by Joel Baker
****
The old woman stood in a small clearing surrounded by children. One of the boys was making faces at the girls, who giggled in response.
“Can any of you children tell me what this is?” Asha asked, pointing at a plant by her foot.
“It looks like a milkweed,” a little boy standing next to her said.
“So it is,” Asha said. “Has you mother ever made you milkweed soup?”
“No,” the little boy said. “I think it might make you sick.”
“Why do you say that?” Asha asked.
“Well,” the boy said. “You told us that any plant that was white or had milky sap is bad.”
“Also plants with sap that is gray or any other ugly color,” Asha said. “That’s very good. Now, what other plants do we avoid?”
“Any plant with thorns, pods, or taste like soap,” a little girl in front volunteered.
“Good,” Asha said. “Don’t forget that any plant with funny colors like pink or purple coloration in their fruit or spurs is bad. But what is the worse plant to avoid?”
Everyone looked at each other with confused looks. Finally a small girl in back stepped forward.
“You told us never pick plants with three leaves,” the little girl said in a very small voice.
“Very good,” Asha said. “Now why don’t we all spread out and find plants we thing will be good to eat. Let’s meet back here at noon and we can all decide if they’re good to eat or not. We are close to the land of the dogs to the north, so stay away from there. There’s one more thing. You boys go together, and this time, leave the girls alone. And you girls leave the boys alone too. I know how you are. Take the little ones with you and watch out for them.”
The youngsters headed off in different directions with their baskets. The girls were giggling which was never a good sign.
With only a short time before a killing frost would come, the Lakota would be pressed to find and store enough greens for the winter. They had a good crop of corn planted among the trees of the forest. Any that the deer didn’t eat would be ground into meal for cooking.
The first cut of hay had been made and stored in barns before they’d left to follow the buffalo. A second cut was under way and would be stored within the week. They used the hay in the depths of winter for the horses. When the buffalo were difficult to find, the hunters would sometimes spread the hay under the trees in a clearing. The buffalo would come to eat and end up dinner.
Asha had walked quite a ways before her basket was full. The sun was almost overhead when she decided to rest. She sat in the forest glen listening to the cicadas buzz in the heat of the day. A gentle breeze stirred the leaves of the silver aspen, turning them silver. Asha turned her face to the sun and felt the warmth against her skin.
It was on days like this, she missed her husband most. He was mauled by a grizzly bear not far from where she sat. The grizzly bear, caribou, moose, woodland buffalo, and many of the large animals had grown in number. They migrated south into Montana and the Dakotas after the Go Back. Clashes between man and beast occurred from time to time, and accommodations made.
Then the dogs arrived. It took a while for the Lakota to realize that the dogs were defending a territory the dogs considered theirs. Once the Lakota understood, it was a simple matter to avoid going into the land of the dogs. It only took a couple horrific encounters with the dogs to convince the Lakota to keep their distance.
The sun was overhead when Asha decided it was time to go back. She needed to help the children sort through the various plants and vegetation they will have placed in their baskets. Sometimes she had to laugh at some of the awful things they brought back. She knew it was all part of the learning process. Being a gatherer wasn’t as easy as some thought.
She stood and stretched her back, sore from years of stooping and bending, then turned back the way she came. That was when Asha saw the massive black dog standing on a rise, staring down at her, lips curled back in a silent snarl. Then she saw the little blond girl standing by the dog.
The girl had her left arm draped around the neck of the dog and was scratching the dog slowly behind the ear. The girl was smiling at her. Asha didn’t know what to do, so she turned and hurried back toward where the gatherers were returning with their baskets.
****
Things were not going well in the first week. Dalton and the others were able to only hew the main cross beam and a few of the rafters. Shannon knew that they were running out of time. She wasn’t sure what to say or do. Shannon, Fala, and Copa had cleaned the rubble from the main floor and managed to flatten the old sheet metal that had covered the original roof.
Fala’s brother Jacy had grown to six foot in the last year. He was still skinny as a rail. He quickly became adept at using an Adze. This tool is designed to be used to square logs into beams. It was difficult to master, so Jacy took some pride in being able to use it well. But the whole process was slow.
They were able to harvest the straight logs of the right length readily enough. They dragged them to the growing pile of trees by the center. After they were cut to length using the crosscut saw, two long spikes were driven into opposite sides of the log to keep it from rolling. Then Jacy would straddle the log and swing the Adze down the length of the log, flattening the side.
The log was then flipped over and the second side would be flattened. This was done until all four sides were flat. If necessary, each side of the log could be smoothed using a draw knife. Jacy was skilled enough, it normally wasn’t necessary.
“Where’s Jessica?” Shannon asked.
“I saw her and Max wander off in that direction after breakfast,” Molly said, pointing south.
“I hope she didn’t go too far,” Shannon said.
“Why?” Molly asked.
I was walking through the woods to the south before lunch,” Shannon said. “I turned around and headed back when I thought I heard voices up ahead. They sounded like a bunch of teenage girls giggling and talking.”
“What would they be doing up here in the dog’s territory?” Molly asked.
“I’m not sure they were,” Shannon said. “I think we’re only a mile or so from the line. I’d better ask Banner.”
Shannon closed her eyes and reached out to Banner. Banner, are you there?
Yes, Banner said.
Do you know where Max and Jessica are? Shannon asked.
They’re close, heading back to the Center, Banner said.
A short time later Max and Jessica strolled into camp. Jessica was giving Max a drink of water.
“Where were you, Jessica?” Molly asked.
Max and I saw a rabbit and we followed it for a while,” Jessica said, looking first at her grandmother and then her mother.
“Alright,” Shannon said, looking worried. “Just be careful. We’re fairly close to where the Lakota live. It’s a border it wouldn’t be good to cross.”
“There may be people there that don’t know us,” Molly said, trying not to frighten Jessica. “So we need to stay away from strangers. Okay?”
“We saw an old lady,” Jessica said.
“What?” Shannon said.
“Max and I came up a little hill and there she was,” Jessica said. “She was sitting there looking up at the sun. She was smiling.”
Shannon looked at Max.
Yes, Max said without being asked.
“Jessica, Sweetheart,” Molly said kneeling down beside her. “This is important. Did she see you?”
“Yes,” Jessica said. “But she didn’t say anything to us. She just hurried away. Then Max and I headed back here for lunch. Are we going to have lunch?”
****
Asha met up with the others. She had everyone return to the Lakota village. She asked Mitchell to go through all the plants and get rid of the weeds and other non-edible plants that were inadvertently picked.
“Just make sure to tell the little one’s why the plants are no good,” Asha told him. “And d
on’t go thinking because I asked you to do this, it means anything special.”
Then she hurried to the barn where she thought her son, Mato, might be. She peeked through the open barn doors and saw Cass and Mina in a hot embrace off to one side.
“Excuse me,” Asha said, in a loud voice. “I don’t mean to bother you two. I’m looking for Mato. Have you seen him?”
The pair quickly separated, flushed and in apparent discomfort.
“Oh, Asha,” Mina said, getting her breath back first. “You’re not bothering us. It’s just the Cass got back from a long trip.”
“You don’t have to explain anything to me,” Asha said. “I was young once. In fact, it doesn’t seem that long ago. You’re just doing what’s natural. Now, have you seen my son?”
“What’s wrong?” Cass asked, seeing Asha was obviously concerned.
“I’m afraid I may be going loopy in my old age,” Asha said. “I’m starting to see things that just couldn’t be.”
“Asha, you’re the sanest person I know,” Mina said. “Now what exactly do you think you saw?”
Everyone turned as Mato walked into the barn, a big grin on his face until he saw his mother, in obvious distress, talking with Cass and Mina.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” Mato asked, now concerned as he joined the group.
“She saw something that scared her,” Cass said. “She was just going to tell us what she saw.”
“Well I was supervising the gatherers up north of town, not far from the land of the dogs,” Asha said. “I walked off by myself gathering plants. I was tired so I sat down in a clearing to rest.”
“You didn’t cross over into the dog’s territory did you?” Mato asked.
“No,” Asha said. “I was still well south of there.”
“You got to be careful up there,” Mato said.
“Mato!” Asha said, getting angry. “You be respectful.”
“Mom,” Mato said. “I didn’t mean to be disrespectful. It’s just that I worry when you take the gatherers up north by the dogs.”
“Well, okay then,” Asha said. “The border is clearly marked, and we respect the line.”
“Go ahead with your story, Asha,” Mina said, trying not to laugh.
“Where was I?” Asha asked.
“You were sitting in a clearing, resting,” Cass said.
“Oh, yes,” Asha said. “I was sitting there resting with my face turned up toward the sun. It was a beautiful morning and a magical place. I was thinking about your daddy, Mato, and how much I miss him. Anyway, time was passing away, and it was time for me to meet up with the other gatherers. I stood up and that’s when I saw them. That’s when I knew I must be losing my mind.”
“Saw who?” Mina asked.
“One was the biggest, blackest, most terrifying dog I’ve ever seen,” Asha said. “The other… well… It was a little girl. She stood there smiling at me, with her arm around the dog’s neck like it was nothing. That’s when I knew I was losing my mind. That terrible dog and a little girl were just standing there like it was nothing.”
“Mom,” Mato said. “The sun must have been in your eyes. They can play tricks on you. Make you see things that aren’t there.”
“Asha,” Cass said. “Those dogs are vicious beasts that kill anything that comes close to them. It must have been a black tree stump you saw. It could have been anything.”
All three stood looking at Asha for a moment, deep in thought. Mina cleared her throat, remembering what she had seen when she and Cass spotted the same black dog, a week or so ago.
“Asha,” Mina said. “The little girl… She had blond hair, didn’t she?”
“Yes!” Asha said, visibly shaken. “How did you know that?”
“It happened when Cass and I were riding out front of the buffalo and we first saw the dog watching us from that hill,” Mina said.
“Yes,” Cass said. “It was before Mato and I found the tracks of those people coming north.”
“As we turned to head back and tell everyone,” Mina said. “I thought I saw a little blond girl standing next to the dog. She was a little thing, maybe six or seven years old.”
“Why didn’t you say something?” Mato asked.
“I told Cass,” Mina said. “But I thought I might have imagined it.”
“This is beyond weird,” Mato said. “When we found signs of people passing through here headed north there were dog tracks with them.”
“We need a meeting of the elders,” Asha said. “This is important to the whole tribe.”
“She’s right, Cass,” Mina said. “You and Mato call a meeting of the elders for tonight.”
Chapter 12
“I think we need to warn the others,” Shannon said.
“Why?” Dalton asked. “So the Lakota know people are here now. They’d find out sooner or later.”
“We need to at least let everyone know,” James said. “We don’t know how the Lakota will react to our being here.”
“I’ll make sure Banner is there,” Shannon said. “They may know how the Lakota will react.”
“Good,” Molly said. “Take Matthew with you. We’ll need Banner and the others there.”
The evening was chilly for mid-August. James decided to build a small fire in the fireplace to take the chill off the main room in the Center. They had started hanging dividers to separate the room into different family units.
The older couples would be closest to the fireplace, since they tended to get up early and appreciated being near the heat during the night.
A living area faced the fireplace and there were logs to sit on in addition to the three chairs. Everyone was in place when Shannon let the dogs enter. Banner and his three brothers, North, East and West, entered in single file. They settled in front of the fireplace as if they owned it. In a way, they did own it.
Molly stood and walked to the front of the room.
“Everyone,” Molly began. “Shannon is going to translate for Banner and the others. She’ll let us know if the dogs have something to say.”
Molly looked around the room to make sure everyone was listening. Even Jessica and little Jason seemed to be engaged with what was going on. Jason had recently turned four, and was becoming a serious little boy.
Matthew and Fala had noticed Banner sitting by Jason from time to time. Jason would be sitting quietly looking up at the sky. Matthew suspected Jason and Banner were beginning to talk with each other.
“Since coming here,” Molly began. “We’ve learned that the dogs have gained control over an area of land. We’re not too sure how far north it extends, but I have drawn a line around what we think is the boundary.”
Molly pointed at a map with a dark line drawn around a significant part of south western Dakota. The Rushmore region surrounding the Center was clearly marked on the very edge of the southern border. Nate walked over and looked closely at the map.
“Why are we living so close to the southern edge?” Nate asked. “We’re almost on top of the Lakota.”
“We’re not sure,” Molly said. “Shannon? Why did the dogs have us settle so close to the Lakota?”
There was a pause while Shannon concentrated on the dogs. After a few minutes, she nodded her head and turned back to the group.
“Banner heard us discuss the need to get settled before winter,” Shannon said. “This place was the closest spot with potential shelter. It also had always served as a central meeting point for the three packs. He says we can move further north in the spring if we choose.”
“Let’s get started,” Molly said. “You may have heard that Jessica and Max encountered an elderly Lakota woman this afternoon in the forest. We’re unsure what the Lakota will make of white people living in the land of the dogs. We have no way to reassure them either.”
“Why would they care?” Dalton asked. “We don’t mean them any harm. Besides, maybe they’ll think the old woman is seeing things.”
“Actually, Matthew said. “This is th
e second time the Lakota have spotted Jessica and Max watching them. I think they’ll probably believe the woman. We’re concerned they’ll feel threatened in some way.”
“What will the dogs do if the Lakota decide to drive us off?” Fala asked.
Again, Shannon concentrated on the dogs. When they were through, she nodded her head and turned back to the group.
“The dogs will attack,” Shannon said. “There is no compromise with the dogs and their territory. You can either stay out or die. They don’t have any gray areas on this.”
“Do the Lakota know this?” Fala asked.
“Yes,” Shannon said. “They sorted all this out a couple of years ago.”
“But our presence here may be too much for the Lakota,” Nate said. “They may feel they have to do something.”
“Exactly,” Molly said.
“Shannon?” Molly asked. “Are Banner and the others aware that the Lakota may try something anyway?”
Shannon asked the dogs and waited awhile before she got an answer. She looked concerned when she turned back to the group.
“I’m not sure I understand their answer,” Shannon said, a worried look on her face. “I think they said there are others watching the Lakota. I don’t know what they mean by others.”
****
The elders gathered in their lodge in the Lakota village. The main room was large. There was a steam room off to one side, almost as spacious as the main room. The steam room was used primarily by the elders, except during the coldest days of winter. Then many of the residents of village would crowd into the room to enjoy the warmth.
Although they were called elders, they really weren’t all that old. Both Mato and Cass were elders, as was Asha, since she was the leader of the gatherers. Mina had been invited to attend the council meeting as well.
A young man entered the lodge just as the elders were about to start. Leon had recently visited his relatives in a sister tribe located in southern Oklahoma. His relatives had told him stories of a white family traveling with a group of large black dogs. Mato invited him to see if could provide some insight into what was going on.
Cass stood and looked over at Mina. She nodded, indicating everyone was present.
