Tiopa Ki Lakota (42 page)

.

Along the way, children danced alongside, laughing and joking at the strangers' yellow hair. When Kathleen responded to their rude comments, explaining the nature of politeness to them, the youngsters were amazed she understood the language. For the remainder of the short trip they plagued the trio with questions.

It was a good distraction for the blonde because, as she neared Wagna's camp, her stomach became more upset and she could feel a headache developing at the base of her neck.
I don't know which is worse.... The idea of seeing Anpo again or facing Gi and Hca!

When the familiar
ti

ikceyas

came into view, Kathleen's heart flip-flopped in her chest and the responses to the children dried up. Questions no longer being answered, the children raced away to spread the news of Kathleen's return.

The tension in the air increased as the people of Wagna's camp noticed the new arrivals. Fortunately for Stewart, there were no warriors about, most having gone hunting or spending time at the main council fire with their friends. Kathleen was glad she wouldn't have to worry about defending him from some well-meaning
wicasa

protecting Anpo's honor and thinking her brother was her man.

Instead, the
winyan

and
wikoskalaka
began to gather into clumps of spectators, dark eyes watching their progress. Kathleen knew most of them, could remember picking berries with that woman, helping this one with the birth of the toddler on her hip, laughing and swimming with the third.

No one spoke to them. No one came forth in welcome. It was unsettling that the people she'd felt were friends and family for years would not approach. When
Waniyetu Gi's

lodge came into view, Kathleen stopped.

Stewart, riding behind his sister, pulled his horse up when she halted. Something in the line of her body warned him and he jumped down from his mount, stepping up to her.

Kathleen was pale, her blue eyes locked on the
ti ikceya
before her. She drew in a shaky breath, just remembering to breathe when she felt her brother's hand on her shoulder.

Following the woman's gaze, he saw one of many conical tents. The leather flap in front of the door opened and an older woman bustled out with a basket on her hip. "Who is she?" he asked in a whisper.

"Anpo's
ina

."
My uncisi.
Regaining her senses, Kathleen turned to her sibling and spoke in urgent tones. "Do not look at her,
misun
. Treat her as your
uncisi

for now. Remember what I said?"

Stewart averted his gaze and nodded, responding in Lakota, "
Ohan

."

Gi set her basket of corn down by the grinding stone. Something in the air tickled her senses and she realized that it was quiet - far too quiet for a pleasant day in a camp this size. With a frown, she straightened and looked around.

Other people in the camp were clustered here and there, whispering among themselves and watching her. And something else. Turning, she looked to where the others were. Three ponies were before her lodge, a man and woman leading two of them and a child on the third. But something was odd about the pair. The older woman took a step forward, her eyes squinting as she focused her failing eyesight.

"Ketlin...?"

Hearing her name spoken with the Lakota accent brought a warmth that washed over her. "
Ohan
. It is me."

Gi wavered in her shock, her mouth dropping open. Steeling herself, the old woman drew herself upright and inhaled deeply. "Why are you here, Ketlin?"

Several reasons flew through the blonde's mind - worry for Anpo, the vision that threatened her every sleeping night, the hollowness in her chest for these people and this life, the almost tangible memory of strong arms wrapped around her in sleep. And Kathleen discarded them all. "I have brought your
hankasi

. He needs to know his family."

Gi blinked. Her eyes were drawn to the small figure on horseback and her face softened into a smile. Approaching them, she took Kathleen by the shoulders and peered into dark blue eyes. "Are you home?"

It was getting harder and harder to keep from crying. The blonde dropped her gaze and nodded, fighting with the lump in her throat. She felt Gi pull her into an embrace and a piece of her heart returned to life. To do her credit, Kathleen didn't fall apart with tears, but she couldn't help but allow a few to leak out.

"This
wicasa
brought you here?"

Sniffling and nodding, the younger woman pulled back. "
Ohan
, Gi. He is my
misun
, Stewart."

The old woman had noticed that this stranger would not look at her and she nodded in satisfaction. "You have taught him well, Ketlin. Tell Stu'et that I welcome him to my
ti ikceya
."

Kathleen nodded and smiled, relaying the already heard message with a murmur. She also repeated her brother's thanks, wondering if all this would be necessary in the future.
Anpo might not have me back. Then Stew and Gi won't be related....
The blonde quickly stifled the negative thoughts and returned her attention to Anpo's
ina
.

Gi had moved to the grey pony, peering up at the child perched on its back. Her wrinkled face broke into a wide smile as she recognized her
hankasi
, seeing his mother's features in the dark face. "You are Teca," she said.

"You are my
unci

...?" the boy responded, his statement also a vague question.

"
Ohan
, I am."

Lips pursed in concentrated thought, Teca studied the old woman. Finally, he smiled. "You gave me berries when I was little."

"
Ohan
, Teca! You have always had a liking for sweet things!"

Satisfied, the boy held out his arms and slid into his grandmother's. After a long hug, he was settled to the ground and studied. "You have grown big and strong,
hankasi
. Soon you will be a great warrior and hunter."

"Just like
inanup

," Teca insisted with a nod and a smile. A thought evidently crossed his mind because his face became serious and he tilted his head. "You are
inanup's ina
?"

"
Ohan
, and she will be very happy to see you!" Gi brought her attention back to Kathleen and her brother. "Come to my lodge and accept food and drink. Anpo has gone hunting and will return soon."

Anpo's pony meandered through the camp on course for her
cuwe's

lodge. Since she had no woman of her own, she tended to split her hunting prizes between
Hca Wanahca

and her
ina
. So deep in her daydreams and apathy, the curious looks and whispers of others failed to grab her attention.

At Hca's
ti iceya
, the fire burned merrily. It didn't appear that she was there, however. Anpo dismounted and untied the antelope carcass. She settled it downwind of the fire so the smoke would deter the worst of the flies and used a stick to knock on the
tiopa

.

She may be at ina's
, Anpo thought when there was no answer. With a shrug, she dropped the stick and returned to her horse. Taking the reins, the warrior led the animal towards her own lodge. Once there, she pulled the saddle and reins off the red stallion and sent him towards the herd with a smack on his flank.

Turning back to her fire, she saw that it had burned down to coals. Rather than restart it, Anpo settled down in her place and prepared a pipe. She smoked as she stared at the dead and dying embers, her thoughts in a place just as dead, just as smoky.

A burst of laughter perked her ears and she glanced towards her mother's
ti ikceya
. She couldn't quite see the fire from this angle, but she could tell that there were several people about it. Another camp must have arrived.
Maybe ina's
maske

...?
Anpo puffed as she watched, her heart leaden and just a little wistful at the gaiety she could hear.

A child emerged from the group, peering in her direction. He looked vaguely familiar to Anpo, but she couldn't place his face. Most children were familiar at summer camp, though, seen every year as they grew to adulthood. The warrior watched as his face broke into a smile and he trotted closer.

With a concerted effort, she put a mild look on her face, hiding her melancholy behind a pleasant exterior. The boy stopped just outside the circle, his eyes roaming up and down the seated warrior before him. There was a long silence before Anpo tilted her head and said, "
Han

, young
koskalaka

. Come sit by me."

The child grinned and leapt forward to do just that. He settled down to the left of her, in the honored place. "You are Anpo?" he asked. "
Cunksi

of Gi and
Wanbli

?"

The warrior smoked her pipe. "
Ohan
, I am. And you are?"

He puffed his chest out in pride, thumping it once with a small fist. "
I
am Teca!
Cinksi
of Ketlin and Anpo!"

There was silence, the pipe forgotten as the warrior could only stare down at him.

"
You
are my
inanup
!" Teca crowed. "I have missed you very much,
inanup
!" And he wrapped his small arms about her waist in a hug.

At that exact moment, a familiar voice could be heard calling from Gi's lodge. "Teca...?"

Before Anpo could respond, the boy called, "
Hau

,
ina
! I am with
inanup
!"

As Kathleen appeared, stepping from the front of Gi's
ti ikceya
, Anpo's breath caught in her throat.
Mahasanni ki

! Hungry eyes took in the blonde's form, recognizing the yellow
cuwignaka

, noting the new beadwork that had been added along its length. The hair was longer and the braids were still hanging down across her chest, indicating her status being that of a joined woman.
She has joined with another...?
The warrior's heart twisted in her chest.

She looks so sad
, Kathleen thought, scanning the woman before her. The shirt was new with blue and red quills decorating the chest and fringes hanging from the sides. In her hair two upright feathers had joined the yellow one and three quills hung down. The dark hair was loose about Anpo's shoulders and the blonde fought an irrational urge to rush forward and run her fingers through it.

Anpo wasn't sure how it happened, but she found herself standing, Teca wrapped firmly about her muscled thigh and her hand in his hair. The pipe was left on the ground, its smoke drifting off to the spirit world. Struggling with her emotions, she finally croaked, "
Han
, Ketlin."

Kathleen inhaled deeply to gain some emotional control. Hearing her name roll off the warrior's lips cracked the hollow in her chest, allowing the ache to rise closer to the surface. "
Han
, Anpo," she responded softly. Looking to their son, she smiled. "I see that Teca has wasted no time in finding you."

"I have missed
inanup
,
ina
," the boy said, hugging the leg tighter. "She will teach me to be a great warrior!"

"
Ohan
. She will." Dark blue eyes looked back to the warrior. "But,
inanup
and I must speak alone,
cinksi

. I want you to go back to
unci's
lodge."

Teca frowned and shook his head, holding the warrior's thigh tighter still, nearly cutting off the circulation. "
Hiya

! I want to stay here!"

Despite herself, Anpo smiled at his adamancy. She gently disengaged the boy and knelt to peer into his eyes.
It is Teca! How I have missed him!
she thought as she grasped his small shoulders. "Obey your
ina
,
cinksi
. I will come for you when we are done speaking."

The crack in Kathleen's heart opened further as she heard the warrior call Teca her son.

"Can we go riding again? I can ride my pony now! You and I can go very fast!" the boy rattled off.

Anpo's smile widened. "
Ohan
, Teca. You go to
ina's
lodge now and I will take you riding when I am finished."

With some reluctance, the boy nodded, eyeing his parents. Slowly, he shuffled away, shoulders drooping and looking over his shoulder at them until he arrived back at the
ti ikceya
. There, he was immediately picked up by Hca and distracted with his young cousin.

Kathleen turned back to the warrior and they stood there in awkward silence for several moments. "May I sit down?" the blonde finally asked.

Her nod almost frantic, Anpo said, "
Ohan
! Sit!"

A small smile quirked the white woman's mouth as she stepped into the circle of Anpo's fire and sat. She did not sit in the honored place to the left of the warrior, nor did she settle down to the immediate right where Anpo's woman would. Kathleen stayed directly across from the dark woman. Her eyes flickered into the smoldering embers. "Your fire is going dead."