Sweet Savage Surrender (27 page)

"You
are talented at storytelling."

"My grandfather used to tell me many such stories when I was a child
, I am merely repeating them."
She turned to him and closed her eyes
,
as knowing that he wanted to kiss her.  His chin just touched the top of her head as he gathered her into an embrace.  He felt the soft contours of her body against him and melted into the warmth of her.  He felt her breath ruffle his h
air, felt the
sensation continue down
the whole length of his spine.

"Skyraven, that story.....it made me all too aware of why I am here.  I have to warn the chiefs and your grandfather about the
hostili
ti
es
brewing.  Perhaps they can find out which Indian braves attacked those hunters and bring them forward to
tell their side of the story."

"Shhhh...."  She lifted her head, her face in shadow.  "Let us not talk about such things now.  We have so little time before I must return to the fire.  I am just so glad that you are here at
last, that you are with me."

He bent his head and felt her mouth brush lightly against his cheek.  The world
narrowed
down to the touch of her lips, the fragrant smell of her skin.  He was lost.  His lips found hers
,
and in that moment he knew she held his heart captive. His fingers touched he
r
arm and moved to wrap her tiny waist. For the moment at least Chivington wa
s forgotten.  But for how long
John Hanlen could only wonder
. Then
the passion of their kiss chased even that thought from his mind.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

             
The air was fresh
,
as it can only be early in the morning.  Following their routine,  Skyraven and Desert Flower  had just returned from their daily wal
k.   Skyraven had explained
the baby grew strong
at sunrise and would be better formed
;
thus they walked along with the u
nborn child's welfare in mind.

Dogs were g
nawing at bones and growling, children were playfully chasing one another, they could hear the whooping and hollering of some of the braves as they raced the
ir ponies just outside the campgrounds.  Some
of the men and women  they met on their way back to the tepee stopped to talk with them for a minute or two before  continuing  on their way to do
their early-morning
chores.  Skyraven
spotted John  among
a group of young braves
,
saddling their horses.  The young men had promised to take him on a small game hunt
to observe them use their
b
ows and arrows.

"I like your John Hanlen
.  He is not like most white
men," Desert Flower confided.  "There is a gentleness in his eyes when he looks upon you.  I think in some
ways he is like my Blue Fox."

"I think from the first moment our eyes met
,
our souls cried out for each other.  But it took us some time to listen to our hearts.  I was afra
id because of my mother......"

"But each man must be judged for
......"  Desert Flower paused i
n mid sentence,
putting a hand to her stomach.

Today
,
during their walk
,
Desert Flower had suffered  a severe pain or two
,
but they had not lasted long.  Even so, the cramping feelings were warnings. 
Both she and Skyraven knew i
t was just about time to convert the te
pee into a birthing lodge. 
During the weeks before the birth
,
the mother
-to-be
had observed the taboo
s,
just as Skyraven had instructed he to do.  She did not look at any fearsome animal or other object which might mark her baby.  She tried to remain in a happy frame of mind so that he
r
baby would be happy all through its lifetime.  Now the child was making it known that it
wanted to make its appearance.

"My little one is
anxious to come into this world,” Desert Flower sighed in anticipation.  “
I can feel  more  movement than usual."  Desert Flowe
r placed both hands on her well-
rounded belly and smiled.   "I hope, Skyraven, that when you have a child, our young ones will be good companions and form a bond of lifelon
g friendship as we have done."

"I am sure that they will.  They will race their ponies and play  games  just as we did
,
and dream of days to come.
"

"But if you marry your John Hanlen
,
he might take you back with him to his home in
Missouri
."  Though she tried to hide her feelings
,
it was obvious that Desert Flower
found this most distressing.

"I do not
want to leave my people.  I am
hoping after seeing John Hanlen
has spent time
among us that perhaps he might want to live with us at my camp."  
Was that a foolish dream?

"But if he does
not want to live as an Indian--if he can not--
what will you do then.  I would miss you so
were you to move so far away."

"Then I will send for you and the baby and you can visit me there.   We will never be parted for long, Desert Flower.   And if Blue Fox can not leave the buffalo hunting long enough then I can come to you."   Suddenly Desert Flower almost doubled over as a series of  pains came upon her.  "The pains!"  The
y
were coming in intervals closer together, a sure sign that the baby was soon going to be born.  "Come now
,
we must get you inside and prepa
re for the young one's birth."

Skyraven helped the young expectant moth
er into the te
pee and laid her upon the bed of tree boughs and furs.  "I'll be back in just a minute.  I must tell  Blue Fox that he is soon to see the face of   the young one  you both have waited for so long ."  It was a custom for the father to be the first man tol
d.  Next would be the chief. 

Skyraven left to fetch Desert Flower's husband, but returned as quickly as she could, bringing two older women to assist in the birth, relatives of Blue Fox who were mothers themselves of several children. "We must bring in some hay and the birthing pole."  The oldest
and stoutest
of the women
,
called Running Brook
,
said.   "Eyes of Night and Skyraven, you
both
stay  here with Desert Flower. I can bring both the hay and the pole."  The woman hurried away determined that she would be the one to oversee the birthing.  A battle of dominance appeared to be brewing
,
but S
kyraven took it in her stride.

"So, my wife, you are soon to birth a little chief."  Blue Fox came in and held his wife tenderly in his arms
,
whispering into her ear from time to time.   The look of pride on his face was mingled with compassion, knowing that this greatest of treasures would be b
rought forth from great pain. 
It was the one time when a woman proved herself to be just as courageous as a warrior
.

Running Brook
returned with the hay in a small wagon and a long, sturdy pole  with two leather thongs attached.  It was set into  a sturdy log which had been cut in half to make it free standing .   Clucking her tongue
,
she tried to shoo Desert Fox's husband out.  "Go now Blue Fo
x, this is a time for women."

"But...."  Blue Fox was reluctant.  He looked over in Skyraven's direction as if to question if he should leave.  He was very aware of her friendship with his wif
e and trusted her
judgment
. 

"We three will take good c
are of your
wife.
"  Running Brook
was impatient.  "Men only get in the way.  This is a thin
g only women understand.  Go."

Skyraven answered his questioning eyes
with a nod.  "Do as Running Brook says."

"We will let you know the minute the baby comes.  You are just in the way.  There is woman's work to be done here,
” the
other Indian woman said as she gently pushed Blue Fox out of the tepee. 

Lifting the teepee flap
,
Blue Fox started to go ou
t then  looked back in.  "
I will be at the lodge of the other men waiting for the news of our son, Desert
Flower."  Then he was gone. 

Both the
Cheyenne
and the Arapaho warriors considered Skyraven a leader of the tribe just as her grandfather was.  It took bravery and courage to lead the life of a medicine man or woman.   It took a strong spirit in order to acquire the ability to communicate with the other world  spirits and to heal wounds.   She was
Buffalo
's Brother's grand-daughter and had gone on a vision quest to receive the power of predic
t
ion. 
Blue
Fox felt confident
in leaving Desert Flower in Skyraven’s capable hands. 

"Kneel, Desert Flower." The young Indian woman did as the three women instructed her
to do.   She  knelt on the hay-
covered robe for the delivery, firmly holding the center pole placed in front of her for balance as she positioned herself.  Skyraven placed her hands upon Desert Flower's head as  the young woman knelt and put her wrists through the leather thongs hanging from the birthing pole. Soothing her with loving words, Skyraven
administere
d
herbs as they were  needed--r
osemary for the pain and slippery soap weed to hasten the delivery. Then she crouched beside her friend softly s
haking rattles and chanting.
             

"Pull and bring your baby into the world," the two  other
women repeated over and over.

Desert Flower was very brave and d
espite the pain
,
she endured
.
  She pulled and she pushed to bring the baby into the world never uttering a cry
.  After a long time
of strainin
g had passed, she gave out a loud
moan and the baby's head came into view.  A final push delivered the child into the morning air.   Skyraven held the baby in her two hands as  the cord was cut then laid Desert Flower
upon  her bed of furs.

"Rest
now, you have done your part."

After the baby's delivery, one of the midwives tickled Desert Flower's  throat with a feather to make her expel the placenta.   Skyraven placed the afterbirth in a buckskin pouch, drew the drawstrings shut
. To bury the afterbirth would cause the baby’s death so
later
she would
hang it in a tree branch.  To bury the afterbirth
would cause the baby's death.

As soon as the  baby's umbilical cord had been dusted with puffball fungus to hasten the healing,  Skyraven placed the new born baby upon his mother's chest.  "It is a boy just as Blue Fox wanted.  A
Cheyenne
brave for his father to train in the ways of a warrior
,
"  she said   "But for now your infant son is hung
ry and wants only his mother."

Desert Flower looked at her son with love and admiration.  "He's a big boy isn't he , Skyraven?"
"He weighs almost as m
uch as a buffalo hump roast. 
According to white
man's measure
,
that would be about nine pounds. "  She smiled as  her good friend wiped the sweat from her brow and made a face to indicate that the
delivery had been difficult. 

"He is a very big and strong and will make his father proud.  Now you mus
t rest and gather your strength,
" Eyes-of-Night
instructed sympathetically, herself only
recently
having
go
ne through the same ordeal.  

"By
the time he is four summers
Blue Fox will have him upon a pony's back and he will become as expert a rider as his father is," Skyraven whispered.  Bending down to her friend Skyraven smiled.  "And when I
,
too
,
have a child we will teach them to ride together
as I have promised.
And when it is time for more children
,
I will be there, as I have been today. 
Friendship is a potent thing."

"Yes, as I have found out."  Desert Flower motioned her closer.  "What would I have ever done without you my
, dear friend." 
Holding the baby in the cradle of one arm while  the infant suckled at her breast, Desert Flower reached out to take Skyraven's hand in her own
.

"You would do the same for me
,
"  Skyraven said
,
patting Desert Flower's
hand.  "You should rest now.
It looks as if your young one has had all the milk he wants.   Let me take the baby a
nd  show him to his father. T
hen I must hang the after birth in a tree.
”
  The drie
d out after
birth would later be placed in the pouch to be worn around the baby's neck as
a  charm to bring a long life.

The baby was wrapped in a fine deer skin which had been prepared with great care by his mother  before his birth
,
and exhibited to a grinning Blue Fox who, after holding  his son and visiting a short while with his wife,  fired his rifle into the air. Walking  through the village
,
he invited everyone to come to a feast of his new born son who had been named Big Bear.   "The birth of a child is a joyous occasion,"  he would say to every one he met, pounding them on the back and giving free vent to his happiness.  He bragged that soon  the other braves would give him many horses.  Having sons could be very profitable
,
he announced with a wry grin.  Then when the news was narrated all over the camp Blue Fox  returned to the tepee to look upon this new son of his, sleeping in
the crook of its mothers arm.