Chapter 1
Smoke drifted into the sky in the distance, signaling that home was near. Bear Claw sat high on his mare, wearing a pensive look. His dark eyes darted to the east and the west. He had been tensed for days, and despite all that had happened, he knew it wasn’t over.
The party was tired, and more solemn. They had ridden three days to the north, after two riders had come from the Chiricahua clan. They had arrived too late. All that was left of the clan had been chaos. The chief’s body had swung from a tree, the men had been taken prisoners or killed, the women raped or taken prisoners, along with the children. The tepees had been burnt, the horses stolen, and all that had been belonged to the clan taken.
His eyes grew hard as he relived the chaos those bloody pale faces had caused. They had come into their lands, and tried to take their lands away, leaving destruction in the wake of those who refused to cower.
Few had escaped, hiding in the forest; some had drowned in the rivers, and some had been devoured by the wild creatures. The few who had given Bear Claw an account of what had transpired returned with them, fear in their eyes and hearts.
The destruction of Chiricahua had come mainly from stupidity. Chief Ulzana (Big Buckskin) was a distant cousin who Bear Claw remembered going hunting with as a boy. They would scream in excitement as they chased a javelina. They had lain with the same woman, introducing them into manhood. They had been friends for seasons, Ulzana seeking his counsel when he faced confusion.
And so, when the white devils began to court Ulzana Bear Claw had warned him. The rumors drifted to him of Ulzana’s dealings with those pale devils, and he had first dismissed them. After all, he too made exchanges with them, taking what was of use to his tribe, and giving them what they wanted, in full price. He had a civil relationship with the white devils, out of respect more for him, than he had for them. His reservations towards them was not a secret.
Ulzana had shaken off his warnings and continued to do deals with the pale face devils. He had let those white devils into his home, sheltering them. When one of the white devils raped a maiden, Ulzana had finally struck, killing the man. This action had been retaliated in full force, discarding the supposed friendship. It was a lesson to be learned. Those pale devils were not friends. They were foes who were out to steal and plunge their lands.
The clan emerged from their tepees as Bear Claw led his men through the gates. Gloom had suddenly hit the clan at the sight of the wounded. He gave orders for the wounded to be attended to, and for tepees to be mounted for them. Then he rode off, deeper into the clan.
“You bring bad news,” Sparrow said as he got off his horse.
Sparrow was the oldest woman in the clan. All had forgotten her age. Her skin was darkened like the night, filled with wrinkles. Yet her eyes were powerful, and many were scared of holding her gaze. She looked weak as she held on to a cane. Seasons ago, in her youth, she had been skilled with a bow. She still was, but her bark was worse than her bite.
“Ulzana is dead,” Bear Claw said.
Sparrow nodded. She had expected the news. “His Bride?”
Raven was pregnant with their first child. She had been one of the first to go into hiding in the forest.
“She’s here with us,” Bear Claw said. The widow had said not a word since they embarked on the journey. She mourned, but there were no tears. All he saw was a spark of revenge in those steel eyes. Her son would grow up a warrior, to avenge his father.
It was dark when Bear Claw settled down for dinner. There had been a lot of tasks to oversee to ensure that their guests were comfortable as they could be. This was a starting place for them. As he had addressed them, the clan opened its arms in an embrace to them. Those who wanted to stay were welcome, but they would live by the rules of the clan which had led to its prosperity for years. Those who did not want to stay were welcome until they found alternative plans with other clans.
The clan had gathered by the fire. The tension had drifted, and even those who had gone through the ordeal had settled down into a calm.
“Thank you,” he said to the woman as the bowl of porridge was placed in his hands. It was warm, with a sweet flavor.
The Apache clan had about three hundred adults, with hundred children. With each day, the clan grew larger. Soon, the lands they occupied would not be enough for them. They would have to pack up their tents and seek better lands. The clan had first settled here when his father had been chief, and he then a boy. His father was long gone, and so was his mother, and Bear Claw was chief of his clan.
He looked up and took the jug of wine Juh offered him. Juh sat beside him on the lion skin.
“We should avenge his death,” Juh said.
A warrior, Juh was strong headed. He went into battle with no fear, and with no thoughts, which made him foolish. A good man, grudges were however his downfall.
“We should,” Bear Claw said, taking a swig from the gourd. The liquid hit him, slapping against his throat, and he took another swig. He had been drinking since he turned fourteen.
“But?” Juh sensed his hesitation.
“Cowards we are not. The Chiricahua clan are brothers to us. Their blood was shed on our lands, just as the blood of many of our kin.” He looked around the fire. The men. The women. The children. Dancing. Singing. Eating. He was a warrior from birth, right from his mother’s womb where he battled, his birth had seen two nights before he was ushered into the world. He was born for war. Yet he valued peace.
The white devils who had slain his kin were stationed by the river. They were a small group, and could be easily murdered in their sleep in the middle of the night. But what would follow would be beyond their control. He would not take such a risk when the lives of his people were involved. The clan did not seek for trouble, but they were ready to fight when it came to their doorsteps. This was their way.
“They will pay one way or another,” Bear Claw said. You did not have to cut the head off the snake to kill it; there were several ways to kill the snake that proved a menace. Revenge was something Bear Claw craved. Retribution against those who had slain his people. The opportunity would present itself and due price would be pay.
“To the clan!” Juh lifted his gourd.
“To the clan!” The others murmured.
Sleep was far from Bear Claw that night as he lay in the tepee. All was quiet, and he could hear the stirring from the teepee next to him. Yet, it was an illusion, for the littlest of sounds would wake a lad. They were ready for war even in their sleep.
