Death's Horse Throws A Shoe

Part 7

Jeb woke the next morning. He had slept without dreaming-no forest, no bear. He sat up with help and fed a broth of venison and herbs and felt his strength returning. The boy had laid some clothes next to him before exiting the tepee. Jeb arose slowly, his legs wobbly beneath him and put on the clothes. They were of a native cut and not at all what he was used to, but they fit and would do well for the time being. In the bundle he found his medicine bag, but his gun was not among the things. Jeb hung the bag around his neck and tucked it beneath his shirt.

When he exited the tepee, the sun hurt his eyes and it took some time before they adjusted. Jeb squinted as he looked around. It was a small encampment with only a few tents. He saw his horse tethered with several others and in the middle was the old Indian sitting before a fire while the boy moved about, busy doing whatever was his job to do.

The elder man watched him without expression and then finally motioned for him to sit. Jeb crossed and sat next to the man and stared into the fire.

"You are looking better," the boy said. "I am Edward and he is Red Bear." He offered Jeb food and sat between the two. Red Bear began to speak, his voice low and quiet. Edward translated.

"We found you half dead but still on your horse. He's a good animal and very loyal to you. He actually found us. Walked right into camp. Lucky too, there was a raiding party in the woods. If they had found you, you would not be here now."

"How long have I been here?" Jeb asked.

"Some time. You could not be moved. How are you feeling?"

"Not bad. My back aches, but that's to be expected I guess, having taken a bullet."

"Yes, it was a bad wound."

Edward stopped and looked at Red Bear who was speaking at length. The old man's eyes never left Jeb.

"He says that the bullet nearly killed you. It was bad enough for your spirit to leave your body. While your body healed, Red Bear was trying to help your spirit return. He said it was very close. You did not seem to want to come back."

"The bear in my dreams?"

"No. Red Bear says that was your spirit guide. They often come to young braves when they are most open. They bring wisdom and peace to those who are worthy. It is a rare thing for a spirit guide to come to the Indian and very rare for one to show to a white man." Red Bear spoke again, and Edward translated, "He says that you are only part white man. He says that your mother had the blood of a powerful shaman-a skinwalker that was shunned by his tribe. You have that same blood in you and that is why the spirit guide came."

"I don't understand. My mother was from Kansas and my father was a Dane. They both died when I was very young."

"You have her medicine bag around your neck."

"It was a gift. She said she had gotten from an old family friend."

Red Bear moved from his seat near the fire and presented a bundle to Jeb. When Jeb opened the package, it contained his gun. He caressed it fondly, tracing its familiar lines along the handle, the cylinder and the barrel. His fingers stopped on the hilt where the iridescent stone was mounted.

"Red Bear says that before your mother died, you went on a trip."

"Yes, but I..." Jeb could not remember the details. They had left their home and travelled into the mountains with her and his older brother.

"He says that what happened there was very special-something that hadn't happened in many, many years. Do you remember?"

He could not. Jeb remembered the trip. It was hard and there was many a day without food. It snowed so hard that they had to hold up for several weeks until they could move again. He could not remember ever reaching their destination, or what had happened there. The only thing that came to mind was that his mother never left and his brother had disappeared shortly after. He roamed the countryside and got work where he could before taking up with a very rough crowd. They taught him how to survive, how to shoot and ride and how one could live if they put their morals on hold for a while. He had lied and cheated and robbed. They accused him of killing, but he could not believe he would do such a thing.

"Red Bear says that your memories will return in time. While you heal here, you will have to dig deep and find what is hidden within you. Only then will you be truly healed. He doesn't know how long it will take, but says we will remain here until you are well. No one will find you here. The riders were turned back by the raiding party and will not return."

"I can't stay. I have to go," Jeb said. He did not want the old man and the boy to be hurt on his account. He would be found eventually and neither of them were warriors.

"You must stay and open your mind. You must find what was lost within your head and your heart," the boy conveyed the earnest with which Red Bear was speaking. The man's haunting eyes burrowed into him.

He would stay, at least for the time being. Once he felt well enough to ride, he would be on his way. To where, he was not sure. He never knew where he was going until he got there. More often than not he was not there long before the town chased him off. Red Bear seemed to read his resignation and accepted it. The old man lit his pipe and smoked while staring into the fire.