Prairies wind
Oh, it's already a 4th part. Oh well, nobody cares anyway. I got just only one reader, but my reader gets to read it in original language.
Manitu got up early. She noticed that everyone in the tent were up, too. A girl
decided to wait for Thorny Rose to get ready and went with her to women's swimming hole (*) by the stream, by which siksika's tribe established for short time. When she washed up, rubbed in bears fat, combed her hair. Even though they tried to hide it, other women watched her. That creature, which, like people talked, could turn into a holy wolf, was very interesting to them. But no one had time to stay in the swimming hole; breakfast was needed to be done. Manitu, along with Thorny Rose and her mother, Silent River, came back to chief's tent. Silent River kindled fire in a fireplace and started to cook steaks. When some of them were done, women sat to eat – the chief always ate later. Manitu wanted to sit with them and eat.
- Father wants to eat breakfast with you, - said Sun's Rain to her.
So, Manitu, while patiently waited, tidied her den and sat on it, watched the eating ones. Sun's Rain also ate with his mother, sister and grandmother. He still wasn't a warrior, a powwow had to tell, when he and other his age boys can have warrior's try-outs. But he wasn't any shorter then his father, who was really tall. All Indians were very tall, men more, women less. Everyone was strong and upbeat, because hard life in prairies wasn't bearable for the weak ones.
When women were finished with eating, they started to cook two more steaks. When steaks were ready, the chief entered and sat by a fireplace. He gave a sign and Manitu sat with him. The chief, like manners demanded, made sure that Manitu eat substantially and then ate.
- Chief Sharp-eyed Eagle is the great chief! – said Manitu in siksika's language. - The best bison meat is in his tent only.
The girl's learning yesterday worked well. And she heard like black-foots talk and understood some words by herself.
Chief smiled. He, by signs and talking in his language, told her that they're leaving by midday. Manitu nodded. After all, she was going to travel with them, so she decided to help pack things. When she and chief Sharp-eyed eagle were done eating, the chief stuffed his small tobacco-pipe and started to smoke. He offered some tobacco to the girl, too. Even thought she didn't smoke, but took it from politeness. She had a tobacco-pipe of her own, which she stuffed right away and started to smoke, too.
When they were done, Manitu helped White Bison, Silent River and Thorny Rose to gather and pack things up in their tent. When chief's wife took her husband's trophy polls down (**), every woman in the tribe knew it was time to pack things, to get ready for a trip. And when White Bison and Silent River loosen one side of the tent, it was a sign to demolish tents,to finish packing and leave.
The tents were demolished and a caravan formed. When the chief, who rode in front of caravan on his best mustang, started to move, everyone did so, too. Beside chief rode Sly Wolf and Thunderous Rock. Behind them – powwow and other warriors. Then aligned women on mustangs and children. On every mustang's back were hitched drags – between two poles, crossed on mustang's back, were stretched a big piece of cloth. Women put there all stuff and small children, who couldn't rode on mustangs by themselves, but were too heavy for their mothers to carry on their backs in special bags. Long mustangs tails were slashing their faces, but kids knew that even if you complain about it, you won't be able to change it. Boys, who were old enough to ride on mustangs by themselves, were horsing around the caravan, because there weren't a place indicated to them in the caravan. Girls rode beside their mothers.
As always, chief send scouts to look around. Manitu volunteered to go to a reconnaissance by herself. On her pinto's back were packed her things, so no one hitched drag to it. Soldiers and chief thought that she will run or ride on her mustang to reconnaissance, but the girl dismounted from her pinto, tossed its rein to Thorny Rose, leaved her weapons between her things. Then, turned into wolf and in light, graceful gallop ran into the side caravan was going. It was two days way into a place tribe was moving to live in spring and summer.
Manitu ran prudently, hiding and trying to see, smell and hear everything around her. But she didn't notice anything suspicious. She stopped to hide in bushes, where her hiding place should've been. Suddenly, the wolf heard murmur of leaves. She froze and bristled up. Then, she sniffed air and calmed, because she smelled someone familiar. She yapped few times silently, 'cause scouts agreed to use this kind of sign. She heard an answer, not badly imitated, almost like her real voice. Soon, Sun's Rain approached her. He persuaded his father to let him go to reconnaissance and he let him. Wolf turned into a girl.
For some time, they were silent. Then, Sun's Rain started to talk.
- Will Manitu stay with us to live? – every word of his was accompanied with a sign.
- For some time, - she answered to him, but in her own, dakota's language and hand signs.
- I mean, for the rest of your life, - said the boy.
- If I feel like I'm at home, - when she said last word, her heart flinched.
She remembered home, her family. She often thought about them, missed them. The girl wanted to know how's her mother, grandmother, father and older brother. When she lived with her own tribe, she had a best friend there, who's name was Meadow Flower. Manitu thought about her, too, but a memory of her friend slowly faded from her mind.
Sun's Rain saw how her expresions changed and fell silent. He tried to understand what's going on in her mind and heart. But Manitu face steady down and turned unreadable. Both scouts heard caravan's mustangs hoofs noise. Soon, further from them, they heard imitated yaping of coyotes and wolf roars. Only skilled indian's ear could distinguish imitations. Sun's Rain yapped, too. Manitu didn't even turned into wolf, she just howled really realistic. All those sounds meant that there's no danger for caravan.
After dinner Manitu and Sun's Rain, who didn't leave her, noticed that caravan isn't moving anymore. A stream ran beside, so Manitu understood that they must've settled for night.
- Do we need to come back now? – asked Manitu the same way they were communicating before.
- I don't know. We need to check it, - answered her the boy.
- I'm going to check it, then come back and tell you everything,- girl turned into wolf and ran away.
She reached the spot where tribe was settling in no time. Some tent's weren't finished building yet. Wolf ran to chief's tent, which was already built and, after turning into human, entered inside. Chief was sitting by the fireplace. When she entered, he looked at her, but didn't stood. Girl told him everything shortly and asked if they should invite scouts back home.
- The replacement is on it's way already, - simply said Sharp-eyed Eagle.
- Then I'll return to Sun's Rain, - in dakota's language, without sign language, said Manitu, turned into wolf and ran from tent, then from encampment.
She ran to Sun's Rain and told him everything. Boy noded and they moved back to encampment. Wolf was very tired from running, so they didn't rush. In midway, they met their replacement. After about a half-hour they reached tents.
Manitu found her things unpacked and put by her den. She looked at Thorny Rose thankfully. Siksika's girl just smiled.
When they ate dinner, both girls took their mustangs from herd. They took animals to where women swiming hole was. Both had comb from bone for their mustangs. They let them drink water and while animals grazed, they brushed their long mane and tails. When they were done, girls took them back to herd and went to swim.
When Sun's Rain was walking past women swiming hole, which was surounded by bushes, he heard crystal laughter of two girls he knew and splashing water. He smiled. That strange dakota girl, who carried holy spirit inside, was on his mind. He wanted to know what she's like for real. Actually, everyone wanted that. But no one had a chance to do so. For now, Manitu was a secret to them.
A/N: * - umm… I didn't know how to write it in other words _ _''
** - it is special poles, which are prominent above tent from hole in a roof for smoke to go out. Trophies won in hunt, battles and ect. are hanged on them.