Gray Falcon had not, however, expected a girl to come visiting—especially a white girl—and he didn't know what to do. How did one act toward such a one, especially since he had never entertained a girl within his lodge, let alone a white girl.
What was she doing here?
But, Comes Running was preparing to leave, and Gray Falcon called out to him, "Are you not staying?"
"I cannot," said Comes Running. "The girl found me and asked me to bring her to you. I have done this. Now, I must go and fortify my own lodge against the storm." And, this said, he left.
Not knowing what to do or how to respond to the girl, Gray Falcon came up onto his knees and gestured toward the opposite side of the lodge, inviting the girl to sit. She sat.
She was a pretty girl, with long, brown hair and eyes that seemed to change color with the clothing she wore. Several days ago, he had seen her wearing blue, and her eyes had appeared to be blue. Now, however, their color was not blue; instead, her eyes were a deep green, like those of a mountain lion's in the dark depths of the night. But, unlike a mountain lion's stare, her look was not that of a predator. Rather, it was fearful. Was she afraid of him?
It seemed unlikely, since it was she who had sought him out, not the opposite. He continued his study of her, though his gaze at her was fast and sharp, pretending he had no interest in why she was here before him—and in the middle of a blizzard.
Her face was shaped like a heart, as though it might mirror the emotions of compassion and love. But, lovely and pretty though she might be, she was much too young for a man's admiration. And, she was white.
At present, she was gazing around the inside of the lodge, and Gray Falcon was well aware when she eventually came to include him in her perusal, but she looked quickly away. At last, however, she said to him using sign language, "I have been asking about you."
He nodded, then gazed at her quickly. He signed, "Me? You have been asking about me? Why?"
"You are the friend of a man called Eagle Heart, are you not?" She had pronounced the name "Eagle Heart" aloud.
"I am," he signed.
"My...my sister is missing. And, according to my sister's fiancé, it is possible Mr. Eagle Heart left the fort to go out into the storm to find her and keep her safe."
He nodded.
"My father can't find her. Her fiancé can't find her. Her fiancé tells the story that she was thrown from her horse and was hurt bad and was in so much pain, Mr. Thomas, who is her fiancé, could not move her. He returned to the fort then and tried to secure a party of men to go back to her, but he could not raise one because the blizzard came upon us so suddenly. It is true he has looked for her since then. But, because of this frightful storm, no one can leave the fort for longer than several minutes at a time, for, as you know, there is danger of a man getting lost in the storm's wrath. Still, my father found he could not sit at home and do nothing. So, he and Thomas left the fort in the middle of this blizzard to try to find her, but they could not do so, and they barely managed to make their way back to the fort again.
"Please, I am here because you are Mr. Eagle Heart's friend, and I was wondering if you might know if he went to rescue my sister. Mr. Thomas has said he believes this is so. Please, do you know if this be true? Did your friend go to her? Is he with her?"
Gray Falcon didn't answer at once. After all, didn't the elders teach the boys that a real man must first think through his thoughts before speaking? Yet, he was impressed with the girl. Young though she might be, she had yet mastered the language of sign well enough to make herself understood by him. Still, what could his reply be to her?
No man was under any obligation to tell others what he planned or what he might do, and this included his friend, Eagle Heart. A man made his way in life without needing the assurance of another. It was what made a boy into a man. Still, it seemed only logical that if Eagle Heart had known the woman, Laylah, was in trouble, he would have gone to her.
But, how was he to tell this girl these truths in a way that might set her mind at ease, and without further questioning? At length, and after more thought on the matter, he signed, "I do not know this with certainty, but I suspect my friend might be with her. If he knew she were in trouble, it is to be assumed he went to find her and keep her safe." He didn't add that he believed this because his friend was captivated with the beautiful woman, Laylah; it wasn't necessary to make this known to the girl. One had only to observe the manner in which Eagle Heart glanced at the woman, Laylah, to know he was besotted with her.
"Mr. Falcon, do you really think he might have gone to her?"
"I do. He is not here with me, though this is his lodge. Have no fear. He would not become lost if he went to find her. And, finding her, he would take care of her."
"But, what if he found her too late? What if...what if... What if she needs a doctor to attend to her?"
"What is a ‘doctor’?"
"You call them 'medicine men,'" she signed.
"My friend is such a man. If anyone can save her and keep her warm through the storm, it will be my friend. Do not worry."
Gray Falcon meant what he said. He doubted Eagle Heart would have found the woman too late. If his friend intended to find her and save her, so it would be. Further, he knew Eagle Heart would do everything within his power to keep her alive. And, his friend did have this kind of power.
"Please, sir, I thank you for what you have said, but I am very worried about my sister, and I have come here to ask if you might please take me out of here and into the blizzard to look for my sister in case he didn't find her...." She sighed. "I am sorry to bother you, but I must do something. I cannot sleep for worry over her. I cannot eat. I would leave on my own to find her, but I cannot go into the blizzard alone. I know this. I would become lost and most likely would die. But, sir, I have not known what to do to help my sister or who to turn to. Neither my father nor my mother understands how devastated I am at my sister's disappearance.
"And, then I remembered you and Mr. Eagle Heart are friends." She paused and looked once more around the lodge. "Will you help me to find her?"
Gray Falcon was impressed with the girl's compassion for her sister, as well as her courage in seeking him out to gain his assistance. However, he could not give her what she wanted, and so he signed, "I...I have no way of finding him. There will be no tracks for me to follow, and, without tracks that show me where he has gone, I can be of no help to you."
When the young girl began to weep, Gray Falcon despaired. He had no knowledge of what to do for a girl like this. And, not knowing, he remained silent.
