catch behind the knees of his most recent antagonist. The unfortunate warrior fell hard on his back as James leapt nimbly over him and jumped, higher than his bulk should have allowed, and caught the ball with his stick.
He swung the stick sharply around and sent the twentieth ball to pass neatly between the goal sticks at the moment two opponents hit him from different directions.
The three bodies fell to the ground in a tangled mass. New Moon stood rooted to the spot while spectators from both teams rushed onto the field in a frenzy of excitement. Within moments James was raised above the heads of the warriors and ceremoniously carried from the field.
New Moon watched as his arms dangled from his body. Unreasonable anger flared in her heart as she dashed toward the receding parade. She pushed and shoved her way to the warriors that carried him on their shoulders. Dashing around them she planted herself firmly in their path.
"Stop!" she demanded as she placed a small, yet determined hand on a broad chest. "I must see his wounds!"
The warrior looked down in puzzlement, "If he were wounded we would take him to the Medicine Man. Get out of our way, woman! He has need of water."
At the sound of New Moon's voice James rose up from his precarious perch and looked groggily down at her. With the most irritating grin he said, "Did you see that, Little Wa-sa?" Then in a serious tone he added with an impudent swing of his arm that nearly toppled him to the ground, "Get out of the way, woman. I must go to water." The warriors laughed with great merriment as they stumbled with their load and made a wide circle around New Moon.
How could she have been so foolish? The white man was nothing to her. He was a No Thing. But in her heart a seed of doubt had been planted.
"Little sister."
New Moon turned toward Dancing Cloud before focusing her vision somewhere over his left shoulder. "Why have you not told everyone who he is?" She demanded petulantly.
"So you remember the story." Cloud did not hide his pride in her for her cleverness. He studied the firm set of her jaw and found amusement in the way she refused to look at him from beneath lowered lashes.
"How long have you known?" He asked, not letting his amusement make its way to her ear.
"Just today. Why have you not told anyone?" she persisted.
Dancing Cloud studied her proud profile. Cherokee warriors did not look eye to eye when they spoke, but rather straight ahead over the other's shoulder. It was their way of proclaiming their independence.
This show of independence was not tolerated often in women, who should drop their chin and lower their eyes to show proper respect, but Cloud did not scold New Moon. It pleased him to show tolerance of her uncommon forwardness.
New Moon's husband had called her Little Sparrow with Eagle's Heart. The name suited her. And like the eagle, when her sharp eyes saw what her heart desired there would be no escaping her. He wondered how long it would take his friend, Robin, to come to understand that he was the prey of an eagle.
"The other chiefs know. So does Silent Deer. My friend wants to prove himself to the village. He has already proven himself to me." Cloud was unable to resist turning his eyes to New Moon. "Maybe to you as well?"
New Moon jerked toward her brother, and stared into his eyes, an act that would have made a weaker man angry. Dancing Cloud only smiled with affection.
New Moon stiffened, her brother played with her. She hated that he was always right. After a short while, her eyes slid back to the horizon.
"Not yet!" She snapped and walked away, leaving him standing alone. A happy twinkle brightened Dancing Cloud's eyes. "It makes my heart happy to see you again my sister. You have hidden behind your grief for too long."
New Moon did not hear, or chose not to answer.
Chapter Seven
James woke sore and stiff. He needed to stretch and loosen his muscles, but first he would go to water and greet the morning sun.
He swung the stick sharply around and sent the twentieth ball to pass neatly between the goal sticks at the moment two opponents hit him from different directions.
The three bodies fell to the ground in a tangled mass. New Moon stood rooted to the spot while spectators from both teams rushed onto the field in a frenzy of excitement. Within moments James was raised above the heads of the warriors and ceremoniously carried from the field.
New Moon watched as his arms dangled from his body. Unreasonable anger flared in her heart as she dashed toward the receding parade. She pushed and shoved her way to the warriors that carried him on their shoulders. Dashing around them she planted herself firmly in their path.
"Stop!" she demanded as she placed a small, yet determined hand on a broad chest. "I must see his wounds!"
The warrior looked down in puzzlement, "If he were wounded we would take him to the Medicine Man. Get out of our way, woman! He has need of water."
At the sound of New Moon's voice James rose up from his precarious perch and looked groggily down at her. With the most irritating grin he said, "Did you see that, Little Wa-sa?" Then in a serious tone he added with an impudent swing of his arm that nearly toppled him to the ground, "Get out of the way, woman. I must go to water." The warriors laughed with great merriment as they stumbled with their load and made a wide circle around New Moon.
How could she have been so foolish? The white man was nothing to her. He was a No Thing. But in her heart a seed of doubt had been planted.
"Little sister."
New Moon turned toward Dancing Cloud before focusing her vision somewhere over his left shoulder. "Why have you not told everyone who he is?" She demanded petulantly.
"So you remember the story." Cloud did not hide his pride in her for her cleverness. He studied the firm set of her jaw and found amusement in the way she refused to look at him from beneath lowered lashes.
"How long have you known?" He asked, not letting his amusement make its way to her ear.
"Just today. Why have you not told anyone?" she persisted.
Dancing Cloud studied her proud profile. Cherokee warriors did not look eye to eye when they spoke, but rather straight ahead over the other's shoulder. It was their way of proclaiming their independence.
This show of independence was not tolerated often in women, who should drop their chin and lower their eyes to show proper respect, but Cloud did not scold New Moon. It pleased him to show tolerance of her uncommon forwardness.
New Moon's husband had called her Little Sparrow with Eagle's Heart. The name suited her. And like the eagle, when her sharp eyes saw what her heart desired there would be no escaping her. He wondered how long it would take his friend, Robin, to come to understand that he was the prey of an eagle.
"The other chiefs know. So does Silent Deer. My friend wants to prove himself to the village. He has already proven himself to me." Cloud was unable to resist turning his eyes to New Moon. "Maybe to you as well?"
New Moon jerked toward her brother, and stared into his eyes, an act that would have made a weaker man angry. Dancing Cloud only smiled with affection.
New Moon stiffened, her brother played with her. She hated that he was always right. After a short while, her eyes slid back to the horizon.
"Not yet!" She snapped and walked away, leaving him standing alone. A happy twinkle brightened Dancing Cloud's eyes. "It makes my heart happy to see you again my sister. You have hidden behind your grief for too long."
New Moon did not hear, or chose not to answer.
Chapter Seven
James woke sore and stiff. He needed to stretch and loosen his muscles, but first he would go to water and greet the morning sun.
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