale. As it stands now, if you go back to Tuckareegee, the Shawnee will come for you and demand justice.”

  Uncharacteristically, Sunlie interrupted him. “Yellow Robe will demand justice whether I am there or not. He will kill my family and all of the People for an act committed by another. Tyoga, we cannot allow that to happen. No matter what becomes of us, we cannot allow others to die for what has been done.”

  “I know, Sunlie, but that won’t happen.” Tyoga turned away from her so that his eyes would not betray his tenuous resolve. “If you aren’t at the village, then the Shawnee will start looking for you. But Yellow Robe will not order his braves to wipe out the village.”

  She pressed him further. “How can you be so sure that he will not order the massacre of our people?”

  “Because, Sunlie, Yellow Robe is not a vengeful man. He is not a reckless chief. He knows that a massacre of Tuckareegee would bring the entire Cherokee nation to our defense. It would mean war for years. Besides, he would never risk the lives of his grandchildren.”

  “His grandchildren?” she asked.

  “Yes, Sunlei. Are you forgetting the union of his daughter, Winged Woman to Gray Owl? Their two sons are Cherokee of the Mountain Creek Clan. To war with the Cherokee is to break the sacred bonds that were created at the union of his daughter and Gray Owl. Their bond protects the peace for all time. His hands are tied.”

  “But, Ty, won’t they suspect that it was you who killed Seven Arrows to save me? They will be looking for you, not for me.” She was searching for any way out of having to be parted from him.

  “They may suspect me, but my tracks don’t lead away from the lean-to where Seven Arrows was murdered. My tracks are no where to be found. Even if they look, they will not find them.”

  Tyoga got up and walked over to the pile of wood. He threw some large logs on the fire that would burn for a long time.

  “Besides, I told everyone that I would leave Tuckareegee and that is exactly what I did. No one knows where I have been, or where I am now.” He watched the newly ignited flames leap into the chilly evening air. “It is as if I melted into the Appalachians with Wahaya.”

  For a long time, Sunlei thought about what Tyoga had said. It all made sense. Her departure seemed the only way to proceed without bloodshed. The tears streamed from her tired, red eyes while she contemplated the journey that lay ahead for them.

  With every fiber of her being she wanted to go home to be in her family’s lodge, help her mother prepare corn meal, and sew seasoned leather into warm garments to protect against the coming winter chill. She wanted to be present at the birth of Lone Dove’s baby. She had promised Takes Too Long, the old one, that she would help her with the winter wheat.

  None of this was to be.

  Staring into the fire, she wiped her eyes and mustered the courage to whisper, “Where will I go?”

  “You are going to the Chickamauga Cherokee to the southwest.”

  “Will I be staying with my uncle and his family?”

  “Yes. Lone Bear has promised to take care of you. He will keep you safe. You must listen to Lone Bear and do as he says.”

  “You will take me to Chickamaugua?”

  “No, Sunlei. Your cousin, Walks Alone, has agreed to take you. He will meet me tonight at Kansaki Ridge. We’ll be back here tomorrow morning. You must be ready to travel at dawn.”

  Sunlei could not hold the tears back any longer. She cried not the tears of fear or pain; but the quiet tears of promises unfulfilled, hopes and dreams unrealized, and the agony of a broken heart. Her eyes stared blankly through lifeless lenses submersed in pools of despair, want, and loneliness. A gentle blink of each tender eye freed the emotions in dewy pearls that breached her lower lids and coursed along each delicate cheek.

  She made no sound.

  Tyoga took her in his arms and rocked her gently. Staring into the flames, she said, “You have been planning this for sometime then?”

  “Yes.”

  “Does Tes A know?”

  “No,” Tyoga said. “I thought it best to make the arrangements without his help. The less he knows, the less chance of harm coming to him and your family. Everyone had to believe that I was miles away. My Cherokee brothers must think me a yellow-bellied coward for not standing by you, but that is okay. All that mattered to me was getting you away from the Shawnee and Seven Arrows. I knew that he would not take you back to the Shawnee village through Cormack’s Pass, so I circled in front and planned to ambush them in the night. I was about a mile off in my figurin’ ‘cause Seven Arrows’ men stopped to make camp just short of where I thought they would be. I was on my way to kill them all when I heard them chasing you. Wahaya ran to you as fast as he could. It was hard for him not to attack and kill the Shawnee. He stayed in the shadows because if he had been seen, it would have ruined everything. If there was any trace of the wolf, then Yellow Robe would have had evidence that would have pointed right at me. As it stands now, we are free and clear of the whole thing.”

  “He did find me, Ty, and he protected me,” Sunlie said in a tired voice. “He led me off the trail and into the woods without making a sound. He covered me with his body so that they would not see me when they passed by.” She paused to listen for a moment to the gentle sounds of the night. “He knew not to show himself. Is that how you found me in the dark, Ty? Did he call to you and tell you where to find me?”

  He did not reply.
/>   She let it go.

  “Then you will leave me alone here tonight? What if I am found before you get back?”

  “Don’t be afraid, my little one. No one knows of this place except your brother. Tes A and I found this spot when we were ten years old. The entrance to the hollow is through a cave along the north wall over there. We have never found any evidence of any other people being here, or even finding the mouth of the cave. You will be safe. Besides, you won’t be alone.”

  At this, Sunlei’s strength vanished. she fell into his lap in a convulsion of near hysterical sobs. Unable to catch her breath, unable to speak, she wept until there were no more tears.

  They stayed by the fire for a long time. Sunlie’s head was in his crossed legs, and he folded her in his arms.

  After darkness had engulfed them, the sound of the evening gave way to the silence of the night.

  She sat up and looked at him. “This may be the last that we see of each other for many days.”

  “I will be back tomorrow morning with Walks Alone. We will say ‘goodbye’ then, my little one. But we will see each other again. Sooner than you think.”

  Sunlei gazed out at the darkness of the night. “No, Ty, I do not think that we will see each other for many days,” she said with a halting voice. “Tyoga, I could not live knowing that you are alone. You must promise me that you will not live your life alone. If I thought that you were cold in the night with no one next to you to keep you warm, it would break my heart more than knowing that you have found someone else. Promise me that you will not live alone, because I …”

  Tyoga stopped her, “No, Sunlei, I want to be with you. There will be no one else. I can’t live without you.”

  She interrupted, “No, hear me.”

  “I ain’t gonna listen, Sunlei—”

  “Listen to me, Ty. You must listen.” She reached up to stroke his worried brow. “Just as you have been awakened to the promise, I have been awakened to the ways of a woman. There are things that I know, just because I know them to be true, even if I cannot explain them to you. We must live our lives and seek to find happiness and contentment wherever our destinies may lead us. You do not want to hear it, my love, but I must tell you. I do not think that we will see each other again for many moons. I love you with all of my heart, and I know that you love me. It is because of your love for me that you will want nothing more for me than the happiness that all women feel holding their children in their arms. Don’t you see, Tyoga? It is because of my love for you that I set you free.”

  Tyoga’s strength was waning when he heard Sunlei speak these words. She was right. And he knew what she was asking of him. Despite his bravest attempts, he knew that he may not see her again for a long time—maybe never again. His eyes welled with tears. He turned away so that she would not see.

  She reached up and gently touched his cheek. She turned his head so that their eyes met in an aching embrace.

  A tear rolled down his face while he gathered the strength to speak. “Sunlei, the words that you speak may be true. I release you to find happiness in the arms of another, just as you have released me. But know this. If we are never to be together, I will wander through the rest of life as half a man. Without you by my side, I will never be all that I was meant to be. There will be a hole in my heart that no other can ever fill. It is the place where you belong. I will go on, and I will be brave and strong. I will blaze new trails across this land, and I will speak for my Indian brothers wherever and whenever they need my voice. You will hear the name Tyoga Weathersby spoken around the lodge fires from the Chesapeake to the Mississippi, but I want you to know that whatever you hear is only half of what the tale may have been if you had been by my side. I will love you forever and always.”

  They looked into each other’s eyes for a long while before turning toward the fire once again.

  Sunlei stood up. “When are you to meet Walks Alone?”

  “We will meet at the ridge when the moon has set.”

  “Then there is time.” She took him by the hand, and led him to the cabin door.

  Chapter 36

  Run!

  Sunlei awoke shortly after midnight and reached for Tyoga who had been next to her when she had fallen asleep. She was alone. Recalling that Tyoga was on his way to meet Walks Alone, she sat up in bed to watch the shadows cast by the fire dance around the room.

  The wetness that spilled from between her legs brought a contented smile to her face. She lay back down and clutched her hands over her heart. The gentle sounds of the night seemed to agree. This time had been different.

  In the middle of the night, she arose to peer out through the shutters. It was very dark outside.

  The moon has set. She noticed that the fire outside had dwindled to a bed of hot coals.

  Wrapping the red blanket around her shoulders, she walked quietly to the cabin door. Tyoga had stacked some dried pine and hickory on the porch. Tip-toing in her bare feet, she carried two logs to the fire pit and tossed them onto the white-hot coals. Standing quietly, she listened to the sounds of the night while waiting for the logs to ignite into billowing hot flames.

  As soon as the flames lit up the darkness, she noticed the haunting eyes on the far side of the campsite piercing the blackness staringstraight at her. Gasping out loud, she brought her hand to her mouth before realizing it was Wahaya-Wacon that was standing watch over her.

  Remembering Tyoga’s words, “You won’t be alone,” she dropped her shoulders and allowed herself to relax.

  Walking to the far side of the fire, she squatted down and said, “Come, Wahaya-Wacon. Come to the warmth of the fire. It is okay. Come on.”

  The wolf never took his eyes off of her. He dropped his head the slightest bit, looked first to his left and then to his right. He took one halting step toward Sunlei before searching the air with his nose. Satisfied that Tyoga’s scent was in the air, and that Sunlei was the only other human he could detect, he took two more steps in her direction.

  Every time Sunlei had been in the presence of the magnificent creature she was taken aback at his majesty and grandeur. He wasindeed an imposing figure, especially in the blackness of the night. He was astoundingly thick and large. His head easily came to her waist. The confidence in his stature radiated from his eyes with an eloquence that needed no words and demanded no homage. The honor was in its being.

  That was enough.

  Sunlei had only been alone with the wolf when he saved her life on the trail. That they had bonded so strongly while gazing into one another’s eyes in the concealment of the grotto was little comfort to her as she stood alone in the woods with the naked rawness of the massive predator but two steps away.

  Wahaya-Wacon was the wildest of wild creatures and Sunlie knew instinctively that there was no “tame” in him save that which he granted of his own free will.

  Summoning her courage, she crouched down so that his head was above hers, and extended her hand toward him.

  He took a step closer.

  Frightened, she reflexively pulled her hand back into her lap. He could curl up at her feet as easily as he could rip her apart. Reaching her hand out toward him again, Wahaya took two more steps toward her until his nose touched her hand. It felt as cold and wet as it had when it brushed the back of her neck as she knelt on the trail crying for him to return to her.

  He sniffed her hand with more intent, and gently brushed the palm of her hand with his muzzle and lips. When he licked the tip of her fingers with this coarse pink tongue, Sunlei smiled at the noble gesture of acceptance.

  When she stood up, the wolf did not back away. “Stay by the fire, Wahaya,” she said to his now gentle eyes as she walked back into the cabin.

  He followed her to the threshold and watched her lie back down on the bed.

  Lifting her head up from the pillow, she saw him circle thrice before lying down to face the blackness of the night. She pulled the soft red blanket up close under her chin, hugged her cool, down-filled
pillow and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

  She was safe.

  Sunlei woke with a start just before sunrise.

  The muffled sounds descending the ramparts that encircled the grotto were difficult to decipher. Men’s voices. Loud voices piercing the silence of the dawn. Branches breaking. Many feet pounded the leaf-covered forest floor.

  Springing from the bed, she put on her tunic and moccasins and ran to the door. The wolf’s hind quarters were inside the door, and the hair between his blood-engorged shoulder muscles was standing on end. His ears were piqued, and his gaze was intently focused on the north rampart.

  “What is it, Wahaya?” Sunlei asked. “What do you hear? Is it Tyoga?”

  The wolf lowered his head, threw his ears back and crouched ever so slightly toward the ground. His growl was more menacing and sustained. His gaze never left the path leading into the hollow from the north. With a quick chirp-like bark, he bounded off in that direction and disappeared in the morning mist.

  Stepping quickly back inside the cabin, she quietly closed the leather-hinged door and placed the bar across the jam. She closed one of the window shutters and left the other cracked open enough to peer in the direction that the wolf had gone.

  She could hear the cries in the distance more clearly now. They were war cries mixed with voices, some of them giving commands others calling out, “This way. They went this way.” The loud voices were the Shawnee tongue. She heard other voices, too. Cherokee speaking Tsalagie. She was certain that she heard Tyoga’s voice, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying. The voices got louder and louder.

  They were coming straight for the campsite.

  Tyoga had said that there was only one way in and one way out of the hidden hollow, and that the entrance to the cave that led the way in was well concealed. When she thought that the voices were practically on top of her, she saw her cousin Walks Alone running toward the cabin with Tyoga behind him. Even though Walks Alone had been traveling through the night to meet Tyoga on the ridge, his powerful build gave no hint of fatigue. He, like Tyoga and Tes Qua, was a seasoned mountain traveler. Even though they were both covered in sweat and nearly out of breath, both men could have continued to run for their lives for as long as necessary. It was the urgency in their eyes that warned Sunlei that there was no time to lose.