In what seemed like much too long, yet was probably no longer than several seconds, she saw Stands Strong running toward the edge of the water. Wearing only what he'd worn to bed—his breechcloth—he waded into the water, though he was careful not to come in too close so as to become stuck himself.
Together, they tried pull the cub out. But, the animal was too greatly stuck. Still, both she and Stands Strong kept its head above water.
"Here!" came another masculine voice. "I have a rope! Grab hold of it!" It was First Rider, who was now standing on the stream's shoreline. He was soon joined there by Henrik, George, Black Beaver and Liliann.
Stands Strong missed the first throw of the rope, but caught hold of it on the second try and quickly tied the rope to the bear cub.
"Grab hold of the baby!" Stands Strong told his wife while he bent toward her, keeping an arm around her. "My friends will pull the cub from the water, and you shall come out of the mud along with it."
"Get…horse!" Czanna heard First Rider's cry to Liliann.
While Henrik, Black Beaver, George and First Rider tugged on the rope, and as Stands Strong fought to free the cub from the mud, while keeping its head above water, Liliann ran toward them, leading Stands Strong's pony behind her.
At once, the men took possession of the horse and tied the rope to it, then all—the pony, Liliann and the four men—joined in pulling the bear cub and Czanna out of the mud. With the aid of the pony, Holy Dog, it took only a few seconds longer to free the baby bear, as well as Czanna.
As the cub came to lie upon the shoreline, Stands Strong bent over it, turning it onto its back, before saying to Czanna, "Quick, get me one of our parfleche bags from our shelter."
She didn't hesitate. Running swiftly to their lodge, she grabbed one of the parfleches, dumped its contents on the ground and then ran back to Stands Strong.
"Quickly, fill the bag with water and bring it here to me!" Stands Strong said to her as First Rider knelt down next to the small bear, whereupon both he and Stands Strong took turns performing the lifesaving task of ridding the water that had accumulated in the little bear's lungs. And, as the two men worked over the bear, Stands Strong instructed Czanna to wash the mud from its fur.
With a loud, gurgling noise, water gushed from the cub's mouth, and the baby began to cry and to breathe. For a moment, it lay still as precious oxygen filled its lungs, then it came up onto its legs, and, looking around at the men and the two girls, it gave a gentle roar as though it were thanking its rescuers. Looking around, it finally spotted its mother.
Still, the cub didn't leave at once. Instead, it stared at the group of men and women as though it would memorize who these people were. With a few slow steps at first, but then gaining its strength, it hurried toward its mother, who had, up until this moment, hidden herself behind a few trees farther upstream.
It was when the white bear stepped out from behind its cover that Czanna heard Stands Strong's indrawn breath. She chanced a glance at him, only to witness a look of disbelief upon his countenance.
Then, at some length, she heard him say "Oki Napi" in the Blackfeet language. And, then in English, he continued, "It is good to see my old friend again."
The bear roared, although Czanna heard the bear say silently in mind-speak, "I have looked for you, my friend. I know you have been calling me, but I have been unable to find you, even in the shadow land. It caused great sadness in my heart. But then, the Creator spoke to me, comforting me and telling me He was awaiting your wife to join with you. I am happy to see you againand to look upon your wife's beauty. Expect me later tonight. I will come to you to teach you the medicine ways of the bear, the ones you have been seeking these many years. Look for me."
And then, she and her baby turned and walked slowly away until they both disappeared into the woods, a few beams of the afternoon sunlight seeming to lead them.
As Stands Strong stood watching the white bear, First Rider, George, Black Beaver and Mr. Henrik joined him. Many congratulations were exchanged between each one of them. And then, First Rider placed his hand upon Stands Strong's shoulder.
"You heard?" asked Stands Strong in the Blackfeet tongue, then in English.
"I did, my friend," answered First Rider in Blackfeet and sign language so as to include Czanna. "It is well known the bear medicine is the strongest medicine of all the other animals. She, this white bear, has at last returned to you, and she will teach you well, and you shall become a great medicine man, as I think Sun has always intended you to be. It is a great day!"
"Áa, it is a great day!"
Turning, First Rider, as well as Black Beaver, George and Mr. Henrik stepped away, which left only Czanna standing at her husband's side.
It was after several moments had passed when Stands Strong murmured softly to her, "It is the Creator and you whom I must thank."
"Me?"
"Áa, it is so. It is because of you and your love; your love has empowered me enough so as to bring the white bear back into my life. I thought it wasn't possible to ever see her again. I thought…I thought… Come here," he uttered, turning her into his arms where they hugged, neither of them making a move to leave one another's embrace.
"Do you know the story of the white bear?" Stands Strong asked.
"Only recently have I learned of it. Your almost-mother told me a little about it and how it saved your life when you were only seven. And now, you have saved her cub's life. Forever, I think, she will be in your life…perhaps her baby, too."
"Áa, she has always been in my life, though distant from me all these many years. Your love, my wife, has given me the strength to bring her back into my life."
"I am unsure I was the one to bring her to you again, but it little matters. I am glad she is once again in your life where she belongs," she said. "I am so very, very glad."
How long they stood there in the warmth of the early afternoon's sunlight, she did not know.
She only knew that neither of them returned to their shelter to sleep. They waited through the rest of the daylight and well into the night until at last the white bear returned. And, once she had come back to them, there at the shoreline of the stream running down within the sheltered coulee, she sat down on her haunches and began to tell them both about the deeply coveted bear medicine and how it was to be used.
Czanna stood away from them and was beginning to pace back toward their little hut when she heard the bear say silently, "This is for you, too, wife of Stands Strong—you, who first heard my call. Come closer. I wish you to have this bear's healing knowledge, too."
And, so it came to be that Czanna retraced her steps and sat next to Stands Strong where she learned, there alongside her husband, about the sacred bear medicine. Never, she realized, never would she ever be the same again. This wild country had changed her forever.
And, it was so very, very good.
