Song Of The Warrior

by Georgina Gentry

Bear gritted his teeth. However he handled this, he must not hurt his brother. “It took a long time; this is not something that is hurried through.”

  “Well?” Raven waited as Bear slapped his horse on the rump, turned him loose to graze with the big herd under the watchful eye of a sentry.

  “Let us not talk out here where everyone can hear, let us go into our lodge. Is there food?”

  Raven nodded and followed him toward the tipi. “Rainbow cooked some of that deer you shot and gave the old woman.”

  Bear sat down by the fire, reached for a piece of smoked meat. “Rainbow would make some man a good wife and her child and sister need a hunter to fend for them.”

  “So why don’t you marry her?” Raven laughed. “I don’t want her; she’s been handled by every soldier at the fort.”

  Bear winced. “You lack compassion, brother,” he rebuked softly. “It is a sign of maturity to care about those who are helpless.”

  “I don’t want to talk about Rainbow.” Raven sounded annoyed and out of sorts. “You know what I want to talk about.”

  Bear kept eating for a long moment. Was there any way to make this easier? “Cultis.” He made a dismissing gesture to show that it was no good. “I am sorry, Raven, but Willow said no.”

  “No?” He jumped up in surprise. “But the way she looked at me, the way she smiled, I thought—”

  “You misread her actions.” Bear shook his head without looking at his brother.

  “Did you mention the fine horses as a bride present?” He was pacing the small space, greatly agitated.

  “I-I didn’t get the chance. Anyway, she’s been raised as a white girl, a wealth of horses means nothing to her.”

  “Maybe you didn’t brag about me enough? Did you not tell her—?”

  “Raven, I did everything I knew. By my honor, I did the very best I knew how and she said she did not want to be your woman. I am truly sorry.”

  Raven was not taking the news well. “Perhaps I sent the wrong person,” he said. “Maybe I should have sent my friends, Pony and Five Stars, they have much skill with words.”

  “Aren’t those the two drunken friends who were with you that day in front of the saloon? I think they would not impress her much.”

  “Tell me exactly what was said.” Raven knelt before him.

  He didn’t want to remember any of it; he hadn’t meant for either of them to be swept away by such a tidal wave of passion. “I don’t remember; she just said no. Sepekuse; let it be.”

  “Well, try to think; maybe you could talk to her again and say it better.”

  He felt abject pity for Raven; shame for his own betrayal. “I am sorry, brother, if I didn’t do a good job, it wasn’t because I didn’t try. If you had faced up to it and asked her yourself instead—”

  “I backed away, that’s what you’re saying; just as when I had to face up to that grizzly, I turned and ran and let you deal with it.”

  “It isn’t the same.”

  “It is the same!” He slammed one fist into the other. I always retreat and let you handle it. My mother is dead because of me and now I haven’t the courage even to face the woman I want and ask her!” He slumped down by the fire and put his head in his hands.

  Bear reached out, patted his shoulder. It was trembling . . . or was that his own hand? “Maybe tomorrow, things will look better. Maybe tomorrow, there’s the slightest chance she might change her mind.”

  In his thoughts, he saw Willow in Raven’s arms as his brother made love to her. The image hurt now that he himself had known her sweetness, but it was all he deserved because he had betrayed his honor.

  “No,” Raven said, shaking his head, “it does not sound like she will change her mind. Perhaps she loves the lieutenant.”

  Bear didn’t say anything for a long time. “I know this must hurt.”

  “How would you know?” Raven snapped. “I’ve never known you to love a woman enough to ask her to be your wife.”

  He must not make a cruel retort simply because Raven had been cruel. “Someday, maybe there will be another woman you will love even more.”

  “I don’t think so.” Raven stared into the fire and shook his head. “Willow is so very, very special; so palojami. I will never love another woman as I love her.”

  He had said what was in Bear’s own heart. What could be done? They both loved her and for many reasons, neither could have her. She was more white than Nez Perce anyway and the parson would never allow it.

  Bear got up, went outside the lodge, stood staring at the distant mountain peaks, gleaming white with snow in the distant moonlight. The snow was starting to melt, but at the high summits, it almost never melted. In her heart, Willow was as white as that mountain snow because she had been raised that way. She could never live in a tipi as a Nez Perce woman; hadn’t he known that when he had gone to speak in Raven’s behalf?

  Raven came out of the lodge and stood beside him. “I am sorry, Bear, you did your best for me as you always do. My disappointment made me lash out.”

  Bear clapped the younger man on the shoulder. “We are brothers always; nothing will ever change that or come between us.”

  The silence lengthened.

  Raven said, “I’ve always wondered ... no, never mind.”

  “What is it?”

  “I have often wondered, all these years, what it was like to stand there looking death in the face with that monster coming at you, all teeth and claws; to have that inner pride, that simiakia.”

  Bear sighed, remembering the terror, the agony. “I had no chance to think; I did what I had to do.”

  “Do you ever regret it; wish you’d left me to the bear and escaped?”

  “I would do it again to save you,” Bear said and he meant it. “I’m only sorry the great grizzly got our mother before I could kill it.”

  They stood there, staring off at the distant peaks, each with his own thoughts. Bear thought only of Willow, knowing he must put her out of his mind completely. He had taken advantage of her innocence, and tomorrow, she would hate him for it. Yet he would always cherish her memory. Was it because the Nez Perce were formed of a heart’s blood that they felt and loved so deeply?

  They heard a sound and both turned. Someone was running down the trail toward them. The moon threw shadows so that Bear couldn’t see who it was, but it stumbled, got up, ran on. He put his hand on the big knife in his belt, tensed. A dog began to sound the alarm, then another. A horse whinnied. The camp began to respond to the intruder.

  Willow was not sure she could run one more step. Exhausted and bruised, her feet cut by the rocks and wearing the light dress, she was shivering, but nothing mattered but escaping the parson’s blows. These were her mother’s people; surely they would help her.

  She was only dimly aware of dogs barking, people sticking their heads out of tipis. And then she saw them; Bear and Raven standing side by side. She looked into her love’s face and from that moment, she saw nothing but his eyes.

  Both men were reaching out to her, shouting. “Willow, what’s happened?”

  She didn’t answer, but gave a cry of relief and ran into the haven of Bear’s arms, threw her arms around his neck, knew she was safe in his embrace, forever safe.

  Bear held her tightly, looking down at her in horror. “What has happened? Who has done this thing?”

  She was sobbing too hard to say anything and he was on his knees, holding her close, kissing her hair, stroking her, murmuring words of comfort. She had made it this far and she knew it was far enough; no one would ever hurt her as long as she was in Bear’s arms, he would protect her; cherish her. Now she looked up into his face and he scowled with a terrible hatred as he surveyed the bruises and whelps on her tender skin. “Whoever has done this will die by my hand!” His hand went to the big knife in his belt.

  Rainbow came running then and the old grandmother. “What has happened? What has—?” The girl cried out in horror as she saw Willow’s torn and beaten body.

>   “She needs help,” Bear said and swung Willow up in his arms, carried her into his tipi. He was past seeing, past thinking about anything but the woman in his arms. He tried to lay her down on a blanket but she clung to him, sobbing.

  “Don’t leave me! He’ll come for me! He’ll beat me again!”

  “Willow, listen to me.” He talked softly as if speaking to a frightened child, stroking her tousled hair from her small face. His anger made him shake. “No one will hurt you, ever again. Do you hear me? You are safe now; I swear it, you are safe in my arms as you were tonight.”

  She held him and cried softly against his chest. “I love you,” she whispered. “Oh, I love you! He-he came home; realized what had happened—”

  “You don’t have to tell it.” He kissed her forehead.

  “He called me a harlot! Like my mother, he said, and he took his belt to me. I tried to resist, but he beat me and beat me!”

  He held her very close and she trembled like a leaf in the wind while he swore under his breath and thought what terrible torture would be good enough for this cruel man?

  “He tripped and fell and I grabbed a dress and ran out the back door, naked.”

  He reached down and picked up one of her little feet. It was blistered and torn. He had not felt such turmoil and inner pain since the day the grizzly had killed his mother. Willow still had her fingers clenched in the buckskin of his shirt. Very gently, he reached up and unclenched them one by one. “You are safe now, little green-eyed girl; I promise you are safe with me.” He kissed her forehead again, loving her as he had never thought he could love a woman. Rainbow came in. “I can help.” She sounded sober for a change. “I’ll bring salves and herbs.”

  “Koiimize! See about her then.” He stood up, a fiery fury burning deep within him that any man would hurt this small, defenseless woman. Bear stepped outside the lodge. He had never felt so possessive or protective. He had taken her virginity and in his mind, she was his—or at least, he wished she were. He put his hand on his knife. Old or not, the white man who had hurt his love would die for this.

  Only then did he come out of his thoughts, realize Raven was staring at him. “I was in the doorway of the tipi; I heard everything!”

  Raven turned and ran toward the horse herd. Bear hesitated a long moment, torn between the sobbing girl inside and his deeply hurt brother.

  Behind him, the old grandmother said, “Go to him, let the woman deal with her wounds.”

  Bear took off running after Raven. He caught up with him out in the darkness of the horse herd as Raven was throwing a bridle on his mount. “Raven, wait, I can explain!”

  “Stay away from me!” Raven kept saddling. “My own brother; my oh so honorable brother! He goes to speak for me and seduces my bride!”

  “It wasn’t like that, it—”

  “And then comes back with a forked tongue and says she says no. You nesammeiek!” He used the Nez Perce word for “liar.” “With her virgin blood still on your body; you face me and say she doesn’t want to be my wife!”

  “Raven, you must understand!”

  “I understand!” He was shouting and the excited horses milled and snorted around them. “I understand my brother is not so honorable after all!”

  “I’m only human,” Bear admitted. “I love her, too, but I would never have told you—”

  “I guess not! If I had married her, would you be sneaking into her blankets at night while telling me what an honorable brother you were?”

  He grabbed the younger man’s arm. “Raven, I know you are angry, but you must stay and listen—”

  At that point, Raven drew back his fist and hit Bear with all the strength and fury in him.

  Bear felt the pain slam into his jaw and his head snapped back. He fell with the horses rearing and neighing around them.

  Raven swung up on his horse. “Stay away from me,” he snarled, “or you’ll regret it! I’m going to go find some whiskey and get drunk!”

  With that, he dug his heels into his horse’s flanks and took off at a gallop.

  Bear stumbled to his feet, rubbing his jaw, tasting blood from his cut lip. He was more worried about Raven even as he watched him gallop away. His younger brother was deeply hurt and it would take time to get over it. In the meantime, Raven could do something irresponsible and reckless, get himself into a lot of trouble. What should Bear do?

  About that time, Rainbow ran toward him. “I think you should come; she’s almost hysterical and afraid you won’t return.”

  “I’ll come.” Willow needed him; nothing else mattered at that moment. He could only hope Raven didn’t do something terribly wild and crazy that would lead to trouble for him or the whole tribe.

  Willow stopped sobbing when his big shadow loomed in the doorway. “I-I thought you would not want me.”

  He gestured to the old grandmother. “I’ll take over from here.” She nodded and left.

  Willow breathed a sigh of relief and lay back. He looked at her bruised, naked body and she saw the horror and the anger in his eyes. “I will kill him for this.”

  “No, it would bring trouble to your people; to our people. Just don’t make me go back.”

  “You are not going anywhere that I cannot put my arms around you and protect you, green-eyed girl.” He reached for the salve, inspected her wounds, shook his head and then began applying the soothing potion to all the welts and cuts.

  She was safe. Willow closed her eyes with a sigh and relaxed, enjoying the gentle touch of his hands as he ministered to her. She tried to laugh. “Now I’m the scarred one.”

  He winced. “Don’t. I’m going to kill a man over this,” he promised grimly. “Don’t make light of it.”

  “No,” she protested, “don’t do anything rash; it will cause trouble with the whites; only let me stay with you.”

  He looked down at her. “Think a long time, Willow. You’ve been raised as a white woman; the way of the Nez Perce is hard. I could send you far away, back to some city where he couldn’t get you.”

  “The money—”

  “For an emergency, the Nez Perce have secret treasure, gold nuggets that only we know about. We dare not spend them in town for fear of luring even more greedy white prospectors to come here.”

  “No,” she shook her head, “I’ll not leave you.”

  “You must be feeling better,” he said. “Already, you are arguing with me.”

  It was so good to be here; safe with her love. The tears welled up again in sheer relief.

  “Oh, Willow, don’t cry! I can’t bear to see you cry.” He went on smearing ointment on her cuts.

  “All right; as long as you don’t leave me.”

  He looked troubled, started to say something, paused, then returned to doctoring her cuts. His hands were gentle on her belly, her breasts. “Are you cold?”

  “A little.”

  “I’ll wrap you in a blanket.”

  “Please hold me.” She was trembling. When she closed her eyes, she saw the reverend coming at her with a belt.

  “I might hurt those bruised places.”

  “I’m afraid that if I go to sleep alone, I’ll have nightmares; I want your arms around me.”

  “All right, little green-eyed one, there is nothing so important to me at this moment as your resting, so I’ll stay.”

  He lay down next to her, gently took her into his embrace with her head on his shoulder and pulled the blanket over them both.

  “You have such a big shoulder, such strong hands.” She sighed with relief.

  He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “What have I let myself in for with you?”

  She looked up into his eyes, snuggling into the secure harbor of his embrace. “Are you sorry?”

  “About you? Never, I only wish . . .” His voice trailed off and a look of concern crossed his rugged features.

  She wanted to ask, but she was so sleepy and she was warm now, warm and safe in his arms. She lay her face against his big chest and
gradually dropped off to sleep.

  Bear lay there sleepless, holding her close, protecting her from anything that might hurt her in this world or in her dreams. He loved her enough to die for her. Yet he might have to choose between her and his angry brother. He had sworn an oath to his dying mother and Bear was a warrior of much honor; he did not take such a vow lightly. Worse yet, Raven might even now be galloping into trouble. Bear felt the weight of both Raven and the tribe’s well-being weighing heavily on his soul.

  But tonight, the girl slept in his embrace and she needed him. Nothing else mattered so much. He lay there all night and held her while she slept, but he knew, come the dawn, there was going to be plenty of trouble and there was no changing that.

  Eleven

  Raven had never felt such rage and pain as he did now, galloping away from the camp under the midnight sky. He rode blindly, not caring what would happen or even where he was going.

  His own brother had betrayed him! No one had to give Raven any explanation. He had seen the way Willow had run into Bear’s arms as if she didn’t even see Raven. He had not ridden the war trail like Bear or brought back booty from raids. Things like that meant a lot to women; they wanted to brag about their men, sing songs about their brave deeds around the campfires. Raven intended to make some drastic changes. He gritted his teeth so hard, his jaw hurt as he urged his pony on. At the very edge of the Nez Perce hunting grounds, he crossed the path of his two good friends, Pony and Five Stars. They were as young and carefree in attitude as he was. The other night in town, they had been as drunk as he was when he had tangled with the army scout called Tanner. Raven reined in, hailed them. “Hallo, friends! Where go you?”

  “Ho, Raven. Like the others, we have been rounding up our families’ livestock; time grows short to move camp.”

  The second one looked at Raven curiously and leaned on his pony’s neck. “A better question, is where go you at such a late hour with a horse lathered and run to the ground? Your brother would be upset at your treating a horse so—”

  “My brother! My brother!” Raven almost shouted at him. “I am weary of having him thrown up to me with all his war honors and many horses!”