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FOUR YEARS LATER

Isttsits Ohkitópii , First Rider, stood atop a flat butte from where he could observe the water gushing out from a cavern situated up high on an overhanging rocky ledge.

The falls, which were created from a deep chasm within the huge boulders, were called Running Eagle Falls, named after a brave and beautiful Pikuni warrior woman.

For as long as he could remember, First Rider had heard the story of this smart and courageous warrior woman who had dared to counsel with a dreaded underwater person from within this very cave.

So many times had she climbed up the high slippery cliffs surrounding the falls, there to enter the cave and there to counsel with the old one; so many times had she hoped to receive a different answer to her plea to cease the war trail and marry the man of her heart.

But, never had the answer from the ancient underwater person changed; she belonged to her people.

Her fate was to lead war parties and never was she to find the happiness of marital life.

Ignoring the pounding sound of the falls, First Rider inhaled deeply, looking up and outward at the bright orange-colored reflection of the sun shining brightly on Rising Wolf Mountain, which rose up so distinctly in the distance beyond Running Eagle Falls.

Indeed, in this hour of weakening light, all the massive ledges and rocks surrounding the falls mirrored the startling reddish-yellow color.

Even several of the rocks within the fall's clear and shallow pool glowed orange.

Inhaling deeply, he felt the cool mist in the air from the falls soothe his lungs, and it seemed to help him think more clearly.

Still looking outward, he was amazed to see how the yellowish-red color in the sky could paint the grays of the rocks and the greens of the surrounding pines and grasses so brightly.

Instinctively, he felt small in comparison to the grand beauty of Sun's Creation. But, it was not a bad sensation. Indeed, it was the opposite; he felt as if he were a part of all this land of forests and hills, of mountains and valleys.

He sighed, for he was in mourning; he had lost his wife. His beautiful Tsistsaki was gone. Gone. Never would he look upon her lovely countenance again; not in this life.

Four snows… Four snows of his life had ended in this terrible way. He had failed her. Though he had spent these last four winters in search of her, in all this time he had never found her.

He remembered well how happy he and Tsistsaki had been. All those years ago, he had known he was the luckiest man in the world, she being the sweet and sought-after daughter of the well-respected chief, Flying Hawk.

It had been a happy time for them. Looking back on it now, it was difficult for him to believe such bliss had been theirs.

But, their marital happiness had lasted only a few moons…three short moons. And, then had come the Crow raid.

Perhaps it was the Creator's work in making this beautiful spectacle of Running Eagle Falls that gave him courage, here in the present day, to see again—within his mind—the disaster that had fallen upon his camp all those years ago.

He had been away from the village, hunting with his almost-cousin, Stands Strong, when, in the twilight of the day, it had occurred:

"Almost-cousin," First Rider said to Stands Strong. "I have a bad feeling which has suddenly taken hold of me. It is a message from Sun, I think, and I fear something bad has come to pass within our camp. Let us not delay in butchering this buffalo cow, and, as quickly as possible, hurry home."

"I feel it, too," replied Stands Strong. "It matters not to me if we leave the kill here and hurry home. We are better needed there, I think."

And so, they had left the elk meat to the four-legged creatures of the plains, and had quickly mounted their horses, leaving the meat as it lay.

They had then run their ponies toward camp until their mounts were winded and tired.

But, it couldn't be helped, afraid as they both were of Sun's message.

The scent of burning lodges was the first sign that their fears had been correct; all was not well.

And, as they spurred their mounts faster and faster, coming ever closer to the Pikuni encampment, the wind announced the wails of the women and the children. First Rider's heart sank and, looking askance, he could see the same fear etched upon his almost-cousin's countenance.

He and Stands Strong were on the outskirts of the encampment when they were met by a Pikuni war party already mounted and riding furiously, following upon the trail of the enemy.

His almost-brother, Red Fox, being part of the war party, reined in his pony to deliver the message to First Rider and Stands Strong. Red Fox gasped out, "Almost-brother, Almost-cousin, come. Our camp has been raided. We must not delay lest we lose the enemy's trail."

Red Fox went on to tell the story in brief of how the Pikuni camp had been raided at dusk, it having happened during the time when the camp was at ease and enjoying their evening meal. The enemy had somehow slipped by the Pikuni scouts, who, had they seen the enemy, would have given warning.

"Come! There is no time to delay!" shouted Red Fox. "The enemy has taken four of our women captive. We must rescue the women!"

Women? The enemy had taken captives?

"Who was taken?" asked First Rider.

"Your wife was one of the kidnapped women," answered Red Fox, the words causing a physical reaction within First Rider, who felt suddenly sick to his stomach.

"And, who else?" asked Stands Strong.

"Set your mind at ease over your woman, my almost-cousin," said Red Fox, answering Stands Strong. "Your woman was not one of the four stolen. She is safe. She and her almost-mother and aunties hid from the enemy, along with several of the other women. But, come, we are on the enemy's trail."

"Who has dared to do this?" asked First Rider.

"The Crow," answered Red Fox. "Come! Hurry! They took our sister, too, Almost-brother."

Of course, First Rider and Stands Strong had attached themselves to the Pikuni war party, which had numbered a little over fifty warriors. They had been relentless in gaining upon the enemy, even though both First Rider and Stands Strong had already ridden their horses to exhaustion.

The fight that had followed had been a victory for the Pikuni; fourteen of the enemy now lay dead upon the prairie, and it had been done without any Pikuni warrior even sustaining an injury.

Red Fox had then been successful in finding and rescuing their sister—First Rider's almost-sister—from the Crow warrior who had stolen her. After taking possession of his sister's mount, Red Fox had then gone on to accompany both her and one of the other captured women back to camp.

But, such gladness was not to be found within First Rider's heart. He had not been successful in finding and saving his wife.

And so, First Rider and his almost-cousin, Stands Strong, had ridden on—Stands Strong having entrusted Red Fox with a message to his wife that he would return as soon as he and First Rider had rescued the other two women.

But, they were to see no rescue that day.

Although many of the Pikuni ponies had been recovered, no one had seen the other two women—one of those women being Tsistsaki. Tired from the fighting and wishing to return to camp, the Pikuni war party had decided to turn around and ride back to their homes.

But, First Rider could not be a part of those returning; moreover, he was aware of Stands Strong's anxiety about his family, even though his almost-cousin had made no mention of it.

"Almost-cousin," First Rider said. "You must return home.

Your family awaits your safe return. Go.

Go home with the others. But, I … " He paused.

"I must go on. I will not rest until my wife is again in my arms. Relay this message for me to her father, Chief Flying Hawk: I will not quit the trail until I find my wife, who is his daughter.

I give him my honorable vow that I will not turn back upon the trail until she is once more safe. Tell him this."

"I will," replied Stands Strong. "I will give the chief your message exactly as you have said it to me." And then, laying his hand upon First Rider's shoulder, Stands Strong murmured, "Sun be with you, my friend. Sun be with you."

This was how it had happened four winters ago, and First Rider had kept his word to his father-in-law, Chief Flying Hawk.

He had not quit the rescue trail, though within each of the tribes he had visited or had raided, he had found no trace of Tsistsaki, nor had he been able to discover any word of who had stolen her.

First Rider breathed in deeply and sighed.

It felt to him as if he had lived a lifetime in these past four winters, it being a time of utter despair and loss rather than the gentle passing of the winter count.

Truly, he still would have been searching for his wife but for a peaceful encounter with an Assiniboine scout who had proved to have knowledge of Tsistsaki and of the man who had stolen her.

According to the Assiniboine scout, a renown warrior from within his band of the Assiniboine tribe had fallen in love with her and had purchased Tsistsaki away from the Crow man who had stolen her.

This man had made her his wife. But, Tsistsaki had died recently of the white man's sickness.

And, so grieved had her Assiniboine husband been at her passing, the warrior had taken his own life.

The shock of this news had affected First Rider so adversely, he had not been able to bear it; all these years, all his hopes and dreams of finding his woman and bringing her home had been shattered.

Despair and the pain of his loss had caused him to retreat into himself, and, realizing he could not return to his people in his current state, he had withdrawn into the crags and cliffs of the mountains that rose up majestically above the prairie.

And there, unafraid of the war parties he might encounter, he had listlessly ridden through the forests, the glens and the little patches of prairie growing upon these high places.

Game had abounded there, though he had killed little of it—only enough to survive.

How long he had remained there in the mountains, alone, with only his grief as a companion, he didn't know.

In truth, it was only recently that he had felt well enough to seek the blessing of Sun, the Creator.

And so, he had prayed, both day and night.

And, because he had asked for the Creator's aid, he had sacrificed his most valued possession—his sacred medicine pipe—asking the Creator to give his wife peace and solace in the Sand Hills.

And so, here he was, standing alone upon a cliff overlooking the strange and colorful beauty of Running Eagle Falls, contemplating joining his wife and her Assiniboine husband in the Sand Hills of the dead and departed.

"Do not despair," came a voice from out of the great blue, speaking to him from within his mind. Of course, he knew who the speaker was: it was his spirit-protector, she who had mothered him when he had been a mere babe. Although he rarely called upon her, he knew she was always there for him.

She continued to address him in his mind and said, "Sun, the Creator, still has many plans for you.

You have been too long away from your people.

There are many friends and family there who worry about you.

This loss you feel, though terrible, will pass.

Go back to your people, and when you journey there, take this knowledge of the Creator with you.

There is still much in this life for you to do.

Remember the song of healing I gave you long ago.

Sing it again and often to yourself, for it is a healing song. "

First Rider closed his eyes, and in the way of speaking with one's mind, he replied, "Thank you, my protector, for coming to me and reminding me of the healing song.

But, never had I thought I would sing the song to restore my own health.

Please, will you stay awhile with me in your mind and sing it with me now? "

"I would be honored," she replied.

And so, they sang the old, old song of healing, the same refrain this Big Person, his almost-mother, had taught him when he had been a mere babe.

The melody of the song was strange and discordant, the words resembling different grunts, whistles and humming noises, unlike his own people's songs.

And yet, he knew them well, if only because this Big Person almost-mother, though so tall and so huge, had sung this song to him every night when she had held him in her arms.

Yes, he knew this song well, indeed.