is as long as this stick!” and she would laugh, placing a long piece of wood onto the fire.
Mother would click her tongue and make a sour face. “I suppose he is strong, but I bet Creeping Wolf is much stronger.”
To the young Indian girl the comments were beyond understanding. Did her mother and grandmother not see the yearning in her heart for Shining Moon? Were they as unimpressed by her feelings as they had been when she had showed the beautiful earrings? “Not like my husband gave me when I was young and beautiful like you,” Grandmother laughed. Her mother had only made a disgusted face.
Flying Bird did not know that the two old women knew her feelings. She did not know that it made them happy and brought back memories of youth and time. She did not know that they had seen Shining Moon follow her into the salt cedar by the river. The two old women were smart and wise with their time. They would let the two meet for brief moments. They would let them see each other from a distance but they would watch and always be close by. The two women loved Flying Bird and a match must be the right one. They knew of her beauty and knew of love, and Flying Bird would not be given to any man on some whimsical feelings. There would be time for the heart to know. Long sad time for the girl they knew but in the wisdom of age they knew it was the best. And no matter what Sleeping Bear, the father, would say, no matter the offer of horses or blankets, Flying Bird would go to the man of her heart. Mother had told Sleeping Bear this and in his love for her he had agreed.
Mother was very thankful for her man, he was a good man, not working her like many of the men did. Flying Bird would have a man like this. But in one respect Mother was concerned over her daughter. Shining Moon was a warrior, destined to be a warrior. Not a medicine man or healer but a man made to protect and kill or be killed. A man who would be gone for long periods of time. But Mother knew time would settle the matter and now she enjoyed talking with Grandmother and watching her daughter squirm in her new feelings of love.
Shining Moon opened his eyes and poked the dying fire with a stick. Placing several small cedar sticks on the embers, he brought the fire back to life. But even the fire was not like the warmth he felt for Flying Bird. Flying Bird was his soul and strength, his waking and sleeping moments. She was in the brightness of the stars and the sweep of wind over a hawk’s feathers. She was with him in all things. She was like the land, mother of all creation, strength to him and is people.
Shining Moon once again picked up the rough piece of obsidian. He held the stone up towards the stars and then placed it over his heart and in a muted whisper he prayed. “Stars, dark, moon and earth, give to this stone my heart, make it live with the beating of my heart, make it perfect like the living earth and make it warm to the touch of my woman and my love.” He placed the rough obsidian once more in the deer hide and carefully wrapped it up with the tools. It was not time to start chipping. There would be a time but he knew this was not the time. The bundle wrapped and tied with sinew, Shining Moon looked out into the darkness for the shapes of his ponies. Squinting his eyes he could see the shadowed forms of the five horses. He loved Flying Bird even more than his horses and for his horses he would die.
Shining Moon stood and stretched. It had been many weeks since he had been with the tribe. Many weeks since the Old Man had had the dream. Life had been much easier before the old man’s dream. Several days before the dream Shining Moon had gathered all his strength and taken six of his best horses and walked through the milling pueblo. He had walked straight and tall to the home of Sleeping Bear and in respect called out to Sleeping Bear. “Sleeping Bear, I bring you truth of my love.” Sleeping Bear had been pre-warned by his wife in time Shining Moon would come and in keeping with tradition he did not immediately come to the door but stayed inside smiling and poking his old wife. With a smile Mother pushed him towards the door and Shining Moon swallowed trying to find his voice. “I bring you these horses of mine and blankets to go with them for the hand of your daughter.” Sleeping Bear scratched his head and pulled tentatively on a large turquoise earring in his left ear lobe. He looked past Shining Moon at the horses. They were fine strong animals, well fed and groomed. Walking past Shining Moon, Sleeping Bear touched each of the animals and then turned. “They do not look like very good horses to me for such a daughter as I have.”
Shining Moon did not speak but watched anxiously as Sleeping Bear filled his pipe slowly still eyeing the horses. They were fine horses, too fine for an old man, but he could trade them for many good things. Baskets and blankets for his wife, bear and elk meat for the winter.
Sleeping Bear without speaking went back into his home and returned, his pipe lit with a coal from the fire. He eyed the young man. Such a strong and brave man he was. Standing with his hair greased and parted, two hawk feathers moving slightly in the breeze from his hair. He was naked from the waist up and wore only a leather loin cloth and short moccasins. His muscles were long and lean, taut from many days on his horses. But mostly the old man looked into the young warrior’s eyes. It was through the eyes one peered into a man’s soul. And in Shining Moon’s eyes he saw a sadness, a depth that most men did not have, especially warriors. Warriors were usually rash and wild. They used their women, more content to sit by the fire with other men and tell of their battles and deeds. But in Shining Moon’s eyes Sleeping Bear could see deep knowledge, a feeling, the look of a leader — a man not only of action but words. In time maybe a warrior chief, a man of decisions.
Shining Moon watched the old man. Inside himself the world was turning. He felt sweat forming between his shoulder blades and a cold icy feeling creeping into his heart. He must consent. If not he would steal Flying Bird. They would creep from the tribe to live as outcasts if they must. He would take her far away from the people. Far away to another tribe if he had to. She would come. He knew she would come with him.
Inside the hogan Flying Bird could not contain herself. She listened as her mother and grandmother talked around the fire.
“It is of no good,” Mother spoke.
“He is only a warrior with lousy horses,” Grandmother said. Both women kept themselves so Flying Bird could not get close to the door of the hogan and hear the words of Sleeping Bear.
To Flying Bird it was as though time had stopped. Her heart fluttered in her chest like a tiny frightened bird in a net. Her fingers were like the cold ice of winter and her tongue lay dry and lifeless in her mouth. If Sleeping Bear did not consent to the marriage, she would surely go out into the wilderness around the pueblo and kill herself. There was no life, no reason for being without Shining Moon. Surely she could not live with a broken heart. But try as she may, Mother and Grandmother would not let her get close enough to the door to listen to the conversation of Shining Moon.
By now the word had spread around the tribe that Shining Moon was vying for the heart of Flying Bird, and all the old women and men and children were forming a large circle around the poor anxious warrior. Giggles and laughs circulated throughout the crowd. But they were not mocking sounds. Some people whispered: He will not give her — Sleeping Bear does not like him. Others felt he would without doubt get the hand of Flying Bird. All looked at Shining Moon and saw in him the look of love.
Sleeping Bear knocked the ashes from his pipe and then with eyes glowing he looked at Shining Moon. “I will take these horses, but you must bring me one more.”
Shining Moon felt the tensions drain from his body and he cringed at the old man. “I will bring you one more horse in the morning.” Sleeping Bear looked at the horses and smiled. He knew he could have asked for five more horses and the young man would have given them.
Shining Moon turned, his heart on fire, and walked through the group, proud and happy. Sleeping Bear entered the hogan and looked at the two women and then at his daughter. And then with a smile he spoke: “You will marry Shining Moon in one month’s time.”
Flying Bird sank to the ground and began crying. The two women
