"Yes. All right."
He turned his Appaloosa around. But, before he left, he touched her hand and said, "You...not die...either. Order from...husband."
She smiled. "I will try my best not to."
He gave her a brief nod, then trotted away to take the lead once again.
****
AS EAGLE HEART LOOKEDup, he was glad to see he had, at last, reached the foothills of the Beartooth Mountains. Their climb upward had been difficult. Not only had the temperature dropped, but, because there was no trail through the forest, their way had been littered with large windfalls of dead branches, causing him to have to stop and hack through the wood with his buffalo-shoulder blade in order to blaze a trail.
At least the predicted storm had not been in the form of a blizzard. It had been difficult enough, but the snowflakes had been large enough to fall quietly, and the wind hadn't been too strong. As a result, the land had come to look as though it belonged in the clouds rather than on the earth.
They hadn't stopped to make a shelter and rest. Indeed, his wife had insisted upon them pushing on.
But, he was well aware the Crow scout and his father-in-law were pressing in upon them. And, although he threw several large branches into the pathway behind them, those would not stop the two men from making better time than he and his wife, considering the obstacles in his and his wife’s way.
Looking ahead, he forgot his woes momentarily as he admired the Creator's hand in the life around him. Pine trees rose up majestically on each side of him, and the snow on the ground here was not too deep. It was strange, and quite pretty, to behold the bright leaves of the bushes still wearing their fall colors and now sprinkled with snow.
It was good. Whatever his future woes might be, these sights and the frigid air wiped his mind clean of any fear he might have had about what lay ahead of him. Inhaling deeply, the pine-scented atmosphere imparted an even greater feeling of the magnificence of His work, and a calmness of purpose entered into Eagle Heart's spirit, despite the knowledge that his father-in-law and the Crow scout were less than a day away.
Was it only last night when he had finally located his brother's position within these mountains? Although there was still no communication between the two of them, he at least knew the broad area where he would find his brother.
He only hoped he would discover his brother's exact position and free him before his father-in-law and the Crow scout caught up with them. He was aware there would be a fight, and it would be a hard fight, for he did not wish to harm his father-in-law. And, if the Crow scout chose to be part of the struggle, it would be trickier still. Nevertheless, Eagle Heart was preparing himself for the coming battle both mentally and spiritually, as well as physically.
Although he, as a medicine man, did not seek to fight unless he had to, it didn't mean he couldn't. Certainly he was trained to go into battle. All Indian men were expected to be able to repel an enemy and to hunt. Indeed, without the skills to hunt, a man's family would starve. And, without the ability to go into battle willingly, one's family and one's people might perish. A man was expected to do this and more without flinching or cowering.
As a boy, his first education had been as a hunter and a warrior. His next training had taken years, where he had learned the discipline and ethical choices necessary to become a scout. It was as a scout where he had mastered the skill to go into a fight if he had to, and to win it. However, it was a point of pride that a scout never started a fight. Instead, he tried to avoid it by using the emotional "war" tactics known only to the scout.
His instruction as a medicine man had required several more years of learning, of fasting and acquiring the secrets of his trade before he had been admitted into the ranks of these honored men. But, this education had come a little easier to him.
Glancing over his shoulder, he took a moment to admire his wife. This kind of life was new for her, and yet she never complained, even when she was greatly inconvenienced.
He smiled, thinking of this very morning when their bath had inevitably been icy-cold. Her lips had almost turned blue before he had rescued her and had wrapped her in a warm buffalo robe. But, she had smiled at him and had dressed, becoming ready to set out upon the trail within a short time.
She had also impressed him when, only a few days ago, she had spotted the leaves and flowers of theEk-siso-kit, the bear grass plant, the root of which he had used to remedy her sprained ankle. She had only seen its flowers and leaves once, yet had been able to recognize it in its wild state.
She was intelligent and clever, as well as beautiful, and he considered himself to be a fortunate man. He would watch over her closely when they, at last, arrived at his village. She would need help and gentle coaching, for her ways were different from theirs in many respects. His sisters, especially his youngest sister, might be good teachers.
He returned his attention to the matter at hand. A few days ago, he had stopped doubling back and crossing over his own trail. The Crow scout was not fooled by these common Indian tactics of creating confusion. Besides, the Crow scout had located him spiritually and was leading his father-in-law by this kind of intuitive knowledge, ignoring the physical markings left over the earth. The result of his trouble in trying to confuse the Crow scout was that it had cost him valuable time.
Passing by a particular clump of trees, he all at once surprised a bear who had taken up residence over the trail Eagle Heart was blazing. But, the bear gave them no chase and quickly disappeared within the forest of pine trees and bushes.
"Was that a bear?" his wife asked.
"Áa,it was. But, he is gone."
"Why did he leave?"
"I...surprise him," he called back to her. "Bears not...bother us. Bear attack...rare to my people. We both...creatures of Sun. We not attack unless have to. He happy...leave trail to us. He in hurry...get to winter sleep."
"Yes, you are most likely right."
"Ahead is...good place...we stop."
"You know where you are?"
"Áa," he said over his shoulder. "When...arrive at...berry bushes and silver-grass clearing, we stop. Have first meal. I tell you...where...brother is. Also, where Crow scout is."
