Tiopa Ki Lakota (16 page)

The young woman with her heard the quiet and looked about with a frown. Seeing the other women's stares, she planted her hands on her bare hips and glared back at them. "
Han

, you!" she called out, garnering their attention. "Did your mothers
raise
you to be rude or is it something you learned as adults?" Hca demanded.

Several women blinked at her before realizing they were being chastised. Most had the decency to blush and look away. Others appeared affronted by Hca's direct and challenging manner, though they looked away, as well.

Satisfied, the young woman splashed into the water and approached the scared woman. "Do you know how to swim?" she asked, mimicking the motion with her arms. "To swim?"

Kathleen smiled a little and repeated the word. "To swim, yes!" She took a couple of strokes away and back. Her smile widened at the other woman's grin.

"Come, Ketlin!" Hca said. And she swam away towards the opposite shore.

Behind her, the blonde smiled at the invitation to play. She chased after Hca with a laugh.
Maybe things will be better now, she dared to hope.

After bathing, Kathleen had found herself cleaning her dress alongside her new friend. She scraped the wet leather with a rock until most of the blood had been removed, her moccasins following suit. For the most part, the other women left her alone and it gave her time to think of the day's occurrences.

It wasn't that Hca and her mother were kinder to the blonde. The women she'd been living with before were just too busy in their day to day existence, what with two small children in the tent to increase the workload.
Well, that and the old woman is a cantankerous one
, Kathleen mused with a slight grin. Nearby, she could hear the old grandmother complaining about something to the younger.

The blonde hadn't seen any children with these two women. And the older one reminded her of her own mother. She wondered if Hca was married or not, and whether she'd had any children.
I will miss that
, Kathleen thought, catching a glimpse of the boy and girl she'd been living with as they frolicked in the water.
It was nice ta have youngsters underfoot.

And then she was instructed by Hca to put the wet leather on and come along. Kathleen shivered in the breeze and wished she had different clothing to wear. She was led through the camp and to a tent. As the young woman with her held the leather aside and waved her in, she thought,
My new home.
The blonde ducked inside.

It looked pretty much the same as the last tent she'd lived in. A firepit in the center, robes stewn about for sleeping and sitting, various bundles here and there around the edge holding a multitude of incomprehensible items. As Kathleen remained standing just to one side of the doorway, Hca climbed in and passed her.

Waniyetu Gi also entered, tying her hair back in a knot. She noticed the pale woman shivering. "
Cunksi

, get Ketlin something dry to wear. Her skin is thin and she is cold." The older woman guided the blonde further into the
ti

ikceya

by an elbow.

"
Ohan
,
ina
." The
wikoskalaka

rummaged among her things and found what she was looking for. With a smile, she turned to her charge and held up another dress. "You will wear this, Ketlin," she said. When the blonde made no move to take it, Hca pushed it closer. "It is yours. I made it for the woman of my
mitankala's

vision."

The dress was of buckskin and long. It was painted yellow, like Anpo's shirt. Running from shoulder to hem were two strips of white with designs painted red on them - the lightning bolt, the buffalo and the sun.

Hesitantly, Kathleen took the offering. "Thank you, Hca," she said, though she knew the woman wouldn't understand her. "It's beautiful." She looked down to her own dress, formless and without adornment. Unbidden, tears came to her eyes.

The smile on her face faded as she saw the wetness trailing from the blonde's eyes. Hca frowned in concern and stepped forward. "I did not wish to hurt you, Ketlin," she said, taking the woman by the shoulders.

With an experienced eye, Waniyetu Gi looked the new arrival over. "I do not think she has been hurt by you,
cunksi
," she decided. "I have spoken with my
maske
and Yatke's woman about this her. She was hurt very much by the people who had her before."

Kathleen tried to hold back the tears as the women conversed about her. She angrily swiped one away.
Now is not the time, Kath!
she thought, fighting her emotions. But all was for naught when an understanding look crossed Hca's face and the blonde found herself being pulled into an embrace.

The kindness seemed to open a floodgate and all the pain and fear and worry of the past few weeks seemed to wash over her. Kathleen began sobbing, her body shaking from the force of her cries. Slowly, she was lowered down until she and Hca were seated on some furs. The woman was rocking her and singing softly as the crying continued.

Eventually, the tears subsided.
Kath, yer an idiot
, she thought as she pulled sheepishly away from Hca. As she hiccoughed like a small child, Waniyetu Gi knelt beside them and wiped her face with a piece of soft leather. Kathleen blushed at the treatment, feeling as if she was three years old.
But ye do feel better, lass
, she had to admit.

Kathleen allowed herself to be undressed. The wet leather of the previous outfit no longer against her skin, she could feel herself warm up almost immediately. There was a final shiver as she slipped the new dress over her head and smoothed it down. She noticed that the other women were doing the same, each avoiding watching each other. The blonde averted her gaze, as well, giving the others as much privacy as was available in a tent of this size.

Once she was finished, Hca tied a belt about her waist and looked to the white woman. She beckoned the stranger forward to stand in front of her. With a smile, the dark woman produced a yellow belt to go with the dress. She tied it about Kathleen, drawing the formless clothing in at the waist. With a satisfied smile, she stepped back to regard her handiwork. "
Ina
, what do you think?"

Waniyetu Gi cocked her head to one side. "You are good with the paints,
cunksi
. And you did well with the size of the
taha

cuwignaka

."

'Ina.' Does that mean 'mother'?
That wasn't the word the other woman used for the older one. She worried the question, wanting answers but not able to get her inquiry across to the pair that stood regarding her.

"Come, Ketlin,
cunksi
," Waniyetu Gi said. "We must work on the hides and the meat before things go bad." The older woman moved to the
tiopa

and stepped out of the lodge.

Taking Kathleen by the hand, the dark woman led her charge in the same direction. "I will teach you how to tan the skins that my
mitankala
has killed for you, Ketlin."

Feeling a little more grounded from her bout of emotion, the blonde followed along, a sense of gentle wistfulness seeming to fill her.
P'rhaps things'll be better now.

The feast was a happy affair and Kathleen found the music and dancing fascinating. Previous times since her initial capture she was either kept in the tent or left to her own devices in some out of the way area with the children. The fear and depression had kept her meek and wanting to hide from prying eyes. Now, however, it was her duty to serve Anpo and places to hide were rare.

He must not have any other wives
, she considered. While with Hehaka Yatke, the blonde was rarely called upon to serve him food - the mother of his children did that chore.
And since I was the second... wife....? I wasn't needed ta feed him.
From what Kathleen could gather, Hca was Anpo's sister and Gi was his mother. She hadn't seen who his father was, yet, as Anpo seemed to take after his mother.

The afternoon had been quite educational. Hca had been a fine instructor, not only of how to take care of the skins and meat, but the words involved with each item. By the time the meal had been ready, Kathleen was able to name everything properly. She had received a laugh and a hug from the dark young woman in reward and had grinned foolishly for some time after.

When the blonde had prepared the first serving of food, Hca had helped by adding extra of the things she knew her sister enjoyed and frowning with a shake of her head for those that Anpo did not. With attention to detail, Kathleen had understood what she was being told and refrained from giving the warrior anything not on the list of favorables.

As the night drifted on, the children were settled into their
ti ikceyas
. Soon the elders followed suit, leaving the fire and reveling to the younger crowd. Songs were sung, dances danced and music played. Kathleen was happy to note that there were, indeed, a set of pipes being played and wondered if she'd be allowed to play them herself. The food was eaten until there was nothing left.

Anpo felt full, not just in a physical sense, but spiritual and emotional as well. Her spirits, while naturally light, seemed higher than ever as she joked and teased and sang and danced with her family and friends. And always, her eyes fell on the pale woman, watching the firelight flicker through her yellow hair.

The
cuwignaka

that Kathleen wore was very interesting. The designs painted on it were identical to the ones on her own shirt.
The one that my
cuwekala

gave me.
When the
wikoskalaka
got up to dance, Anpo watched with interest as her sister tried to entice the pale woman. It took a moment before she understood what was being asked and, when the blue eyes became panicked, the warrior had intercepted them and shook her head.

Now the elders and children were sleeping and the crowd around the fire had thinned considerably. Quite a few of the young men and women had also gone to their sleeping furs. Anpo turned to look at the blonde and found her eyes drifting closed.

With a fond smile, Anpo reached out and touched the woman's shoulder, rousing her. "Come, Ketlin," she said, rising to her feet and helping her woman do the same. "It is time for sleep. You are tired."

Kathleen had started when the warm hand had touched her shoulder. It had been an exhausting day, what with the butchering and the emotional turmoil she'd been through. She heard Anpo speak and understood they were leaving as he rose. He helped her to her feet and, while he made some comments to the remaining people, began walking towards the tent he stayed in.

As they drifted further into the darkness, the blonde's fears began to grow again.
Ye know he'll want ta bed ye, Kath. Ye can't do ta him what ye did ta the other. He'll give ye away, sure as rain!
By the time they had stepped into the tent, her heart was pounding and she was having difficulty breathing, the panic attack building in intensity.
I don't know if I can do it!

Taking the pale woman by the hand, Anpo directed her to her sleeping robes. There were just enough coals in the firepit to light their way. Hca and her parents were already in their own robes and sleeping nearby. The warrior settled Kathleen on her robes and stepped to the firepit to stir up a bit of flame.

The orange of the fire backlit the warrior's muscular frame and Kathleen swallowed anxiously. When the man returned to the furs and sat facing her, she dropped her gaze and chewed her lower lip.
Oh, God! Here 'tis!
She felt hands on her shoulders as the man turned her in her place to face him. Now they were seated with the fire to her right and his left.
He wants ta see what he's got
, Kathleen's mind blithered.

Anpo could see the blonde trembling with fear and she knew the reason. Her
ina
had told her of the woman's treatment, having spoken with both her
maske
and Yatke's woman.
She shakes like a young bird just out of the nest.
A look of concern crossed her face.
Ketlin thinks I will hurt her like the others did.

But the desire to touch the white woman, this enigma from a vision, was so strong, that Anpo could not deny it.
I must do something to ease her heart.
Swiftly, fluidly, she rose to her feet and removed her clothing.

The suddenness of Anpo's movement startled the woman and she flinched back despite her best efforts. Kathleen held her stomach and shivered as the yellow shirt fell to one side, followed by the breechclout and belt and moccasins. Dark skinned hands reached down and took her own. It was a bit of a struggle as a part of her wanted to keep hold of herself.

Feeling the tenseness in the woman's limbs, the warrior pulled firmly until Kathleen reluctantly let her arms stretch out.
She is so sad and scared.
Anpo helped the blonde stand before her.

Kathleen kept her eyes averted, her head turned towards the fire. She could feel the tears already beginning to course down her cheeks, but she refused to sob out loud. Her new friend, Hca, was sleeping nearby and the blonde didn't want to wake her.

"Ketlin. Look at me." When the woman remained staring into the flames, Anpo reached out and guided her chin around. Again, there was resistance and the warrior watched the tendons in the long neck jump as they strained.

Trying to keep her eyes away from the man before her, Kathleen stared over his head. She saw motion in front of her face, two fingers pointing into her eyes, that drew her attention despite her best efforts.