Caroline grasped disappointment and hatred in the female’s voice. She was doubtful that Wind Dancer had ever desired such a vile creature, as Chumani had told her about the wicked things Wastemna had done to drive her away or have her banished or murder her.
“She will die if the knife of an enemy enters her body while she is in the forest alone.”
“There is no hope of an enemy getting so close to our camp or, if one does so, there is no hope Dewdrops would be slain by him. Do you forget she was a female warrior before she came to live among us and she rode at Wind Dancer’s side during the vision quest? She is skilled with weapons and in fighting, so no enemy could take her by surprise.”
“There is hope if I am that enemy and do the deed for you.”
Caroline tensed during a span of silence that seemed much longer than it was. She did not know if she had been detected or if Wastemna was stunned speechless by the man’s evil offer.
“What do you mean by such words, Two Feathers?” the woman finally asked.
“I will slay Dewdrops for you if you will slay Cloud Chaser for me. With them dead, Dawn will be mine once more and Wind Dancer will be yours. That is a good trade, is it not?”
“How can I slay a skilled warrior? I remember little of him when we were children and I was banished when Cloud Chaser came back, but I have learned much about him since my return fourteen suns past. How can a small woman slay a warrior of his size and prowess?”
“Follow the half-breed when he leaves camp alone and when he turns his back to you, beat his head with a rock or limb until he lives no more.”
Half-breed? Caroline’s mind echoed in astonishment and curiosity.
“If I am caught, I will be tortured and slain. I can not do it.”
“You can do it, Wastemna, for you are cunning and brave, and you desire Wind Dancer. Do you forget the many clever tricks you played on Dewdrops long ago? You were exposed because you talked with your mother while others listened. You will not make that slip again.”
A full moon was rising and there was little daylight left. Caroline had been gone for a long time, so Macha might come look for her or send someone else to search for her. Yet, she was trapped until the two sinister conspirators departed.
“It is reckless; two deaths in our chief’s family with few suns between them will be suspicious to others. We would be caught and slain.”
“Will you be happy to live among us and see Dewdrops in your place? Watch her be with the man you desire? Watch her with children who should be yours? Watch her treat you with scorn? Is that the existence you want?”
“No, but I am too weak and afraid to seek what my heart desires.”
“It is a good challenge and will be a glorious victory. If we are sly and careful, no one will look in our direction.”
“Why do you not slay Cloud Chaser yourself?”
“There has been much conflict and many bad words between us since his return. I must not be near him or even in camp when he is slain and his body is found, or many will believe I took his life. No one will think a ‘weak and afraid’ female could do such a brave and daring deed. You will be safe.”
“I must think long and hard on this matter, Two Feathers.”
“No, you must speak your choice to me this moon. I warn you, no Red Shield will accept your words if you betray me to them. You will be sent away again, to live alone, in great need, in peril. Summon your courage and wits, Wastemna. Seize the war prize you crave. Will you join me in battle?”
Caroline awaited the woman’s answer with bated breath, and grimaced when it was spoken.
“Yes, but I must decide when we will strike our first blow.”
“It is yours to choose, if you do not wait long to do so. Go now before you are missed and we are seen together. We must stay apart until we can sneak another meeting.”
“I will do this deed, Two Feathers, but do not betray me or refuse to carry out your part of our trade after he is no more.”
“We must trust each other, Wastemna. Wind Dancer will belong to you soon. Return to camp and do not come near me until I signal you.”
Caroline heard the menacing creature leave, but Two Feathers stayed where he was. She tensed again, fearing he knew she was lurking nearby and had waited for Wastemna’s departure before dealing lethally with her. She struggled to control her breathing as her heart beat fast, then faster, within her chest. Her body ached from remaining motionless for so long. She prayed her protesting knee joints would not go pop or her shaky ankles make a cracking sound. She heard Two Feathers laugh faintly, the tone frigid and fiendish. Then, she soon discovered why the warrior was still standing there and was so distracted…
“Foolish woman, you will not enjoy Wind Dancer for many suns and moons, for I will slay him and claim the next chief’s bonnet for myself. War Eagle will never wear it. He will be unworthy of taking that rank after his father and brother are dead, for he will soon be the dishonored captive of his captive. After I slip my knife into your heart, foolish woman, it will look as if you were so sad and wild with grief you killed yourself. I will not have to place a foe’s wanapin in your hand to trick others as I did with Sisoka after I took her life. Rising Bear is too old to lead us in the great war ahead and his spirit will be destroyed by the deaths of his two sons and the dishonor of his third in the arms of the enemy. I no longer love and respect you, Rising Bear, and I hunger for your death to end your weakness and shame. You tainted yourself by mating with a white woman and placing your man seeds within the captive enemy’s body and bringing forth a half-breed who stole my woman and scorns me before others. I will be the next chief and I will have Dawn as my wife. So I have spoken, so it will be.”
Caroline cringed at the icy tone of the warrior’s last sentence. She was relieved and exhausted when he finally walked away. As she waited for a while to be certain he was gone and not hiding nearby to ensnare her, she thought about those two misguided and black-hearted people, and what she should do about their insidious plot. Although she had not grasped every word spoken, she had understood most of what was said and was positive she was not mistaken about what she had overheard.
She still was shocked by the truth about Cloud Chaser. Why had he not told her his own mother was a white woman, a captive to his father? After he had made his slip ensuing the Naming Ceremony, she had suspected he was part white, then convinced herself that was ridiculous and he must have meant he was a mixture of two different Indian tribes. Had his mother really “died” or had she escaped, been sold or traded, or slain for some reason? Somehow she believed the woman had died of natural causes.
She recalled how Wastemna had treated and spoken to her since the woman’s return two weeks ago. The despicable creature had been sly and careful with her insults, but it was evident Wastemna hated her and detested her presence among them. She could imagine how that offensive woman would treat her if she were only a captive.
What she had learned about War Eagle knifed her heart. The man she loved and desired would dishonor himself if he laid claim to her and could not become chief if anything happened to Rising Bear and Wind Dancer, which was his right and duty, and retaining his honor meant so much to him. Yet, his father had taken a white captive to his bed and created a son with her. How and why had Rising Bear done so? And why would it be so wrong and shameful for War Eagle to do so since his father—guilty of that same deed—had remained as chief, loved and respected and obeyed? She needed those answers to decide if she was only pursuing a futile dream or if there was hope for a glorious victory. Was she like Wastemna, “too weak and afraid to seek what my heart desires” when her goal seemed so unattainable?
At least she had discovered what Two Feather’s goals were: Dawn and the chief’s rank. Although she knew he was evil, it still shocked her that he so deeply hated his uncle and cousins and would murder them to achieve his desires. She must not permit him to carry out his plot. She must not allow Chumani and Cloud Chaser to die, to be cold-bloodedly
murdered. She must not allow War Eagle, Dawn, Wind Dancer, Hanmani, and Nahemana to suffer such losses and anguish. She must not allow Two Feathers to become chief of the Red Shields, as he would surely war fiercely with the whites and soldiers, which would bring about the band’s defeat and deaths.
She had worked with the shaman recently by sharing their healing skills and knowledge. She even had been allowed to stitch a severe cut on a warrior’s arm, while Nahemana and others observed, and praised her skills and generosity afterward. She had done daily chores with Dawn, Chumani, Winona, Hanmani, Zitkala, Little Turtle, and other females. She liked these people, and most appeared to like her and to treat her fairly. But would they believe her grim allegations? A white captive accusing one of their elite warriors, a close relative of their chief, of a lethal conspiracy? If she was doubted, would she be slain, or perhaps tortured beforehand? Or maybe just sold or traded or given away to another band, an unkind one?
As she left her concealed position and hurried back to Dawn’s tepee, staying alert for a threat the entire way, Caroline told herself she must not make a hasty and hazardous decision. She had to expose the culprits, but first she had to figure out the best time and safest way to do so.
So, whom should you tell? When? Where? How? Whom can you trust and who trusts you that much? The answers came fast and easy…
After entering the tepee, Caroline watched Dawn turn quickly, look at her with near-panic in her dark brown gaze, and say she had been about to come look for her. Caroline forced a smile and thanked her.
Dawn set down Casmu’s cradle-board that she had been about to place on her back.
Later as Caroline lay on her buffalo mat and awaited her destiny, her mind was tormented and her heart was pained by the possibilities she might never see War Eagle and her brother again if no one there believed what she must tell them. She loved both men and longed to be with them, at least one last time. She yearned for War Eagle’s company, his smile, the sound of his voice, his strong embrace, his powerful protection. She did not want to perish before she shared at least one passionate and fulfilling experience with him. It would be blissful to hear him tell her that he loved her. It would be ecstasy to … Yes, right or wrong, she wanted, needed, craved to make love with him. If he were there, Caroline conceded, she would be tempted to surrender to her desires before she risked her life to save the lives and to prevent the sorrows of her friends.
She was amazed that these carnal feelings did not shock her, though they did surprise her a little. Had she changed so much since captivity, the deaths of her parents, and the loss of her family’s possessions?
While Macha was breast-feeding Casmu the next morning, Caroline asked if she could visit Chumani for a short time, acting and looking as casual as possible. Macha smiled and gave her permission to leave.
As Caroline walked the short distance to Wind Dancer’s colorful tepee, her anxiety mounted and she trembled, but she did not slow her steady pace, turn back, or change her mind. At the closed flap, she called out for permission to enter, as one did not do so when it was not secured open. After she heard Chumani invite her inside, Caroline joined her. She found the older woman alone and feeding her almostfour-week-old infant, the reason for the privacy signal. She was relieved to discover that Wind Dancer and Tokapa were gone, at least for now.
“Psa ‘owinza akan yanka.” Chumani told her to sit on a rush mat nearby.
In English, Caroline said in a low voice after she took a seat, “I did not want to disturb you, Dewdrops, but I need to speak with you.”
Chumani noted a worried expression on the white girl’s face and in her blue gaze. She also noticed that her visitor was not speaking Lakota as usual and was using a hushed tone. She softly asked in English, “What is wrong, Caroline? You look afraid and uneasy.”
Caroline intentionally used English in the event someone arrived and overheard her accusations. She nodded as she almost whispered, “I am, Dewdrops, but I will wait for you to finish feeding Inunpa before we speak.”
Chumani looked down at her daughter—alive because of Caroline—and said, “She eats no more and she sleeps. I will put her in her cradle-board.”
As the baby was being secured there for her nap, Caroline asked, “Will Wind Dancer and Tokapa return soon?”
“No, for they have eaten and go to walk in the forest,” Chumani said as she sat down before the white woman, their knees almost touching. “Speak of what troubles your heart and head,” she coaxed, curious and concerned.
Caroline lowered her gaze for a moment as she took a deep breath. When she looked up, she murmured, “Where and how do I begin my story?”
Chumani leaned forward, placed her warm hands over Caroline’s cold ones that gripped her knees tightly, and smiled to encourage and relax the tense female. “The first step of a hard journey is the worst, but take it, my friend. I will help you travel and finish it, as you have helped me live to make my life’s walk on Mother Earth.”
“Do you trust me, Dewdrops?”
“I do not understand your meaning, Caroline.”
“Will you believe me if I swear to you that evil—sica, wastesni—is living and plotting in your camp and threatens the lives of my good friends here?”
“What evil sprit attacks our camp? How does it do so, Caroline?”
“In the bodies of Two Feathers and Wastemna.”
Chumani straightened and stared at Caroline. “What do you say?”
Caroline related how she had overhead a shocking talk last night in the forest and what was said between those two people. She saw Chumani’s gaze first widen in astonishment, then narrow in anger.
“I swear upon my life and honor I speak the truth,” Caroline said. “I did not misunderstand their words and meanings. I feared no one would believe such a terrible story from a white captive about a great warrior, one who is a member of the chief’s family, and a man I fear and dislike and who scorns me. I feared I would be punished and slain or sent away to another band who might mistreat me. Even if that happens, I could not allow them to harm you and Cloud Chaser and cause your loved ones and people to suffer from your losses.” She revealed her temptation to leave Cloud Chaser a warning message and escape, but told why she could not handle the perilous plot in that manner.
Caroline was glad when Chumani remained quiet and attentive so she could finish her difficult task and had not accused her of lying or of being mistaken. “I came to you, Dewdrops, because I think you are the best one who might believe me and you can find a way to thwart them. I hoped we could set a trap for him to prove to all Red Shields I speak the truth: I thought I could lure him into the forest, tell him I overheard his talk with Wastemna, and ask him to let me be the one to slay Cloud Chaser in trade for my freedom while Wind Dancer and others hid and listened. But I realized Two Feathers would not believe me, for he knows we are friends. He would suspect I was tricking him and would reveal nothing. I do not know how I can prove I speak the truth, but I do, I swear it.”
“I believe you, Caroline.” Chumani saw and heard her sigh in relief, then smile in joy. “You are a good friend, a brave woman, to take such a great risk with your life. You did the same when you saved me and my child and helped War Eagle defeat a foe and tended Red Feather’s cut. You have done many good deeds among us. You have not viewed or treated us as the ‘savages’ and ‘hostiles’ most whites believe us to be. Surely the Great Spirit sent you to us and He works His will through you. Remain here with Inunpa and guard her while I go to bring my husband, our chief, and the shaman to talk. Zitkala will keep Tokapa while we do so. We will plan our action before we speak with Dawn. Did you tell her of this evil?”
“No. I did not want to frighten her too soon.”
“That is good. We must be careful our enemies do not learn we know of their evil before we entrap them. I will return soon.” Chumani started to rise to leave, then sank back on her folded legs. “There is one thing you should not reveal to others, Two Feathers’ words about
you and War Eagle. Tell them Two Feathers’ plots to destroy my husband and his youngest brother so he can become chief, but do not say how he planned to do so. It does not matter about Cloud Chaser, for all know the truth of his birth.”
“Are you saying I should lie to Wind Dancer and the others?”
“No, just hold back that tiny part about War Eagle’s secret feelings for you, for it could cause him trouble if it is true and is revealed too soon. I will tell my husband later when we are alone, but our chief and shaman do not need to know that secret at this time, for I do not want them to view you as a threat to War Eagle’s honor and rank. It is enough to say Two Feathers plots to destroy all three sons so he can become the next chief.”
“Would it dishonor War Eagle if he … wanted me as his woman?”
“I do not know, for I cannot see into the future. I will return soon.”
Caroline watched Chumani make a hasty departure and wondered if the “secret” disturbed her and the woman was escaping any discussion of it. Or perhaps Chumani was only distracted by her own worries or wanted to handle the grave matter fast. Surely they would discuss it at another time.
She moved to Chumani’s sitting mat after the woman departed and gazed at the sleeping infant. She reached out a hand, and lightly stroked a chubby cheek with the pad of her forefinger so as not to awaken Inunpa. Caroline was pervaded with elation and pride and she smiled as she watched the small miracle she had delivered. You will not lose your mother, little one. She will be safe from their threat, as will your uncle. Perhaps one day I will have a daughter or a son or both. Perhaps he or she will have dark eyes and hair like yours if I can win the man I love.
Caroline closed her eyes and prayed. If You truly sent me here to live and to do good things, Great Spirit, allow me to become as a Red Shield and make me worthy of becoming War Eagle’s wife without it dishonoring him. Bring peace to this territory. Guide and protect each of us.
Caroline looked up when Chumani returned, alone… Where, she worried, were the three men? Had she been distrusted and deluded by her friend? No, that could not be true! Had the men disbelieved Chumani’s allegations and refused to come and speak with a lowly slave? Were they deciding on her punishment at that very minute? Would it be—
Lakota Flower Page 24
