Finds Water gets to have his say (Finally)

This is a story that I actually finished and then made the mistake of trying to edit (rewrite is a more appropriate word). Long story short I got burned out on it, really burned out so that no matter which way I tried to start writing it again it didn't work. It's been a couple years so I decided to try again. Like all these stories this one is close to my heart, but this one is unique and not written in a way you might expect.

The mornings were always the quietest out on the far end of the ranch and for some reason which was unfathomable to me at the time I was always drawn out there. More and more I had to see what it was about this place that over time seemed to call out even stronger. I would have stayed there all day except that I had responsibilities and I took them seriously.

I was the youngest of five brothers living and working on a very large, prosperous ranch called the Diamond Run in northeastern Montana. At 24 I was restless, sure, but I hadn't the imagination or drive to do anything else with my life so I was stuck here herding, feeding, vaccinating cattle or doing any other chore that happened to present itself. As long as it meant that I could ride out into the open air I was content.

It was that spring, not long after I began making my early morning trips, that things began to happen and looking back upon it now I realize that I was wise not to tell any of my brothers about it.

The first thing I saw was an arrow in the middle of the pasture sticking straight up out of the ground like a beacon to the sky. Upon closer inspection I discovered a bow and quiver with it but having never come upon anything like this I was unsure of whether to touch it or leave it. I decided to leave it but if it was still there the next day I would take it back with me.

It was still there the next morning but now I had a sense that there might be more to this place than I first thought. I almost felt as if I were being watched and that didn't settle well with me.

I returned morning after morning carrying the arrow, bow, and quiver with me ever careful to keep it hidden from my brothers. It wasn't until several weeks later that I discovered a pair of carefully crafted, sturdy moccasins, a strip of butter soft leather and what appeared to be rope. After a moment I realized that it was actually a loin cloth and just shook my head.

"the moccasins are fine" I shouted to the trees and whomever might be listening "but it will be a really cold day in hell before I put this on. I like my jeans".

Despite my proclamation I took everything with me and tried the moccasins on later that night. They were pure heaven to sore, tired feet and fit perfectly but as with the bow and arrow I kept them hidden. I didn't even know what any of this meant or what it was about and truthfully I was probably afraid to find out.

I decided that as long as things were being left out in the pasture that I might as well return the favor and found an old pouch that had belonged to my great grandfather. It was just a simple thing and certainly wouldn't be missed from the attic but it was gone the morning after I left it and in it's place was an ivory handled knife with a polished blade. I had a feeling that whoever was out there had parted with something they really couldn't afford to and wondered why but also knew from things that my Cheyenne grandmother had taught us years ago that you didn't refuse a gift when it was given. So I took the knife and left.

It wasn't until at least mid July that I first saw sign of anyone human and even at that it was only amongst the thick stands of pine that stood at the edge of the prairie and our ranch. From what I could tell he was an Indian, not to my surprise, but he was tall and wore his black hair long. He wore only a loin cloth perhaps similar to the one that had been left for me and the way he looked out said that he was not at all surprised to see me there.

I wasn't going to stick around waiting for whomever else might be out there and I did not return for a good few weeks despite the constant urge to just go. My brothers and father did notice that I was not leaving the main house so early but if they had found it odd didn't comment on it.

"There are things you should leave be" my grandmother Margaret advised meeting me at the bottom of the stairs early one morning in August

"what do you mean?" I asked hoping she wasn't aware of where my early morning excursions were taking me

"you know exactly what I mean, and there are things that should be left as they are" She warned "if you delve any further into this you may not like the results"

"they made the first contact, not me"

"they have their reasons and very good ones I might imagine although that leaves you, as I said, in a very precarious position"

"I've stayed away, but I can't any more"

"leave it be, Jackson. Leave it be"

I knew that she wouldn't be saying such things unless she felt there was a true danger so I did as she asked and headed to the kitchen to get a quick bite of breakfast. It was hard to stay away but each morning my grandmother gave me the same warning perhaps hoping she could hold me off until it became to cold to make the morning ride but I could not be dissuaded for very long.

I got up earlier than usual one morning at the very end of August taking with me everything that had been left in the pasture and silently but quickly made my way down the back stairs into the kitchen and out the door. I think grandmother must have known somehow but just let me go.

Whomever was out there must have known that I was coming as well because even though it was very quiet the trees and outer edges of the pasture were filled. With what I didn't know for sure and too late my grandmothers warnings took hold. I had no time to change my mind and run.

This is where my story begins.....

Soje Reye urged his horse as fast as it would go racing towards Stone Creek, their current cattle pasture. He'd been an idiot not to grab a radio on the way out here but when Jackson hadn't returned by noon everyone had grown a a little worried and he'd volunteered figuring that Jackson must have somehow become distracted, maybe lost track of time. That just wasn't like him though. The fact that he wasn't out there proved it.

"he isn't out there" Soje shouted pulling the horse to a sudden skidding stop where his eldest brother Caston was in the process of pulling a calf surrounded by a few other men.

"you absolutely sure?" Caston asked

"His horse made fresh tracks this morning after that rain last night. They go in but don't come out and there are several footprints in the ground that just don't make sense"

"Damn" Caston continued to pull gently but wishing now that he could hurry the process up

"take my radio and tell dad, he needs to get sheriff Olden up here before anyone goes traipsing over that pasture"

The waiting would be pure hell but Caston was right.

"don't call the Sheriff" Margaret advised stepping into her son's office. She'd overheard Soje's radio transmission to his father and bringing the sheriff in would only make matters worse.

"what do you mean don't call the Sheriff?" Carlton asked putting the handheld radio back down on his desk

"I told him repeatedly not to go out to that pasture" her stomach was in knots by now but she'd be damned if it showed "I think it just got to be too much, he couldn't stop from going out there"

"what are you talking about, make some sense please"

"the Sheriff won't find him Carlton, and the ones that took him need to be left alone"

"who took him?"

Margaret was silent knowing she could trust her son yet having no doubts he would tear apart the mountainside to find Jackson.

"who took him?" Carlton asked again

"those who would teach him to be Cheyenne"

"that's a choice he should make"

"he already did"

"this is just insane" Carlton said picking up the phone from his desk and dialing the number for the sheriff's office

"they won't find him"

"I don't even want to entertain that thought right now" Carlton said running his fingers through his hair. Something he always did when agitated "the fact is weather they will or won't someone is going to question the fact that he is missing and we stand to be accused in the long run if we make ourselves look guilty"

Less than an hour later Sheriff Ray Olden met the family at the entrance to the pasture. He was in his late forties and been a tracker in this area for years and knew the surrounding mountains well.

"it's hard to tell how many were here but judging by the size of the footprints I'd say they were men and there were at least five if not more" Ray shouted to everyone waiting at the edge "best I can tell Jackson never got off the horse but someone was standing next to his horse and they all went that way" he pointed up into the mountains.

Unfortunately it was starting to look like what Margaret said was true and that being the case Carlton was torn.

"there is no way to tell which direction they went once their trail reaches the mountainside" Ray announced walking back to the family.

"have you seen this kind of thing before?" Caston asked

Well I can tell you this is the first evidence of actual people I've had in a disappearance but Jackson certainly isn't the first person to go missing up here.

"I need to ask a favor then and you probably won't like it" Carlton walked over to the sheriff "I'm asking you to do what you need to but to scrub the pasture before anyone else is brought out"

"you are asking me to botch a crime scene? are you nuts?"

"I want him found more than you do Ray and I am certainly willing to search every inch of this mountain myself but I'm starting to think that these people need to be left alone"

As much as Ray hated to admit it he knew too much not to agree with Carlton.

"you know I could loose my badge for this"

"not if no one knows about it"

"before we do anything I'm getting plaster impressions of those footprints and matching it to everyone here" Ray announced "that way we have proof that no one on the Diamond run was involved if we are ever found out"

The sheriff was able to bring a friend of his out without explaining too much and plaster impressions were made of all the footprints in the pasture before they used their horses to tear it up. The next morning searchers were called in.

The last thing I remembered was being surrounded by a host of dark skinned men all dressed in loin cloths and some even with leggings. They managed to knock me out without even getting close to me. I have yet to figure that one out. When I awoke there was no telling how much time had passed but I was inside some sort of solidly constructed hut made of branches, twigs and old boards. All of my clothes were gone and both my ankles and wrists were tied to stakes in the ground.

Naturally I spent the next half hour trying to free myself but the stakes and the bonds connecting me to them were solid so I waited. I'd be damned if I was going to cry out like a caged man. Hours later a very pregnant woman stood in the doorway blocking out the sunlight that had started to burn my lower legs. She left immediately returning with a man who cut me free and pointed to the things I had been given piled just inside the doorway.

"there is no way in hell I am going to wear that thing. Give me back my jeans and we will talk"

"your jeans are nothing but ashes, that is all you have" the man replied walking out and blocking the doorway with his back. Reluctantly I picked up the cloth along with the rope and spent the next five minutes trying to figure out how to get it all in place. For all it was worth I might as well have been wearing a tight pair of swimming trunks, it certainly didn't cover much more than that and wasn't any more comfortable. Moments later I stepped out into a circular clearing surrounded by tall pines and took in everything I could. To our left was the sound of water, to the right was the faint sound of voices and above us the wind rushed through the trees.

"come" he said heading to the left

"hold on" I said "who are you? and what is this place?"

"I am Finds Water and this is where the Cheyenne live"

I was surprised he answered so quickly but it was clear he wasn't about to wait any longer for me and the men beginning to gather like I was some kind of attraction made me uneasy so I followed.

He led me around several larger huts where women who were working or visiting with friends and children in the process of running or playing stopped to stare but I continued on.

He stopped in front of a hut at the far end of the encampment calling out to whomever was inside and when a reply was recieved lifted the hide flap covering stepping inside. I followed and was instructed to sit on the left while he sat on the right. An older man sitting across a center firepit took a moment before speaking but when he did I couldn't understand a word.

"many did not agree with his decision to bring you here because you are the first outsider to be brought in alive" Finds Water translated
"is he the chief?" I asked

"he is a holy man" Finds Water answered but it was clear that the other man was not finished speaking so I remained quiet

"your ancestors were once part of our people this is why you are here and you will not be allowed to leave"

I don't know why I had even considered that I might be able to leave but the thought that I would not be able to see my family again was not one that I was going to let go of lightly. I paid little attention to everything else that was said and at the end there were words exchanged between the two men. Finds Water clearly was not happy and left expecting me to follow nearly speed walking all the way back to the clearing before I'd had enough of it and spoke up"

"what is going on?"

Finds Water did stop finally turning around slightly "I was one that did not agree with my father's decision to bring you among the people. You are a white man who knows nothing of our people, ways or customs"

"let me bring you back to the ranch for a week and see how well you do"

"I would be tempted to eat the cattle instead of feeding it and selling it"

"if you don't want me here then leave me be get someone else to do this"

"I respect my father enough to do what he asks but I will not be patient. I will not hunt for you or make your weapons. You will learn the language because only a few of us speak yours"

"Fine, no problem" I replied walking back to the hut to retrieve the single bow and arrow I had been given and the knife

"where are you going?" Finds Water demanded coming after me

"hunting is nothing new to me but at least up here I can do it without restrictions. I just need to find somewhere to practice with this thing first"

If the Cheyenne rolled their eyes when exasperated that would have been Finds Water's expression. He began walking undoubtedly expecting me to follow.

We came to a spot far out in the trees where I could shoot the arrow and not hit anyone. I placed the arrow to the side of the bow using my finger to hold it in place then notched the back end of it in the hide and pulled hard.

"your posturing is off" Finds Water spoke up stepping over. I gave him the bow and arrow and he showed the correct way handing it back to me so that I could try again. After a while I was posturing well enough so that I could finally shoot the thing but not so hard that I wouldn't be able to get it out of the tree, I still had to use the thing to hunt with.

My aim was a little off but I did manage to hit the side of the tree.

"hold your breath, do not exhale when you shoot" Finds Water instructed while I pulled the arrow out of the tree and inspected it. My aim had been so far off that the arrow was in good condition.

"We only hunt with arrows, never rifles"

"why is that?" I asked

"rifles are too loud and we cannot spare the ammunition"

I would have questioned that comment but instead aligned the arrow and pulled back to release it. I did as Finds Water instructed this time and held my breath before releasing the arrow. It did improve my aim but I still needed a lot of practice using this thing.

We spent the rest of the day out hunting for deer. We were not only hunting though we were tracking and I was learning to discern if the deer tracks we did find were fresh or if they had been there for a while. None were incredibly fresh and this began to worry me but then again this was only my first day doing this, it was going to take a lot of practice.

"we will not go any further, the sun will leave the sky soon"

"what is out there?"

"trees"

It took me a split second to make the decision to run. The underbrush was eating my legs and I had no idea which direction I was headed but I didn't really care. I was positive that my family had no idea what had happened to me and they had the right to know. Finds Water, as expected, gave chase but even though inexperienced on a great level I had to out run him and out dodge him which I did. He began to call out in a sort of trill and that's when I somehow knew that getting away wouldn't be so easy. Ahead I could hear several thuds and running through the brush before at least three men with rifles appeared all aimed at me.

"turn back" one of them shouted

So this was why they could not waste ammunition. Of course I would be dead or seriously wounded before I made it past them so I surrendered and stood while my hands were roughly tied behind my back. My bow, arrow and knife were taken and I was marched back to the encampment. Once there I was bound to a tree at the edge of the clearing.

Finds Water as expected was angry and came to give me one final warning before leaving me there for the night. "do not try this again, they will kill you next time"

I was left tied to that tree for two days and cold nights. Many of the people came to get a look at me, some touching my arms and legs while others hit me or threw rocks at me. Sure, by now I was thinking that if I had listened to my grandmother I wouldn't be in this predicament. This was not going to be an easy way to live. At the same time however fighting whatever kept calling me to that pasture had become nearly impossible and I knew that I had to find out what it was.

The pregnant woman whom I had first seen when I was tied to the ground came again with a bowl of food but I refused like I had over the past two days. She would never say anything or even get angry when I refused to open my mouth only walk away.

She had not gone very far this time when Finds Water met her, caressing her face and giving her a small hug before walking up to where I was.

"why do you refuse to eat what she brings you?" he demanded

"I'll admit I did something stupid but I am not going to stand here and be fed like a baby"

"she was only trying to make sure you had something to eat. I didn't like it but I let her have her way"

"she is your wife?" I asked

"yes" he answered not offering any more than that and I wasn't about to ask. "come"

It was as we were starting into the forest I noticed another, younger woman that had been watching me from a distance over the past few days.

"who is that woman?" I asked out of curiosity

"she is fire" Finds Water answered almost dismissing her "It would be best for you to discourage her, Soaring Hawk is very protective and he did not want you here either"

"her husband?"

"her brother"

Finds Water wasn't going to say any more about that either so I simply followed him into the forest where we were met by another man with a rifle slung across his back who had my bow, arrow and knife. The three of us spent the morning tracking deer and even some elk.

When we finally did come upon a small doe we all stilled and I took aim remembering Finds Waters earlier instruction about where to hit the deer so that it could not run away. This would mean that I would loose my arrow and the deer would go off to die somewhere that I probably would not find it. Unfortunately something spooked the doe causing her to run off before I even fired the arrow.

"we will stay for a while" Finds Water informed moving close to a tree with just enough room to see out in the small sort of clearing where the deer had been. Hours later we heard faint crunching in the underbrush and watched as two larger doe appeared stopping to eat and unaware of the fact that I had picked one and finally released my arrow. I wanted to close my eyes but watched as by some miracle the arrow I had fired hit one causing the other to run. The deer with the arrow in it's side began to run and without any words Finds Water and the other man, Two Guns ran after it probably knowing that it would not get too far. After about ten minutes of chasing the doe was unable to run anymore and fell to it's side breathing heavily. She knew what was going to happen as I approached her with the knife and tried to stand one last time to again run, though she was unsuccessful her eyes told me what she could not and almost pleaded. I had to move past that and jam my knife in holding it and twisting it until I knew she was dead.

"before you do anything appreciation must be given to Maheo for her sacrifice"

I wasn't exactly sure who Maheo was but guessed that he was their god and gave a silent thanks for the deer.

"then you speak to the deer, she gave her life so that we may continue here" Finds Water explained "we must never fail to do this because it is Maheo who allows us to live where we can be free"

I may have thought this all a little hokey at the time but did as he said, it was something I would have to get used to.

I knew enough to expel the deer's bladder so that it would not spoil the rest of the meat and between the three of us it only took a small amount of time to cut skin, meat, bladder and a few other items from the deer before burning what was left over. By the time the fire was completely out darkness was beginning to settle over the sky and it wouldn't be long before we were picking our way back so we hurried.

Finds Water and Two Guns exchanged a few words when we returned to the encampment and parted ways but I was to follow Finds Water who led me back to a fairly large hut where his wife and two small boys were eating stew out of small wooden bowls.

"she will show you how to strip and cure the meat but first I would suggest you eat. She thinks you do not like her cooking"

I could understand why and sat down with them accepting the bowl that was offered to me alternating between sipping the broth and using my fingers to eat the meat and few small vegetables. She didn't speak to me throughout the course of the meal or afterwards and I began to get the feeling that she was angry with me until I realized that she spoke no words to Finds Water or their boys either. I was certainly curious but held my tongue.

"she is mute" he explained gathering up the bowls and taking them off to be cleaned out "pay attention to what she shows you. This is what the women do but you have no woman so you will learn"

I watched as she used the knife to cut the meat in strips then took part of the meat and helped out. She then brought out a large pouch and rolled down the sides taking a handful of what looked like salt and using her hand to meld it into a single strip of meat that she held up with the other hand. We repeated this process until all the meat was coated then hung it to dry on racks made of sticks tied with wine or hide near the fire.

Finds Water explained that they did not usually do this at night because the meat took a while to dry and it would be too tempting for some animals from the surrounding woods or even their own dogs. I stayed up until I was sure sure that the meat was the consistency of beef jerky then put it in a pouch that his wife, Silent Woman had given to me.

Weary, Carlton Reye sat in the passenger seats of one of the ranch trucks putting his face in his hands for just a moment then finally running his fingers through his hair. It had been five days and were it not for their foreman Avery and the other men all work on the ranch would have completely stopped. Despite what he had said about protecting those who took Jackson he still had to hope that he was wrong. Volunteer searchers had appeared en masse with horses, binoculars, flashlights and whatever else might aid them in finding even one small clue. They went until the horses could go no further then on foot until the underbrush became impassable. There were no trails up there, no way that anyone could go very easily. As expected by the family, Ray and an additional tracker had found absolutely nothing.

They had considered every possibility or scenario questioning people in and around the nearby town of Leeds Cross turning up empty as well. All the bases were covered and it would make them look good in the long run.

"This mountain has claimed enough people over the years" Ray said joining him "I'm just sorry it had to be Jackson this time"

"call it Ray" as much as it killed Carlton to say that they knew that going any further would be fruitless

"are you really sure you want to do that?" Ray asked concerned

"I don't but we know what happened"

"what if grandmother is wrong?" Soje added in joining them

Carlton was silent for a minute "I suppose your mother would be pretty upset with me if I had everyone quit now"

"you know she would" Soje replied walking back over to his horse and mounting in one swift move

Carlton's wife Macie, mother to all five of their sons had passed on two years ago from a cancer that had moved swiftly throughout her body and given no chance for survival. It had caused the middle brothers, Misha and Jorgan, to be a much less active part of the ranch where they had grown up. One had taken to the rodeo while the other ran a successful horse boarding, training and breeding operation on some land that they had rarely used at the far outer reaches of the Diamond run.

I was loosing track of time with each day that passed here and I didn't like it. Maybe I was just worried that if too many days passed my chances of ever seeing my family again would get smaller. I was still holding onto that hope.

Finds Water told me that time wasn't important to the Cheyenne except the recording of certain events and marking each year that passed so that they would know how many years their people had been here which was exactly one hundred and forty four years. I started working on my arrows this morning figuring that five might be a good number but Two Guns, the man who had accompanied Finds Water and I into the woods to hunt the deer, said I should have at least ten. There was only one man here who made arrowheads and he required all the meat I had for just eight which I am sure Two Guns already knew but at least it was a start. For the shafts I would have to find a good hickory branch much bigger around than my thumb and use the knife to pare it down making it perfectly smooth and straight with no knots or pieces of bark left on the surface. It was all in the aerodynamics I supposed and since these people had been making arrows since long before I ever came to this earth, I listened to what Finds Water told me. He also told me to study the one arrow I had and use it to learn how an entire arrow was constructed.

I was left on my own to construct the arrows and chose a spot in the clearing where I would be less likely to be bothered by anyone. I think I worried most about getting the arrowheads on tightly enough so that they would stay which seemed to just be a matter of continuously wetting the rawhide and binding it tightly where the notches near the bottom met the shaft.

She is fire was watching me again and I was becoming more frustrated at her persistence especially when she knew what would happen.

"She is fire you are going to get us both in trouble if you do not stop this" I said out loud, she had to know that I had seen her but instead of leaving walked closer and sat next to me.

"this is even worse, what happens when Soaring Hawk sees you?" I nearly shouted knowing she couldn't understand me but did seem to sense my growing irritation. Despite that she was curious having probably never seen someone with lighter colored skin before and used her finger to trace the length of my arm from elbow to wrist like several others had done. When she could see that my skin coloring did not darken she ran her fingers over my cheeks and while I could not fathom any reason for this I couldn't let her continue, someone was bound to see us. I took her hands in mine and pushed them away.

"She is fire are you always this much trouble?"

"she is" Finds Water answered my question then spoke to her making it clear that she should not be here. She shook her head looking at me and although I couldn't understand what she was saying there wasn't any foreseeable good to come from it either.

"she has a strong interest in you" Finds Water told me once she had left

"great, I'm sure her brother will just love that" I retorted "how can I make him understand that I am not instigating any of this?"

"he knows" Finds Water answered leaving as quickly as he had appeared

I had nearly four arrows completed by the end of the day and again joined Finds Water's family for dinner. I didn't sleep very much that night because I wanted to be up early and out to test the arrows that I had finished and with any luck bring back something that had meat on it. I was sure Finds Water knew when I left but he made no move to stop me and by the time the sun was in the sky I was shivering out among the trees with an arrow lined up and ready to shoot. I wanted to see if these arrows would fly straight and while the first arrow did go somewhat straight the rawhide binding around the arrowhead snapped. I shot a second arrow to see if the same thing would happen and it did, clearly I had done something wrong and I wasn't wasting the remaining two arrows to find out. For now I would use the one good arrow I did have and find something to bring back.

"the binding should cure for at least three days before the arrows are used" Finds Water informed me later on that day when I had returned empty handed and sat in what was becoming my usual spot out in the clearing to take apart the two arrows I had broken. Of course I could have been pissed off that he'd failed to mention this before but I supposed this was his way of letting me learn. I decided then that I was going to prove him wrong irregardless of how long it might take or how hard it might be.

Perhaps up to this point it would seem that I hadn't thought too much of my brothers or even my father and my grandmother. The truth is I thought of them every day and felt as though I had turned my back on them by striving to embrace this life here. I was raised to be a rancher and to take part in the running of the family ranch until I was older than my father and while he would have understood completely had I decided to do something else with my life it was more of an honor to keep a way of life going that too many seemed to run away from. Granted it will never be an easy way of life but then how easy is commuting through two hours of thirty mile an hour traffic to sit in a cubicle for eight hours? I worried for them more than anything and wished there were a way to let them know that I was fine.

Much later that night I returned to the sleeping spot at the other end of Finds Water's home. It was almost like a completely separate hut off the main one and it was where his boys had slept until I came along. I didn't like the arrangement at all but it was getting too cold to sleep outside and Finds Water had informed me that men do not construct homes here. It was only to be done by a woman preparing for marriage who would often have the help of her friends.

I was awaken only a few hours later by noises from the other end of the hut and sat up slightly to find out what was happening but once I saw silent woman in the main room doubling over and scrunching up her face I didn't even have to guess. Finds Water soon joined her and they left.

While I had no intention of intruding I was curious as to where they were going and why she wouldn't simply have the baby in their home. They headed for the clearing and into the hut where I had been tied down upon my arrival here. Three women soon followed shooing Finds Water outside while they tended to her and interestingly enough I began to wonder how many babies died here because there were no such things a c sections or preemie care.

I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep and decided to re wrap the arrows that I had broken before taking my one good arrow and again going on the hunt. Several hours later a woman came to take Finds Water's two sons just as the sun came over the mountains from the east leaving me free once again to traipse out into the woods. Finds Water was still sitting on the ground outside the one hut waiting and I could tell he was tired. I could have imagined him pacing back and forth like one would see husbands do in the old movies but that simply wasn't the Cheyenne way, they strived to be patient.

I was nearly into the tree line when a loud scream erupted from inside the hut causing Finds Water and I both to jump just a little. He stood intent on heading inside until one of the women emerged holding her hands up and saying something in Cheyenne. Another scream came forth and I was rooted where I stood. She was mute, how was she screaming?

Finds Water was clearly thinking the same thing as he fell to his knees and put his face in his hands. I knew it wasn't right for me to be there at that moment so I left and spent a good portion of the day looking for deer tracks, droppings or trampled undergrowth. I found very little but would not allow discouragement to settle in, I just kept looking.

As I was about to give up for the day I noticed one of the men with rifles walking towards me from the direction of the outer forest. I wasn't sure what he wanted but nonetheless stood still and waited soon enough realizing it was Two Guns.

"you sound like a bear coming from a distance" he said

I suppose I hadn't given much thought to how much racket I was making out here and realized that he hadn't made any noise at all getting to me.

"look for trails, walk only in these places" he told me "you are too easy to track"

"perhaps that is because I am a cowboy" I retorted

"not anymore"

I followed him back to the encampment walking where he did, looking for bare ground or undergrowth that had already been flattened noticing how much quieter it was.

"you need to eat" he said handing me several strips of dried meat. I wanted to refuse but couldn't quite bring myself to do it.

"you have no strength to run if you do not eat" he said and I had to agree.

I didn't return to the hut until after everyone had fallen asleep and decided to give them all some privacy by grabbing two thick robes and heading outside.

It didn't seem like I had been asleep very long before Finds Water was pulling the robes off of me and telling me to get up.

"we are going to find an Elk" he announced

"I'll be fine, go back to sleep" I muttered

"get up" he shouted

"look" I said "you don't want me here, I get that and I'm fine with it. I'll go out and get my own damn Elk" I stood picking up the robes and heading inside to get my weapons.

He was waiting for me outside and clearly intended to follow me so I just let out an exasperated breath and walked on.

"I had to know what you would do before I would teach you very much" he explained "the men provide for their families and sometimes others who cannot hunt for themselves. At times we do not see deer, elk or moose for days and we must walk outside our boundaries to hunt"

"and the boundaries are guarded by the men with the guns?"

"they are called scouts and must train for years to become one"

It turned out that some other men had spotted a sizable herd of Elk and had alerted several others before going back. Using the trees as cover we were able to get close enough to down several cows before the rest scattered. We would be eating good tonight and for a while to come. My own arrow had hit a younger female but I had planned it that way leaving the larger ones for men who had wives and children to think about.

I thanked her and Maheo because after a few days of shoddy luck this meant that I would finally have enough to make all the arrows I needed and enough to trade for other things like a decent pair of leggings to keep my legs warm.

After taking care of the meat and hide I traded for the arrowheads I needed and more rawhide to bind them with. I spent the rest of the night working on them and fell asleep once again outside covered by only the thick robes.

I awoke with a start trying too suddenly to make sense of what was happening. I was on my side but could not move as one person had my legs pinned while another held my chest tightly and I could hear people talking around me.

"be still, this will be over shortly" I couldn't tell who was talking but it sounded like Two Guns.

"what is going on?" I asked

"you will know in the morning"

It was then I could hear She is Fire's voice and that of another woman who seemed to be instructing her and I began to struggle. I didn't know what she was up to but I wasn't going to be a part of it.

"stop, be still" Two Guns said firmly gripping me tighter and using all his weight to immobilize me. It was then that something cool was rubbed on my thigh followed by a sharp stinging that ran nearly from my groin area diagonally to my buttock. I held my breath as the blood was wiped away and a cool liquid was poured over the wound causing it to sting even more. I was loosing my patience and about to start throwing punches once I managed to get my arms free, however something was placed over my nose and mouth and the next thing I remember was being shaken awake to find several men standing above me.

"who did this?" Finds Water wanted to know

I sat up groggily and unable to focus my eyes and was once again reminded of the gash on my left thigh.

"She is Fire cut me and I don't know why" I said looking at the long red mark and finding that it had healed rather quickly. I hadn't noticed it before but many of these men bore scars on their left hips as well.

"what does this mean?" I asked growing more alarmed at the looks on their faces

"she has chosen you as her husband" Finds Water informed me

"WHAT???" I shouted standing "is she absolutely insane?"

"you have seventeen days to present her brother with seventeen green four hoof arrows" Finds Water explained "this can serve as a mark of disgrace to her or you can accept what she proposes. The longer you wait, the more it will seem as if you do not want her"

"do I have a choice in this entire matter? and what about her brother, won't he want to kill me?"

"it is your choice what you will do, this was a very big risk for She is Fire and though Soaring Hawk will not be happy with what she has done I believe he will honor this if you will."

I just walked away and to be honest I was a little scared. I could barely provide for myself, how in the hell did she think I would be able to take care of her as well? She had to know this. Maybe she was just insane and in that case I wouldn't take her for a wife anyway. The more I tried to figure out her reasons though I realized that she would be providing a place to live and I had been told she was a very good cook. While those alone weren't reason enough to marry any woman, I was tired of living in Finds Water's home.

"will you accept She is Fire's mark?" Finds Water asked

I had come back to ask him how these green arrows were made and what I would need knowing from the start that it wasn't going to be easy. "as crazy as it is, I will accept. I need to know how to make one of those arrows though"

Finds Water sent a young boy off who excitedly ran towards the clearing and up to the small river. Two Guns appeared with an arrow that had a black shaft with four green circles painted up near the arrowhead and the arrowhead itself was made of obsidian. This certainly wasn't what I expected but nonetheless I had accepted the challenge.

She is fire had picked up the two bladders she had filled at the river and started her way down when a boy came racing up to her as fast as his legs would carry him.

"he will keep the mark" the boy shouted

"you should not have done this" Soaring Hawk spoke from behind her causing the young boy to run off

"it is done" She replied turning and facing him "I have chosen him"

"I will not honor it. He is a white man who cannot hunt or make good arrows, you will starve"

"he will learn, as you have. As every man has." She is fire stood up to him "if you will not honor what I have chosen I will run away with him or make him sleep"

If it was not dishonorable to beat a woman Soaring Hawk would have been very tempted to right then. She is Fire had always been strong willed and unafraid to stand up to even his worst temper. He wanted a better man for her.

"I will not take another man, only Jackson"

"You would disgrace yourself by running away and you would disgrace him by causing him to sleep, this is not the way to have a man and I will not honor it"

"I do not care" She is Fire replied walking down the path back to the encampment "he has accepted and I will have him"

Soaring Hawk had to walk the other direction before he did something that might later be regretted. He was angry enough to take on a bull elk.

She is Fire was grateful that her brother did not follow and though he did not like this she wasn't about to change her mind. There were very few men he would approve of anyway.

The same morning

Soje Reye walked into the barn to find his father studying a note on clean white paper attached to one of the stall posts by a broken arrow. It was written in neat handwriting and he'd clearly read it more than once.

"your grandmother was right" Carlton said to Soje walking into the tack room to retrieve his saddle.

Soje was curious naturally and stepped up to read the note.

Jackson is alive and well.

Was all it said. So much for more clues but the broken arrow should have been proof enough. Were it not for the fact that he had a wife and son Soje would have trekked much deeper into the mountains already. Giving up wasn't something he'd been able to do very easily.

He wasn't done with a simple note though, not by a long shot.

The Elk had provided me the means to finish the arrows I had started and the opportunity to obtain some black obsidian arrowheads. The Obsidian was rare up here and a man would have to search for months until he found some. When he did though he took only what he needed and would keep the location a secret. Over the next few days young boys would watch my progress and run back to make reports to everyone causing the general excitement among them to grow. Silent woman who could speak now with a soft shaky voice and carried a content baby girl with her always made sure that I had something to eat. I left the arrows I was working on in her care to make sure that Soaring Hawk would not destroy them and left to go hunting with my new arrows. I took the rest of the day looking for deer trails finding only one that was somewhat fresh and following it. It led to nothing and I decided to wait far back in the trees watching a spot that was lush with vegetation, that yielded nothing either and I was beginning to think that I really sucked as a hunter.

It wasn't until my third day out that I found a small herd and slowly positioned myself to take aim and shoot hitting my target. Thing was, all the other deer ran off but one and I quickly took another arrow and shot it as well running over to find only one deer still alive. I put her out of her misery and began preparing the meat of both to take back as I couldn't leave anything out here that I didn't want to disappear. There were always other animals around. Fortunately one of the scouts saw me and offered to help carry the meat back.

Finds Water was surprised at the two deer and it provided me the means to buy all but two of the arrowheads. People were actually starting to make light of the success I was having but I didn't like making a big deal of it, to me it was just sheer dumb luck.

Finds Water and Two Guns approached me later on as I was working on the arrows each handing me and obsidian arrowhead. I was a little surprised and told them that they didn't have to do that but Finds Water waved my protests off.

"it is tradition that the last two arrowheads are provided by two good hunters" he explained "Green hoof arrows have power and must be used carefully. They will hit their target but only once"

Two Guns examined the arrows that I had been working on showing me little tricks that I could use to finish them off or corrections that would need to be made reminding me that if Soaring Hawk found any reason at all to reject them, he would.

I had been counting in my head and had roughly thirteen days remaining four of which would be needed to allow the rawhide securing the arrowheads to cure. The shafts were actually turned black by working a sort of black grease into them which took a few hours on each arrow and turned the palms of my hands black. I was told to wash as much black off my hands as possible and that if I couldn't get at least most of it off to keep my hands hidden until it did wear off. Otherwise it was a sign of bragging and was not tolerated well among the people.

The feathers at the back end which gave the arrows it's directionality and spin were called flinches although I'll probably never be able to spell it right, it's kind of like saying flinches and flanges at the same time. They were black as well but I was never told what bird they came from.

Usually a woman would have her house constructed near her parent's or relatives although She is Fire began her construction over by where Finds Water was not wanting to be anywhere near her brother. More often than not the construction of the home became a sort of party involving friends and relatives and once She is Fire had announced her intention by pounding a large circle of thick wooden stakes into the ground women began to gather bringing what would be needed. It was becoming cold and this place needed to be constructed quickly. It would not have all summer to stretch and harden like most huts but for the most part it would still be waterproof. Men stood by watching, most of them clearly not happy with what had transpired and the fact that She is Fire was taking a man who had little to no experience with their way of life.

"you will not continue with this, I have already said I will not honor it" Soaring Hawk must have been told what she was doing because he came running with a quiver on his back.

While She is Fire wasn't afraid of him she was not about to contend with him right here where everyone was watching, it simply didn't look good.

She walked up to him and spoke very quietly but deliberately "I will have no other man, would you want me to be an old woman with no husband or children?"

"he is not one of the Cheyenne"

"I do not care" She is Fire informed him

Soaring Hawk knew that he must put a stop to this but not right here. Causing a scene of contention among the people never looked good and was always discouraged. He would let her continue for now.

I had watched the commotion just up from Finds Water's place where I sat with my back against a tree binding the fourth to last Arrowhead. I had never seen She is Fire's brother before and was a little surprised at his tall muscular build. His hair, worn long to his waist for the most part was pulled back in a half tail and he like most men now wore leggings in deference to the nippy weather. She is Fire was not afraid of him and it had been let on by both Finds Water and Two Arrows that she was a determined woman and at times hard to handle. It caused me for just a moment to wonder if I had made a mistake in agreeing to accept her. The fact was I had agreed to it and I would not be turning back now.

The work on the hut continued until the sun began settle in the western sky and by that time it was only half covered on the outside. I assumed they would come back in the morning and work until it was finished.

I stopped work on the arrows once all the arrowheads but three were bound. I needed to walk and headed into the trees continuing on until it was mostly quiet just listening to the squirrels and birds. I did not realize I had been followed but when moving of brush could be heard I stood quiet until She is Fire appeared holding a red strip of cloth. She used her fingers to make an invisible streak across the lower part of my back and I flinched. I suppose I really wasn't used to being touched by a woman but she used her hands across every part of my back until my tense muscles were gone. She eventually motioned for me to sit and knelt behind me finger combing my hair and working it into a braid. By that time I was about ready to fall asleep and realized that if the women here were this good, I was in serious trouble.

She sat next to me taking my hand and studying it all the while speaking Cheyenne words I didn't recognize. It took me a minute however to realize that she was teaching me.

She would touch my hand and say what sounded like nay et see. I repeated what she said several times until she was content that I said it right. She taught me more on the way back concentrating on arms, legs, eyes and so on until we came to the edge of the trees where she looked to make sure that no one was around. She is Fire motioned for us to go our separate ways and I could understand why.

"it would not be good for you to be discovered alone with her" Finds Water warned when I returned later on that night and I agreed. "Most women do their courting wrapped in a robe just outside their parents lodge but I would not recommend this for you"

I almost laughed at how obvious his statement was

"you must also leave your hair like that until you take She is Fire for your woman"

I knew she braided the red cloth into my hair but didn't know why "what does it mean?"

"it is just another sign of her intent to take you for a husband, not all women do it but for She is Fire it means she intends to go through with this even if her brother does not approve"

"do most women defy their families to marry someone?" I asked

"most of the women are more respectful"

Even more evidence that I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. Not to mention the fact that if I were not living with the Cheyenne marrying a girl nine years my junior could be breaking some laws.

The next morning I began work on the last three arrowheads when the sound of wailing could be heard near the hut that was being built. Several women carried on in disbelief until a crowd gathered. I found out later that someone had cut the ties that connected the frame branches to the stakes in the ground which meant that the sides would have to be deconstructed and the process would have to be started over again. The women clearly were not happy but started over again and worked throughout the day until the entire hut was finished.

I had a feeling that Soaring Hawk was responsible for doing this but was not surprised.

I managed to finish all the arrows three days early and had several men inspect them to recommend any changes or corrections that would need to be made before they were taken to Finds Water's father. Once the arrows were as good as they could be and they had been blessed I bundled them as instructed by Finds Water I waited until late and left them just outside the door Soaring Hawk's hut.

My answer came in the form of a great deal of commotion the next morning. All of the arrows had been broken in half and had been ceremoniously returned to me so that everyone would see and would know without any doubt that Soaring Hawk was rejecting my offer.

Sure, I could have let it hurt whatever pride I had, especially after I had worked my ass off to get those arrows right. But I wasn't going to let this man have that satisfaction. I simply took what was left of the arrows and put them all in the outdoor fire that Silent Woman had started earlier and walked away. I looked behind me watching as several men scrambled to pull the arrows out of the fire but I was beyond caring now.

Two Arrows joined me a few hours later with the usual rifle slung across his back.

"what do you intend to do?"

"what are my options?"

By returning the arrows to you Soaring Hawk released you of any obligation created by She is Fire's mark. You do not have to take her as your wife"

"If I still want to take her as a wife what do I do?"

Two Guns looked a little troubled at what I had said but I had been doing a lot of thinking and had decided that I wanted this stubborn little hellcat as a wife anyway.

"there is only one thing that you can do, run away with her"

I understood what he meant and I didn't really like that option

"doing this would not be accepted lightly by anyone"

"I kind of figured on that one"

"is this what you want to do?"

"only if she is willing but there isn't anywhere to run to. I'm willing to bet that Soaring Hawk would have people tracking us once he realizes we are gone"

"you find her and ask her then tell me tomorrow"

I walked back with a worried heart knowing that I wouldn't even have to seek She is Fire out. Once she caught sight of me I headed for the trees waiting for her to follow even though it might take a while. I could tell that she had been crying even though her face was dry and she had done her best to cover any trace of it. Several cuts were visible on her forearms as well and I couldn't understand why she had done this. I wasn't sure how to get across to her my intentions but when she reached for my braid I stilled her hand and shook my head pointing deep into the forest. She began to be very forward then, perhaps testing if I really meant what I had indicated but I only let it go far enough that she understood.

She continued teaching me Cheyenne words then but it wasn't wise to stay there much longer because someone was bound to come looking for her.

The next morning Two Guns came looking for me up at the river wanting to know what we intended to do. Once I told him he hurried down expecting me to follow and pointed into the trees.

"go in that way and wait" he instructed "I will have my sister tell She is Fire to come"

"if you don't agree with this then why are you helping us?"

Two Guns stopped short "because Finds Water believes you can tame her and I agree with him even if everyone else does not"

I wasn't so sure about that myself and began to look back at what I had been able to accomplish here. It may seem as though things like hunting and arrow making came easy to me but that isn't necessarily true. It was part dumb luck and part experience as I'd been hunting with crossbows since the age of eight and using hay bales with paper target's and a regular bow for just about as long. Perhaps some hidden part of me realized that I would need these skills later on in life.

I walked back into the trees following a small trail that led to where I usually went and waited until slight noises told me that the others were coming.

"we will have to run to the border" Two Guns said forcing us to keep up with his pace and calling out to the scouts as we drew closer. Two scouts appeared with horses for us while a third who was mounted would guide us down part way.

"you leave now but do not wait past four days to return"

"we are allowed to leave, just like that?" I asked

"no one else knows and you must be careful while you are gone. Think of the safety of the Cheyenne"
I didn't have to be told but simply nodded and guided my horse down after the scout ahead of us. I worried about the trail that we were leaving but was told that it would be taken care of and when we returned to come early in the morning using only this trail. The one scout leading us left off and returned telling me to make my way to the bottom of the mountain and that once there I would be able to find my way. The journey took much longer than I realized and by the time I actually reached bottom following the only viable way to go it was well into the afternoon. Once I had gained my bearings of the area I realized the Diamond run was about fifteen miles away and that we could get there by following the bottom of the mountainside. She is fire had not said a word the entire time and would not even show it if she were worried but kept up with me like a trooper. I actually didn't expect any less of her.

We reached the Diamond Run when the sun was dipping towards the mountains and I was careful only to ride across the back pastures which I knew would not be in use at this time of year. When it became dark I dismounted indicating for She is Fire to do the same and carefully led them towards the old back stables behind the barn, an area mostly surrounded by trees where they wouldn't be noticed right away. I wasn't about to go traipsing into the main house just yet but it wouldn't be a far stretch to spend the night in the loft of the barn either. There were army blankets and pads in the tack room.

She is Fire looked at everything around her with complete amazement and I could not fathom what she might be thinking. This barn was probably the largest structure that she had ever seen and the fact that it housed animals was even more intriguing but I had to get us up in the loft before someone came to do their rounds for the night.

"what in the bloody hell" The shouted exclamation awoke me early the next morning causing both of us to pull the blankets tighter around us. I had hoped that we would be in a better state of dress before being found.

"what the hell are you doing up here with a naked woman?"

"Soje just climb down the ladder" I muttered

"you have a lot to explain" he demanded

"just go" I said louder then looked at She is Fire who who pulled her head out from underneath the covers and didn't look the least apologetic or embarrassed.

"that was my brother" I said picking up her dress and handing it over. She scurried into it and while I was putting my own clothes on she released my hair from the braid and took the red cloth using it to tie back her own hair.

"you about done up there?" Soje shouted from below, it sounded like he'd run back into the barn.

"you didn't used to be this impatient" I shouted back "what happened?"

"dad is on his way down"

I should have known that my so called "Honeymoon" wouldn't last very long once one of my brothers found out that I had returned. I still had to remain scarce though and didn't want anyone else other than family to know about our presence here.

I climbed down the ladder first and waited for She is Fire to reach bottom then took her hand pulling her close to me.

I looked at my surroundings and suddenly realized why I had never been content here, why I was always so restless, why I had this need at times to just keep riding and not turn back. Somehow my heart had always been with the Cheyenne, whether it was the ancestors calling me or the deep rooted awareness that there truly was something else, somewhere else, I didn't know. I did love my family and would miss my brothers greatly but this was no longer home.

My father had come in a hurry from the main house running all the way to the barn stopping short at the sight of me and She is Fire standing there together.

"you two should come up to the house, it's cold in here"

I pulled slightly on her hand walking up the path to the large log house which amazed her even more and I could sense her trying to take in everything at once when we stepped through the front door and sat down at the dining room table where two plates were set for us and an array of food from scrambled eggs and bacon to homestyle waffles waited to be dished up.

"I figured you might be hungry after spending all night in the barn loft" my father said taking a seat for himself and waiting for us to dish up our food

"this certainly wasn't how I planned everything" I spoke up knowing that he would have a lot of unanswered questions

"she's still young"

"seventeen to be exact" I answered as Soje took a place at the table followed by my oldest brother Caston

I sighed knowing what they were waiting for "the Cheyenne knocked me out before I could even turn around and run. When I woke up I was deep in the mountains...." I went on explaining everything in as short a time as I could.

"it's just so odd to see you with a woman" Caston remarked

"I wasn't looking, she marked me and when her brother didn't agree to her taking me for a husband we ran off. This was the the only place to come where they wouldn't find us"

"are you going back?" my father asked

"In two days" I answered "and the thing is no one else can know that I am here"

"Jorgan and Misha will want to see you before you go back"

"will her brother kill you when you go back?" Caston asks

"he can't expect that another man would take her after this"

"what do you mean she marked you?" Soje asked

I stood and showed him the healed cut on my thigh then returned to my seat "it is a tradition among the Cheyenne that when a woman wants a man for a husband she will gather some of her relatives and put this mark on him"

"what if the man doesn't want to marry the woman?" Caston asked

"she had better be sure before she leaves her mark because it can also serve as a mark of disgrace for the rest of her life"

She is Fire had remained silent throughout breakfast while I talked with my brothers. I wished that I understood more of the Cheyenne language though, at least enough to carry on a conversation. Just the same I didn't find it odd that I married a woman that I could not communicate with, most of the time we got our point across to each other in other ways.

"I would hope for her sake that you are letting her teach you the language" my grandmother appeared from the kitchen surprising me then before I could form a reply addressed She is Fire speaking fluent Cheyenne, something I wasn't aware she was capable of.

She is Fire lit up pleasantly surprised and the two women chatted for a moment before Margaret again turned to me.

"she says you probably shouldn't detail too much of what you have learned"

Well, that did make sense.

"I'll stick around for as long as you are here, but you must learn how to speak the language, quickly"

After breakfast I gave She is Fire a tour of the house finding that she especially liked to stand at the railing at the edge of the upstairs hallway and look over the entire house. I showed her a the television in the great room and the kitchen then when Soje brought over a pair of his wife's jeans and a shirt I had my grandmother explain to her that for as long as we were here it would be better to dress like everyone around us. She agreed but clearly had never worn any pants before, I laughed at how she was walking until she glared at me. I slid into my own jeans showing her that it wasn't all that difficult and then put on a tshirt.

We spent most of the day either in the house or close to it ask I could not risk any of the ranch hands knowing that I had come back. Misha arrived later on in the day relieved to find me home and even more surprised that I was indeed married.

The time to return came all too soon and although I didn't like the thought of never seeing my brothers again, at least they knew that I was okay. My grandmother pressed something into my hand right before I mounted my horse and told me to hold tight to it but I was curious and had to look. It was a sort of necklace with a long rawhide string to go around the neck ana an intricately done piece done in shades of silver and blue.

"this has been passed down from Takes Enemy who was the first among others to settle where the Cheyenne are now"

"how did you get it then?"

"some things I will never tell"

I mounted my horse then and turned to go.

"wear it when you return, they will know what it is" my grandmother shouted final instructions as we turned to go.

She is Fire was unusually quiet on the first leg of the trip which caused me to worry. I was aware that bringing her to the ranch might be a little overwhelming but she had been charming, especially with my grandmother's help. I was also aware that she would have to face her brother when we returned although she had never been afraid to do that before either.

I stopped the horses and took her hand squeezing it gently almost cursing myself for not learning the language quicker although she used the few words I did understand like "not sad" to assure me that she was fine.

We continued throughout the day stopping far enough out for the night that we would not be detected by the scouts. We continued on and called out as we drew closer but no response was received and I could only imagine they planned to ambush us. I stopped my horse and motioned for She is Fire to do the same but she seemed to be confident that things would be fine. I wasn't so sure however and refused to move forward until I received some sort of sign.

She is Fire grew impatient pointing up ahead of us and attempting to take hold of my horses bridle but I wouldn't have any of it and continued saying "no" in Cheyenne. She finally stilled when we both heard the unmistakable click of a rifle. She began shouting out in Cheyenne and I removed the rifle I had brought back with me from it's boot attached to the saddle.

"no, no" She is fire warned and I was suddenly pulled from my horse and slammed to the ground surrounded by a host of men whose intentions I could only guess at. When She is Fire began to struggle and yell however I was on my feet attempting to get to her, fighting and throwing punches while she was thrown over the shoulder of a large man and taken away. I was knocked down again and told to stay down until Soaring Hawk came running. As expected he was livid and started kicking at me until I grabbed his leg and tripped him. I wasn't having that and stood as quickly as he did ducking as he threw punches and shouted at me.

"he asks if you have taken She is Fire as your woman" one of the men shouted as I avoided Soaring Hawks fists and head butted him into a sitting position.

"what?" I shouted back

"have you consummated the marriage?" the man shouted back in plainer terms

"yes" I spoke directly to Soaring Hawk using the Cheyenne word

Soaring Hawk came at me again until I spun around ending up behind him and put him in a head lock prepared to use the half nelson if I had to.

"I won't fight with you any more" I shouted waiting for another man to translate

"he is not finished, he said you took his sister wrongly"

"she went willingly" I shouted "I would never have left if she did not want to go"

"it does not matter, you are older. She is only a young woman who thinks she is in love"

"either he stops fighting or I make him pass out right here"

"you are not in a position to dictate anything"

I always found it amazing just how well versed these scouts were for having been hidden up here so long.

"fine then" I used my arm to get him at the throat while several men attempted to pull me off of him. That was the last thing I remembered before a slight stinging at the left side of my neck put me out cold.

A splash of cold water to the face had me sitting up quickly and ready to defend myself several hours later until I saw Silent Woman and realized where I was. I stood waiting waiting for the room to stop spinning and made for the door stopping only when I heard Silent Woman speaking "no, no".

She took my hand and pulled me into a sitting position motioning for me to stay put while she picked up her baby and headed out. I was too antsy to just sit there out of worry for She is Fire and stood once again heading outside just as Finds Water approached.

"how are you feeling?" he asked

"I'm fine, what have they done to She is Fire?"

"come" Finds Water said leading me towards a larger hut where a handful of older men were gathered, most of whom I had never seen before with the exception of Finds Water's father.

Finds Water told me to sit facing all of them and took a seat next to me. I was a little apprehensive waiting for them to stop conferring with one another and to speak to me.

"you have taken a Cheyenne woman without her brother's permission" One of the older men spoke and Finds Water translated explaining that this man was Takes his Own, head of all the Cheyenne here.

"I won't deny that I have" I replied not exactly sure what kind of a response he wanted from me.

Takes his Own went on to explain that women, especially unmarried ones were held in very high regard among the Cheyenne and that any commitment made to them was not to be taken lightly. He wanted to make sure that I understood this and I replied that I understood all of this even before I had agreed to run off with She is Fire.

"then why did you do it?" Takes his Own asked pointedly

"I was brought here by no choice of my own and although I wanted to return to my family I let Finds Water teach me. I learned to make arrows, to hunt and even shared what I had with those who needed it despite the fact that many of the people went out of their way to let me know that I was a stranger here, that I was not wanted. I am still here, is that not a commitment?"

"you still have much to learn"

"I agree"

"then go, and live as a Cheyenne man among us. Make sure that you always provide for her and never mistreat her"

I nodded in agreement surprised that he had acquiesced so quickly.

"who gave you that medallion?" Takes his Own asked finally

"my grandmother" I replied "she said that it once belonged to Takes Enemy"

"It did"

He didn't say any more and Finds Water directed me to stand. I followed him outside and down among the various huts.

"does this mean the matter is settled?" I asked

"it is settled so that no one will dispute it any more" Finds Water answered "many people will still be angry because running off with a woman is never a good thing"

I didn't regret running off with her nor was I ready to apologize for it. Who would have thought that I ever would have become so headstrong in matters regarding a woman.

Finds Water stopped and turned to speak to me when we were far enough away that no one else would hear "I believe running away with her was the only way. You will be good for her heart, and she will be good for you"

At this point I couldn't have agreed more

"you should take your weapons to the home she has built for you"

I ran off at that point without even a reply and gathered the few things I had from Finds Water's place finding that She is Fire had already settled her own things into our new home and was very happy to see me. We spent our first night home in relative peace.