Nakoma accepted a wooden plate of roasted fowl, cat tail tubers, and steam cabbage that had been picked from Adam's vegetable garden, from the old trapper. He didn't fail to noticed that Jack had given him the largest quail for his supper.

"Well, Nakoma." said Mad Jack, eyeing the food he had on his own plate. "This... this is mighty kind of you. Thanky."

"Anything for my hungry friend. It's a bad thing to get weak and I have the power to stop that as my tribe's top hunter. I am honored to provide." he grinned, sharing his thoughts in formal Sioux.

The trapper blushed even more at his earlier starvation claim. He knew he'd be hard pressed to eat all of this extra meat in one sitting. ::Perhaps I can sneak some of it to Ben, behind my back.:: he thought to himself. ::That old bear still tousles my hair during meals, beggin' for scraps. Heh heh.::

A bead of sweat formed over Mad Jack's left eyebrow and it was starting to fall when both Adams and Nakoma quickly winked at him over their dinner plates, letting him off the hook. Jack finally sighed gratefully as he put on his duster around his neck like a bib, and psyched himself up for a long, hard tuck in, to preserve the rest of his pride.

Sa-i-qua-yi was happily with her fledgling sized roast. "I eat like a quail." she said out loud, admiring the steam curling up from its braised skin. "Peck. peck. Bits and specks." she said in halting Settler Common. "My hand hold all I need." she finished in Cherokee. Then she grinned and started nibbling on a smoking potato delicately.

"Eat more." Nakoma told her, lightly gnawing on a mini drumstick. "For tomorrow, we'll go home to my people where Adam will declare you as a new daughter to our tribe."

Bear Grass immediately stopped eating and her face fell. Her smile dropped away and she felt the stomach spiders which came whenever she felt uncertain.

The forest brave noticed the looks Skunk traded with his twin sister. "She will be accepted, little one. Do not worry."

Adams noticed the young folks' dampened enthusiasm, too. "Bear Grass, it's okay to be nervous about the morning. We'll be in new places, seeing new things. But I promise you, you're safe. No matter what." he smiled gently, nodding in agreement with Nakoma.

He stole a yam off of Sa-i-qua-yi 's plate and traded it quickly for a wild pear that he plucked in a slight of hand from behind her ear. "You're going to forever be kin to my blood brother's whole family. I promise. My daughter Pam, in town, will be delighted that she'll have a new sister."

Tears couldn't help but tumble out of Bear Grass' eyes, seasoning her food, with happy salt.

It was dawn and they had been walking for just an hour, when they reached the village.

Nakoma met the perimeter scouts as they melted into the meadow from the forest. He untied his braid's bright red ribbon and changed it to a red forehead band as Adams, Jack, Ben, Bear Grass and Skunk were counted by the tribe's leading braves on horseback.

Nakoma's chief's son, Gray Stone, moved his blue roan closer, in greeting. "Nakoma. We have no disagreement with the Cherokee. Who is this girl child? Is she a hostage for a crime committed?"

"She is not. Sa-i-qua-yi is a soon to be daughter. Our brother Adam's Great Bear prevented her Culling in Mother River. Death did not keep her."

Grizzly Adams took off his hat, handing his escort rifle over to Mad Jack who sheathed it in Seven's leather buckskin holder. The green horn stepped up to Bear Grass, and firmly grasped the trembling child's chilled hand.

Skunk ran foward and grabbed her other hand quickly. "Honored Chief's Son..."

"Call me Gray Stone if you wish. We are not formal today."

Skunk took in a quavering breath. "We are two babies and I have sworn to be brother to her until I am of age and can no longer visit your lands."

The mounted scouts' horses on either side of Gray Stone tossed their heads when their riders suddenly launched into udulations of welcome and joy.
The white haired Chief's son silenced them with an amused gesture. "Those are honorable words, Cherokee boy. You are granted seeing camp rites, until you are scout age."

Adam's face was serious as he stated his request. "She is not crippled Gray Stone. No more than Nakoma is cloud touched. Her spirit's strong and I ask our tribe for adoption rites."

"But you Adams, must prove that you truly want to be a father again. Your own daughter is grown and married, with her own grown family, in the pioneer settlement. Are you sure that you and your blood brother can provide for Bear Grass until her full adulthood?"

The greenhorn put a fond hand on the back of his grizzly. "I'm as sure as Ben is as sure, of our mutual love for each other."

"That is powerful testimony, Adams." said Gray Stone.

"Nakoma, do you agree with the Great Bear's choice of this child?"

"I do."

"Then Skunk, Sa-i-qua-yi .. come!" Gray Stone smiled, "And enter your sister's new home.."

Ben reared up and roared, raising a mighty paw in excitement. He thumped down on all fours and galloped on ahead of the scouts, and into the teepee and lodge built village, scattering absolutely delighted, screeching children along the way, who thrilled as his presence.

Jack leaned into Seven and whispered into his nearest ear. "We won't tell him Ben's only after the fish racks and the free handouts, will we, Number Seven?"

Seven brayed his mulish laughter openly.

Bear Grass was deeply sleeping in a foster mother's tent, when an unseen perimeter scout to the south, raised an alert with a bobwhite's call. Both Nakoma and Gray Stone shot to their feet, their spears and bow immediately put to hand and they faced that direction, ready to protect the women and children present.

Skunk knew immediately who had arrived. He could see the white socks on Dark Cloud's black horse, enter the fire light. He dropped his own knife onto his sister's bed before he went and stood, head bowed, in front of the Sioux's celebratory bon fire, empty handed. "My chief.." Skunk said. "I am sorry to have lied through Crow about where I have been."

"Be silent little boy. Your mother pleaded for forgiveness for hiding Dragon Fly from me. I accepted. My issue, is not with you." Dark Cloud declared loudly, for all to hear. He tossed his reins to one of his honor guard hunters and leaped down from Storm, his battle horse.

Gray Stone approached the Cherokee leader equally empty handed. "My father is in the fort settlement tonight, Dark Cloud. Trading. I speak for him today. Why are you here in my father, Red Sun's, lands?"

"We three are here alone." he replied, indicating his fellow braves who waited politely on horseback a fair distance away. "I am seeking a Law Breaker, because my nephew, Crow, could not tell me the truth about it."

Crow, watching in the shadows from his pony beyond the fire, looked sullen and defeated. He didn't look up to meet Skunk's angry eyes.

Gray Stone's eyes flashed. "Does this involve Bear Grass? A little girl? Our new sister?" he asked formally.

Dark Cloud's face blazed. "Yes. The Elders ruled her Cull. It went without question." he said, tossing down Sa-i-qua-yi's death sack talisman onto the ground where Gray Stone could see its animal blood stains. "Crow and Skunk failed to have Dragon Fly lawfully taken by Mother River. My no longer daughter, was seen... with that man!" he said, pointing to Adams. "And with one of your scouts who sent Crow back, with game soiled robes, as a lie. I demand satisfaction!"

The Sioux Chief's son eyed up Adam's blood brother. "Nakoma, is this true?"

"Yes."

Adams stepped in front of his blood brother. "Nakoma was just preventing unlawful assassination. Crow didn't know when to quit. Gray Stone, listen to me, Ben saved her. All on his own! He saw a Plains child drowning, and rescued her. She was alone. Crow and Skunk had already gone away after pushing her over a waterfall. The Law was fulfilled. There ain't nothing that says a Great Bear can't intercede after that, if he sees fit. He's Nature itself!"

Dark Cloud's face pinched in puzzlement. Crow murmured softly to his Uncle."His word Nature, means the Great Spirit."

"Hmph.." grunted the Cherokee chief. "How do I know this pale skin Blood Brother of your trickster Forest Scout, isn't lying, too?"

Nakoma scowled at the enemy tribe's chief. "She was not dead! She still had life in her blood. Adams' actions only put the wind into her body where her still beating heart, could use it! The Great Bear cannot lie about his bond with Bear Grass! We know this."

Gray Stone gestured to Dark Cloud. "You are senior over your nephew, Respected Leader. And over your son, Skunk. They will do your bidding. But your burden is now gone. A clouded girl child will no longer slow your tribe's flight away from Adam's people. So I repeat, why are you still in Sioux territory unlawfully?"

Dark Cloud did not look away. "Our Law requires final conclusion. How do I know that this pale skin Mountain Man did not kidnap Dragon Fly? He has no right to Plainspeople children, regardless of the method in how they met. Are we agreed?"

"This ...is true. But Bear Grass is a castaway. You have no right over her any longer by your own words. My tribe will adopt anyone cast off by other tribes, even any lost children from Adam's kin, left behind during battle. Adams is a full adopted member of our tribe. Nakoma is his blood brother. So your statement is invalid. Brother Adams has proven to us, his honorability with all sacred life. He has respected our lands for years." Gray Cloud testified. "Time and time again. We have seen this."

"So have I. Adams saved my life after I suffered the wrath of a puma. He only helped the Great Bear after he saved Bear Grass." Nakoma added.

Gray Stone nodded gravely. Then he turned to Dark Cloud. "Bear Grass is our daughter now. She was accepted this morning in front of witnesses, so go in peace."

"You will know the full measure of allying with the Pale Skins. They are already stripping the land far to the east. I've heard from the far Forest Tribes about their treachery. The Iron Beast is almost here, young Sioux. It will bring death and dishonorable non Plainsmen." Dark Cloud shouted. "We should join our tribes together in war against them and fight!"

"You and your people live in fear, Dark Cloud. My people believe in the good of all men. We will continue to live in our sacred ways as we always have. Adam's people can be shown what we've learned. To live in harmony with each other, in spite of our differences."

"That will never be!" Dark Cloud spat. "Pale Skins think they own the land like it's a thing to do with what they wish! They do not know how to be a part of it."

"And you have forgotten this, too, Dark Cloud. You are teaching your people to fear and forget our ways!" said the Chief's Son.

"Bah!" Dark Cloud yelled, and launched himself at Gray Stone with his bare hands, a look of murder in his eyes.

"No!" Adams shouted, leaping in between them. Dark Cloud roared and a glint of a knife flashed out in the firelight as he barreled into the greenhorn that had so infuriated him.

"Look out Adams!" Nakoma warned, his face stricken.