Ma'iitsoh

Chapter 10

Kathryn washed Lone Wolf's body while One Tear chanted prayers. Words Kathryn had heard many times before. Kathryn, One Tear, Chief Manuelito and Charles followed Wildflower as she carried her master to his final resting place.

Head hung low, Wildflower would take her master to the Great Spirit the very same day. In Navajo beliefs, a horse that carried a body would be put to rest to continue it's journey into the next life. No one said a word. No tears were shed.

Before the last soil claimed their bodies, Kathryn turned and walked away. She asked Charles to accompany her back to the cabin to retrieve some belongings. Harry and Sparrow offered to take care of the children. Kathryn and Charles hammered planks over the windows, only the important necessities were placed on the wagon.

Kathryn did not look into Lone Wolf's closet. She walked out the door and sat on the wagon bench while Charles locked up and bolted the door, not only to her home, to her beloved and their memories.

When they arrived at the village a new Hogan stood waiting for Kathryn. She asked Charles to leave and he did. She unpacked in silence. A few pages fell from her hands and she bent to retrieve it. She saw they were the children's birth certificates. Lone Wolf had no last name, they were registered under Judson. Kathryn took the documents to Charles for safe keeping.

A month passed and the children adapted to life in the village. Shiyih and Sidzilil hunted often. Chief Manuelito became a surrogate father and mentor to the twins.

Kathryn never laughed again. The blue in her eyes seemed to fade. The tribe mourned, but would not express their feelings. They worked united to keep the children busy and focused on tribal life so that Kathryn's sadness would not wash over them.

Influenza spread through the village. Doctor Lang, the shaman and Snowbird were run off their feet. Within a month the dreaded illness claimed five lives. Doctor Lang sat in the sun for a while, smoking his pipe, after being in his feet for nearly twenty four hours.

He was shocked when the next patient was brought in. It was Kathryn. Doctor Lang and Snowbird made her as comfortable as they could on a narrow cot in the far side of the clinic.

The children did not visit as the illness was highly contagious. When Kathryn was in the ice cold grip of a high fever she would call for Lone Wolf and Long Tail. Within a week she was severely fatigued. Then the worst happened, she suffered from diarrhoea and vomiting. Completely spent, she lay with her eyes closed.

Doctor Lang would sleep for two hours and everyone would take turns to stay with Kathryn. Doctor Lang took over, her breathing became shallow. He knew her lungs would collapse.

The last night she never opened her eyes, before she surrendered her last breath to this world, Doctor Lang heard two distinct wolves howl.

He sat for a long time and thought to himself that Kathryn died of a broken heart, not the illness. These were only symptoms of her unhappiness.

One Tear came and washed Kathryn's body. Many tears fell from her eyes. Providence carried Kathryn's body followed by Doctor Lang, Harry, Charles and Chief Manuelito. She was placed next to Lone Wolf and Wildflower. Next to her lay Providence.

Charles wept bitter tears. He decided to leave the reservation. One Tear agreed and they would adopt their grandchildren and move to Prescott.

On arrival at Prescott, Charles went to see Sheriff Hicks who was pleased to see him, then cried heartfelt tears for the loss of two wonderful lives. Sandra left town and Hicks gave Charles the key to his house.