At present, Sharon was intermittently helping her friends Amelia, Laylah and Little Dove—who were her almost sisters now—pack up their things. The announcement had come early in the morning: the tribe was moving today to set up their many winter camps. Soon the Blackfoot people would split up into family units, some going south, some journeying north or west.
As Sharon spoke to Little Dove with the sign language, she realized she was becoming quite proficient in this tongue of gestures, and it had been with a great deal of admiration when she had realized several weeks ago that she could communicate even the most delicate subject with ease, using no more than the motion of her arms, her hands and, of course, her facial expressions. She had even noticed amongst the men that the chin was often used to express the concepts of direction when one's hands were full.
What she found even more admirable about these people was that all who were within the tribe, even the very small children, spoke this gesture language. She made a pact to herself to listen well to their spoken language so she would eventually learn to speak Blackfeet, also. But for now, these gestures made it easy to talk to the others.
At present, Sharon and Little Dove were helping Morning-sun-woman—the first wife of Chief Chases-the-enemy—to disassemble her lodge. Because Little Dove's and Morning-sun-woman's husband had need of a large tepee for councils, entertainment and providing housing for orphans, both women required many pairs of hands to take it down and position the tepee lining onto the travois attached to one of the chief's ponies.
At last, the tepee and its poles were taken down and set out upon the ground, the buffalo hide to be folded and placed upon the poles which made up the travois. Little Dove then turned to Sharon and signed, "Have you strapped two of your own tepee poles to your horse?"
"Not yet," answered Sharon.
"Then, come, let us do it together. If we find your friends Young-person-woman and Takes-the-breath are without aid—"
"Who are those people?" Sharon interrupted to ask.
Little Dove giggled, then signed, "They are your friends."
"Oh, you must mean my friends Amelia and Laylah?"
"Áa,yes,"said Little Dove in Blackfeet. "Although, since your friends have many sisters amongst our people, it is doubtful they will need our help," signed Little Dove. "Still, we should go to them and ensure they are having no trouble."
As both she and Little Dove were pacing the short distance to her friends' lodges, Little Dove asked, using sign, "Has your sister Takes-the-breath ever told you the story of how she and her husband saved mine, my husband's and my son's lives?"
"Saa,no," said Sharon in Blackfeet. Then with gestures, she added, "I think I know a little of the story, but not the entirety of it."
"Soka'pii,good," said Little Dove. Then, in sign, she continued, "It will be my pleasure, I think, while we are trekking to our winter camp, that I shall tell you the story of how my husband, Chief Chases-the-enemy, saved my life and the life of my son. And how, when he and I and my son were trapped, it was your sister Takes-the-breath and her husband, as well as the man you know as Gray Falcon, who released us. From that day forward, we have always been the best of friends, as well as family. We do everything together. We even camp together. Did you know I am Crow and not Pikuni?"
"I think so, since I am aware of Strikes Fast's heritage." Oh, how Sharon wished to ask more questions, but she didn't ask them, fearing now was not the time. There was simply too much to do.
Nonetheless, Sharon hadn't long to wait for the story because, as though Little Dove could read her thoughts, Little Dove said, with both the Pikuni tongue as well as the gesture language, "My Crow husband was killed shortly before my son was stolen by a female of the Big People's tribe. Because I had no relatives and no husband to help me to save my child, Chief Chases-the-enemy, though he was of an enemy tribe, came to my aid, and together we chased after the big person who had taken my son. It was not easy for us to do because we had to traverse up and down many mountains and much forested ground that could barely be trod upon, even by our horses.
"Ah, here we are at your friends' homes," continued Little Dove. "It looks as though their lodges have already been broken down and they have gone now to assist someone else. Perhaps we might help them pack up all their belongings when they return. Then as we go to our winter camp, I will tell you more of the heroic nature of your new family."
"Please do. I am anxious to know more about it. But, I have a question: wasn't your husband, Chief-Chases-the-enemy, already married when he came to your aid?"
"Áa,he was," said Little Dove. "And, it was good he was married to Morning-sun-woman, because after I came here I was lost and she helped me through those early years. I was very afraid of the Pikuni people then. Both Chief Chases-the-enemy and his first wife, Morning-sun-woman, have been very good and very kind to both me and my son."
"But, wasn't your own brother, Strikes Fast, with you when you arrived here to live with the Pikuni?"
"He was, but it was harder for him to reside in the Pikuni camp than I because he has long sought revenge against them. And, though he has become friends with my husband, Gray Falcon and Eagle Heart, it has been harder for him to become a part of the people. To this day, I do not believe he has recovered from the loss of our family and all our relations at the hands of the Pikuni. Perhaps he might tell you more about it in the future. It is not my story to tell."
Sharon nodded, and it occurred to her that maybe she and Strikes Fast had more in common than she had at first considered. Both of them had suffered tremendous familial losses—he, perhaps, more than she.
It was a beautiful day, and, as she glanced around the environment, she noticed something odd. Where were the men? All she saw at present were women and children who were in various stages of dismantling their lodges, packing up their belongings and securing them onto their horses. Some very young children were even being tied onto the side of the most trusted and favored dogs. Most of the young ones, however, were sitting upon the many travois, the poles of which were fastened to what had to be extremely gentle nags.
After a moment, Sharon turned to Little Dove and asked, "Where are the men?"
Little Dove smiled, then signed, "They are in council, deciding what families will go to which winter camp."
"You do not all stay together in the winter camp?"
Little Dove shook her head. "Saa, we do not. To be altogether requires much room which is only available by camping on the prairie. But, the prairie is too open to the northern winds and storms in this, our homeland. Only the hills and the mountains serve to keep us protected in the winter, and so we camp close to the mountains for protection. But, there is not room for us all to be together in one camp when we are obliged to stay so close to the mountains."
"Oh, I think I understand, but aren't you more vulnerable to an attack there?" asked Sharon with sign.
"Saa, we are not. Enemy tribes set up their own winter camps the same as we do, and they seldom venture too far away from their own winter encampment. It isn't safe to do so. Blizzards can come upon a man in an instant and take his life fast if he is not prepared. So the men tend to stay close to camp." She smiled at Sharon. "We often call our winter camps 'the time for making babies.'"
Sharon laughed. Little Dove chuckled, too.
