buffalo kill. Grey Fox needed a place of solitude, but the elder wouldn’t sit still, adding to his own agitation.
“My heart lies heavy on the ground without my daughter,” Crazy Goose admitted. Grey Fox stayed silent, brooding. Then Crazy Goose’s raised voice cut through the air, startling him.
“Why would Sun Puma escape and take a foal and a young girl, who loved the clan and would not want to leave, with her? How did that happen and nobody heard or saw anything?” The old man stood and started to pace. Grey Fox grounded his jaw. Crazy Goose was wrong to imply that some misfortune had befallen Sun Puma and Sky Fire. Whites could not be trusted. When would his people learn this?
“Maybe now Red Dawn will not speak of this vision for me again,” Grey Fox muttered. Crazy Goose gave Grey Fox a questioning look. He had a moment of shame for uttering the words but did not take them back. He ground his teeth so hard, now his jaw ached.
“How long has it been since the Blue Coat raid took the lovely Moon Water and your mother, She Who Wanders?” The question stunned Grey Fox. People did not often speak of the dead, but Crazy Goose seemed comfortable with the question, and his weathered face searched for an answer from him.
“Five full seasons,” Grey Fox muttered, looking down.
“That is a long time to mourn, a long time to hold onto bad spirits. How can Sun Puma trust you if you don’t trust her? I do not believe she ran away. Running Deer doesn’t believe Sun Puma took his future mate. You should be like Running Deer.”
Grey Fox shifted uncomfortably. He was worried Crazy Goose was starting to see more than just simple mistrust. “Running Deer is young and not yet wise to the ways of women or life,” Grey Fox pointed out. He knew his argument would not sit well with Crazy Goose. The elder stopped pacing and regarded him.
“Running Deer is out there looking for Sky Fire while you sit here with an old man trying to fool yourself. There is no shame in admitting my daughter has won over your heart. Tell me again who is not wise to the ways of women or life,” he said in a huff.
Grey Fox closed his eyes. He must be wrong. He could not just sit and do nothing. What if Sun Puma was in danger right now and he did not scour the Earth to find her and protect her? His heart demanded it of him.
***
Grey Fox found Running Deer at the creek’s edge. Even there, the sounds of the people and shadows from the fire reached them.
“Why don’t you go eat? I will look,” he offered.
Running Deer cast large, sorrowful eyes toward him and started pounding his chest. “I cannot eat. Not without Sky Fire.”
Grey Fox shifted on his feet. Running Deer’s pain was like a kick in the gut. He put his hands on his hips and looked skyward.
“You also have not eaten. Is it because you miss and worry about Sun Puma?” Running Deer asked. Grey Fox didn’t want to risk exposing any kind of weakness for Sun Puma. He ignored the question.
“Have you found anything?” he asked the younger man. Running Deer nodded. He pointed to a forgotten basket. It was dark, and the moon offered little light, but it was enough for Grey Fox to recognize the basket. It was his basket that Sun Puma used to fetch water. It was still full.
Doubt coupled with fear began to vibrate through him. A full basket of water by the creek made no sense. Two women missing with a foal made no sense. The man and his nephew crossed the creek back toward the village. It took only seconds for Grey Fox to find the other basket that belonged to Sky Fire and then, even in the dark of night, Grey Fox was able to see the huge stain of dried blood on the rocks. A stark coldness engulfed him.
Running Deer looked at him with fear.
“Do not speak of this. Get us two fresh horses and meet me at the edge of the meadow. I will go talk to Crow Feather. Go!” Grey Fox ordered his nephew. Running Deer took off.
***
“I will come with you!” Crow Feather
“My heart lies heavy on the ground without my daughter,” Crazy Goose admitted. Grey Fox stayed silent, brooding. Then Crazy Goose’s raised voice cut through the air, startling him.
“Why would Sun Puma escape and take a foal and a young girl, who loved the clan and would not want to leave, with her? How did that happen and nobody heard or saw anything?” The old man stood and started to pace. Grey Fox grounded his jaw. Crazy Goose was wrong to imply that some misfortune had befallen Sun Puma and Sky Fire. Whites could not be trusted. When would his people learn this?
“Maybe now Red Dawn will not speak of this vision for me again,” Grey Fox muttered. Crazy Goose gave Grey Fox a questioning look. He had a moment of shame for uttering the words but did not take them back. He ground his teeth so hard, now his jaw ached.
“How long has it been since the Blue Coat raid took the lovely Moon Water and your mother, She Who Wanders?” The question stunned Grey Fox. People did not often speak of the dead, but Crazy Goose seemed comfortable with the question, and his weathered face searched for an answer from him.
“Five full seasons,” Grey Fox muttered, looking down.
“That is a long time to mourn, a long time to hold onto bad spirits. How can Sun Puma trust you if you don’t trust her? I do not believe she ran away. Running Deer doesn’t believe Sun Puma took his future mate. You should be like Running Deer.”
Grey Fox shifted uncomfortably. He was worried Crazy Goose was starting to see more than just simple mistrust. “Running Deer is young and not yet wise to the ways of women or life,” Grey Fox pointed out. He knew his argument would not sit well with Crazy Goose. The elder stopped pacing and regarded him.
“Running Deer is out there looking for Sky Fire while you sit here with an old man trying to fool yourself. There is no shame in admitting my daughter has won over your heart. Tell me again who is not wise to the ways of women or life,” he said in a huff.
Grey Fox closed his eyes. He must be wrong. He could not just sit and do nothing. What if Sun Puma was in danger right now and he did not scour the Earth to find her and protect her? His heart demanded it of him.
***
Grey Fox found Running Deer at the creek’s edge. Even there, the sounds of the people and shadows from the fire reached them.
“Why don’t you go eat? I will look,” he offered.
Running Deer cast large, sorrowful eyes toward him and started pounding his chest. “I cannot eat. Not without Sky Fire.”
Grey Fox shifted on his feet. Running Deer’s pain was like a kick in the gut. He put his hands on his hips and looked skyward.
“You also have not eaten. Is it because you miss and worry about Sun Puma?” Running Deer asked. Grey Fox didn’t want to risk exposing any kind of weakness for Sun Puma. He ignored the question.
“Have you found anything?” he asked the younger man. Running Deer nodded. He pointed to a forgotten basket. It was dark, and the moon offered little light, but it was enough for Grey Fox to recognize the basket. It was his basket that Sun Puma used to fetch water. It was still full.
Doubt coupled with fear began to vibrate through him. A full basket of water by the creek made no sense. Two women missing with a foal made no sense. The man and his nephew crossed the creek back toward the village. It took only seconds for Grey Fox to find the other basket that belonged to Sky Fire and then, even in the dark of night, Grey Fox was able to see the huge stain of dried blood on the rocks. A stark coldness engulfed him.
Running Deer looked at him with fear.
“Do not speak of this. Get us two fresh horses and meet me at the edge of the meadow. I will go talk to Crow Feather. Go!” Grey Fox ordered his nephew. Running Deer took off.
***
“I will come with you!” Crow Feather
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