Dawn's Fire, book 2 of the Dawn Fire trilogy

Chapter 4; Filling in the Gaps

Chapter 4

Filling in the Gaps

   The third day of the prisoners’ captivity dawned over a land now covered with a thin blanket of snow. Again, much too early for the still sleepy prisoners they were all shaken awake and given their morning’s rations. But now they received only a piece of dried meat and no bread.  

   As he and Lion Claw packed their supplies onto the pack horses, Laughing Bear turned to his friend who was now for a brief time also his leader and whispered quietly, “I do not think that we have seen an end to the trouble that Burning Coal’s fire water causes. I saw Burning Coal pack away a second bottle of that stuff into those new saddle bags of his and he made no attempt at all to hide it. Practically waved it under my nose and then grinned that wolverine grin of his.” A shudder passed through his body from head to toe. 

   Lion Claw closed his eyes as a wave of weariness washed over him. He only shook his head in answer.

   Anger and frustration filled the generally gentle tempered Laughing Bear, who as his name bespoke was usually filled with mirth instead of his present bitterness. “May the god of these prisoners break that foul bottle and drive its shards into his flesh!”

   “Laughing Bear?!!” Shocked over the vehemence of his friend’s hateful words as well as the god that they invoked, Lion Claw looked at Laughing Bear with widened eyes. “I wouldn’t speak so lightly about the spirit that our prisoners call god if I were you. And besides, Burning Coal is elder to both of us and is worthy of respect because of it.”

   “Respect!?? Does he deserve any respect after what he did to that woman last night?”

   “We shouldn’t respect others only for their actions, but also for what they Are.”

   “Humph, as for their god, I can’t say that he has brought his followers much luck or protection.”

   “Let us hope that it remains so, for our sakes.” Lion Claw finished packing up his pack horse and then swung up onto his own horse, Shadow Walker. His mind wandered as he contemplated his horse’s black and white patches which had inspired his name. A deep sigh escaped Lion Claw’s mouth as his mind returned again to last night’s painful events. When would all this suffering end indeed? His eyes wandered over to where Hunting Wolf and Deer Pacer lifted the stiff blanket covered bundle onto Cloud Face’s back. Strange to think that that indistinct rigid form lying draped over the white and red colored mustang was the start of all this suffering. 

    Lion Claw quickly turned his eyes away from the dead and back to the living. But even though he averted his eyes, the sickeningly sweet smell of Raven Wing’s decaying body still reached his nostrils. Though the temperature had been thankfully very low, it still had not been low enough to completely freeze Raven Wing’s body and thus put a halt to its decomposing. Death and grief seemed to surround them and permeate all their thoughts and feelings, as this grave smell did. At least now the temperature was again dropping. Maybe they would now be spared from the stench of death at least. 

     But Lion Claw was certain that they had not yet seen the end of the suffering which had started with Raven Wing’s death. He wasn’t sure how much more suffering that their already afflicted captives could take. And how much longer would the god of these white people remain asleep? How much longer before he decided that his followers had suffered enough, and it was now the time to repay the red men for their deeds against them? With a weighted down heart Lion Claw tied his pack horse to the line of pack horses which Deer Pacer led behind his mount.   

    After their stop at the river’s edge, the captives were led along its bank. All tried not to think of what terrors this day could bring upon them. Instead, those who had already chosen Christ’s way tried to hold onto their faith in a loving Heavenly Father. Each and every captive down to their youngest sent many prayers heaven- ward, both for personal protection as well as for the protection of their surviving loved ones and family members. Every one of the prisoners, including three year old Robert, had quietly prayed together when they had sat down for a rest break.