Lakota Winds (Zebra Historical Romance) (43 page)

During a short council meeting, it was voted that retaliation against
Sroka would take place later if the Crow remained in Dakota territory,
as they must prepare for winter before heading into battle.

After a feast the previous night, they were honored with coup chanting. It was evident their people loved, respected, and were grateful to
them. And their parents, friends, and the men's societies were filled with pride and elation with their deeds and safe returns. Rainbow Girl
had been so overjoyed to have her husband back alive and unharmed
that she could not keep her eyes off him and quickly coaxed him away
to privacy.

Chumani wished she had privacy with Wind Dancer tonight, but
that was not to be. Worse, they were breaking camp at first light to
move to their next hunting site, as they must follow wherever the largest
buffalo herds roamed. Chumani closed her eyes and ordered herself to
go to sleep, for there was much work ahead for her.

They traveled for several days past small groupings of buffalo and
halted when their leaders sighted an extensive herd and with a river
nearby to provide fresh water. The men began carrying out their chores,
and some were assigned as guards around the large camp, others sent
to scout the surrounding area for signs of enemies. The women went
to work setting up their tepees and drying racks while young girls fetched
water and collected buffalo chips and scrubwood for fires, and the elders
tended their grandchildren for busy parents. Soon meals were being
cooked, and the willow hut to seclude themselves during their blood
flows had been erected.

The willow hut was completed shortly after Chumani's flow began
and she went there in a near dejected spirit. She was happy she was not
with child at this busy and hazardous time, but she had looked forward
with great eagerness to a passionate night alone with her husband. It
had been eighteen moons since they had last united their bodies, and
hers was starved for his intimate touch.

During their journey to this campsite, Wind Dancer had ridden close
to her for most of the time, as he was still recovering from recent events.
He had been in a good mood every sun and moon, and grew stronger
with the passing of each. His injuries, except for those received from
the ritual, were healed, and those sacred cuts were doing fine with her
tending. She had enjoyed his conversation and light touches, but she
yearned for more, something that sleeping in the open amidst a crowd did not allow. Soon, she told herself, as three days of separation was all
she required.

As other females joined her in the cansakawakeya, Chumani received
news of the happenings beyond her confinement. As planned, they
were situated closer to the enormous herd than usual so the hunters,
butcherers, and travois riders could be protected during their tasks,
along with those working near their lodges. A hunting party did not
have to camp on the grassland for days before changing places with the
next one; it could return at dusk and leave again the next dawn, as the
men were careful to hunt on the herd's fringes and to prevent spooking
the beasts into moving away.

The women in camp had busied themselves drying meats to prepare
in several ways, washing garments at the river, collecting plants and
berries and soils for making dyes and paints, and doing other daily
chores.

Some groups of women gathered sources of other foods, medicines,
and flavorings from along the banks of the river and nearby streams
and on the bountiful Plains.

So far, no trouble had struck at their bands, and Chumani was
relieved. Yet, she felt helpless and excluded and tensed by this natural
part of a female's Life-Circle, as there was much she wanted to be doing,
much of which included being with her beloved husband. She scolded
herself for some of those bad thoughts and feelings, but they continued
to creep into her mind.

A full moon seemed to pour liquid light through the top ventilation
flap which was spread open to its widest angle for fresh air, as the entry
flap was sealed. Its glowing stream washed over two naked bodies
positioned beneath it as Wind Dancer and Chumani finally cuddled
together after their lengthy separation. At last, twenty-one moons of
denial would end, and they were filled with joy and excitement.

Wind Dancer was thrilled to be holding her again. Even passing one
sun without her in his arms or sight was a great sacrifice. He lay with his left hip touching the buffalo mat and his right leg nestled intimately
between hers. For a while, all he did was admire her beauty. Thoughts
of her had helped him endure both the Crow brutalities and the demands
of the recent ritual. He could never love or possess her enough to sate
himself.

Chumani used the sole of her left foot to stroke the hard muscles
on his calf, delighting in the feel of his flesh. As his hands roamed her
body and fondled her breasts and his mouth teased a meandering path
across her face and neck, her fingers wandered over his strong back and
shoulders. She was careful to avoid the injured areas on his chest where
a snug leather band was secured to hold the jagged flesh in place while
it healed. Her lips pressed kisses to his temple and hair as his head
moved constantly to give her various pleasures. She could not suppress
happy giggles as his tongue playfully flicked her nipples, then he nibbled
at her earlobe.

Wind Dancer paused to murmur, "It is good to hear your laughter
again, micante; its sweet sound touches and pleases me as the songs of
the Creator's birds." His questing mouth closed over hers and he welcomed her ardent response.

"I love you, micante. You fill me with more joy and peace each sun
than I believed was possible when I joined to you, and that was as high
as a mountain and as wide as the Plains. You are as much a part of me
as my body and spirit, and they cannot survive without you to feed
their needs. I thank the Great Spirit every sunrise for giving you to
me."

"As I thank Him for giving you to me. When I saw Sroka and his
band encircle you, I feared you would be lost to me. I sent many prayers
to the Great Spirit to save you and return you to me. When you were
taken to his camp, my fear grew larger and it was hard to have faith in
our Creator. I did not wish to exist without you in my arms and life.
My heart leapt with joy when the Spirit Dog guided me to you. I
thanked Wakantanka and asked forgiveness for my doubts of Him and
His powers. Then, I was forced to watch you challenge the Sun Dance and face death again. I must not lose you, mihigna, for you make my
existence each sun and moon worthwhile."

"You will never lose me, mitawin, for we are bound as one forever,
matched and joined by the Great Spirit, and blessed by Him."

Their mouths met in a kiss of deep commitment and endless love,
as they united their bodies and sought sweet ecstasy. They murmured
words of endearment as they traveled passion's wild and wonderful trail.

As they lay snuggled afterward, Wind Dancer remembered he had
not told her about his vision following the ritual before they broke
camp. He had wanted to wait until they had privacy, but decided this
was not the time to share that bad news and risk spoiling this special
moment.

Many suns passed as the Oglala and Brule bands carried out their
daily and seasonal tasks, and many moons were filled with passionate
encounters for Wind Dancer and Chumani. He continued to delay his
revelation about his vision, as he did not want to raise fears and unhappiness until it became necessary. Both shamans, chiefs, and the Strong
Hearts knew of the sacred message to him, but, they, too, did not want
to alarm their families and people during this time of peace and hard
work.

At last, they were compelled to relocate their camp again to follow
the buffalo's movements. Then their tasks began anew.

Three suns after they relocated, scouts returned at midday to relate
bad news to Chief Rising Bear, who summoned both councils and their
warriors. Chumani, as the Vision Woman, was allowed to sit in on the
grave meeting, but was not permitted to smoke the ceremonial pipe as
it was passed from man to man until all had shared the breath of
Wakantanka.

Nahemana stood to speak to the large gathering. "It is as my grandson
saw in his vision after his Sun Dance ritual; Sroka and his people have
not left our lands and must be driven out by force. Our scouts sighted their camp one sun's ride from this place. We must carry out the message
given to Waci Tate. Speak, micinksi, and all will listen and obey."

Chumani watched her husband in confusion and dismay; she could
not understand why he had not confided such important things to her.
She listened in rising astonishment to what he had kept from her so
long.

Wind Dancer rose. "When I was taken captive by Sroka, he revealed
his plan to defeat us," he said. "He wanted to destroy all we possessed
and prevent us from gathering food and other needs for the coming
winter so we would freeze and starve and the Crow could steal our land.
We will use his evil trick against him and destroy theirs. We must halt
their threat to our people; we must attack his camp."

"How can we protect our camp while we attack his?" Blue Owl
asked.

"Twenty Strong Hearts will be chosen from each band to carry out
this deed while all other warriors remain here to defend our camp. The
Strong Hearts will pull stones from a pouch; those with marks will join
my war party, as will Red Feather, War Eagle, and Fire Walker."

Chumani realized neither her nor Zitkala's name had been included.
She wondered why, but thought it best not to ask during the meeting.

"How can only forty warriors and four leaders attack such a large
and powerful enemy?"

Wind Dancer looked at their war chief. "We will set fire to his camp.
We will burn their lodges and the provisions they need to survive
winter."

"Grass is dry in this season; fire will spread across the Plains."

"No. Blue Owl, the Great Spirit will not allow his creatures to be
harmed or the face of Mother Nature to be destroyed, only our enemies.
That is what I was shown in my vision."

"How will you make such a large and powerful fire?" Blue Owl
continued to ask the questions which filled the others' minds.

"This is the plan shown to me in my vision," Wind Dancer said,
and related it, causing many gazes to widen and many heads to nod in
awe and agreement. "We will choose the war party now and ride out as soon as we gather our supplies. We will attack the Crow camp on
the next moon."

Chumani was consumed by dread. Was there still a chance she could
lose her beloved husband this season? Could his daring and dangerous
plan succeed? How so when the Apsaalooke tribe was many and powerful? And why could she not go with him this time?

After they reached their tepee, Chumani asked, "Why did you not tell
me about your vision? Why am I to be left here?"

Wind Dancer caressed her cheek. "After I found victory in the ritual,
much happiness lived in your heart and life; I did not want to take
them from you for a while," he began his answer. "I did not want
worries of Sroka to dwell in your mind each sun and moon when they
could change nothing looming ahead at a distance I did not know. It
was the same for our people; they had much work to do and joy filled
their hearts; we did not want to distract them from their tasks and bring
them sadness and fear. I knew the Great Spirit would give us a warning
when danger approached; that is why we sent scouts to search the area
each sun."

By "we," Chumani knew he referred to their shamen, chiefs, and
his Strong Hearts Society. Upon discovery of this secret, as the Vision
Woman, she had been surprised that Sees-Through-Mist had not confided in her. She had been dismayed her father had not revealed such
information to her and hurt and disappointed Wind Dancer had withheld the truth. Yet, her husband's motives were wise and kind ones, so
she quashed those unjust feelings against him and the others. She listened
and smiled as he continued.