Wind Dancer felt her body loosen and knew she was willing and eager to proceed with their sensual adventure. His left hand fondled her breast while his right one titillated the taut peak between her spread thighs as his lips meshed with hers and kissed her with great hunger. He felt her arms encircle his body and rove his back as her mouth feasted on his.
They kissed and stroked each other until their passions were hot and feverish and their mutual desires could not be denied. A flood of anticipation and sheer pleasure washed over them. She quivered when he nibbled at her ear lobe. He did the same when her hand rubbed back and forth over the bulge in his breechclout that was almost aching to break free. They found it exciting to kindle each other to such fiery heights, knowing the force of the victory looming before them. As their mouths clung and worked magic on the other, each lowered the undergarments which stood between them.
Wind Dancer gazed into her luminous brown eyes. Her beauty and allure were so enormous that his breath caught in his throat and his pulse quickened. He grasped her by the hips, lifted her slightly, and sank his erection within her. He remained motionless for a short while as he simply savored the heat and moisture surrounding his shaft. He was thrilled when her arms clung to him, her legs gripped him snugly around his buttocks, she melded their mouths, and she rode him at an ardent pace. The defined muscles in his arms, back, and buttocks repeatedly tightened and slackened as he thrust onward and upward in his endeavor to sate her. He could barely maintain his self-control and struggled to do so, as he knew the goal he strove for was worth his best effort.
Chumani kissed his neck and her hands clasped his shoulders as she listened to his ragged breathing near her ear as his cheek pressed against her temple. The position and his erotic movements stimulated her to an ever greater hunger for appeasement. Exhilarating and wonderful sensations charged through her body as a powerful release burst upon her and warmed her skin from head to toes. She moaned in triumph and hung on to finish the wild ride.
Wind Dancer realized she had captured her goal, so he reached for his own, found it, and savored every spasm of ecstasy. On legs which now felt weak and trembly, he shifted their positions so his shirted back was to the tree. His arms banded her waist and he held her close as they calmed their breathing and heartbeats to normal. Afterward, he sealed their lips as he lowered her feet to the ground, wanting to end the enchanting episode in the same way it had begun.
Chumani felt suffused by love and happiness. She smiled into his tender gaze, trailed her fingers over his strong jawline, and teased, "You stole my wits, mihigna. "
"As you steal mine many times, mitawin. "
Chumani was filled with courage and confidence after the rewarding experience. "It is good we have the same thirst and hunger for each other."
Wind Dancer grinned. "It is more than good when we drink and eat together in this manner."
"Will it always be this way between us?"
"Always, mitawin, for as long as you desire me as I desire you."
She laughed and quipped, "Since you are such a skilled hunter in my forest and upon my grounds, I will never tire of this meal."
"And I will never tire of providing it for us."
Reluctant to sever the intimate movement, she nevertheless brought conversation back to reality. "We must sneak to the water in that direction to refresh our bodies, for I must speak with Zitkala before we sleep."
Wind Dancer knew she referred to a shallow stream not far away where they would have privacy to remove the signs and scents of their lovemaking before they returned to their tepee and friends. "While you speak with Zitkala, I will visit with Red Feather."
As Zitkala listened in amazement to Chumani's revelations about Red Feather's strong attraction to her and about the impending task in which they wanted her to be included, joy and suspense filled her, as did some grave concerns. "What if his heart runs in another direction after he learns more about me and my heart has already softened toward him?"
"That is a risk you must take, my friend."
"What of my parents? They need me as their hunter and provider."
"No, Zitkala, not for many circles of the seasons to come. While you await their passings, you can find happiness in Red Feather's arms and tepee. Do not allow fear to steal this prize from you. We will send a Red Shield warrior to your father's lodge to tell him you join us in the sacred quest. He will feel great pride and joy in knowing you are a part of it."
"What will I do to help? Why do you need me to go along?"
Chumani disclosed the first plan to her wide-eyed friend.
"It is cunning and will work Dewdrops. It will stir my heart and blood to ride with you and the others. But it is best if I ride home to enlighten my father and mother and gather possessions I need for living here. I can return before things are ready for us to leave."
"That is good. Why do you not take Red Feather with you? You can speak privately, become friends, and your parents can meet him."
"It is too soon to reveal my feelings for him to my family."
"Then keep them a secret until the right sun arrives."
"What will the other Red Shields say if we travel alone?"
"They will think Red Feather guards one of the sacred quest party."
Zitkala nodded in satisfaction. It was decided she would go.
The morning after Zitkala and Red Feather left for the White Shield village near the southern tip of the Black Hills, peril struck at the Red Shields on the northern tip of that sacred and wintering location. A Crow raiding party from the Powder River area attacked along the outermost fringe of their encampment. Simultaneously loud whoops from enemies, the thundering of many horses's hooves, and screams of surprise and pain rent the air as a large group of Apsaalooke swarmed on dwellings and working women with children playing nearby. Most of the men were gathered at the other end either doing daily tasks or practicing warrior skills in clearings nearby. Some were in the forest or on the grassland hunting.
At the first ominous sounds of trouble, Wind Dancer, War Eagle, and others seized their weapons and raced toward the commotion. Chumani dropped her water bag and ran to her tepee to grab her weapons to help thwart their enemies and protect her adopted band. As the Red Shield fighters converged on the scene, many already lay wounded and a few lay dead and two tepees were afire from flaming arrows. The Crow whirled on their colorfully painted mounts, many shouting or hand-signing insults to the Oglala men, and galloped away amidst a thundering noise.
"We must chase them and slay them to avenge our fallen people!" shouted Buffalo Hump, their war chief and Wastemna's father.
Wind Dancer glared at their foes' retreating backs and countered, "It is a trick to lure us from camp so another hidden band can attack while we are gone. See how they ride for the grassland rather than into the forest and hills or toward their hunting grounds. They tease us to come after them in the open where they can take us on a wild chase while others carry out their true purpose to steal, destroy, and slay here. You lead the pursuit and charge against them. The Strong Hearts will conceal ourselves in the trees and our dwellings to defeat their second raiding party."
"The first party is large, Waci Tate, so a second one is doubtful. We need all warriors to ride with us," Buffalo Hump refuted his idea.
"Do not forget the Crow have pulled that trick before, and it is one of their favorites during any raid. We must not leave our camp unprotected."
"My grandson is wise and careful," Nahemana told the gathered men. "The Strong Hearts must remain, and Buffalo Hump must lead the chase."
"Those are the same words which fill my heart and head," Chief Rising Bear concurred. "Our homes and people must be guarded."
Plans were made in a rush as the women, children, and old ones sneaked into the forest to hide during the impending clash. Then, a large party of Red Shields galloped from camp on a retaliation trail while the leading warrior body hid themselves as Wind Dancer had suggested.
It was not lo
ng before his suspicion was proven to be accurate: another and smaller band of mingled Crow and Pawnee attacked the camp from the other end, whooping and firing arrows as they charged in amongst the scattered tepees. As soon as they passed the first dwellings, the surprise trap was sprung and an awesome conflict ensued.
Members of the Strong Heart Society leapt from concealment and attacked fiercely with great prowess, as their group was made up of the most fearless and skilled warriors in their band, a group whose main purpose was defense and survival of the Red Shields.
As she had promised her husband, Chumani lingered near their tepee but had refused to go into the woods with the women, children, and elders since she was a more than capable fighter and might be needed there. She glanced at her beloved and his father as they battled enemies while standing back-to-back for protection of their vulnerable spots. She noted that Rising Bear had not lost his stamina, or talents with weapons and hand-to-hand combat. To avoid being distracted by observing her mate's abilities and possible perils, she refused to watch him. As her gaze drifted around the area where many struggles were in progress either upon horseback or on the ground, she was horrified to sight Nahemana leave his tepee, several beyond theirs, carrying a ceremonial buffalo skull which he had no doubt returned to fetch to prevent its theft. With bow in hand, an arrow nocked, and several more shafts clasped between her teeth, she hurried toward the slow-moving, dulledvision shaman.
Chumani saw a Bird Warrior guiding his horse toward Nahemana with a lance lifted high in one hand. "Oochia, bishkishpee!"she shouted to seize the foe's attention. "Fight me, not an old man, if you are a worthy warrior!" The startled Crow looked at her with an expression of mingled amusement and scorn as she ordered him to stop, called him a lowly and scorned dog flea, and issued him an insulting challenge in his own language.
"I will slay the shaman first, take the sacred skull as a war prize, then capture you. I will fill your body with my man seeds before I slit your throat and cut out your tongue. Run, foolish woman, but I will catch you soon."
"You will capture and harm no one, piss of the elk!" He clearly did not consider her a threat as he refocused on the shaman who had frozen in place at his tepee entrance. As he drew back his arm to fling his lance into Nahemana's body, she released an arrow, quickly yanked another from her mouth, and nocked it in readiness if she missed her agile target.
As Chumani fired the first shaft, Cetan gave a shrill cry from overhead, swooped down in a rapid dive, and seized the lance with his strong talons. Yet, its weight and imbalance caused the hawk to drift toward the ground, despite its great strength and determination. At that slow pace, another enemy warrior fired an arrow into Cetan's left wing, which sent the large bird tumbling to the earth. She whirled to shoot his attacker, but saw Wind Dancer leap upon the man from behind, both crashing to the ground. She hurried to Cetan as the hawk flopped about with the arrow protruding from his wing. She spoke soothingly to him as she lifted him and carried him to Nahemana's tepee so she could protect both from further danger.
"Do not worry, my friend, I will remove the arrow and tend your injury very soon. Remain quiet until I can do so, for dangers surround us." To the white-haired man, she said, "Go inside your tepee, Wise One, and I will stand guard here." Without a word, only a smile and a nod, Nahemana obeyed her soft command. She placed Cetan behind her in the entranceway and faced forward. She only glanced at the enemy whom she had slain with her first arrow before observing her love's fierce battle for survival.
Wind Dancer sneered at the foe who had dared to attack his camp. He knew the other Strong Hearts and Oglala warriors had the conflict under control, but he did not want to take the time to play with his enemy, as the wounded needed tending. His gaze mocked the man who was now vulnerable in the center of his camp with no rescue or escape mount within sight or reach, so his death was a certainty. Even if he were slain during their struggle, another would take his place, and another if necessary, until this raider lived no more. "U wo, suska, "he taunted, motioning the Crow forward and calling him "worthless and lazy."
Though the Bird Warrior laughed and sneered in return, it was obvious to Chumani that he knew his death loomed before him, so he would fight with all he possessed to go out in a blaze of prowess. She saw her husband's white teeth gleam as brightly as the blade in his grasp, a metal one from trade with the wasicun. She had confidence in Wind Dancer's ability to win, but she dreaded seeing him hurt.
"Where is your honor, Crow dog? Why do you slay innocents? Why did you not ride to our camp and challenge worthy warriors to battle you? Only a coward and weakling strikes at women, children, and old ones. Where does the coup lie in such a bad deed?"
"All Lakotas must die and this land will be ours!" the Crow scoffed.
"The land belongs to the Creator. Do you seek to steal what is His?"
"Do you fear me, he who dances with the wind? Why do you wait? Do you hope to breath the Creator's air for a short time longer?"
"No more words or waiting, Crow dog. Prepare to die by my hand."
A fierce and rapid clash ensued as the men rushed toward each other with knives held high in readiness to strike the initial blow, to bring forth the first blood, to kill their enemy. Both were strong, nimble, highly trained, and experienced. They slashed out at each other, used their hands and feet as deadly weapons. Their muscles bulged and rippled as they battled, and they soon were breathing rapidly and glistening with sweat. The fringes on their shirts and leggings swayed and snapped as they whirled and fought. Their expressions had become frozen and harsh; their gazes, glaring and hate-filled.
To Chumani, it was like watching a deadly dance as they writhed, twisted, and darted about, kicking up dust and stones with every step. Despite the fact she was positive her husband would win the match of wills because he was protected by Wakantanka, she flinched each time the knife slashed too close to his body or his stalwart frame accepted a near stunning blow. When Wind Dancer's head made forceful and painful contact with the Bird Warrior's stomach, it sent the Crow tumbling backward to the hard ground. Without hesitation, the foe was on his feet again and charging her agile mate who parried his attack. It was apparent to her that Wind Dancer was the superior fighter, but the Crow's desperation and resolve made him a dangerous and unpredictable opponent. She made sure she did not shriek or move or do anything to distract her beloved, as it only took a moment's loss of focus to turn the odds against him. She was almost angered when other Strong Hearts and Oglalas gathered around the scene of the last action and cheered on their companion and friend, fearing it would distract him, though it seemed to give him a burst of energy and renewed stamina.
Using quick reflexes and cunning, Wind Dancer soon had the Crow pinned to the ground. He straddled his imprisoned enemy, knowing he had but one course of action. He must kill the man or he would return another sun to attack his people, for pride and generations of hostilities would demand it. He raised his knife, glued his gaze to the Crow's blazing one, and finished the deed. Afterward, he stood, lifted his arms skyward, and released a whoop of victory as his friends encompassed him in a tight circle.
Chumani wanted to rush to his side, to embrace him, to kiss him, but she held hack to avoid embarrassing him before his society members with such a show of emotion. She stepped aside for the smiling shaman to join the excitement, turned, and gathered Cetan into her arms. She carried the hawk to her tepee to tend his wound. She knew it was not a lethal one, but could he disabling. She closed her eyes for a short time and prayed: If 'he is to help us on the sacred task, Great One, heal his wing so he can fly again.
Wind Dancer glanced around the human enclosure for his wife and, finding her absent, asked his grandfather, "Where is Dewdrops? I saw her standing at your tepee. Was she harmed?"
"No. She saved my life when I was the target of a Crow's lance and remained nearby to guard me from another attack." He explained how the hawk had helped her in that battle but, sadly, Cetan was wounded. "She goes to ten
d him," Nahemana revealed.
After Rising Bear returned from the forest and joined the others, the exciting story about Chumani's and Cetan's glorious deed was repeated to him, as was the final battle nearby. "It is good my son was shown the peril of this sun so our camp would not be destroyed and our people slain," the chief proclaimed. "We must tend our wounded, build scaffolds for our dead and mourn them, and help those whose dwellings were damaged by fire. Soon the others will return and join us to chant the new coups of my sons, my second daughter, her bird companion, the Strong Hearts, and our other warriors. It is a good and a bad day for us, for we have a great victory, but suffered many losses."
"Soon we will leave on the first ride of our sacred quest, Father," Wind Dancer said, "and it will turn the Apsaalooke's eyes from us when they must battle the Whites who will hold them to blame for our coming deeds. We must post guards around our camp until we have distracted them with another conflict and our people move to the grasslands to hunt buffalo. On the next sun, we must hold the Sacred Bow ritual for Swift Otter to replace Badger, for War Eagle will ride with us to trick the Crow and Whites."
Within a short time, the rest of the band had returned to camp from the forest and were enlightened to the events. With a mixture of elation at their triumph and sadness over their losses, the people set about to take care of the tasks Rising Bear had mentioned earlier.
Before joining other men to gather wood and erect burial scaffolds, Wind Dancer walked to his tepee to check on his wife and the hawk, and was followed by his sister. "How is he?" he asked upon entry to his lodge.
Chumani looked up. "I have removed the arrow, but part of his wing is broken," she replied. "I seek to stop the bleeding and tend the cuts before I bind it tight in place until the bone heals. You fought a great battle, mihigna, and my heart soars with pride in your victory."
Lakota Winds (Zebra Historical Romance) Page 16
