Chapter 6: FATE

Aquene avoided her husband's gaze as she joined the other women near the fire, preparing a breakfast of corn mush. For being Iroquois, she was relieved she had something in common with the Wyandotte women. It wasn't much, but there was something to build on. Aquene wasn't planning on staying longer than necessary but now it was imperative not to raise suspicion.

Small Bird bit her lower lip, her eyes haunted.

"Did your husband treat you badly?" Aquene whispered for Small Bird's ears only as she reached for the dish Small Bird was holding.

"No...that's the problem. If he had been a cruel husband, it would have been so much easier to know we are leaving soon."

Aquene frowned, glancing over at the younger woman.

"It is just your hormones speaking this nonsense," Aquene clucked her tongue. "We don't belong here. I am thankful that he was not cruel to you, but you cannot be swayed by this man. Our future is back with our tribe - with my sons."

"Of course," Small Bird couldn't hide the fact that she was flustered as her new husband followed Chief Raven toward the entrance, the tall warrior glancing back at his bride with a tender smile.

"Well he certainly is a charmer and not hard on the eyes, but your husband has not been dead twenty-four hours. Have the courtesy to remain loyal to his memory, at the least."

Focusing on her fussing infant in an attempt to hide her embarrassment at Aquene's chastisement, Small Bird hummed softly, attempting to soothe Strong Oak.

"It could always be worse," she murmured. "I have a baby in my arms, and that sweet girl brought you...I will be a good mother to her. She is very attached to the baby from what I've seen."

A fist squeezed Aquene's chest mercilessly. Within twenty-four hours she had lost her husband, both of her sons and the new daughter her husband had brought her. So much loss in such a short time and Aquene still hadn't time to grieve her great loss.

Gentle Doe, unaware of the conversation, crouched beside Small Bird, smiling softly as she watched her baby brother snuggled within his mother's arms. Brushing a gentle kiss on his downy head, Gentle Doe smiled up at the young woman, saying something neither could understand.

Frowning, Gentle Doe realized that they couldn't understand what she was trying to say. Pointing to her chest, Gentle Doe said slowly, enunciating each word.

"Gentle Doe. My name is Gentle Doe."

Small Bird cocked her head slightly trying to grasp the foreign language.

The shaman approached, dark furs hanging from his oiled torso.

He spoke in flawless Iroquois, translating for the women.

"The child is Gentle Doe. She is the daughter of a great chief. You have been chosen to be her mother, Small Bird. The baby in your arms is her brother. They are from the same mother. Your people killed her parents."

"Oh, Gentle Doe..." Small Bird reached out for the preteen, her compassion genuine. "I didn't know."

Aquene hadn't known the circumstances of how the child had come to be in her village, but she knew her husband enough that he would not have killed an innocent woman just to bring her a daughter - at least she didn't think he would. Her husband had never actually shared details of his raids with his wife and she hadn't asked.

For a moment the shaman watched the myriad of emotions dancing across his chief's bride's features. There was no way of knowing that he was their sworn enemy.

Small Bird wrapped her free arm around her new daughter in a silent promise to the young woman.

"As for you," the shaman continued, turning his complete attention to Small Bird.

Out of the two women, it was Aquene who held the greatest threat to him. Should Chief Raven fall in love with the Iroquois woman, she could turn his heart. She would have his ear like none other and as for Long Knife... No, he wouldn't allow it to get to that point. He couldn't. The fate of the Wyandotte tribe depended on the young shaman.

Aquene raised her eyebrow, waiting for the shaman to continue but she was waiting in vain. It didn't matter anyway. Aquene had no intention of staying longer than she had to.

Had the shaman been able to read Aquene's thoughts, their relationship might have started out very differently.

Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be.

Chief Raven stepped out into the blistering wind, the swirling snow a hint that the weather would soon change for the worst.

"A storm is coming," Swift Bear called out over the howling wind, the weather already taking a turn for the worst.

"They will be fools to try to escape in this weather," Chief Raven pointed out, gesturing toward the forest. "The women will never make it - not on their own."

"My wife will not try to escape," Swift Bear grinned, slightly cocky which elicited low, rumbling laughter from his elder brother.

"Small Bird has made you a happy man, it seems. You are a good man, my brother. Win her love and you will be blessed before the winter winds come again."

"She already makes me very happy, you are correct. But I was a bachelor until yesterday. What about you? Have you married well? I know it must be hard, Sweet Song not yet in the grave a week. I was rather surprised Long Knife was so accepting of you taking a stepmother for him this soon after his mother's death."

A muscle clenched in the chief's jaw a moment before he looked away.

"It was Long Knife who insisted her life be spared - and that I take either her or Small Bird as my wife."

Swift Bear frowned, realizing his brother could have claimed his bride had fate not decided otherwise.

"And you chose Aquene..." Swift Bear mused aloud.

"Long Knife chose his mother."

Swift Bear stopped in his tracks, turning to face his brother.

It was the chief, however, who spoke.

"Fate."