Three sunrises passed before Golden Fox’s father could lean up and drink broth. Two more sunrises passed before he could sit for a short span and talk. Every day, Golden Fox tended to her father’s needs.

When, at last, he could speak for more than the time it took to eat, he asked that Pale Hunter sit beside his sleeping robe, that he had words he needed to say to his daughter, Golden Fox. “Pale Hunter has spent much time to learn your language. This is why I ask him to change my words to the words of the People. I know some words, but want what I say to be said with the right words.”

He briefly rubbed his leg above where it had been cut off. “My full name is Francisco Riley, but I ran the fort for a long time and people called me Captain. When I met them, I told your mother and grandfather to call me Captain. It had become my name. In a way, it was like your People—the name says something about the person. That was who I was, the captain of Fort Murdock.” He reached for a water bladder, but it was too far.

Golden Fox handed it to him. “Perhaps, my mother should be here to hear your words.”

“No. I... I will talk to your mother, but now I want to talk to my daughter who is a grown woman. Will you listen?”

She settled cross-legged in front of him. “I am listening.”

“When I met your mother, I thought her the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. That’s why I asked her to come live with me at Fort Murdock. I could hardly believe it when she said she would, and when her father agreed to let her go.”

Francisco waited for Pale Hunter to finish translating his words before he spoke again. “I don’t know why I began drinking too much whisk—er, fire water—but I did. Sometimes, this happens among my people. My own father was like this. When I drank, I became a different man, a man I didn’t like, yet I didn’t know how to stop drinking, and I didn’t know how to keep that bad man inside.”

After Sky Bird had cut the hair on his face off, his skin had been very pale. It grew paler as he spoke. “I... I did bad things, Golden Fox. I... I hit your mother and said many harsh things to her. I called you and her ugly. I lay with other women.” He clutched his hands together in his lap. “I never blamed Sky Bird for leaving, and I never looked for you because... well, Sky Bird and you deserved a better man than me.”

When he fell silent for a long time, Golden Fox asked, “Why did you send whites with poisoned water to hunt us?”

At her father’s puzzled frown, Pale Hunter spoke up. “I never met Captain, here. Had no more idea who he was than Stands His Ground did. The captain who sent the whites out with poisoned water to trade for information about where you were... that man is Captain George Henry. A lot of men call him Captain. Maybe it has to do with him being captain of the fort, like your father was.”

“Why would he want a woman of the Peoples that he never met?” Golden Fox drew her lips into a tight knot of disgust.

“Because of the story goin’ ’round.”

“What story?”

“I do not know how it started.” Pale Hunter raised troubled pale eyes. “There is a story hairy-faces tell that, among the Peoples, there is a band who has found a rich gold mine.” When she gave him a bewildered expression, he explained. “The yellow stone that whites dig holes in the Mother to find is called gold. The holes they dig are called gold mines. This is a very important stone to them. It will make them very rich and very important among others of their kind. Do you understand?”

“Yes. Dances In Storms told me that Shining Light’s people had to leave these canyons long, long ago because the whites thought there was a lot of the yellow stone here. She said a white would kill his brother for this yellow stone.”

Lips pressed together, Pale Hunter nodded. “Yes, many would. The story goes that the way you know which band of people has this gold mine, is because they have a girl with gold-red hair. She belongs to the headman, and he named her Gold Fox after a statue of a gold fox.” Seeing her frown, he hurried to explain, “A statue is... is like a carving, only this one is a gold fox the size of a real fox, and it is made of gold. It is said that if someone captures the girl with the gold-red hair, the headman will trade his gold mine for his daughter.

“It is said that the band who owns this gold mine is a very large band with ferocious warriors, so men seek this girl for the big reward that Captain Henry will give them.”

Golden Fox stormed across the lodge. “Why did you not tell us this story, Pale Hunter?” Anger blazed through her body and she rested her hand on the hilt of her knife.

Pale Hunter carefully lifted his hands, palms out. “I... I did not realize that it was important. I am sorry, Golden Fox. I am very sorry I did not tell this to you.”

***

When Golden Fox had told this story to her grandfather, Eagle Thunder placed a hand on her arm. “Be at peace. Pale Hunter did not understand. A council must be called.”

The council decided that a scouting party needed to be sent out to see how many of the enemy searched for this gold mine that did not exist, and for the gold-red-haired woman who did.

Blazing Fire and Stands His Ground led the party, which included White Elk, Golden Fox, Pale Hunter, and Dances In Storms. They left as soon as they had sung Father Sun into the sky.

When they drew closer to the wooden fort, Pale Hunter offered to go inside and count how many whites lived there.

Stands His Ground went with him, acting as if he followed for the promise of fire water.

Together, Stands His Ground and Pale Hunter entered the wooden gates guarding the fort.

***

That was two sunrises ago.

Blazing Fire and Golden Fox had gone to scout closer to the fort, while White Elk and Dances In Storms searched for places their people could hide as they gathered to attack the fort.

Upon their return, Golden Fox slid off Splash and rubbed her down with dried grasses.

As Blazing Fire cleaned the sweat off Fast Girl, she tipped her chin toward the cold fire circle. “White Elk and Dances In Storms have not returned yet.”

With a mischievous grin, Golden Fox waggled her brows. “Maybe they did not have time to make a baby while we hunted.”

Blazing Fire tossed the grasses to the ground, patted Fast Girl on the rump, and headed for the fire circle. “If they take too long, they will have little to eat. I am hungry enough to eat all of the rabbits we hunted.”

Splash had learned quickly, so Golden Fox no longer hobbled her. When she released the mustang, she picked up her carry-all and took it to the fire the warrior woman had started. “Good thing I dug these tubers.” She added them to the pot nestled on the side of the flames.

The two women ate and cleaned up, then rested.

When Father Sun dropped and ducked behind the trees, Blazing Fire pushed up from where she sat. “White Elk and Dances In Storms should have returned. We need to look for them before Father Sun goes to rest.”

The blue of the sky had darkened to that time between Father Sun and Sister Moon, by the time they found White Elk.

He lay sprawled on his face, his faithful Cloud standing next to him.

Golden Fox leapt off Splash and raced over to White Elk’s still body.

Blazing Fire nocked an arrow and carefully scanned the surrounding land. Once convinced no one was nearby, she slid off Fast Girl and hurried over to where the young man lay. “Does he live?” She laid her bow on the ground and knelt next to Golden Fox.

“He lives. I must turn him over to see if there are other wounds besides the gash in the back of his head.” She carefully rolled him to his back. “Nothing. I will clean the wound, and then see if I can wake him.”

Blazing Fire walked around the spot where White Elk lay. “He was not attacked here. He must have gotten away from whoever he fought, and started toward our camp, and then fell from his mustang.”

A groan worked out of White Elk’s mouth as Golden Fox scrubbed the dirt from the wound. By the time the wound was clean and packed with the moss and plants she always carried, he had awakened from the sleep that a hit in the head can give.

“We have to go!” He struggled to his feet the moment Golden Fox turned to pack away her medicines.

She caught him as he swayed, and helped him back to the ground. “Sit, White Elk. You cannot ride a mustang.”

Blazing Fire hunkered down in front of him. “Where is Dances In Storms? Tell us what you can, White Elk.”

“Three enemies came out of a gully that we passed.” Eyes squinted, he sucked air between his teeth and continued. “I hit one with an arrow. He did not get back up from the ground. Two went after Dances In Storms. I saw her push her knife into one. His mustang ran off with him clinging to that leather thing they ride. I did not see the one who came behind me and hit me. I only remember the pain in my head and then darkness. I do not know how long I lay in darkness on the ground. It was Father Sun’s fingers on my eyes that brought me to my senses. I jumped on Cloud and she headed to camp. That is all I know.”

“We must find my sister-friend.” With hands fisted at her sides, Golden Fox marched toward Splash.

Blazing Fire swung up on Fast Girl and motioned toward Cloud. “White Elk, as difficult as it is, you must ride to camp.”

He crawled up on his mustang, a stubborn set to his chin, and shook his head. “No. I will go with you. I know the direction we rode and where the gully lies.” With no more words, he tapped Cloud and set off at a gallop, clinging to his mustang’s mane.

As Father Sun dropped behind the land’s edge, clouds gathered.

Blazing Fire glanced around. “We need to find shelter. It is still early in the season of young animals, and the cold may not be done with us yet.”

Frost suddenly appeared and trotted up to Golden Fox, and then moved away. He gave short looks over his shoulder.

Golden Fox crinkled her brows, but understood, and she nudged Splash to follow the wolf. She could hear her two companions behind her.

The dip between two short hills became deeper as Frost led her farther into the ravine. Finally, he stopped, circled three times, and lay down.

Blazing Fire looked around. “Father Wolf has found a good place for us. There—” She pointed toward a deeper darkness. “—see how those dead trees have fallen. If there is space, it could be a dry place to sleep.”

They had barely gotten their sleeping robes and carry-alls into the tight space beneath the fallen trees, when rain pounded down from the black sky.

Frost flipped his bushy tail over his nose and closed his eyes.

Golden Fox gazed out past the tiny fire they made in the entrance to their shelter, and watched the rain turn into tiny ice balls. As the ice hit with a loud thunk on the bark of the dead trees, she could not help wondering if Dances In Storms had a place to sleep that was dry and safe.