The grasslands had given way to rolling hills, and now those rolling hills climbed sharper and higher. The rivers foamed white as they roared through narrow valleys.

Golden Fox fidgeted on Splash as she stared around at the many places whites could hide. Thick patches of trees spotted the land.

Eagle Thunder rode back to Blazing Fire and Golden Fox. “We need you to scout ahead and find a place to camp.” He peered around. “I have a bad feeling that we are not alone.”

Blazing Fire nodded briskly. “Golden Fox, stay back here and watch behind you. If you see anything that does not look as if it belongs, tell Stands His Ground.”

When she opened her mouth to say she could see what followed, Blazing Fire shook her head hard. “You ride a drag with fur children on it. They are as much our band as any two-legged, and we must protect them.”

Understanding filled Golden Fox’s mind as she slapped a palm against her forehead. “I am as a child! I should have thought of this.”

Humor twinkled in the warrior woman’s eyes. “You do not act as a child, but you have much to learn.” With that, she tapped her mustang into a slow run.

As Father Sun crossed the sky, Golden Fox turned many times—nothing behind them, though a spot between her shoulders kept itching. At last, she told this to Stands His Ground, he nodded and rode off to check behind them.

When he returned, he spoke in a soft voice. “I saw signs of men and mustangs with those met-al spinning things on their feet. I will circle around to the trail behind.” Each time, he returned with no news of who followed.

Father Sun dipped behind the taller, sharper hills by the time they rode into a narrow valley that Blazing Fire found. Blood red walls climbed so high that dark crept in and pulled a grey robe over everything. The narrow mouth widened all of a sudden. Trees grew next to the rough stone face on three sides of them, although the center of the closed canyon lay open.

Boulders grew as tall as three or four men stacked high on each other’s shoulders. Four such boulders clustered together, mostly hidden by trees. At one end of the cluster of boulders, the valley wall rose. The rest of the boulders nearly created a circle out from the wall. Hidden by the boulders, a cave opened in the canyon wall, offering plenty of space for the small group to shelter.

Grass grew tall in the circle created by the high walls of the valley. The tight mouth into this space would provide a place to ambush and stop any attackers.

During the grey span between Father Sun going behind the horizon and true darkness, two sharp whistles from a night bird echoed. This was the signal.

Bows drawn, the people hid behind boulders and in the black beneath the trees.

Two mustangs staggered into the flat space surrounded by the high walls. The men hunched on the animals’ backs lifted faces covered with black hair, and stared around at the mustangs grazing calmly in the thick grass. By the time understanding jerked them straight on their animals, seven arrows pointed at them.

After carefully pulling their hands away from their fire sticks, one man began jabbering in his own language. When no one replied, he drew a breath and tried again. His grimy hands waved as he poured a mix of words from his language and from the People’s speech.

When the half-blood with black hair stopped speaking, the man with hair the color of dead grass in the middle of the cold season tried.

White Elk stepped from the shadows of the closest trees, and cocked his head.

The one with dead grass hair smiled, showing yellowed teeth as he turned and signed at White Elk. Before White Elk could translate for the others, the sweat-covered red mustang the man rode staggered.

Stands His Ground and Golden Fox dropped their bows and raced for the animal. They caught the animal as its legs began to fold from exhaustion. When Eagle Thunder ran over to help, Golden Fox reached up and yanked the man off the mustang’s back. With hard kicks to his ribs, she yelled at him.

Dances In Storms grabbed her around the waist and pulled her away from the man, who had curled up on the ground.

With a wave of his readied bow, Long Sun motioned for the other man to get off his mustang.

The second man quickly glanced around, and climbed down, his hands held high above his head.

Golden Fox fought to get loose from Dances In Storms’ embrace, but the older woman held tight.

Blazing Fire stomped over to Golden Fox. “Stop it! Act as a warrior. We have captives and need to know what they have to tell us.”

As soon as Golden Fox stopped fighting against her, Dances In Storms released her. She followed the warrior over to where both men sat on the ground, surrounded by arrows pointed their way.

White Elk squatted in front of the one with dead grass hair. After much chattering that made Golden Fox’s ears cringe, he stood up and moved away from the captives.

Eagle Thunder, Dances In Storms, Blazing Fire, and Golden Fox surrounded White Elk. Blazing Fire and Golden Fox stood so they could still watch the captives that Stands His Ground, Long Sun, and Sky Bird circled with drawn bows.

White Elk stepped back. “In traveling, I have learned some hairy-face words and some of their hand signs. When I put these with the words of our People, this is the story they told.

“Five other whites attacked these men, who are traders. These men fought and killed two of the ones who attacked, but their fire sticks quit making noise and they had to run. For a long ways, the other men chased them. Even after they let go of their pack animals, the men kept chasing them. These two rode in a river with fast waters and finally got away. They have been without food for three days. They thought they were riding toward the wooden fort.”

Sky Bird crossed her arms. “I understand their words, but do not speak as well as you do. They speak with their hands waving all over. How do we know they do not lie? Perhaps, their mustangs are very tired from chasing us.”

Blazing Fire raised a hand to be heard. “Without pack animals, how can we know these men tell the truth?” She looked at Dances In Storms. “Holy Woman, can you see into their hearts?”

Sharp arrows of anger shot from Golden Fox’s eyes toward the men. “I do not care if they ran from other hairy-faces or if they chased us. They have treated their mustangs badly. Let us take their mustangs and tell them to walk to their wooden fort.”

“Would you take one of Blue Spirit Dog’s pups, Granddaughter, and put it in the middle of the woods with nothing to eat and no family to help him?” Eagle Thunder nodded toward the men. “These men are as one of the pups. They have no way to live if we do not help them.”

“Father, what if they come to harm Golden Fox?” Sky Bird turned worried eyes on Eagle Thunder.

Lips set in a grim line, he said, “Then they will die.” He looked toward the Holy Woman. “Can you tell what is in their hearts?”

Dances In Storms shook her head.

Blue Spirit Dog rubbed against Golden Fox’s legs, and when she looked down, blue swirled in the dog’s brown eyes.

***

She must have fallen, for when she opened her eyes again, her mother knelt next to her, her worried face hanging over Golden Fox’s.

Sky Bird put her arm around Golden Fox’s shoulders as she struggled to sit up.

Dances In Storms knelt on her other side. “What did you see, Golden Fox?”

“Blue Spirit Dog told me these men speak truth. Both Frost and her say this is so. They mean us no harm, and have much fear of what will happen to them. They are in great need of help.”

All eyes turned to Eagle Thunder, who said, “This is not my decision to make alone. Golden Fox and Long Sun will care for their mustangs. We will build a cooking fire, and feed these strangers and ourselves. After this, we will make them sit where we can watch them, but far enough away so they cannot hear our words. In this way, we will decide if they will live or die.”

***

After the mustangs had been rubbed down and allowed to rest, it appeared they had been well fed, and no sores had been made by the ugly met-al against their sides or mouths.

Golden Fox settled across from her mother at the cooking fire, where White Elk handed her a bowl of meat and greens. “Mother, the mustangs have not been badly treated. Perhaps, I let my anger run away without my heart.”

“Maybe, my daughter, this would be a good time to ask White Elk to tell that hairy-face you are sorry you brought him harm without reason.”

She did not want to apologize to a half-blood, but she felt Blazing Fire’s attention on her.

The warrior woman nodded. “A warrior is never too proud to admit that she made a mistake. No one is perfect, and we cannot learn unless we are willing to make mistakes—and to set them right, when we can.”

Golden Fox chewed and swallowed the meat in her mouth. “White Elk, would you speak with the man and tell him I am sorry I hit him without reason?”

A grin stretched White Elk’s lips. “No, but I will show you how to say it.”

“I... I....” A glance at Blazing Fire had her swallowing her protests. “Thank you, White Elk.” Though her words were humble, the look she shot him would have set the grasses on fire.

White Elk smiled. “We will do this after we eat. The people sitting at our cooking fire have been without food for too long. It would not be right to disturb their meal.” He nodded to the men, who stuffed food into their mouths and swallowed though they had not given themselves time to chew.

When the two men had finished, White Elk signaled for them to follow him a little ways away from the fire.

As Golden Fox started to follow them, her mother handed her clothes, footwear, and the special plant they used to bathe and wash their hair. “Tell them to go to the small creek that runs over there. They need to be clean before I give them sleeping robes. I do not wish to find white worms from their hair in any robe.”

Golden Fox jerked her hands behind her back and vigorously shook her head. “I have no wish to speak with these men, except to right the wrong I did.”

As Sky Bird pushed the bundle toward her again, Blazing Fire ambled past and said, “Think of this as learning more of the white’s speech, Golden Fox. All warriors learn as much as they can about the enemies of their people.”

Reluctantly, Golden Fox accepted the bundle and made her way to where White Elk had led the captives.

***

Father Sun rose high above the steep walls of the valley, and touched a finger to the place where Golden Fox lifted her arms in song. Blue sky with no clouds spread above the Mother.

At the mouth of the valley, where the land spread in all directions, the men sat surrounded by Stands His Ground, Blazing Fire, Sky Bird, and White Elk.

Blue Spirit Dog stood next to the drag behind Splash, where her pups slept.

Frost sat a little ways away from Splash’s side.

Though no bows or knives had been drawn, the two men fidgeted next to their mustangs and gave fearful glances around.

In a grave voice, White Elk gave them the People’s decision.

Clothed in clean tunics and leggings, and with soft footwear, the hairy-faces grinned big. They would join the People who had saved their lives.