CHAPTER SEVEN
"Ohkó insst,son of my older sister, I am happy to see your friend from so many years ago has come back to us."
Gray Falcon nodded. He was returning to camp from his evening bath, heading toward his mother's lodge. Hisaaáha, his auntie, appeared to be going in the same direction.
Said his auntie, "She has become very pretty."
Again Gray Falcon inclined his head, having very little to say in response. After a time, however, he answered, saying, "Come, Auntie. Walk close behind me as we trod across camp. I believe we are both going to the same lodge for our evening meal."
"Thank you, my nephew. I will." She fell into step behind him and, after a while, said, "I have seen you watching A'sitápi as she works with your sister."
Gray Falcon took his time replying. After a moment, he cast a quick glance over his shoulder and said, "I watch her because I am responsible for her."
Hisaaáhachuckled a little, then said, "Does she still speak whatever is on her mind?"
"I fear she does,Aaáha."
"It was always a joy to watch her hands as she spoke to us with the signs. I fear I often wished to laugh, but didn't dare. Do you remember the time she thought the antelope skin I had placed before me was something to eat and she tried to chew it?"
Gray Falcon smiled. "I remember it well, and I can still recall the face she made when she learned the truth."
"In many ways, I have missed her. Her comments upon our way of life were often astute and many times caused me to laugh."
"Áa,do you remember when she tried to sew a pair of leggings for me with the white man's thread?"
Brings-the-water-woman, his auntie, laughed. "And, when we gave her the sinew to use to sew the leggings, and she had to run from our lodge when we told her what it was because she was ready to lose the contents of her stomach."
Again Gray Falcon laughed.
"What does your mother think of your friend?"
"She has yet to meet her. But, I believe she thinks well of A'sitápi, since it is because of my friendship with her that I am now able to speak in the medicine man's silent tongue."
"You have not introduced her to your mother yet? Nephew, why have you delayed taking your friend to meet your father and mother?"
Gray Falcon shrugged. "There has not been a moment to do it. Besides, A'sitápi believes she may soon be returning to her home, which is far away from here."
"Then, she is not here to stay?"
"I do not believe she is. Her mother is wishing for her safe return…and soon."
"Then, I must invite her to my lodge so we can become reacquainted. Perhaps I should be the one to introduce her to your mother."
Gray Falcon once again shrugged.
"Does she still follow you from place to place?"
"She does not," said Gray Falcon. "I would not allow it."
"Is she still in love with you?"
"Auntie! Perhaps we should not speak of this." He paused. "You knew she was in love with me all those snows ago?"
"Nephew, I am older than you, and I do have eyes to see. We all knew she was in love with you. How could we not? Like a pony, she followed you everywhere you went. She came to see you every day. And, always there was love in her eyes when she looked at you. Have you thought of marrying her?"
Again Gray Falcon shrugged, unwilling to share his mature response to A'sitápi's beauty with his auntie, nor could he tell her about his intuition that, were he to ask A'sitápi to marry him, her response might likely be "no."
Why this was, he didn't know, since she was not shy about declaring herself to still be in love with him. Perhaps it was because of the promise she had given to her mother. Perhaps not.
