Night Thunder's Bride: Blackfoot Warriors, Book 3 (39 page)

Kit Fox Society—all Indian tribes had different societies for men and for women. They denoted different social strata. Prince Maximilian, who visited Blackfoot country in the early 1830s, was probably the first white man to observe the different Blackfoot societies. He noted that there were seven of these societies and that each of them had their own dances and songs, as well as their own regalia.

Medicine—described by George Catlin in his book
Letters and Notes on the Manners, Customs, and Conditions of North American Indians,
“‘Medicine’ is a great word in this country;…The word medicine, in its common acceptation here, means
mystery,
and nothing else; and in that sense I
shall
use it very frequently in my Notes and Indian Manners and Customs. The fur traders in this country are nearly all French; and in their language, a doctor or physician, is called
‘medecin.’
The Indian country is full of doctors; and as they are all magicians, and skilled, or profess to be skilled, in many mysteries, the word ‘medecin’ has become habitually applied to everything mysterious or unaccountable;…”

More-than-friend—in most Indian tribes, a more-than-friend refers to friends of the same gender who have made a pact to fight together and hunt together, etc. in an effort to increase both persons’ potential of survival. Such is a friend, but more. It was expected that if one of them had troubles, so, too, did the other take on those troubles as his own, helping to find solutions.

Parfleches—a bag fashioned out of buffalo hide and used by the Indians to store clothing, food and other articles. An Indian used parfleches much as the white man uses a chest of drawers. They were often highly decorated and some were sewn in patterns “owned” by a particular family, thus easily recognized.

Rock of Cashel—an Irish saying which usually goes, “As firm as the Rock of Cashel.”

Scalplocks—can be a reference to hair at the top of one’s head—that part that was most often “scalped.” Or this can refer to hair which adorns Indian clothing, on shirts and leggings, etc.

Sits-beside-him woman or
wife—
in
Indian tribes that practiced polygamy, this referred to the favored wife, usually the first wife. She directed all the other wives and had the right to sit next to her husband at important meetings.

Snakes—this refers to the Shoshoni or Snake Indians. They bordered the Blackfeet on the south and west and were traditional enemies of the Blackfeet.

Sun Dance—in Blackfoot society, a religious ceremony where the warriors show honor to Sun and where a warrior becomes a man. Many warriors received a vision during these ceremonies.

Sun Dance camp—this was a camp where all the Blackfeet tribes came together in celebration, usually in August. The camp would last as long as a month, sometimes less. There was always good feeling and great celebration, including many different dances performed every night, as well as secret society dances and celebrations.

Wheen—an Irish word meaning a small quantity of something.

About the Author

Author of seventeen American Indian Historical Romances, Karen Kay aka Gen Bailey, has been praised by reviewers and fans alike for bringing the Wild West alive for her readers.

Karen Kay, whose great-great grandmother was a Choctaw Indian, is honored to be able to write about something so dear to her heart, the American Indian culture.

“With the power of romance, I hope to bring about an awareness of the American Indian’s concept of honor, and what it meant to live as free men and free women. There are some things that should never be forgotten.”

Find Karen Kay online at
www.novels-by-karenkay.com
.

Look for these titles by Karen Kay

Now Available:

Lakota

Lakota Surrender

Lakota Princess

Proud Wolf’s Woman

Blackfoot Warriors

Gray Hawk’s Lady

White Eagle’s Touch

Coming Soon:

Legendary Warriors

War Cloud’s Passion

Lone Arrow’s Pride

Soaring Eagle’s Embrace

Written in the stars…

Soaring Eagle’s Embrace

© 2012 Karen Kay

The Legendary Warriors, Book 4

Kali Wallace has no room in her busy life for marriage. Instead, she is following her father into a photography career, striving to capture the beauty of the Wild West and its vanishing Indian cultures before they both disappear forever.

Montana’s Blackfeet country is everything she could have dreamed—and more. At night a handsome man gently invades her sleep. Their nightly encounters become more and more real until one bright morning, she is startled to find everything has changed.

Lawyer by profession, Blackfeet by blood, Clay Soaring Eagle is determined to do everything in his power—legally and spiritually—to save his people’s way of life. He trusts no one of the white race, and hopes that once Kali’s task is done, she will leave and take temptation with her.

The spirits have their own plan. As their passion burns with a brightness that rivals the stars, Clay and Kali are aware that it can never last…unless they find a way to make their two worlds come together as one.

Warning: Contains soul-stirring dreams, passionate unions, and a mountain-top quest that will leave you hungry to see these two lovers get their happily ever after.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Soaring Eagle’s Embrace:

“I thought you wished to take pictures of my people.”

“I do.”

“And if you take these pictures, what will you do with them?”

Kali felt herself relax. On this subject, she was on familiar ground. She said, “My father and I will make them into a book, which will be sold back East.”

“Ah,” he said. “Then this is how you and your father make your living in the white man’s world?”

“Yes.”

“Then it is your wish to make money off us Indians.”

Kali shrugged. “Yes,” she said. “In a way. But in a way, not.”

“And how will we Indians profit by your pictures?”

“By bringing more understanding of you and your people’s plight to the world. After all, if the native people of America were better understood, you would be able to enlist more aid to your cause.”

He raised an eyebrow, his glance at her hard-hitting. “You are a wise woman,” he said, “yet I don’t think you are wise enough. You tell me that you wish to take our pictures, tell our stories, relate our adventures, yet you do not offer the Indian anything in compensation, though these adventures are rightfully ours.”

“I hadn’t thought about it. It’s not something that has ever been brought up to us before.”

“Always,” he said, “the white man has explanations.”

Kali shook her head and pulled a face. “That’s too bad, really.”

“Too bad?”

“You are a very prejudiced man.”

“I am a realistic man.”

“All right, then. I suppose you are too realistic to take a dare, then, as well?”

“A dare?”

“Yes. I must admit that I have come into this project blind. I should have learned more about the situation and what was confronting the people I wished to contact—before I arrived. However, I didn’t. Be that as it may, I am prepared to parlay with you.”

“Parlay? In what way?”

“Tonight I was besieged with bigotry not only from you but from the agent’s wife, Mrs. Black. It leads me to believe that there is something going on here that needs investigation. Therefore, I am prepared to make a bargain with you.”

“Humph.”

“Here it is. I will acquaint you with what I do so that you can more fully understand why I am here. You, for your part, will show me what is going on between you and the ranchers who share this land with you. Then we will examine the facts and make our own judgments. If I am right, and my pictures do not do harm, you will do all you can to help introduce me to your chiefs and your people, perhaps talk them around to meeting me and letting me take their pictures. If, on the other hand, you convince me that I am hurting people by doing this, I will leave.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but she held up a hand.

“You will, for your part, show me what is happening on your reservation. If you are right, and the white ranchers are trying to push you out, I will do all I can to help you fight this. If, however, you are wrong and the ranchers have just cause to do as they are, you will do all you can to convince your people to help them.”

“I will never help the white ranchers. And I will not put myself into a position where I might ever have to do so. No, I don’t think I will bet with you.”

“I see,” she said, biting down on her lip. “You’re afraid.”

He frowned at her. “Only at the prospect of being hoodwinked by a small redheaded woman.” He softened the words with a grin. Then, after a moment, “Who would decide if the white ranchers have ‘just cause’?”

“Why, both you and I, of course.”

“And you will listen to me?”

“I will listen to you.”

“And if we don’t agree?”

“We will examine only the facts and keep examining them until we do agree,” she said. “In truth, I would be willing to bet that you have simply misunderstood the actions of those who live around you. If it’s not a case of simple misunderstanding, then—”

“And if I am right, if you discover that I speak the truth? What then?”

“Then you would win the bet, I would help you and I would have to pay you whatever we decide are the stakes.”

He leaned in toward her. “And what are the stakes?”

“Well, for my part, if I win, I would like you to help me get as many pictures as I can. If you win, hadn’t we already decided that my father and I would leave?”

He pursed his lips, nodding. “It sounds good, but I’m not sure I like it.”

“What about it don’t you like?”

“It is not personal enough.”

“Personal?”

“
Aa
.
It is not a small thing that you ask of me if you should win the bet. I think you should wager with something you do not wish to part with.”

“I am.” She crossed her arms. “If you win, I would have to leave.”

“Yes, but is that enough? At least in comparison to what you ask of me.”

“I see,” she said, then a little sarcastically, “I suppose you have something in mind?”

He appeared to mull this over, although Kali was certain he had something firmly fixed in his thoughts. Several moments passed. At last, however, he spoke up, saying, “If you win, I will do as you say and try to persuade the others to agree to your photos and to understand the whites around us. But if I win…”

Kali waited. “Yes?”

“If
I win, you will do as I say…even though the request might be a little intimate.”

Kali’s stomach dropped; she raised her chin. “Exactly how intimate?”

He grinned. “It is told by our elders that, in the past, young men were willing to use their wives as the stakes in a wager. The woman had no say in it, even if she loved her husband. She went to the winner willingly, and in marriage.”

Kali stared at this man who stood before her so handsome and proud, who probably had half the female members of his village running after him. And he was asking her to…what? Aloud, she said, “Are you telling me that if you win you might ask me to marry you?”

“Or something like that.”

“How much like that?”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Perhaps the physical side of it.”

Kali spun away from him, although it did her little good. She could feel the heat of his glance on her back. She said, “If you are asking what I think you are, it is immoral. And I’m certain that your society isn’t that much different than mine when it comes to such things.”

He didn’t speak for some time, and he must have come up close to her, for when he next spoke, she could feel his breath on the back of her neck. He said, “Yet it is certainly a high enough stake. And you are an attractive woman.”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

These were thrilling words, wonderful words, even if she didn’t believe them, and she clenched her fists to keep herself from reacting to him. She said, “I think you are being impertinent.”

She could feel him shrug. “It would, at least, make the wager interesting.”

She sniffed. “I’m not that desperate.”

His face must have been close to her ear, for when he whispered, “Neither am I
,”
she heard him distinctly. Then he went on to say, “But then, a kiss is perhaps too much to ask of a white woman.”

A kiss?
She spun around so quickly, she wheeled off-balance. He caught her, his hands grabbing hold of her waist to steady her. “That’s all you’ve been speaking of? A kiss?”