The shoulders raised in an eloquent shrug. "Nothing important. Nothing useful." Kathleen sighed. "Just a toy."

Anpo nodded solemnly as she peeked at her woman. Melancholy feelings seemed to rise off the blonde as mist from a lake. Resettling herself, the warrior stopped her task and looked at her winuhca. "What did you trade for today?"

Sitting forward, Kathleen tucked her legs beneath her. "I traded for a stew pot and a cook knife," she said. "Did you trade for just the stone and knife?"

"I did trade for something else." The warrior pursed her lips in thought, eyes squinting at the distant treetops as she considered. She broke into a smile at the soft chuckle she heard. "Something I think you will enjoy." Her dark eyes flashed with antic.i.p.ation as the blonde woman scooted closer in eager curiosity.

"I will? What is it?"

Anpo set the knife and whetstone aside. With agonizing slowness, she pulled the tin whistle from her pouch, hiding it in the shadows of the evening. She held it up with a flourish, her smile wide as the firelight reflected off the metal surface. "What will you trade me for it, winuhcala?"

Kathleen burst into tears.

Anpo was completely unprepared for the response. Perplexed, her smile faded away and eyes narrowed in concern. She reached out and swept Kathleen into her arms, holding her close as the blonde sobbed and sniffled. The whistle was still clutched in one brown hand, forgotten.

Eventually, Kathleen's tears faded off and she was left hiccoughing and feeling the fool. Strong arms held her close to a warm chest and she could hear the heartbeat beneath the yellow shirt.

"Ketlin?"

The blonde pulled away a bit and used the end of her dress to clean her face, sniffling. "I am sorry, winuhcala."

"Shhh. Do not be sorry for having a heart, winuhcala." Anpo pulled her closer, helping the white woman to readjust her seat until she was leaning against the long form. The warrior still held the whistle and pulled it back into view. "What is this? It looks like our pipes, but not."

Kathleen smiled gently as she peered at the instrument. Her warrior had adorned it with three strips of leather, each holding respectively a feather, a quill and braided horse's hair. "It is called a tin whistle in my tongue. My unci taught me to play and I was given hers when she died."

Nodding in understanding, Anpo hugged her closer. "You loved your unci very much," she hazarded, feeling the blonde head nod against her chest. "It must have been lonely without her."

A few more tears trickled from dark blue eyes. "Ohan," she whispered. "I still feel lonely without her sometimes."

"Your unci is in your heart and her spirit will forever be alive because of it." The warrior studied the tin whistle. "I think she wanted you to have this. That is why it was here and why I traded for it."

The instrument was pressed into Kathleen's hands and she gave her woman a look that held a mixture of longing, sadness and joy.

Anpo pulled away, peering intently into her strange colored eyes. She used the edge of a robe to wipe off Kathleen's face and laid a tender kiss on her forehead. "Play for me."

Feeling a bit drained but much better, Kathleen smiled and nodded. She brought the whistle to her lips and began a simple tune, one of the first her grandmother had taught her when she was small.

As the instrument emitted a sweet tone, Anpo closed her eyes and let herself be carried away on its melody. It sounds almost like Ketlin's voice when she speaks in her tongue. Wondering what it had been like for her winuhca as a child, wishing to have met this grandmother who had been so important to her, the wikoskalaka held her woman close. And deep in her heart, she wondered if Kathleen missed her family as much as the warrior missed her ate and ina .

1781.

Winter camp was established in the foothills of a large mountain range. Many stories were told around the fires about the sacredness of these hills and that the Lakota would walk among them forever. Things went along as they should, with snow fall and colder temperatures. There was plenty of food to be had and starvation was held off for another season.

It had started with a dry cough and slight fever. Teca whined a bit more and wouldn't get out of his sleeping robes, claiming his head hurt. Concerned, his ina fed him some broth and kept cool rags on his forehead. Nearby, Anpo watched as she worked on various tasks, not wanting them out of her sight.

Two days pa.s.sed with no changes and both Kathleen and her warrior had decided it was a cold, nothing more. The toddler seemed to be doing fine with the teas and compresses from the medicine man, sleeping the days away in relative comfort. Still, the blonde woman slept fitfully, rousing often during the nights to check on her only child.

Anpo woke from a frantic shaking. Looking blearily into her winuhca's face, she shook off sleep in alarm. "Ketlin! What is wrong!?" The dark warrior looked about the ti ikceya, a sense of danger filling her as she heard a strange barking sound.

"Teca! Teca!" Kathleen insisted, answering in her native tongue. "He needs a doctor!"

Dark brows furrowed at the unfamiliar word but before she could question it, the blonde shook her hard once more.

"Now!! He's dying!" the panicked mother cried. She literally launched herself away from her warrior, shoving the other woman down as she dived back to her son's robes.

Dying? Teca! Anpo scrambled to her feet, automatically grabbing for her shirt and putting it on as she stumbled forward, finding the source of the strange sound.

The boy was coughing hard now, very dry hacks that seemed to boom from deep inside his little chest. He grasped at his throat as he tried to get air into his lungs, his lips tinted slightly blue. His dark eyes were barely open, giving the impression he was still asleep despite the rigors his small body was putting him through.

As Anpo could only stare in shock, the blonde woman helped her cinksi sit up.

"He's burnin' up with fever!" Kathleen insisted, running her hands over his body. "We've got ta get him to a doctor!" Glancing over her shoulder, she saw her warrior standing slack jawed. A fury came over her and she rose, clutching the coughing boy to her chest and shoving the dark woman towards the tiopa . "Get help now!!"

Her befuddlement broken, Anpo nodded once and dashed out of the lodge. The cold winter air struck her and she realized she was still naked from the waist down. Grabbing up a robe near the embers of the fire, she wrapped it about her as she pelted off for the ti ikceya where the medicine man slept.

Several minutes pa.s.sed before the warrior returned, dragging the elder with her. The older man was sputtering a bit in indignation at the rough treatment, but he didn't try to stop their progress. Behind them came the medicine man's winyan and cinksi, both carrying his medicine pouches and adjusting their hastily donned clothing.

Anpo ducked into the lodge, pulling the medicine man after her. Dark eyes flitting about, she saw no one. The vision! They have left me!

"Where is your cinksi?" the elder questioned, looking around them. "You said he was sicker. Where is his ina?"

Nearly staggering in fear and confusion, the warrior reached the sleeping robes of her family and knelt down to feel them. Still warm! "They cannot be far," she whispered, more to herself than anyone else.

"Eh?" the elder asked, not hearing. He took a step closer only to be nearly bowled over as a frightened warrior dashed past, flying through the doorway to the outside. There was a squawk as his family was upset by the warrior's pa.s.sage and he proceeded to follow.

Anpo barely missed crashing headlong into the medicine man's woman as she stood at the tiopa. Where would she go? Where would she take Teca? She replayed the last few minutes in her memory, hearing her woman's voice say, "He's burnin' up with fever!" Somewhere cold. The river!

Grabbing the elder's son by the shoulders, the warrior insisted, "Wake Nupa and Hca! Bring them here! Tell them Teca is sick and Ketlin is crazy with fear! Go!" She spun the koskalaka about and pushed him in the direction of her cuwe's ti ikceya. Not seeing if her order was obeyed, Anpo spun on her heel and ran for the river, leaving the medicine man and his winyan to stand and stare blankly after.

As she had hoped, Anpo found her family at the river. Her woman had waded out waist deep, holding Teca so that just his head was above water. Tossing the robe aside, the warrior followed after, swallowing her curse as icy water hit her bare skin like a thousand knives. Coming close, she could hear Kathleen singing a soft Irish lullaby through chattering teeth. The child appeared to be unconscious, his dark eyes closed as he trembled.

The blonde looked up from her son. Her eyes were wide with fear, her lips turning blue from the cold. She couldn't control her shivering, the nearly freezing waters taking their toll on her body. It took a few seconds for Kathleen to actually focus on her warrior, realizing there was a warm body pressed against her side and dispelling a minute amount of the cold. "Ye found a doctor then, la.s.s?" she asked.

"Come, Ketlin. We must return to your lodge," Anpo said softly. She wrapped an arm about her winyan's shoulder and urged her towards the riverbank, relieved when Kathleen allowed it.

"His fever's so high, love. My mum once did this with da when he was half outta his mind," the blonde explained, continuing to speak in her native tongue.

Anpo nodded in understanding, glad she understood most of what was being said. She guided them up to the bank where she'd left the buffalo robe. Ignoring her naked lower half, the warrior wrapped her woman and son in the robe and lead them back to the ti ikceya.

By now, Hca and Nupa had been roused. The fire in front of the lodge was burning merrily and the young mother was preparing a pot of water for the medicine man. As they neared, the two families around the fire rose to their feet, stepping forward to help.

Looking wildly about, Kathleen's eyes widened in alarm and she clutched Teca closer. "Where's the doctor?" she demanded, her voice rising in panic. "Ye said ye found a doctor!"

"I do not know what a doctor is, winuhcala," Anpo soothed. "I have brought the medicine man to help Teca with the coughing sickness. He will know what to do."

"No!" The blonde pulled away, staring at the gathered Lakota in anger. "No! Teca needs a doctor! A medical professional! Not some heathen dancin' about a fire and mixin' herbs and poultices!"

Anpo didn't understand all the words, but the intent was clear from the amount of scorn that was put into them. Ketlin is afraid. She only reacts to her fear. The warrior stepped forward, trying to look intently into her woman's frightened eyes.

Taking a step back and refusing to meet Anpo's gaze, the blonde readjusted Teca's weight in her arms. The heat radiating off of him warmed her body and fueled her fears. When the toddler began to cough once more, she could only watch with a wave of helplessness rushing through her soul. A low tenor voice grabbed her attention, dragging her tear-filled eyes back to her warrior.

"Mahasanni ki .".

Dark blue met the deepest brown and Kathleen sobbed. "He can't die, love," she whispered frantically. "My family's not yet seen him! My mum doesn't know she's a granny!"

Anpo used the opportunity to step forward and pull her winyan back towards the fire and the waiting natives. "Teca will not die, winuhcala. And I swear that we will find your family so that he may meet them."

Peering up at her warrior with eyes that reflected haunting fear and a faint flicker of hope, of relief. "We will?"

"Ohan, Ketlin. I swear it."

Teca coughed again as they neared the fire. The medicine man immediately reached out to take him.

"I will need to bring the child inside," the elder stated. His arms were around Teca, but he could feel the blonde's tightened embrace. Dark blue eyes, almost crazed with fear and worry, peered into his.

"Ketlin," Anpo said. "Let Teca go. Let Wayawa heal him."

There was a long moment that stretched between the trio. And then the tableau was broken when the blonde woman released the child and sagged against Anpo. The elder wasted no time as he took his charge and ducked inside the ti ikceya , his son following with precious medicine pouches.

Breathing a faint sigh of relief, Anpo held the shivering woman in her arms. Feeling a warmth envelope her, she found herself wrapped in a buffalo robe, as well, her cuwe tucking it close about both their shoulders. An uncontrollable shivering shook her body at the unfamiliar warmth.

"I will get you both warm clothes," Hca informed them, pulling them towards the fire. Once they were both settled, she ducked into the lodge.

It wasn't long before they were both completely dressed, though Kathleen was hardly any help. She had seemed to shut down in exhaustion and worry and both Hca and Anpo had to get her out of her wet dress and clothe her. Soon, the couple were wrapped once again in dry robes and cuddled together before the fire while the medicine man and his son could be heard chanting inside the ti ikceya. Wayawa's woman had returned to her own lodge to await her family.

Hca puttered about the fire while her wicasa smoked a pipe. She prepared hot water for Wayawa and delivered it to him inside. Then, water was boiled for a soothing tea.

Sitting in the honored s.p.a.ce to the left of Anpo, Nupa continued to puff the tobacco, lending silent support to his best friend and hanka.

Anpo held the blonde woman close, gently rocking them as she whispered a prayer of protection for themselves and their cinksi. Kathleen's head was tucked beneath her chin and she could feel the warm breath as it brushed her neck. When the tea was done, the warrior held her woman's cup, blowing on it and forcing her to drink.

The night pa.s.sed into daylight with the two couples huddled together in their robes and staring at the crackling fire as they awaited word from the elder inside.

It was the fifth day of Teca's illness. The lodge reeked of the pungent herbal mix that Wayawa had instructed be placed on his chest, but no one really noticed it any more. Hca and her own cinksi had basically moved into the ti ikceya to help, while Nupa spent more time ice fishing and hunting for rabbits that could be made into nourishing broths for the sick toddler.

The extended family had taken turns watching the child, washing his body with cool rags to counteract the fever, replacing the poultice on his chest, feeding him the medicinal teas and broths. Additionally, the medicine man had made two or three visits a day to check on his charge and adjust the balance of herbs in the tea.

Anpo had driven herself to near exhaustion as she kept an eye on her woman. It had been struggle after struggle as she cajoled, badgered, demanded and pleaded for Kathleen to sleep and eat. Even now, the blonde dozed in her arms only fitfully, as if deep inside she knew she had to remain available for Teca.

"Mitankala."

Opening bleary eyes, the warrior peered at her older sister. As the woman came into focus, she noted a beautiful smile that plucked at her heart.

"The fever has broken, Anpo," Hca whispered. "I have already sent for Wayawa."

Anpo blinked rapidly, trying to clear her sleep-filled eyes. As the words became clearer, she surged upwards from the robes, pulling her woman with her.

"Wha...?" Kathleen mumbled at the interruption. Almost immediately, her face filled with fear. "Teca...?" She looked wildly at her cinksi's robes.

Hca rubbed the blonde's shoulder. "He is well, stepan. The fever has broken!" As Kathleen hurried to the toddler's side, she continued, "Teca is cooler and breathes well now. I have sent for the medicine man to check on him."

The worried mother collapsed in a heap beside her son. As tears of relief coursed down her face, she bit back the sobs so as not to wake him. Kathleen gently brushed his soft, dark hair away from his brow, relaxing deep inside as she noted the coolness of his skin. Warm hands were on her shoulder and she smiled up at her warrior.

Anpo felt an icy ball inside melt away at the sight of her woman's smile. She knelt down behind Kathleen and rubbed the shoulders in her hands. "Teca will grow strong again," she insisted, peering at their son. "And we will travel to your people so that your ina will know she is an unci .".

Leaning back into the embrace, Kathleen quietly cried in relief and hope and love. "Thank you, mahasanni ki. Thank you."

Chapter 10.

Tiospaye Wakuwa.

(tee-oh-she-pah-yeh wah-koo-wah).

Chasing Family.

1781.

The remainder of the winter was mild and Wi Ile Anpo used her time wisely. The warrior spent it quizzing Kathleen about her family and preparing for the long trip.

Where the McGlashans were located was the biggest issue. It was apparent to both of them that finding the homestead her parents owned was going to be difficult. The blonde had no idea of exactly where her family had settled. She knew that there was a fairly large river nearby that the area natives called the Ohio, but that was the only landmark she was aware of.

Anpo had then spent time with the elders of Mani's camp, trying to discover if any had heard of this river. None had. The only river that they could speak of was called Mississippi, though none had ever seen it before. Kathleen was of the opinion that there would be plenty of people to guide their way once they neared her people. While Anpo was uncomfortable with the idea of putting her faith in any of her woman's people, there didn't seem to be much else they could do.

With great reluctance, the warrior had agreed.

Early spring colored the air with the smell of growing things and the crisp scent of morning dew. The small gathering of people were wrapped against the still chill of the morning. The baby, Yus'as'a , fussed a bit though he calmed when he was distracted by his mother's breast.

A large red stallion and a spotted mare stood nearby, saddled and with various bags hanging from them. Additionally, a grey yearling colt frisked, pulling at the rope about his neck as he sensed the antic.i.p.ation around him.

"I will miss you, tanksi ," Nupa Olowan spoke with a solemn face.

"I will miss you, as well, tiblo ." The wikoskalaka grabbed her friend into a fierce embrace.

Strong arms held Anpo close. "Do you know this will be the first time we have been apart since we were children?" the man asked in a husky voice.

The woman warrior nodded. "I know." She pulled back and grasped Nupa by the shoulders. Dark eyes peered into her own, shining with unshed emotion. "We will be together again."