Tiopa Ki Lakota (21 page)

. I just finished making it yesterday."

The young man's smile faded to seriousness. "You honor me,
tanksi
," he murmured.

"I share my honor with my family,
tiblo

." Anpo draped her arm across his shoulder. "You may not be blood, but you are family to me."

"Thank you,
tanksi

."

"Anpo!" a voice interrupted.

The two turned towards the voice, seeing Hca Wanahca running towards them, her face serious.

Anpo dropped her arm and took a step forward, all thoughts focusing on her sibling. "What is it,
cuwekala
?"

"It is Ketlin,
mitan
. She is ill."

The warrior's heart turned to ice. She left her sister, friend and pony, running for the
ti

ikceya

. Behind her, Hca's voice followed.

"The medicine man is with her, Anpo!"

At Kathleen's lodge, the dark woman was met by her parents who were blocking her way. "Stand aside!" Anpo demanded.

"
Hoh

,
cunksi
!" Wanbli Zi insisted, physically holding his worried daughter back. "Let He finish what he is doing!"

Inside the
ti ikceya
could be heard the sounds of the medicine man, He Osni, chanting a spell of protection over his patient. Anpo glared at her
ate
, but he would not back down.

Waniyetu Gi slid around from behind him and took her youngest child's shoulder in her hand. "It will be all right,
cunksi
. Ketlin's stomach hurt her. I asked He to help ease her discomfort." Seeing that Anpo was less agitated, she continued. "Sit at your fire,
cunksi

."

Wanbli nodded, not losing eye contact with the warrior. "Sit at your fire and wait for the medicine man to finish. He will tell you what you need to know." When Anpo made no move, the older man physically turned her resisting body around and pushed her towards her place.

By now, Hca had returned from the center of camp. As Anpo sat down, she handed her sister a waterskin and some dried meat. "Nupa is tending your pony,
mitankala

. He will bring your saddle and things when he is finished."

Their father settled down in place beside Anpo. With a gesture, he dismissed his eldest daughter and woman. "I must speak of things with this warrior," he told them. He waited for them to leave before speaking again.

The young warrior's mind was in a turmoil, her heart pounding. Anger boiled beneath the surface.
I must see Ketlin! I must protect her!
She stared into the fire, trying to find a way to help, not even sure what help was needed. Her
ate's
voice filtered through and Anpo focused her eyes on him.

"You can do nothing,
cunksi
. You can only wait. It is hard, being helpless, but you will not ease things with your presence."

"I must help Ketlin," Anpo said, voicing the thoughts racing through her head. "She needs me."

"She needs you to be calm, warrior. She needs you to be able to think." Wanbli sighed. "It is the mark of a man that he may set aside his emotions in trying times, be calm and able to think, to reason. All that can be done is being done. Your presence will only complicate matters and show your dishonor of He."

Anpo blinked at him. "I do not know if I can,
ate
," she said in a low voice. "I do not wish to dishonor the medicine man...."

"Then stay here at your fire. Be a true warrior, Anpo. Wait until he comes out to speak to you. Do not speak before he does." A strained look crossed his daughter's face and Wanbli's heart went out to her. "I did the same when you were born,
cunksi
. It is not an easy task to hear your woman scream in pain and not go to her. But it would have dishonored her, as well, should I have interfered."

Finally convinced, though only by a hair, the young warrior nodded and stared into the fire. Her back was to Kathleen's
ti

ikceya

but all her attention was on it.

Nupa arrived, saddle in hand and worry on his face. He set the wood and leather apparatus to one side of the
tiopa
and sat in his usual place at Anpo's fire. His dark eyes flickered back and forth between the two warriors and he nodded to himself, pulling out the pipe that had just been given him by his friend. "I will smoke now and ask you to join me," he said.

At Wanbli's nod, the young
koskalaka

filled the bowl with tobacco and lit it. He took a long puff from the pipe and handed it to Anpo.

The three sat at the fire, smoking until the bowl was empty. Inside the lodge, there was only the noise of the chanting and rattling off he's instruments. Eventually, even the sound of these things drifted away and voices could be heard.

The leather opening was thrust aside and an elderly man stepped out. He Osni shuffled towards the fire and settled laboriously in the honored place that Wanbli Zi had vacated for him. The medicine man was very old, having been old when Anpo was born. His skin was dry and leathery, his hair snow white and wispy.

Sitting in silence, Anpo resisted the urge to grab the old man by the collar and wrestle the information out of him. She held back her desire to bolt from the fire and see her
winuhca
. Behind her, she was comforted to hear her sister and mother entering the
ti ikceya
to help Kathleen.

After long contemplation, the medicine man spoke, his voice as leathery as his skin. "Your
winyan

is ill, Anpo."

"Will she be alright,
wicahcala

?" the woman asked, trying to keep control of her emotions.

"If she does as she is told, she will be fine." There was a long pause. "She is with child."

Stunned silence met his pronouncement as all three of the warriors stared at him.

"W...
what
?" Anpo asked in a whisper.

The craggy old face broke into a smile, his few teeth gleaming. "Your woman is with child, warrior. She will give birth in a few moons." And, though it was rude, He didn't take offense when the young woman leapt to her feet and dashed into the lodge behind her. Rather, he chuckled and pulled out a pipe.

Kathleen was in her sleeping robes, looking a bit worse for wear. Her
stepan
was mixing herbs to alleviate her nausea as Gi was preparing water in a clay bowl near the fire. She looked up as Anpo entered, her heart jumping at the dark eyes that pinned her own.

The warrior knelt down beside her
winuhca

, reaching out to pull a pale hand into hers. "Ketlin," she started, but couldn't think of anything else to say.

The blonde chewed her lower lip and dropped her gaze. She tried to explain. "Anpo. I am sorry. I did not think I could have children...."

"Ketlin," and this time the voice was warm.

Dark blue eyes peered up into a wide smile.

"You are with child,
winuhca
," Anpo stated happily. "You will bear me a son or daughter!"

Kathleen blinked at her warrior.
'Tis that simple then? My child will be Anpo's?
A dim flicker of hope sparked and filled her soul. The fear that she would be tossed aside for bearing another man's child dissipated. "You are happy then...?" she ventured.

"
Happy
?
Winuhca
! This is the best thing to happen to me in my life!!" Anpo swept her woman into a hug, rocking her. "Thank you so much for this gift!" she whispered.

Unable to hold back the relief, tears spilled from Kathleen's eyes and she held Anpo tightly. "Thank
you
,
winuhca

," she whispered. "Thank
you
."

Chapter 6

Yuwipi Ki
(yoo-wee-pee kee)
The Sun Dance

1777

The following morning found Kathleen seated outside her
ti

ikceya

, a mass of reeds in her lap. The base of a basket gave the vegetation some semblance of order, but the loose ends haphazardly filled the air above it. Her tongue was sticking out the corner of her mouth in concentration as she tried to remember which end went where from her lessons with Waniyetu Gi.

A trio of native women walked by, chatting amiably amongst each other and carrying water from the creek they’d camped beside the previous evening. Upon sighting the blonde, they all called to her, bidding her a good day.

With a tentative smile, Kathleen returned the sentiment and watched as they went their way.
Well, lass. News certainly travels fast, eh?
Shaking her head with a small smile, the woman returned to her task, weaving the reeds together.

As Gi had said, all women were accepted as full members of the Lakota when they made their
wicasa

happy and bore them children. When He Osni had announced she was pregnant, every woman and
wikoskalaka
had shown up at the lodge with offers of assistance and help for the new young mother.

It was all a bit overwhelming, to say the least.
Yesterday, nobody’d speak ta ye and now ev’rybody’s a friend.
The blonde braids shook again at the wonder of it all.

Despite Anpo’s apparent happiness at the news, the white woman hadn’t slept well. Visions of the horrible abuse instigated upon her filled her sleep, making for a restless night. Her warrior had held her closely through the nightmares, soothing her fears and singing her to sleep.

There was no doubt in Kathleen’s mind that the child she carried belonged to her rapist. The knowledge of it chilled her heart even as it soared to new heights of joy.
After two years, Adam and I couldn’t have a child. I doubt ‘t’would have changed.
And her time with Hehaka Yatke certainly wouldn’t have resulted in pregnancy.
He never did anythin’ with me.

Kathleen sighed and tried to focus on the basket in her hands. But the fears and uncertainty continued to plague her mind. Questions flickered through her thoughts, disappearing nearly as fast as they could form.

Just how acceptin’ are these people? Will they accept this child as Anpo’s? Will Anpo accept the child?
And the worst thought, the one that the blonde mentally cringed from each and every time it came up -
Can I accept the child of the man who raped me?

“
Han

,
winuhca
!”

Looking up from her task, Kathleen smiled up at her warrior. She set aside the half completed basket.

Anpo, a wide smile on her face and two brownish animals hanging from one hand, approached and settled down at her fire. Brandishing the dead carcasses, she said, “I have brought you
pispiza

. You can cook these this night.”

“Thank you, Anpo. You are a very good hunter.” The blonde watched Anpo flush from the compliment before bending to her task.
Ah, she’s a pretty one, she is
, came the fond thought. “Are you hungry now,
winuhca

? I have grains boiling.”

“That would be good, Ketlin.”

Kathleen used a wooden spoon to ladle some of the mixture into a clay bowl. She crumbled some dried herbs into it and stirred. Rising, she walked behind the busy young woman and knelt to set the bowl to one side, placing a hand on Anpo’s shoulder to steady herself. Unable to resist, the blonde remained on her knees and leaned forward, using the strong back as support.

Feeling the warmth of her woman against her, Anpo stopped her butchering and turned her head to see the yellow hair just over her shoulder. “How do you feel,
winucha
?” she asked in a soft voice. “Are you still ill this morning?”

The blonde head readjusted itself. “
Hiya

. I feel much better now.” The morning sickness had been mild over the last few weeks. So much so that Kathleen hadn’t realized what was happening, thinking it was the stress of her situation that was upsetting her stomach.

“You should try to sleep this afternoon,” the dark woman said. She held her torso steady for Kathleen and returned to her chore of skinning the animals she’d caught. “We will not be leaving for summer camp until tomorrow.”

Loathe to attempt sleep without her warrior, Kathleen shrugged slightly and snuggled against the shoulder she rested on. “I do not know. Maybe.” Her eyes closed.

Anpo finished butchering the carcasses with as little movement of her upper body as she was able. Eventually, the job was done and she remained quiet and still, enjoying the peaceful moment.
Ketlin is still so scared, so fearful. Will she ever be free of those evil spirits?
A fierce wave of protectiveness flowed through the warrior and she inhaled deeply to quell the sudden urge to turn and sweep Kathleen into her arms.
It will frighten her if I move too quickly
, she considered, not wanting to repeat her original mistake with the blonde.

“Ketlin.”

Despite her desire to remain awake, the white woman had dozed a bit. Her hand was still on Anpo’s shoulder and, as she roused, she squeezed gently. “I am sorry,
winuhca
. I am still tired.”

As the blonde pulled away, Anpo turned to peer over her shoulder at her. “You did not sleep well. You must sleep this day. There will be no rest tomorrow until we reach summer camp.”