Check out Book 1, Memories of a Distant Future in time for this one's new release...the links to the other retailers are below the link to my publisher to the right.
Note, this is still a draft version of the book so I noticed a few errors that will not be in the upcoming one. Proofreading comes right before it publishes.
Chapter Five
The Way of the Horse
The whole camp seemed to be holding their breath as they
waited for news of the buffalo herd returning to the area. Black Moose had told
no one about his dream except Old Crow and Blue Jay and they had not let on
that anything more need be done. He wanted to ask but knew that they had heard
his story and would answer him in their own due time. Still the camp seemed to
get more and more edgy as the summer wore on with tempers flaring over petty
things and even the children wondering at the feeling. When Black Moose would
walk out to the horse herd to visit his horses and give them tasty morsels he
would ponder on his dream and the two's reaction.
One afternoon he felt he could sit still no more and he set
to readying himself.
Then he went to his friend, Flying Hawk and spoke to him,
"The buffalo are not coming and we must prepare for another winter without
their bounty."
The young man jerked as his friend spoke as if he had been
dreaming. "HO! I will gather my things and we shall meet at the horse
herd."
Black Moose smiled at his friend and his willingness to be
off on a hunt. "Where is Rising Star and Sacred Bear?"
Flying Hawk smiled turning and pointing across the camp at
the far ridge to the south saying, "Chasing Lovely Rose's charms..."
Black Moose looked across the valley and saw two young men
following a young woman as she walked west up the slope searching for tubers
for the evening meal. Black Moose shook his head and said, "After you,
Flying Eagle and Little Antelope pack and are ready, ride by them on your way
out south and laugh at them! The fools need to see that we are going and they
can choose to stay here with the long dresses or come with the men!" Flying
Hawk laughed heartily at the joke and set to quickly gathering his things.
At this he turned to see another set of eyes on him, a set
that he hoped would be on him for the rest of his life. Those dark eyes shone
with that little something some called love. Black Moose smiled at her and
signed that he was going hunting. She winked at him and smiled as she turned to
enter the tipi. I know I break her heart when I leave, he thought, but she says
she is proud of me. I must talk with her to see if that is real or not. Then he
looked at the scrambling Flying Hawk, maybe he could tell me.
With a shrug, Black Moose set off for the other brother's
family tipi, "I will get the other two brothers."
"Where shall we meet, brother?" came the question
at his back.
Black Moose turned and signed, if you can't find me, you
will sleep with the coyotes.
Flying Hawk laughed louder and set off for the horse herd.
Black Moose smiled again, feeling the familiar Flying Hawk returning.
He had not been the same since the attack on the camp. He had been badly beaten
and his ego crushed as the result. Black Moose had become a sour memory of this
failure but as friends usually do, they had gotten over it, mainly by returning
to the things that they like to do together.
As he approached Flying Eagle and Little Antelope's family
tipi he yipped like a coyote and they tore through the flap in excited
anticipation.
"Brothers, we hunt until the snow flies!"
They both yelled out, "HO!" and began scrambling
for their belongings. The father, Summer Badger, strode out of the shade from
the behind their tipi and stood watching them quietly. Both boys were almost
exact copies of him, short and stout with high brows and round noses.
Black Moose signed with respect to their father. His nod was
enough to let Black Moose know that he approved.
"Meet Flying Hawk at the horse herd."
"Ho!" came the dual reply.
Black Moose turned and set off for his own horses hobbled
near Old Crow's tipi.
He leaped onto Red and set off for to the south with a train
of his horses.
On this outing, as Black Moose had left before the rest, he found
himself alone with his thoughts. He wrestled with the idea that the band did not
trade horses with the Dog People. It would seem that a horse would be able to
command a better price than some of the skins and food stuffs that they had traded.
He wondered what the People had missed by not offering to trade horses.
Several nights later, after returning to the camp, Black
Moose quietly hung his endeavors on the drying racks by the light of the dying
fire outside his old friend’s tipi. Before Black Moose touched the tipi flap,
an old gnarled voice spoke from within, “Come in young brother.”
Black Moose shook his head thinking to himself, how does he
do that? He opened the flap and slid into the interior space. His nose was
immediately assaulted with all the varied herbs and medicines that hung from
the poles and ropes within. The assault always carried a welcoming feel to it
and his body immediately relaxed.
“Old brother, why do you not sleep. It is late.”
“Young brother, when you get to my age, you will s' that
sleep is like the thunderstorms on the prairie, it comes when it wants, not
when you want it,” at which the old man chuckled to himself at his wit.
Black Moose stood smiling at his old friend, then he noticed
that they were not alone. Blue Jay sat next to Old Crow with her eyes closed
and humming a chant. Black Moose made to leave saying, “Sorry to interrupt…”
Blue Jay’s eyes opened and engulfed him in their warmth and
love, “Hold son, do not go," her singsong voice advised, "We both
have been in discussions concerning you.”
Black Moose paused and sat back down with a curious look on
his face. “You were waiting for me?”
The old man huddled deeper into his robes and nodded while
Blue Jay continued in her high singsong voice, “The spirits whispered to us
that you were coming…” her voice trailing off.
Black Moose sat back and waited as was the custom of the
People. He knew that to ask questions would rush them and put a damper on
whatever they wanted to talk of. He had learned much of patience since being
adopted by the People, especially as he lived with the old medicine man.
The silence spanned on for what felt like half the night
although Black Moose was sure it was only half of what would be called an hour
in the future. Finally, Blue Jay began looking up into the poles above their
heads, “Something troubles your spirit. You have questions concerning the
People and our ways. Your ways are as strange to us as we are to you. But we as
the People have adopted you and you have taken well to being a part of our band”.
She paused and then went on more humbly, “I and my family
have directly benefitted from your strength and skill. Your sacrifice on our
behalf has caused me to become more of your kin than many of my own.” Her voice
changed again, more humble if that could be accomplished, “I am proud that you
have chosen my daughter as your lifelong companion.”
Black Moose sat listening to this introduction, remembering
every part, knowing what each word meant and how much feeling she put behind
each statement. His heart was once again full of the love for the People, but
still doubt crept in.
“Yet, having been through all that, you are still troubled…”
Black Moose looked up startled that she knew something about how he felt. Her
gaze was fixed on him now and her eyes bore into his soul. He felt that
familiar passing of spirits as his spirit shared his memories and hers with
him. He felt her fear of being a medicine woman, the fear of being called
a…witch was the only word that he could describe it as although the translation
wasn't right. He could feel the fear of losing her family and of them losing
everything, of them being cast out. But there was something else lurking in the
background…a gift that she had, a gift to be able to discern the spirits and to
see into a living spirit's soul and hear what they said. He marveled at such a
gift…Then it was all gone.
Black Moose blinked as did Blue Jay but her sly smile told
him that his secret questions were known to her. He looked down into the fire
ashamed of having doubts and questions.
“Old Crow,” at which the old man almost jumped out of his
robes, “the young man is ready to learn of the Way of the Horse.”
The old man eyed her closely then looked back to Black
Moose. “THAT is reserved for only the one or two in the band to learn and guide
us. H' has not been selected."
The silence stretched on as the old man finally filled it
with, "H' is young. H' will not b' able to retain what h' is taught."
Her look told the old man her answer as he looked back at
Black Moose, “It is like I am married to her, not her to Brave Elk,” he
grumbled as he retreated back into his robes.
Black Moose’s interest stirred and he felt his attention
hone in on this new concept, “What is this Way of the Horse?”
Blue Jay looked to the old medicine man who seemed to be
hiding in his robes now. “If you do not tell him, I will.”
The old man grumbled something intelligible about only men
knowing of such things. She looked at him kindly as a knowing smirk crept
across her face. As it lit up her face, the wrinkled old face changed to a question,
then doubt, then disbelief and finally to astonishment.
“You don’t…
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