They had already come to stand at the main gate of the fort and were awaiting the men on watch to open it, when the good-looking Blackfoot Indian approached them. She frowned at him, for she was slightly annoyed at him. It had been a week or so since they had first shared their thoughts by way of the language of gestures, and, although she had seen him standing about the trading room several times this past week, he had paid her no attention, not even giving her a passing glance.
He was called Eagle Heart, she'd learned, but this knowledge had been hard to come by. She'd waited for the man, himself, to seek her out and tell her his name personally since, upon their first acquaintance, she had asked him for this information.
But, he hadn't acted as she had expected. Instead, she'd been required to make discreet inquires of Larpenteur. And, it irritated her that the information had not come forth from the man, himself.
Eagle Heart was his name—she'd been told it was a good Indian name and an honorable one.
But, what good did this knowledge do now when the man ignored her? He had taken no notice of her despite the custom from her part of the world that required him to introduce himself to her. Perhaps this particular etiquette was not a Blackfoot custom, however it was her understanding that simple introductions were considered good manners everywhere, even in this wild land.
Perhaps it was this which caused her to feel some displeasure when Eagle Heart stopped Thomas at the fort's gate. He looked at Thomas and said by way of a frown and the language of sign, "You must not go out onto the plains today."
"What did the Injun say, Laylah?"
"He tells us not to go out riding on the plains today," she said simply.
Thomas laughed and stared hard at Eagle Heart. "Ask him why not." Thomas didn't glance at Laylah, but glared instead at the Blackfoot man.
Obediently, Laylah made the inquiry using hand gestures. "Why should we not go out onto the prairie this morning?"
"Ipahka'pii,storm coming," Eagle Heart said aloud in his own language, but he used sign language at the same time. "Máakai'piiyi,blizzard."
"A blizzard?" she asked in sign. "But, it's a beautiful day."
"It is so...now," he replied in gestures. "But, many forewarnings have I seen here today. Also, there was a warning in my dreams about the blizzard coming this day."
"I don't understand how this can be so," she said aloud. "Do you know something I don't know?" She didn't, however, translate her words into the language of sign.
"What is it, m'dear?" asked Thomas.
She turned toward Thomas and answered, "He says a blizzard will come to the plains today."
Thomas laughed. "A blizzard? Snow? Today? With the sun and blue sky overhead? And, it's warm today. I say, these Indians who frequent the fort are nothing but fools. Stupid is what your father and I call them."
Laylah was careful not to translate Thomas' words into the gesture language. Probably, Thomas' voice alone communicated what he thought of Eagle Heart and his suggestion. She was glad, however, when Eagle Heart didn't ask what Thomas had said. Nor did he speak or sign anything else.
"Tell him to stand aside," snapped Thomas. "We are leaving, and we're leaving now. I will not stay inside these walls on this beautiful day because of what a dirty, stupid Injun says."
"I will tell him what you plan, Thomas, but, before I do, let me ask him why he thinks there is a storm coming, for I have heard from several trappers that the Indians can tell the approaching weather from signs in nature. Perhaps he has noticed something that causes him to warn us. It's the only reason I can envision as to why he might be cautioning us to stay inside the fort."
"Do you think this Injun knows better than I do, then?"
"No, of course not, Thomas, I—"
Thomas reached out and shoved Eagle Heart aside, continuing to walk the three horses toward the gate. "Come along, Laylah," he called over his shoulder.
"All right," Laylah responded, though she realized she no longer felt irritable toward Eagle Heart. She smiled at him, as if in apology for her own and Thomas' rudeness, and signed, "My future husband wishes to go for a ride anyway."
Eagle Heart nodded and signed, "You must do as he says, then, if he is to be your husband. But, I tell you no lie. There are many signs that urge a man to beware, for a bad snowstorm is to come upon the plains this day."
"What signs did you see?"
"Geese are flying high in the sky and are traveling south in a hurry," he signed. "Was also a ring around the moon several nights ago. Rings mean very bad weather coming. This morning, when I awakened, I saw two sun dogs along with the sunrise. There is more: the songbirds have left the prairie to gather themselves into flocks, and there is a quiet feeling of dread in the air. Also, as I already mentioned, my dreams have shown me a terrible snowstorm is coming."
She nodded. "I will tell him," she signed, ignoring his comment on his dreams. She'd heard about the Indians' superstitions in this part of the country, of course. And, while she didn't share their beliefs, she also realized it was fruitless to discredit what he held to be so.
His acknowledgement was no more than a slight nod of his head before he turned aside.
Meanwhile, Thomas had spun around and, letting go of the reins on all three of their animals, had stepped back toward her. He said, "Come, Laylah, let us not delay."
