Dark Journey [Ariel's Desire 2] (17 page)

Dances on the Wind managed to find her voice.
 
“The stallion is a cougar, Wind Seeker.
 
We are all in agreement.
 
His senses and cunning are strong.” She glanced again at the stallion’s hands.
Rising Sun’s going to kill me if this costs us our feather.

The tribe stood in silence, waiting for his decision.
 
Wind Seeker walked over to the stallion and their eyes met.
 
He could tell the man’s balls were probably shriveling under his gaze, but he stood tall.
 
There was almost a pleading anticipation in his blue eyes and Wind Seeker was pleased at how badly the stallion wanted to succeed and further his journey.
 
It was the look he’d been waiting to see.

Wind Seeker drew out the moment as he again studied the women and moved in front of Grey Dove.
 
Her hands were clenched into white knuckled fists.
 
Finally, he lifted his head and proclaimed loudly, “The stallion has furthered his journey.
 
He is a cougar.”

The stallion clamped his jaw to keep from smiling.
A cougar, I’m not a horse, I’m a cunning strong cougar.

Gentle Wave jumped up and wrapped her arms around her father’s neck.
 
“I told you, Father.
 
I told you.”
 
Fierce Bear’s eyes reflected his shock.
 
For a moment, when Wind Seeker walked back to his wife, he was afraid the stallion had failed.

Gray Dove almost cried when she was handed the feather.
 
She waited while her friends were handed theirs.
 
They gathered around her.
 
“I’m sorry.
 
I know I should have warned you, but it just came to me.
 
I was so nervous Wind Seeker wouldn’t agree with us.
 
I figured there was no way he would risk upsetting six warriors by not awarding us our feathers.”

“That was brilliant, Gray Dove.
 
I thought I was going to wet myself right in the street when I saw the stallion walking up with his hands at his sides,” Wild Flower laughed.

“Cougar,” Wind Seeker began.
 
Again, the people fell silent, wondering who would be chosen.
 
“Black Horse will train you to be a man.”

The village erupted in loud voices.
 
Fierce Bear slammed his fist into his hand and added his bellowing yell to the tribe’s.
 
The chief’s second son would be training the cougar.
 
This was the highest honor the cougar could have received.
 
Fierce Bear couldn’t remember ever hearing of a chief’s son furthering a journey.
 
He now knew the cougar would be a man.
 
He would be Gentle Wave’s man.

CHAPTER 6

THE MAN

Black Horse walked down to the street, stunned.
 
Yellow Hawk smiled, pleased with the decision.
 
The two men had been trying for the past hour to pry the information from Wind Seeker.
 
All Wind Seeker would say is that he discussed it with his father, the ailing chief, and they agreed it was meant to be a part of both souls’ journey.
 
Black Horse and Yellow Hawk were afraid they’d chosen Fierce Bear.

“Cougar, this is the warrior, Black Horse.
 
He is the chief’s second son.
 
He will teach you to be a man.”

The cougar realized this was an honor.
 
He could see the expression on Black Horse’s face and knew this decision was made without his knowledge. The second chief’s son would be training him to be a man.
 
The cougar thought the training would be hard, but he couldn’t fail.
 
Black Horse nodded. “I’ll teach the cougar to be a man,” he said.

The women ran back to their families, waving their feathers.
 
Fierce Bear lifted Gray Dove off her feet.
 
“You have honored our family.
 
I’m so proud of you.”
 
Gray Dove was still shaking at being the center of so much attention.

“Thank you, Mother,” Gentle Wave hugged her.

Her mother whispered, “I gave the cougar your message.”
 
Gentle Wave squeezed her harder.

Black Horse led the cougar to his cabin two doors down.
 
He stopped at the bottom of the steps.
 
Black Horse didn’t realize he wasn’t following until he opened the door and turned around.

“Come, cougar,” he smiled.

He walked up the steps, still feeling he might be doing something wrong.
 
He looked around and saw a cooking area by the stone fireplace, a long table with chairs and two sleeping areas of furs on the dirt floor.

Wild Flower came bounding by him and threw herself into her husband’s arms waving her feather.
 
“Oh, my god.
 
I told Gray Dove I almost wet myself when I saw his wrists unbound.”

“That wasn’t something you all decided on?”
 
It never occurred to him Gray Dove would take that kind of initiative.

“No, none of us knew she was going to do it.
 
We were scared to death Wind Seeker would fail him for her defiance.
 
She said she took a chance he didn’t want six warriors angry with him.”
 
She kissed her feather.
 
“That’s two feathers so far and you’ll get a third for training him to be a man.
 
That will tie us with Yellow Hawk if he includes Raining Thunder.”

Black Horse looked over her head as their son came in.
 
“Straight Arrow won a feather, too.
 
This will put us one ahead.”

The cougar couldn’t remember back to when he thought winning the feathers was ridiculous.
 
The Indians took it so seriously, somewhere along his journey they’d become important to him, too.

“I couldn’t believe Wind Seeker chose you, Father.
 
I think Night Wind was hoping it would be him.
 
Little Moon is reconsidering Fleet Cougar.
 
I don’t think he knows it yet,” Straight Arrow told them.
 
He looked at the cougar. “He’s had many of us reconsidering our journey.
 
I think if the cougar hadn’t come to the tribe, I never would have closed my eyes to Gentle Wave to see my true path is with Grazing Fawn.”
 
The young Indian grinned at his father. “Besides, Fierce Bear scares the shit out of me.”

The cougar’s grin trembled around his lips.
 
It surprised him Straight Arrow, with his mild temperament, was Black Horse’s son.
 
He didn’t know it before now.

“I’m taking the cougar to the stream so we can bathe.
 
We‘ll be back by lunch.”
 
Black Horse kissed his wife and the cougar followed him down to the stream.

Black Horse picked up a bucket.
 
The cougar had his hands bound since he got to the tribe, so someone else had always washed him.
 
He waited by the washing post for the warrior to return from the water.

“You’re training to be a man,” Black Horse chuckled.
 
“You can wash yourself.”

He welcomed the small measure of independence and enthusiastically picked up the pail and filled it with the stream water.
 
It was the beginning of November, and the water was getting colder every day.
 
He followed Black Horse back to the soap and rags and began scrubbing.

“In the winter, we keep a fire going over there.”
 
The Indian pointed to a circle of ashes with rocks surrounding it.
 
“We heat the water but you still freeze your ass off.
 
The warriors convince themselves we don’t sweat as much and don’t need to wash as often.
 
Our wives convince us otherwise by making us move our sleeping furs.”
 
He laughed.

The cougar found himself liking Black Horse’s manner.
 
It seemed strange he was talking to him like a person after months of being an animal.
 
He had no idea how long he’d be a cougar, or what was required to further his journey and finally become a man.
 
He realized Black Horse was speaking to him again.

“I’m happy that Straight Arrow and Grazing Fawn finally learned their journey was together.
 
I think the parents have known it since they were two.” Black Horse shook the rinse water out of his long black hair. “Besides, I wasn’t looking forward to sharing more celebrations than I have to with that scowling old man,” he shivered at the thought and the cougar laughed.

He winced expecting to be punished and Black Horse looked at him with mischievous black eyes.
 
“I knew I could make you laugh.
 
I’m training you to be a man.
 
Men speak.”

His mouth dropped open.
 
Now that he had permission, he had absolutely no idea what to say.
 
Black Horse watched him open and close his mouth. “You may be training to be a man, but you look like a fish.”

The cougar laughed again.
 
“It’s been a long time,” he said nervously.

“To be a man, you have to have questions answered.
 
Trust me, I’ll tell you to shut up if I have to,” the Indian grinned.

He remembered the first time he’d seen Black Horse riding out to meet the Vampires on the grasslands.
 
“I think it’s right for Wind Seeker to have chosen you to teach me to be a man.
 
You were the first Indian I saw.”

They walked back to the cabin.
 
“I saw in your eyes when you recognized the symbols on your cuffs.
 
I thought you’d piss yourself.”

“So did I,” he admitted, and laughed again.
 
“When will you know if I’m a man?”

“It’s not up to me.” Black Horse added, “And that would be a ‘shut up’ discussion.”

The cougar took the hint.
 
Prying or asking questions to rush to the end of the journey wasn’t going to happen.

They got back to the cabin and Wild Flower put the bowls on the table, four bowls, and four spoons.
 
She walked over to the corner and dug through some leather.
 
She tossed some breeches to the cougar.
 
“I think those should fit.”

He was so stunned he almost dropped them.
 
He could bathe himself and talk.
 
Now, it looked like he would be eating with a spoon and finally wearing clothes again.
 
He hadn’t had pants on since August.
 
He bent over to tie the laces and seemed to be fumbling with them.
 
Black Horse nodded at Wild Flower and she turned her back, stirring the stew.
 
Straight Arrow went to his sleeping area and pretended to adjust the furs.

Black Horse squatted down in front of the cougar and whispered.
 
“The journey to be a man is a hard one.
 
The leap from cougar to man is very quick, just as our minds have to be.”
 
He saw the teardrop hit the floor.

“I’m not much of a proud cougar now, am I?” he sniffled.

“Only a man can cry.”
 
Black Horse had been waiting for the trauma of adjusting from animal to man again to hit him.
 
He knew he’d be overwhelmed.
 
“There are a lot of rules for you to learn.
 
Some you already know from your journey.
 
Wild Flower and Straight Arrow will help you on your journey, too.
 
The tribe needs strong men, and I can always use a strong friend.”

Oh, great, now he’s got me bawling like Shining Star’s baby.
His trembling hands worked at the laces.

“Think of Gentle Wave.
 
She’s waiting for her warrior.
 
Think of the warriors you’ve met.
 
Your journey has been a strong one.
 
You can look any warrior in the eye with pride.”
 
Black Horse waited for him to compose himself.
 
“Only a man who has truly understood the journey he’s made would feel it so deeply.”

The cougar finally stood and wiped his eyes.
 
Black Horse looked at him and nodded.
 
“Wild Flower, is the stew ready?”

She turned.
 
Her face broke out in a huge smile.
 
“Gentle Wave is going to be fighting her friends over you.
 
Wait a minute.”
 
She walked over to him. “Tip your head.”
 
Her fingers worked to untie the leather strip and she fluffed his hair.
 
It had grown to about an inch since he’d been shaved, but the four inch hair lock fell to the top of his shoulders.
 
“Your eyes are going to shine when the rest grows in.”

“Can I have that?”
 
He pointed to the four colored strip of leather Whispering Wheat had given him.
 
Wild Flower handed it to him and he tied it to a loop at his waist.
 
He didn’t want to forget any of his journey.

They talked over lunch.
 
It still seemed surreal to him.
 
“At first, I thought Wind Seeker was the chief.”

“He’s pretty much performed all the duties for the past couple of years. When Mother died, Father’s light left him.
 
He wants to join her.
 
Sometimes we feel guilty because we keep him here.
 
He knows the tribe will be safe with Wind Seeker.
 
I don’t think he’ll stay here much longer.
 
I’m glad I’m second born.
 
I like to fool around too much to be serious all the time.
 
I told my brother he’s going to forget how to laugh and smile.”

Straight Arrow got up from the table.
 
“The guys and I are going hunting. I’ll be back in time for dinner.”
 
He picked up his bow and left.

The cougar thought about the skills the Indians seemed to take for granted. “I’ve still got a lot to learn, don’t I?”

“The journey takes your whole life.
 
I learn something new every day.
 
I make sure I do.
 
That way if I screw up,” Black Horse rolled his eyes, “when I screw up, I have a couple of pluses to fall back on.”

“You always seem so sure of yourself.”

“Yeah, well I was real sure I screwed up about the morning of the second day I laid out on that hot stable roof after volunteering to watch you.
 
I missed the whole celebration frying my ass when I could have gotten a young warrior to do it and been celebrating.”

“Then, you would have only tied Yellow Hawk in feathers.
 
In the old world, there’s a saying that every journey begins with a single step.
 
I figure I’ve made it about a third of the way to the stables, by now.”

Wild Flower jumped up.
 
“I think we should celebrate your journey so far.” She put three cups on the table and reaching behind a jar of honey, retrieved a jug.
 
“Hannah brought some apple wine to the Harvest Celebration.
 
When she heard you were watching the stallion, she insisted I take some to share with you later.”