The remainder of the lodge was designed for daily living and was appointed in much the same manner as the lodges of the rest of the tribe members. Native Americans devoted great portions of the day to matters of nourishment and providing for the creature comforts that permitted them to live in harmony with the natural world. Harvesting, gathering, hunting, preparing and storing food stuffs for use in lean times were of primary concern to all members of the tribe. Their homes were little more than pantries for food storage, kitchen areas for food preparation, and industrial zones for the manufacture of tools, weapons, clothing, and the other survival truck essential for living in the 1700 Appalachian wilderness.
When Tyoga entered the lodge, Silver Cloud was crossed legged on buffalo hides before a council fire. Two of the tribe’s senior leaders, Night Bear and Not Afraid of Knowing, both dressed in their formal tribal attire, sat on either side of him. This was a clue to Tyoga that the call to the lodge was a summons with an important purpose.
Tes Qua was standing silently in front of the three seated elders. When Tyoga entered, Silver Cloud’s wife and children promptly left the lodge, and Silver Cloud motioned for the young men to have a seat before the council fire. Choosing his words cautiously Silver Cloud began speaking in Tsalagi.
“My sons, you have been as brothers since your birthing time. I have watched you grow into proud young men. Strong, brave, and wise. Tes Qua Ta Wa, son of Nine Moons, you have become powerful in your knowledge of the white man’s ways. You speak their tongue and understand even their thoughts. For this, we have to thank your brother Tyoga-eh-alo. You will one day be a great leader of the People.
“Tyoga Weathersby, son of Thomas, and brother to all Unwiya, you have grown in our ways and are one of the People. You speak our tongue, and you have helped the People understand the ways of the white eyes. But, my son, you are more than of the People. You became more on that day when you defeated Wahaya-Wacon. You became part of the spirit world and you will be guided by Wahaya all of your days. You cannot turn away from the path you have been given. Where your journey will take you, we will only know when it is done. And when your journey will be done—no man can say.”
Chief Silver Cloud paused to let his words of introduction and hommage pass from the lodge before beginning again.
“The People believe that you have learned to control the spirit of Wahaya that is within you. But the beast that runs wild and free is like the fire that comes from the sky. He strikes with a power of the spirit world that knows no mercy or restraint.
“Others say that you and Wahaya are the same spirit. They say that he strikes at your command, and when you must fight, you are filledwith the savage fury of the mighty beast. He fights through you and you through him.
“But, my son, whether or not you and the unchecked beast are one and the same is of no matter to the People. You are one of us and we will protect our kind.
“It is said that Wahaya has caused great sorrow to come to the hearts of our Shawnee neighbors to the south. The Shawnee say that the deaths of six young braves have come at your hands. In the old days, they would have attacked our village and killed many of our men, women, and children. If not for the unions forged in times of peace, they would be striking us this very day. But we no longer wish to fight in the old ways. If words can spare life, then we must speak. Their Chief, Yellow Robe, has asked for a council to discuss these matters in peace. We will meet at their village at South Fork in three moons, to listen to what they have to say. I fear, my sons, that beaver pelts, skins of the bobcat and mountain lion, corn, pottery, and tools are not the price they will ask to be paid. While there is much that we have that they can demand of us to give, there is even more that they can demand of us—that is not in our power to give away.”
Tyoga and Tes Qua exchanged glances.
Tyoga began to speak but Silver Cloud held up his hand, indicating that the counsel was over. “We will leave in two moons,” was all he said.
Chapter 20
The Hidden Gifts of the Promise
T
he trip to the Shawnee village at South Fork would take two days. While only about ten members from the Ani-Unwiya clan would be making the trek, the entire village was involved in the preparation.
Silver Cloud, Night Bear and Not Afraid of Knowing would represent the Cherokee clan as official spokesmen. Their wives and Night Bear’s son, White Wolf, would accompany them on the journey. Tes Qua, Tyoga, and Sunlei would travel as Nine Moon’s family unit.
It was about a twenty-mile journey to the Shawnee village, and the trip wasn’t terribly difficult. There was a single mountain pass through which the group would have to travel, and the rest of the journey would be in the lowlands along rivers and streams. There would be no need to hunt along the way because they would be able to pack enough food for their one night camp. The Shawnee would provision them for the return trip.
Nine Moons, Tes Qua, Tyoga and Sunlei gathered in Silver Cloud’s lodge with the rest of the party making the trek to the Shawnee village. Communal packing allowed for women to inventory provisions and share resources. Portage of unnecessary truck was an inefficiency that Native Americans were loath to make.
The delicate bouquet of dried herbs and spices filled the air, as recently dug sassafrass root and sheaves of sage and wild thyme awaited their place on the wall hooks and shelves. Dried deer jerky tempted from the low wide bench along the south wall with its aromatic allure and peppery sting. The strips of smoked salmon released a more pungent scent that would become much more appealing during the long, lean winter months. Two dispatched quail awaited plucking and the pot, and three baskets of dried corn on the cob were ready for milling into flour and meal.
Along the north wall a recently tanned bear hide rested in a heap next to partially finished leather boots. A half-strung necklace snaked from an ornately decorated clay bowl filled with colorful glass beads. Two broken clay pipes rested next to a third in good working order. A sheaf of spider-veined dark brown tobacco leaves cradled an open pouch of its crushed cousins. Chips of quartz and dark black obsidian sat in a heap next to a striking stone, deer antler, and elk hide flecking-chap placed atop a small mound of newly quarried stones and slate.
Sunlei asked, “Will we make it through Cormack’s Pass on the first day?”
Tes Qua answered, “I’m pretty sure that we will.”
Tyoga disagreed. “We may not make it that far, Tes. We will have to see how fast Silver Cloud and Wind Song can travel. They aren’t as young as they used to be.”
Sunlei was on her knees packing cornmeal and pimih kan (pemmican) into a rucksack. “Don’t worry about the old ones, Ty. They are still strong. Besides, Wind Song is not coming along.” Folding an extra elk skin robe, she added, “It will be cold on the pass. Make sure to pack your winter leggings.”
Tyoga and Tes looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
“Sunlei, you worry too much,” Tes Qua said. “Ty and I have been up there in the dead of winter with our mocassins and a buffalo robe. We’ll be fine. Why do you worry so much?” He continued, “I didn’t think that Wind Song would come along. She is getting too old to venture so far over the mountains. We can take care of Silver Cloud. Sunlei, you don’t mind caring for one more old man, do you?”
“I do not mind,” she said. “But I will not have to take care of our Chief. Prairie Day is coming along to care for him.” She reached for a neatly folded beautiful red blanket, and tossed it to Tyoga. “Ty, she brought this extra blanket over and asked me to give it to you. She seems concerned that you stay warm along the way. You’ll thank her if it is a cold night on the summit.”
Without a reply, Tyoga kept his head down and packed the blanket with the rest of his gear.
Tes Qua said, “Ty, I worry about staying in the Shawnee village. I do not trust that they will be content to just talk.”
“I know, Tes. I ain’t too anxious to camp with ‘em either,” Tyoga replied. “Until this business on the Rag, things have been pretty quiet between us since the Shawnee raided Tessuntee. There have been skirmishes when our paths have crossed in the woods, but they ain’t amounted to much. The deaths of the two braves that were with Seven Arrows—that’s what’s got them riled. Yellow Robe invited us to parlez—so I don’t think they mean us no harm. Still, we’ll keep our flintlocks close.”
“You men and your fighting,” Sunlei said. “Why we cannot live in peace, I do not understand.”
“Sunlie, you did not see Seven Arrows at the Rapidan,” Tes Qua replied. “He wanted trouble. He was itchin’ for a fight. If it had not been for the wolf—”
Tyoga looked at Tes Qua and shook his head.
Seeing the interaction, Sunlei stood up and put her hands on her hips. “Ty, I asked you if Wahaya was there. You said that you didn’t know for sure. Why did you lie to me?”
Tyoga rested his hands on his thighs. “Sunlie, I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think that you would want to know.” Thinking more about his feeble answer, and tapping into the honesty that he had so recently forsaken, he said, “No, that ain’t true. I didn’t tell you that Wahaya was with us at the Rapidan because I didn’t want you to know. It is more ‘n that, Sunlei. If he is responsible for these killin’s, then … someway, it feels like these deaths fall on me, too. I don’t know how to explain it, or to make you understand. Worst of all, I don’t know whatto do to make him stop. It’s like he takes my place. He fights so I don’t have to. He won’t abide no harm comin’ to me. But …”
Tyoga stopped packing and gazed far away. He hesitated to finish his thought because even though deep within his soul he knew the truth, he had not reconciled the knowing even unto himself. He was not ready. All he could manage was, “What if it isn’t him doin’ this alone. What if I have a part in it—and don’t even know?”
“Ty, look at me,” Sunlei said.
After what he had done at Green Rock Cove, Tyoga could not find the honesty required to accept her loving gaze. A nearly imperceptible crease of her brow revealed an intuitive suspicion that she would reckon with later.
She said only, “Don’t ever lie to me, Ty.”
Tyoga continued packing. He felt sick in the pit of his stomach at the realization that he did not leave the act in the clear, cool water of the pool, and would have to carry it with him—perhaps for the rest of his life.
Tes Qua and Sunlei were surprised at the openness with which Tyoga confessed his lack of control over the actions of the wolf. His suspicion that the wolf wasn’t operating independent of his own thoughts and emotions was couched too deeply for them to understand. It conjured realities that neither were prepared to face.
There was another fear that Tyoga did not share with them. It was of a nature that could only be understood by those with whom the promise had been shared. He was not concerned about the safety of the group while they were with the Shawnee, nor with the matters of food and lodging and travel. He had come to realize that there was a chasm of consciousness between those to whom the promise had been revealed and those from whom its realities had remained concealed. Neither words nor experience could reconcile the divide.
When Chief Yellow Robe, and the Shawnee tribal elders, weighed the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the six young braves, they were sure to be swayed by the testimony of others for whom the gifts of the promise remained unseen and unheard.
Nine Moons’ words, “‘Sometimes the truth is not nearly as convincing as what appears to be,’” kept haunting Tyoga’s thoughts.
The measures by which nature accounts for seasons and time; the benchmarks separating justice from tyranny; the cruelty that ignites courage and strength from smoldering brave intent, these are the shadow truths hidden from those who cannot see. Payment would be exacted according to the judgment of others for whom the rules remained a mystery.
Chapter 21
A Sigh in the Brush
T
he sun crested the foothills to the east and its life-giving rays showered the land with the newness of the day as the travelers began their journey to South Fork. The gray morning mist was rising specter-like toward the bluing sky as the savory scent of corn meal mush flavored with elk fat filled the morning air with the affirmation of community, safety, and home.
Many in the village had gathered outside of Silver Cloud’s lodge to walk with the group as far as Keyser’s Fork. As is the Cherokee custom, many brought items to offer to the travelers to make their journey more comfortable: blankets, leggings, food, and weapons. It was understood that the gifts could not be taken along, but the thoughtfulness of the gesture was in keeping with the Cherokee’s custom of sharing with and caring for one another.
After packing and preparing their supplies the day before, the travelers gathered once again in Silver Cloud’s lodge and were waiting for him to signal that it was time for the journey to begin.
T
he Chief never did anything in haste. A deeply religious man, his inclination was to allow events to unfold according to the plans of his spirit guides. “These things we cannot understand,” he used to say to Tyoga and Tes Qua when they were little boys excited about accompanying him on a wild turkey hunt or fishing in the river. “We will know when it is time to go. To go before it is time is to act like the dog who barks bravely in the night at enemies that he cannot see, and runs away when they are revealed in the light of day. We will know when it is time.” The boys knew to sit patiently and wait.
When Silver Cloud rose to his feet, the men lifted their rucksacks onto their shoulders, and cradled their flintlocks across their chests.
The women were more burdened with necessary truck for the journey. It was their job to make camp and to keep the men fed, comfortable, and healthy along the way. Their responsibilities were the consequence of necessity because women could neither travel nor survive in the backwoods alone. They depended upon the men for navigation, food, and protection. They understood that their very survival depended upon the men remaining strong, healthy, and alert. The men’s hands had to remain free in order to defend against attack or the charge of a wild animal, which could happen at lightening fast speed. A rapid response could make the difference between life and death. They accepted their lot because it had proven to be an arrangement that had stood the test of time.