Tiopa Ki Lakota (29 page)

“Teca will have enough,” Kathleen vowed.

Their eyes locked.

“
Ohan
,
winuhcala
. I swear it, too.”

From a distance, a voice could be heard. “Anpo!”

The warrior broke their gaze to look for the speaker, finding a young
hoksila
of about eight running towards the fire. The boy stopped at a respectful distance and waited for Anpo to wave him closer.

“My cousin, Nupa, would like you to go to your father’s fire,” he said, excitement in his voice.

A grin slowly grew across the handsome face and the dark woman nodded. “I will be there soon.”

The
hoksila
smiled as he turned away. “I will tell him!” And then he pelted off.

An amused look was on Kathleen’s face as she looked back and forth between her
winuhca

and the disappearing boy. “What is it?”

Anpo finished with the rabbits, wiping her hands quickly. She rose, swinging Teca up into the air and holding him high. “Nupa wants to talk to me about a price for my
cuwekala
!” she exclaimed to the shrieking baby.

“Oh! That is wonderful!” the blonde responded happily.

“
Ohan

, it is!” The dark
wikoskalaka

brought the child back down and looked about. “You and I will go to my
ate’s
fire. You will help with the feast while I speak with Nupa and his family.”

Kathleen took the water from the fire and rose. “I will make the best rabbit stew,” she proclaimed as she put the newly dressed meat in a basket to carry. They then made their way to the fire of Wanbli Zi.

Nupa’s father,
Wi Sape

, was already seated in the honored place to the left of Wanbli Zi. Also in attendance was Hca’s only other male relative in the camp, a cousin named Magaju Ahi. Upon their arrival, Kathleen offered to take their son with a questioning look.

The warrior shook her head with a grin. “Teca will stay with me for now.”

The blonde nodded with a smile and approached the cluster of women at the front of Waniyetu Gi’s lodge. A blushing Hca pulled Kathleen into the
ti ikceya
, followed by the others.

Anpo ignored the giggling from her mother’s lodge and settled down at her
ate’s
fire with a grin and a nod. “
Han
,” she said, settling Teca in her lap.

There were murmured greetings all around the fire.

With his youngest daughter now present, Wanbli Zi nodded a greeting before lighting the pipe he held in his hand. Eyes twinkling, he smoked before offering it to Anpo with a wink. The pipe made its slow way around the circle in silence, a ritual of calming and focusing.

Just within earshot several
hoksila

, to include Nupa’s young cousin, hovered with avid curiosity. Teca ignored the boring proceedings, preferring to play with the necklace hanging from his
inanup’s
neck. He babbled to himself softly.

Once the smoking was finished and the bowl tapped into the firepit, Sape spoke. “My
cinksi

, Nupa, would like to offer the
ate
of his betrothed six fine buffalo hides for her.”

Wanbli nodded and looked to his kin. “My
cunksi

, Hca, is worth that and far much more,” he said.

“
Ohan
,” Anpo agreed, nodding with her cousin. “This shirt I wear was made and painted by her. She is a good worker and her fingers are very agile.”

Sape considered this for a moment. “Seven buffalo hides. And a shield of rabbit hide.”

“Does my
hankasi

have her own lodge?” Ahi asked. “Or will Nupa become a buried man by living at Wanbli’s fire?”

“Nupa would only be buried long enough for my
cuwe’s
ti

ikceya

to be completed. It is nearly done now.” Anpo jostled the baby in her lap as he began to get bored and fuss a bit. “My
ina

and
winuhca

would both help in this matter.”

“I do not want my
cinksi
living as a buried man for long,” Sape frowned. “The offer stands.”

Wanbli considered this. His nephew drank from a waterskin and passed it to him. The elder drank deeply before handing it off to his
cunksi
. Looking to both of his kin, his dark eyes begged the question.

Ahi shrugged and nodded his head in one firm movement.

The dark woman looked to Sape. “The joining could be delayed until the lodge is complete,” she suggested. “I could ask my
ina
how much longer it will be.”

Nupa’s father thought for a moment, his face clearly showing his acceptance. “If it is good, Nupa will pay the price and wait until Hca’s
ti ikceya
is done before the joining.”

“It is good,” Wanbli Zi firmly responded.

The two older men rose, smiles on their faces, as they shook each other’s forearms. The nearby
hoksila

, full of new gossip, whooped and raced off to spread the word of the impending union.

The remainder of the evening consisted of a feast held at Wanbli Zi’s fire. Most of the camp dropped in at one point or another to help the couple celebrate the agreement, but the primary revelers were the immediate families. The hides and shield were delivered by Nupa himself, the rest of his family in tow. The
winyan
cooked and dealt with the young ones while the
wicasa

sat at the fire to talk, the
hoksila
hanging on their every word.

As she had promised, Kathleen produced a magnificent rabbit stew for the meal. The other women were amazed at her use of spices, it being different from their own usual fare. Many times through the cooking process, she was quizzed by elders and
wikoskalaka

alike.

Teca eventually found his way back to his
ina’s
side. When he wasn’t suckling, he was held close to her body in a sling like piece of leather. There were a few interruptions because of his teething, but the ointment and the tea seemed to help the worst of it.

The proud woman warrior laughed and joked with the rest of the
wicasa
, happy with the knowledge that her best friend and her
cuwe
were going to join. A niggling tiny bit of jealousy was rooted out as she realized that Hca and Nupa both would have less time for her. But then Anpo saw the couple looking at each other with love in their eyes and set the negative feelings aside.
They will be very happy together!
Her eyes found Kathleen’s.
As we are!

Chapter 8

Sunka Wakan Natan Ahi
(shoon-kah wah-kahn nah-tahn ah-hee)
The Year of the Horses

1780

Wi Ile Anpo leaned against a large boulder, a leather shirt borrowed from another
koskalaka

in one hand. Beside her were a handful of
hoksila
and other warriors including her
sic'e

, Nupa Olowan. Across the box canyon were more warriors, waiting as she with implements of clothing in their hands.

"How is my
cuwe

?" the woman asked to pass the time.

Nupa smiled. "She is well,
tanksi
. The sickness has gone away now." Laughing, he added, "Teca will soon have a cousin to play with!"

Chuckling, Anpo shook her head ruefully. "My
cinksi
will have to wait some time. Your child needs a few moons to prepare."

"What has he done now?" a man nearby asked, a corner of his lips curled with humor.

"When I returned from fishing yesterday, I found him covered with corn meal and Ketlin swearing in her language!" She laughed. "He wished to see what was in the basket and poured it over himself!"

Around them, the others joined in their laughter. Teca's escapades were rapidly becoming legendary among them all.

"I know that you and I were always getting in trouble,
tanksi

," Nupa exclaimed, "but did you start so young?"

"I tease my
winuhca
that I was a
good
child and that our son must take after her." Anpo chuckled, "And she
agrees
with me! Ketlin tells me stories of her childhood and always wonders how her
ina

survived the ordeal!"

One of the warriors, a member of the pair's pack when they were children, piped up, "I wonder how
your ina
survived the ordeal!" He peered down at a younger sibling with a grin.

"As do I!" another called from further down the line, his voice ringing over the laughter.

Anpo grinned. "As do
I
," she agreed mischievously.

"Listen!" Nupa interrupted, holding his hand up.

The party quieted, eyes becoming alert as they scanned around the canyon. Across the entrance, their comrades were obviously hearing the same as they. A low rumble echoed off the canyon walls, growing louder as the cause moved closer.

Heads turned this way and that as they scanned the distance. First one, then another found a cloud of dust that was nearing them. Fingers pointed, words called to warn the remainder of the warriors.

"There!" Anpo called, pointing at the brown haze in the blue sky. "They are almost here!" She picked up a length of rope that was coiled at her feet, throwing it across her shoulder.

Around the
wikoskalaka

the other warriors were doing the same. Most of the boys were holding their shirts firmly in their hands, grim looks on their young faces as they prepared to help the warriors with their task.

Their preparations were halted with the appearance of nearly a hundred horses, rounding the bend and heading right for them. The wild herd raced past the people, eyes wide in terror. Behind them, making an awful racket of howling and hooting and banging on drums, rode the rest of the camp's
wicasa
.

Once the last of the animals and riders were in the box canyon, the two groups of warriors and
hoksila

raced together. They stretched into a line across the opening, waving their shirts and keeping the animals penned inside. While the boys continued their distractions, the warriors dropped the clothing and pelted into the canyon, pulling free their ropes. Many of the mounted warriors had jumped from their own steeds, tying them near the
hoksila
. They, too, had ropes out and began taking possession of the wild horses.

It was a loud and dusty chaos in the small canyon. Anpo almost felt alone within it, despite the obvious calls of her friends around her. A fine looking spotted mare cantered nervously past, her dark eyes rolling in anxiety, and the
wi
koskalaka

threw her rope over its neck.

The animal reared and whinnied in fear, trying to pull away but unable. The dark woman increased the pressure on the rope, pulling the large head down and not allowing the mare an opportunity to pull up again. Once Anpo was sure of her capture she pulled the pony to a small boulder, wrapping the rope around the base with one quick turn and tying it off. A quick slice with a knife and she had enough rope for another attempt.

The second horse she took was a stallion, a deep reddish brown in color. He was a bit tougher to hold, however, and threw her to the ground once in his desire to be free. The warrior held on for dear life and managed to bring the animal under control. With a bit of tugging, she pulled him to the spotted mare to tie him off.

Again the knife came out and cut the rope, but there wasn't enough remaining for her to seek another. Looking out over the canyon, she could see that there were few animals left anyway.
I will give the mare to my mahasanni ki
, she thought, turning back to her horses.

As the dust began to settle, Anpo could see a shadowy form on the other side of the spotted mare. Frowning, she moved closer, mindful of the stallion's hooves and trying to get a clearer view. When she saw what was there, a smile crossed her face. With slow, measured movements, the warrior took the remaining rope and made it into a loop.

"And I will give
you
to my
cinksi

," she told the grey colt as she eased closer.

The smaller animal was skittish, his tail swishing in agitation. He sidestepped the
wikoskalaka
twice, not wanting her near but not wanting to be away from his mother. Anpo was persistent, though, and finally was able to collar him, holding a bit of the leftover rope as a leash.

Looking over the colt, she grinned. "Teca will be very happy to see you," she told it.

The colt eyed her nervously before stepping forward with caution to nudge his mother's teat. Still skittish, the mare allowed his feeding, one rear leg slightly lifted and ready to strike out to protect her young.

Smug, Anpo looked over her new ponies. "
Ohan

. One for Teca, one for Ketlin and one for me."

The camp meandered along its path, stretching for nearly half a mile. Behind them lay the past two winters, one of famine and one of feast. And before them was summer camp, stretched out in a distant valley between two river forks.