Where Mountains Blossom

Chapter 8

Weayaya POV

After cooling off, I made my way to my closest friend, Hota, or little bear as we liked to call him, as when he was little he dreamed that he was a bear who was a mighty and prosperous hunter. He was standing near the horses.

It was evident that he had just returned from hunting, carrying buffalo and deer meat, as well as their hides. While I hadn't been able to hunt due to my task of surveying the land, and fate having something else in store for me – a discovery worth more than any prey I could have caught.

As I approached Hota, I noticed a mischievous gleam in his eyes; he had heard about what happened and what I had done. The news had spread through the entire tribe, and everywhere I went, I could feel the curious gazes and hushed whispers following me. Though I anticipated this attention to persist for weeks, there was little I could do now. What was done was done.

With excitement, we greeted each other, knowing that our bond was stronger than mere friendship – we were like brothers, having grown up together. Our hunting experiences and battles against the enemy, the crow, had cemented an unbreakable connection between us.

Hota, with his mischievous demeanor, asked how things were going, hinting at the humor he found in my predicament. I replied with a touch of sarcasm, claiming that everything was going great, even though I was now dealing with two strong-willed women – my sister and a foreigner. Laughing together, we shared a light moment.

I shared my recent encounter with my sister, who was upset at the mere thought of me bringing Rokiyah here.

"Don't get me wrong", I said, "I understand why she's mad I do". "Although I would've put an end to Rokiayah if I felt that she posed any threat to the tribe. But I knew that she wanted to get away from me as much as I wanted to chase her".

"And only when it seemed like she had no choice did she decide to battle with me. No foreigner that we had encountered ever reacted like that when we encountered them immediately they were on guard and were ready to fight to death".

Hota thought about it and nodded in agreement. Mentioning the many encounters of violence that we had with the "wasicu".

"They always had their guns ready, never did they waste a moment to strike", Hota said.

"Very true", I replied, "and Rokiayah was nothing like that", I said.

Hota chuckled, amused by the name, and pointed out how quickly I had grown fond of this girl I had just met. I denied having any feelings, insisting that Rokiyah was merely different. However, when Hota suggested that she might be the one I had been searching for, I remained unsure, opting to wait for more information from our tribe's medicine man, "Mighty wolf."

As I knew that he was referring to the dream that I had in the middle of the night a few moons ago where the sun descended from the sky, illuminating a woman with its radiant light.

The sun spoke, proclaiming her to be a daughter of his that was destined to aid me and my tribe in finding the way to his benevolent presence. Her purpose was to share information about his departed son, whose sacrifice held the key to our liberation and absolution from the burden of past actions committed by us and our ancestors.

The profound impact of the dream lingered, leaving me sleepless for several days. To find solace, I resorted to smoking herbs from my elk pipe. However, the unease persisted until it led me to the forest where I unexpectedly encountered Rokiyah. Deep within my heart, I recognized her as the one from my dreams, but admitting it proved difficult.

What baffled me most was that I had not performed any rituals, nor had I offered any sacrifices, yet the vision came to me. I shared this strange occurrence with the medicine man "Big wolf" and the other elders, and they too found it puzzling.

In an attempt to distract myself, I assisted Hota in transporting his bounty of bison, deer, and elk. The hides were brought to the women for tanning and drying, ensuring nothing went to waste; every part of the animal served a purpose.

After catching up with Hota and discussing the well-being of the tribe, I made my way back to my tipi to check if my sister had carried out my instructions.

Upon cautiously entering, I was relieved to see that she had tended to Rokiyah's wounds, and Rokiyah was resting comfortably on my buffalo fur beneath the warm blanket. My sister, deeply engrossed in observing Rokiyah, turned her attention to me as I entered, appearing eager to resume our prior conversation.

I entertained her by engaging in a more extended conversation about how I discovered Rokiyah, sharing the complete story as best I could. Telling her that tonight we would be taking Rokiyah to meet the medicine man, so that he could tell us who she was and where she came from and ultimately what she might mean to the tribe.

Suddenly, we both heard a noise coming from where Rokiyah was lying. To our relief, she was sitting up with her head in her hands. Concerned, we hurried over to ensure she was alright.

Our sudden movement seemed to surprise both of us, as we exchanged glances, probably wondering why we rushed to her side so abruptly, possibly frightening her. My sister calmly engaged Rokiyah in conversation, and before I knew it, my sister was taking her to the creek where we freshen up.

I looked at both of their figures as they retreated thinking about how my life had already been completely altered.