Little Deer cried and Snake held her child and rocked. Only Mouse's eyes were dry.

Mouse spat and muttered, "Better to die than live a wh.o.r.e."

Spotted Fawn stepped from the gathered women and spoke to her father before the tribe.

"Many of these women are loved. What will Pretty Cloud do without Wren?"

"This captive should have thought of that before she left her," said Ebbing Water.

"And Kicking Rabbit is mine. Running Wolf gave her to me. It is not fair that you take what is mine."

Clearly, none had yet told Spotted Fawn what had been said. Perhaps none on the council would ever tell her. Still, Raven worried that she would be shamed, for such gossip would not remain secret for long.

"She ran," said Laughing Moon.

"But I want her back," said Spotted Fawn. "She is my friend."

Raven felt the stab of guilt for having slept with the man Spotted Fawn intended to wed. Raven had even considered allowing Running Wolf to take her as his second wife without even consulting Spotted Fawn. Raven knew that Spotted Fawn did not love Running Wolf. She was infatuated with him and with several others, truth be told.

Still, she deserved better.

"No longer," said Red Hawk. "The council has decided."

"But my father has the right to make such decisions without them."

It was true, but unwise for a chief to make decisions without the support of his advisers.

"Daughter, come here." Iron Bear lifted his free arm, and Spotted Fawn stepped beneath the shelter of her father. He now stood, supported by his eldest son on one side and his youngest daughter on the other. When had his daughter grown taller than the chief?

"Take them to the common women's tent and place a guard on the entrance. None go in without the council's permission," said Red Hawk.

They were roughly dragged to their feet and hustled away. Raven found herself tossed inside the tent. Stakes were driven into the ground and each woman tied to one, with her hands behind her back, except Snake. She was first struck because she would not release her baby's cradle board. One of the warriors took Stork from her and pa.s.sed the cradle board to another outside.

The warrior staked her with the others and she screamed and screamed until her voice grew hoa.r.s.e.

Outside the drums began to beat.

"They are going to begin today! Now!" cried Little Deer.

Snake began to rock and babble in gibberish.

Raven stared at the closed flap of the lodge. There must be something she could do to save them.

And then she knew.

She was not sure if her idea would work, but she knew that she must try.

By the afternoon, all was ready. The drums pounded a steady beat. The stakes were driven deep into the earth so that the struggling women would not escape as bits of their flesh were cut from their bodies. They would receive water to keep them alive for a day, perhaps two. But eventually the pain and the loss of blood would be too much.

Running Wolf had not been selected to administer the punishment, thank the Great Spirit. But he would be here to witness it under guard unless he could stop it.

His efforts to speak to the council members individually had failed. The chief refused to see him. So he stood beside his mother, wondering if he should kill the captives to spare them this torment. It would be a mercy. But the thought of driving his knife into Raven's flesh made his palms sweat and his stomach heave.

"You look ill," asked his mother. She pressed the back of her hand to his forehead. "Sweating."

"My heart is sick."

"Best she die here. She has already cost you too much. Once she is gone you can begin to repair your reputation."

He did not think he'd so quickly recover either his heart or his reputation, and he found that he did not want to live in a world without her. But he could not follow her, because to take his own life would keep him from the Spirit World.

He looked to Red Hawk, who had volunteered to be the one to torture Raven. He looked gleeful, excited, his eyes dancing brightly. At last, Red Hawk's revenge was near.

The captives shuffled forward, each flanked by two warriors. The rope between them was cut and they stood facing Iron Bear, each before the four stakes where their wrists would soon be bound.

Iron Bear lifted his arms and the drums ceased. He looked even more ill than this morning, and now both his sons, Two Knives and Curling Horn, flanked him. His third son, Takes to the Sky, had died, Raven knew, in the raid where Mouse had been captured.

"The Crow captives are to be killed as warriors, and as warriors, they are permitted to speak before us. Do any have words?"

Raven looked about, waiting for the others to say anything they might choose, but realized that all looked to her. She returned her attention to the council and then to Iron Bear.

"I am the daughter of Six Elks."

There was a murmur that grew to rabid conversation all about her. Two Knives lifted his hands and Yellow Blanket called for silence. Iron Bear had been seated on a raised platform covered with fur because, Raven a.s.sumed, he could no longer stand.

When the gathering had quieted, Raven spoke again.

"I am my father's daughter, though he raised me like a second son. I am a warrior and I have counted coup against this man." She lifted her bound wrists and extended one finger at Red Hawk.

He brought his arm across his chest and slapped her. She rocked and staggered, but she did not fall. Blood now dripped from her lip.

Big Thunder stepped up beside Red Hawk. "She is permitted to speak."

Clearly Red Hawk did not want her to tell this story.

"She is a Crow. They are liars. No one believes her words."

"But she speaks the truth," said Running Wolf. "I saw her unseat you."

There was a long silence. Then Red Hawk spoke again. "No one will believe the words of a man who betrays his people."

"What about my words?" said Big Thunder. "Do you have reason to doubt me?"

"Or me," said Weasel.

"Or me," said Yellow Blanket.

Red Hawk's face turned scarlet but he said no more.

Yellow Blanket motioned to Raven to continue.

"I am a warrior and I am the daughter of a chief. I would make a fine servant to any chief."

"She makes a plea for her life?" said Red Hawk. "No! This one will die. The council has decided."

This time it was Iron Bear who spoke. "Silence. Let the warrior woman speak."

Red Hawk looked murderous, but he clamped his lips together and Raven thought that he would not interrupt again.

She spoke in a loud voice, so all could hear. "I stole Iron Bear's horse. I took it because I wished to bring this fine animal to my father. This horse is worthy of a chief. But I was wrong to do this because this horse must go to the Spirit World with his master. He must have his weapons and his blankets on the trip to the Spirit World. And he should have one with him who has sworn to serve him. I would be that one."

The interruption did not come from Red Hawk, as she expected, but from Running Wolf.

"No. She cannot." He seemed not to realize that she would die either way and that being smothered or having her throat slit would be an easier death than the one the Sioux had decreed.

Their eyes met and she silently begged him to understand. Then she looked about to see if there were any other objections, and her gaze fell on Red Hawk.

He stood with a disgruntled expression and arms folded tight across his chest. Did he see his chance to take personal revenge slipping away?

"I have never heard of such a thing," said Iron Bear.

Turtle Rattler spoke now, his voice pleasant and loud enough for all to hear. "I have heard of such a thing in the time before I walked the Red Road. Perhaps some of you are old enough to recall. A wife who lost her husband in a terrible accident, a drowning. When her husband died, she cut her hair and blackened her face as is customary. She also cut her legs and arms, and this is also expected. She went a step beyond and cut away two of her fingers." He lifted his hand. "Many of you have seen this done. But this woman was not finished. All this still did not let the pain and sorrow drain away, so she took up her knife again. And she cut very deep and joined him on his scaffold and went with him."

Some of the oldest members of the tribe nodded as if in memory of this.

"But one cannot take one's life and expect to walk the Sky Road," said Two Knives.

Turtle Rattler shook his head. "That is for the Great Spirit to decide. Did she take her life or only give the fullest measure of her devotion to her husband? Who can say?" He looked at the chief now. "I only say that it has been done. I do not say that I have ever seen a captive sacrificed, but I have never seen one offer herself, either."

Raven watched the chief consider this and was afraid he would reject her. If he did so, the others would die. So she spoke again.

"You have said that I am brave. And you are brave. Such a man deserves a strong servant in the Spirit World.

"I, the daughter of Six Elks and Beautiful Song, granddaughter of Winter Goose and Tender Rain, Truthful Woman and Night Storm, will lie beside him on the funeral scaffold. I will travel the Ghost Road, and once he has crossed to the Spirit World, I will serve him and his first wife, Elk Teeth. This I will do, if he agrees to free the other captives and lead them home."

The tribe waited in silence for their chief's response.

Iron Bear rose, swayed and then found his footing.

"I am honored by your offer and I accept. On the day I pa.s.s from the Red Road and place my feet upon the Sky Road, this one will be with me. When I take this journey, Running Wolf will lead the others to their people. He will not return until he has taken a dream quest. When he returns he will be welcomed. These are my words."

Chapter Nineteen.

Snow Raven went with the others to the lodge of the common women and the infant Stork was returned to his mother. Their bonds were cut and they were permitted a fire and food. Snake opened the flap door to find two warriors guarding the lodge.

"What?" asked one.

"We have not eaten since yesterday," she replied. "My baby needs food and water."

"And you will get it. Now close the flap."

She did.

"You saved our lives," said Little Deer.

Raven smiled, pleased to know Little Deer would live, not as a common woman, but as a wife and perhaps a mother.

"It should be me," said Mouse.

Raven scowled at her and shook her head.

"Why?" said Mouse. "Everyone knows I'm dying. None of the men will touch me because they think I am unclean. And my husband has already taken my son ahead to the Spirit World."

"You are not the daughter of a chief," said Snake. "It would be a disgrace for a chief to take a common woman to the Spirit World. Especially one who bleeds. Oh!" Snake covered her mouth with her hand. "I understand."

"Yes," said Mouse.

"No," said Raven. "Snake is right. He would not accept you. It is my honor to go with him."

"Who asked you?" said Mouse. "Do you know what I was thinking while they were weeping on the ground?" She thumbed at the other women. "I was thinking, at last, I get to hold my boy, kiss my husband, see my parents. I am ready to leave this world, for I am sick of it."

"It doesn't matter what you want," said Snake. "He has chosen Raven."

Mouse folded her arms across her chest. "If I could take my own life, I would."

"Well, you cannot," said Snake. "Not if you want to see your husband and son again."

"You heard Turtle Rattler. He said it has been done," insisted Mouse.

"I have no interest in what a Sioux woman does. We are Apsalooke, Children of the Large-Beaked Bird. Our ways are our ways. Frog may wish to become Sioux. I do not."

Little Deer crept close to Raven and took her hand. "I, for one, would like to thank the daughter of Six Elks for her sacrifice. If she had not done as she did, right now we would all be screaming as they cut us to bits instead of arguing. This is not how I would have her remember us, bickering like old women. We should all thank her and honor her."

Snake began to cry, and Stork, seeing his mother cry, began to wail, as well.

For the rest of that day and all the next, no one bothered them except to bring them food, good food. Fresh meat that they roasted on their fire and wild rice in an iron kettle and dried cherries that they had soaked in water until they were sweet and chewy once more.