Comanche Dawn (46 page)

“I do not claim the girl for myself,” Horseback said, “but to give her to Echo. He will decide what to do with her, who will beat her, and who will make her good. Tell me you are not afraid of Echo, for he rides close enough to hear you say it!”

Smiling, Echo rode in between Whip and the captive girl. “I will make her good,” he said. “When we are in the
Yuta
country under protection of a truce. If you are lucky, I will let you watch me while I make her good.”

Bear Heart and Shaggy Hump laughed at Whip, who quirted his horse and rode angrily away.

They drove the horses and mules beyond the
Tiwa
village of Taos, the northernmost outpost of Metal Men. They found a few more ponies to take here, and kept riding hard to the north, into the country of the
Yutas.
They rode the poorest horses on this return, and when one of the poor horses would stumble and refuse to run, they would kill it and take the best things to eat from it, then move northward again, away from the evil Metal Men.

It was told in later times that Horseback knew his way on this return to his own country because he had flown over these mountains like a bird in his vision. In this way, he found the camp of the
Yuta
leader, Bad Camper, and gave many mules in exchange for a place to rest, and safe passage to the country of the
Noomah.

It was at this camp that Echo made the captive girl slave good. She did not resist him, for Echo did not beat her as Whip had. After he had lain with her and made her good with pure
Noomah
seed, Echo let her eat and gave her fresh water to drink. He told Whip to stay away from her, for she had been given to him by Horseback, in accordance with the way, and to violate the way would endanger the spirit-powers of the party.

Whip was very angry that the girl slave he had captured had been taken from him before he could make her good, and he refused to speak to his companions through many suns.

On the journey through
Yuta
country, the girl slave proved useful, making food for the men, lighting fires, and gathering wood. She told Echo with signs that she had been born to a
Keresan
mother in one of the missions of the Metal Men. She had never known her father, but knew he was white. The Metal Men scorned her because her mother was not married. Her mother's people rejected her because she was half-white. Having passed sixteen winters, she had come of age, and so the Black Robes had sent her south with the caravan, though they had not told her what would become of her in the south. She told Echo that she was happy to be away from the Metal Men, who hated her, and that she would serve him in any way he wished.

Horseback let his men rest two sleeps at Bad Camper's village, then rode northward again, pushing his ponies through
Yuta
country. Bad Camper rode with him to ensure no other band of
Yutas
would attack the party of returning
Noomahs.
In generations to come, this would be spoken of as the beginning of the time of peace between the new Horse Nation of True Humans and the
Yutas.
It was said that the peace came about because of warrior respect between Horseback and Bad Camper, and it would last as long as both men lived. On the way north, Bad Camper showed the True Humans the way through mountain passes, along cold streams of rushing water, and through good hunting grounds for elk, pronghorn, bear, and deer.

But this country frightened Horseback, for he had to watch constantly for the sacred trail of the deer, so abundant in the mountain fastnesses of the
Yuta.
He told Bad Camper that he would be happy to reach his own country, where he would find fewer sacred trails to avoid. “I offended my spirit-guide in the land of the Metal Men,” he admitted, pointing over his shoulder to the scars now healing well on his back. “You see how my punishment left scars to remind me. When the new nation goes out, it will find a place with few deer to disturb.”

“It is good that you say this, Snake man. My country has many deer. You will stay out of my country if you know the best thing for yourself and your new nation.”

Crossing downstream from the camp called Two Rivers, the
Noomah
searchers stopped to rest, for now they were safe in their own country. Horseback gave a fine pony to Bad Camper before the crossing, for the
Yuta
leader would not cross this river, saying he wished to return to his own village in the southern mountains before the Moon of Long Nights brought much snow.

At this camp, Whip came to Horseback, and spoke to him for the first time since the girl slave had been taken from him.

“My friend,” Whip said. “I have been thinking about the story of your vision. We must find the Corn People so that you can trade your ponies to Teal's father. Then, we must go fight with the Northern Raiders before we go back to our village of the Burnt Meat People.”

“I know this, my friend. Why do you tell me what I must do to fulfill my own vision?”

“You have given the girl slave to Echo. You will have Teal to take back to the Burnt Meat People. Your father has two wives already, and Bear Heart has a wife waiting for him to return, as well. I want to take a girl from the Northern Raiders and make her good with my seed. I want a woman in my lodge when we return from this long journey.”

“Very well, my friend. If we take a girl from the Northern Raiders, I will give her to you. But, I warn you. My vision tells me that when we fight the Northern Raiders, your hatred for our enemies will make you go to battle like a Crazy-Dog-Wishing-to-Die. I will not let you keep any Northern Raider girls until your anger has blown away like the ashes of a fire. You do not have to beat a captive woman without reason to make her good with your seed. If she fears you, she will not know how to raise brave sons. If you want to follow me, Whip, your sons must be as brave as you.”

After resting two sleeps, Horseback led his men to the northeast. They traveled far under each sun, moving from river to river, until they found the Corn People drying buffalo meat at camp on the Lightning River where it cut across the plains. They saw the village from a distance, and Horseback stopped his men long enough to choose the finest pony from his herd. He would ride this good pony into the camp of the Corn People, and the True Humans would see him carrying the shield that had been sliced open in battle with strange hairy white men far to the south.

“My son, I have counted the horses,” Shaggy Hump said with a smile, as they spotted the village in the distance. “You have one hundred and one. Never have I dreamed of one warrior owning so many. I am proud my son owns more horses than any True Human before him.”

Horseback smiled over the withers of his good pony as he prepared to mount. “When I told Teal I would bring her father one hundred horses, she told me I must promise only ten. I do not think she believed I would ever have one hundred. But now I see that it is wise to have promised only ten. Her father will see that I have one hundred, and that will make him feel good about giving his daughter to me, yet I will only have to give him ten. I will have plenty of horses to attack the Northern Raiders and to give to the brave warriors who have followed me. Teal was wise.”

“She will be a good wife for you. Looks Away likes her. River Woman does not like her yet, but she will, my son. Teal will bear good grandsons for me. I will teach them how to hunt, how to ride, and how to use their weapons. I will not let them see my hair turn white or my teeth fall out. No brave warrior dies old.”

“Do not speak of dying on this day, my father. This is a good day for a scalp dance.”

“And for a feast. I am hungrier than hungry.”

Horseback smiled and thought of Teal. He swung onto his bear-skin pad and waved at his friends who were holding the herd of horses. Out here on the grass and sage plains, no deer trails would cross his path, requiring his homage, so he urged his mount forward at a lope. When Teal saw him, he would be riding in triumph.

43

She was thinking of
him the moment he appeared.

Strips of fresh buffalo meat lay draped over Teal's arm as she carried the heavy red meat to the drying rack. Suddenly the camp of the Corn People began to stir around her and hooves rumbled the ground. Her heart pounded, thinking Northern Raiders had come to carry her away to a life of wretched slavery.

Instead, she saw Horseback, which only made her heart pound harder. He rode a beautiful pony. Scalps dangled from his belt. Behind him, a huge herd of horses came over the rise of the riverbank, clouding the air with dust. Never had Teal seen so many horses in one place, and she felt laughter burst from her lungs as tears sprang in her eyes. Teal was a good daughter. She ran first to the drying rack to hang her buffalo meat.

It was not unusual that Horseback should appear as she thought of him, for Teal thought about Horseback all the time. He had been gone on his great search through many suns, and she worried that he might not ever come back, that she might not ever know what had happened to him.

But here he was. Horseback! See how he rode! She counted the warriors who rode with him. She knew from the stories that he had left with four warriors. Look! There were still four! And so many horses, and so many strange things! Horseback's medicine was strong! A woman rode with Echo! A captive? A wife? She realized quickly that Horseback could have claimed this woman, but he had let Echo have her! This was good!

She stood by the drying rack and watched him as his eyes searched for her. He had not seen her yet, but his gaze was darting like the blasts from the eyes of the Thunderbird. When at last he found her, his eyes struck her like lightning and made mysterious powers swarm inside her, all through her body, down the back of her neck, around the nipples of her breasts, through her belly, high between her thighs. She bit her lower lip and wondered how she looked to him, her hair loose and blowing, her hands painted with buffalo blood, her moccasins dusty. Maybe it was better this way, for now when he saw her next, she would look much finer, wearing the golden wedding dress her mother had helped her make from a perfect antelope skin, knowing Horseback would disapprove of her using the hide of a deer, which was sacred to him.

He rode by her with a most serious and prideful scowl. Behind him, all his horses and warriors were lining up on the riverbank, the ponies wanting to drink at the river, yet fearing the lodges of the Corn People. “Teal,” he said. “Where is your father?”

Her heart beat so furiously that it pounded all the breath from her lungs. She pointed with a tilt of her head and managed to draw in a breath. “Resting in his lodge.”

When Horseback rode away toward her father's lodge, Teal found herself surrounded by excited girls.

“He has come for you!” said her friend Little Cloud. “Look at all the horses!”

Grass-in-the-Wind grabbed her arm. “He has taken scalps! He has strange things on his pony!”

Slope Child spoke to her from behind. “Yes, he has gone far, and now he has come back to take you to his lodge, Teal. The warrior in his loin skins is too big for you. I know this, but you do not. You do not know how to please him. Before spring, he will want a second wife who knows what to do.”

Little Cloud stepped between Teal and Slope Child. “Do not listen to this wild one who couples like a bleeding she-dog. You do not have to know what to do. The wisdom is in your heart. The winged ones know how to build their nests when the time comes. This is what my grandmother says.”

Slope Child laughed. “I have never heard your grandfather moan with pleasure in his lodge.”

Teal smiled, refusing to let Slope Child intimidate her. “Elder friend, you are wilder than wild. Why don't you get a husband?”

Slope Child smiled. “I will be a wife someday, but I wish to be a second or third wife who doesn't have so much work to do. My husband will have many brothers, so when he goes away, I will still have men in my lodge to lie with me.

The girls gasped and giggled at Slope Child's brazen ways. Teal liked hearing what Slope Child had said, for Horseback had no brothers at all.

“Go now,” said Grass-in-the-Wind to Teal. “Go bathe in the pool around the river bend, and make yourself ready for your wedding. We will listen to the talk in the village and come to tell you what we have learned.”

*   *   *

Teal expected to be married to Horseback before the sun had set, but strange things began to happen. She heard about it while bathing. Girls came running to tell her the news.

“Horseback has given many wonderful gifts to your father!” said Little Cloud.

“What kind of gifts?”

“Ten horses!”

“And strange iron tools from the south,” Grass-in-the-Wind added. “Horseback told your father that hairy white people made the tools. There is one that cuts like two knives bound together. Another that makes fire when struck.”

Slope Child came swishing to the pool, her skirt held high on her thighs, as if she had really been running fast. “Listen, bride,” she said, “you are not to be married today.”

Teal splashed water, turning quickly in the pool. “Why do you say this?”

“Horseback has not returned to the Burnt Meat People yet. He came here first, to give the gifts to your father.”

“I will marry him now and go with him to the Burnt Meat People. We will return later to our own village. My husband will provide for my mother and father here, with the Corn People. It is the way.”

Slope Child shook her head. “Horseback has had a vision.”

“What kind of vision?”

“He will not tell anyone what he saw, but his vision has told him he must attack the Northern Raiders before he can marry you. Tonight we will hold a scalp dance to celebrate his victory over hairy-faced white men in the south. The next night, we will hold a war dance, to prepare our warriors for battle. Then Horseback is going to attack the Northern Raiders. He says his vision tells him they are camped only three sleeps away for a warrior who rides horses.”