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

Chapter 21; Good Hunting

Chapter 21

Good Hunting

    Within an hour the three women had a pot of bubbling stew cooking over the flames of the fire pit. Dawn Fire slowly stirred the thickening brown sauce and added more water to it until it was the right consistency. Soon the aroma of cooking rabbit meat filled the air and caused her nearly empty stomach to contract in a cramp of hunger. She ignored its complaints and added more spices to the bubbling liquid until it tasted satisfactory. Besides the rabbit meat they had added a few finely chopped dried roots and dried onions. 

    Suddenly a low rumble of thunder sounded from a short distance away. All three women looked up at each other and then Swaying Blossom got up from where she sat mending a leather tunic. Before she reached the hide covered entrance they all heard the distinct patter of the first drops of rain. The young Indian maiden pushed back the leather curtain and they all gazed in wonder at the sudden torrent of rain falling outside. It had been completely clear when they had walked back from the hot springs just an hour before. Dawn Fire shook her head as she turned back to the task at hand. Only an occasional drop of water made it through the slightly slanted opening in the top of the teepee. 

    During her search of her master’s supplies she had come across a half filled sack of flour so Dawn Fire decided to also make flat bread; thin crisp wafer-like rounds of bread which they was used to eat with soups and stews back in Norway. She made the dough with the ingredients that was on hand and then rolled it out as best as she could with the help of a piece of wood with a fairly smooth surface.  Though the flat bread did not turn out as thin as it should be it did come out relatively hard and crisp. Everything now was ready for Lion Claw and his guests.

    After only about a quarter of an hour’s wait the sound of hooves reached their ears and came to a stop outside their teepee. Dawn Fire quickly slid the heavy cast iron cauldron to one side of the metal spit hanging over the fire and then sat a kettle of water over the flames to cook. Suddenly two heavy thuds sounded out from just the other side of the entrance followed by a rush of voices. As Swaying Blossom and her mother stood up and started for the door they heard the sound of horses riding away. 

    Abruptly Lion Claw threw aside the curtain just as Swaying Blossom reached it and both started slightly at the unexpected appearance of the other. With a broad smile he spoke rapidly in Arapaho and pointed to a spot beside his teepee’s opening, out of Dawn Fire’s sight. By the delighted exclamations of the two women she guessed that her master’s hunting had been successful. A moment later, Lion Claw entered inside followed closely by Swift Arrow and Laughing Bear, all were wet to the core and shivering. 

    By the anxious scolding tone in Wind In Trees voice, Dawn Fire could guess what she was saying to the three younger men. Her assumption was confirmed when they all started peeling off their wet buckskin clothes until they stood only in their leather loin cloths. Wind In Trees gathered up the soggy clothes and started hanging them wherever she could. As Swaying Blossom handed each man a piece of cloth to dry off with, she stood up and took the thick sleeping fur from Lion Claw’s bed. 

    When Lion Claw finished drying his hair Dawn Fire unexpectedly threw the thick buffalo hide over his shoulders. Startled, he looked up and met her eyes. “Welcome home, master.”

     Lion Claw finally smiled and nodded his acknowledgement to her. “Hohou,” he said softly as he drew the fur closer around his shoulders. 

    Dawn Fire then walked over to her own sleeping furs and took up the two hides that made up her bed. She handed them to the other two men who accepted them with genuine gratitude. They all then went over to the fire and took seats as close to the flames as they could, stretching out frozen hands and feet towards its warmth.