CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
As their party of five—she, her father, Frederic, Maximillian and Sheila—were saddling their horses, preparing to hunt buffalo or some other game this day, they were soon joined by George and Red Fox.
Upon risking a glance up at Red Fox, Briella almost burst into tears, and she looked away from him in reaction, raising her gloved hand to wipe away the moisture that had come quickly into her eyes.
Was this it, then?
Was this to be all they might ever have together? Friendship, partners in hunting? Nothing more?
It was hard to keep from bursting into tears, yet she knew she must regain her composure…and quickly.
Looking toward George only, she said, "I was hoping to see you here today."
Then, a little meekly and still without looking at Red Fox, she added, Welcome, Red Fox.”
He answered, “I am happy to be here this day.”
She glanced up at him swiftly, catching his wink at her as he smiled. Although she didn't return his greeting, she said, "We are all of us about to impart upon the sport of hunting buffalo. And, if not buffalo, we hope to find elk, antelope or perhaps even deer. Will the both of you join us?"
"It is why we are here, Sister. My partner here was certain you would be desirous of going on the hunt today. And, if this were to be so, how could we not be a part of it?"
"Indeed, how could you not?" she answered, looking away from them both.
"Well, then," said Briella's father. "Now that's settled, let's be on our way, shall we?"
No one, however, answered him. All seemed to be stunned momentarily.
For her part, Briella didn't say another word to Red Fox. How could she? Over these past few days, whenever she had thought of him—which was almost continually—she had cried. And, at present, her lips trembled at the mere thought of having to say more than a cordial greeting to him.
But, although she knew Red Fox was generally not inclined to speak up at occasions such as this, he did so now. And, he said, "You look very pretty today, Poka'aki."
She heard several gasps in the stable, but she gave no thought to the other people there.
However, Red Fox's compliment was almost her undoing, and she found herself struggling to keep her composure.
Even still, try though she might to avoid it, a tear fell down over her countenance, and though her lips quivered, she managed to say, "Thank you. "
But, Red Fox seemed intent on speaking up this day, and even though he was usually inclined to remain silent when in such company, he said, "I believe you beaded the bands on your skirt and vest with your own hand, did you not?"
Briella looked down, trying to hide her tears. She, however, managed to say, "áa, I did."
But, again, uncharacteristically, Red Fox continued to speak to her, and he said, "I like in particular your color choice in the beads you used; blue and white, Pikuni Blackfoot colors; red, the shade so favored by the Creator; orange, the exact hue of sunset; pink, a pale suggestion of red and last of all, white, for the clouds above us, so favored by the Above Ones whom we rarely see. "
Once more she said, "Thank you," although she wasn't certain what Red Fox was about this morning or even why he was here. Certainly, he hadn't come here to do little more than compliment her, even though she was happy he was doing so.
Red Fox said, "Your brother and I saw buffalo coming up from their morning watering hole. If we go there now, I think we might still find them there."
"Then, we should leave here at once and seek out the game," said Briella's father once more, speaking firmly and as though he were intent on separating her and Red Fox as quickly as possible. "Come, let us all saddle up and be on our way."
"I hope," added Red Fox, "you, each one, have a good buffalo horse, because there were many buffalo there today and our guns might cause them to run.
Perhaps you would all like me to check your mounts and your saddles to ensure they will each one be a good horse to ride in case the buffalo stampede? "
"Are we to run the buffalo today, then?" asked Briella. "I had only thought to take a few of them—those whom we might find apart from the rest."
Red Fox shrugged. "Perhaps," he said.
Rather sternly, Briella's father spoke up and declared, "I think that we shall all be well mounted without having to obtain a horse especially trained for the hunt. After all, there will be two women with us today, and so a buffalo run is out of the question."
Red Fox nodded, then stated, "So I see, but only the Creator knows the minds and instincts of a buffalo herd when they hear the shots of the white man's guns. Still, as you say, perhaps they will stand meekly aside and allow themselves to be taken and killed. Shall we be on our way, then?"
Briella grinned. Goodness, what had gotten into Red Fox today? She had never heard him speak to her father in any other way but one of respect, as well as a little bit of subservience. Looking at George, she observed he was grinning, too.
It was only Briella who answered Red Fox's question. However, all she said was, "áa, yes, as you say, so shall we do. Let us go."
****
Since it was still an early hour in the morning, they—numbering a party of eight now, including the wolf—headed out onto the plains in search of buffalo.
Hunts-with-the-wind, George, Red Fox and Poka'aki led the party; Poka'aki's father, her elder brother Frederic, and Maximillian, who was bringing along Woman-the-man-refuses-to-marry, pulled up the rear.
Red Fox and George knew they dared not take down a lone buffalo when there were several hundred more of them lumbering about on the prairie, resting.
Even a single shot could cause the buffalo to stampede, and three members of their party had most likely never seen nor experienced being in the middle of a buffalo stampede.
Stories abounded of good, well-seasoned and knowledgeable hunters of the buffalo losing their lives in a buffalo stampede, and Red Fox was in no mood to be required to rescue any one of these people from the city of New York.
George, he assumed, was most likely not in any temperament to act the hero today, either.
Looking down into a coulee, Red Fox saw a few fat buffalo cows resting within the hardwood and pine forest alongside the stream that ran through the bottom flat.
But, they as hunters mustn't act yet; it was necessary that before they were to shoot any buffalo, they must find the rest of the herd.
This was especially so because a single shot from a gun could cause the entire herd to run.
And, if the buffalo started to run, they might go all day without stopping, leaving Pikuni country completely.
Glancing to his right side, Red Fox was pleased to notice Poka'aki had attached herself to both him, the wolf and to George, instead of the four others.
As it had been when they were younger, so it was now; he, George and Poka'aki made up a hunting party of three.
Of course, his wolf now made their party of four.
Red Fox said, "Though we have seen a few fat cows here in the bottom flatland of this coulee, let us discover where the main herd of buffalo is before we take a shot at one.
Poka'aki, you will stay here with the others and keep them safe while your brother and I go up further onto the prairie to see how far away from us is the main herd of buffalo. "
She nodded. "I will, if you say so, though I would like to go with you."
Red Fox winked at her. "I know," he said. "But, I think it is better today that you keep the others safe. They do not know this land as well as you."
She nodded and said, "It is true, I fear. Thank you for putting your trust in me."
Red Fox said, "Of course I trust you. I know your heart and your skills in this, our country. After all, for many years we have been hunting partners."
Then, in a whispered voice, he added for her ears alone, "And, now we are more."
Poka'aki was quick to glance toward him.
And, when she raised a questioning eyebrow at him, he added in the Blackfoot language, "I am your man.
You are my woman. Do you expect me to sit meekly aside and allow another man to take my place?
If you have a problem, I have the problem, too.
Together, we will resolve this which keeps us apart. "
He was delighted to see her eyes brighten, and his heart soared to witness her entire countenance come alive; even a little color came back into her complexion.
And, when she said, "I now know why I love you so much," he thought he had never been quite so happy, nor had his spirits ever climbed so high into the blue above them.
He smiled at her and she at him, and it was at this very moment when he knew the true bliss of loving someone, as well as the delight of placing that person's welfare above one's own.
Perhaps, it was as the elders had often said: it is the love of a woman that rules the minds and the hearts of men, and without a woman, there is no happiness to be found.
****
As Red Fox and George rode off away from the coulee and into the distance to find the location of the main herd of buffalo, they found the game to be about a mile away, as the white man measures it.
Both he and George counted at least a hundred of them trudging about the prairie, most of them enjoying a meal of the lush prairie grass and pea vines.
Talking to George, Red Fox said, "Come, let us not bother the main herd here, but instead find again the fat cows and young bulls down there in the coulee.
Being that the buffalo are this far away, I believe they will not hear the retort of our guns, or if they do, they will think the shots are not dangerous to them. Let us hope so."
"áa," said George. "Then we can all begin our hunt there in the coulee?"