Sister Wind left bare trees with only squirrel nests as reminders of warmer days. Snow lay heavy on the shrubs where once berries had teased birds. Small paths of animals lay imprinted in the more shallow places. Ice lightly crusted the stream near camp, where humpback-robed women hurried to get bladders of water. Children raced through the wind and laughed when branches of snow fell on a playmate.

Along the wide part of the ridge above the camp, Golden Fox and White Elk chased after the pups of both Blue Spirit Dog and Frost. “It is not so cold, White Elk! Even children come out of the lodges.” She pushed him into a wind-swept drift and ran away laughing.

He yelled back as he stood and brushed off the humpback coat Golden Fox had made him. The hide’s hair, worn on the inside, made for nice cold season wear, and protected him not only from the cold, but from Sister Wind’s unpredictable blasts. “I had no idea a girl could sew such a fine coat!”

He started to chase her, but a growl from behind froze him in place. Slow as a porcupine, he turned, and bright white teeth greeted him. He raised his arms and growled back.

The white wolf lunged.

They wrestled on the ground until White Elk could not take in air from spilling so much laughter. “Sun Snow, stop! Who would have thought you would outgrow your brothers, Night Wolf and Silent Shadow?”

“One day she might think you taste so good, she will not stop at licking.” Golden Fox plopped down, and Night Wolf and Silent Shadow fell beside her. “A girl would be the one to beat you up. And one only seven moons old!”

“Sun Snow has many sharp teeth!” He pulled her clamped jaw from his wrists. “She could bite me and take off my arm, if she wished to do so.”

The white wolf ran after the pack of nearly grown pups.

Blue Spirit Dog and Frost play-bit each other as they ran with the dog’s two grown pups. The smallest female dog, an exact image of her mother, ran past them and jumped into Golden Fox’s arms, knocking them both down.

The other female, a darker brown with speckled feet, slid past her with Sun Snow close behind, and leapt into White Elk’s arms for protection.

He grabbed Sun Snow on either side of her muzzle and shook her, and she lowered herself and licked his face. The shaking reminded her to be gentle, as the dogs could not compete with the stronger wolves.

White Elk wore a sad smile. “I know they all get along, but one day very soon, the wolves will choose who is who. I worry Blue Spirit Dog’s pups will get hurt.”

Golden Fox nodded at Frost. “I do not think he will allow this to happen. He knows they are not his daughters, yet still he watches over them.”

She stared into the smallest one’s deep brown eyes. A light hint of blue surrounded the brown. “It was hard to call you any name. I saw the promise of blue in your eyes, and then I saw a branch of orange leaves reflecting back in them. I think Father Sun helped name you. We sat next to Mother as she and I painted on one of the hides those very leaves.” She hugged her. “Bright Leaves, I love you.”

The other pup came over and pushed her sister away, so she could sit on Golden Fox’s lap. “Yes, I love you too. Mother called you Dusty Brown as she shook out the hide you lay on. People laughed and called you that. You know many dogs never have names, never know the deep emotions we have for one another.”

She stroked the dog’s dense fur. “You are called Dusty, nothing else.” She leaned over to stare into the dog’s eyes. “Same light blue ring. I do wonder why this is so.”

“What do you speak of?” White Elk leaned over. “I see gold-brown eyes only.”

She put the dog down and took his face between her hands. “White Elk, why have you not gone through a Vision Quest?”

“How... how do you know such a thing?”

She shrugged.

He hugged Sun Snow and looked away. “I... tried among my own people when I turned thirteen winters, and again when I reached fourteen winters. My father called me aside and told me to stop trying. He told me because I am albino, maybe I only have a half-Spirit, and no one hears a half-Spirit.” He crossed his legs, bent forward, and rubbed his face deep in Sun Snow’s fur. “I failed.”

“A half-Spirit!” She scooted sideways to face him. “No one fails as long as we believe in ourselves. Creator gives us a choice to believe, as do the Spirits. Grandfather spoke these words to me, and Mother says we are never alone. I believe both of them. Where are your beliefs?”

She let out a slow sigh. “Do you believe in yourself? Or do you believe what others say about you? Can you not see the Great Mystery in the beauty of the land, the Spirits in your dreams, And the sparkle in the white fur of Sun Snow? There is another life, where it does not matter what you look like.”

She stared up at the cloudy sky. “I have seen Shining Light! I believe he is why the mustangs and wolves accept each other. No mustang with a baby will be still as wolves walk through their herd, but these mustangs are!”

She dug into the heavy humpback fur on White Elk’s collar. “Shining Light came to me in a dream, and I watched him walk among the mustangs with the wolves, only two sunrises after we came here. He must have communicated with them. I did not.” She pulled him close. “I will send Dances In Storms to come speak with you when I go down in camp. Listen to her words—become them. I do not know what she will say, but I believe in her... even when she said we must wait to be joined. No matter. Even if it is in the middle of the cold season, or the hottest season when you have your Vision Quest, I will be there for you... and Dances In Storms.”

***

Frost followed her as she wandered along the canyon until Father Sun dropped behind the high wall. She turned toward Dances In Storms’ lodge at the edge of the camp. The Holy Woman counseled many, and sought to be alone, so others with big ears would not hear the words spoken to her.

A cooking fire burned in front of the lodge. Dances In Storms stirred something in her pot, facing in the other direction. Without turning, she said, “Please, sit at my fire, Golden Fox, and eat with me.”

Unable to refuse the request, Golden Fox shuffled over and sat across from the older woman. Frost lay next to her, his chin on his forepaws as he gazed into the flickering flames. She accepted the bowl of meat and tubers and began to eat, while Frost gnawed on the bone White Elk had given him.

After they set their bowls aside, the Holy Woman poured them hot drinks. Over the rim of the bowl, she watched Golden Fox. “Yes, it is important for White Elk to Vision Quest, even though it is the cold season.”

She jerked up her head and sputtered, “How... how did... you know?”

With eyebrows raised nearly to her hair, Dances In Storms gave her a gentle look. “I am not unaware of the looks you give White Elk. This is a hard choice that the Spirits have put on all of us. You love him and wish to be his only woman, which is a good thing. A woman’s first man should only have one woman in his lodge. It is for older women and sisters to share a man. A young woman has too much fire inside for her to do this. There is a time for women to share a man, and it is good, but....”

She glanced away and shook her head. “I have continued to pray about this, Golden Fox, but the Spirits have been silent. All of us must be sure this is the right choice, or it will become a broken path that we three walk.”

“Why now, Holy Woman? Much danger hides in the cold season for one alone.”

“White Elk is a young man with heat in his loins. He becomes impatient waiting.”

“What about you, Holy Woman? Perhaps, this is as much about your impatience as his.”

With a nod, Dances In Storms acknowledged her words. “I, too, would like to know if White Elk is to be the father of my only child. My seasons for bearing children are not many, so I cannot wait long if I am to follow the Spirits’ guidance and be blessed in this way.”

Golden Fox’s head drooped to her chest. “You must think me a selfish child. I have many cycles of seasons to be blessed by children, yet it seems as if I would deny you even one child.” She lifted her head. “I do not wish to be selfish, Holy Woman, but I... I love White Elk, and it hurts my heart to think of you and him lying together.”

She bolted to her feet and ran into the darkness.