Somewhere in the Darkness....

[afternooner]

John

He watched her stretch her firm body silouetted agains the setting sun he shivered suddenly wanting her again even though his body was completely satiated. As she dressed he marveld at how easily she took on the look of her freinds the aPawnees her dark hair drawn into a braid her high cheek bones and a natural softness in her eyes.

My princess he murmered under his breath he felt so proud to have her with him and vowed to never let her go She was his princess.

he reluctently dressed and whilstled for Sugar surprised she and Patch wren't there trying to compete for affection. Sugar came a balefull look in her eye as if to say haven't we seen about enough of this John chuckled art the thought and told her out loud Youre second in my herar t now Sugar you might as well get used to it.

Looking out once more into the valley far below them he saw a cloud of dus buffalo were runnung everywher chased by riders on horses he couldnt hear the gunshot but he saw the puffs of smoke and watched the buffalos fall He turned to Clem a look of horror on his face for he knew well that these hunters would shoot and waste the precious game.

 

[Lacewing]

Clem didn't look with horror, but a kind of anger. How DARE they take what belonged to the land! They would only skin and take the tongues of hte buffalo leaving meat to waist in the hot sun.

Getting up on Patch she let out a blood curdling scream and went charging down into the valley to 'take care' of the hunters.

Her gun aimed she took careful consisteration of her shots and waited till the right moment, one hunter going down before he could fire off another shot.

That seemed to be the cue for the pawnee hunters who had already come to see what was happening to the buffalo.

It was a massacure, but on the side of the hunters. This was a nasty lot. Unwashed and dressed in a mix of skins and clothing. Bile about came to CLem's mouth when passing one fallen hunter she reconized a scalp hanging from his belt like a trophy. A woman's scalp from the look of the long hair and braided beading.

Anger came to her more as she raised her guna nd screamed.

 

[afternooner]

John

John watched unable to move at first as he saw
Clem and the pawnees head down the mountainside, intending to kill these hunters, who were slaughtering the buffallo. his mind revotled against the thought of the wastefull killing and he had seen carcasses laying on the prarrie their tongues cut out left to rot but he was also uncomfortable with the killing he was seening goin on now. he'd turned his back before when drunk cowboys had bragged about how many buffalo theyd killed and how many indians they'd scalped.

Now as he wathced his beloved Clem in the midst of the massecure he decided it was time for him to take a stand. he mounted sugar and pulled his rifle from it's case and headed down the mountian toward her taking carefull aim and feeling good when the bullets hit their target.

 

[Lacewing]

Clem soon found the least of the intruding white men dead and rested her head on Patch's flank eyes closed shaking with reaction. The women were coming in and making the best of the slaughtered buffalo since it was so soon into the deaths. But now they had more meat and skins. More than the small camp needed and was going to take extra days to cure and fix for travel.

But they would carry what they could take wasiting very little as they make camp a distance from this place.

She shuddered again and sighed knowing it was stil going to be a long day before they truelly could rest.

 

[afternooner]

John

Joh helped as every one pitched in to save as much meat as possible. Night has has started to fall as they finish. Even though everyone is tired there needs to be a dance to remember this event by so that the memory will help them through the days ahead. also a sweat tent has been set up for anyone who wants to connect to their spirit at this time.

John has never been in one before but White Eagle motions him forward behind the others and when it is his turn he removes his clothes and taking the pipe from the last one coming out enters the teepe.

Inside he squats crosslegged and feeling the heat and steam against his skin begins his sweat time. He draws deeply on the pipe and leans his head back his eyes closed. His mind waunders back into his past a bit and then a circle of light comes into view he slowly opens his eyes and still it remains in front of him hovering in the air. Pale white a glimmering light becons him to look at it as it shimmers there.

Staring in it John draws again at the pipe and sees an opening in the circle a scene appears there. tall mountians clear streams and grassy meadows deer and elk bound freely a waterfall glistens in the background and with its spray makes a rainbow. John gasps.... Montana he knows that thats his future. In a pool two figures bathe Naked in the sunshine and on the shore ...a cradle. John cant be certain as it's so tiny but.. A smle comes over his face as he knows that his future with Clem is bright until a cloud passes and suddenly his Clem has disappeared. He stares into the circle wanting to bring her back, to push the clouds away and then the circle dissapears.

John gets up. from the stories he has heard one can't see too far into the future only far enough to prepare for it to happen. he hands his pipe to the next man and returns to Clems side He vows to hold her extra close tonite and share all the love he has for her as well.