Harvest Flower

The Blood Right

Harvest Flower sat next to Singing Fox, the loud war cries died and Harvest Flower knew Running Wolf would start the fight soon. She could tell Singing Fox was nervous and slightly scared of the outcome. The warriors starting their cheers again and Singing Fox looked to the lodge door.

"Do you think I should watch?" Singing Fox said more to herself than Harvest Flower.

Harvest Flower picked at the fringe on her dress. "Running Wolf said it would be unwise. You could distract Gray Eagle and that would not be good."

Singing Fox nodded dropping her gaze to her hands. She made a fist and relaxed it over and over again. The large lodge of Running Wolf's felt small and she wished to sit at her loom. Weaving always calmed her. She watched Harvest Flower pick at her dress.

"I must make something." Singing Fox suddenly said getting to her feet.

Harvest Flower looked up, "Cooking or sewing? I'm sorry I do not have a loom, Running Wolf said he would make one for me."

A smile lit Singing Fox's face and the tension fled, "We will make you a new dress."

They set about gathering all the items they would need listening to the yells outside. The hoops grew more aggressive and chilled Harvest Flower's blood. Which man had the upper hand at this point? Could she go look? She shook her head and threaded a needle.

Singing Fox worked with the soft deerskin, shaping it to look like a skirt. They worked in silence stitching seams and cutting away edges to dry to work with. The dress itself was completed quickly, it was plain and simple. The hard part that would take the longest time is placing beads and adding fringe to decorate it. Singing Fox set to finding the perfect beads, and Harvest Flower started stripping long flat cords from the extra hide at her side.

Singing Fox held up a shining blue bead to show Harvest Flower when the yelling outside died down. Their eyes met and the bead fell from Singing Fox's fingers to the ground forgotten.

Harvest Flower set her knife to the side and pushed the cut hide from her lap. "It is over, soon we will know your fate."

Singing Fox looked up through the smoke hole, "The sun already lowers in the sky." Her eyes held a soft sheen of tears.

Harvest Flower moved to kneel in front of Singing Fox, grabbing her hands to give what comfort she could by simply holding her hands gently.

Both women jumped when the skin flap door jerked open. Running Wolf stepped inside, his face void of emotion. Blood coated his hands and part of his buckskin leggings. He met Harvest Flower's questioning gaze with a sad one of his own.

"Come." He grunted out before lifting the flap.

"Running Wolf?" Singing Fox choked out.

He stood silently waiting for them to move. Harvest Flower stood still gripping Singing Fox's hands. She tugged pulling Singing Fox up from her seat. A small whimper hung in the air.

Harvest Flower looked back at the tearfilled gaze of Singing Fox's. "Let us go together."

Singing Fox nodded and let go of Harvest Flower's hands. She took a step forward looking at the blood on Running Wolf's hands. Her heart stopped in her throat. She quickly swallowed and took a deep breath. Her fate waited just outside.

Harvest Flower walked over to Running Wolf her eyes meeting his filled with clouds of questions. She glanced out the open door and felt her heart race at the man standing outside. She turned back to Singing Fox and held out her hand.

"The Great Spirit smiles on us this day, come." Harvest Flower said quietly.

Singing Fox's feet moved on their own. She reached the flap and looked out. Her eyes met Gray Eagle's and her smile instantly grew into a wide grin. She ran from the lodge to Gray Eagle, throwing her arms around his neck in a fierce hug. She kissed his lips when one arm wrapped around her waist to hold her to him.

Singing Fox's joy only lasted a moment when the warm blood seeping from a long gash down his limp arm soaked the front and side of her dress. She pulled back and a gasp left her lips. His arm hung limply at his side, the cut running from shoulder to elbow was deep. She looked him over finding three more wounds. One small jagged cut across his leg and two deeper cuts along his side. Her eyes shot back up to met his. His eyes showed no pain, only love. She kissed his lips gently and led him away to his lodge at the far side of the village.

Running Wolf and Harvest Flower stood back watching. His arm fell around her waist. "Strong Moon still lives." He whispered to her. "The elders seemed Gray Eagle the winner when Gray Eagle pinned him down weponless. Strong Moon is in no better shape and is now being carried back to their camp."

Harvest Flower felt her shoulders relax. "They keep a chief and Gray Eagle keeps his woman." She wrapped her arms around Running Wolf's middle. "I am happy with the outcome. I do not know how wise it is to let Strong Moon live, I will just trust the elders in this."

Running Wolf nodded looking down at Harvest Flower, who still watched the couple walking away. "Come, we will prepare a feast for Gray Eagle's victory. This night will be filled with dance and food. The Apache move on their journey north even now."

Harvest Flower beamed a bright smile up at him. "It is also Singing Fox's wedding night." She giggled letting go of Running Wolf. She rushed inside the lodge to quickly place all the sewing materials and beads into a large basket. She quickly gathered her bathing items and some for Running Wolf. She smiled to herself, finally everything felt right. She gasped and giggled when a soft butterfly moved in her stomach. The first sign that the life grew sweetly in her belly.

She rushed outside to grab Running Wolf's hand and pulled him to the stream fed from the pool of freash water. Her eyes glowed with pride when they stopped at the waters edge. The small trees blocking them from view of the village gave them privacy.

She turned to face Running Wolf and her laughing voice filled the air, "Our child moves. I could not love anything or anyone as much as I love you and our child." She placed a hand over her stomach and smiled widely.

Running Wolf grinned and knelt in front of her, grasping her hips to hold her in place. "The stars could not add up to how much I love you and our child." He placed a kiss on her dress covered stomach.

She pulled back and reached up untieing the ties at her shoulders, letting the dress fall to the ground in a heap at her feet. The heated stare of Running Wolf traveled her sun kissed skin and he quickly shed his clothing. They waded into the water together, letting the cool water tame their burning desires long enough to wash each other.

Running Wolf pulled Harvest Flower to his chest tilting her head up with his hand, "I love you wife." He kissed her hungrily with all of his soul. Her words lost in the fiery embrace.

She was his and would always be his. His one and only Harvest Flower.