The speaker of the group answered with a word and a simple rocking of his fingers. Since he wasn’t speaking English, was that a no to Riley’s question?
Riley pressed on, talking slowly as he accompanied the words with gestures. “I am Riley. These women are looking for a friend. A Peigan woman named Steps Right. We have heard there is one from that tribe among you.”
The man responded with a long string of sounds, though not as much as Riley had spoken. She looked from the elder to Riley, but neither face revealed what was being said.
When the brave finished, Riley dropped his voice to just loud enough for the four of them to hear. “He is inviting me in to smoke with him. You can try to accompany me, but I think his women will take charge of you.”
“Did he answer about Steps Right?” Rosemary kept her voice low like his.
He shook his head as he dismounted. “Not yet. It’s considered poor manners to speak business before he offers hospitality.”
The unease that had prickled before now clutched Juniper’sthroat as she and her sisters slipped from their mounts to the ground. “What do we do with the horses?”
Riley pointed to two lads standing to the side. “They’ll water and care for them.”
“Do we take our rifles?” Behind them, Lorelei already had her hand on the wooden stock poking up from her scabbard.
“No.” Riley spoke a bit too loudly, and the urgency in his tone couldn’t be missed.
But was it wise to send their horses and guns off in the hands of these Gros Ventre? If stealing was a pastime, it seemed the height of foolishness to hand over something so important.
Perhaps Riley guessed her thoughts, for he turned to them and spoke quietly again. “They’ll return them safely. It’s a matter of honor toward guests. As long as we don’t do anything to anger them.”
He handed his reins to one of the boys, who looked to be around ten years old. She and her sisters did the same, then they followed in pairs behind Riley as he approached the men.
The one who’d been speaking wore more decoration than the other two men, with feathers tied into both braids and several bronze-colored earrings in both ears. All three wore the buckskin tunic and leggings that seemed standard for most of the natives and trappers, but the first man also had beadwork ornamenting his shirt.
The man turned and walked through a narrow space between two lodges, and Riley followed him. Juniper stayed close behind, with Faith at her side. In possibly dangerous situations, she and Rosie each tried to stay close to one ofthe younger ones. Lorelei and Rosemary nearly tripped on their heels as the other two men fell into step at the rear.
As soon as they entered the circle of teepees, two women approached. They seemed to be walking toward Juniper specifically. When one of them touched her arm, she stopped, though Riley continued on, walking behind the men. He threw a look over his shoulder, but she didn’t have time to read his expression.
The woman spoke in her own tongue, casting her glance at all four sisters and motioning to the side. Her words couldn’t be deciphered, but she appeared to be directing them to follow her.
Juniper looked to Rosemary for guidance. The woman didn’t seem angry or inhospitable, but Juniper didn’t dare make this decision on her own.
Rosie gave the slightest of nods, then shifted to gain the woman’s attention. Their host looked to her with a dip of her chin, then pointed to the side as she had before. Rosie returned the nod and took a small step forward. The woman waved them behind her as she began walking toward one of the lodges.
The four of them followed her, then two other women moved in beside them. Neither looked young, though one had more gray streaked through her hair than the other. Juniper did her best not to stare at the people, instead using her gaze to take in their surroundings. About ten lodges, some larger than the others. That made sense. Bigger families would need more space.
The woman led her into one of the lodges, and after Juniper ducked inside, she had to blink to adjust her eyes to the dim lighting.
A cook fire burned in the middle, certainly not necessary for heat with the sun so bright outside. Around the outer edge of the lodge sat various stacks of furs. Their host pointed to a section, then pressed her hands down as she spoke. She seemed to want them to sit.
Juniper led the way to that spot and began to ease down, watching the woman as she did for signs whether she was doing the right thing or not.
Their host smiled and nodded, then pointed for Faith, Lorelei, and Rosie to do the same. The other two women who had walked with them busied themselves by the fire.
Their host brought Juniper a bowl filled with what looked like water. It also smelled like water. The woman stood before her, smiling and gesturing.
Juniper smiled back, then took a sip. Yes, it tasted like water. The woman nodded again, pointing toward the bowl once more. Juniper took two more drinks as the liquid cooled her parched throat.
The woman stepped back, though she still stood before Juniper. When Juniper lowered the bowl, their host motioned toward Faith, then down the line.
Juniper nodded and handed the bowl to her youngest sister. She smiled again at their host. “Thank you.” She had no reason to believe she’d just been poisoned, not if she went solely by the grace these people had shown since they’d arrived at their village. This woman had been kind enough to offer hospitality to strangers who’d appeared on her doorstep. And she’d offered it with a smile and a willing hand.
Their hostess turned to speak to the two women by the fire, and the younger of them rose and carried a plattertoward Juniper. The woman didn’t meet her eyes but dipped her head with a shy smile as she held out her load for Juniper to see. Four round cakes sat atop a plate that looked like it was made from bark or some other kind of rough wood. The woman extended it closer to Juniper and murmured something she couldn’t understand.
Juniper took one of the pieces. “Thank you.”
