People - People of the Wolf Part 15

When no answer came, Broken Branch hesitantly threw off her robes and crawled on hands and knees up through the ice opening. A haze of white blew around a hooded figure, stabbing at her eyes, forcing her to squeeze them closed. She pushed up to stand on weak tottering legs,trying to make out the ancient face in the caribou hood. The vast expanse of white encircling them seemed to swirl in Wind Woman's grasp.

"I'll be a cursed .. the woman grunted. "That pointed nose of yours used to be beautiful. Now it looks as sharp and ugly as somebody's dart point. Makes me feel better."

"Who are you?" she demanded roughly this time. "Do I know you?"

"You old b.i.t.c.h. Of course you do. How could you forget someone whose heart you broke?"

Broken Branch gasped a deep wheezing breath as recognition dawned, her hands fluttering wildly about the woman's shoulders. Touching her to make certain she was real. Getting control of herself, she put a hand to her trembling lips and stared with trepidation. "Blessed Star People ..

. it's you."

"Of course it's me," Heron snapped. "How many other people's hearts have you broke?" Then, squinting in thought, she added, " "Course, I guess I wouldn't know. Maybe you've stacked up quite a few by now."

Reaching out timidly, Broken Branch grabbed the hide strings of Heron's parka and clumsily pulled her forward before wrapping frail old arms around her and hugging her as though she were a vision that might disappear at any moment. "I thought you'd died long ago."

Heron raised her own arms, patting Broken Branch's back tenderly as she chided, "Couldn't let myself. I always figured I'd see you again."

Broken Branch shoved gently back to stare into the oval face of the Spirit Woman. Heron's graceful features were still finely etched, lips full and nose turned up. "You still want to kill me?"

Heron slowly filled her lungs and held the breath as she scowled for a long moment. "Not as bad as I used to."

"You just come to that conclusion because of my nose."

"Mostly. I still might curse your joints, though."

"You're too late. Somebody else already did. I can barely walk most of the winter."

"That right?" Broken Branch nodded, bowing her head as guilt swelled in her breast. "You know, I never meant to hurt you. It was just that I--"

"Oh ..." Heron shook her head sternly. "You did me a favor, really. I didn't have the courage to become a Dreamer by myself. Needed some deep wound to force me to let go of the People." "I sure gave you that, didn't I?"

"You did."

"I never felt right about it after you left. There was always an empty place inside me."

"After, sure. But it never occurred to you when it counted!"

Broken Branch's eyes narrowed, jaw clenching. "Of course not. I didn'tlike you."

"Well, you weren't exactly lovable. That sharp tongue of yours waggled all the blasted time. Why, I--"

"Grandmother?" Red Star's young voice interrupted, a sweet timid face peeking out the opening to the cave. "Come and eat before this is all gone."

"I'll be there in a minute, child," she called over her shoulder.

Wind Woman playfully tousled the ties on her parka, setting them to flapping across her chest. She chanced another look at Heron. A slow smile crept over her former enemy's face, a twinkle in her eyes.

"Come on," the Dreamer said gruffly. "I got just the thing for your joints."

"What? You gonna do a spirit healing? For me?"

Heron shook her head. "No, I got something much more powerful."

"What could be more ..."

Heron went into a fit of hysterics as Broken Branch's eyes jerked wide and her jaw gaped. "You're not gonna cut them off, are you?"

"I might," Heron said with a slight smile. Turning, she waved for Broken Branch to follow as she strode across the white windswept plain toward Runs In Light. People were crawling out of the ice cave to gather in weary joy around him. They were hugging him, and gratefully shouting that they'd never doubted him. Broken Branch pursed her lips and lowered her eyes to stare at the wispy tendrils of snow creeping around her legs like ghostly fingers.

"Curse you," she whispered to herself, squinting at Heron's back.

"You're the only Dreamer I ever believed had Power." Hearing the odd words, she quickly amended, "You and Runs In Light."

Over the whistling wind, she heard Heron's voice shouting: "Yeah, I found her. That old b.i.t.c.h never could leave well enough alone."

A faint chuckle escaped Broken Branch's withered throat. She inhaled a deep soothing breath, the first in days, and let her gaze drift over the joyful faces emerging from the snow caves. Around them, the icy plains gleamed with a pearlescent sheen. Drifting clouds seemed to glow brighter, their edges gilded with s.h.i.+mmering gold.

"Grandmother?" Red Star called. "I saved you some. But you'd better eat it fast before my stomach growls again."

She turned to see the girl weakly handing out a loop of stuffed intestine. Broken Branch knelt and took the blessed food. "Thank you, baby. You're a good girl."

Red Star c.o.c.ked her head against the brilliant sun, squinting up.

"Grandmother? Does this mean Light's Dream was real?"

"Of course, it does. Didn't I tell you he was coming back?""So, no bears are going to eat us? We're going to be all right now?"

Broken Branch took a bite of the delicately flavored meat and gazed back at Heron. The old Spirit Woman was waving her arms expressively, bullying everybody to get them organized. Her m.u.f.fled words seemed to blend with Wind Woman's, becoming one plaintive and powerful voice in the wilderness.

"We're saved, baby," Broken Branch said. A few tears had frozen on her lower lashes, glimmering like crystals. She wiped them away with the back of her sleeve. "Our souls are in the hands of a master Dreamer now--the most powerful Dreamer our People have had since Father Sun himself walked the earth." She turned and patted Red Star's gaunt cheek.

"Yes, don't you worry, baby. We're saved."

Chapter 17.

The People rested and ate and rested through another stretch of darkness, reviving. When the storm finally abated, Heron led them off in the new snow, webbed snowshoes crunching while she followed Black, who drove his nose deep into the powder, sniffing for the trail.

By sunset, Green Water stood at the top of the ridge, staring in awe at Heron's shelter; it was a marvel. For a brief moment, Wind Woman stilled her constant howl to provide a glimpse of the little valley. White water bubbled from the ground through a rent in the rocks, cascading down to a deep aquamarine pool. Beyond, the water ran open and foggy as far as the eye could see. Tall stands of willow lay buried deep under the snow; nearby, depressions lined by living gra.s.s could be seen. Below them, the snow had melted away.

"How long have you been here?" she called timidly to the Spirit Woman.

"Awhile," Heron shouted from the front of the procession. "Now, to me, it looks like the ground broke here and all this hot water come up. A couple of years back .. . let's see. Well, maybe twenty or so, the ground shook. Scared me to death. Till then, that hot spring just dribbled. Afterward, it started shooting water up way high. Like something broke loose down there in the rock. Scares me what might happen if the ground breaks again. Don't get near that geyser. It'll cook you. I mean it. I boil meat in that."

Green Water shook her head. There'd been stories. Old Geyser--dead now--had talked of such things. Had he been here? Slowly, trying to take it all in, Green Water followed them down toward the smoking waters.

Unsure, she remembered the stories told around the fires. Stories of how Heron had left the People. Stories of how she bartered with the spirits of the Long Dark. Hesitantly, she looked over her shoulder, staring out into the white wastes. Well, perhaps there were worse fates.

When they reached the edge of the steaming pool, Heron disappeared into a crack in the rocks and returned with a pile of caribou hides. "Here,"

she said, dropping them on the snowy ground. "I got more inside that you can use to make a shelter. While you do that, I'll put on some moss tea and get out some meat for dinner."

A tremor of relief went through the People. Hurriedly, they joined hands to make hasty lodges. Hours later, Heron returned and surveyed the shelters approvingly.

"Come and sit down now," the old woman instructed. "We've got things to talk about."

Gratefully the People gathered around the edges of the deep pool to drench in the warm mist. Heron had built a fire in front of her rock shelter and the flames licked upward, casting long shadows over the surrounding boulders and flickering amber across the greenish pool. She pa.s.sed out sacks of meat and told people to help themselves to the bags of hot moss tea.

When everyone had settled down to eat contentedly, the Spirit Woman declared, "I can feed you all for a couple of weeks on what I've stored.

But after that ..." Singing Wolf nodded, cupping a horn full of thick black tea. "How much game is here?"Heron lifted a thin shoulder. "Enough. A small herd of caribou winters out in the basin down by the river. The wind sweeps it clean. They can get willow there, dig for moss and gra.s.s. Seems like every year more gra.s.s grows. Lot of changes since I came here .. . let's see .. . Well, no matter --back when Broken Branch there was still young enough to steal my man."

Broken Branch stiffened, stopping in mid chew to narrow her eyes.

"As far as hunting goes," One Who Cries said, clearing his throat, "we can build a drive line. Green Water and Suns.h.i.+ne can work the wings, the extension of the lines, with the children between cairns to keep the animals moving. With Singing Wolf, Jumping Hare, and me, there are three men to run down the--"

"Four," Heron added, jerking her head toward Runs In Light, who sat silent, head down. People grumbled among themselves. Now that their bellies were full, they'd started complaining again, calling Runs In Light a false Dreamer. Heron lifted a brow, spitting, "You fools. He's seen more than you'll ever understand."

An awkward silence descended, the flames lighting tense faces.

"Grandmother." Runs In Light spoke. "Don't worry.

I--".

"Hush, boy. You and I aren't done yet." She turned and looked at him, heedless of his embarra.s.sment. "Don't know what you are yet, eh? Keep that att.i.tude and you might never know."

"Wolf Dream," Broken Branch muttered, her eyes bright again.

Heron turned, head c.o.c.ked. "You saw it?"

"It was in his eyes."

Heron nodded. "Much has changed since I've been gone? No Dreamers?"

Broken Branch waved miserably. "Crow Caller had it once. I think he killed it. Dreamed sour .. . like maggot-filled meat. These young ones, they've never seen a real Dreamer before. You need to come back, Heron.

The People need you. There's no heart. No fire. The old ways, the true ways, they've gone like smoke in Wind Woman's breath."

Heron turned, pointing. "He's the future. "

Wolf Dreamer shook his head in the silence. Ashen, he got to his feet and vanished into the night beyond.

After the long pause. Broken Branch shook her head. "I don't know. His spirit left him." She sighed. "It's no longer in his eyes."

"You're wrong." Heron grinned. "As usual."

Singing Wolf cleared his throat. "He's young. Like his brother, Raven Hunter, said, he's susceptible to delusions."

"Raven Hunter?" Heron whirled, a thin finger jabbing at Singing Wolf like a dart. "You'd listen to him!" Her eyes narrowed wickedly. "What'shappened to you? Has that maggot-mouthed Crow Caller broken all of your Dreaming? Curse you all. There is no life without Dreaming!"

Singing Wolf's chin stuck out as he mumbled, "Runs In Light nearly Dreamed us to death."

"Idiots." Heron shook her head. "Do you think you're all just eating machines? Huh? That your only purpose here is to eat and make babies to do it all over again after you're gone? Curse you! No wonder the People are dying! You have to Dream to LIVE!"

"Yes!" Broken Branch cried, clasping her hands together. "See?" She pointed at Heron. "There's Power! There's a Dreamer! Hear how she speaks? Hear the Power? Ha-heeee! Wolf brought us here. Wolf Dream!"

"What of the boy, Wolf Dreamer?" Heron crossed her arms, eyes on Singing Wolf where he looked away, shame creeping up his face.

"He's feeling guilty." Broken Branch waved it away. "We lost one little girl, though the rest of us are here."

Heron fingered her chin. "Did Crow Caller tell you Dreams came easy? Did he?"

No one ventured an answer, but their crimped faces told her what she wanted to know. "Well, they don't. Dreams don't come without pain .. .

yes, and even death. Remember that."

She shook herself, gray-shot hair spilling loose about her shoulders.

"You, Singing Wolf?"

He looked at her with wary indignation in his eyes. "What?"

"You think you're a hunter?"

"I'm the best--"

"No, you're not. I'm going to take you on a real hunt. A Dream Hunt.

I'll call the caribou. I know the place. A drive line is already there.

They hear me and listen. They'll help the People if I ask."

Singing Wolf glanced around uncomfortably. "You mean we're not going to go stalk them? To drive--"

"No. I'm going to go Dream them in. Don't disturb me." She turned and walked out into the growing darkness, following Wolf Dreamer's path.

Singing Wolf chewed his lip, confusion on his face. He raised his eyes to Broken Branch as she waddled past, heading out into the dark.

She stopped to scowl at him. "Didn't I tell you to keep your mouth shut?"

He dropped his eyes.

Runs In Light heard the soft tread. He bit back the frustration. "I'm not the one." "No?" Heron's voice carried a subtle power.