People of the Fire (72 page)

 
          
 
Have to time this just right. Have to duck so
she hits the Wolf Bundle. Then she's destroyed herself No one will challenge me
after that! He glared victory down into her eyes, seeing the last of her sanity
crumble in rage.

 
          
 
“Yes, that's what the Wolf Bundle told me! I
hear its voice now!" He raised the Wolf Bundle, placing just so.

 
          
 
"Liar!" a voice called from the
darkness.

 
          
 
Tanager froze at the start of her leap, eyes
going to the evening shadows.

 
          
 
Tanager watched them come, unable to move,
knowing she should launch into Blood Bear. An elderly woman—no, a
berdache
—limped into the light of the fire. A nervous young
man—Elk Charm's Short Buffalo husband—followed, a stricken look on his face. He
had eyes only for the Wolf Bundle. A faint sweat sheen glazed the young man's
skin, heightening the anguish in his eyes. Behind them all walked a huge black
wolf, deadly yellow eyes taking each person's measure. The animal stopped to
stare at Blood Bear, ears going back.

 
          
 
"Liar!" the young man repeated,
voice strained. "Don't you know what you've done? How many times have you
lied on the Wolf Bundle? How many times have you—"

 
          
 
"Little Dancer." Blood Bear swelled
his chest, walking out to meet him. "And, of course, Two Smokes. This
time, you've finished yourselves. What's this? Come to spy on us? Is that it?
You're here to find out how many we are? To take information to the Short
Buffalo?"

 
          
 
Two Smokes looked as if he'd eaten something
rotten. "The only thing I'll never understand is why the Bundle hasn't
killed you yet."

 
          
 
"Give it to me." Little Dancer
extended trembling hands. "Give it to me, and maybe you'll have saved your
life. Can't you feel the Power swelling, growing?"

 
          
 
Blood Bear guffawed and bounced from foot to
foot. "Saved my life? You arrogant little fool! The Wolf Bundle is the Power
of the Red Hand! Or maybe you forgot where I found it? In your lodge in Heavy
Beavefs
camp?"

 
          
 
"And you almost killed it—and the Red
Hand—the night you slapped it off the tripod. It's only been waiting. Waiting
for me."

           
 
"Slapped?" someone whispered incredulously.
People shifted nervously around Tanager.

 
          
 
"And why would it wait for you?"
Blood Bear sneered, stepping back and hugging the Wolf Bundle. He winced
slightly, rubbing the stump of a short little finger on the front of his shirt.

 
          
 
"Because he's your son, Blood Bear,"
Two Smokes added in the shocked silence. "Your son . . . and Clear
Waters."

 
          
 
"My . . ." Blood Bear gaped.

 
          
 
"You never asked. You never wondered if I
might have kept the child alive. It was easier to pass the story that he'd
died. White Calf knew. Hungry Bull knows, as does Rattling Hooves and Elk Charm
and all the rest of them by now. Look at him." Two Smokes turned away,
pointing. His sad eyes took in the stunned faces of the people. "And the
sorrow is that he'll have to kill his father this night."

 
          
 
"This young pup? Kill me? Why?"
Blood Bear demanded.

 
          
 
"Because you won't give him what is
rightfully his."

 
          
 
"Can't you see what you've done?" A
glimmer of tears had formed in Little Dancer's eyes. "You've almost driven
the Power from it! Feel it! It's calling! Power can't be abused forever. Not
even the Power of the Wolf Bundle can take what you and Heavy Beaver have done
to it!"

 
          
 
"You're no son of mine." Blood Bear
chuckled. "No son of mine comes crying to take the Wolf Bundle. You're an
enemy. The blood of Short Buffalo People runs in your veins, boy."

 
          
 
"I have to take it . . . save it."
Little Dancer glanced around, bending to pluck up Tanager's war club. "You
must give it to me now. I have to restore it—to save the Power and Dream the
Spirals."

 
          
 
"Drop the club, boy, or you'll regret
it." Blood Bears eyes gleamed as he crouched.

 
          
 
The big black wolf hunkered down on its belly,
fur rising as it pinned Blood Bear. Lips drew back to expose flashing canines.
The muscles bunched under that sleek hide, firelight gleaming in the rippling
coat.

 
          
 
"He'll kill you. Blood Bear." Two
Smokes sighed and shook his head. "The Power's against you"

           
 
"Don't!" Little Dancer pleaded,
blinking suddenly. "Feel it? Can't you feel it? The anger, it's
building."

 
          
 
A low nervous growl issued from the wolf's
throat.

 
          
 
"Don't try to play games with me,
boy!" Blood Bear's face twitched.

 
          
 
The club dropped from Little Dancer's
nerveless fingers as he cried out and staggered forward.

 
          
 
Two Smokes grabbed his head, collapsing as he
pressed his hands to his ears.

 
          
 
"What's this?" Blood Bear cried.
"Games? You'd play games?" He viciously kicked Two Smokes in the bad
knee, and got a scream.

 
          
 
"Your last chance!” Little Dancer
pleaded, dropping to his knees.

 
          
 
From where she watched, Tanager felt the
beginning of a throbbing headache. She looked up, wincing at the pain. Blood
Bear stood, a curious look on his face. He grunted softly to himself, sinking
slowly, as if he'd lost control of his muscles. Surprise mixed with fear to
glaze his eyes.

 
          
 
The wolf yipped softly, as if in pain.

 
          
 
Little Dancer reached out as he scrambled
forward, grabbing the Bundle from Blood Bear's trembling hands, cuddling it
close to his chest, a radiant look on his face.

 
          
 
Squinting at the aftereffects of her headache,
Tanager blinked hard and stood up, walking forward on unsteady feet.

 
          
 
"I . . ." The words choked in Blood
Bear's throat where he lay staring up into the sky. “I. . . can't . . . move.
"

 
          
 
Two Smokes moaned softly, sitting up, grabbing
his damaged knee before rubbing a shaking hand over his eyes.

 
          
 
"I can't help you," Little Dancer
whispered where he held the Wolf Bundle. "You did it. All these years, the
Power's waited for me. I—I came prepared to kill you, if I had to, to take it
back and restore it. I hated that thought—even if you'd never been a father to
me like Hungry Bull. A son shouldn't have to kill a father over Power. Clear
Water knew that. The Wolf Dreamer knew that. I see now. They had to take me to
the Short Buffalo People. I had to grow with the Wolf Bundle. I had to see the
way Heavy Beaver has changed the Spirals. I had to be the way I am to become
Fire Dancer."

 
          
 
He licked his lips, talking absently, an odd
glow in his eyes. "You'd never have let Clear Water keep the Bundle. You
would have stolen it—or killed her. And I would have had to kill you. I would
have been just as wrong as you, Blood Bear."

 
          
 
1 'Why can 't I move?" Blood Bear's
scream rent the night.

 
          
 
"Paralyzed," the man who now called
himself Fire Dancer whispered, eyes going vacant. A blank look possessed him as
he sat and swayed. The corners of his lips quivered as his muscles tensed.

 
          
 
Blood Bear's eyes lost focus and he whispered,
"The Wolf Bundle, it's ..."

 
          
 
Fire Dancer's jaw trembled before he spoke
slowly, the words not his. "Now you'll live as I. Feel as I did, human.
Through each moment of your life, you y
ll
know what
it felt like to be used like a toy to mislead the People. And you should know
that Wolf Dreamer y the First Man, still has the tip of your finger. A promise
made . . . especially to Power . . . must be respected, human. So live the life
you
ve
made for yourself Feel the Power around you.
Feel my Power, growing now, in your son's hands. Every abuse you gave me will
be paid back. Now you '11 feel every insult, every slap and bruise. Not until
the day you're as worn, scuffed, and cracked as I, will you die, Blood Bear.
"

 
          
 
Fire Dancer made a whimpering sound, a shiver
shooting through his body.

 
          
 
"What?" Tanager wondered, staring at
the empty look in Fire Dancer's eyes.

 
          
 
Two Smokes stared, awestruck, hands up with
his fingers spread wide. "The Wolf Bundle speaks through him! We're
hearing the Wolf Bundle."

 
          
 
Fire Dancer swallowed hard. He sagged, coming
to, looking up with bleary eyes. "I don't feel very good. I think I need
to sleep now.' '

 
          
 
Tanager glanced around, aware that everyone
had frozen in place, terrified stares locked on Fire Dancer. t4 Someone make a
bed for him. Hurry."

 
          
 
"What about the Wolf Bundle?" Green
Snake asked as she came to place a hide over Fire Dancer's trembling shoulders.
Her gaze locked with the suspicious wolf's and she froze.

           
 
Tanager stumbled, trying to decide, when Two
Smokes said, "It's his. Leave it with him. The wolf won't hurt you."

 
          
 
Green Snake paused and shot a glance at
Tanager.

 
          
 
“Or would you risk what happened to Blood
Bear?" Two Smokes continued.

 
          
 
Green Snake might have held cactus the way her
fingers worked tenderly to settle Fire Dancer and the clutched Wolf Bundle into
the bedding. The huge black wolf moved silently to curl around him, yellow
glare missing nothing.

 
          
 
Tanager sighed with relief, turning to Two
Smokes. "How do you know all this?"

 
          
 
"I am
berdache
.
I live between the worlds. This"—he gestured at Fire Dancer—"has been
a long time in coming. And now it's only begun."

 
          
 
''Why can't I move ?'' Blood Bear cried out
again. His face worked, tears leaking from shining eyes to streak his cheeks.
"My finger! It's on fire! Like it's burning."

 
          
 
Tanager swallowed, looking at his amputated
member. The stub seemed to wiggle. She tore her eyes away. "Tall Fir, Fat
Elk, take him down by Cracked Rock. Feed him and get him something to drink.
Then make sure he's warm for the night. Someone stay with him, talk to him.
Keep him calm. Maybe . . . maybe it'll pass."

 
          
 
The look Two Smokes gave her didn't reassure.

 
          
 
Blood Bear whimpered as they picked him up,
Tall Fir obviously nervous at touching the man.

 
          
 
"And don't drop him!” Tanager ordered,
seeing the hesitation. She turned to Two Smokes. "White Calf said a
Dreamer was coming."

 
          
 
Two Smokes nodded toward Fire Dancer where he
huddled under the covers. "He's come."

 
          
 
She steeled herself as the guardian wolf
turned attention to her. "But he seems so young."

 
          
 
Two Smokes took a breath and sighed. "And
so incredibly old."