1- The Glass Room 2- The Spirit Stone -3-bear Hugs-4- Believe (16 page)

“No, I only heard of the great beauty there; it would be a good place to raise your children.”

“You wouldn’t mind if I left you?”

“Yes, I would mind, but I would be happy for you. It is a good thing to find your true love, and to spend all your years together.”

“Thank you for understanding. But I don’t know what to do about Straight Arrow. Our mating is only one season away. Night Hawk told me not to worry; that he has a plan. I don’t know what that means, but I will pretend to be happy to mate with the wrong man.”

It was the middle of the last season before her mating with the warrior she did not love and did not even like. It was bitterly cold. As she wrapped the woven blanket around her shoulders, she was looking at the dark moon. She walked around the few trees here in the southern plains. Some movement caught her eye and when she looked again she saw Night Hawk. Her heart skipped a beat. After all this time of forty moons, he was standing waiting for her at her new village. She ran to his opened arms. They held each other not wanting to let go. He was finally here with her. She felt the warmth from his body even as the night grew colder.

“You are healed?” she asked.

“Yes, I am healed on my body and in my heart being here with you.”

“I knew. The Spirit Stone told me of your strong heart beat. I am so happy. But in half of the season will be the time for my mating. What am I to do?”

“Do not worry, my love. I have a plan. Now let’s find us a place where we can share our love.”

The world glowed again. The world was warm again. The world belonged to them again. They were both bathed with her warm tear drops of joy and happiness. So long they had waited for each other, but dreading their soon departure.

“I will see you again when the moon is dark or before.

“You seem happy today; any reason?” Still Water, Raven’s mother, said.

“Yes, Mother, He was here last night. He came to see me. We love each other so.”

Raven was worried when the day seemed warm. It is at that time that she would mate with Straight Arrow. It was to be when the warmth returns to the land; when flowers bloom and animals come out from their hiding places. It was a time that she always looked forward to, but not this year. There was no love shared between them. Straight Arrow only wanted her for his mate because of her beauty. He always wanted to be the best in everything. He did not love her, but he wanted to possess her; to own her as he owns the best horse or that he owns the most scalps. He thought more of what he wanted and not what others in his tribe wanted. He would be a bad leader when the time would come. Everyone knew of this and wished for his father, Chief Running Bear, to walk on this earth forever.

Raven and Still Water were decorating her mating dress. They were sewing small beads and tiny shells on it to make it pretty. On the inside, without her mother knowing it, she sewed her pouch that held her Spirit Stone. She felt lost without it. It should have been a happy time for her, but was not.

“Why did Father have to promise me to a warrior that I do not love? He knows of love because you both shared love when you mated and still do. Why did he think I wanted to mate someone where there was no love?”

“He wanted the best for you. To be first wife of the Chief would give you high status. He thought because of this, you would learn to love him. You were both young then. He didn’t see the future as some do. Try to understand his feelings, for he did this out of love for you.”

The time was passing. Her dress was finished and waiting. Even her mating moccasins were beaded and ready. Everything was ready except her. All the people were anxious about having a celebration. The next day, flowers were picked for her to carry. Pretty small flowers were placed on top of her head band.

The Holy Man was standing in front of the couple. On the right side, the people gathered to watch. Just as the Holy Man started to make words, a horse raced toward the couple at full speed, the rider leaned to the side of the horse and without slowing down, Night Hawk grabbed Raven and put her riding in front of him. They raced like a flash of lightening until they were out of sight. Waiting there was Foxhunt who grabbed her off of the racing horse and put her in front of him on his horse and with great speed headed to the Comanche land. Night Hawk, Long Snake, Running Deer, Wild Antelope, and many other brave warriors, were ready and waiting for the Apache warriors to come after them. Night Hawk was out to kill Straight Arrow, not just for almost sending him to walk in the spirit world, but to take Raven away from him. In his hand he held one of his throwing knives. He saw him coming, but waited for him to get closer. The time was now. His knife flew in the air, landing deep into Straight Arrow’s chest. Blood spurted out as he fell off his horse to the ground, dead. All Apache warriors were angry and determined to revenge his death only to find the Comanche warriors were ready for them. The battle between the warriors of both tribes fought a good fight, but joined their future leader to the spirit world.

The Comanches were hooping and howling until they were out of hearing range. Night Hawk gave his horse a good name for he was on Flash; as he rode in a flash. His friends could not catch up with him. He was going to be with his love, his Raven.

As they entered the canyon of his people, Night Hawk jumped off his horse and ran to Raven where they reached out to each other in sheer joy. She was dressed in her mating gown and the Comanche Holy Man was waiting with all the people gathered around for the two, Night Hawk and Raven was mated. They now belonged to each other. She was here to stay with the man she loves.

They slept that night and every night in each others arms. Raven was now where she knew she belonged, here in this beautiful canyon surrounded by high, glorious mountains with the man that she will love forever.

It didn’t take them long to began their family. First was a son, they were both proud of. They named him Eagle Feather. Next came their daughter, Pretty Flower. They both adored their children. Where Raven always knew she would be a good mother, she was happy at what a good loving father Night Hawk was. They had a lot to teach them, but most of all they vowed to never Promise their daughter to anyone. Both their children were to find their own love without their interference.

Chapter Nine
 

Almost two hundred years had passed since the time of the Comanche Tribe living in the area of Palo Duro Canyon. It was now a State Park enjoyed by many.

The anticipated camping trip had finally arrived. The father was now on vacation. The couple and their four sons were heading to Palo Duro Canyon State Park South of Amarillo, Texas. They were going to tent camp there which they all were excited about. After the four boys helped in getting all the camping equipment out of the van, they excitably ran off to climb the mountains that surrounded the campsite. The father was getting the tent and tent poles ready to erect while the mother was making sure there were no rocks where the tent flooring would be cut. While she carefully felt the ground with her open hand, something caught around her finger. It was a thin leather strap weathered by age. Strung on the strap were two stones that together they were the size of a silver dollar. She was amazed. Both stones were an orange-red color. When she placed the two pieces together, she felt movement. Startled but curious, she felt it again only this time with more patience; she realized it was like both stones together felt like two strong heart beats.

THE END

BEVERLY MACHADO

BEAR HUGS
 

Chapter One
 

In a very busy city, on a very busy street, lived a very busy family. The mother, the father, the ten year son, and their four year old daughter lived in a little house on a little piece of land. All the little houses in this neighborhood were very close together. There was a little fenced yard where the four year old girl named Lila had her dog that she loved and she took very good care of him. She named him “Dog”. She loved all animals. Cars passed all day long and half the night on this busy street in front of their little house.

The family was looking forward for when they could take their vacation. They would stay in a log cabin deep in the woods where trees grew and wild flowers grew for here in these yards, trees didn’t grow and flowers didn’t grow. The soil was not good for growing anything.

They heard about this cabin in the woods. It would give them a quiet time to share together where they would not be busy and they could fish in the lake by the cabin. They could rent a boat and go boat riding and swim.

There were lots and lots of trees that people called a forest. They said wild flowers grew in this forest.

No cars passed and no houses could be seen. They were happy when all work stopped for the mother and father and their school closed, so they were not busy either. They packed lots of things they needed and put them in the car and it was time to go to this quiet place in the forest. They were happy and sang happy songs on the long drive there.

Lila and Lester, her brother, were making angels in the pile of fallen, colored leaves in front of the big cabin. The family played together and ate together outside while their father barbequed hamburgers and hot dogs for them to eat at the picnic table under the trees by the lake.

The air was fresh. They could smell the sweetness of the colorful flowers. They heard the water gurgling as fish swan and played tag in the lake. It was a happy time for all the family.

One day they decided to take a walk in the forest. It was a good day with a cool breeze blowing the high grass back and forth and the fallen leaves played chase.

They were so happy looking at the rolling hills and trees that when they came to a fork in the road they were looking up at the hills and blue sky and where the mother and father and brother took the road to the left, Lela took the road to the right.

No one noticed until a little time passed that their daughter was not with them. They called and called but she did not hear them.

She was frightened when she realized she was not with her family. She didn’t know which way to go. She called, but no one answered her. What could she do? She just kept walking and calling. That’s all she knew to do.

She then realized she was hungry and right ahead of her, she saw apples on the ground. When she looked up, apples were hanging on the trees making the trees heavy. She sat under the tree and ate until she was not hungry anymore. But now she was thirsty.

She walked a little more in the forest. She was not on a trail anymore; just surrounded by all kinds of trees. Then she saw a creek with clear water. She drank and drank until she was not thirsty anymore.

She then realized she was sleepy and laid down on top of a pile of leaves. An hour later she woke to see the sun was still in the sky brightening the forest.

It was then that she saw two little bear cubs wrestling. She watched them for a while, but she was lonely and decided to join them in their play.

They were happy to play with the little girl. The mother bear was watching them play. She could sense that the little girl loved her two cubs. When they got tired of playing, they laid down and slept. She did too. The mother bear was still watching over them.

She woke later with the mother bear licking her face. It was her way of saying, it was time to eat. Lila hugged the mama bear’s neck as much as she could because her little arms couldn’t reach around the big neck of the big bear. Lela saw the cubs and the mother eating a large piece of meat. But she didn’t want to eat the meat.

While she was looking around, she saw lots of fruit trees and bushes; pears, peaches and more apples. She also saw pecans that had fallen on the ground. She loved pecans.

She held out her shirt and filled it with lots of fruit and the delicious pecans. She brought them over to the bear family incase they wanted some. Because she had strong shoes on, she crushed the pecans open. She had plenty to eat.

As the day grew later, the mama bear and the cubs were climbing to get up a high hill. But she couldn’t climb that high. She kept falling backwards. The mother bear saw that she was having trouble following them so she got in back of Lela and pushed her up and into the cave where they would sleep for the night.

She slept cuddling up to all the bears and it felt so warm with all the fur around her. She felt happy here and went right to sleep.

When morning came and they all went back down to the stream of water, a loud roar could be heard. She looked up and saw a tiger coming to get to the little ones, including Lela. The mama bear went into action. She got up on her hind legs and with her front paws was attacking the tiger. For a little while it looked like the tiger would win because it bit half of the bear’s ear off leaving teeth marks on the rest of the ear. It made the bear very mad and she kept attacking the tiger until it ran off into the forrest. Lela was very happy having her bear family protecting her just like her own family protected her.

They were in for a surprise this day because while the little ones played, the mother bear went and chased the honey bees away long enough to get to the honeycombs. Lela ate and ate as much as the three bear’s ate. It tasted so good to her, but she got so sticky that she had to get in the creek to get the stickyness off of her. The water was deeper than she realized from the rain the night before that she couldn’t make it back to shore. The mother bear saw she was in trouble and ran into the water. Because she was so large, the water was not too high for her and she reached out with her mouth and grabbed onto Lela’s shirt and pulled her to shore. Again she was saved by the large bear.

While they were on the hill, she saw her mother and father calling to her. They had been searching for her the whole time with the help of a lot of people. They thought she would be hungry and thirsty and cold but was surprised to see how good she looked.