“There is more to life than your concerns,” Grey Feather said sharply.
I sucked in a breath as if slapped.
“I am responsible for the welfare of the entire tribe,” he said. “We are also in danger. That’s why we left the previous encampment. It’s why we leave every encampment so swiftly. Just as you are hunted, so are we.”
His expression had become stern and imposing, like it had been carved in stone.
“Who is hunting you?” I asked, my chest hollowing out as I bowed my head.
“The Kiowa,” Grey Feather said in a thunderous tone. He shook his fisted hand. “They want our blood! They want to destroy our tribe!”
“But why? What did you do?”
“For a long time, our tribe has tried to make peace with them. Yet, for generations, we have failed. They always hunt us, try to take our bison, and kill our people. Long ago, Hunting Wolf killed one of their own. They want vengeance and won’t stop until more blood is shed.”
The impact of his words left me reeling. I drew my knees up to my chest.
“I am an old man, Little Moon.” His face fell as if all the skin was melting. “When the Great Spirit takes me, I want to leave knowing my tribe is safe. Now it is not safe. No one is secure. We could all be killed in the middle of the night, slaughtered in our sleep. The Kiowa are a savage tribe, and they will stop at nothing. Do you think I have time to recall a letter left here years ago that might contain nothing but the romantic musings of a young woman?”
I grew silent, unsure of what to say. I had selfishly thought of my comrades and my safety all this time. It’d never dawned on me that those around me had their own troubles.
“I understand you are worried about Swift Hawk, Little Moon,” the chief said. “But I have to protect my tribe. That is the thing that occupies my thoughts day and night.”
A look of discontent settled across Grey Feather’s wrinkled face like an impending storm. “The Kiowa want to kill Hunting Wolf and destroy the entire tribe, and I won’t stand for it. Especially if they harm other tribal members to make their point or to threaten us.”
I wished he wouldn’t keep driving home his point. I felt terrible, and each word out of his mouth hammered another nail in my conscience.
“Forgive me, Grey Feather,” I said barely audibly. “I apologize for only thinking of myself and my own concerns.”
The chief grunted, but his expression remained sour.
I bit my lips and considered my subsequent request. Based on his appearance, Grey Feather might not be in the best mood to grant favors. “Might I at least view the letter? Do you know where it is?”
“Of course, I know where it is,” he said with an angry swipe of his hand. “Earth Bear! I need your help,” he hollered in Sioux.
“Yes, Father,” Earth Bear said outside the teepee.
“Can you please fetch your mother? I think she’s visiting with Red Bird,” Grey Feather said.
“Yes, Father. Right away.” The sound of retreating footsteps followed.
I sat in uneasy silence, waiting for Earth Bear and his mother to return.
The chief sat stone-faced, staring into the small fire before him.
After a lengthy, awkward time, footsteps approached.
Earth Bear held open the door flap, and a short, beautiful woman with long white hair stepped inside. She walked with grace and strength, belying her years.
“What do you need, Grey Feather?” she asked, her voice infused with decades of familiarity with the man across from me.
He quickly answered in Sioux. “Get the box where I stored that letter of Fierce Wind.”
Aiyana’s forehead creased. “And where might I find that box?”
“I don’t know,” he said, fluttering his hand before his face. “I gave it to you to keep. Where did you put it?”
Her head cocked to the side while I sat there, heart racing.
