Cheyenne Moon (8 page)

“Abby...Abby, wake up there is smoke everywhere, Abby wake up.” Shadow Spirit yelled.

He picked her up and carried her to the entrance of the tepee. He tried to push the flap, but it was tied from the outside. He laid Abby down in front of the door and retrieved his knife to slice open the entrance flap. Shadow Spirit got Abby out of the smoke filled lodge and into the clean air. She began to cough and cry as she caught her breath. She turned her head to look in the direction of their lodge, where just hours before they had made love, was now engulfed in flames.

“Oh Shadow Spirit how could this have happened, we didn’t even have a fire going?”

Gray Wolf came running up dragging Lone Raven behind him. The woman was kicking and yelling at the top of her lungs, her hands were tied behind her back. Storm followed close to her heels, never taking his eyes off Lone Raven.

“I will tell you what I think happened. This vile woman set your lodge on fire and was caught by Storm while she was trying to get away. You know he has always sensed that Lone Raven was evil.” 

“Why would you think that Storm found Lone Raven?” Abby asked. 

“When the warriors that guard our horses at night heard the ruckus that Storm was making, he went to see what was wrong. Short Nose found Lone Raven on the ground with Storm standing over her as if he was daring her to move.” Gray Wolf stated.

“Why would she do such a thing? I warned her after she attacked Abby the last time, that if she brings anymore harm to Abby that she will be punished.”

“Do not talk as if I am not here, I am a member of this tribe and have been since I was born.” Lone Raven screamed. “I will not be punished for something I did to protect you from that whore; she probably gave herself to Black Heart just like she has to you. You are a fool Shadow Spirit.”

“Silence Woman you have no say in this. You have committed a horrendous crime against the future Chief and his wife. My beautiful wife is a wonderful person. She would never have done such a thing as to try to burn two people alive while they sleep. Do you have no heart, are you as cold and unfeeling as the one that was banished from our people many moons ago.” Shadow Spirit stated as he stared coldly down at Lone Raven.

“You do not know anything about Black Heart, but I will see that your wife gets to know him very well! I have waited for you to come to me for a long time, I wanted your love more than anything, but no more, and you can punish me anyway that you and the council see fit, but I will have my revenge and I will have help.

“Short Nose take this woman out of my sight, I will not stoop to her level, although I would very much like to strangle the life from her body. Take her to your lodge and tie her so that she cannot cause anyone anymore harm this night.” Shadow Spirit commanded.

“Shadow Spirit, do you wish me to walk with Abby to my lodge, so that Yellow Dove can be with her?” Gray Wolf asked.

“No my friend I wish for you to gather the council members together so that we can decide Lone Raven’ fate. I will take Abby to your lodge, and join you in the council lodge in a few minutes.”

“Shadow Spirit what will the council do to Lone Raven?”

“I do not know, but the punishment will be great.”

At Yellow Doves lodge, Shadow Spirit told Abby to wait for him inside, and went to join the others in council.

Yellow Dove was not inside when Abby entered, she sat down to wait for her.  She didn’t have to wait long before Yellow Dove entered with Green Eyes behind her.

“Oh my dear what has happened?”             

Abby related the story to the two women as best she could.             

“I knew Lone Raven was going to cause trouble for you and Shadow Spirit, I just knew it, the way she was lurking around and always watching you two.”  Yellow Dove exclaimed.

“Are you alright dear, did you get burned or did the smoke get in your lungs?” Green Eyes anxiously asked.

“No I’m fine; I am worried about Shadow Spirit though, he was coughing and seemed to be short of breath. He insisted on calling a meeting of the council right away. He said that Lone Raven’s fate must be decided tonight.”

“It is best if it is done now, she cannot get away with this. I am sure that he will be fine; he has been through worse than a little smoke. My son is a very strong man and a future leader of our people. You must trust him to do the right thing for everyone.”

“I do trust him I would trust him with my life as I have done before.” Abby said.

“I think that they should vote to burn her at the stake, but that won’t happen. They will probably banish her from our people for all time which to an Indian is a fate worse than death.” Yellow Dove exclaimed!

“Lone Raven is different than most, I do not think that she will take banishment with-out a fight. I truly hope that accepts her fate and leaves us in peace.” Green Eyes declared.

The sun was rising when Shadow Spirit and the council adjourned. Abby had dozed off and did not hear Green Eyes and Yellow Dove sneaks outside to hear the results of the meeting. 

“Shadow Spirit, what action is to be taken to punish Lone Raven?” Green eyes asked. 

“She is to be banished, never to come back or she will be killed. I think that the punishment is too easy, what is to keep her from coming here in the night. Where is Abby?”

“She is sleeping, she had a bad spell of coughing and I gave her I gave her tea made from the bark of the wild plum to quiet the cough.”  Green Eyes replied.  “Do you believe that Lone Raven will stay away and not cause any more trouble?”

Shadow Spirit looked thoughtfully at his Mother.  “I do not know but there will be extra guards in place from now until we move to our winter home. If she shows herself here she knows that she will be killed immediately, you would think that knowing she will die would defer her from coming close to us.”

“I hope that you are right my son. A sane person would stay away, but I do not believe that Lone Raven is sane, if she were she would not have tried to kill her chief’s son.”

Abby emerged from the lodge in time to see the worried look cross Shadow Spirit face. “What happened at the council meeting?” she asked. Green Eyes quietly left them alone.

“You do not have to worry about Lone Raven anymore she has been banished and is being escorted miles away from our home as we speak.” Shadow Spirit took her in his arms. “You will be safe. She cannot return with-out risking death.  Come let us go to my lodge, I mean our lodge. I am in need of sleep.

In their lodge, Abby finally began to relax as they lay on the sleeping mat and simply held each other.  “I hope Lone Raven stays away, I don’t want to see another person killed even if it is her,” Abby said as she snuggled closer to Shadow Spirit.

“I will do whatever it takes to protect our people, and especially you.  I do not know why she thought that I would ever be her mate; she has always tried to cause trouble in one way or another, ever since she was a little girl.”

“How many more women are waiting to be with you?”  Abby asked jokingly.

“It does not matter how many other women might want me, my heart and body belong only to you, My Love.”

“That is a good thing because anyone else who wants you will have to wait until I am through with you”

“When do you think that will happen?” He asked as serious as he could be. “I need to let them know when I will be taking a second wife. It is custom in our tribe to take the sister of your wife as a second wife, but since you have no sister I will have to look elsewhere.” He finished with a straight face.

Abby jumped up and was ready to storm out of the lodge when Shadow Spirit caught her by the ankle pulling her back down on the bed.  He wrapped his strong arms around holding her while she kicked and struggled to free herself as he laughed uncontrollably.

“Let me up,” she screamed. “We have only been married one day and already you are thinking of taking another wife, well I won’t have it.”

“Hold still, I was only playing, I do not want another wife I have a feeling that you are going to be more wife than I can handle.”  Shadow Spirit kissed her still trembling lips, as she gradually began the return his feeling. “I love only you Abby and no other women could ever take your place in my heart.”

“I am sorry you just sounded like you really intended to take another and I will never let that happen.” She nuzzled in closer to Shadow Spirit side and let out a sigh of contentment.

They made love again unhurriedly this time, each taking the time to truly please the other one. Thoughts of Lone Raven and other women no longer on their minds.

Abby awoke slightly frightened and alone. Where was Shadow Spirit? He had not mentioned that he had an early council meeting or a hunt. Then it dawned on her that the people were starting the move to the winter camp in the morning and there was much work to be done. 

Abby grabbed her supplies for a bath and headed for the creek. When she arrived, she found Yellow Dove partially hidden behind a bush, violently vomiting.  “Yellow Dove what is wrong, how long have you been sick,” she asked?

“Oh, just every morning for the last week it must be something I am eating. I cannot figure out what, I eat the same things that Gray Wolf eats.”

“My friend, I don’t think that this sickness has anything to do with the food that you eat. I believe that you are going to have a baby.”

“I have only been joined for one moon, can that happen so fast?”

“It doesn’t take years you know, it only takes one time.”

“Here it comes again, help me please!” Yellow Dove pleaded.

Abby held her friends hair back as she emptied her stomach, poor girl this would probably go on for another month or longer. Abby had seen some women in her community go through the same thing. She really hoped that Yellow Dove would not have this sickness for much longer. 

“Let me take you back to your lodge and find Gray Wolf for you.”

“No! If what you think is true, I want to find the right time to tell my husband.”

“Alright, but just sit here while I bathe, I will be quick.” Abby said.

“I will wait for you, I am a bit wobbly.”

Abby’s bath was wonderful, but quick. She dressed and returned to where Yellow Dove sat.  “How are you feeling?”

“I am beginning to feel better, maybe I will live.” She forced a laugh that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“I think I may be pregnant also.”

“Oh Abby I hope so, it would be wonderful to have someone to go through this with. Wait if you are also with child, why are you not sick?”

“From what I have heard all women are not sick, maybe I am one of the lucky ones. I think that I became pregnant the first time that Shadow Spirit and I were together.”

“I bet that I can guess when the first time was. It was the night before my wedding, you seemed to glow the next day, remember I asked you what was different.”

“You are right, I am so happy that you are my friend and that it may be that are babies were conceived one day apart,” Abby stated. “I haven’t said anything to Shadow Spirit about the baby, I also want to pick the right moment also.”

“Come let us go back to the village, there is much work to be done. I really dread this time of year, the trip to our winter camp takes a long time and it is a hard journey. I hope I am not so sick along the trail.”

Shadow Spirit was searching for Abby when she appeared with Yellow Dove coming from the creek.  His sister looked pale, and she was holding to Abby’s arm as if she was dizzy.

“Are you not well Yellow Dove,” he asked.

“I am fine, I just need time. I will talk to you later Abby.”

“Hello my husband, what do I need to do to get ready for in the morning?”

“I will help you to pack this time, but normally it is the woman’s job to pack up the belongings of the family.” Shadow Spirit smiled down at Abby as he hurried her into their lodge.

Inside the lodge, he kissed her long and passionately. “Shadow Spirit if you continue to do that I won’t get any work done,” she said as he nibbled at her ear.

“I will stop, for now, but I expect a reward later.”

They worked side by side all during the day. They packed up all their belongings that would not be needed for the night. They laid out buffalo robes on the travois, and piled the extra bedding on and tied everything up ready to be hooked to a horse in the morning. Abby learned that a travois was two long poles that had shorter poles that ran between to strap bundles of belongings to. A horse could pull three or four times as much weight on a travois as it could carry on its back. Sometimes the elderly or the sick were transported in this fashion.  Shadow Spirit father would travel to the camp on a travois, cushioned with several soft robes.

The extra corn, dried fruit, vegetables, and pemmican was put in parfleches and placed on the horse, similar to saddlebags. The things could be replaced when the people arrived at their new home; would be left behind.

Shadow Spirit went to check on his parents to help his mother finish packing.

“Hello Mother, is there anything that I do to help you?”

“I do not think so, I have completed the task every fall for many years, I believe I am getting good at it, but thank you,” she said. “Are you and Abby finished?”

“Yes we have done everything that can be done tonight, and have had our evening meal. Is Father feeling better?’

“He has had a good day today. He has tried to tell me how to pack everything,” Green Eyes said with a smile. “Is Abby exhausted?”

“Yes, she had gone to the creek to take a bath when I came to check on you. Is Father sleeping?”

“He was talking with Yellow Dove when I came out to cook.”

Inside the lodge, Yellow Dove was gently rubbing their father’s back. “Hello Father, are you feeling better today?” Shadow Spirit asked.

“Yes I am, my son. I have had some wonderful news from your sister. I will be a grandfather in the coming summer. The news has made this old chiefs heart soar, I think that it has given me a new reason to hang on to life.”

Shadow Spirit had not seen his father look this well in a long time. “That is wonderful news Father. Is there anything that you need me to take care of before we start our journey?”

“No my son, go be with your wife.”

“I will go as Shadow Spirit does Father, I love you,” Yellow Dove said.

Once outside Shadow Spirit began to tease his sister; “Well little sister you look better than you did early this morning. Is the baby the reason you were green?”

“I am fine in the evening, the mornings are torture. I thought that it was something that I had eaten, but Abby said she thought that I was with child. Once I thought about it, I knew she was right. Have you talked much to Abby today?”

“We have worked and I have showed her how to pack a travois and a parfleche, but she never mentioned that you were going to be a mother.”

“I asked her not to, I needed to tell Gray Wolf first”

“It is good news Sister. I will go now, I have been gone a while, Abby should be finished with her bath by now.”

“Good night Shadow Spirit, tell Abby I said thank you.”

“Good night”

When Shadow Spirit returned to his lodge, Abby was curled up on the matt, sleeping soundly.  He quietly slipped in beside her, trying not to wake her.  She turned and snuggled up against his side.  “I began to thank that you had left me for good,” she whispered.

“I thought that you were asleep”

“I was waiting for you but I was so tired that I could not stay awake. I had something to tell you,”

“I know about the baby, my father told me”

“How did he find out?”

“Yellow Dove told him”

“She was not supposed to tell anyone before I had a chance to tell you,”

“Why”

“Don’t you think I should be the one to tell you?”

“What are you talking about, why should you be the one to tell me about Yellow Dove’s baby?” He was becoming more confused.

“So you only know about her baby”

“Who else…Oh my beautiful Abby do you mean that we are also having a child?”  He cried with joy as he gathered her close to his heart.

“Yes we are going to have a baby. I hope that it is a son that will grow up strong and handsome like his father.” 

“When”

“I think that he will arrive in May. I believe that I became pregnant the night before Yellow Dove’s wedding.”

“You are so sure that we are having a boy,” he said as he gathered her closer to him. “I do not know if my mother can handle two grandchildren in the same month, I pray that my father lives long enough to see his grandchildren.”

He looked down at Abby only to find that she had fallen back to sleep. He sighed and thought of what a wonderful life that was ahead of them. The fact that he had kept her fathers’ death from her came back to haunt him.