1- The Glass Room 2- The Spirit Stone -3-bear Hugs-4- Believe (13 page)

“It is the color of a rain cloud now, but if our spirits fill it, it is the color of fire. Then if one of us dies then it turns back to the color of a rain cloud and the heart beat stops.”

“Oh, I hope I never feel it like that; but the one that dies waits for the other, right?”

“Yes, the one that dies waits until the other is mated again.”

“I have also heard the same stories told as we sat around our fire. This is what I have heard. If the stones are cold, that means the lovers couldn’t find each other in the spirit world. But if they are warm, the lovers are together for always. These stones are telling us the lovers are lost to each other. We can make them ours. Let me show you. Hold your part of the stone and cup it in both of your hands. Wait. I will do mine at the same time.” He cupped his hands around the stone. “Now while holding it to your mouth, blow your warm breath on the stone. I will do that at the same time. We have to blow our breath three times on it. Ready?” She said yes. They together did it.

“Now let’s hold it close to our hearts.” And they did. “Now look at the stones.”

“It changed colors. Can you see it now? Both of the stones are the color of fire. Feel its warmth. Is yours warm?”

“Yes. Now together, let’s put them together, very carefully, where they will fit. “ She did place her part together with his. “A perfect fit,” she said.

“Now tell me what you feel.”

“I feel a movement. No, wait, it feels like a heart beat. You feel.”

“Yes, put one of your hands on my chest and on the stone. Do you feel the same beat?”

“Yes, now you do that to my heart. Now do you feel the same heart beat?”

“Yes, it is alive with our spirits together. It is now our Spirit Stone.” He reached over and put his cheek next to hers. “See the tiny holes on each?” He took a strip of rawhide, the size of a pine needle, and said, “Let me have both of them and I will make you a necklace to wear close to your heart. It will keep our spirits together even when we are apart; our own lovers Spirit Stone. Those stories we heard all of our lives are true.” They were both happy as he placed the necklace around her neck.

As she made her way home, she kept feeling the heat of the stone. It made her feel happy knowing they were both in love. She didn’t know what she would do about her mating with Straight Arrow. She didn’t love him; she never did. She was sure of it now that she knew what love felt like. She also knew that she had to keep the Spirit Stone hidden from everyone, even her mother. She slipped into her sleeping wrap and was glad it went up to her neck. Her mother asked her one day why she hides to dress and because she did not want her to know about her new lover, she had to lie. She said it was because she has seen seventeen full circles of seasons and her body was changing and she was shy.

When she went swimming, she would hide her Spirit Stone in the toe of her moccasins so her secret stayed hidden.

Chapter Four
 

Night Hawk felt happier than he ever felt before. He had to tell someone so he turned to his closest friend, Long Snake.

When many of the warriors were making arrowheads he whispered to Long Snake, “I want to speak with you alone.”

He knodded. He knew not to ask questions to his friend because he thought of him as a wild one, capable of anything. They met right before the sun disappeared and sat far away from the others.

“I am in love.”

“You? I never thought you would be satisfied with a mate or even several mates of your own. Do I know her?”

“No, she is not Comanche. She is Apache; a beautiful Apache.”

“Are you crazy? They are our enemy. How do you think you can mate an enemy?”

“I don’t know, but I will. It is what I want and I will have her. You know I will fight to my death for what I want and I want her. She is beautiful and she wants me, too. She is promised to the Apache Chief’s son, Straight Arrow.”

“Now I know you are crazy as a coon trapped in a cage for a long time. Everyone knows about Straight Arrow. He is more violent than you. It would take more than you to bring him to his death. If she is promised to him, you better forget her and find another. We have beautiful squaws in our people.”

“I will have her! Do you hear me? Will you help me if I need you?”

“Now you want me to die for something that is not worth dieing for.”

“She is worth dieing for to me.”

“We will speak of this later.” Long Snake said.

The Comanche Tribe lived in a beautiful canyon. High mountains surrounded the place they chose to put up their tepees. It was here that all was gathered around the central fireplace. First they ate, then they told stories. When everyone asked him for a story, he thought about the Spirit Stone story, but decided not to speak of it. “I have no story now. I listen now.” The night was filled with laughter at the stories. Some were told with motions of jumping or dancing or singing. When it was time for sleep, Night Hawk was planning his moves. Sleep would not come to him.

What the Comanche tribe loved the most was doing tricks on their horses. Changing from sitting to standing while their horses ran was exciting to them. They also rode hanging on one side of the horse where they could not be seen. They found this useful when sneaking into battle. Each tried to out do the other with different positions on their fast running horses. It also came in good for when they were hunting, to sneak up on animals. While they were competing with each other, word was spread around that another meeting was to take place in the council tepee. All warriors were to be present to listen to Chief Buffalo Bull. The excitement of riding their horses stopped and the excitement of receiving order from their Chief was waiting for them.

They all had their same seating. Night Hawk sat to the right of Chief Buffalo Bull just two spaces from him. Next came Long Snake. They waited to hear what was needed to be done by the best Comanche warriors and hunters that they were.

“Our supplies are running low. One of our lookout riders has seen large herds of buffalos; not just for meat, but for warm clothes and tepee tops and everything they provide us with. You all are my best horsemen and can kill enough while running your horses. Or we might run them over the cliff and kill most all of them. I do not like that way. We don’t want to kill more than we need. They need to breed so we will always have them for our needs. They will be nearing our northern cliffs two moons from now. Be ready. I have spoken.”

The peace pipe was passed around as a ritual to a good meeting.

All loved the excitement of chasing and killing the buffalos. They checked their bows and made sure they had plenty arrows and arrowheads. Spears were also made ready. All the squaws were also getting ready for their work was soon beginning. They knew to work fast in preserving everything useful of the great beast. One moon passed with them hearing the pounding of hoofs as they placed their ears to the ground. Excitement was mounting in all. Half way of another moon they mounted their horses. The squaws waited for their cue to go running after the slaughter was over. That’s when their work began. Louder and louder the sounds from the buffalos came, sending the horseback riders getting behind them sending them on the run. Horses running, buffalos running, arrows flying in the air hitting their targets; warriors howling, thumping sounds loud as the animals fell to the ground, dead. Over and Over until they had killed as many as they needed not wanting to wipe out the whole herd.

Next came the squaws running and went to work as fast as they could before wolves or coyotes or buzzards helped themselves to free kill. Flies multiplied. It sent the women working faster. When the hides were removed, then the beast was butchered and hurriedly placed on the travois that the horses would pull back to their village. Covers were fast to be thrown over the meat. But getting them back to their home grounds only began other chores for them. Meat had to be smoked; some dried. Some were salted heavily to protect them from rotting. Some of the inners were removed and boiled; bones separated as to their usage. Bladders and kidneys were to be cleaned for the water containers. Even the sinew was used for thread. Every part of these animals was used. There was nothing left without a use. The liver had been removed first for the warriors to eat raw. That was a ritual that was always observed.

When all work was finished, they celebrated by reenacting the hunting tactics that they used by pretending they had bow and arrows in their hands and riding on horses, throwing spears. They sang songs of hunting and songs of war as they sat around the large fire pit and enjoyed eating from their kill.

As the moon was turning dark it sent Night Hawk on his way into the enemy territory. He was happy to be seeing Raven again. He missed her. He arrived a little early and hid so as not to be seen.

She waited until it was quiet and slipped out of the tepee. She knew he would be there waiting. He was. They rushed into each others arms; so happy to be together again. After they shared their love, they sat in the dark forest, side by side.

“How is our Spirit Stone doing?” he asked her.

She turned her buckskin dress inside out to show him. “I have sewed pouches on the inside of all my clothes. I did not want to take a chance of someone seeing it and touching it and breathing on it. “

“Now that it is alive in our spirits, they could not hurt it to breath on it. The stone will only allow our spirits. It is only when the stone is cold that someone else can use it. But I do think it is a good idea to hide it. It is a lover’s stone also and because you are promised, if Straight Arrow saw it, it would cause you problems. The time will come for us to make battle for you. You do know that don’t you?”

“I don’t want to think about that. I can’t bear to have either of you hurt.”

“It has to be. I will not let you go. I want you. I love you and need you with me. Not just when the moon is dark, but always. There is no other way. It must be.”

“There is something big going on here with my people. Our Chief Running Bear was speaking with our lookout rider. He sees many, many strange people coming toward our land. They are coming with what they call wagons with covers over them. There are children with them and their mothers and fathers. They are coming to cut trees and make homes with them on our traveling territory and here. We can not give our land to them. They must be stopped. Our warriors are going to leave to stop them.”

“And Straight Arrow is going with them?”

“Yes, of course. He is their leader at war times.”

“How far are these new people?”

“On horseback, they are seven moons away, but they are coming straight to our people.”

“They must stop them before they get too close. I do not want you hurt. I do not want new people on our land either. I will talk to my Chief and see if he heard about it from our lookout rider. Now let’s look at our Spirit Stone.”

She undid the draw string pouch and took out the stone. “See it is still warm with our hearts beating together and it is the color of fire like you said. I am very proud of it because it is ours.”

“Yes, I feel it. I want to share my love with you again. Now.”

“Yes, I am ready for your love.”

Chapter Five
 

“Where have you been?” Long Snake whispered to him.

“What is that to you?”

“After what you told me, I wonder when you leave if I will see you again.”

“You are my true friend. I have a plan. I want your help.”

“I have been expecting that. Tell me?”

“I know where Straight Arrow will be in seven moons. I want to be there ahead of him and get him alone even though he will be with all his warriors. They are going to make war with new people coming north of us to Apache land. I will kill him then if I can get him alone.”

“And you want me to help you kill him?”

“No, I fight my own battles. I want you there if he kills me to bring my body home and place me high in burial ground. You will do that for me?”

“I will bring your body home. I will not let you rot in enemy territory.”

“Good. We will leave in three moons. We must make sure we have our throwing knives and tomahawks sharp. We must tell of our need to have travel food.”

They left as they planned. As they neared the new people, they traveled by night not to be seen. They tied their horses in a field far enough away and out of sight. They were by water and lush grass. They would not abuse their horses who they felt was part of them. Then they got closer to the new people, but out of their sight. They laid on their stomachs and watched the new people. Strange people, they thought. All their covered wagons were in a circle when they stopped. In the middle, women were cooking. It made them realize they needed to eat, too, and reached for their traveling food.

Long Snake was watching the lady in a gray dress and gray shawl thrown around her shoulders. She sat sewing. It reminded him of his mother for she was always sewing. Even when they went to sleep, several men stayed guard watching while holding their guns. One more moon away from the Apache war party, and they would be there. He wondered what Night Hawk had planned. How did he expect to get Straight Arrow alone if he was coming to lead his warriors? He didn’t want to bring his friend home dead. He didn’t even want to think about that.

The night was cool enough now that they were wearing their legging and buckskin shirts. Moccasins, they always wore, were covering their feet. The waiting was getting to him. He was a man of action, not to be still.

The people still had their wagons in a circle the next morning. They were cooking again. Night Hawk and Long Snake placed their ears on the ground. Even though the war party was coming quietly, they heard them. The new people did not. They were too busy cooking and eating and talking. The two Comanche could watch, but could not be seen.

Quietly, Straight Arrow led the Apache warriors to attack. They swarmed down on the people all at the same time. Plates, pots, seats went flying in the air from the people while arrows were flying in their direction; most hitting their targets. There were dead bodies sprawled out on the ground while the earth was covered with blood. Straight Arrow did not attack, but just led his warriors to battle.