Chapter Thirteen

 

The evening, shaman ritual, and morning after had gone pretty much the same way as it had with Wildflower the night before. Bluewing was surprisingly timid in bed at the beginning, but once she saw Lia be demanding, she was quick to act the same. She’d been hesitant with Doc because he was the shaman, but once she saw his enjoyment, she let herself be free.

 

Bluewing had gone off to the Red Throat delegation by the time Doc finally stepped out of his teepee. Lia handed him the same fry bread and pemmican they’d had every morning. Nibbling the pemmican, he found that, again, it was subtly different from all the others. This one had a touch more sweetness while the one the day before was a bit saltier, and the day before that, the tallow had been richer.

 

“Are there different people making the pemmican?” Doc asked as they walked toward the testing grounds.

 

“Yes. Every morning, it’s a different person who makes it. Today’s has some honey in it.”

 

“That explains the sweetness above the berries.”

 

“I believe this was made by Raindrop.”

 

“I thought she was a warrior?” Doc asked.

 

Lia gave Doc a sideways glance, then snorted.

 

“Sorry. Yeah. That didn’t come out like I meant it to,” Doc winced.

 

“She is also the daughter of the elder, Doc, meaning she learned everything that all the women of the tribe know. Making pemmican for the pau-wau is an honor for those who are selected. It places the whole of the tribe into your care for the meal.”

 

“Got it.”

 

“Even the warriors can make it, but they only do so in needed situations. This way, you know better,” Lia said with a soft smile. “More of the tribe is waiting for you, I see.”

 

Doc looked at the small gathering right near where he normally sat to watch the competitions. “I think I’ll have seen them all before we go back to Elka.”

 

“Good.”

 

“What’s today’s testing?”

 

“Unarmed combat and storytelling. You should join the first one.”

 

Doc considered it as he got to where they normally sat. “Maybe. Are you going to?”

 

“No. I have tested myself enough. I still have the skills that I have always been good at.”

 

“I guess me stepping up for Treeheart would be good.”

 

“Blessings of Mother to you,” the first in line to see Doc said softly. “Voice, may I ask for healing?”

 

“Of course,” Doc said, addressing the young man. “Just let me get situated.”

 

~*~*~

 

Doc got up when the warriors were called to the field. Seeing the others were bare-chested, he took off his jacket, shirt, gun belt, socks, and shoes. Wildflower was shocked to see him doing so— she was deliberately sitting out, as she knew she couldn’t defeat some of the other elders. Shamans were not known to compete, but the best shamans in their stories were the ones who did.

 

Walking out onto the field with many others, Doc kept his head up. A small voice in the back of his mind was asking him why he was doing this; he wasn’t a fighter. Outside of the duel, he wasn’t really a man prone to violence.

 

Sunshine met him short of the larger group of warriors. “Shaman, you are going to join us?”

 

“I am from the Treeheart tribe first. I will represent them here.”

 

Smile growing, Sunshine laughed. “I welcome you, and will try not to hurt you too badly.”

 

Seeing one of the elders welcoming him put the other warriors at ease. When Gray Rabbit went over to them, the gathered warriors knew it would be fine.

 

“Voice, you wish to compete?” Gray Rabbit was similarly stripped to the waist.

 

“To represent my first tribe, yes. Do you feel well enough to compete, as well?”

 

“I am not as flexible as I was in my youth, but I have tricks these bucks will not know.”

 

“Cunning and experience can beat out youth and exuberance,” Doc grinned.

 

“As some will learn.”

 

“Warriors, gather,” Dancing Squirrel said, a large smile on her face. “Today, we test your ability to fight without weapons. Some of the elders join us, as well as the shaman of three tribes. May Mother bless all of you. I shall call you to fight in pairs. This way, we can all see your prowess without another fight to distract us. All of you, step back. We shall start with Raindrop and Running Fox.”

 

The fights went well, and the warriors were good sports about it for the most part. A few seemed a little too full of themselves. Sunshine removed one of the troubled ones, and Gray Rabbit another. It then fell to Doc to face Red Hawk after the arrogant warrior defeated Raindrop in his third fight.

 

Doc was as fresh as he could be, healing the minor damage he’d accrued between fights. He’d been circumspect about it, not seeing a reason to make it known. Now that he was about to face Red Hawk, he was glad he had. The warriors of the tribe didn’t have a specific style they fought with— it was street fighting at its most basic, with each person using what worked best for them.

 

“Red Hawk, Doc, are you both ready?” Dancing Squirrel asked.

 

“Yes,” Doc replied.

 

“I will win, Elder. Let us begin,” Red Hawk said haughtily.

 

Stepping back, Dancing Squirrel watched the pair, then called for them to fight. Even as she did, she said a small prayer to Lady Luck for Doc’s sake.

 

Red Hawk charged forward, looking to take Doc to the ground; he’d won all of his fights by grappling his opponent into submission. Doc, though, changed what he’d been doing. Before, he’d been fine with going to the ground and winning that way, but he wanted to humble Red Hawk. With that as his goal, Doc brought his fists up and ducked the grab, landing a clean left to Red Hawk’s ribs.

 

Red Hawk snarled as he spun and lunged for Doc’s legs. Doc danced back, bringing a fist down on the warrior’s head like he was a hammer driving in a nail. He also triggered knockdown so he would have time to get away.

 

Sprawling on his belly, Red Hawk growled as he got back to his feet. The hit hadn’t hurt him much, and he didn’t understand why he’d crashed to his stomach. “Fight like a warrior should!”

 

“I am. This is to prove who the better fighter is, not to roll on the ground,” Doc said. He shifted side to side, his hands up in front of him. “Come on.”

 

Doc saw the handful of dirt Red Hawk picked up when he stood. It was obvious what would come next, so he triggered missed me. Sure enough, when Red Hawk came in a little slower, he threw his arms out first, letting the dirt fly at Doc before he lunged in. The dirt passed through Doc, and then he flurried a quick combination. He swung to the side, away from Red Hawk, the last fist again powered with knockdown.

 

“Using dirt won’t help you. I’m blessed by Mother,” Doc said. “Next time, I will put you down for trying it.”

 

Red Hawk was flushed— he could hear the snickers and laughter from the onlookers. Most of them were higher-pitched, telling him that the women of the tribes were the ones mocking him. Clenching his teeth, he rose with murder in his mind as he closed on Doc.

 

Doc just grinned as he spent the next half-minute jabbing and dancing away from Red Hawk. His knuckles hurt and he was bleeding from split skin, but Red Hawk was far worse off. The angry man had swelling eyes, a bloody nose, and a split lip, as he hadn’t dodged a single jab.

 

“You can surrender the match,” Doc suggested. He wasn’t even close to feeling tired while Red Hawk was gulping air.

 

“I am the best of the Curled Horn!” Red Hawk spat. “I will never surrender!”

 

Doc would’ve found it admirable if Red Hawk wasn’t so intent on hurting him and acting like such an ass. “Very well. This fight has gone on long enough. I will finish it.”

 

Red Hawk advanced slowly with his hands up to protect his face. When he got in range, he batted the first jab, then spat blood at Doc. Doc had to turn his face away, snapping his eyes shut before the bloody spittle hit him. That was when Red Hawk plowed into him, driving them both to the ground.

 

Grunting as he impacted the earth, Doc triggered knockout. When Red Hawk climbed atop him to beat him, Doc slammed his fist into the warrior’s chest. Eyes rolling up, Red Hawk fell off him. After getting back up on his feet, Doc glared down at him.

 

“The winner is Doc,” Dancing Squirrel said, coming forward with a cloth so Doc could wipe his face. “Can you heal him?”

 

He nodded, taking the cloth to clean his face, and then healing himself. Kneeling down, he healed Red Hawk before walking toward the other warriors, who were still fighting.

 

“You toyed with him,” Gray Rabbit said. “For most, that would humble them. I fear this will only enrage him.”

 

“You fought far differently that time,” Sunshine said, changing the topic away from the angry man just waking up.

 

“My preferred way to fight,” Doc shrugged. “I will go back to fighting like the rest of you do now.”

 

“Good. I will have a chance, then,” Sunshine laughed.

 

Red Hawk’s eyes snapped open, and he stared up at Dancing Squirrel watching him. “What?!”

 

“You lost. You fell unconscious,” Dancing Squirrel told him. “You are removed from the competition. Please leave the grounds.”

 

Growling, he went to get up, expecting pain, but when he got to his feet, all the aches he’d felt before were gone. Going quiet, he touched his face gently, but it no longer hurt him.

 

“You were healed by the Voice,” Dancing Squirrel said. “Maybe you should thank him.”

 

Snarling loudly, Red Hawk stomped away, and only his closest friend went to talk with him. Everyone else looked to the elder to call the next fight.

 

~*~*~

 

Doc won the next match, but lost when he fought Sunshine. The elder of the Red Throat tribe was cunning, and since Doc didn’t box, he was able to get Doc clinched. He submitted, then clapped Sunshine’s back before he went to dress and sit with his group.

 

Gray Rabbit did his best making it to the final six warriors, but then lost to one of the younger fighters. In the end, Sunshine was the last warrior who hadn’t lost a match. The elder was met by his wife, who kissed him before leading him to their seats.

 

The storytelling was entertaining to Doc. The different elves who spoke were all old and told stories from the tribes’ history, along with myths from the ages past before humans had grown to take over most of the world.

 

When the elders met for the afternoon, they asked Doc to give more details about where the mines were so they could help plan the paths. Yucca pointed out some spots on the map that Doc had that would be troublesome.

 

In time, the meeting ended, and Doc left the meeting lodge. As he did, Raindrop stood nearby with a shy smile on her lips. Doc knew what was coming, so he approached her.

 

“Raindrop, will you join my wives and I for the dances and dinner?”

 

“I would be glad to, Doc. I am to conduct the ritual to welcome you as shaman of the Curled Horn tribe tonight.”

 

Doc glanced at Gray Rabbit, giving the older man a bow of his head, then gave his attention back to the maiden before him. “I will be honored to complete the ritual with you, Raindrop.”

 

As the pair headed toward his tent, Raindrop giggled. “I spoke with Wildflower and Bluewing after I lost my test earlier. Is it true that you’ll let me have a memory of our time together in the early morning?”

 

Doc’s heart twinged slightly, but he nodded. “Lia has made it plain that it is acceptable. You do realize that it won’t happen again after that, right?”

 

“Yes. I spoke with Lia, Rosa, and Yucca while you were speaking to the elders.” Her happiness didn’t diminish at all. “To welcome you as shaman is a joy, but to know that I will carry a child of Luck’s Voice to help the tribe is an honor that eclipses that.” Her cheeks heated as she glanced at him. “Knowing that you accept me as a woman and warrior is even better.”

 

Doc smiled slightly. Her happiness helped ease his lingering worries about leaving children behind— it was clear to him that Raindrop would do all she could for their child. The fact that the tribe would help made it easier for him to accept.