The Legend of Black Wolf - Sully's Journey Home

Chapter Thirty Eight

        About midday, Cloud Dancing came to the special grove near the winter hunting grounds where he had found good prayer and had cached some sacred items in case of emergency.  Although the skin he had wrapped the items in was stiff from the cold, it had not been disturbed.  Opening it to reveal some special stones, feathers, and bones, Cloud Dancing prayed to the Great Spirit for help in understanding the path that was under his feet.  He asked for a way to understand the good in Sully's current situation.  How was it that a man who could teach them all about tolerance and peace have to go through such hardships?  How could his people, who had known the blind hatred from others, not choose to extend the kindness they were seeking?

        After his prayer, he built a fire and tried to still his mind.  But his thoughts would not rest.  With each gust of wind that buffeted his back, he thought of Sully back in camp, dressed in rags.  He could imagine all the degrading chores the family of Bright Spears was making him do.  He doubted they were feeding him correctly either.  In the cold weather, Sully would not last long, especially after so recently being sick with fever.  How Cloud Dancing wanted to talk more with his friend about the strange walk he had gone on in the first place - and the vision he had seen, too!  It made him upset to think that his friendship with this white man might soon be over.

       Knowing that he should not spend much more time away from Snow Bird, Cloud Dancing rose to extinguish his fire and walk back when he heard hooves beating the frozen ground.  There were horses approaching.  Before he had time to think of either a place to hide or a way to arm himself, the voices of warriors met his straining ears.  Triumphant war whoops from dog soldiers meant the approaching party was of his people.  Relaxing a bit, Cloud Dancing expected to see them with a buffalo in tow for the tribe.  But this was not the case.

       Upon seeing the fire, the dog soldiers entered the grove of trees with their weapons drawn and their faces ready to fight.  Cloud Dancing held up his hands, and, as Hook Nose recognized his medicine man, he gestured for the others to stop.  As they all halted their horses, Cloud Dancing could see that they had been riding hard and had sweated off half of their war paint.  A few of the horses were worked into a lather.

       "The enemy chases you?"  Cloud Dancing asked all of them in a concerned tone.

       "The enemy's blood soaks the ground!"  Hook Nose shouted, holding up his knife.  A chorus of yells rang through the trees as the braves joined together in cheering the news.  Some of the overly excited and exhausted horses shivered and stomped around, as if they, too, could not keep still about what had just transpired.

       "What has happened?"  Cloud Dancing asked as Hook Nose dismounted.

       "The words!  They work!  Black Wolf's words!"  Hook Nose explained.  As the two men met by the fire, Hook Nose held out his arm to turn his shoulder towards the firelight.  There was a bloody gash across his skin, but it was minor.  Cloud Dancing looked at it and gestured that it was slight.  "I was able to understand the great army's words and we met them while they slept unguarded."  Their eyes met as the braves whooped and cheered again.

       "Black Wolf."  Cloud Dancing said absentmindedly. 

       "Tall Rock gave his life in the fight killing the leader.  The rest of us are fine."  Hook Nose said, a bit calmer this time.  "We must honor his sacrifice."  He pointed back to a travois that one of the dog soldiers dragged behind his horse that carried Tall Rock's body.  Many times, the Cheyenne would leave a loved one where they had fallen to return to Mother Earth where the Great Spirit had taken them, but it was clear that Hook Nose didn't want the great white army to figure out what had happened just yet.  They would bury Tall Rock at the burial grounds near the winter camp.  He would have great ceremony for all he had accomplished in his protecting the people.  There would be a lot to do and much preparation for such a warrior.  Cloud Dancing's mind flashed back to Sully and all Bright Spears family would make him do in that preparation.