"He'll be worse before he's better," Black Crow growled.
In his stilted Anit'ah, Hungry Bull asked Rattling Hooves, "How long until Blood Bear comes here?"
She lifted an absent shoulder. "He's been after your friends for three days now. He'll be moving fast. Since I didn't know your friends' motives, I marked the trail for him in subtle ways."
"Then we'd better go." Little Dancer bent to pick up his butchering tools.
"What about all this meat?" Hungry Bull pointed to the half-butchered carcasses. "As warm as it is, it'll sour if we don't ... The flies will ..."
"And do you think Blood Bear will wait for us?" Three Toes asked nervously.
"Buffalo Above will understand," Little Dancer added. "He knows our hearts." And I told that to my mother before she died for the sake of meat Chill ate at his soul. "Come on!" And he led the way down the trail to White Calf's at a trot.
Somehow, Rattling Hooves ended up running beside him. "Blood Bear will be coming to White Calf's, following the Short Buffalo People," he said. "He'll find Elk Charm there."
She looked down at him, working her lips. ' 'If we get there first, I can have her run. She can hide where he can't find her." A pause. "Why do you care, young man?"
The question left him unbalanced. Why did he? Why had she dominated his thoughts from the moment he'd seen her? "She's nice."
"Uh-huh?" Rattling Hooves managed to chuckle softly as she panted for breath. "You know, this is all getting complicated, Little Dancer. Short Buffalo People and Red Hand, all mixed up."
"White Calf will know what to do."
"She usually does."
And if she doesn't, what then? Little Dancer wondered. Together, we 've got four at lads against how many Red Hand? And if we do fight and they don't wipe us out, what's left?
He swallowed hard and ran with all his might.
What had Rattling Hooves been doing out on the trail in the first place? What could have possessed her to take a chance like that, knowing Short Buffalo People lurked in the area ? Blood Bear glared ahead as he led his warriors down the trail. From the sign, the raiders were no more than a couple of hours ahead of them. With the children, they'd move more slowly. He'd have them before sunset.
Rattling Hooves had been headed toward White Calf's . . . obviously worried about her daughter. Still, a woman her age should have had more sense than to risk herself over a silly girl like that. Worse, Rattling Hooves had blithely run into the Short Buffalo People's ambush. Served her right for not being more careful.
As usual, the raiders didn't know the trail. They'd wandered around for days, climbing through black timber, struggling up and down ridges and skirting meadows, taking elk trails that led into the heaviest of timber and disappeared. Since they'd caught Rattling Hooves, the woman had led them straight away from the Red Hand—and straight for White Calf's. Now, what did that mean? White Calf, of course, had originally been Short Buffalo. She'd married into Red Hand, been a Spirit Woman for years, healing those who went to her for help.
A prickling lifted the hairs at the nape of his DC though he didn't believe in Power, White Calf scared him. You couldn't tell what that crazy old witch might stir up.
People feared White Calf. If she said anything, word would get back to the camps and cause him no little bit of trouble.
He hugged the Wolf Bundle to his chest. This time he carried the Power and spirit of his people. Unlike the last time when his warriors vanished one by one into the night, he'd taken the silly little talisman that gave them heart and spirit. This time the Wolf Bundle led them, and his warriors would fight to the death to protect it from the Short Buffalo People who'd defiled it. With it, he could spur them to greater effort than they'd give otherwise.
Amazing how much strength can be taken from a mere trinket! And it's mine . . . all mine! He ignored the sudden throbbing in his little finger. Angrily he batted it against his muscular thigh, as if to swat the tingle out of it like that of a pinched nerve.
"Got to catch the raiders and kill them before they get there. That's the best," he whispered under his breath.
It wouldn't be long now.
As he thought it, the trail turned suddenly, leading down into a meadow. Ravens rose from the trees, cawing as their black wings rasped in the air.
Blood Bear pulled up, chest rising and falling as he caught his breath. Before him, the meadow was littered with half-butchered buffalo. Muttered conversation broke out behind him.
He walked to one of the carcasses, touching the exposed meat. "Skinned not more than an hour ago." He grinned at his warriors. "We've got them!"
“The Spiral shifts," the Wolf Bundle observed. "We are in serious danger. It can all come apart now. Free will is in play. So much for the Power of your Wolf Dream! I'm carried to the destruction of your Dreamer. I see my end. I can kill, save him, perhaps to renew me. The link is strong, but how will he react? If I wrap my tendrils into his heart, will he accept me? Or will he turn his back . . . listen to the voice of his dead mother where it echoes in his mind? I don Y have much strength left. To kill, I must use all of myself. The boy doesn 't know the way to Power. The Watcher isn 't prepared, yet. We’re not ready. Too soon . . . too soon ..."