Forever Ecstasy (21 page)

“Akanyanka iyehantu.”
Wolf Eyes said it was time to test riding skills.

The last event—
akeyamni
— would reveal who could mount, ride, retrieve objects astride the horse, dodge thrown objects as substitutes for arrows and lances, and dismount the fastest.

Morning Star was an expert rider, but so were two of the other girls. To win, she must ignore her lack of strength and energy, as she didn’t want another tie or loss. Flaming Star was her judge to see how many or
if
any objects struck her, and to see if she retrieved others fairly. As she lined up with the four girls behind their mounts, she was stunned to see that Buckskin Girl would be riding Knife-Slayer’s pinto, a well-trained animal. That told Morning Star that her friend’s romantic pursuer wanted her to
lose! All she could do was hope that Hanmani did not fail her today.

The signal was given and all ran to their horses having no trouble mounting swiftly and agilely. After three runs of a marked course, each girl raced to her assigned testing area. As each rode her course, warriors jumped from behind rocks, trees, and tepees to try to hit the contestant with soft leather balls. The judge was to count how many struck the female target. Afterward, she was to ride past posts and grab various-size hoops from them, then return to her judge.

Morning Star wondered why her beloved animal faltered several times and seemed agitated. She was third to reach her assigned area. As she galloped that course, only one warrior succeeded in hitting her, and only one hoop was left behind— both results of unusual mistakes by her horse. She urged Hanmani to hurry back to Flaming Star, then dismounted and handed him the hoops. She spoke soothingly to the Appaloosa and noticed how wild-eyed he was. She must ask Payaba to check him.

Wolf Eyes met with the five judges, then announced a tie between Morning Star and Buckskin Girl.

Sun Cloud’s daughter knew that if she got the stone, she would win with five of them. If she did not, it would be a fourstone tie, and a final drawing. As feared, Buckskin Girl won her fourth— the thirteenth— stone.

As the council complimented all of the girls on their skills, courage, and victories, Morning Star fretted over another drawing, as she hadn’t won a tie yet. She was suspicious of several things— Hanmani’s strange behavior, the three drawings to settle ties with a challenger always choosing first and right, and her curious illness the day before. If the Great Spirit rescued her yesterday and helped her save the fawn today, why was He deserting her now? It was disappointing enough to lose fairly, but infuriating to lose unfairly.

“The others also have skills, Morning Star, but that makes yours no less great,” Flaming Star murmured. “You did not lose the ties because your skills were less, but from bad luck. If you had not missed one sign, you would be winner without another draw. It is my fault you missed it, as I am the one who taught you
and practiced with you.”

Morning Star gaped at her elder. “What do you mean? I missed none.”

The sixty-eight-year-old Big Belly looked surprised. “Hawk Eyes said you missed one. That is why you tied, then lost.”

At that moment, the shaman called the two women to settle the tie and the championship. “Victory is in the hands of the Great Spirit,” he said, then extended both closed fists to Buckskin Girl to select one first.

“No,” Morning Star refuted, pushing her friend’s hand away before it touched Hawk Eyes’ left fist. She worried over a loss of face by her challenge of their medicine chief. Yet she despised cheating and defeat.

Sun Cloud stepped forward and asked, “What is wrong, Daughter? It does not matter who chooses first. Grandfather is in control of victory.”

Morning Star’s determined gaze met her father’s confused one. “Flaming Star said a strange thing,” she explained. “Hawk Eyes told the others I missed a signal in the sign language test. That is why Gray Squirrel tied with me and she drew the winning stone. I say, I missed none!”

The crowd was silent and alert. Sun Cloud looked dismayed by his daughter’s challenge of the shaman’s honesty. Hawk Eyes looked angered by the bold insult on his honor. Morning Star locked her gaze to the shaman’s.

“I missed none, Hawk Eyes,” she stressed with confidence.

“She did not give the correct sign for
treaty,”
he alleged. “She-”

“No!” The girl shouted at him to halt, shocking everyone. “Speak only the word, then Wolf Eyes will watch me give it to see if I was wrong.”

“You say I did not speak the truth?” Hawk Eyes asked indignantly.

“I say you made the mistake, not Morning Star,” she replied.

Sun Cloud was distressed by his daughter’s behavior. A woman did not speak this way to a man, especially to a holy man, a council member! Even though she had chosen her words and reply carefully, she had called him a liar, a cheater. If she was wrong, she and all in her tepee would be dishonored. Yet he had
never known his daughter to be rude and unkind. It was obvious she believed she was right and that this victory was important to her. Too, she was still suffering from her recent illness and was not herself.

Wolf Eyes eased a difficult situation by saying, “I will ask her.”

“If you give our chief’s daughter a chance to correct a mistake, to be fair, you must do the same with the others,” Hawk Eyes argued.

“I made no mistake,” the maiden emphasized.

Wolf Eye asked the other females if they would be troubled by his testing Morning Star’s challenge.

Flying Feather, who had entered the contest for the fun of it, replied, “I lost the other stones fairly. I do not wish to repeat any test. It is her right to lose only because she was wrong. Ask the word again.”

“It is the same with me, Grandfather,” Comes Running added.

Gray Squirrel, who was serious in her vie for the championship, said, “Morning Star is skilled in sign language. It is strange she was wrong. If she missed before, she will miss again. Ask her, Wolf Eyes.”

Buckskin Girl had no choice but to say, “I wish to win, so my feelings are confused. I will accept the ceremonial chief’s decision.”

Morning Star, who was well liked by the other girls, was grateful for their understanding and help and relieved that none of them protested. She sent each girl a smile of thanks. Even though she did not comprehend Buckskin Girl’s motive for competing, she appreciated her honesty.

“It is agreed to test the word again,” Wolf Eyes said. “Morning Star, what is the sign for
treaty
between two tribes?”

The maiden moved her hands to give the signals for
much, smoke,
and
handshake.
“Is that not right?” she inquired with confidence.

Hawk Eyes debated. “She is right this time, but in the test, she gave the signs for
handshake
and
white;
that is the sign for treaty with a white man, not with another tribe.”

“She is right,” Flaming Star announced to the whispering
crowd. “She must be proclaimed winner.”

“She was ill and shaky; she was wrong,” Hawk Eyes protested.

“No,” she argued on her own behalf, “I was not. Perhaps in the excitement, you were confused. Flaming Star taught me well. I did not confuse the two different signs. I swear on my life and honor.”

Wolf Eyes, ceremonial chief, suggested, “Why do we not repeat one of the events to settle this disputed tie? This will make the victor win on her skills, not on luck or mistakes.”

The council members quickly nodded agreement to the solution.

“The sun will sleep soon,” Hawk Eyes said. “Tracking is too long. They are skilled at all others. Use the foot race. It is quick and fair.”

Morning Star guessed why the medicine chief selected that event; he realized she had little or no strength left to run a race against Buckskin Girl. Yet, she could not demand one of the other tests, in which all knew she was strong; she could not refuse a deciding test she had risked dishonor to obtain. She nodded.

Buckskin Girl knew she had an advantage in strength over Morning Star so she held silent. She wanted to win. She truly believed the white man was not Sky Warrior in the sacred vision. When her lost love returned and claimed that rank from Tanner Gaston, all would understand her motive, especially her friend. To ride at her love’s side, she must become the vision woman. Perhaps the Great Spirit had weakened Morning Star so she herself could become victor. With her friend at her best, the contest would have been won easily by the chief’s daughter.

Darkness settled on the land as the talk took place. “Night blankets us,” Wolf Eyes said. “They will race when the sun returns. They can rest and grow strong while
Wi
sleeps. The race will be fair to both.”

Hawk Eyes disagreed, as did his son, but they were out-voted. The shaman wanted the race run immediately and for Buckskin Girl to triumph so everyone would be convinced he had not cheated to prevent Morning Star’s victory. He was annoyed that Flaming Star had exposed the error, and furious that she had
challenged him. He had promised his son to help defeat the chief’s daughter, whom Knife-Slayer was determined to take as wife because of her beauty and rank. His son would do anything to keep Morning Star from riding away and spending time alone with a white man. If the contest had taken place yesterday while she was sick, she would have lost quickly and easily. After everyone left the clearing and there would be no tie-breaking draw, he tossed away a stone from each hand…

Upon rising, Morning Star pulled on her soft buckskin garment, braided her hair, and left to be excused in the nearby forest.

Knife-Slayer entered the chief’s tepee when the maiden was out of sight. He greeted Singing Wind and handed her berry-and-nut speckled pones. He smiled and said, “Mother says they will help Morning Star regain her strength. She does not want Singing Wind and her daughter to believe Father thinks badly of Morning Star for her challenge.”

As he talked, Knife-Slayer noticed the empty bowl that indicated Sun Cloud had eaten his early meal and left. He saw two others prepared for the women. Upon his entrance, Singing Wind had set one down from which she was about to eat. That told him the other bowl was Morning Star’s. When the woman turned to put aside the gift he had brought, he dropped herbs into the bowl.

Singing Wind faced him and said, “Thank Waterlily for her kindness. Tell Hawk Eyes we have no bad feelings for the mistake on the past sun.”

Knife-Slayer did not debate her choice of words. He smiled, nodded, and left. He went to prepare himself to witness Morning Star’s defeat and to give her comfort in his arms.

Morning Star returned to her tepee, lifted a bowl, and ate…

Morning Star glanced up as her mother returned to their tepee. “Where did you go?” she asked. “Your food grows cold.”

Singing Wind related the visit by Knife-Slayer, then said, “We have plenty, so I took the fruit pones to Winter Woman and Payaba.”

“Knife-Slayer and Hawk Eyes waste words on apologies that do not come from their hearts,” Morning Star contended. “Both desired me to lose.” She revealed her suspicions to the shocked woman.

“You should not say or think such wicked things, Daughter.”

“Should I hold silent to my mother about what is in my heart?”

“No, Morning Star. I am happy you share all things with me. I worry that the contest is too important to you and blinds you.”

“Have you known me to do my skills so badly?”

“You have been ill, Daughter,” Singing Wing reminded.

“What of Hanmani’s strange behavior? What of losing all ties? What of letting others always choose first in the draws? What of Hawk Eyes’ mistake? What of his protests and the bad feelings he showed?”

“Payaba said your horse is fine. Perhaps Hawk Eyes did not realize he made you choose last each time or did not want to show favor for his chief’s daughter. You challenged him, Morning Star, and he feared trouble and dishonor. He only wished the contest to be fair for all who entered it.”

“That is why he insisted upon a foot race when he knew I was too weak to win it?” she asserted skeptically.

“All agreed it was the best choice to settle the dispute.”

“All did not demand it be run in darkness.”

“Do you have ways to prove your claims against him?”

“No, Mother, and I will say nothing to him or to others.”

“That is best. In this time of trouble and danger, we do not need more. You are well this sun. The race will be fair.”

“I would be winner without trouble if Buckskin Girl had not entered the test. She is my friend. I do not understand why she challenges me.”

Singing Wind saw how hurt and confused her daughter was. “It is a great honor to become the vision woman,” she pointed out. “Buckskin Girl has many skills. Must friendship make her deny them and not chase after her desires?”

“But she knows how much I want this task.”

“And you must see how much
she
wants it. What did she tell you?”

“She asked, ‘What if it is another’s destiny? What if he is not Sky Warrior?’ How can she doubt the truth? He matches the vision.”

“Are there clues in her words?” the mother inquired.

The younger female mused a minute, then suggested, “Perhaps she thinks it is her destiny. She told me she could not help what Grandfather places in her heart. She did not warn me she believed His message was for her to enter the contest! There is a strangeness in her gaze and spirit she will not explain. I do not know why she makes me wait for the truth. We have not kept secrets from each other before this time.”

A brief moment of guilt chewed on Morning Star as she remembered she did withhold a large secret from her best friend. Her tone altered from dismay to anger as she revealed, “She does not trust Hawk Eyes, but she did not speak for fairness or defend me on the past sun. I do not wish this to come between us, but she hungers too greatly to win.”

“And Morning Star does not hunger just as greatly to win?”

“I have good reasons,” the girl avowed.

“How do you know she does not, if she holds silent?”