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Blazing Fire had tracked the marks of mustang feet shod in met-al from the small wooden lodge. Now, she stopped and wiped the sweat from her face. “Since the mustang went into the river, I had not found the new trail the animal takes. A human must be guiding the mustang. No animal does that on their own.”
Golden Fox shook her head. “I fear for Dances In Storms. We only found two bodies, and White Elk said there were three.” She stood up straight and stretched. Father Sun’s fingers on her back felt good on the tight muscles. She opened her mouth to speak more, but White Elk called out.
“Blazing Fire, a mustang comes.”
The warrior woman snapped her head up from staring at the ground, and studied the dust trail in the distance. “The mustang does not run as one who carries a human. Yet I see no reason for the animal to run. Ready your bows.”
As the animal drew closer, Golden Fox recognized the sleek black body. “Moon!”
The mustang slowed to a fast trot and hurried to them. Sweat marked his shoulders and neck.
Golden Fox chewed her lower lip as she ran her hands over the animal, checking for injuries. After, she turned toward Blazing Fire. “Warrior Woman, what does this mean?”
“We have known that Dances In Storms walked beside the white men’s mustangs to the small wooden lodge. The man must have had her riding with him when they left the wooden lodge, because there were foot tracks in only one small space, as if humans waited there.”
She cast her eye along Moon’s body. “Perhaps, Moon followed Dances In Storms.”
“Why is he here then?” White Elk shifted on Cloud and gently touched the back of his head.
Golden Fox winced in sympathy, as White Elk’s pain became hers. The hard jarring of his mustang made his head hurt more, and the wound had started to bleed.
Blazing Fire shrugged, but kept her movement too guarded for Golden Fox to feel Blazing Fire’s thought. “Perhaps, Moon recognized our mustangs’ scents and only wanted to be with us. Mustangs wish to be with others of their kind.”
After a nuzzled greeting to the other mustangs, Moon pranced ahead of Blazing Fire. “We should put a lead rope on Moon. We may need him when we find Dances In Storms.”
Golden Fox threw herself up on Splash. “I will put a lead rope around his neck.”
Each time she drew close to Moon, the mustang danced away. Finally, she halted Splash and propped her hands on her hips. “Moon, what is it that you try to tell me?”
He snorted and bobbed his head, then pranced a bit farther.
Blazing Fire gave a thoughtful look at Frost. “Father Wolf, can you understand what this mustang tries to tell us?”
Frost lifted his muzzle and sniffed deeply, then sneezed. With a shake of his head, he headed toward Moon. Halfway between Golden Fox and Moon, he stopped and peered back over his shoulder. When she nudged Splash in his direction, both Moon and Frost set off at a slow trot.
***
Father Sun went to his rest, and Sister Moon only showed a sliver of her face. Blazing Fire called the three to a halt, and they made camp without a fire. Here on the open grasslands, the smoke and the redness of embers were too easily noticed.
Moon fidgeted tied to Blazing Fire’s war mustang, but the lead rope Golden Fox had placed around his neck kept him from wandering away in the dark.
The pemmican tasted dry in her mouth. Golden Fox hoped they found the river again, soon. Only one full water bladder remained in her carry-all. She washed the meat mixture down with a long swallow from the nearly empty bladder in her hand.
The mustang’s restlessness must have infected the wolf, because Frost rose and padded away.
Golden Fox stretched out her sleeping robe. Great Mystery, please keep my sister-friend safe. We have to find her! She could not bear to lose another sister-friend; the loss of Running Girl still made her cry during the darkness.
Though exhaustion made her muscles ache, her eyelids would not remain closed. She flipped the robe off and went to where Blazing Fire stood. “I will keep watch. You should rest.”
Blazing Fire shot her a sideways look. “Dances In Storms is a strong woman. She will be all right until we find her.”
“I... I care for her. She will maybe have White Elk’s child, and I am to be the child’s second mother.”
Without a word, Blazing Fire gathered Golden Fox against her in a tight embrace.
When Golden Fox stepped back, she wiped her eyes. “I... I can see Dances In Storms’ child in my lodge. She will be older, and will have much to teach my little one, just as Dances In Storms has much to teach me. She... she is the elder sister I have never had.”
The warrior woman drew in a breath to speak, but did not let it back out. Her body tensed as her eyes roamed the darkness. The air exploded from her when Frost trotted up to Golden Fox. “Father Wolf, I am glad I did not have an arrow nocked, or perhaps your beautiful fur would have a hole in it.”
A mustang’s feet thudded against the ground. Blazing Fire swung her bow from her shoulder and motioned Golden Fox to silence.
A blackness deeper than the darkness of the surrounding night showed against the night sky. It halted only a short distance from where White Elk slept.
Golden Fox’s heart slammed against her ribs. Please, please, White Elk, remain asleep. Do not move, Man-Who-Will-Be-Mine!
The muscles in her back clenched as she too held a bow steady, arrow nocked, string drawn taut.
“That wolf was Frost, or I would not have followed him,” a soft voice whispered. “They must be around here close.”
“Dances In Storms?” Golden Fox’s cry shattered the stillness. She laid aside her bow and ran to her sister-friend.
The Holy Woman slipped off the rump of the mustang and embraced Golden Fox.
Blazing Fire stepped around them, her arrow still nocked, and leered at the man still on the mustang. “Who are you?”
“Yes, answer quickly before you die.” White Elk’s deep voice rang from the other side of the stranger.
As White Elk moved toward the stranger, Dances In Storms jerked away from Golden Fox. She stepped between White Elk and the man, who continued to sit on his mustang. “Put aside your bows. Strong Wind is my friend, and a new member of Sister Wolf Band. I, the Holy Woman of the Sister Wolf Band, say this is so.”
***
Golden Fox’s stomach growled so loudly that White Elk heard it, and when he laughed, heat rushed to her cheeks.
They rode into the small camp to the smell of rabbits roasting over a fire, which Pale Hunter cooked with tubers and greens in a pot of water.
After eating pemmican for two sunrises, Golden Fox’s mouth watered at the delicious scents drifting on Sister Wind.
Stands His Ground studied the stranger, who rode a red mustang beside Dances In Storms and Moon.
Upon arriving, Golden Fox hopped down and rubbed a small scrap of deer hide over the sweaty places on Splash, then walked over to the fire and Stands His Ground. “My sister-friend went hunting.” A grin teased the corners of her mouth.
“Hmph! She caught a man of mixed-blood who wears the clothes of a white. I am not so sure that such a catch is better than bringing back a deer.” He chuckled. “We maybe could skin him and use his hide. Do you think it would keep out cold as good as humpback hides?”
Dances In Storms stiffened. “Do not speak so disrespectfully of my soon-to-be-mate, Stands His Ground.” Though her words said one thing, her gentle laugh said another.
Laughter faded from his face as he cocked his head and stared at Strong Wind. “I hope he can ride and that his mustang is fast.”
Strong Wind’s eyes snapped toward the warrior. “Why would I need to ride fast?” Worry darkened his green-brown eyes.
“Calls Elk may not think a Holy Woman should give up Power to be with a mixed blood.”
Dances In Storms’ nostrils flared and she drew herself up tall. “I can be both Holy Woman and have a mate. The Spirits have said this.”
A shrug said Stands His Ground would not argue. “Your father believes that he gave up his Power when he took Small Feet as his mate. I have heard the warriors speak of this.”
Golden Fox dove for the rabbit. “Can we maybe not worry so much about this until Dances In Storms sees her father? I wish to know what news you and Pale Hunter have about the wooden fort.” A bit of juice ran down her arm as she chewed and waited.
Stands His Ground took a deep breath, held it, and let it out slowly. “It will not be easy to rescue our Peoples, Golden Fox. The whites walk on top of a wall made of dead trees. They watch for any who approach. Inside are white warriors and traders. There are white women and children, too, but many of our own people cling to flasks of poisoned water. They will not want to leave.” He hunkered down and cut a piece off the roasting rabbits.
Pale Hunter squatted close to him. “And they have fire sticks, Golden Fox.”
A grim determination caused her to look at each of her companions one-by-one. “I will not abandon our Peoples. We must find a way to bring them out of the wooden fort, and to destroy the place that has brought so much destruction to our Peoples.”
