The Legend of Black Wolf - Sully's Journey Home

Chapter Forty Eight

Just barely making his way back to the meadow in time to resume translations for the Cheyenne, Sully muddled through more negotiations between Black Kettle and Chivington, which ended up in both parties leaving the treaty table frustrated and at a standstill over any sort of compromise.  To match the mood of the day, winds picked up and rain again threatened the area, keeping everyone in their tents throughout the evening.  However, early that next morning, Cloud Dancing was sure to visit Sully and make time to check on his friend...

 

 

      Sneaking out of his teepee early that next morning, Cloud Dancing made his way to Sully's teepee.  Knowing that Sully might still be sleeping, the medicine man decided to go anyway.  Things were busy in the meadow the past few days and, with Black Kettle constantly working with Sully and the Elders to make the most of the negotiations, Cloud Dancing knew this was probably his best chance of the day to check on his friend.  The sight of him walking that woman's horse out of town the day before was burned into his mind.  He had to know what had transpired.

      Without hesitation, he raised the flap and stepped inside, sending a gust of wind across the cold fire.  A fine cloud of ash kicked up and, in the brief light from outside, he saw that, indeed, his friend was still asleep.  With a sudden jerk, Sully snapped awake, the blast of crisp morning air hitting him in the face.  It reminded the Indian of times when he had to rouse his own sons from their slumber in order to get them to do their chores.  Sully momentarily had the same confused look on his face.

      "Are you well?"  Cloud Dancing asked, concerned that Sully might have come down with something in the night.  Throwing his head back and running his hands through his hair as he stretched his arms, he groaned in reply.  The medicine man took some kindling in the corner and began to fan life back into the fire.  As Sully slowly sat up, the furs fell away from him and Cloud Dancing could see that Sully had slept shirtless.  In the silence between the two men, Sully stretched again, and Cloud Dancing could hear the beads clicking against his chest as he woke up.

      "I'm fine."  Sully finally answered gruffly, tossing off the extra fur he had grabbed in the middle of the night.  "Just couldn't get comfortable."  Kicking his feet out away from the blankets made him groan as he tried to get his stiff muscles to quit complaining.

      "Snow Bird would agree with you.  She wants to feel her own land under her soon."  As Cloud Dancing spoke, a reluctant flame popped up and sparked the kindling.  "Do you feel we will reach an agreement today?"  With a sigh, Sully got up and reached for a skin of water.  Stepping around Cloud Dancing, he moved outside to quickly wash his face.  Knowing there would be no time to venture to the creek and bring back water to warm by the fire, Sully splashed his face.  The shock of standing outside his teepee without a shirt in the chill morning, coupled with the water, woke him up in an instant.  As he straightened and shook the damp ends of his hair away from his face, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that the soldiers in their adjoining tents were up and about.  Some were staring.  None of them had dared to disrobe in the chill Colorado weather.  Knowing they surely must think him strange, Sully smirked to himself as he stepped back inside.

      By now, Cloud Dancing had the fire going and things felt warmer in the teepee.  Grabbing his shirt, he stretched it over his head and shoved the shirt tails into his pants.  Sitting down in silence, Sully grabbed some bread and warmed the rest of his water in the growing flames.  The two men sat in silence a bit longer, watching the crackling flames before Cloud Dancing spoke.

      "Black Kettle would not speak of his trip into own with you yesterday."  He said to his friend.  Sully would not meet his gaze at this statement, knowing the Chief was most likely disappointed in how Sully had acted in Bray's Mercantile.  With talks not going well, throwing the tomahawk at Chivington had not been the best move to make, even if it was a show of disgust for Loren's antiquated sign.  Cloud Dancing, hoping his statement was leading enough to get Sully to divulge some detail, was met with the same silence the Chief had given him the night before.  Both had disappeared into town together, but the Chief had come back alone while Sully had only reappeared later as the treaty table was filling up with representatives from both sides.  The medicine man did not want to acknowledge that he had seen his friend walk out of town with a woman's horse in tow.  But when it was clear that he could not hold in the information any longer, Cloud Dancing played his ace.