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“No one but he will see them until much later, when he hands his duties over to someone else,” Thunder Horse explained. “He records, then puts his records away. The important thing is that he does his duty. It will be many years before the things he draws will be interpreted and acknowledged.”
“I see,” Jessie said. “I still have so much to learn about your customs . . . about your people’s lives.”
“You are now one with my people, so do not refer to them as ‘your people,’ ” Thunder Horse said. “Although we have not spoken vows yet, you are already a part of the Fox band.”
Thunder Horse looked over his shoulder into the distance, where far behind him was the only home he had ever known.
He then looked slowly around him again, at what was becoming his new home. “No people ever loved their country or enjoyed it more than we Sioux,” he said, pride in his voice. “Oh, how we loved the beautiful streams by which we made our homes, and the trees that shaded our tepees. We loved the green stretches of plains with gardens here and there of golden sunflowers over which hovered and played myriads of yellow-winged birds.”
He went silent as he gazed straight ahead.
“We will love this new land as much some day,” he said, his voice breaking. “Memories will be born here that will sustain our young people as they grow into adults and have to say farewell to those who brought them into the world. Ho, I must think of the good to come, my woman, or a part of me would break into a million tears.”
Those words touched Jessie so deeply, she had to fight back the tears. She heard such pride in her beloved’s voice, and also such pain.
If the president could see the pain and suffering of these beautiful, innocent people, oh, surely he would regret what had been done in haste.
“We will be happy, and so will our people,” she quickly said. “Happiness is born of trust, love . . . and hope. I see so much of all those in our people’s eyes today.”
“Ho, I see it, too, and hope it will build within them so that the days and weeks and years ahead will be good ones,” Thunder Horse said.
He then broke into a broad smile when he saw many of his warriors who had come ahead and were already living on the reservation riding toward him.
“There is Wind Eagle!” Thunder Horse cried, eagerly waving a hand. “Do you see the warrior who rides ahead of the others? My woman, that is my friend Wind Eagle, whom I appointed chief in my absence.”
Wind Eagle came up beside Thunder Horse, his dark eyes filled with pride and happiness. “My chief, it is so good to see you,” he said, drawing rein as Thunder Horse and Jessie halted, as well.
Thunder Horse and Wind Eagle clasped hands, then gave each other a bear hug.
“Things are well at the reservation but will be even better now that you are here,” Wind Eagle said. As he leaned away from Thunder Horse, he slid slow eyes over Jessie.
His gaze moved to her belly, lingered there for a moment. Then he questioned Thunder Horse silently with his dark eyes.
“My mitawin, my woman,” Thunder Horse said as the other warriors on horseback circled around him, their eyes anxiously gazing at their chief, and then at Jessie.
“This is Jessie,” Thunder Horse announced for all to hear. “She will soon speak vows with your chief.”
Again the eyes went to Jessie’s swollen belly.
“She is with child, but the child is not mine,” Thunder Horse said, knowing that he would draw gasps from his loyal warriors. “She is a woman wronged in many ways. I took her in. She will be my wife, and the child she carries will be raised as my son, or daughter, whichever is born to her.”
Jessie was worried by the strained silence among the warriors. Then she inhaled a breath of relief as, one by one, they came to her and took her hand, kissing it and smiling. At that moment, the other travelers joined them and there were greetings all around.
“Let us go home now,” Thunder Horse said, sinking his heels into the flanks of his horse and riding off with Jessie at his side, his warriors and people close behind them.
“For a moment I—” Jessie began, but Thunder Horse interrupted her.
“All is good now,” he said, nodding. “No one will question who you are again.”
“But what about those waiting in the village who have not yet seen me?” Jessie said, swallowing hard.
“Ho, you are right to be wary, but I will see that you have no reason to worry ever again,” Thunder Horse said.
He gestured toward Wind Eagle, drawing him up beside them. “Wind Eagle, ride ahead and explain about the arrival of my woman so that we will see no wonder in their eyes when we arrive there,” he said. “She deserves better.”
Wind Eagle nodded, clasped his hand with Thunder Horse’s, then released it and rode away at a gallop.
“So you see, my mitawin, I have taken care of that,” Thunder Horse said, riding again alongside Jessie.
