Tiopa Ki Lakota (12 page)

"
Hau

, Mani!" Wagmiza Wagna stated grandly, his arms wide.

The younger chief held out the invitation wand delivered to him the day before. "
Hau
, Wagna. We are honored that you have asked us to hunt with you."

And then the three were urged into the council
ti ikceya
. Several young men and women ran to their herd and hopped onto ponies, thundering away to the north to assist the visiting camp.

It wasn't long before the new arrivals were present and setting up their own lodges in the cleared spaces. While the women and girls puttered about, the men and boys began gathering at various fires to greet old friends and exchange stories and news.

Anpo sat quietly at her father's fire, sharpening an antler spearhead by grinding it against a rock. Wanbli Zi was in the council lodge with the rest of the elders and her mother was off to visit her
maske

who resided in Mani's camp. She wasn't sure where her sister was.
Probably helping someone set up their ti ikceya
, she thought.
Or fawning over all the young warriors. I wonder if my tiblo's feeling anxious?
A grin crossed the warrior's face.

As if the thought had called him, Nupa came running up to her, excitement in his bearing. "
Hau
,
tanksi
! You must come with me!"

The woman rolled her eyes. "
Hiya

. I am busy now." She did not relish the idea of playing games of chance, her mind was worrying the vision of her future and taking most of her attention.

"
Hoh

,
tanksi
! You
must
! There is something I must show you."

"Can it not wait until later,
tiblo
?"

The handsome young warrior shook his head. Though his face was solemn, his eyes sparkled brilliantly.

Sighing with some consternation, the woman set her spear to one side. She knew from experience that to deny Nupa in this mood would only strengthen his resolve. He was nothing if not stubborn when he set his mind. Acting disgruntled for his benefit, Anpo rose from her seat and mock-glared at him. "Lead on."

His smile was brilliant against his dark face and he turned away with a gesture for her to follow.

In moments they arrived at a visiting family's
ti

ikceya

. The setup of the lodge was complete and an older and younger
winyan

were presently preparing the outdoor cookfire and setting out the various accouterments needed for day to day life. Several young men and women from Anpo's camp were loitering about, casting surreptitious glances at the tent.

Intrigued at the interest shown this one lodge, the young woman looked to her friend. "What is it you wish to show me?"

"You will see. Be patient." Nupa's face was aglow.

Eyes narrowed in slight irritation, Anpo returned her gaze to the
ti ikceya
. She also began to notice that the other members of her camp had begun watching her as well, more so than usual.
I do not understand. I am no different than yesterday.
Her brow furrowed.

The old woman of the lodge glanced around at the collected people who were appearing to be nonchalant in their rude stares. Muttering curses under her breath at their impudence, she marched over to the
tiopa

and pushed aside the covering. Calling inside, she bid the occupants to come out into the daylight.

Despite herself, Anpo picked up on the anticipation of the others loitering about. Their eyes intensified as they watched, their glances more and more centering on her. Just as she was about to speak of this strangeness to Nupa, there was movement at the lodge and she found her own dark eyes drawn there.

A small child climbed out, a
hoksila

of about four winters. Behind him was an older
wicincala

.

"They are only children,
tiblo
," she murmured to her friend.

"
Hiya
,
tanksi
," the warrior beside her responded. There was further movement at the
tiopa
and he grasped his friend's arm. "Look!"

Hesitantly, a pale woman stepped out into the waning sunlight. Her hair was long, longer than Anpo's, and was the color of the Sun itself. It was tied back at the neck, but flowed freely below that, hanging to her waist. Her skin was so light as to be almost white in color with a slight golden tint to it. She was wearing the standard dress of the women of Anpo's people, buckskin and long, with moccasins on her feet.

It is her!!
Anpo couldn't begin to describe what she felt. All time seemed to stop. No breath came to her, her mouth was open in shock, her heart beat hard in her chest. She watched the stranger be guided to the fire where the old woman set her to work cutting roots.

The people of her own camp cast their eyes between the two enigmas, the woman with the light skin and the woman who was a warrior. Both were interesting in their own rights, though the response from Anpo was a thing to be discussed for some time.

Nupa studied his friend, feeling her lean into his hand where he still held her arm. Almost as if she could not stand on her own. Her eyes were wide, the pupils dilated, and he could see the beat of her pulse in her neck. "Is she the one?" he asked, knowing the answer.

Rousing from her stupor, Anpo inhaled deeply to fill her aching lungs with air. Her mouth snapped shut and it was all she could do to simply nod in response. Even though the woman had yet to look up at the surrounding camp, she knew.
She will have eyes the color of a deep lake.

Her friend grinned widely and squeezed her arm again. "It
is
the time of your vision!" he exclaimed. "The sacred
tatanka

ska

will be yours before the hunt is finished!"

The old woman, tired of being stared at, began yelling at the young men and women of the camp, picking up a piece of firewood to threaten them. They scattered and moved off, abuzz at this new topic of conversation.

Unbidden, Anpo was dragged off again by her friend. She put up no fight, her mind in an uproar.

Kathleen peered up at the people moving away from the old grandmother who was haranguing them.
Ye're lucky ye've not made her angry, lass
, she thought, watching the ferocious old woman threaten to beat people with her stick. When the elder was finished, she turned to glare at her household and the blonde dropped her eyes. She diligently cut the vegetables she'd been given, hoping to not get hit.
She hasn't hit me in the time I've been here
, Kathleen reasoned, attempting to allay her fears.

Once the apparent danger had passed, she relaxed into her task. She was almost able to pretend that she was still in her own home, preparing a nice supper for her husband. But the women and children speaking to one another brought back reality, their language a foreign noise impinging on her daydream.

Kathleen didn't know where the man had gone. He had disappeared once they'd reached this camp. The blonde continued her chore, wondering why they had joined with this other band of natives and what would happen now.

Unbeknownst to her, a pair of dark eyes watched her every move.

Anpo felt like a child as she spied on the pale woman from behind another
ti ikceya
. Memories of skulking around the camp with her pack of
hoksila
as they stalked their prey among the lodges came rushing back and she blushed.
You feel like a child because you are acting like one.

But she did not walk away.

The young woman had insisted she was fine once she'd regained her voice. With a firm hand and words, she'd finally gotten Nupa to leave her at her mother's tent. And then she'd returned here, unable to keep away. She crouched behind a
ti

ikceya

, peeking around and at the visitors' hearth.

It is like watching a dream come to life!
she marveled.
She is real! Not a spirit!
Anpo chewed her upper lip in uncertainty.
But.... What does it mean?

"See anything interesting?"

The young warrior shot up to her feet so fast, she almost toppled over. A warm hand grasped her upper arm to steady her and Anpo turned to look, wide-eyed at the interruption. She swallowed heavily. "Inyan!"

The shaman of her camp wore a crooked smile. "
Hau

, Anpo," he said by way of greeting. "I ask you again. Do you see anything interesting?"

Dark eyes darted back towards the firepit. The sun was beginning to set and the light from the flames seemed to spark the color of the strange woman's hair, producing an aura about her head. "
Ohan

, Inyan, I do," she finally whispered in response, her lack of the honorific
wicahcala
a measure of her unsettled state.

"Come with me, Anpo." When the young warrior didn't move, he tugged her upper arm, pulling her away. "We must talk."

Anpo allowed herself to be pulled away, tearing her gaze from the vision and flushing slightly at her own behavior.
What is wrong with me!?

The shaman led his charge to his woman's
ti ikceya
. Rather than sit outside in the public eye, he drew Anpo inside and sat her on his left. There was a brief moment of unspoken conversation between he and his woman before she nodded and left the lodge.

The warrior was still in a daze after nearly an hour. It was obvious from the glassy eyed stare at the firepit. Inyan Ceye sighed, half in concern and half in humor. When he'd heard of the white woman that had come with Wicasa Waziya Mani's camp, he knew that Anpo would be in need of counsel. It was Nupa's arrival at his fire that caused the shaman to seek her out. Inyan set about the familiar task of smoking a pipe.

The stem thrust at her and his voice calling brought Anpo out of her mental anguish. She shook herself, bringing herself to the here and now and received the pipe. The two smoked in silence, the almost ritualistic feel of the situation serving to ground the young woman.

"She is the one," Inyan stated as he tapped the remains of the pipebowl into the firepit.

Swallowing hard, Anpo nodded. "
Ohan
,
wicahcala

. She looks just as I saw her four winters ago." Her dark eyes filled with awe. "How can that be? She is not much older than I."

"Now it is confirmed that you did, indeed, see the future in your vision, Anpo. Tell me, do you now look as the warrior woman who slew the
tatanka ska
?"

The young woman's eyes narrowed as she contemplated his question. Coming up with the vision in question, they widened. "I do!" she exclaimed in an almost strangled whisper. Before the shaman could respond, she focused on him intently. "If I can see my future, why can I not see why the woman calls me
mahasanni ki
?"

Inyan shrugged and tilted his head. "What
wakan tanka

wishes you to know will be told you. I do not presume to understand."

Sufficiently chastised, Anpo dropped her head. "I am sorry,
wicahcala
. I did not mean to --"

"Do not concern yourself,
wikoskalaka

," the shaman said with a smile, reaching out to pat her on the shoulder. "You are young and do not know the ways of the spirits. They do not begrudge you because of your ignorance."

The young warrior kept her head bowed, but nodded nonetheless.

"You have questions, Anpo. They rise off of you like smoke from a fire. Perhaps I can help you...?"

Anpo collected her thoughts, tried to focus them in some constructive manner. "I do not know how to begin,
wicahcala
."

"Then look into the flames, Anpo. Use the fire to burn away the confusion and clear your mind."

The young warrior did as she was bade, staring into the firepit, meditating on her emotions and thoughts and soul. A long time passed and Anpo could feel herself calming, her breath deepening as she relaxed.

The tatanka ska had disappeared. In its place was a strange woman with pale skin. Her hair was long, longer than Anpo's, and a yellow the color of the Sun itself. Her eyes were the blue of a deep lake, still and clear. She was wearing the standard dress that all of Anpo's women wore, buckskin and moccasins, her hair flowing freely in the breeze.

This strange apparition rose from where the white buffalo had lain, blood pouring from her side where the white buffalo had been wounded. She walked gently closer to the girl staring at her in wonder. And then the woman put a hand to her wound, bloodying her fingers. She reached forward and brushed the blood onto Anpo's face, two thunderbolts beneath the dark eyes. As the Sun flared again, the girl could see those brilliant blue eyes staring at her intently and hear the words whispered into her ear.

"Mahasanni ki."

"When we hunt, will my killing the sacred
tatanka

ska

hurt the white woman?" Anpo asked, her voice distant.

"I do not believe so. When she spoke to you in your vision, she used the phrase, '
Mahasanni ki