Free Bittersweet Ecstasy by Janelle Taylor Page A

things for I feared he would see danger in leaving us alone. And I did not think it wise to speak such words if Soul-of-Thunder does not feel as I do. If Father approached Windrider and his son with my secret, it could spoil things between them if Soul-ofThunder rejected me. We have been friends for many winters, and I do not wish to cause trouble.”
    “You are wise and kind, Granddaughter, for the pride of a man is often too large and blind where his family is concerned. You must seek the truth from your love before you reveal it to others.”
    “But how do I seek this truth?” Tashina inquired seriously.
    “Time will answer your questions. If his feelings match yours, he will be unable to conceal them for many more moons. Watch his eyes and listen to his voice, for the secret will be exposed there first.”
    “What if my father accepts trade for me before that moon?”
    Shalee laughed affectionately. “My son would never accept trade for his daughter without her approval and knowing. If your father comes to you to speak of such matters, you must speak from your heart. He knows the powers of love, and he knows only one special person can claim a heart. Even if your victory seemsdark or distant at times, you must not lose hope, as Gray Eagle and Shalee did not, and Bright Arrow and Wahea did not. If Soul-of-Thunder does not make such feelings known before the Sun Dance, we will find a way to ensnare him.”
    “You would help me win my heart?” the eager girl probed.
    “When we reach our summer camp, I will find a way to open your love’s eyes, to show him only Tashina is the mate for him. It has been a long time since I was a young girl trying to steal a man’s eyes and heart. I will think hard and remember how it is done. If we are clever like the raccoon, you will capture your prize.”
    Tashina hugged her grandmother tightly. “My heart nearly bursts with love and pride for you, Grandmother. I will do all you say.”
    In the Blackfeet camp, Singing Wind was arguing with her brother Silver Hawk. “I owe no words to you, brother. I come and go as I wish.”
    The twenty-seven-year-old warrior glared at his audacious sister. He inhaled deeply and straightened, trying to make his body look taller than its five feet eleven inches. He possessed eyes which could send forth messages of fire and ice or conceal forbidden emotions. The knife scar which ran from above his left brow to beneath his cheekbone was startlingly white against his dark skin. He was lucky the knife wound had not blinded him as it had sliced through his eyebrow, leaving a tiny section where no hairs grew. Even so, the mark had not disfigured him, for he had inherited his father’s looks and features, and few men had been as handsome and manly as Brave Bear.
    Silver Hawk warned, “If you do not learn to hold your tongue in respect, sister, you might find it missing.Three Feathers revealed your boldness on the last sun. Why did you not come to me with news of the whites? I could have counted many coup on them.”
    Singing Wind knew it was too late for her brother to go after the trappers, for the son of Chief Medicine Bear had informed him of the war party which had left upon her return home with her information. She knew her brother was furious with her, but she did not care. She had gone to live in the tepee of Medicine Bear at two winters, but Silver Hawk had been adopted by the war chief when he was five. Only blood said they were from the same parents, for feelings and actions did not. He had always been mean and spiteful to her, jealous of her place in the chief’s tepee. She knew he was bitter and cruel, traits which were frowned upon in their culture, but he wisely concealed them from most members of their tribe. Four winters past, he had married Shining Feather, daughter to a Cheyenne chief, only to find she could not bear children. “I did not choose which warriors to send from camp, only the chief can do so. It would be wrong to sneak