Brindle's Odyssey

She hated the fear. The feeling had started low in her stomach and it had now filled her belly. And while she was fairly certain that Stump Nose had tried to kill her, she couldn’t be sure. Wind In Her Face was old, surely close to fifty seasons, but she was still capable of swinging a hatchet. There were other possibilities. Perhaps it had been a friend of the family who sought revenge for Man Killer’s marriage to the strange healer. She thought about pointing out the bit marks in the tree, but they had enough problems right now. Half of their rice harvest had been destroyed during the storm and their stay was to be extended.

  The following days were spent out in her canoe, wary of anyone or anything that looked out of place. The days were cooler and the wind died to nearly nothing, all this made harvesting the rice that much easier. Man Killer slept hard during these nights and she dreamed of her man. The dreams rekindled her love and made her days that much longer. Dreams were sacred to her people and Man Killer held these close to her heart. She prayed it was a sign from the Great Spirit that her husband would return to her.

  Stump Nose sat in his corner of the wigwam and carved a chunk of wood with his knife. Wind In Her Face watched him in the fading light.

  “Why is it that you have become so quiet, my son?” she asked the sullen-looking brave.

  “I am angry that I will never have a wife,” spat Stump Nose, hacking off a big piece of pine in anger. “What life will I have if I have to spend it alone, like you? I do not wish to haggle with the Old Ones for conversation when I grow to your age. I want a wife and children to talk to.”

  His mother thought about this for a long time before she spoke. “You are still in love with Man Killer. She will never love you, but that does not matter. I know that. If the one that they call Buffalo Head does not come back in one season, she will be ready to take another man. Why don’t you try being nice to her and see what happens? People have changes in their hearts, I have seen it.”

  “She hates me! I have seen the way she looks at me and I want to stick my knife in her for doing so. I do not want her as my wife. I want her dead so I can forget about her. I need your help.”

  Wind In Her Face slumped forward and began to weep. “I will not help you kill the Mide Woman,” she said between sobs. “And I know that I cannot stop you from trying to do such a foolish thing. You need to remember that she is protected.”

  “I can be careful. I am the greatest hunter in the camp. Everyone knows that.”

  “You do not understand. She is protected by the spirits of the Mide. Who do you think protected her from the tree that fell? The Mide were watching over her. Who will protect you from them? You must not attempt to do this.”

  Stump Nose held his knife up in the air and his expression was dark. “I do not believe that,” he hissed. “I do not believe that anyone is watching over her. She is alone and she is just a woman, no better than any other woman. I will kill her and you will speak of this to no one. I should not have even told you, but you tricked it out of me. You should stop doing such things.”

  Wind In Her Face lay down on her pallet and turned her back on her son. The sorrow was gone, as were the tears. Just a woman? She thought to herself as she tried to fall asleep. You will deserve whatever happens to you. Just a woman, what kind of son says such a thing to his mother?

  Stump Nose fell asleep thinking of all the ways that he could end Man Killer’s life. The more that he thought about it, the more that he decided that the two of them would need to be far away from the camp. He wasn’t going to let her off easy, not anymore.

  Huck