Ma'iitsoh

Chapter 9

When the twins turned six, Lone Wolf took them to perform their first hunt. The twins followed Azhèè and felt no fear. They could both use a bow and arrow. Lone Wolf would start with something easy such as a prairie dog.

"Prairie dogs were herbivores, burrowing rodents or a ground squirrel." Lone Wolf explained to them.

Lone Wolf told the twins to move slowly, once the prairie dog made a warning call that sounded like a bark, they would run back into their burrows. Lone Wolf called them Barking Squirrels and the twins laughed.

The sun was high and the prairie dogs basked in the sun. They observed them over a ridge. Shiyih raised his bow, aimed and the arrow found its' target. The warning was signalled and they waited. Not long and a few peeked out and resumed to bask in the sun.

Sidzilil raised his bow, he was fast. He hit his target within a second. Lone Wolf, Shiyih and Sidzilil went to the village to present their hunt to Long Tail.

Long Tail was extremely proud and showed the twins how to skin the prairie dogs. Then the skin had to be tanned. Before tanning, the skins are unhaired, degreased, desalted and soaked in water for six hours or two days to prevent damage to the skin by bacterial growth. Once the skins are clean it is painted with a mixture of salt solution and left to putrefy for a few months. The material was softened by pounding it repeatedly.

Lone Wolf spoke to Long Tail for a while. The twins played with the other young ones. Long Tail looked at Lone Wolf with a serious expression.

"I heard the owl call my name."

Lone Wolf froze in shock "What do you need me to do for you, Cheii?"

"The day after tomorrow take me to the Black Hills. I need the Great Spirit to fetch me at the place of my birth."

Lone Wolf agreed and took the twins home. They fell off to sleep after they ate and bathed and told Amà about their day. Kat could sense that Lone Wolf was extremely troubled. Once he told her, she cried herself to sleep. A day later, he left.

Lone Wolf passed Charles and One Tear on their way to Skai. They nodded and rode on. When Charles and One Tear reached the cabin, providence was saddled.

"Go." Said Charles.

"Thank you, Pa."

When Lone Wolf reached Long Tail's Hogan, Kathryn reached the village. She jumped off Providence and ran into the arms of Long Tail.

"Cheii. A hè'hee, thank you for the gift of Lone Wolf."
She held back her tears, hugged the old man to her chest then sat him down.

"Cheii, you will live on in your grandson, Lone Wolf, forever. Your great grandchildren Shiyih, Sidzilil and Aponii. You will live in my heart. One day when the Great Spirit comes to claim us back to him I shall look for you. Ayoo Aninishi. I love you, Old Father. May your journey be peaceful. Promise me, you will find your way back to us. We need you, Cheii."

They both cried tears of deep pain, Long Tail looked at Kat,
"Skai, the day you came here you brought joy to the tribe, joy to an old man's heart. My son-" He looked at Lone Wolf, "and his and your little ones will be the last thought I will leave on this land before the Great Spirit take me to my new home. Ayoo Aninishi."

He kissed her cheek. She watched them leave. The tribe did not speak. Many men tried to hide their tears, the women cried openly. Kathryn returned home.

Three days passed, one night she heard a wolf howl. She went outside and in front of the cabin stood a white Wolf with blue eyes and a long tail. Lone Wolf sat on Wildflower and watched Skai speak to the wolf in front of her.