Teca immediately began working on getting into his inanup's lap, grunting with the effort. He rolled to his stomach from sitting and crawled unsteadily forward until he was draped across her tanned thigh. Unable to get much further, he started to get angry and squalled.

Laughing, the warrior picked him up and tucked him into the crook of her arm. "You were right, wicahcala, when you said he was stubborn!" she exclaimed. "When Teca decides he wants something, he will do whatever he needs to get it!"

"A very strong young hoksila ," Inyan answered, a smile on his face. He peered down at the baby, solemn dark eyes returning his gaze. The shaman looked to the blonde woman. "He looks very much like his ina."

Tinting a little, Kathleen returned his smile with a shy one. "And his inanup ," she insisted, kneeling down beside her warrior and touching her shoulder. She was rewarded with a smile from Anpo.

"I must go now." Inyan gathered himself and rose to his feet, the small family doing the same.

With the baby on one arm, Anpo used the other to reach out and grasp the elder's forearm. "Thank you again, wicahcala."

The shaman returned the grasp, using his free hand to pat Anpo's. "Remember, wikoskalaka . Be happy."

"I will." And the warrior glanced over her shoulder to her woman standing curiously behind her. "Ketlin and I both will."

Nodding in satisfaction, the old man walked away.

Watching him go, Kathleen moved closer and draped her arm about the warrior's waist. "Why was he here?" she asked.

"I asked Inyan to seek a vision for us, to help us know what to do."

"What to do...?" The blonde frowned as she mused. Blue eyes suddenly widened when she made the connection. "You mean.... um.... What to do between us?" At the resulting nod, she blushed furiously. Do these people know how to keep a secret!?

A puzzled smile crossed the warrior's face as she watched the response. "Ohan , Ketlin. I told you I would talk to Inyan on this matter." The dark brow furrowed despite the smile. "What is wrong?"

"I just... um..." and Kathleen's voice trailed off as she looked away. She disengaged herself from the warrior and began tidying up the hearth. "It is just.... Among my people we do not discuss such things."

She is ashamed! Because I spoke with the shaman? Anpo looked down at their son who was blissfully playing with the bone necklace she wore. "Your people seem very strange to me, winuhcala," the warrior finally said as she settled back down. "How do you get along without the wisdom of your elders?"

Kathleen blew out a breath. How indeed, la.s.s?

Anpo rode into Wagmiza Wagna's camp, worried about her failure. This had been one of many scouting attempts since they'd left the summer camp nearly a moon past and there was still no sign of tatanka . The food levels hadn't dropped enough to worry the people yet, which was not necessarily a good thing. The warrior had spread the word to the other koskalaka of the elder's memories, anyway, memories of a time when there was not enough food, when a harsh winter had killed many. And now a handful of those young warriors who believed her headed out every day, looking for the animal that was their life's blood.

As she neared her woman's lodge, the warrior located the other two scouts that had gone out that day with her. Both shook their head in silence and she felt her spirits drop just a little more. We will need at least two more good hunts to make it through the winter.

The sound of Teca's fussing drifted to her ears as she stopped in front of the ti ikceya. She slid from the wooden saddle with a sigh and untied the two rabbits hanging from it. The warrior dropped the carca.s.ses by the fire and ducked into the lodge.

Kathleen looked up at the change of light and shadow inside. Her face reflected her exhaustion and relief. Their son was in her arms, tears in his eyes and his ina's finger gently ma.s.saging his tortured gums. "Han, winuhcala," she said softly.

"Han, winuhcala ." Anpo knelt down beside her family, a hand gently rubbing her woman's shoulder as she peered down at the baby. "His teeth are still hurting him," she said.

"Ohan, Anpo. And they will for awhile." The blonde sighed and dipped her fingers into a bowl of water that was slightly cooler than the ti ikceya before returning them to Teca's mouth.

"Have you spoken with the medicine man? Maybe he has something to help."

Kathleen nodded. "Ohan , I have. Hca is with him now. He is going to give me something to help numb the pain and ease his stomach and fever."

Seeing his inanup, Teca mumbled over his mother's finger and reached out a small, pudgy hand.

Anpo smiled at him, taking his hand and shaking it gently. "Han, cinksi ." She caressed his head and face. "You are a strong young warrior and brave."

The baby seemed to agree with her, mumbling further and easing up on his whimpering. Kathleen used the opportunity to wipe his face clean of the tears before replacing her finger in his mouth.

As the warrior watched and rubbed their son's arm, she said, "I have brought two rabbits to eat. I will skin them a little later."

"And I will fix them for our meal tonight. Maybe roasted with the wagmu ohanpi ?"

"That would be good, Ketlin." The warrior kissed her woman's temple, returning the gentle smile that was bestowed upon her.

There was a sound of wood on wood as someone knocked against the stick holding the leather covering across the tiopa.

"Ketlin? I have what you needed from He," Hca's voice called.

With a final squeeze of Kathleen's shoulder, the dark woman rose and made her way out of the ti ikceya. She held the covering aside for her cuwe, closing it behind Hca and going to her pony. There, she removed the saddle and halter, sending the horse to the remainder of the herd with a gentle slap on his withers. Anpo then settled down beside the fire to begin skinning the animals.

After a few minutes, Hca and Ketlin both left the lodge, the baby on his ina's hip. The darker woman smiled and waved at Anpo before turning away towards her own mother's ti ikceya . As the warrior finished with the butchering, her woman neared the fire and set Teca down. The child promptly crawled closer to his inanup to see what she was doing.

Taking a moment to wipe her hands, the warrior scooped up the baby and held him high as she peered at him with a grin. "You are looking much happier, cinksi," she said.

Teca responded with a giggle and chattered at her. There was an excess of drool coming from his lips, but he appeared to be over the worst of the pain.

"He had an ointment that numbed Teca's mouth," Kathleen informed her as she set water to boil. "And he gave me a tea to make that will help with his stomach and fever."

Anpo settled the baby in her lap and returned to her work, giving him a fine view of the proceedings. "Does the medicine man know how long this will last?"

The blonde turned to watch her two favorite people. "Hiya . Sometimes it lasts many moons and other times it is over sooner. There is no way to know." There was silence for a few moments as the animals were skinned. "Did you find tatanka?"

Anpo's face turned solemn. "Hiya, I did not. And the others did not as well." Brown eyes looked up to the blonde. "I am afraid we will not have enough for the winter."

"Teca will have enough," Kathleen vowed.

Their eyes locked.

"Ohan, winuhcala. I swear it, too."

From a distance, a voice could be heard. "Anpo!"

The warrior broke their gaze to look for the speaker, finding a young hoksila of about eight running towards the fire. The boy stopped at a respectful distance and waited for Anpo to wave him closer.

"My cousin, Nupa, would like you to go to your father's fire," he said, excitement in his voice.

A grin slowly grew across the handsome face and the dark woman nodded. "I will be there soon."

The hoksila smiled as he turned away. "I will tell him!" And then he pelted off.

An amused look was on Kathleen's face as she looked back and forth between her winuhca and the disappearing boy. "What is it?"

Anpo finished with the rabbits, wiping her hands quickly. She rose, swinging Teca up into the air and holding him high. "Nupa wants to talk to me about a price for my cuwekala!" she exclaimed to the shrieking baby.

"Oh! That is wonderful!" the blonde responded happily.

"Ohan , it is!" The dark wikoskalaka brought the child back down and looked about. "You and I will go to my ate's fire. You will help with the feast while I speak with Nupa and his family."

Kathleen took the water from the fire and rose. "I will make the best rabbit stew," she proclaimed as she put the newly dressed meat in a basket to carry. They then made their way to the fire of Wanbli Zi.

Nupa's father, Wi Sape , was already seated in the honored place to the left of Wanbli Zi. Also in attendance was Hca's only other male relative in the camp, a cousin named Magaju Ahi. Upon their arrival, Kathleen offered to take their son with a questioning look.

The warrior shook her head with a grin. "Teca will stay with me for now."

The blonde nodded with a smile and approached the cl.u.s.ter of women at the front of Waniyetu Gi's lodge. A blushing Hca pulled Kathleen into the ti ikceya, followed by the others.

Anpo ignored the giggling from her mother's lodge and settled down at her ate's fire with a grin and a nod. "Han," she said, settling Teca in her lap.

There were murmured greetings all around the fire.

With his youngest daughter now present, Wanbli Zi nodded a greeting before lighting the pipe he held in his hand. Eyes twinkling, he smoked before offering it to Anpo with a wink. The pipe made its slow way around the circle in silence, a ritual of calming and focusing.

Just within earshot several hoksila , to include Nupa's young cousin, hovered with avid curiosity. Teca ignored the boring proceedings, preferring to play with the necklace hanging from his inanup's neck. He babbled to himself softly.

Once the smoking was finished and the bowl tapped into the firepit, Sape spoke. "My cinksi , Nupa, would like to offer the ate of his betrothed six fine buffalo hides for her."

Wanbli nodded and looked to his kin. "My cunksi , Hca, is worth that and far much more," he said.

"Ohan," Anpo agreed, nodding with her cousin. "This shirt I wear was made and painted by her. She is a good worker and her fingers are very agile."

Sape considered this for a moment. "Seven buffalo hides. And a shield of rabbit hide."

"Does my hankasi have her own lodge?" Ahi asked. "Or will Nupa become a buried man by living at Wanbli's fire?"

"Nupa would only be buried long enough for my cuwe's ti ikceya to be completed. It is nearly done now." Anpo jostled the baby in her lap as he began to get bored and fuss a bit. "My ina and winuhca would both help in this matter."

"I do not want my cinksi living as a buried man for long," Sape frowned. "The offer stands."

Wanbli considered this. His nephew drank from a waterskin and pa.s.sed it to him. The elder drank deeply before handing it off to his cunksi. Looking to both of his kin, his dark eyes begged the question.

Ahi shrugged and nodded his head in one firm movement.

The dark woman looked to Sape. "The joining could be delayed until the lodge is complete," she suggested. "I could ask my ina how much longer it will be."

Nupa's father thought for a moment, his face clearly showing his acceptance. "If it is good, Nupa will pay the price and wait until Hca's ti ikceya is done before the joining."

"It is good," Wanbli Zi firmly responded.

The two older men rose, smiles on their faces, as they shook each other's forearms. The nearby hoksila , full of new gossip, whooped and raced off to spread the word of the impending union.

The remainder of the evening consisted of a feast held at Wanbli Zi's fire. Most of the camp dropped in at one point or another to help the couple celebrate the agreement, but the primary revelers were the immediate families. The hides and shield were delivered by Nupa himself, the rest of his family in tow. The winyan cooked and dealt with the young ones while the wicasa sat at the fire to talk, the hoksila hanging on their every word.

As she had promised, Kathleen produced a magnificent rabbit stew for the meal. The other women were amazed at her use of spices, it being different from their own usual fare. Many times through the cooking process, she was quizzed by elders and wikoskalaka alike.

Teca eventually found his way back to his ina's side. When he wasn't suckling, he was held close to her body in a sling like piece of leather. There were a few interruptions because of his teething, but the ointment and the tea seemed to help the worst of it.

The proud woman warrior laughed and joked with the rest of the wicasa, happy with the knowledge that her best friend and her cuwe were going to join. A niggling tiny bit of jealousy was rooted out as she realized that Hca and Nupa both would have less time for her. But then Anpo saw the couple looking at each other with love in their eyes and set the negative feelings aside. They will be very happy together! Her eyes found Kathleen's. As we are!

Chapter 8.

Sunka Wakan Natan Ahi.

(shoon-kah wah-kahn nah-tahn ah-hee).

The Year of the Horses.

1780.

Wi Ile Anpo leaned against a large boulder, a leather shirt borrowed from another koskalaka in one hand. Beside her were a handful of hoksila and other warriors including her sic'e , Nupa Olowan. Across the box canyon were more warriors, waiting as she with implements of clothing in their hands.

"How is my cuwe ?" the woman asked to pa.s.s the time.

Nupa smiled. "She is well, tanksi. The sickness has gone away now." Laughing, he added, "Teca will soon have a cousin to play with!"

Chuckling, Anpo shook her head ruefully. "My cinksi will have to wait some time. Your child needs a few moons to prepare."

"What has he done now?" a man nearby asked, a corner of his lips curled with humor.

"When I returned from fishing yesterday, I found him covered with corn meal and Ketlin swearing in her language!" She laughed. "He wished to see what was in the basket and poured it over himself!"

Around them, the others joined in their laughter. Teca's escapades were rapidly becoming legendary among them all.

"I know that you and I were always getting in trouble, tanksi ," Nupa exclaimed, "but did you start so young?"

"I tease my winuhca that I was a good child and that our son must take after her." Anpo chuckled, "And she agrees with me! Ketlin tells me stories of her childhood and always wonders how her ina survived the ordeal!"

One of the warriors, a member of the pair's pack when they were children, piped up, "I wonder how your ina survived the ordeal!" He peered down at a younger sibling with a grin.

"As do I!" another called from further down the line, his voice ringing over the laughter.

Anpo grinned. "As do I," she agreed mischievously.