Chapter 4

A/N: As always, the ITALICS means the characters are speaking in Quedeyona and if you need a reminder of which character is which, please refer to the "cast of characters" discussion page of this story. Enjoy!



Chapter 4

White Swan reached up to stretch out one of the hides she had just finished tanning over the rope which was tied from a wooden pole that had been planted between the house she lived in and the house next to it. The rope extended from the wooden pole to one of the logs of the roof of her home, making what could be the predecessor of a clothes line. There was another rope running from the house next door to the wooden pole, just like the one White Swan’s family had.

In fact, it was common for anyone to walk between the homes and see a pole sticking up from the ground somewhere at midpoint between any of the homes. That meant White Swan could go to the other side of the house and tie another rope to one of the roof’s logs to the pole that was planted there. That way, she’d have even more space to hang more hides if she needed too.

However, for the time being she only needed the one rope since she was only tanning the one bear hide and two deer hides that Crow Flies and his son, Blue Raven had brought home that day. Since she was better at tanning hides, she had elected to take on that task and let Squirrel Gathers have the task of curing and storing the meat of the animals. Later, the two of them would get together to continue working on the rest of the animals’ leftovers, making sure that nothing was wasted as was the way of the tribe.

As she finished hanging the last hide up, she heard feminine laughter coming from somewhere behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she had to do a double take.

There among a group of giggling women who were walking by the house, was none other than Black Wolf. She clearly spotted him because he was a head taller than most of them. Then again, he was probably the tallest at the moment because most of the women around him seemed to be leaning in towards him.

White Swan arched an eyebrow at the sight until she caught the look on Black Wolf’s face. He appeared to be torn between trying to smile politely at the women or trying not to grimace over the fact that they seemed to be clinging to him.

Resisting the urge to laugh at his discomfort, White Swan leaned over and picked up the tool she was going to use to brush out the hides. As she straightened up again, she looked in the direction of the group just in time to meet Black Wolf’s gaze.

This time a full smile spread over his face as he waved to her before politely extracting himself from the group of women. White Swan returned the wave with a smile of her own as she watched him walk towards her, completely ignoring the group who now seemed shocked that he was walking away from them.

Since his back was now to the group, White Swan saw what he didn’t see. Four of the women had pouts on their faces that clearly said they already missed being able to fawn over him. The fifth woman however crossed her arms over her chest and glared not at Black Wolf’s retreating back, but at what had clearly distracted Black Wolf from paying attention to her.

Despite the fact that the tall, tanned, well-built woman with the blackest, shiniest, straightest hair White Swan had ever seen stood glaring right at her, White Swan ignored it and chose to look at Black Wolf who approached her wearing the sunny smile that was displayed to perfection. And when he was close enough, she could finally see the sparkle in his eyes.

“Hi Bells,” he greeted in English.

“Hi Jake, how are you?” she replied in kind.

He nodded. “I’m well. How are you today?”

She chuckled as she glanced over his shoulder. “Glad I’m not you at the moment.”

He gave her a mock grimace before the smile returned. “Yes, well mother insists everyone is still excited over my return.”

She laughed as she heard the note of sarcasm in his voice. “I see.”

He chuckled with her before the smile dimmed a little. As the words came out of his mouth, she could clearly see the hint of worry in his eyes.

“How are you really?” he asked.

“Fine,” she replied, a bit confused over his concern.

He nodded. “Did you talk to Crow Flies?”

“Oh,” she chuckled as she realized what he was getting at. “Yes, I did. Right after you left I went inside to find him home. I explained everything that happened and he asked if I was all right. I told him you came just in time before it could get bad.”

Black Wolf gave her a serious look. “So, he knows what happened then. That’s good.”

White Swan nodded. “Yes as soon as he was certain that I was okay, he sent Blue Raven to get Badger Snaps.” She paused a moment before looking at him. “I thought Crow Flies would just have a word with him, but he did so much more.”

“How so?” asked Black Wolf.

“Well, Blue Raven and Dragonfly Takes Flight were in the room too and all three of them seemed to be berating him for his behavior. When it was all done, they came out and made Badger Snaps apologize to me.”

“Yes, it is the least of what he should have done.”

White Swan shrugged. “Maybe, but he was also given a punishment. Until the next new moon he has to go in my place whenever I am supposed to work in the tribal garden.”

Black Wolf arched an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

“Yes. He is to go tomorrow in my place.”

Black Wolf smiled at her, but White Swan saw the look of admiration in his eyes. “Well, it seems Crow Flies takes disrespect very seriously. I’m glad he listened to you, Bells. Hopefully through the punishment, Badger Snaps will learn his lesson.”

“I agree,” she replied with a nod.

Black Wolf’s eyes sparkled again as he took in the hides hanging on the rope and the brush in her hand. Suddenly he grinned at her and said, “Well, look at it this way. Tomorrow, you’ll have a day off.”

White Swan laughed at that. “Hm, that’s true.” She glanced over his shoulder again and chuckled softly. “Oh, don’t look now, but you’re about to be surrounded again.”

She saw the grimace return to his face, but he quickly hid it as the women called out his name and moved to cluster around him once more.

“Black Wolf, we’re going to miss the contest.” twittered one of the women whom White Swan knew as Hummingbird Flutters.

“Yes, Black Wolf,” agreed Rainbow Butterfly in a low murmur, as she moved to the other side of him, opposite Hummingbird Flutters. Like her friend, she too draped herself over Black Wolf’s arm and batted her eyelashes up at him. “We shouldn’t be late.”

A third woman came to stand besides them, but instead of draping herself over Black Wolf, she gave White Swan a friendly smile. “Hello, White Swan, how are you today?”

White Swan returned her smile. Of them all, Whale Sings was the friendliest and nicest to her whenever they saw each other. “I am well. And you?”


“Oh, I am excited. My older brother is participating in the race today!”


“Really? Well then I hope he wins.”

Whale Sings chuckled. “Thanks. I will tell him you said so.”

White Swan nodded as Rainbow Butterfly pouted some more and tugged Black Wolf’s arm in the direction of their original destination. “Come on Black Wolf or we won’t even get to see Whale Sings’ brother in the race!”

Black Wolf opened his mouth to respond, but the smooth, yet haughty voice of another one of the women cut him off.

“Black Wolf,” she drawled, “you know it is disrespectful to keep the others waiting. What will they say when you tell them you would much rather trade pleasantries with a slave instead of gathering with the friends and family who are glad that you are back, safe and unharmed?”

Black Wolf turned around to look at her. Donning a serious expression, he spoke in a straightforward manner. “They will understand once I explain to them why it was that I stopped to talk to White Swan. After all, I am the one who witnessed one of our tribe members harassing her. You know how I feel about those matters, Brown Skunk.”

Clearly put in her place, Brown Skunk lifted her chin for a moment before briefly nodding. “Yes, I know Black Wolf. Your family has always been known as one of the most reasonable and honorable families of our tribe.”

Black Wolf nodded, then turned back towards White Swan.

She smiled at him, giving him some reassurance. “It’s okay. Thank you for checking up on me, but I must get back to these hides before they are ruined.”

Black Wolf returned her smile. “I am glad you are okay, White Swan. Good luck with the hides. I will see you around, okay?”


"Okay. Enjoy the races.”

He waved to her as he allowed Hummingbird Flutters and Rainbow Butterfly to drag him off. Whale Sings waved goodbye to White Swan as well, before she followed the small group, leaving only Brown Skunk and her sidekick, Spotted Bat behind.

Brown Skunk stepped closer to White Swan and narrowed her eyes in warning. “If I were you, I’d be careful whom I talk to pale face. You never know just what kind of trouble you’ll get yourself into. Clearly you haven’t learned to be careful, if what Black Wolf said is true.”

As Spotted Bat snickered at her friend’s threatening comments, White Swan stood straighter.

Looking up into the taller woman’s eyes, she answered her. “Forgive me Brown Skunk, but my owners have taught me to speak when spoken to. Since Black Wolf approached me and asked me a question, I was doing as I was taught by answering him. It is not my fault when other members of this tribe think they own everyone they come into contact with.”

As White Swan’s gaze flicked to Black Wolf’s departing figure to indicate what she had meant with her last comment, Brown Skunk glared at her and hissed, “How dare you…”


“Brown Skunk? Are you coming?” interjected Black Wolf’s voice from where he’d stopped to look over his shoulder at them.

White Swan could tell from the look Brown Skunk was giving her that she wanted to finish saying what Black Wolf had interrupted. Instead, she schooled herself before turning to give him one of her perfect smiles.

“Yes, Black Wolf. I am coming,” she replied in a sweet voice as she made her way to where Black Wolf and the others waited.

Spotted Bat huffed at White Swan before turning to follow Brown Skunk to the others. White Swan stood there watching them as they walked away from her, but just as she was about to go back to her work, Black Wolf looked at her over his shoulder.

She saw the smile he flashed at her as he gave her a quick wink before turning back around to walk with the women. She couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped as she realized Black Wolf had heard the entire conversation, thus giving her his approval of the way she’d handled it with the smile and wink.

Shaking her head at his antics, she returned to her work feeling much more light-hearted than before.

*************************************************

Black Wolf inwardly smiled as he thought of how impressive it was to see White Swan stand up to someone who tried to intimidate and bully her. He knew Brown Skunk didn’t think he’d heard what she’d said to White Swan, but he had. However, before he could get the chance to go back and defend White Swan, she’d spoken up to defend herself and put Brown Skunk in her place.

He couldn’t help but feel pride at the way White Swan had handled it. Her words had been both true and straightforward. And she had answered in a steady voice while looking her opponent straight in the eye. If he didn’t know better, he would swear she had the soul of a warrior.

Just like a warrior, she met the attack straight on with all the seriousness it warranted. Her words told him that her mind was as sharp and quick as some of the most calculating warriors in the tribe. In fact, he couldn’t remember White Swan ever pretending to be so weak that she would’ve had to depend on someone else like some of the other women in the tribe did.

Black Wolf remembered back to the time he had first seen White Swan, all those years ago. Then, she had only been ten years old and still she’d left a lasting impression on him. At eleven years of age, Black Wolf had watched as she had been brought into their tribe for the first time along with the other group of slaves that had been purchased by Crow Flies and Bright Wolf.

Crow Flies was always the one the tribe sent off to barter for slaves when they were needed. Usually one of the other council members went along with him, but that time since he was traveling through some territories occupied by the whites, Bright Wolf had gone along in case an English translator was needed.

Black Wolf had been about to welcome his father home, when he had noticed the quiet little girl standing amongst the group. Unlike the other young children, she wasn’t crying or whimpering in fear. Instead, she had held her head up and peered around the area as if trying to soak it all in. Despite the dried tear tracks on her dirt-smudged cheeks, her eyes had been bright and clear as she curiously looked at her new surroundings.

When any of the other tribe members had tried to approach any of the children, she’d put herself in their way as if trying to protect them. The children would wail and try to hide behind her as she defiantly looked at the tribe members as if daring them to touch any of them.

It wasn’t until his father had approached her and spoke to her in limited English that she had relaxed her protective stance. Eventually, she had turned around to calm the other children down too. Then Black Wolf had watched as White Swan seemed to get the other children to listen to Bright Wolf’s words, even though she still seemed to have that protective presence about her while they all conversed.

Later he would find out that his father had realized early on that the others seemed to defer to White Swan, which was why he talked to her first. He’d promised White Swan that none of the tribe members were going to harm any of them and if they’d give him a chance, he would explain their place in their new home. A tough negotiator himself, Bright Wolf had also admired the way White Swan had the strength and ability to stand up for herself at such a young age.

It was that same strength and ability which led Crow Flies to take White Swan as a slave in his own home, knowing she would be able to handle the rest of his family well. Over the next couple of years she would continue to impress them all.

As time went on, the other slaves continued to look to her for guidance while they all became more comfortable with their new homes. Bright Wolf had always been there to explain to them what their new lives would be like and he’d been the translator for each slave and their new owners as long as he was needed.

Even as other slaves struggled to settle into their new lives, White Swan had already begun to master the native Quedeyona language. She had faced it like it was a challenge that she was determined to master. He remembered the times she’d spend following his father everywhere asking him to pronounce things for her so that she could learn to pronounce them too.

And if his father had been too busy, she’d spend her time with his mother. In fact, Black Wolf used to think that Crow Flies and his family split White Swan’s time with Bright Wolf and Gentle Otter. For a while there, he’d wondered if White Swan was doing double duty between both families until he’d realized that his mother never told White Swan what to do. Instead, White Swan seemed willing to volunteer her time in exchange for learning the language.

By the time he’d left for his English schooling at the age of thirteen, twelve year old White Swan was already a force to be reckoned with. So, he wasn’t the least bit surprised to return home to find she’d remained as strong and independent as she had been then. Even now, she had more strength and intelligence in her little finger than most of the warriors of the tribe did.

However, there was something new that he hadn’t seen coming. When he’d left, she’d still been a little girl while he had been on the verge of becoming a man. Now at the age of seventeen, he was considered a man and White Swan…White Swan was blossoming into a woman.

The day he’d returned, he’d gotten the shock of his life when he’d turned to see her standing outside of Crow Flies home watching the crowd. It had taken him a few moments to realize the mahogany-haired, brown-eyed young woman standing there was the same little determined spitfire he remembered who had once followed his father everywhere. Needless to say, that day she had once more impressed him beyond belief and just kept on doing so every time he saw her.

“Black Wolf,” Rainbow Butterfly cooed as she tugged at his arm. “Look at how many of the tribe has turned out for this occasion!”

Pulled out of his musings, Black Wolf looked in the direction Rainbow Butterfly was pointing. Sure enough a crowd had gathered around the area that had been marked off for the festivities.

“Wow, have you ever seen so many people Black Wolf?” asked Hummingbird Flutters.

Black Wolf nodded. “At the white man’s settlement.”

The women giggled as they turned bright faces up to him. “Really?” breathed Spotted Bat. “Tell us about it, Black Wolf.”

Black Wolf gave her a polite smile. “Maybe some other time, when we don’t have a race to watch, okay?”

She pouted prettily, just like the others did. “Aw, okay Black Wolf.”

Black Wolf resisted the urge to groan. He couldn’t understand why they had to keep repeating his name every time they talked to him. It was beginning to get annoying. Then again, he had to admit, he liked the way his name rolled easily out of White Swan’s mouth. Even his English name sounded good coming out of her mouth. Of course, White Swan didn’t say it every single time she spoke to him.

Before he could go back to musing about her, Hummingbird Flutters interrupted again. “Oh, before I forget, Black Wolf! My father wanted me to ask if you would join us for our evening meal the day after tomorrow.”

Grateful that he’d talked to his father earlier, he feigned sadness. “I’m sorry, but my father asked me to go hunting in his place for the next four days since he will be tied up in some meetings.”

Brown Skunk moved closer to Black Wolf’s side and looked down at Hummingbird Flutters. That look was enough to make the younger and much more timid woman let go of his arm before moving away. As soon as she was gone, Brown Skunk slid her hand into the crook of Black Wolf’s arm and leaned in close enough so that her breath caressed his neck.

“Then that will mean you will be tired and hungry on the fifth day, Black Wolf. I will be glad to have a hot meal waiting for you as well as something to help relax your sore muscles.”

Black Wolf almost scowled at what he knew Brown Skunk was offering. If her father knew what she was freely offering to him without knowing what his intentions were with her, she’d be punished for shaming her family and locked away so no one would see her.

Instead of saying exactly what he was thinking, he kept a neutral look on his face as he replied to her. “Thank you for the offer of the meal, but my family and I have already made all the preparations for my return from what we hope will be a successful hunt.”

He could tell his answer wasn’t what she wanted to hear as her eyes blazed at him while she gave a short nod and turned to look at the crowd. Suddenly spotting something in the distance, a sly smile spread over her lips before she turned to look at Black Wolf.

“Well, look at that Black Wolf. You didn’t tell me your parents were coming to the festivities too! I must go over to say hello to them and tell them what a wonderful son they have since you will go hunting in your father’s place.”

As she let go of his arm, she waved to his parents before turning back to smile prettily at him. “They will also have to know what a doting son you are, Black Wolf, since you will return from the hunt just to spend more time with them.”

Black Wolf gritted his teeth as he watched Brown Skunk flounce off towards his parents. If he wasn’t careful, the conniving woman would weasel her way into his parent’s good graces and they’d have him hand-fasted to her before he could blink.

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“Don’t look now, but here comes Brown Skunk. And from the look on Black Wolf’s face, she’s up to no good again,” whispered Bright Wolf to his wife.

Quickly glancing up to see Brown Skunk waving at them, Gentle Otter plastered a smile on her face as she returned the young woman’s wave, then answered her husband with a few whispered words of her own. “No doubt she’s going to try to convince us to hand-fast our son to her.”

Bright Wolf gasped beneath his breath, as if it were a shock to him. “You don’t say?”

She gave him a quelling look before turning back to watch Brown Skunk and the rest of the group approaching. “Oh stop that! You know that is the truth!”

Bright Wolf muttered, “Yes, but the Great Spirit will freeze our land permanently before I ever agree to that.”

As Gentle Otter watched the remaining women fawning over her oldest son, she sighed. “Still, it makes me wonder if either one of our sons will ever find a maiden they want to settle down with.”

Bright Wolf nodded as he glanced to where their youngest son, Fighting Dog, was chatting with a group of people. Several of whom also happened to be maidens trying to capture his attention for more than a few moments.

He shook his head at his sons’ predicaments. “Yes, I often wonder about that too.”

Gentle Otter patted his arm as they both turned back to politely greet Brown Skunk, the other women and their eldest son.