FAITH
FAITH (after an idea by Nesciri)
Yellow Crane stood on the hill that overlooked the
waystation. She knew Red Bear was inside with Running Buck. She wished desperately
that she could listen to their conversation. Red Bear was probably molly-coddling
the boy just as he had done all those years ago. Red Bear always had an overly
soft spot for that misfit. How she longed to be inside so that she could see
the look of despair on Red Bear's face.
She had been disgusted when she first arrived to find Running Buck was still alive. She knew what she had to do now. She had to try one last time to kill Running Buck, but this time she would do it in front of Red Bear. This was wonderful. She would see Red Bear take the cold, stiff body of his brother and cremate it while he mourned. She would bide her time for now but by the time the sun rose Running Buck would be in danger again. And if she managed to kill a few of his friends, well then she would rejoice even harder. She grinned in anticipation. She could not wait to watch the horror unfold below.
The morning came quietly. The early autumn day was
clear and brisk. A sharp wind moved white cotton clouds across the blue sky
and caused the tall prairie grass to sway and bend. When the wind blew especially
hard, the little bunkhouse creaked and groaned a little while the windows rattled.
The door opened and Cody and Ike stepped outside
on the porch still tugging on warm jackets and gloves. Ike thought if not for
the circumstances of the past few days, today would be perfect for gathering
apples to make cider or a nice pie. Maybe that was his problem. He was always
thinking about what could be instead of what actually was. He sighed and took
one last look inside.
"He'll be fine, Ike. Red Bear's with him," Cody said while adjusting his hat. Ike gave Cody a solemn nod and stepped out into the wind.
Ike knew Cody had the meant his words in the nicest
way possible but they just bristled him.
The truth was Red Bear's presence made Ike uncomfortable.
He had been Buck's best friend for over five years. They were like brothers.
He was the one that had stood by Buck all those years, not caring that his mother
was Kiowa or his father was a torturing rapist. He was the one with him when
Buck was alone at the mission. He had fought alongside Buck when the other kids
teased him and pushed him to the breaking point. He was there when Buck was
continually sick for the first year, battling illnesses he was never exposed
to with the Kiowa. He was there when Buck was having such trouble learning to
write with his right hand as the nuns insisted. Once Buck was so frustrated,
he had torn up his paper that he had worked so diligently on for hours and threw
the pieces on the floor before going to bed. Ike had stayed up half the night
rewriting it for him.
Logically though, Ike knew that Red Bear held a
special place in Buck's heart but it hurt him to see that maybe Buck cared more
for Red Bear than for him. Ike also couldn't get passed Red Bear putting Buck
through sheer hell to prove him Kiowa. What kind of brother did that? A brother
was supposed to accept you for who you were. Red Bear seemed like he was always
trying to make Buck over into something new.
That was another thing. Ike and Buck were equals
in their friendship, but Red Bear was definitely the superior in his relationship
with Buck. Red Bear had always had the upper hand and never missed an opportunity
to remind his little brother of it. He didn't really care though if Red Bear
played the big brother role to perfection. Ike just didn't want to see Red Bear
hurt Buck again.
Ike had often thought about that day when Buck had offered the Kiowa his life in return for his. He had sat up high on the bluff watching Red Bear and Buck together. Ike had secretly feared that Buck would stay with the Kiowa and was immensely relieved when Buck came riding out of the camp. Ike knew Buck was feeling confused and rejected, but truth be told he didn't care. Buck had returned and that was what mattered. In his opinion, Buck didn't need anyone else.
