For personal use and select distribution only © by Judith A., October 2006
No Greater
Burden
By Judith A.
Chapter Eleven | Chapter Twelve | Chapter Thirteen
Sully tried to grip the surface of the rock wall for support. To his dismay, the sheer granite didn't have any crevices for his fingers to latch onto, and his hands kept slipping with each attempt to pull himself up. He tried positioning his body flat against the rock face to absorb some of his body weight, but it was no use; there was nothing to hold onto.
Having run out of options, he whistled to his horse, hoping to get the animal to back up. If he could, he might ascend high enough to reach the edge of the cliff where he could crawl to safety.
At first the horse didn't move. He whistled again and this time the horse snorted, stomped his feet, and backed up a few inches. Sully worked to pull his body upward and reach for the stirrup, but he was too weakened from injury and from being dragged along the ground. He didn't have the strength to lift his body high enough to even touch it.
A sense of hopelessness and defeat settled into him as he closed his eyes and pictured his wife and his children. He didn't want to leave them. They needed him, and more importantly, he needed them.
Gravity was slowly working against him, and he could feel his foot sliding. In an attempt to keep his foot in the stirrup, he curled the toe of his shoe around the metal edge, hoping to hang on a little longer.
Mustering all of his remaining strength, he tried to ease up along the rock face again. It didn't help that his horse kept moving and stomping his feet, causing him to lose whatever progress he had managed to make. He knew it was no use. He could feel his foot slipping again. Soon it would be free, and he would be carried down the side of the mountain to certain death. Tears of frustration filled his eyes.
Just when he began to think it was too late, he heard another horse. Closing his eyes, he tried to call out for help, but all of his energy was focused on keeping his foot in the stirrup. When he heard racing footsteps, he pried one eye open, squinted into the sun, and slowly made out the figure of Running Wolf leaning over the edge of the granite wall.
Quickly assessing the seriousness of the situation, Running Wolf rushed to Sully's horse. As he approached the agitated animal, he uttered calm words and grabbed the reins. He tried coaxing him into walking backwards in an attempt to raise Sully back up over the cliff. The horse whinnied, backed up a few feet then stopped; he kicked his hind legs out, and then padded forward again. Not only did Sully erode his slight progress, but the jerky movements caused his foot to lose the tight grip it had on the stirrup.
At that moment, the horse moved again, jostling Sully as he dangled precariously closer to death. The eerie silence between the two men was punctured by a desperate yell, followed by pain filled moans that sent a sharp jolt of fear through Running Wolf's body. Deciding that the horse's nervous state would only worsen the situation for Sully, Running Wolf pursued his only remaining option.
Grabbing the rope from the saddle horn, he tied one end around a nearby tree. He rushed back to the edge of the cliff, horrified to see the leather strap of the stirrup slowly tearing. Knowing he had very little time, he knotted a loop in the other end of the rope and dropped it over the side of the cliff, swinging it as close to Sully as possible. Sully caught the end of the rope at the precise moment the stirrup snapped. The two men watched as it careened through the air and dropped to the bottom of the cliff.
Heart pounding and with sweat trickling down the sides of his face, Running Wolf grasped the rope and pulled, hand over hand, with all of his strength as Sully slowly began to rise.
"Reach," he called to Sully. He wanted him to give him his hand.
When Sully could just about reach the top of the cliff, he pushed down his pain and searched deep inside himself for some hidden reserve of strength. Emitting several deep groans, he managed to brace his foot against the sheer rock face and with his last ounce of strength, extended his arm. In that moment, Running Wolf took one of his hands off the rope and grabbed Sully's hand. No longer needing the rope, he leaned back, pulling Sully up with him.
"You're almost there," he yelled to Sully.
His breathing rapid and his arm shaking from the effort, Running Wolf dragged Sully back over the edge onto level ground. The last tug to safety sent the Indian tumbling backward. When he regained his balance, he ran to check on Sully. Uncertain of his condition, Running Wolf gingerly laid him flat on his stomach and knelt by his side.
Dazed, and unable to catch his breath, Sully lay flat on the ground with his eyes closed, motionless. His heart beat wildly against his chest and his body trembled. He ached all over from pounding against the dirt and from dangling in the air for so long. The only sounds he heard were his hammering heart and ragged breathing. In the distance, he heard faint words, but he couldn't discern their meaning. After attempting to calm his breathing and regain his composure, he curled his body into itself like a small child.
"Sully," Michaela shouted from atop her horse. She noticed him curled up on the ground, his clothes torn, Running Wolf hovering over him. When he didn't make any movement in response to her voice, she dismounted and hurried toward him with a blanket and her medical bag. "Sully," she repeated, in a softer voice. She fell to her knees by his side, alarmed by his ripped clothing and the numerous bloody cuts and scrapes. Intense relief washed over her when she found his pulse. It was rapid. Upon closer inspection, his shivering body told her he was in shock. Michaela laid the blanket over him. She stroked the hair at his temple and reached for his hand. Noticing a deep, bloody scrape on his palm, she opened her bag to remove disinfectant and a cloth. Concerned that infection might set in; she immediately began cleaning the wound.
"Did you see what happened?" Michaela asked Running Wolf.
"His horse got spooked by a rattlesnake. We tried to calm him, but he just took off. Sully's foot got caught in the stirrup and he was dragged all the way here. The horse must have stopped when he reached the edge of the cliff." Running Wolf left out that he found Sully dangling over the cliff moments from plunging to his death.
"Thank you," Michaela said to Running Wolf, immediately turning her attention back to her husband.
Running Wolf nodded. He felt out of place. But, he didn't think he should leave in case they needed him. Sully probably couldn't ride back to camp without assistance. Still agitated, Sully's horse neighed and stepped away from the area. "I'll take care of his horse," Running Wolf said, afraid the animal might bolt again. He also thought it might help Michaela if he were out of the way, allowing her privacy to tend to her husband.
"I appreciate everything you've done." Michaela turned her attention back to Sully, concerned that he hadn't spoken a word yet. She continued to clean his wounds while stroking his brow and temple, uttering soothing words to him. Eventually, he rolled onto his back and opened his eyes. He stared straight ahead, his eyes glazed over. Michaela finished cleaning his hand and wrapped a bandage around the deep cut. Throughout her gentle ministrations, Sully moaned, but otherwise remained unresponsive. She lifted his other hand and began to clean the scrapes, continuing to offer words of comfort.
He began to calm under her gentle care. "My foot got caught…" he murmured, closing his eyes again. "I couldn't think…I just kept seein' my brother."
"I know." Michaela smoothed back his hair and tenderly caressed his face. "You're safe now."
Sully gradually opened his eyes and registered the distressed expression on Michaela's face. "I'm all right," he said weakly, struggling to move into a sitting position.
She gently eased him back down. "Don't try to sit up just yet."
Sully continued his effort. "I want to."
Realizing it was pointless to argue, Michaela placed her hands beneath his shoulders, assisting him up. Choking back tears, she placed her arms around him in a gentle embrace, careful of his bruises. The hug was meant to reassure him that he was safe and would be all right, but the feel of her husband in her arms comforted her as well. Sully relaxed in her arms and held her as tight as his injuries would allow, not wanting to let go.
As she held him, Michaela felt the wetness of the sweat and blood on the back of his shirt. She pulled back from him slightly. "Let me see your back."
Sully reluctantly nodded and shifted his position so his back was facing her. Michaela lifted his shirt, wincing at the numerous bloody cuts and scrapes across his back. She would have to wait until they returned to the campsite to clean them properly. "Do you think anything's broken?"
Sully shook his head. "No, but my ankle and shoulder hurt bad. I must've pulled somethin'. I'm also real thirsty."
Michaela reached for her canteen and handed it to Sully. He wet his parched throat with a few sips of the cool liquid. She lifted his sore arm, moved her hands up and down, pausing to bend the arm at the elbow then she rotated the wrist. Sully winced in pain as she moved the joints. Repeating the same action on the other arm and both legs, she agreed that nothing was broken. He had pulled a muscle in his shoulder and his left wrist and ankle were badly sprained.
"I'd like to get you back to camp to wrap your sprains and clean your wounds properly. Do you think you can ride?" Michaela asked.
"I'm not sure."
After securing Sully's horse, Running Wolf returned to the couple. "How are you?" he asked Sully.
Sully looked up at Running Wolf. "I feel like I fought off ten men, but I'll live." He paused to consider his next words. "Thank you for savin' my life." His voice carried great emotion. He knew how close he had come to falling to his death. If Running Wolf hadn't arrived when he did, it would have been too late.
Confused, Michaela looked from one man to the other, but neither offered an explanation.
"I'm glad my horse is fast," Running Wolf replied, deflecting the compliment. Then he turned to face Michaela. "Why don't the two of you ride back together? I'll help get Sully on your horse, and then I'll take his horse back to camp?"
"Thank you," Michaela replied. "For everything."
* * * * *
Michaela rode her horse slowly back to camp, careful not to jostle Sully more than absolutely necessary. Sully sat behind her with his arms around her waist leaning into her back. His body ached all over, but he felt lucky to be alive, grateful to be holding Michaela close, and eager to see his children again. He shuddered at the thought of how close he came to losing everything.
When Michaela brought the horse to a stop, Brian and Running Wolf came over to help ease Sully off the horse and onto his feet. Katie and Josef, who were standing off to the side with Dorothy and Night Crane, noticed their father was limping and that his clothes were bloody and torn. They hesitated to approach him, afraid by how battered and weak he appeared.
"Papa," Katie said. Her voice was full of worry. "You're hurt?"
Unsteady on his feet, Sully leaned on his wife for support. With his free hand, he called his children over. Katie and Josef slowly walked into his one open arm. Josef wrapped his little hands around his father's waist. "I'm all right. I'm more scratched an' sore than hurt," he said, reassuring the children.
Frightened by the splattered blood on his shirt, and her father's uncharacteristically weak appearance, Katie looked up into his eyes. "You sure?"
He noticed the fear in her eyes and reached down to smooth her hair. "I'm sure. Your ma's gonna fix me up, good as new," he said, glancing lovingly toward Michaela.
"You're bleeding," Josef said, pointing to his leg.
Michaela turned toward her son. "I need to take your father into the tent to clean and bandage his wounds. Please wait out here with Brian. I'll let you know when you can come in."
"All right," Josef said.
"Can I help?" Katie didn't want to leave her father's side.
Michaela met her daughter's eyes. "Not this time, sweetheart. I promise Papa will be fine. You may come in shortly." She placed her arm around Sully's waist and slowly guided him into the tent.
Once he was settled on a blanket, Michaela removed what remained of his beige shirt. It was brown and dusty from being dragged over the rough terrain. She lifted a bottle from her medical bag and poured a small amount of chlorine water onto a cloth. As gently as possible, she cleaned the cuts and scrapes along Sully's chest, back, and arms. Each time the cloth touched an open wound, he squeezed his eyes closed and moaned softly. His injured muscles were already beginning to stiffen and the blood from his cuts had dried in a crust all over his body.
"I'm afraid you'll be quite sore for several days," Michaela told him, moistening the cloth again with disinfectant.
Sully looked down at his buckskins, the left leg in tatters. "There's no savin' these."
She brought her hand down to touch his thigh. "I'm afraid not. It's a good thing I packed a few extra pairs," she said with a wry smile.
Sully placed his hand atop hers and smiled. "Good thing."
Holding his arms up awkwardly above him, Michaela gently slipped a clean blue striped shirt over his head. Once that task was completed, Sully unbuttoned the waistband of his buckskins and began to slide them off with his wife's assistance. When the buckskins were tossed in a corner with the other torn garments, Michaela treated the wounds on his legs with the same gentle care she had given his upper body.
"You must have been so frightened," she said, as she dabbed disinfectant on a deep cut on the side of his calf. "It must have brought back such terrible memories of what happened to your brother."
As the disinfectant touched his skin again, Sully drew in a pained breath. "When I was draggin' on the ground, I kept thinkin' 'bout what it must've been like for 'im at the end. I kept wonderin' if the same thing was about ta happen ta me." Muted by grief, he noticed the dark shadow fall across his wife's face. He leaned forward to take her face in his hands, turning it toward him as he spoke. "There's somethin' ya don't know."
"What?"
Sully inhaled heavily, reluctant to tell her, but believing she needed to know. "When the horse stopped at that cliff, I got thrown over. When Runnin' Wolf got there, I was hangin' by the stirrup. I was scared I wouldn't see you or the kids again," he told her, his voice catching, as he caressed her face. "If Running Wolf hadn't come when he did…."
He watched all the color drain from her face. "Oh, Sully," she said. She brought him into her arms, her eyes filling with tears. After holding onto each other for several moments, he pulled back slightly and their lips met in a feather light kiss. Then he rested his forehead against hers for a long beat becoming lost in the scent and softness of her. Michaela turned her eyes away and blinked back tears. Sully needed her strength now. He needed to be taken care of. This wasn't about her, and she knew it.
"My lips are about the only part o' my body that don't hurt," he said, lightly laughing.
"I'll keep that in mind," she returned, attempting to lighten the mood. She moved toward him for another sweet kiss.
Their lips parted and Sully deepened the kiss before breaking away and nuzzling his face in her neck. "I think ya better help me finish dressin' 'fore we start somethin' I can't finish."
Michaela flashed him a guilty smile. "We'll remain here for a few days so you can recover."
Sully shook his head. "No. I'll be fine by tomorrow."
Michaela gave him a skeptical look, but before she could protest, she met his defiant stare. "All right. We'll leave tomorrow, but only if you're up to it."
"I will be," he said firmly.
After she had wrapped Sully's sprained wrist and ankle and helped him finish dressing, Michaela called for the children to come into the tent and visit with their father while she left to prepare him something to eat. On her way back to the tent with a bowl of soup for Sully, Michaela stopped in front of Running Wolf and his family.
"Sully told me what really happened. I don't know how to thank you," Michaela said, her voice quivering with emotion.
Running Wolf held his baby close to his chest. "We have both helped each other."
"Yes, but if not for you, I might have lost both my son and my husband," Michaela said, blinking back the tears in her eyes. "If there's ever anything we can do for you...anything at all."
"How is your husband?" Night Crane asked.
"Thankfully, he wasn't more seriously injured. The worst of it is a pulled muscle and a sprained ankle. He also has several deep cuts from being bumped and dragged along the ground. They'll cause him quite a bit of discomfort for the next several days," Michaela explained.
"I'm glad it wasn't worse," Night Crane responded.
"So am I," Michaela said. She turned toward Running Wolf again. "I'd like Sully to rest for the remainder of the day. I'm afraid we won't be able to resume traveling until tomorrow, at the earliest. We'd be grateful if you'd stay with us."
"We will remain here for another day," Running Wolf agreed. With Sully not at his full strength, Running Wolf thought Michaela might need help. Tomorrow he could decide whether he still wanted to travel separately.
"I better bring Sully this soup before it gets cold. We'd be pleased if you'd join us again for supper."
Night Crane nodded. "Thank you."
Michaela lifted the flap of the tent and smiled at the sight of her children cuddled on either side of her husband listening to Brian tell them all a story. "I hope you're not wearing out your father. He needs his rest."
"We're not," Josef replied, resting his head against his father's arm.
"I'm glad to hear that, young man." Michaela handed the bowl to her husband.
Sully reached for the soup, his brow narrowing in pain. "Thank you." The agony of stretching his arm was etched across his face despite his best efforts to hide it.
"You okay, Papa," Josef asked, noticing his discomfort.
"I will be," he deflected.
"Want me to hold the soup for you?" Katie offered, aware of his pain.
"No, Kates. I can manage." He balanced the soup in the crook of his arm, picked up a spoon with his good hand and began eating.
"Why did the horse drag you away?" Josef asked.
Sully swallowed a spoonful of soup. "He didn't mean ta hurt me, Joe. He got spooked by a rattlesnake an' I got caught off guard. I lost my balance with my foot caught in the stirrup."
"You mad at the horse?" the little boy questioned.
"'Course not. It was an accident. Storm's a real good horse."
"It was an accident when I got lost." Josef was building up his courage to tell his parents the truth. Seeing his father hurt had frightened him. He believed that bad things were happening because he hadn't told the truth. It was time to put an end to the lie he told.
"We know that sweetheart," Michaela soothed.
"Wolf's death was accident, too," he said. His eyes were focused on the floor as his hands fiddled with the laces on his shoes.
Sully studied his son's nervous movements and the way he avoided looking at any of them when he spoke. He knew Josef was leading up to telling them the truth. "Brian, why don't you take Katie, and the two of you find us some supper? I'm afraid I'm no good ta anyone today."
Brian immediately understood that Sully wanted them to leave so he and his mother could be alone with Josef. And after his talk with him earlier, he knew his brother was ready to be honest with his parents about what had happened. "Sure. C'mon Katie."
"I wanna stay here," Katie protested. She cuddled closer to her father, dropping her head on his shoulder. "Go with Joey."
"Kates," Sully began. His daughter looked at him. "It would be a big help ta me if you would go with Brian."
"How would that help you?" She was skeptical.
"Well…it'll be a big help…because…" Sully was searching for a reason that would convince her.
Michaela offered her assistance. "With everything that's happened, I'd rather Brian not go out alone. As the next oldest, you can look out for him." Michaela stroked her daughter's hair. "You fish better than Brian, too. You can help him catch supper. Would you do me this important favor Katie? It would ease my mind and help your father to know you're looking out for one another."
Katie considered her mother's words. She wanted to stay by her father's side, but she was filled with pride that her parents trusted her to go out to get supper with Brian. It made her feel older and more responsible. "I'll go," she finally agreed.
Brian lifted the flap of the tent, holding it open for Katie to exit, and then followed close behind.
* * * * *
"Does this hurt?" Josef asked, touching a red scrape on his father's knuckles. Once Josef was alone with his parents, he lost his nerve. Michaela shifted to the spot next to Sully, which had been vacated by Katie, and placed his soup bowl to the side. Josef climbed into his mother's lap. She placed her arms protectively around him.
"Not too bad," Sully replied, aware his son was stalling.
Josef took a deep breath. "Papa," he said then stopped.
"Yeah, Joe?"
He couldn't find the words to tell him. He didn't know where to start or what was going to happen to him once he told. "Those tracks you saw with Wolf's," he began.
"Yeah, what about 'em?" Sully asked. His tone was comforting and his hand reached across to squeeze his shoulder, reassuring him to go on. He met Michaela's eyes over Josef's head and they briefly shared a moment of relief and pride in their son.
"They were mine," he said, barely audible.
"I know." Sully was content to let him take his own pace. "Ya wanna tell me how they got there?"
Josef looked up into his mother's eyes and saw her nod for him to go on. Reassured, he turned back to face his father. "I was playin' with Wolf at the log. When I saw the tracks, I wanted to figure out what animal it was to show you I could track like you," Josef said.
Michaela glanced at Sully. "Josef, didn't I tell you to stay where I could see you?"
"Yeah," he admitted guiltily.
"Then why'd ya go into the woods, son?" Sully asked.
"Wolf and me was playin' trakin' robbers. I got excited when I saw a real track. I thought if I found out what it was, you'd be proud of me. I wasn't gonna go far."
"Joe, I'm proud that ya wanna learn how ta track. But, you're too young ta be goin' out on your own. Ya gotta know what you're trackin'. If you can't identify it, you don't follow it. Ya gotta be prepared for what you might find. You weren't prepared to take on a cougar by yourself. Next time ya wanna track somethin', ya gotta be with me or Brian, understand."
Josef nodded.
"I'll tell ya what your ma an' me are real proud of though."
Josef's eyes were a little brighter than they were that morning. "What?"
"We're proud you came to us and told the truth," his mother told him.
Sully nodded his agreement. "Now what happened when ya got ta the den?"
"I didn't know it was a cougar den. I saw two baby animals playin'. I only looked at them. I wasn't gonna do nothin' to them. Then Wolf and me was gonna go back to camp so I could tell you what I saw. But before we got away, a big cat came flyin' down at us. Wolf flew in the air at it and they fought and I ran. I ran so fast back to camp. I thought Wolf was behind me. I didn't know he got hurt."
Michaela cradled him in her arms, kissing the top of his head. "We know you didn't. Wolf's death isn't your fault, sweetheart."
"Yes it is," he cried. "He wouldn't have died if I didn't follow those tracks."
Sully repositioned Josef so he was now stretched out across both parents. They comforted him with soft words and gentle caresses.
"Joe, followin' the tracks by yourself was wrong. But what happened ta Wolf was an accident. You didn't cause it ta happen. Wolf would have done anythin' to protect you."
"Wolf saved my life," Josef told them.
"Yeah…he did," Sully acknowledged, as he reached for Michaela's hand. "He died protectin' you. He was always lookin' out for us."
"He tried to get me to go back, but I didn't listen," Josef confessed. "You told me to listen to Wolf and I didn't. I thought he was playin."
"Then you learned an important lesson," his mother said.
"You're not mad?"
"Not about Wolf's death," Sully assured. But I am upset that ya didn't listen ta your ma and I'm real disappointed you lied to us about what happened. By not tellin' the truth right away, you put everyone in danger. Your ma walked into the woods after Wolf, not knowin' 'bout the cougar."
Josef looked down. "I'm sorry."
"We know you are, sweetheart," Michaela soothed. "But why did you feel that you had to lie?"
"I thought…I thought you'd hate me if you knew I killed Wolf. He was your friend for so long and I killed him."
Sully pulled Josef onto his lap and wrapped his arms around him. "Joe, you didn't kill Wolf. Sometimes bad things happen and no one means for them to. We all do things that we shouldn't and sometimes others get hurt. We know what happened ta Wolf wasn't on purpose. It was an accident. Blamin' yourself is only gonna hurt you. It can't bring Wolf back. Joe, your ma an' me could never hate you, no matter what you did. We'll always love ya."
"No matter what?"
"No matter what," his mother reassured.
"But, we're gonna have ta punish ya for wanderin' off and for not tellin' us the truth right away. Joe, do you know why it's so important to tell the truth?"
"'Cause it's wrong to tell a lie?"
"Why is it wrong?" Michaela asked.
The little boy shrugged his shoulders.
"Bein' true ta your word tells people you're a man of honor," Sully began. "When you lie, it infects everythin' you say. The truth suffers. Tellin' just one lie makes people question your word 'bout everythin'. No one will believe what you say, even if it's true."
"A lie also weighs on you and affects everything else you do," Michaela added. "You've been miserable carrying around this secret, haven't you?"
"Yeah."
"Telling the truth may come with consequences, but lyin' about it only makes things worse. Do ya understand what we're sayin'?" Sully asked.
"I think so." Josef said. He hugged his father tight. "I'm sorry I got Wolf killed. I know how much you loved him."
Sully blinked back his own tears and hugged his son back. "Joe, I love you. I know ya didn't mean for Wolf ta get hurt. I know how much you loved 'im."
"I love you, too, Papa. I miss Wolf."
Sully swallowed the lump in his throat. "I miss 'im, too." He kissed the top of his head, taking several deep breaths to steady his emotions.
Josef pulled back to look at his parents. "What's my punishment?"
Michaela nodded for Sully to begin. He thought for a few moments before speaking. "From now 'til we get to the reservation, you're gonna spend one hour a day helpin' me or your ma with chores around the camp on top of your regular chores."
"You'll also spend a half hour a day alone thinking about what your father and I have told you about telling the truth."
"And when we get to the reservation, I'm gonna have ya spend time with Cheyenne elders learnin' from them," Sully added.
"That's a lot," Josef said, feeling overwhelmed.
"Joe, what happened was real serious. We gotta make sure you learn from this an' grow. Everyone makes mistakes, son. It's what ya do with 'em that counts."
"Now, why don't you go see if Katie and Brian have returned? If they haven't, perhaps Eyes Like the Sky would like to play. Your father needs to rest until supper."
"I can play?"
"Sure, just don't wander away from the campsite," his father reminded.
Josef left the tent feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The worst he imagined hadn't happened. His parents still loved him and his father didn't blame him for Wolf's death. But, despite his father's comforting words, he still couldn't stop blaming himself. He missed him terribly and wished he could go back to that day in the woods. This time he would listen to Wolf. Walking away from the tent, he was more at ease than he had been in days, but he also felt older, as if he had grown a few years in only a few days.
When they were alone, Sully squeezed Michaela's hand. "I don't think he'll be followin' any animal tracks on his own. He learned his lesson."
Michaela rested her head against his shoulder. "I'm so proud of him, Sully. He came to us, all on his own, and told us what happened."
"He had ta be ready ta tell us."
"But he suffered so keeping it inside."
"He had ta work it out on his own. He's gonna be all right…this time."
Michaela raised her eyes to his. "What do you mean this time?"
"We got a lot o' years of adventure with Josef," he replied as his eyes began to grow heavy.
Noticing Sully struggling to stay awake, Michaela rose. She crossed to the other side of the tent and unfolded a blanket, returning to place it across her husband. Sully reached out for her. She took his hand and returned to her seat beside him, sliding her arm around his waist. For several moments, they held one another in silence, both relieved everything was out in the open and that both Sully and Josef were all right. After at time, Sully stretched out across the bedroll and closed his eyes.
"I'm going to see if Brian and Katie have returned with supper while you sleep," she said, stroking the hair at his temple. Before she left, she lowered her head to kiss his cheek and watched her husband drift off to sleep.
* * * * *
"We can trust them," Night Crane told her husband. They were lying side by side on their bedrolls long after the children were asleep, her hand gently resting on his chest.
Running Wolf stroked her long raven hair, his eyes heavy with sleep. "I am growing fond of them, too, but we have no reason to trust them."
"I do," she said in a soft, firm voice.
Running Wolf was jolted fully awake by her words. He turned on his side to face his wife, his head resting on his elbow. "What are you not telling me?"
Night Crane inhaled deeply. "I remember Sully and Dr. Mike from my village, when I was a girl."
"Black Kettle's village?"
"Yes," she replied, nervous about how this revelation would affect her husband.
Running Wolf bolted upright, staring at his wife in disbelief, as if he hadn't understood the words she just uttered. In all their time together, he hadn't known her to keep secrets from him, especially about her past. "Why have you kept this from me?"
Night Crane was now in a sitting position across from her husband. She reached for his hand and squeezed it. "At first, I wasn't certain they were the same people. It was so long ago and much has happened to me since that time." She paused to moisten her throat. "When we brought New Promise to Dr. Mike, I felt a familiar sensation, as if I had met her before. In my worry about the baby, I dismissed it. My memories seemed from another lifetime ago, as if they had happened to some other girl and I didn't trust them. I thought it too unlikely a coincidence. But now, after spending time with them, I find myself having flashbacks to that time. I wanted to be certain before I mentioned it to you."
"And now you are?"
"Yes."
Running Wolf stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. "Tell me what you remember."
She met his direct gaze. "My memories begin with Sully. He lived with us for a time. Cloud Dancing, our medicine man, brought him to our village. As I recall, he was very sick. Cloud Dancing nursed him back to health and he lived among us, learning our ways. After a time, it seemed like Sully was a member of the tribe. He and Cloud Dancing formed a close friendship. They called each other brother. My uncle, Black Kettle, trusted him like he trusted no other white man."
"Did he honor that trust?"
"Oh, yes!" she replied emphatically. "He helped us with food. He warned us when the Army was planning an attack. Some in the tribe didn't trust how he tried to live in both worlds – Cheyenne and white. They wanted him to choose. My brother, who was a Dog Soldier, said Sully could never fully be trusted if he didn't renounce the white world."
"I can understand that," Running Wolf put in.
"I remember my father answered that Sully had earned the trust of the people. It was my father's greatest hope that Sully could help us live in peace with the whites. But, I have come to understand that it was beyond the ability of one man to achieve."
"And what about Dr. Mike?"
"My people called her Medicine Woman. After Sand Creek, she saved my uncle's life. Later, she often came with Sully to our village. We were told she was the new doctor in the white village. At first, she treated the people who came down with white man's diseases for which Cloud Dancing had no medicine. Over time, as she gained the trust of the people, she administered vaccines and even started to learn our medicine. She saved many lives in our village, even mine."
Running Wolf brushed back a lock of hair that had fallen in her face. "How did she save your life?"
"A sickness came into the village. They say the blankets from the Army carried it. It claimed many of our people. Dr. Mike worked tirelessly with Cloud Dancing to fight the fever. I was one of the lucky ones. I was young and strong so my body could fight the sickness. But many didn't survive," she said.
Seeing her pain darkened eyes, he reached up to caress her face. "I'm glad she was there for you."
"I am, too." She paused as her eyes drifted in the direction of Michaela and Sully's bedrolls. "There was much talk about the two of them in the village," Night Crane whispered.
"How's that?" Running Wolf was curious.
She smiled as she reflected back in time. "It was obvious to many of us that Sully had feelings for Dr. Mike. He broke a few hearts when he first brought her to the village. Some of the young women liked him and hoped he'd notice them. He was always pleasant to everyone, but he didn't seem interested in women in that way. My grandmother told me his wife had passed to the spirit world giving birth and he mourned for her. But, when he was with Dr. Mike, there was a light in his eyes that we had never seen before. She appeared to feel the same way. For the longest time, neither of them seemed aware of the other's feelings. At times, when I thought back to those days, I wondered what became of them, if they had ever married."
"Should I be jealous of Sully?" Running Wolf asked, only half in jest.
She laughed. "No. At the time, my heart belonged only to Little Arrow."
"What happened to Little Arrow?"
"He died of smallpox at Camp Supply. There was no doctor for our people."
"I am sorry. We also lost many good people to the white man's diseases."
"As much as I mourned for Little Arrow, I was glad he never saw what became of me there."
"If he loved you, it would not have mattered."
Night Crane blinked back her tears and squeezed her husband's hand. "You have a good heart." She leaned forward to kiss him. When they broke apart, she continued. "It has pleased me to see Dr. Mike and Sully married with children. They share a rare love, like ours, and are raising children who will contribute to a better future for our children, and for us. Seeing them now has given me hope that sometimes life turns out as it's supposed to."
Running Wolf turned his eyes away from his wife and fixed them down toward the blanket. "For white men, perhaps."
She lifted his face to meet hers. "Perhaps for us, when we get back to my people."
"Perhaps," he replied, though his tone was full of doubt. "Do you think they will remember you?"
"No. I was only a young girl."
"Why have you told me this tonight?" he asked, sensing a motive.
Night Crane glanced away from her husband's intense stare. "Because…"
"Because?" Running Wolf asked, meeting her eyes again.
"Because, I want us to travel together to the reservation," Night Crane replied. "It will be best for all of us."
Running Wolf leaned back and twisted the end of his beads. "I am more comfortable looking out for us alone."
"Please, Running Wolf."
He met her plaintive stare, considering her request. He was unsettled by the idea of putting his trust in others. At the same time, he was moved by the kindness Sully and Dr. Mike had shown his wife and her tribe. Even more, he was growing fond of them, too. "If that is what you want."
"I do."
"Will you tell them of your shared past?"
"At the right time."
Chapter Twelve | Chapter Thirteen | Chapter Fourteen
The next morning, as he sat and drank his coffee on the other side of the campground, Sully noticed Running Wolf tying his paraflech bundle to his horse. Setting his cup to one side, he rose slowly. He took careful consideration of how each movement would affect his aching body, and hobbled over toward the Indian.
"I wish you'd reconsider," Sully said, his arms at his side. "We're only a few days away and I could use your help."
Running Wolf hung his canteen on the saddle horn before turning to face Sully. "We will accompany you to the reservation."
Sully's eyes narrowed. "What changed your mind?"
"Night Crane."
A faint grin crept across Sully's face. "They got a way o' doin' that."
Running Wolf managed only a slight nod in reply. He was embarrassed to be revealing how easily his wife swayed his decisions. "How are you feeling?"
"I been better," he replied. Finding it difficult to stand on his own for long periods of time, he leaned against the tree trunk for support.
Running Wolf noticed his discomfort. "Perhaps we should rest here for another day."
Sully shook his head. "It's best we keep movin'. We lost too much time as it is."
Running Wolf continued to collect his supplies and arranged them onto the travois. Sully limped over to help him, gathering their cooking pot, plates, and cups. He placed them onto the travois before reaching for a covered oval object that was off to the side.
"Don't worry about that. I'll get that one," Running Wolf told Sully. Placing the blankets that were in his arms on the ground, he hurried to Sully's side to retrieve the valuable article.
"I've got it," Sully replied. Firmly in his grasp, he placed it onto the travois. Running Wolf held his breath as he watched Sully handle the object. As Sully positioned it next to their other supplies, the protective cover loosened, revealing the top of an intricate artifact. With artful subtly, Sully fixed his eyes on the article, trying to confirm his suspicions. "Is that…"
"It's nothing," Running Wolf stammered as he rushed over to cover it again.
"It looked like the top of a Cheyenne shield," Sully said, still trying to catch another glimpse of it. Running Wolf pulled the straps tight around the travois without speaking. "Runnin' Wolf?" Sully called to get his attention. "Was it a shield?"
The Indian sighed, and without another word, loosened the straps that he had just secured and lifted the article into his arms. Taking great care to unwrap it from the soft hide protecting it, he held the shield up for display. Running Wolf cradled it delicately in his hands, as if applying too much pressure would cause it to disintegrate.
The shield was magnificent. Made from dried buffalo hide, it had a half-moon at the upper border, a sun in the middle, and four inward directed points around the perimeter, representing the four cardinal directions. A bear was painted near the sun and the edges of the shield were adorned with the feathers of eagles and owls. Sully knew immediately that this was an important artifact of the tribe. He also knew the Cheyenne believed the shield offered great physical and spiritual protection, with every design and adornment possessing significance. The drawing of the bear and feathers of the birds were believed to give the man who carried it the power of those animals.
Sully rubbed his hand across his chin as he studied the shield. "Cloud Dancin' told me they lost all the shields and other sacred artifacts durin' the battles with the Army. How'd you get this?"
Running Wolf looked away from Sully toward the shield again. "I found it in the north…at…at one of the battle sites. Night Crane recognized it as belonging to the Southern Cheyenne. We are returning it."
Sully had a hard time accepting that such a valuable ancient artifact that held such significance to the tribe had been tossed in the dirt at a battle site. "How'd you find it?" He continued to admire the shield, shaking his head in disgust at the savage disregard of generations of Cheyenne history shown by the Army.
Running Wolf returned the shield to its protective cover with the same care he used in handling it. "I was hunting in the Bighorn mountains. I found the shield behind a rock near the site of the Mackenzie battle. I thought a warrior must have hidden it there for safekeeping." His words were hurried as he tried to finish his explanation without interruption. "I believe whoever left it was killed in battle and that is why he never returned. At first, I didn't know what tribe it belonged to, but, I knew it was important to the people. I decided to guard it until it could find its way back to its tribe."
As Sully listened to the story, that same uneasy feeling from when he first met Running Wolf returned. The coincidence seemed too unbelievable. Yet, it was possible. The Indian wars had scattered different tribes and their possessions across the plains, and those artifacts, that hadn't been burned, had been found by other tribes, along with scientists who had been cataloguing the way of life of the ancient peoples. He thought about how grateful Cloud Dancing would be to see the shield again and how pleased he was for Running Wolf that he could be the one to present it to him. The more time they spent together, the more he liked Running Wolf. But, at the same time, he found him hard to get to know, as if he was intent on keeping some part of himself hidden. Sully found it ironic that this should bother him. After all, he, himself, was a master at avoiding and deflecting probes into his past, even from those he loved.
"What reservation were ya livin' on then?" Sully asked.
"We were not on a reservation," he replied, discomforted by Sully's intense gaze and scrutiny.
Sully leaned on Running Wolf's horse to steady his balance. "Ya must o' lived on a reservation some time?"
Running Wolf crossed his arms at his chest. "I did not. I lived on my own for many years. Night Crane lived on a Cheyenne reservation and with the Northern Cheyenne near the Tongue River. When we married, we decided to live on our own."
"When…" Sully began.
"Papa," Josef said, as he pulled his father's arm.
"Yeah, Joe?" Sully replied.
"Mama says we leavin' soon." The little boy delivered his message.
"All right. Tell your ma I'll be along shortly. Now be a big boy for me and help ‘er get ready."
"I will."
"I know ya will." Sully watched his son scamper off before he returned his attention back to Running Wolf. Despite the Indian's obvious discomfort, Sully felt compelled to learn more about him. "How long have ya been on your own?"
"Over two years now."
"Two years?" Sully couldn't believe it. "You been on your own all that time?"
"Yes."
"The Army never found you?"
"We stayed hidden."
"It must o' been hard."
"It was," Running Wolf replied, his jaw set and his posture rigid. He wondered why he wasn't finding a way to end this conversation. Sully was the first person, outside his family, that Running Wolf had talked to in over two years. It felt uncomfortable to be revealing these details of his life with a stranger, a white stranger at that. But, oddly, it also gave him a sense of relief to be sharing his experience with someone he was beginning to trust. "We had each other and our freedom. No one told us how to live, what language to speak, what to believe, or what to wear."
"I understand," Sully replied, saddened by the choices the Indians were forced to make to maintain their identity. "I know you're not Cheyenne. What tribe are ya from?"
Running Wolf remained quiet for a minute, but it seemed to stretch much longer. "Crow." He walked a few feet away to collect the tent and blankets, hoping the diversion would put an end to the awkward conversation.
This revelation gave Sully new understanding. The Cheyenne and Crow were long-time enemies. Sully waited until Running Wolf returned with the rest of his supplies before speaking again. "I imagine choosin' between the reservations couldn't o' been easy. But, why come out o' hidin' now?"
Running Wolf paused and looked toward his family before speaking. "For the children and…for myself. Eyes Like the Sky and New Promise have no future hiding out in caves. I don't know the future they will have confined to a reservation, but we want New Promise to be raised in the ways of his Cheyenne grandfathers."
"I know the kids are usually raised in the ma's tribe, but don't ya want ‘em ta know their Crow grandfathers?"
Running Wolf weighed his answer carefully. "It is time for all of us to live among the Cheyenne. I need to do this."
Sully heard the pain in his voice and again his questions surfaced. "Why?"
"For peace."
"You're not gonna find peace at Darlington," Sully cautioned, as he followed behind him to collect more provisions.
"I am ready." Not at all certain he was ready for what was to come at the Indian Agency and feeling exposed by his candor to Sully, Running Wolf shifted the conversation in another direction. "Were you really an Indian Agent?"
"Yeah. At the Palmer Creek Reservation." Sully noticed the way Running Wolf stared at him. "What?"
"I find it difficult to imagine you forcing us to live by your government's rules."
Sully lowered the bundle he was carrying to the ground and leaned back against the tree. "I wanted ta help the Cheyenne and the other tribes. I tried ta balance the white way with the Indian way. I wanted ta try ta do what the government wanted without the Indians losin' who they are."
"But wasn't the point for us to lose who we are…to become white?"
"It ain't right."
"Why did you stop?"
"I got fired."
"For not following the rules?" He couldn't suppress his grin.
Sully nodded. "Partly, an' I got in the way o' the Army." He paused, reflecting on his efforts on behalf of the Indians. "It was hard ta be part of watchin' the government strip away who they were, makin' ‘em wear white clothes, cuttin' their hair. I almost quit lots o' times. But, as hard as it was tryin' ta help the tribes hang onto a part of their identity on the reservation, it was even harder bein' on the outside, not able ta help ‘em at all. The frustration kept buildin' in me ‘til I ended up doin' more harm than good." His eyes darkened at the memory of the uprising at Palmer Creek, the death on both sides, and the months hiding in a cave, away from his family.
By the expression in Sully's eyes, Running Wolf knew not to ask him to explain what he meant. It seemed they both had dark places in their past, places they would rather not revisit. "Why are you traveling to the reservation now?"
Sully's eyes brightened. "Ta visit my friend, Cloud Dancin'." He picked up the bundle again and carried it over to place it next to their other belongings.
"He must be a good friend to bring you all this way." Running Wolf followed with more supplies.
"He's like a brother. He saved my life more than once."
"Why bring your family on such a long journey? Wouldn't it be faster to travel alone?" Running Wolf covered the travois with a buffalo hide to protect their possessions.
"Don't like bein' apart from ‘em. ‘Sides, Michaela an' me want the kids ta know the Cheyenne. There's no more Cheyenne livin' in Colorado."
Running Wolf thought about his words. "I have seen the white world. I don't want my children to be a part of it. It is not the world I wish for them."
"It seems ta me, nothin's gonna change unless both sides start understandin' each other."
"The whites do not want it to change," Running Wolf said, soberly. "Why is it so important to you that your children know the Cheyenne?"
Sully was quiet for a few moments, unsure of how to begin. "The Cheyenne gave me so much. They were my only real family before Michaela an' the kids." Sully stopped, amazed he felt comfortable sharing something so personal with Running Wolf. He took a deep breath, inhaling the warm air before continuing. "I tried ta help ‘em, but I couldn't stop what the government was doin' to ‘em. All I can do now is help Brian, Katie and Josef carry the Cheyenne in them, the way I do. I tell their stories, treat the earth and all living creatures by their example, and maybe someday, change how people see ‘em. I don't like what they're teachin' ‘em in school ‘bout the Indians. It's real important ta me that they see who they really are and what's happenin' to ‘em." Sully looked off toward his family in the same manner Running Wolf had earlier.
Running Wolf was moved by his words and by Sully's dedication to the Cheyenne. The Indian extended his hand to Sully. "I am glad we have met."
Sully clasped his hand. "Same here."
"I am especially glad Eyes Like the Sky has met your children. Before now, he has only known hatred from children in the Army camps."
Sully had no response to the truth of his words. "C'mon, we best finish packin'."
* * * * *
For the past two days, the families traveled together over the open Kansas plains, across large areas of flat grasslands, their green stalks yellowing in the dry summer heat. On the third day, they crossed the border into Oklahoma along the Cimarron River, where the expanse of level land came to an end, and glowing red cliffs reflected along the river's shore. All around them, there was yucca, prickly pear and dried rattlesnake skins, evidence of the generations of Indians, who freely roamed the plains, relying upon this area as a place of rest and nourishment.
After a hard day of traveling, everyone was relieved when they finally stopped by the river, where they could cool off. Rain was sparse at this time of year, but the lower than normal level of water in the river suggested that it hadn't rained here for quite some time.
Due to the shallow depth, the water moved slowly over the rocks jutting out above the surface. Along the shoreline, everyone filled their canteens, ensuring that they had plenty of water for the remainder of the journey. The horses drank greedily at the river's edge, neighing in delight at the chance to rest after the long walk in the sweltering heat.
The children immediately took off their shoes and socks to wade in at the water's edge. The low water level allowed them to stand comfortably without the fear of being swept under by the current. Katie was the first to plunge her body into the cool, clear water.
"Katie," Michaela exclaimed.
Sully reached for her arm. "Let ‘em play. They've been cooped up in the wagon for days."
Michaela sighed with resignation. "I better take out a change of clothes for both of them. You know Josef won't be far behind his sister."
After the initial stab of cold, the feel of the chilly water against her hot, sticky skin was like a sigh of relief. As Katie moved her body through the water, she couldn't imagine a better sensation. She stood in the water and ran her hands back and forth watching the ripples form and, all too quickly, disappear. She dove under to swim in circles around her brother and Eyes Like the Sky, who had ventured out to join her. When the boys were out as far as she was, she began splashing them, only to dive under water when they tried to get her back. From below the surface she pulled their legs out from under them, causing each of them to lose their balance. All that time in the stream at home with her father had really paid off, as she was able to show off her swimming abilities.
The first time Josef lost his balance and went under, he was frightened. He soon figured out that all he had to do to recover was raise his head above water. The more times he went under, the greater his confidence became. After being dunked several times, he had grown adventurous and was looking for a way to take the advantage away from his sister. To do that, he called Eyes Like the Sky over, and together, they conspired to exact their revenge.
"I'm tired, Katie. Let's move closer to shore," Eyes Like the Sky requested.
"I don't want to go in yet," Katie said, as she splashed him with water. "C'mon, this is fun."
"Let's go in closer then," Josef pleaded.
Katie grudgingly swam toward the two boys. When she was right beside them, Eyes Like the Sky grabbed her arms and held them behind her back. Josef moved closer to splash his sister. He moved his arms through the river to generate a wave and released a rush of water directly into Katie's face. Through fits of giggles, he repeated the water assault again and again.
Katie squirmed to free herself from the boy's grip. "Let me go," she yelled. "You're not playing fair." She continued her protests, mixed with fits of laughter. "I'm gonna tell."
"You started it Katie," her brother pointed out.
Katie couldn't get free. At first the game was fun, but now the repeated soakings were tiresome and beginning to hurt. The relentless splashing felt like tiny knives hitting against her skin. Her wrists were beginning to burn from being held still in Eyes Like the Sky's firm grip. She wanted it to stop. Her repeated pleas to her brother to stop, and for Eyes Like the Sky to let her go, didn't work. They refused to take her seriously, enjoying their game at her expense. After all else failed, she resorted to the only weapon she had left.
"Mama!" Katie yelled. "Mama help."
Michaela heard her name and looked up. Hearing laughter and ensuring that the children were all right, she waved to them from her spot on the shore. At that moment, Josef ceased splashing and Eyes Like the Sky released Katie's arms, both boys afraid of getting into trouble. Katie swam away from them into the deeper part of the river.
The families had grown closer from traveling together these past few days. As they watched their children frolic in the water, both couples were seated near each other, as if they were friends. Night Crane settled the baby down in his basket then rose to walk to the water's edge. After ensuring that Michaela would keep an eye on the baby, Running Wolf crept up behind his wife, swept her into his arms, and tossed her into the water. She shrieked from the shock of cold water against her skin. Turning around, she gave her husband a stern look. Running Wolf swam next to her, took her in his arms, and kissed her hard on the mouth.
Sully turned to glance at Michaela, a twinkle of mischief dancing in his eyes.
"You wouldn't dare," she said, reading the meaning in his expression.
Sully feigned innocence. "We can't. We promised ta watch the baby."
"Yes, we did," Michaela replied, a faint trace of disappointment in her tone.
"I'll watch him for you," Dorothy offered. "You two go on in."
"Dorothy, thank you, but I couldn't," Michaela responded, conflicted.
"'Sides, we had a long day," Sully said. "You're probably too tired ta go swimmin'."
"I'm not that tired," she said.
Sully raised his eyebrows. "No?"
"No, I just don't want you to do to me what Running Wolf did to Night Crane."
"What? Kiss ya?"
"That's not what I meant," Michaela replied with a giggle. "Besides, you're not completely healed."
"I'm almost back ta normal, Michaela. You're just scared ‘cause I'm a better swimmer than you are," Sully teased, intending to rile her up.
"You are not."
"Care ta prove it?"
"I don't have to prove it," she insisted, biting her tongue until she devised a plan to get a head start on Sully.
"I knew you were chicken," he challenged.
"I'm certainly not chicken."
"No?"
"Absolutely not…" At that, Michaela stood up, letting her riding pantaloons fall to her feet. Once free of the garments, she dashed into the water with a backward glance at Sully.
Sully looked at Dorothy, the satisfaction spreading across his face. "It worked."
"You make it look easy," Dorothy remarked with a chuckle.
Sully caught up to Michaela, and dared her to race him out to a large rock jutting out of the river. They both dove into the water and swam at a fast pace. Katie stopped swimming to watch her parents' race. Michaela got to the rock first. When Sully joined her, he encircled his arms around her waist, and reminded her that he still didn't have the full range of motion in his injured shoulder. He challenged her to a rematch, but this time Running Wolf, Night Crane, and even Katie joined in the fun. Running Wolf won that race.
As the sun climbed high in the prairie sky, and the day grew even hotter, the families continued to find relief in the water. After several races to and from the rock, everyone was now lounging in the water, delaying the inevitable return to the heat and the last days of hard riding. Running Wolf and Night Crane were in the middle of the river talking. Michaela was floating on her back with Sully's arms around her, staring up at the sky, while the children looked for rocks at the water's edge. She felt peaceful and content to be in her husband's arms. Sully stood waist deep in water mesmerized by the beauty of the red cliffs against the blue-green water.
As Sully's eyes scanned the surrounding cliffs and grasslands, he noticed Brian sitting on the edge of a red cliff with his shoulders slumped writing in his journal. He squinted to study his son more carefully. It wasn't like Brian to keep to himself while everyone else was having fun. The more he thought about Brian's demeanor on this trip, the more Sully concluded that something was bothering him. Whatever it was, it was clear he didn't want to discuss it yet. Part of him wanted to march out of the water, join him on the cliff and ask him outright what was wrong. The wiser part of him knew he had to give him time to sort out his feelings alone.
Ever since Brian was a little boy, he had confided in Sully and sought his advice about everything, or at least it seemed that way to Sully. Being shut out was uncharted territory for him. In truth, it was more than being shut out. It was a gathering sense of being judged and coming up lacking. That was an unfamiliar feeling where Brian was concerned, one that he didn't like at all. He had gone through something similar with Matthew, but he and Matthew never had the father and son relationship that he and Brian had shared. The longer he thought about it, the more he began to wonder if this was something all fathers of grown sons had to endure for a time.
Dorothy sat on the riverbank attempting to write in her journal. She watched the two families frolic in the water while keeping an eye on the sleeping baby. Throughout the trip, she had been trying to stay current with her writing. She wanted to capture the change in the landscape as they traveled from the mountainous terrain of Colorado to the flat plains of Kansas and Oklahoma. As difficult as it was, she also wanted to explore her feelings about seeing Cloud Dancing again. With less than three days left until they arrived at the reservation, she was experiencing the same fluttering feeling in the pit of her stomach, along with the daily headaches, that almost convinced her to abandon this trip in the first place. She thought that speaking to Michaela, as she had done before, would help ease her worries.
Dorothy glanced up to see Michaela sharing a laugh over something with Night Crane, her eyes bright and her mouth open wide with joy. She hadn't warmed to Night Crane the way Michaela had, and she didn't understand her friend's attachment. Night Crane was a beautiful young woman with silky smooth skin and soft features. She had a subtle way of speaking that made her words seem like they floated on air, as if she was singing the melody to a tune she carried within her. But apart from her obvious physical attributes, Dorothy found her aloof and unfriendly. She was much younger than Michaela, and as far as she could tell, they shared nothing in common. But Dorothy knew Michaela never passed up an opportunity to help someone, and felt this situation was no different. Clearly Michaela was spending all that time with Night Crane out of her desire to help the lonely Indian couple. As a wave of jealousy crept up from her gut, she pushed it back down by concluding that Michaela's affection for Night Crane couldn't be anything more than pity.
Eventually the adults ushered the reluctant children out of the water to dry off. Michaela escorted the children behind a rock to change their clothes.
"Mama, Joey was mean to me in the water," Katie tattled on her brother.
"Was not," Josef said, grabbing her dress.
"You were too." She snatched it back.
"Stop it, both of you." Michaela handed Katie the dress and the little girl stepped a few feet away for privacy to change. When she returned, her mother straightened the dress and smoothed its front. "It looked to me like the three of you were having fun together."
"We were, but Joey got Eyes Like the Sky to hold me so he could splash me."
Michaela looked hard at her son. "Is this true?"
Josef lowered his eyes. "Yeah, but Katie pulled my legs so I went under water."
"Is that true, Katie?"
She glared at her brother, hands on her hips. "Sort of."
"Well, it seems to me that both of you did something that bothered the other one. I want you each to apologize."
"But he didn't play fair."
"She started it," Josef complained.
"I want you both to apologize now." The children remained silent. "Katie."
"I'm sorry I pulled you under water," Katie acknowledged grudgingly.
"I'm sorry I splashed you so much," Josef said.
Michaela brushed the tangles out of Katie's wet hair. "Now that's better. We all had a good time today. Soon it will be time for supper. Are you ready to rejoin the others?"
The children nodded their consent.
When everyone had returned to the shore, Sully told the children about the place they were camping for the night. "Three years ago, a group of about 300 Cheyenne fled the reservation we're going to and camped here ta rest for their journey. They were led by Chief Little Wolf and Dull Knife."
"Why did they leave the reservation?" Eyes Like the Sky asked.
Sully glanced at Night Crane who, knowing the story, nodded for him to continue. "These Cheyenne were from the north an' they wanted ta go back ta the land of their grandfathers. They were gettin' sick because they weren't used ta the land there."
"Nahoko'e, where is the land of my grandfathers?"
"Where we are headed. We will be fine, my son." Night Crane placed a reassuring hand on the small of his back.
Sully crouched in the dirt. "The Cheyenne left Darlington here," he said, marking a spot for the reservation in the dirt. "They traveled for days from here ta right where we are today. The whole time, the Army chased ‘em. They were under orders ta bring ‘em back ta the reservation."
"Were they scared?" Josef asked.
"They were very brave. They made a decision to fight to get home," Michaela explained.
"I bet they were real glad ta get ta this place though," Sully added.
"My people have always considered this a place of rest," Night Crane supplied.
Sully continued, "It was at this very spot that the Cheyenne fought Captain Rendlebrock causing him and his men to retreat."
"What's retreat?" Katie asked.
"It's when one side turns back ‘cause the enemy is too strong for ‘em," Sully explained.
"That happened right here?" Josef asked, looking around and seeing the area in a new way.
"Yep, they told me ‘bout it when I was in Montana."
"How many made it?" Night Crane asked.
"A little over 100," he answered, his head bowed toward the dirt.
"That's all," Eyes Like the Sky said. "What happened to the rest?"
Night Crane stood up to avoid answering her son's question. "I want to show all of you something." She led them toward a pair of towering rocks, more than twenty five feet tall. Carefully, she moved a smaller rock that served as a marker and revealed cached pemmican. "My people buried food here for hard times. They were always careful to leave some for others who might be passing through."
"Since we don't need the food, we'll leave it for those who do," Running Wolf explained.
"But who's passing this way now?" Brian asked. "Everyone's on reservations."
"Not everyone. When food was scarce, we found comfort in these hidden caches. I do not believe everyone is on reservations," Night Crane told him. "My people have lived on this land for generations. If someone wants to live alone out here, they can find a way."
"We did," Running Wolf reminded them.
* * * * *
"Michaela, I noticed some berries growing in the bushes near the river. Why don't we take a walk and pick some for dessert?" Dorothy suggested the next afternoon. "I was hoping to speak with you."
"I'd like that Dorothy, but I can't right now," she replied, gathering the material from Sully's torn buckskins into her arm.
"Why not?" Dorothy tried to hide her disappointment. "The children are napping and Sully and Brian are both here to watch them. We wouldn't be gone long. I haven't had any time to talk with you since we started traveling with that Indian family."
Michaela paused in her steps to face her friend. "I know. And I'm sorry about that. It's hardly been the relaxing trip we planned with Wolf's death, Josef getting lost and Sully's injury. We'll have plenty of time to talk once we get to the reservation."
"Michaela, what's wrong with right now?" Dorothy persisted, a hint of irritation in her tone.
"Now. Well…Night Crane offered to teach me how to ornament moccasins. I'm using Sully's torn pants to practice the beadwork then I'll try it on a pair of moccasins. She's quite talented."
"I'm sure she is," Dorothy said, barely disguising her bitterness.
Michaela could sense that something was bothering Dorothy. "You're welcome to join us."
"I have some writing to do anyway."
"Well, if you're sure," Michaela replied. She turned to walk away.
Dorothy watched her friend turn her back to her as feelings of rejection and jealousy rose up from within her. "Michaela."
Michaela turned around again and stepped closer.
"I'm curious…what I mean is…" Dorothy was grasping for the right words. She should have just let her go, but now that she began, she might as well tell her what's been on her mind. She sighed deeply. "Why are you spending so much time with Night Crane?"
"I'm not spending so much time with her," she answered defensively.
"It seems to me that you and Sully are spending a lot of time with the Indian couple. And when you're not all together, Sully's with Running Wolf and you're with Night Crane. I had hoped to have some time with you myself…to talk."
"I think you're exaggerating. But, I like Running Wolf and Night Crane. Don't you?"
Not really was the first thought to cross Dorothy's mind, but she kept that to herself. "Michaela, I didn't come all this way to spend my time alone or with Brian. You convinced me to come on this trip. You said you'd be with me on this journey if I needed to talk. I was hoping we could spend some time together."
"We have spent time together. We've been together for over a week. In that time, you never said anything about wanting to speak with me. What's this about?"
"Forget it. It doesn't matter," Dorothy said. She let out a frustrated sigh as she hurriedly brushed past Michaela.
Michaela now realized her friend was hurting, even though she didn't fully understand why. She caught up to her and placed a hand on Dorothy's shoulder. "I hadn't realized I'd been neglecting you."
Dorothy turned around. "When I came on this trip, I thought I'd have someone to talk with the whole way, someone to give me advice and help me sort out my feelings. I was looking forward to our talks. Like we have back home. But now that we're so close to the reservation, and seeing Cloud Dancing again, I don't know if any amount of friendly talk or advice could ease my worries."
Michaela lowered her eyes. "I didn't realize. Why don't we go on that walk tomorrow?"
Dorothy didn't respond as her eyes were fixed on the horizon in the distance.
"Dorothy, you're my closest friend. I don't know what I would have done without you while Josef was missing. I'm sorry if I hurt you.
"You're my closest friend, too. And I know this isn't intentional."
"I like Night Crane very much. She's strong, intelligent, and devoted to her family. Sully also has a great deal in common with Running Wolf. They want what we want. To live in a time where all of us, the white and the Indian, learn to understand each other and can live in peace. I also feel compassion for all she's been through. I saw what the Army did to the Cheyenne at Washita. But, whether it's Washita or Sand Creek or Fort Robinson, the Cheyenne have lost so much over these past few years. More than you or I could ever begin to comprehend. Despite that, Night Crane isn't bitter. She has more wisdom than most women twice her age, or men for that matter."
"Don't suppose I tried to get to know her," Dorothy said in a soft, guilty voice.
"The Cheyenne were an important part of my life in Colorado Springs and they continue to be so for Sully. When I'm with Night Crane out here, I can fondly remember Black Kettle and Snow Bird…my dear friend. My memories of Washita and the uprising at Palmer Creek are still so strong that I sometimes forget the peaceful times in the Cheyenne village. I want to take every opportunity I can to embrace the good memories I shared with the Cheyenne. Spending time with Night Crane helps me do that. I don't want Washita and Palmer Creek to overshadow my experience with the tribe. Can you understand that?"
"I think so. I never knew the Cheyenne then. I got to know Cloud Dancing after all of that…when he was alone. I never knew him with his family and among his people."
"You would have liked them."
Dorothy inhaled deeply. "Michaela…"
"Yes."
"What was Snow Bird like?"
Michaela looked at Dorothy, uncertain about answering her question. "Well…she…she was a strong, wise woman with a wonderful sense of humor."
"Oh."
"What is it?"
"I don't have much of a sense of humor."
Michaela laughed lightly. "Dorothy, I remember when I asked Loren what Abigail was like. Sully and I hadn't yet begun to court, but I knew I had…well…feelings for him. He had loved Abigail very much. I was worried about how I would compare to her."
"You two were so different," Dorothy blurted, wishing she could yank back the words.
"Exactly. And Sully was able to love both of us very much, just as Cloud Dancing loved you and Snow Bird."
"Sometimes I wish I had known her."
"I feel that way about Abigail, too."
Dorothy reached for her hand and squeezed it. "You better get along. You'll be late for your sewing lesson."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. We'll take that walk tomorrow."