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Some of the women were preparing to carry the food to the people in large platters. Jessie noticed one of the women stopping and looking heavenward, saying, “Great Mystery, do thou partake of this venison and still be gracious,” just as she tossed a piece of the choicest cooked game into the flames.
“My father is much weaker,” Thunder Horse said thickly.
“I’m sorry,” Jessie murmured.
She nodded and smiled a thank-you to two women who brought Jessie and Thunder Horse a platter of food.
“It is the natural way of things,” Thunder Horse said. “Life is given and life is taken away.”
Lone Wing came and plopped down on Thunder Horse’s left side. His eyes were bright. He started to say something, but Thunder Horse reached a hand to Lone Wing’s injury.
“And what caused this?” Thunder Horse asked, gazing into his nephew’s eyes. Lone Wing lowered his gaze in embarrassment. Thunder Horse placed a hand beneath the boy’s chin and lifted it.
“Were you injured during the games?” Thunder Horse asked.
Lone Wing nodded as his face flushed again in embarrassment. “I was careless,” he said softly.
“No, not tru—” Jessie began to say, for she had seen how it had happened. It was another young brave’s meanness that was to blame for the cut.
Please don’t, Lone Wing’s eyes seemed to beg. Jessie stopped in mid sentence. She realized that she had a lot to learn about a young brave’
s pride.
“But, Thunder Horse, I am ready to repeat the myth to you if you are ready to hear it,” Lone Wing said excitedly. He grinned. “And I have added some different twists and turns to it, as you suggested.”
Thunder Horse gave Jessie a curious gaze, for he had noticed the looks between her and Lone Wing. He would not delve further into what had happened, for he sensed that his nephew’s pride lay in the balance.
He looked quickly at Lone Wing. “I am ready to hear it,” Thunder Horse said, lowering his hand. “Tell it to me and Jessie.”
To Jessie’s surprise, Lone Wing repeated the tale word for word. And then she noticed a difference . . . he had added his own ending to the myth.
“You do yourself proud,” Thunder Horse said, patting Lone Wing’s bare shoulder. “You left nothing out, and the expression on your face added to the description of the tale.”
He smiled amusedly. “And the ending?” he said, nodding. “It was one even I could not have come up with. It was good, nephew. It was more than that; it was excellent.”
“I am so proud,” Lone Wing said, beaming.
“As you should be,” Thunder Horse said, reaching over and giving the youth a hug.
“I am going to go and tell my friends that I did it,” Lone Wing said, leaping to his feet. He was soon encircled by all his friends except the one who had secretly attacked him.
The guilty boy eventually joined the others and forced a smile. He looked slowly over his shoulder at Jessie, and she realized that he knew she had seen what he had done today.
She gave him a knowing look, then turned away from him and smiled into Thunder Horse’s eyes.
“Lone Wing is such a special boy,” she said, then joined Thunder Horse in sampling the delicious food.
“He will be a powerful, yet beloved, Historian,” Thunder Horse said.
After everyone was done eating, the dancing and singing resumed until the setting sun splashed orange hues along the horizon.
“I would like to walk,” Thunder Horse said, standing and reaching out a hand for Jessie. “Let us walk, talk, and enjoy the wonders of the sunset.”
Jessie took his hand and went down to the river with him, where they slowly walked along the bank.
“This is such a lovely place,” she murmured. “I imagine you hate having to leave it.”
“A part of it will remain here with me always,” Thunder Horse said as he patted his chest over his heart. “Inside my heart I will carry many happy memories of the time spent here.”
