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Leotie hurried after Keme. He plopped down by a large tree and sat against it, his head down and fists clenched. She thought back years ago to their last conflict with an Iroquoian tribe when Keme had come running back alone from that war. Even though he was only twelve at the time, certain people would never let him forget it. She wondered about the details, but Keme always said what he wanted to say, so she didn’t ask him about it. Since then, Keme refused to get involved with any raids, which only continued to inspire Chapa’s insults.
Meanwhile, the tribe needed more food.
“Don’t listen to Chapa. All he does is—”
“It’s not right for me to be with you,” Keme cut her off.
“What?” she asked, shocked.
“You’ll be dishonored by being with me, so go.” He pointed toward the camp.
She sat down across from him. At this rate he was never going to ask her for a life-bond, and she wasn’t going to be the one to ask him. That was the man’s duty. Other women had chuckled at her for waiting so long, but Keme was worth it.
“Any loss of honor is worth staying with you. Stop this nonsense, get your bow, and let’s go hunting.”
“Now?”
“Yes, I’ve been waiting all day, so let’s hurry.”
“Crazy woman,” Keme mumbled.
Leotie folded her arms. “Me crazy? Where have you been?”
“Scouting.” He grabbed her hand, stood up, and tugged. “Since you won’t leave, I might as well show you something.”
“Since when do you go scouting without me? Thanks to you I was stuck doing bead work.”
“C’mon Leotie. This is important.” He continued to pester her, so she got up and followed. He walked fast, instead of running, and looked around as if trying not to draw attention to himself.
“What’s going on?” she whispered.
He nudged his head toward his own wigwam and pulled her inside. She ducked down with him. Keme motioned to a weapon – a musket belonging to the outlanders. She gasped and covered her mouth at the long brown weapon. Metal pieces were attached to the wood. At the narrow end was a hole where metal could blast out of it. She briefly wondered how it worked, even though the council had recently warned against bringing anything from the outlanders into the camp – it was bad luck, and frowned upon by the Great Spirit.
Keme ran his hand along the weapon. “I found this in the woods. Isn’t it incredible?”
She shook her head. “You know our laws.”
“Yes, but it’s a foolish law.”
Leotie hesitantly touched the handle, not wanting to set it off.
“It’s not loaded,” Keme pulled back a metal compartment, “but I think I know how to load it if I had some gunpowder.”
She pulled his hand away from the thing. “No! If you dared fire that thing, you’d cause such a stir, not to mention you might hurt yourself. You have to get rid of it.”
“What? But I just have to convince the council somehow that we need to learn from the outlanders.”
Leotie cringed. “Didn’t you hear your father?”
“Yes. It’s probably useless.” He sat down, legs folded with his head down, staring in thought. “They’re overconfident. We should move again.”
She still couldn’t believe he’d mentioned leaving. “The strangers have proved they don’t keep their word.” Leotie paused, longing for the days before she ever saw an outlander. “I don’t like Chapa, but he’s right. There’s no choice but to fight.”
“Maybe someday, but not now.”
Her head pounded. “All of this is giving me a headache. Can we just go hunting?”
Keme nodded. He took his bow off the wall, and his quiver of arrows. He followed her out and over to her wigwam. She ducked inside and grabbed her bow and arrows, along with a canteen and some dried meat. They borrowed a couple of ponies and walked along the trail in the full heat of the sun with gnats buzzing about.
“Don’t ever think you’re a coward.” She looked from side to side, trying to spot a deer. “You’re just not a warrior, and your father should stop trying to make you one.”
“He won’t stop. I’m his only son,” Keme’s eyes softened, “and you’re too good for me. Certainly you should be with a strong, brave warrior.”
She smirked. “Don’t tell me who to be with.”
“Oh? But what about Wayna? You were with him for a while.”
“Yes, and I grew tired of him.” The thought of Wayna made her want to yawn. “You’re more...interesting. Who else goes sneaking off to get a musket?”
He glanced back toward the camp. “What good is it?”
“Who knows, but whatever you do, keep it hidden.” She cut into the woods and weaved her pony around the stick trees. It was a relief to be in the shade.
He pointed to a tree with thick branches. Perfect for two people to climb up into and hide. They tied the ponies to a nearby tree. He gave her a foot up, then followed her into the tree. They climbed half way up, and each took a separate big branch to either stand or sit on. A breeze cut through the hot air.
Keme readied his bow. “If I ever learn how to use a musket, can I teach you?”
She thought back to the musket, feeling more at ease and thinking of the deer she could bring down with it. “Maybe, but even if the council agrees, one musket isn’t going to help.”
“If the tribe won’t move, perhaps we need to leave on our own before war breaks out.”
Leotie realized he was talking about running away. “How can we just leave? What about our families?”
“I don’t like the idea of abandoning everyone, but why should we risk our lives for the ones who don’t listen to reason?”
Her mouth dropped open. “Can you imagine the disgrace?”
“I can’t help it if I’m not suicidal,” Keme said.
“Our fathers are war chiefs. It’s up to them to make the final decision. If they decide to fight, then I hope to fight with them.”
“No, no, that’s a terrible mistake. You don’t know what war is like.”
“What? I’m not capable because I’m a woman?” She turned to him, her face hot.
“No, I don’t want anyone to go to war – man or woman – until we know more. Scouting has been difficult. They’re always going in and out of that fort, and it’s heavily guarded.” Keme wiped his brow.
“But they don’t know that much about us either.” She motioned to all the trees. “We know these parts better than the strangers. That’s our advantage, right?”
“Yes, but will it be enough?”
She had no idea, but out of the corner of her eye leaves on a bush rustled, followed by a spot of brown moving around about two hundred feet to her right. Leotie turned, pulled her bow string, and let the arrow fly. A deer jumped out of the bush, an arrow in its side. The buck tried to run and fell face first to the ground. Keme’s mouth fell open.
Leotie chuckled and worked her way down the tree. She sprinted over to the deer while Keme made his way over. It was a big buck, with large antlers. They hoisted it across their shoulders and carried it over to the ponies.
She couldn’t wait to have others feast on her kill. “We better get back before sunset.”
Keme tied the deer to the back of one pony. The two rode the other pony together, Leotie in front.
“Even if I stay, I can’t fight. Your man will be tending to the wounded, or something.”
She sighed at him bringing it up again. “So you were afraid one time. You don’t know that’s going to happen again.”
“That’s just it, Leotie. I don’t remember what happened. My father said I was paralyzed like a cornered mouse. Then, when I finally moved, everyone said I ran from the fight.”
She stared, surprised. “You don’t remember anything from that battle?”
“No, and what if it happens again?”
“You don’t have to fight. We need good healers.”
He sighed. “I’ll try my best.”
Leotie winced. A warrior and a healer. They would be the brunt of continual ridicule. She could hear the insults already. Maybe Keme was right. They would end up having to leave one way or another someday.
They stayed quiet, watching the sunset. It was almost dark. Up ahead, a spot of light appeared on a high tree branch. They stopped, staring at it. Then the yellow light spread throughout the branch.
She stopped the pony. “Do you see that?”
“Yes, what could it be?” Keme asked.
They dismounted and sped closer, but the light swirled and sped off into the air, a thin streak of light. Leotie and Keme looked at each other.
“Maybe the light is a sign from the Great Spirit that we are meant to be together?” Leotie hinted, giving him the perfect opportunity to mention a life-bond.
“I like that thought.” Keme took her hand and led her back over to the pony.
They pushed her into a trot as they neared the camp. The chanting and whooping from the camp reached them before they cleared the forest. A huge fire was going, and a large circle of warriors danced around in a big circle, chanting the usual war dances. Chapa lead them all, of course.
Keme shook his head. “They didn’t waste much time thinking about it.”
Some of the older women came and took the deer off the pony. They hurried it off to be skinned and cooked.
Paytah broke away from the crowd and walked toward Keme. He stood a few inches taller than Keme, and wore his black hair in two long braids, wrapped up in cloth. “The decision has been made. When the outlanders cross into our territory, we’ll be there to fight.”
“Must I repeat that we aren’t ready to face them?” Keme asked, his voice on edge.
Paytah motioned to the sky. “There is no need to fear. We saw a sign we would be victorious.”
“That streak of light?” Leotie asked.
“Yes. It flew right over us.” Paytah smiled. “One can’t deny a sign from the Great Spirit.”
Leotie felt relief. That had to be it. A sign from the Great Spirit shouldn’t be questioned.
“How do we know what it means?” Keme motioned to the sky. “A streak of light can’t speak.”
“Of course you would be the one to doubt. You should welcome the chance to redeem yourself. Go into battle with me and be victorious. No one will call you a coward again.” Paytah patted Keme on the shoulders with both hands, and stared into his son’s eyes.
Keme met his gaze. “I’ll consider it if I can show you something. You must keep it a secret.”
Leotie’s eyes widened. She gripped Keme’s arm and shook her head. Keme nudged her to stop.
“Of course, son,” Paytah agreed.
Keme lead them all the way back to his wigwam. They crawled inside, and he uncovered the musket.
“The weapon of the outlanders? Did you steal this?” A twinkle of pride reflected in Paytah’s eyes.
“No, I just found it.”
“Oh.” He sounded less impressed.
“Perhaps we could find a way to get more of these?” Keme said.
Paytah shook his head and covered the musket back up. “Even if the elders agreed, there won’t be time. Now, what about your decision to fight?”
Leotie cringed. Paytah only cared about his son being a warrior.
“I don’t know...”
“What do you mean you don’t know? You WILL fight by my side.”
Keme frowned. “It’s not a good idea, none of this is a good idea!”
“Foolish boy, you will fight, or I will tell the elders about this musket and you will be cast out!”
Keme’s mouth fell open, shocked at first, but a certain realization filled his eyes. “Then I will leave now.”
“Wait!” Leotie put a hand between the two and turned to Paytah. “You would cast out your own son?”
His eyes hardened at Keme. “Yes, because he doesn’t even try. He cares nothing about how everyone looks at me. How long do you want to be a coward?”
Leotie wanted to shove Paytah through the wall.
Keme’s shoulders tightened, and his eyes hardened. “I’ll go out in battle and die with the rest of you fools.”
“Keme, no! What are you saying?” Leotie shook him.
“I can’t take this anymore!” Keme blurted out.
Leotie realized this was what held him back from many things, including the life-bond.
A smile spread across Paytah’s face. “Good, and if we die, then it will be with honor. Meet me at sunrise for training.” He started out, and stopped. “And throw that thing in the river.”
Leotie clenched her fists and imagined herself cracking the butt of the musket over Paytah’s head. If Keme was going into battle, so would she, and nobody would be able to stop her.
