"And how is Teca?" the shaman asked, purposely changing the subject.

Anpo's face lit up. "He is growing fast, wicahcala! His teeth are coming in so he is not happy, but I gave him some rawhide to chew on and he likes that."

"I have seen him in pa.s.sing. Except for his coloring, he looks very much like his ina."

"Ohan !" the warrior agreed, warming to another of her favorite subjects. "I think so, too. Ketlin says he looks like me, though."

Inyan smiled. "It is fitting that a child should look like both his parents." His smile widened at the emphatic nod. "It is also fitting that a child should have such love from both his parents."

Anpo colored slightly though she grinned in response.

Teca was enjoying the complete attention of his unci as she shook a rattle at him. He laughed and rocked, his arms flailing in his excitement. Nearby, Ketlin and Hca served the evening meal to the three warriors at Wanbli Zi's fire.

"Your cinksi grows strong, tanksi ," Nupa commented, watching the proceedings. He accepted a piece of frybread from his betrothed with a smile.

As her friend wrapped boiled meat into his bread, Anpo grinned with pride. "Teca will be a fine warrior when he is a wicasa ." Taking a bite of her food, she saw her ate nod in agreement.

"He is much like you at that age, Anpo. Very alert and curious."

"We will have strong children, too, Hca," the young warrior said to his betrothed who blushed and smiled, casting a sidelong look at him. "Many strong cinksi and beautiful cunksi !"

Blowing on a piece of meat to cool it, Kathleen considered the young couple at the fire. She had heard the stories, the beliefs that Nupa and Anpo would eventually join. Popping the meat into her mouth, the blonde chewed in thought. Is Nupa wanting Hca because she looks so much like her sister? Dark blue eyes noted the strong resemblance between the siblings. It would make sense. She poured some of the broth into a bowl for Teca. Once the grease had been skimmed off the top, she would soak some bread in it for him to eat.

Gi smashed a berry between her fingers and brushed the pulp onto the baby's tongue. With great pleasure, Teca gummed the treat. He shook his rattle, demanding more.

"Ah, you like berries," the old woman said with a smile. Another bit of fruit found its way to the waiting child. "Teca has a liking for sweet things," Gi announced to the others.

"Just as his inanup," the blonde woman offered with a grin at her warrior.

Anpo reached with lightning speed and pulled her winuhca into her arms. Falling backwards and tickling her unmercifully, she called, "Ohan, Ketlin! And you are the sweetest!"

While the pair roughhoused, Kathleen blushing furiously but tickling back for all she was worth, Gi shook her head and clucked. "Your parents are both crazy, takoja ."

Teca decided to forego the berries as he watched his parents play. Gurgling happily, he began crawling towards them, his gait still unsteady, intent on joining the fun. He was intercepted by Hca, however, and showed his displeasure by trying to get down.

It was his voice that halted the tickle free-for-all. Both parents stopped to check on their cinksi, verifying that he was all right.

Kathleen held out her arms. "Give him to me, stepan . He is probably hungry." As expected, when the baby was in his ina's arms, he began tugging on the front of her cuwignaka. The blonde bared one breast and helped her son begin to suckle.

Watching her winuhca scoot closer to her meal and return to eating, Anpo sat up and dusted herself off. She picked up a meaty bone and began to chew on it. "The Sun Dance begins tomorrow. After it is done, I will hunt for more food."

Wanbli Zi nodded solemnly. "That would be good, cunksi. The tatanka have been few this season. It has been too hot. I am afraid we will not have enough food for winter."

"Do you think it will be that bad, wicahcala?" Nupa asked, his own face turning serious.

"It has been many, many winters since the last lean one. But it has happened before," the elder said. "I fear it will happen again."

"Nupa and I will go hunting after the dance," Anpo announced, seeing her friend nod in response. "All that we can collect for our people will be needed."

The thought of attending the Sun Dance chilled Kathleen. Memories of her warrior falling to her knees in the dust, blood pouring from her chest and back, still plagued her sleep. As the conversation washed over her, the blonde looked down to her son. Will you dance for the sun when you are older, Teca? Will you hurt yourself to show your thanks for a favor from the spirits? Will it be worth it?

Teca drowsed as he suckled, his eyelids drooping.

Despite her misgivings, the four days of the festival were good ones. Kathleen found that it was far more enjoyable this time around now that she knew the language better and her warrior was beside her. The dark woman spent their time at the celebrations, teaching her the many songs required by the spirits and trying to explain the reasonings behind their practices.

All children who had been born over the last year were gathered together at one point. Teca found himself surrounded by babies and he eyed them all with avid curiosity. When Inyan Ceye picked him up, the baby frowned a little but didn't fuss. Not until the awl was pushed through his earlobe and a small piece of sinew inserted to keep it from growing back. And then he was placed in his inanup's hands, tears of anger and pain coursing down his tiny face.

Anpo comforted her cinksi , jostling him and distracting him with berries. As he snuffled and gummed the fruit, still cross, she said, "You will be a strong and proud warrior, Teca."

"Like his inanup ," Kathleen added softly. The blonde gently wiped the tears from the baby's face.

Hearing his mother's voice, Teca immediately demanded to be taken into her arms, leaning his body precariously out towards her. He cried and babbled in Kathleen's arms while his inanup wrapped them both in her long arms and held them.

When Teca had cried himself out and was nursing in emotional exhaustion, Anpo led her woman towards the largest lodge in the camp. "It is time for the Sun Dance, winuhcala."

With great reluctance, Kathleen followed.

Watching the Sun Dance itself still gave her shivers. The blonde wished that she were anywhere but in that huge ti ikceya watching those men mutilate themselves in the name of their wakan tanka. She was glad that Teca was asleep in her arms and not witnessing the carnage.

It was decidedly easier to watch than the first one. Her warrior was behind her, hands on her shoulders and whispering in her ear the belief behind many of their actions. But with the first cut on the first dancer, Kathleen shivered and dropped her eyes.

Feeling her woman stiffen, Anpo looked down. "Ketlin?"

The blonde head shook. "It is nothing, winuhcala . I will speak of it later."

Concerned, Anpo could only nod in agreement. "Ohan , winuhcala." And then a cheer from the gathered people gained her attention and her dark eyes returned to the dancing field.

Later that evening, as stars filled the night sky and the regular dancing continued on with the younger people at the council fire, the small family settled at their own. Teca was curled up on a robe beside the warrior, sleeping soundly. Smoking her pipe, Anpo watched her winuhca sew a pair of small moccasins for their son.

"Why did you not watch the Sun Dance, Ketlin?" she finally asked.

Ah, here it comes. Kathleen braced herself, not looking at the dark woman before her. "I.... I do not think it is... needed. To hurt yourself for the spirits."

Dark brows rose in surprise. "Not needed?"

The blonde head shook and she kept her eyes focused on the small pieces of leather before her. "Ohan, Anpo. Not needed."

Frowning, Anpo puffed on her pipe in thought. Not needed. "If the spirits give me a gift, a favor, how else would I repay them?"

"I do not know, winuhcala."

There was further silence as the warrior digested this strange idea and her woman fervently wished the discussion had never come up. The baby, sensing the tension from his ina in his sleep, fussed a bit on the edge of wakefulness. He calmed after Anpo rubbed his belly with her fingers and soon he was slumbering once again.

"What do your people believe in, Ketlin? Do they believe in wakan tanka ?"

Kathleen chewed her upper lip. Well, now ye've gone and put yer foot in it, la.s.s! Nothin' like a bit of religious differences to complicate things! "My people believe in G.o.d, Anpo. He is very powerful and mysterious, like your wakan tanka. He knows everything and is in everything."

"It is a man?" The dark woman shook her head at that. "How can your G.o.d be a man? How can he know everything and be everything if he is only of one s.e.x?"

"I do not know, winuhcala . But that is what my people believe in." The blonde thought a moment. "He is not a man. He just... is." A Bible verse came into her head. "He is the beginning and the end. He is in all things."

Anpo tapped the bowl of her spent pipe into the fire. This is very confusing. "Is this G.o.d in me, then?"

"He is in all things, Anpo. Even you."

Leaning forward and peering intently at her woman, the warrior asked, "Then why has he not spoken to me? Why has he never given me a vision?"

The blonde shrugged, discomfited with the conversation. "I do not know, winuhcala. He does not talk to everyone. He only speaks to those special wicasa who are shamans."

Anpo sat back. "He only speaks to shamans? To special wicasa ? Not winyan?"

"There have been women He has spoken to. There was a woman once who led many warriors in a war party. Her name was Joan of Arc and it is said that she heard His voice."

Always interested in other women warriors, Anpo leaned forward. "Really?" The warrior nodded in grudging respect. "She must have been very sacred. Did she win the war?"

"Ohan , she did."

"Your people must have been very proud of her."

A miserable look crossed Kathleen's face. "Hiya, Anpo. The people killed her a year later."

"But... but, why? She was a shamaness and a warrior! The spirits - your G.o.d - had shown her much honor, helped her win the war!"

"Because most did not believe she heard G.o.d's voice."

Silence reigned around the fire once again as the warrior considered this. Kathleen diligently focused on the small moccasins, refusing to look at her winuhca.

Anpo's low voice drifted across the fire. "Do your people ask favors of your G.o.d?"

"Ohan, we do." Dark blue eyes peered up, caught by dark brown.

"And are these favors granted?"

Kathleen shrugged slightly with one shoulder. "Sometimes. Only if He deems it so."

The dark brow furrowed. "Then how do you repay your G.o.d for his help?"

How do we? the blonde thought. Her eyes drifted to the fire, trying to find an answer in the flames. Finally, she said, "I do not know, winuhcala . We serve Him and pray to Him and be good for Him."

Anpo nodded slowly. "When we ask the spirits for their aid, they give it to us. But, that is because we are willing to give back anything we can for their help. For very special reasons, a few do the Sun Dance to show their thanks to wakan tanka ." There was a pause as the warrior mused, staring into the fire. "Perhaps your G.o.d does not answer your prayers because you do not show him thanks."

Sighing, Kathleen responded, "Perhaps, Anpo. I do not know. It is not my place."

"I love you, winuhcala. But I do not like your G.o.d."

A ghost of a smile crossed the blonde's lips. "I love you, also, winuhcala. Let us not talk of G.o.d or spirits any more."

The warrior nodded. "No more talk of G.o.d or spirits."

Very close by, the sound of flute music could be heard and Kathleen turned towards it. "That is not at the council fire. Who could it be?"

Thankful for the change of topic, Anpo smiled. "That is Nupa. He is wooing my cuwe."

"He is?" By serenading her! How sweet!

"Ohan. She will go to him and they will talk long into the night together." A smirk crossed the dark face. "Among other things."

A blush tinted Kathleen's fair skin. "And what 'other things' would there be, warrior?" she asked, setting the leather and rawhide to one side.

Reaching out a hand, Anpo pulled the woman and guided her to sit close. Wrapping long arms around her, she whispered, "Things like this." And their lips met in a long kiss, their hearts reaching for one another in the evening light.

"Hau , Anpo."

The warrior looked up from the arrow she was painting to see the shaman moving closer. Setting the weapon down, she rose with a smile and waved him closer. "Han , wicahcala. Come sit by my fire."

Inyan Ceye nodded and stepped forward to settle down on the warrior's left. He accepted a waterskin that was handed to him and he looked around the ti ikceya idly. "Where is your winyan , wikoskalaka ?"

"She has taken Teca to the river to play. Would you have something to eat?" and she held out some wansi .

"Thank you, Anpo."

The pair were silent for a moment, as the shaman ate and drank. Anpo pulled out her pipe and prepared it, lighting it with an ember from the fire before them. After she'd taken a puff, she handed it stem first to Inyan.

The shaman accepted the pipe and smoked. Around them the camp continued on its daily routines. It was afternoon and hot. Most of the women and children were at the river nearby, taking the opportunity to cool off. The elders were most likely seated in the shade of the council lodge, discussing the winter camps.

"I have sought a vision for you, wikoskalaka," Inyan finally said, tapping the pipe into the firepit and handed it back to her.

Anpo nodded, taking her pipe and putting it away. "Did the spirits speak to you?"

"Hau , they did." He frowned as he considered. "I saw the igmu pacing round and round in a cave. And then she rose on her hind feet and tried to walk like a wicasa , but she was unable. It was awkward and she fell to her paws four times. Then, another igmu came into the cave, one with a lighter coloring and blue eyes. The two animals circled each other for a very long time." Inyan shook his head. "But soon they relaxed with each other and lay down together."

There was a pause. When no further words were forthcoming, Anpo asked, "But what does the vision mean, wicahcala? Do you know?"

"You have spent your entire life doing men's work, you even have your own winyan and wakanyeja . But you are not koskalaka and there are things that you cannot do." Aged eyes peered into hers. "I believe that the vision means you must find your own path, Anpo."

The warrior frowned at the elder. "Find my own path?"

"Hau , wikoskalaka. You love Ketlin and she loves you. I cannot tell you how to become more intimate; only the two of you can do this." Inyan sighed and spread out his hands. "Do what is in your nature, Anpo, not what is in the nature of wicasa."

The dark woman nodded slowly in thought. Finally, she looked to her guest, a small smile playing across her face. "Thank you, wicahcala, for your wisdom in this matter."

"My heart is glad to give it, Anpo."

Kathleen returned from the river with a cheery and very wet baby. She saw the shaman speaking seriously with her warrior. I wonder what that's about? It was very rare to see Inyan at their fire. Not wishing to disturb them, the blonde tried to duck into the ti ikceya but Teca would have none of it. Upon seeing his favorite warrior, he started babbling and holding out his arms.

Anpo looked over her shoulder to see her family behind her. Her face creased in a smile. "Han, winuhcala ! Han, cinksi!" She patted the robe beside her. "Bring Teca to me!"

"He is still very wet," Kathleen warned with a grin. She stepped forward and settled the squirming baby down.