Again the room broke out in laughter.
She had tilted her head. “Can you hear them Singing? Their voices are so beautiful.”
“Singing? Who?” Black Tooth cocked his head. “I hear only the wind, and your silly prattle. You’re crazy, girl. Lost your souls.”
“Gone, gone, gone,” Two Petals agreed. “Flown like birds, right up to the sun. How right you are.”
“Well, no matter. You won’t need souls for what we’re going to do next.” He lifted his maimed left hand, beckoning. “Come here, little bird. Let me have a taste of that sweet body of yours.”
At his order she began to back away.
“Ah, running at last? Maybe your souls aren’t as gone as I think.” He chuckled. “Go ahead, run away. It’ll be sport.”
Instead, she started toward him.
Old White would have rushed forward but for the tightening of Silver Loon’s hand on his shoulder, and her whispered, “Watch. And learn.”
“That’s more like it.” Black Tooth fixed gleaming eyes on Two Petals.
“I can see through your skin,” she said. “Meat and bones. The blood races backward through your veins. I see deer meat spitting unchewed from your mouth. Backward, you’re all backward.”
“Enough of this,” one of the men said. “Take her, and let us watch the sport of it. I’ll wager a prime fox hide that you can’t make her moan with pleasure.”
“She hasn’t the wits for that,” another chimed in.
“Wits, wits,” Two Petals said, closing the distance to Black Tooth. “No, I’ve no wits at all. Watching this from tomorrow, seeing, feeling the Power.” She hesitated. “I see Seeker and me leaving. I see us climbing into his canoe. There are so many packs, all filled with wealth. And your people are hiding, fearful of Power loose upon the land.”
Black Tooth threw his head back, breaking out in peals of amusement.
“You see this, do you?”
“Oh, yes. And many other things. Like what you wish most.”
He stared greedily at the tuft of her pubic hair and licked his lips before adding, “I’m sure you know what I want now.”
Raucous laughter burst out among the watchers.
“Then I will give you what you wish most,” Two Petals said.
Black Tooth, grinning in anticipation, laid his mace to one side. He hitched his war shirt up, exposing his rising manhood, and reached out for Two Petals. She took his hands.
Old White broke free of Silver Loon’s grip and charged forward. He was filling his lungs to scream, “No!” when Two Petals drew a deep breath and blew into Black Tooth’s face.
The big man started, blinked, and froze. For a moment, the room was still. Then his arms pulled loose from Two Petals’ and fell to his sides. The look of amazement remained fixed, his eyes like stones popped out from his skull. Imperceptibly at first, he began to lean, gaining momentum as he crashed to the floor, upsetting the tripod. It fell with a muffled clatter, the bear hide settling around it.
“That’s what it’s like to live forever,” Two Petals said simply.
The loud man stepped forward, bent, and touched one of Black Tooth’s staring eyes. No reaction followed as the man placed his hand over Black Tooth’s open mouth. He looked up. “He’s dead!”
Old White stared in disbelief. “What happened here?”
Silver Loon’s voice carried in the chill air. “She blew the souls out of his body. Poor fool had no idea what was happening.” In a lower voice, she added, “I think she saved your life, Runner. See that you use what’s left of it wisely.”
People backed away, mutterings of “witch” on the air.
“She is no witch,” Silver Loon called, stepping forward. “Two Petals, don’t come near me.”
The young woman turned, eyes gleaming, and walked calmly to Silver Loon, who handed her the blue dress. “Do not wear this.”
Two Petals blinked, seemed to focus, and took the dress, slipping it over her head. Around the room, people were backing away.
Silver Loon turned her attention to the room. “Tell me what happened here.” At the silence she added, “You know me. Tell me, or it shall go ill with you next time any of you need my help.”
One of the women, gray haired and wearing a smudged brown dress, stepped forward. “One of the guards saw them arrive before the storm. Black … That dead man.” She pointed to Black Tooth, afraid to say his name and draw his ghost to her. “He wanted to know who had come. What they wanted with you. When two of the young men from Duck Foot Village carried the girl to your house, they learned it was the Seeker, with a young woman. Black … That dead man wanted the wooden pack the Seeker carries. He thought it would be filled with Powerful … things.”