Destiny Mine by Janelle Taylor

rode from the great Wheel, I found his resting place. His tipi sat alone on the land between the mountains. It was painted with many colors. He was wrapped in a yellow robe, bound with sinew, and placed where he took his last breath of air, as is their way. The tipi entrance was sewn, but I cut the strips and looked inside. He waits for the forces of Nature and the spirits to claim his body.”
    “We sent men to speak of peace to the three Crow bands, but only those from Long Hair and Red Plume returned. The others must have been slain,”
    “Chief Long Hair honors his word not to attack Hanueva, only to fight Lakotas and Blackfoot. Red Plume honors his truce with Hanueva. It is not so for the band of Swift Crane; he does not wish to fight with Hanueva, but many of his warriors do, and it is their right by leadership of high rank. If his life is taken, those who desire war will control the tribe; that is bad. To survive, Hanueva must ally, travel, and camp with Cheyenne.”
    Kionee’s cousin responded to their guest, “Eight Crow warriors attacked one of our hunting parties eight suns past, and five Hanueva defeated them, killed all except the coward who fled in fear of their skills.”
    “But two of our hunters were slain in that attack, Little Weasel,” Strong Rock pointed out. “Tall Eagle and Sumba. If Kionee had not struck death blows to five, others would be walking in the stars. I do not wish my son to face more Crow with blood lust in their eyes, for they number many.”
    “We have almost three hundred trained fighters; we can defeat them.”
    “That number is less than those in one Crow society, Night Walker, and the Crow have many among them,” Stalking Wolf reasoned. “It is unwise to challenge them to war. So it is true with Our People; we have many societies whose members number more than all the hunters of your tribe.”
    “Why did your father and council not send us many warriors to help?” Spotted Owl queried.
    “That was not in Medicine Eyes’s vision, and it would be viewed by Crow as a war challenge. The last vision says Stalking Wolf and the chosen Hanueva will trick the Crow and defeat their hunger for horses and captives. We will clear a path for your people to reach mine in safety.”
    “How will we trick the Bird Warriors?”
    Stalking Wolf noticed the excitement in Night Walker’s voice as those words were spoken. It was obvious to him that the loosely bridled spirit of a warrior lived in the chiefs son, but it was a dark and dangerous one. The same appeared true for the man sitting beside him, Little Weasel, a man also eager to fight for the wrong reasons. Yet, news of Kionee’s glorious deeds amazed and impressed him; that was the hunter who should ride with him soon.
    “That will be revealed to us when the time is right,” Stalking Wolf answered. “I am to live and travel with the Hanueva, to conceal myself among you, until camp is broken. On that day, two groups will leave this placefor the buffalo grounds. Most will travel away from the cold wind land, round the mountains, and go toward the Medicine Bow Forest. Near it, they will travel along the banks of the river until it bends toward Cheyenne land. They will journey then into the grasslands and camp near Our People in the Basin of Thunder. Stalking Wolf and three Hanuevas will ride northward along the Big Horn River to where it is Ten Sleeps to the shooting water and bubbling earth kettles land. There, we part and take separate trails. One party of two will journey over the mountain and canyon passes to the summer camping location. The other party will journey over the mountains and along the three forks of the big rivers and meet your people as they near the Medicine Bow Forest. The scouts will watch for Crow and halt any raids. We will find their tracks and see where they go to camp to hunt buffalo, for it is best to know where the enemy lives.”
    The worried chief said, “We have been a people of peace since being