Wolf smiled and forced himself to release Cante Tinza. “Like a Lakota, you have a good sense of humor. It takes humbleness to laugh at oneself. I am glad you and the baby were not hurt.”
“No,” Serena assured him with a chuckle, “only my pride was hurt.”
Once his laughter had subsided, Wolf gestured for Cante Tinza to follow him. Today, she wore her work dress—deerskin without any fringe on the sleeves or hem. It was obvious that she had taken a sharp knife and cut off the offending fringe on the hem before she wore the dress again. Fringe could get caught in brush and grass, so the women rarely wore their better dresses when working. Wolf had made her a belt many moons ago, and she carried what all Lakota wives carried in them: a knife, an awl case and a strike-a-light pouch containing flint and steel.
Because the day was going to be warm, Wolf had chosen to wear only his red breechclout and moccasins. He carried a quiver of arrows on his back, and a knife around his waist. The bow would remain on Wiyaka. Wolf had taken these precautions just in case they ran into Crow warriors or miners.
Picking up from the rear of the saddle one of the dried buffalo bladders that was used to store valuable medicines, Wolf walked toward the patch of wild bergamot. He purposely slowed his stride so that Cante Tinza could keep up with him. This morning her cheeks were a bright red, and he saw the delight in her eyes. Wolf realized that she was enjoying this outing as much as he was.
Standing over the growing flowers, Wolf gave her the bladder to hold. “You will now learn what a medicine person does.“ He gestured toward six sturdy plants growing in the meadow. “We never take without asking first. Remember the Lakota belief—Mitakuye oyasin, we are all related.”
Serena nodded, standing opposite Wolf and the flowers. “Yes, we’re all bound to one another.”
“Invisibly, but yes, nothing is separate from the whole, the hoop of the Great Spirit.“ Wolf drew out a small leather bag from his belt that contained sacred tobacco known as kinnikinnick. Squatting in front of the plants he said, “First, I close my eyes, and in my head I send greetings to these plant spirits who reside here. I tell them who I am, and what my needs are. I ask if I may take some of them so that others may live. I then open my eyes, give them a pinch of the kinnikinnick and await their answer. Most plant spirits will willingly give up their lives for us, so that we may live. Some do not. The spirits of plant people are just like us—all different.”
“You hear them?“ Serena asked in awe.
“Yes. You can, too. Come here, beside me.”
Serena knelt down beside Wolf and he handed her a pinch of the sacred kinnikinnick.
“Now, close your eyes. Tell the plants your name, and ask them if they would give their lives for you. Tell them that they will be used in a good and sacred way.“ Wolf watched as she spread the sacred tobacco over the plants and then closed her eyes. How lovely she looked, kneeling there, her lips slightly parted as she concentrated on the mental questions. After a minute, her lashes lifted and she looked at him.
“Well? Did you feel their answer?”
With a little laugh, Serena reached out and gently touched several of the tall hairy plants. “Wolf, this might sound silly, but I felt this joy wrapping around me. It was so strong! I must have been making it up!”
His smile deepened and he watched as her long, work-worn fingers caressed the bergamot. He wished that she might touch him with such love, such reverence, someday. “You did not make this up. The spirits are happy to give their lives for our needs. You see, it is a great honor to give your life for another. The spirit is blessed for such a deed by becoming reborn, perhaps next time as a bird or butterfly.”
“But, I didn’t hear them speak.”
“No, they do not know our language, but they know the language of the heart.“ He gestured around the meadow that was thick with green grass and many colorful wildflowers. “There is no such thing as anything being evil that was made by the Great Spirit. Only good. It doesn’t matter if it is plant or animal—they know only love and respect for one another.”
Serena frowned. “Except for white men.”
“The Great Spirit doesn’t make them evil, either. It is a choice they make on their own. You did well, Cante Tinza. I feel you will make a good medicine woman if you want to begin training. I knew in my heart you were close with the plant people. Now, I am proved right.”
“But how do you know?”
He touched his bare chest. “I know this in my heart. A person who has skills with plant people will feel their response, just as you did. Not everyone can walk up to a plant spirit and communicate with it as you just did.”
Serena felt a giddy excitement. “I really can learn about herbs?”
The radiant joy in her face took Wolf off guard. The shining light in her green eyes reminded him of Father Sun’s rays sliding through the pines. Every morning, Cante Tinza placed the eagle feather and medicine wheel decoration into her fiery red hair. It made him feel good, because it was a gift he’d made for her, and she wore it proudly every day. He longed to reach out and graze her pink cheeks with his fingers. Before he could control himself, he did just that. As he gently stroked her cheek, Wolf saw her eyes widen in surprise over his daring action, but then they became lustrous. And as he drew his fingers away, he realized that she had enjoyed his touch. It was a thrilling discovery for Wolf. Could he dare hope that she liked him just a bit?
Wolf found himself trembling inwardly as he drowned in the splendor of Cante Tinza’s verdant eyes. There was such life in them, such love. Love? He wondered if he was going heyoka, crazy. Was there truly love in the depths of her eyes or was he fooling himself into wishing such a look was there? Grimly, he forced himself to pay attention to teaching her about herbs.
“Yes, I will take you on as my student if you desire,” Wolf finally said, his voice strained.
“Oh, Wolf!” Serena threw her arms around his neck. She gave him a quick hug and felt him stiffen instantly. Realizing that she might have committed a mistake by doing it, she quickly released him. The shock on his face was obvious. “I—I’m sorry,” she said breathlessly, still giddy from his invitation. “I shouldn’t have hugged you.”
Shaken, Wolf just stared over at her. For the first time, Cante Tinza had been spontaneous. She was like a happy child, he realized with humbleness. This was the same woman who had been hiding beneath terrible pain. Wolf sent a prayer of thanks to White Buffalo Calf Woman, to whom he prayed nightly for Cante Tinza’s healing.
“No, it was good,” he praised her.
“I never see people hugging one another,” Serena offered, opening her hands, “but I just couldn’t help myself. I’m so excited!”
A wry smile pulled at Wolf’s mouth. “They hug. You just do not see it.”
“What do you mean?”
His smile deepened as he held her gaze. “This act of holding the other is something a husband shares with his wife. It is a good thing, but it is never done in public.”
“Oh…dear….“ Serena touched her fingers to her lips. She saw the amusement in Wolf’s face. Heat crept into her cheeks, and she knew she was blushing furiously over the error. “I—I’m sorry, Wolf. Among our people—in my family—we hugged all the time. It was showing our love, I guess,” she explained lamely.
“Is it not the same as the Lakota?“ he suggested wisely, watching the strawberry color flood her cheeks, making her look even more desirable to him.
“Well—I guess, I really don’t know….”
“Do not apologize for your actions toward me,” he told her. “What we share is ours alone.”
“Then you weren’t offended by what I did?”
“If a meadowlark comes and sits on the poles of our tepee and sings her beautiful song, how could I be angry with her? She blesses us with her music and her voice. How can I be upset with you for sharing your joy with me in your own way?”
Touching her hot face, Serena gave a little laugh. “I’ve wanted to ask yo
u about the herbs. I just never dreamed you would want to teach me, that’s all. I’ve wanted to for so long, Wolf, but I was afraid to ask you.”
Capturing her hands against her face, Wolf drew them into his. “Never again be afraid to ask anything of me, Cante Tinza. Honesty and truth are the way among our people.“ His fingers tightened around her long, pale hands. “You were a crushed flower beneath Kingston’s boot. We rescued you, and we replanted you in hopes that you would grow strong and healthy once again. You have. I see you as a many-petaled sunflower, Cante Tinza. Each time you take back your power and make it your own, a new petal of you unfolds. You have strength, intelligence and a good heart trapped within your injured spirit. I want you to blossom. Do not ever be afraid to speak to me of what lies in your heart.”
In that golden moment, Serena felt like a fragile new bud on the verge of unfolding her petals to the sunlight. Only Wolf was her sun. Wildly aware of his strong, brown hands holding hers, she wished she had the courage to tell him of her dreams of him, of the longing that gnawed away deep within her. His mouth, strong and chiseled, was drawn into a sad curve and his large, intense eyes held hers as gently as he held her hands.
“I’ll try to speak up more,” she promised in a hoarse whisper.
“Washtay, good,” Wolf praised. He forced himself to release Cante Tinza’s hands. If he didn’t, he was going to lean down and taste her ripe lips. And that was something he couldn’t do without her permission. “By the moon when leaves turn brown, you will know much about herbs and how to use them. Then you will be known as a medicine woman among our people. I have always needed help, and I welcome you working beside me.”
So many wonderful sensations flowed through Serena as Wolf released her tingling hands. What she wanted to do, what lay in her heart, was to embrace him once more. Only this time, she wanted him to return that embrace. They were dreams, Serena thought, turning her attention to what Wolf was going to teach her. But were they? She had seen a fierce, burning light in his eyes whenever he touched her. Serena wished she had more experience in the ways of men. But she had none, except for Kingston, who had been only cruel and hurting.
Chapter Eight
The sun was blisteringly hot. Serena could feel the intense heat on her back while she picked chokecherries along with five other Lakota women. Dawn Sky cooed happily in her cradleboard, which was propped on a low-hanging oak limb not far away. A breeze gently pushed it back and forth.
Serena’s deerskin dress was hot, and she longed for a bath in the cold waters of the creek below. The water was nearly hidden by the nearly five-feet-tall bulrushes along the banks. The chokecherries were ripe for picking, and her fingers were stained a dark purple. Wolf had taught her earlier that the seeds of the chokecherry were highly poisonous, and the leaves and twigs were just as deadly. The berries, when black, however, were not poisonous. They would be pitted and laid out to dry, and then used for winter food or for ceremonies.
The women were bent over large shrubs that looked like a wall of thickets covering the hill. The area was surrounded by fragrant pine. Serena loved living in the Gray Buffalo Horn area. The Sun Dance, the Lakota four-day celebration, had come and gone. During the celebration she had seen Mato Tipila Paha, Bear’s Lodge Mountain. The tower of brown and black rock rose well over a thousand feet out of the earth. Its mighty sides looked clawed, as if some giant bear from long ago had used the mountain as a scratching post.
Soon, Wolf told her, they would leave this sacred and beautiful region and begin their yearly travel toward Pte Pute Ya, the Buffalo’s Nose area. There was a powerful and revered mountain there known as Mato Paha, Bear Butte. It was there that Wolf would put many young warriors up on the slopes for their vision quest. He told her the profile of the mountain looked like a pregnant woman reclining on her back, with her face lifted skyward. It would be a very busy time, he warned her, and he would often be away from the village for days at a time. She would be responsible for doctoring the tribe’s ills in his absence.
Serena smiled to herself. She had easily absorbed the knowledge that Wolf had taught her over many moons. Now he allowed her to dress wounds, pack them with herbs and, upon occasion, sew up a large wound under his guidance and direction.
Now her birchbark container was filled with chokecherries, so she left the thicket area and carefully picked her way back to the meadow where the horses were grazing on the succulent green grass.
The gray mare lifted her head and nickered gently as Serena approached. Serena’s parfleche saddlebags were now full, and it was time for her to return to the village to begin pitting the chokecherries. All the horses suddenly raised their heads, pricking their ears forward as they gazed down toward the stream. Serena was instantly alert, for this area was very close to Crow territory and the threat of attack was always real.
Her alarm turned to surprise. She saw Wolf riding along at a lazy lope on Wiyaka. Her knees felt shaky as she stood by her mare and watched him ride toward her. He wore only a breechclout and moccasins. His body was deeply bronzed by the hot sun, and each set of muscles moved in perfect unison with the flowing stride of his mare. He was holding something in his arms, and she frowned and walked toward him.
Ordinarily, she never saw Wolf during the day unless she accompanied him to gather herbs. She smiled as he drew to a halt and quickly dismounted.
“What do you have in your arms?”
Wolf grinned and walked toward Cante Tinza. Her red hair was arranged in two thick braids, and the deerskin dress accented her slenderness. “A gift for you,” he said. “Open your hands.”
Serena did so, and her eyes widened in surprise. “A puppy!” she cried as she eagerly took the fluffy black animal into her arms. She saw Wolf’s smile change and deepen. How handsome he looked to her, so proud and strong as he stood beside her.
“No, not a dog. A wolf.”
Serena gasped in surprise and studied the puppy, who now looked up at her with big, inquiring yellow eyes. “But—he looks like a dog!”
“She is not a dog. Tall Crane was with the hunters earlier this morning when they came upon this mother grizzly bear who was attacking a white wolf. The wolf had to defend her babies against the grizzly, who was angry over the wolf’s nearness to her two cubs.“ Wolf shrugged. “The wolf lost the battle, and so did all her pups except this one, who hid beneath an old, rotted log. Tall Crane brought the pup back to me because he said he had a dream of finding a black wolf. He said he came back to the village in this dream and gave it to you.“ He smiled as she gently petted the pup. “That was a powerful dream Tall Crane had, a foretelling dream. When he told me about it, I knew that I must find you to give you the female wolf pup.”
“Oh,” Serena sighed, “she’s so pretty! Look at her yellow eyes!”
“All wolves have yellow eyes. That is how you can tell them from dogs. Dogs do not possess such a color.”
Worriedly, Serena examined the three-month-old pup. “Well, is she all right? No injuries?”
“She is fine. A bit frightened, but if you give her some meat to eat and a little water, she will become bonded with you for life.”
“I can keep her?“ Serena asked. “I thought wolves were wild.”
“I am wolf. Am I not domesticated?“ he teased with a laugh.
She became lost in the dark, smoldering look in Wolf’s eyes. “I suppose you’re right.”
“You must think of a name for her. Perhaps you will dream it tonight. Now you have wolf medicine just as I do. It is a great honor.”
“What does wolf medicine do?“ Serena knew that each Lakota had at least one invisible spirit guide who was in animal form. She thought of them as guardian angels. Wolf was guided and taught by a wolf spirit. Tall Crane had shown her the great blue heron that plied the waterways, and told her that that bird was his spirit guide, which was why he was named for it.
Wolf watched Cante Tinza pet and soothe the shaking puppy. “Wolves are teachers,” he told her seriously. “Th
ey care for one another, too. If one is sick, they lick it and bring food to it. If one is old, they allow it to eat from the kill, whether it helped in the hunt or not. Among the Lakota, a person who has wolf medicine is a teacher.”
“You certainly are.”
Wolf watched softness come into Cante Tinza’s face as the pup began to lick her fingers with her tiny pink tongue. “You must be the same as me if you have wolf medicine.”
Thrilled, Serena hugged the puppy. “Do you think she will stay if we feed and care for her?”
“For the next moon, you will keep her tied and take her everywhere with you. All night, you will allow her to sleep with you. She will see you as her mother, and a bond that cannot be broken will form. The only way this bond will break is if one of you dies.”
Sobering, Serena nodded. The pup had an ebony color, with fuzzy, soft hair. There was a bit of white around her eyes, as if she wore a mask, but it wasn’t pronounced. “How long do they live, Wolf?”
“Fifteen summers, perhaps longer. It may be shorter if they tangle with a grizzly. I have seen a wolf pack kill a grizzly, but one wolf against such a powerful animal will lose. Now I must return to the village. We will speak more of wolves tonight.”
Serena reached out and caught Wolf’s large, callused hand. She squeezed it. “Thank you,” she whispered. “You are so wonderful to me. I don’t know how to thank you….”
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