Chapter 3

Only a month after White Eagle’s death Five Horses began to feel differently. Her breasts became tender to the touch and a feeling of nausea followed her throughout the day. It soon became evident that Five Horses was carrying a child.

Because Five Horses had been raped, most of the Kiowa felt certain the white man had fathered her child. Many of the women in the village urged her to drink the herbs that would cause her to deliver the baby early or to allow them to prod into her womb and abuse her expanding belly to injure or kill the child inside. These practices often resulted in the injury or occasional death of the mother, as well, but the women considered it a risk worth taking compared to giving birth to a white child.

Five Horses flatly refused to listen to them. Grieving for her lost husband, she contended that the spirits had finally answered her prayers and given her White Eagle’s baby. The spirits would not be so cruel as to take her beloved husband without leaving her a part of him. Why would she want to hurt White Eagle’s child?

The Kiowa knew that White Eagle and Five Horses had not been able to produce another child in the thirteen years since Red Bear’s birth, but the spirits could not be predicted. Perhaps it was the child of White Eagle. Time would tell.

The winter winds brought intense cold with temperatures dropping to dangerous levels. The depth of accumulating snow was greater than most of the Kiowa had ever seen. Many of the oldest in the village were unable to withstand the grueling conditions and died during the months of deep winter. The most superstitious of the tribe blamed the “evil white child” growing inside Five Horses. It seemed to them the larger the child grew the worse the winter became. Although yet unborn, the white child was bringing death and despair to the their village. In their minds, the days of the Kiowa
were numbered.

Red Bear, now the man of the household, protected and provided for his mother as best a thirteen year old boy could. He and his father had hunted throughout the plentiful summer months, drying the deer and buffalo meat for the lean winter ahead. Firewood was not difficult to find if the weather permitted venturing outside for any length of time but the men of the village insisted on offering some assistance to the boy. He and his mother were the family of their fallen war chief and still commanded respect.

The long, dark months of winter were difficult for Five Horses. She missed her husband deeply, missed the touch of his arms around her and his gentle voice. Her days were spent wrapped in buffalo robes within the warm confines of her teepee, her mind occupied with thoughts of White Eagle and plans for his child growing within her. But each night her sleep was disrupted by visions of the white man standing over her, laughing wildly as she held White Eagle’s dead body in her arms.

The winter winds shifted direction bringing warmer air as the dark, miserable winter finally surrendered to spring. The prairie grass held prisoner for so many months by the impenetrable layer of snow came back to life. The wild quince announced the return of spring by bursting forth its scarlet colored flowers as the Kiowa celebrated the changing seasons.

Changes had come to Red Bear in the spring, also. His voice began to deepen and the muscles in his chest and arms became more defined. His facial features lost the roundness of childhood and became more angular. Five Horses enjoyed watching the young maidens of the village as they cast flirtatious looks in his direction, hiding their giggles as he walked past them. The fact that Red Bear was totally oblivious of the attention cast upon him only made the situation more amusing.

Red Bear had grown so tall throughout the winter months that his buckskin trousers were embarrassingly short, exposing his ankles. He had taken to wearing his father’s clothing, although still much too large for him. Five Horses altered the clothing for a better fit, brushing the tears from her eyes as she sewed. She was pleased to relieve Red Bear of his embarrassment, but it only served as another reminder that White Eagle was not coming home.

As her time drew near, the weight of her womb causing her to tire easily, Five Horses spent most of her day in the seclusion of her home while Red Bear cared for her. She considered herself very lucky to have such a son. White Eagle would be proud. As if wanting to be noticed, too, the little being inside her twisted, turned and kicked. Wrapping her arms around her protruding middle as if cradling her child she whispered, “Soon, little one, soon.”

Red Bear sat outside the opening of the teepee nervously tearing blades of grass into tiny pieces, frightened by his mother’s muffled cries of pain. He had spent the earlier hours of the day with her but as Five Horses’ labor intensified he was sent outside. Red Bear knew little about such things, but he didn’t think it should take this long. Darkness was falling on the village and after hours of pain the baby still wasn’t here. Other women in the village had died in childbirth. It scared him to think that could happen to his mother, also. Already a fatherless child, what would happen to him if she died?

Five Horses clenched her teeth holding back her cries. The pains encircling her abdomen would stop periodically, but the intense pain in her lower back would not subside. She had endured hours of hard labor and still the baby would not be born. Bathed in sweat, panting hard and fast Five Horses began to feel lightheaded as the interior of her teepee began to swim before her eyes. Trying to regain control, she lay back against a mound of buffalo robes, completely exhausted.

Although their relationship as sisters-in-law had deteriorated after the deaths of White Eagle and Two Elks, Black Water Woman offered her assistance to Five Horses. She was knowledgeable in childbirth and had assisted in the
delivery of many children in the village. After a moment of hesitation, fearing for her baby’s life as well as her own, Five Horses accepted her help.

After a brief examination, Black Water Woman determined that Five Horses’ body was ready to deliver her child, the baby simply wouldn’t come. Applying pressure with her hands to Five Horses’ swollen belly she attempted to move the child to a more favorable position. Cries of agony from Five Horses were the only result.

Weak and exhausted after another hour trying to push her baby into the world Five Horses felt as if she could do no more. Tears of frustration and fear filled her eyes as her back arched in pain. “I can’t!” she cried, her voice shaking.

“Push!” commanded Black Water Woman. “Again!”

Grasping her knees to hold herself forward, bearing down with what little strength was left in her body, Five Horses finally delivered her child into Black Water Woman’s waiting arms. Five Horses fell back against the buffalo robes emotionally and physically spent, too exhausted to move or even speak.

After separating the baby from his mother, Black Water Woman wrapped the limp infant, seemingly as exhausted as Five Horses from his difficult birth, in a piece of soft deer skin. She cleaned out his nose and mouth and ran her hands over the small body until he emitted a weak cry announcing his arrival.

Hearing the cry Five Horses reacted.“Let me see my baby.”

Black Water Woman acted as if she had not heard and began to examine the infant.

Again Five Horses asked, extending her arms to Black Water Woman, “Let me see my baby.”

Black Water Woman would not be deterred. Holding the child before her in the firelight her expression turned to stone.

The child’s skin was dark but considerably lighter than a child of full Kiowa heritage would be. His hair, although there was a good deal of it, was brown not black.

“This is not the son of White Eagle. This child is white,” Black Water Woman proclaimed with venom in her voice. “He will bring the white man’s death and disease to our people.”

Rising to her feet with the small bundle in her arms, Black Water Woman turned to Five Horses, hate overflowing from her eyes. “This child cannot live.”

Her tired mind beginning to comprehend, Five Horses realized Black Water Woman’s intentions. As her sister-in-law walked toward the opening of the teepee Five Horses cried out with all the strength she could summon, “Give me my baby!”

Alerted by his mother’s panic filled cry, Red Bear jumped to his feet and quickly scrambled through the opening abruptly coming face to face with Black Water Woman.

Tension filling the air, Red Bear looked from the hate filled eyes of his aunt to the tear filled, pleading eyes and outstretched arms of his mother. Unaware of Black Water Woman’s intent but understanding that his mother was
deeply distressed, Red Bear looked directly into the woman’s hard eyes and holding out his arms demanded the infant from her.

Not willing to anger a future war chief, Black Water Woman complied and quickly left the family.

Red Bear carried the small bundle to his mother, then took his place across from her on the buffalo robes that served as his bed. He watched Five Horses intently as she looked upon her child for the first time.

Five Horses, also, recognized that the coloring of this baby was not true to a full Kiowa child. Disappointment clouded her eyes and her heart as she realized this was not the child of her beloved White Eagle. The spirits had not answered her pleas. The infant in her arms was the son of the man who attacked her. Memories of that horrible afternoon by the lake came back so rapidly and with such force she gasped, feeling as if the air had been forced from her lungs. Fighting tears, Five Horses turned away from the whimpering child.

After a moment, she dared to look at the child of the white man again. Gazing at the helpless little being in her arms, her heart began to soften. Looking into the child’s dark unfocusing eyes she felt as if she could see to his very soul.

Slowly Five Horses began to understand that this baby was as much a victim of the white man as she was. It was not his fault that he had been conceived in such a violent manner.

Without doubt, he was the white man’s child, but he was, also, her child. She had carried him inside her, under her heart. She had felt his movements as he grew. Feeling the pain of his birth she had given him life. Five Horses’ tears of disappointment turned to tears of joy. As the bond between a mother and child that has existed from the beginning of life itself began to grown within Five Horses she held the infant against her heart and placed a kiss on his fuzzy head.

“You are Running Buck,” she whispered.

Red Bear watched the changes in Five Horses with fascination. This baby made his mother smile again. If she could love this child of a white man, so could he.

Untying the lacing at the shoulder of her dress Five Horses held her child against her skin. Brushing her finger softly against his face, the baby instinctively opened his mouth and turned toward her as Five Horses offered her son his first meal.

Five Horses leaned back against the buffalo robes and rested for the first time in a long time without the dreams haunting her sleep, her newborn son nursing at her breast.

Five Horses awakened with a feeling of emptiness in her arms. Snapping fully awake she realized she was not holding her baby. She cast a quick glance at the floor of the teepee around her. Had she dropped him? Perhaps Red Bear had moved him from her arms. She looked at Red Bear sleeping soundly on his buffalo robes. Running Buck was not with him.

Quickly jumping to her feet, panic beginning to grip her heart, she searched the teepee for her child. Running Buck was gone.Five Horses bolted through the opening of her teepee into the early morning mist.

Scanning the village quickly, her eyes opened wide with terror as she saw Black Water Woman standing knee deep in the water of the lake, a small
bundle in her hands.With new found strength Five Horses ran across the village and plunged through the water as Black Water Woman leaned forward ready to submerge the baby.

“NO!” screamed Five Horses as she reached out to grab the small body of Running Buck. “Give him to me!”

Black Water Woman was determined in her mission to kill the child and refused to loosen her hold on the screaming infant.

Hearing the cries of the child and the screams of Five Horses, curious villagers began to gather at the water to watch the tug-of-war between the two women, one intent on ending the child’s life, the other intent on saving it. Running Buck continued to scream in fright as each woman tried to pry him from the other’s hands.

Through the tumult of splashing water, and screams from the infant and battling women a strong voice shouted, “End this!”

Upon the command of her husband, Stone Eyes, Black Water Woman released her hold on Running Buck and stood seething with anger in the water. At her release, Five Horses fell backwards into the lake clutching Running Buck
protectively to her chest. Too stunned to move, Five Horses sat on the lake’s bottom trying desperately to catch her breath and calm the cries of her shivering son. She stared at Black Water Woman incredulously, unable to understand the depth of her hate.

Black Water Woman cried out at Five Horses, her voice filled with anger, “Two Elks is dead because of you and your bastard white child!”

“He is my son! I will not let you hurt him!”

The Kiowa listened to Five Horses in disbelief. Had she claimed the white man’s child as her own? Had the woman lost her mind?

Black Water Woman began to sob uncontrollably as Stone Eyes stepped into the cold lake water to lead his wife away from the spectators.

Five Horses studied the faces staring down on her to find a sign of support, but all she saw was indifference. Her fate and the fate of her son was sealed as the Kiowa turned their backs and walked away from Five Horses and her half white son.