Adadoda* (solo short)

[Patches McDuff]

Little Skunk stood outside the wigwam, watching his daughter, thoughtfully chewing on a small twig. She had fixed them an excellent meal, but had taken hardly any for herself. As soon as the meal was finished, she had gone outside, taking several of her bowl-lights with her.

He watched as she lit the bowl-lights, and set them around her tanning area.

The bowl-lights were interesting things. A few months ago she had discovered that boiling the green bayberries which grew all over the place produced some sort of wax. She poured the stuff into small wooden bowls, setting in the center a piece of twine pulled from a rope. When lit these little devises burned brightly and let off a spicey scent through out the wigwam. They also allowed her to work at night, when the dreams woke her or she simply couldn't sleep, without waking himself or Big Heart.

Now she was lighting them in order to work the hides. That in itself was a strange thing, as it was nearly sundown. Hardly any woman worked past sundown outside.

Little Skunk threw the stick down and ducked into the wigwam. He took up his pipe and sat crosslegged in front of his son. He filled the pipe, lit it from a flaming kindling, drew, puffed and passed it to his son.

"Why does Little One tan hides in the dark?" He asked as Big Heart passed the pipe back.

Big Heart sighed. "She had a confrontation with Running Wolf today."

Little Skunk's eyebrows rose. "Running Wolf? Did he touch her?"

Big Heart shook his head. "No, but he may have if I were not there." Quickly, but accurately, Big Heart related the events of earlier. "She works to tan his hides as quickly as possible."

"He has no right to demand anything of her," Little Skunk said trying to keep the creeping anger out of his voice. How dare he! "Ever since she was chosen to take the message to the Nations, Running Wolf has been upset. I can see his eyes on her and he is angry."

Big Heart sat up. "She rode a message to the Nations?"

"You did not hear?" Little Skunk thought he would have heard since he discovered the life of the tribe in the same place.

"No," Big Heart said. "All they said was a relative of ours came. I thought it might have been Eyes Like the Sky." Eyes Like the Sky was Little Skunk's youngest son.

Little Skunk shook his head. "No. She volenteered, at that point she had no standing in the Tribe." He related the story, and by the time he was done, Big Heart was smiling.

"She is a brave and strong woman," he said softly, his big heart filled with pride.

"Hmph," Little Skunk snorted. "She is a brave and strong man." Big Heart looked up at him quizzically. Little Skunk smiled. "When she wants to be. Silver Tree at first thought that she would not find a mate for Little One due to her strength."

Big Heart hoisted himself into a sitting position, also crosslegged. "A strong woman deserves a strong man." He looked his Father straight in the eye. "Running Wolf is not that strong." He paused for a moment, thinking and smoking.

"Father," he said finally. "I have sought council about Many Colors."

"And?" Little Skunk said raising his eyebrows.

"And it is the thoughts of the Tribe that she and I would make good mates." He swallowed hard, not sure of his fathers reaction.

"Do you love her?" Little Skunk asked in English. He studied his sons face. His eyes never wavered.

"With all I am." He stated in the same way.

"Have you talked to her?" Little Skunk said reverting back to Cherokee.

"Not yet," he said leaning back some. "She has agreed to dance behind me at the Sun Dance. I was hoping to ask her officially then. But I wanted your blessings first."

Little Skunk nodded, puffing on the pipe. "That is right." He said, then his face broke into a slow smile. "You have my blessings."

Big Heart grinned.

"And perhaps with something more official, Running Wolf will leave her alone," he continued, then nodded once. "Otherwise I'll have to skin him."

"I'm sure he will leave her alone," Big Heart stated. How could he not? Official was official after all. And with the whole tribe's blessings he could not refute it.

"Hmmm," Little Skunk murmered in agreement. He'd keep his eye on him anyway though. Running Wolf was notoriously sneaky.

[Patches McDuff]

"Hmm," 'Sleep said. "Tell me after the Sun Dance, Running Wolf let up."

Patches sighed. "No. Actually after that it kinda got worse but in a weird sorta way."

'Sleep leaned forward. "Whatcha mean?"

"Well," she thought about it some. "He didn't say or do anything, but he was always near. Watching. I mean every time I turned around, he was there."

"Bet that gave ya the creeps," Sleep said.

Patches shivered. "Yeah. Like you wouldn't believe. Truth be told I started wearing my knife in easier reach. Just in case. I've seen what happens to women who were molested but didn't fight hard enough. Not a pretty thing, and I considered myself one of the People, just like everybody else."

'Sleep smiled. "You din't lose any of yer fight though."

"Nah," she said. "I guess ya don't come through a war, a raid, and God knows whatall else and just forget what you can do. That made me kinda sad though."

"Why's that?" Sleep asked relighting his pipe.

"Cuz I liked bein a girl," She said with little chuckle. "Was nice to not have to protect myself or pretend to be something I'm not for a change. Got kinda usta my "position" in life I guess." She tilted her head at him. "Is that wrong?"

'Sleep shook his head. "I don't think so. Women of the People have pretty high position and a great deal of honor. At least in my experience. Unlike some of the cads around here who treat thier women as second class citizens." He threw the match stick down as he spoke, almost as if he were angry about that in some way.

She reached over and patted his hand. "Good thing we don't have cads like that at the Starr," she said with soft smile.

"Ya got that right," Sleep said with a stiff nod. "If we did I'd have to skin'em."

Patches laughed. "I have no doubt!"

"So when was the wedding planned for?" He asked after a chuckle of his own.

"Almost a year to the day later." She responded.

"A year? Dang!" He exclaimed sitting forward again. "Why so long?"

Patches shrugged. "Just the way of things I reckon. Big Heart had to choose land, build a wigwam, collect a dowery. I had to make my wedding dress, gather or make our household items." She turned to look at him. "Do you know how long it takes to make leather white? Egads, there was tons of work to be done."

"Huh," 'Sleep scratched his chin. "How do ya make leather white anyhow?"

Patches held up her hand. "Trust me, ya don't wanna know. Lets just say it takes a very long time and getting the smell out of it takes even longer."

"Yuck," 'Sleep wrinkled his face. "Yer right I don't wanna know. But ya did it right?"

"Yeah, I did it. I had good advice from the other women, and eventually it came together." She smiled. "Would have been a lovely dress too."

"You never finished it?" He asked.

She looked down and shook her head. "The first piece was nearly finished when an incident with Running Wolf cause me to have to start over."

'Sleep growled and punched the arm of the chair. "There he is again! What'd he do?"

"Everything he could think of to keep me from marrying Big Heart." She said dryly. "Little stuff mostly that we didn't even think about until later."

"Like?"

"Like stuff would come up missing, little things, beads mostly. Or he'd find a way to insert himself in plans through other people...I"m tellin ya it was strange. But the day he ruined almost three months worth of work was the day I got really upset...."