The Legend of Lone Walker and One Hunt
by Ron
Hanifan
Copyright © 2011 by Ron Hanifan
Smashwords
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To Catherine
This book is dedicated to Catherine, my true love. She is my Lone Walker and I am her One Hunt. We will be together again in our next life just as we have been in the past. She truly portrays all that Lone Walker stands for and all the goodness that exists in life. Although we did not find one another until most of this life was over, we will enjoy what time is left and we are anticipating the time when we are reunited again in the next life.
Table of Contents
Chapter
1
Chapter
2
Chapter
3
Chapter
4
Chapter
5
Chapter
6
Chapter
7
Chapter
8
Chapter
9
Chapter
10
Chapter
11
Chapter
12
Chapter
13
Chapter
14
Chapter
15
Chapter
16
Chapter
17
Chapter
18
Chapter
19
Chapter
20
Chapter
21
Chapter
22
Chapter
23
Chapter
24
Chapter
25
Chapter
26
Chapter
27
Chapter
28
Chapter
29
Chapter
30
Chapter
31
Chapter
32
Chapter
33
Chapter
34
Chapter
35
Chapter
36
Chapter
37
Chapter 1
Lone Walker and One Hunt
The day was awakening and it was the first warm day after the season of cold. It had been a long cold season but now most of the snow melted away and it was being replaced by the green of the earth and the warmth of the sun. The earth was becoming alive with new growth and the animals were changing their coats for a warmer time. Survival of the tribe would be easier now that milder weather had arrived. Now is the time to relax and enjoy life and experience the bounty of the earth.
My tipi is located next to the edge of a forest and close to a cool clear lake and it is uniquely decorated and covered in a light colored deerskin. It faces east so I can watch the morning sunrise. Close to my tipi is a field that is filled with flowers. The flowers are alive with many different butterflies and bees darting amongst their petals. I love to have a freshly picked bouquet of flowers sitting next to my bed beneath the ozan covering. It is even better when my friend picks them for me, which he frequently does.
“My flowers don’t look fresh,” I would say out loud to myself. Then, glancing out of the side of my eye I would see One Hunt running off into the field to pick some flowers for me. Usually he hides a small note with the flowers that says, Lone Walker, I love you. This always warms my heart.
The outside of my tipi has a painting of my Spirit Bear and other traditional tribal patterns, but it is what is on the inside that is most important to me. I painted a picture of a male and female embracing one another and rising up in the smoke of a campfire ascending into the heavens. The campfire is encircled with rocks formed in the shape of a heart. It took me many days to capture my likeness and the likeness of my special friend, One Hunt. It was difficult painting our likenesses as I have never seen my face except in the reflection of water. My friend’s face, One Hunt, was easy to paint as I always have it in my mind. I loved the inside of my tipi as the paintings and flowers always provide a warm and loving ambiance. I often take a deep breath, and I can feel the love of my One Hunt in the air.
The tipi is located at the edge of my tribe’s encampment, as I prefer to live a life of quiet and away from the always prying eyes of others. One Hunt can come and visit me freely and not feel intimidated by the gossip that always seems to follow him. All the young maidens are always pursuing him as he is a young and very handsome warrior. Even though he has his pick of maidens, he favors me over all of the others.
“I love only you Lone Walker, and want no other,” he would say as he touched my face with his strong and warm hands. “I am your warrior and I belong to no one else.”
Now that I am of age to bare children, many of the young women of the village are jealous of me. I have been told it is not only because of my beauty but mainly because of One Hunt’s love for me. I have always dismissed this as unimportant as I enjoyed my life of peace and solitude away from all others. I am also confident that One Hunt has eyes for no one other than me. I don’t feel threatened by them and don’t want to concern myself with their wagging tongues. We are deeply in love with each other and I try to push the other people out of my mind. Just leave us alone and let us live our life together, I would say to myself.
I just finished putting red and yellow flowers in my long braided hair, hoping One Hunt would join me soon. Sitting facing the morning sun and listening to the forest come alive while letting the sun warm my face always gives me great pleasure. Every morning I wait until I hear my morning birds sing their greeting song to the rising sun then I sing my Morning Song in each of the four directions.
While I sing the animals are always quiet and my voice is heard throughout the forest. It is as if the forest is listening to my song. One Hunt often joins me, and we hold hands while I sing the morning song. Together we watch the sun rise over the mountains.
“Look, isn’t it beautiful how the light moves from one stand of trees and then to the next,” said One Hunt.
“See how it paints and lights up the clouds,” I said pointing to the sky.
As we watched the sunrise I started singing my Morning Song. I always try to get him to join in and sing with me but he only does so reluctantly stating that his voice ruins my music. He always tries, but exclaims that he cannot sing well and that his voice always strays off key. Turning towards him I said, “I love hearing your voice and it is very comforting and beautiful to me.”
“That can’t be true, I hear my voice and I know it is not pleasant, look I even scare the animals away,” he said as we watched a rabbit scurry away.
It brings us great peace to join together in our morning ritual whenever possible. We love being together, especially at the start of the day. Our feelings for each other and thoughts are always so uncommonly similar that we think we must have been together in a previous life. Many in our village believe people are reborn from a previous life.
The lake near my tipi is so clear you can see the fish swimming and their scales shimmering and dancing in the sunlight as they dart from one place to another, casting a rainbow of color on the surface of the water. There are water birds, beaver, turtle and plants in this lake. I love to watch the otter frolic in the water, diving and darting chasing after the small fish. Bear, fox, deer, wildcat and wolf are all plentiful in the forest. My favorite forest animal is a bear with a white face, and he is also my Spirit Bear. Occasionally he appears when there is a time of need or I need guidance. The bear has helped me in the past and he gives me all the strength that I need in life.
All I need to make my life complete is a companion that supplies me with love and friendship. I hope my life companion will be One Hunt. Even though our romance still has not progressed into a sexual encounter we are contented just being together. We don’t want to rush life and prefer to allow our feelings to follow a natural path and to make sure we are destined to become true soul mates.
I am very self-reliant and I know I really don’t need anyone to hunt for me as I am as skilled as any warrior, but I have to accept that only the men should hunt. These are the ways of the tribe, as has been handed down for many ages. One Hunt provides me with all the food I need and then I turn the hides into moccasins, clothing and the animal claws and teeth into necklaces and tools for the both of us. The meat we share with the rest of the tribe as we always have more than we need. Sometimes I go hunting with One Hunt to show him how good I am.
I remember one time he said, “If you are really good then shoot that acorn out of the squirrel’s mouth.”
I pulled back on my bow and let the arrow fly, and I did it, I actually hit the acorn. “I can’t believe that,” we both said laughingly. I think my grin gave away that it was mostly luck.
I could feel my face heating up as I watched One Hunt, thinking he is destined to become the next Chief of the tribe after he proves himself worthy and passes all the rigors of becoming a man and a warrior. When he becomes a full warrior he will choose me as his wife, then our destiny will be fulfilled. We know it is not proper for us to be such close friends before marriage, but we have developed a special friendship and we have become inseparable. I cannot imagine a day of not being with him.
One Hunt is tall and strong with very prominent features and a muscular body with long baby soft hair held back by a beautiful headband. His body is rippled with muscle and he is envied by many of the tribe. He is one of the best hunters and never hesitates to share his bounty with the older villagers of the tribe. He is slightly older than me but not enough that it makes any difference. We are perfect companions and are full of love for each other. I am playful, a true romantic and never of ill temper, and I especially love to tease One Hunt and make his face turn red. One Hunt says that there is an aurora of love about me, and that I emit a very sensuous look when we are together. I tease and torment him mercilessly, which he loves and of course he returns the same to me. Sometimes we spend hours together, doing nothing special, just talking, playing and laughing.
I am tall, people tell me I am beautiful of face with very long hair done in braids and a very lithely body. Of course when they tell me that, I make an ugly face and stick my tongue out. I have an inner drive for perfection that sometimes is a hindrance. Often my friend Marjo tells me when I am working, “Slow down Lone Walker; it doesn’t have to be perfect.”
I have always been pursued and courted by the young warriors of the tribe but I don’t tolerate any of their foolishness.
“They are all smitten by your beauty,” says One Hunt with a gleam in his eyes.
“Maybe so, but I have eyes for no one other than you my One Hunt,” I replied. They all tried to outdo One Hunt in hopes of gaining my affections, but none have the prowess or abilities to challenge him. He would just lay back and quietly smiled at their attempts, except for a warrior named Black Wolf. He is slightly older than One Hunt, somewhat smaller in stature, with the hair shaved from his head, leaving nothing but a smooth and wrinkled head. He also has eyes for me, even though I ignore him. “Marry me Lone Walker, and I will make you happy,” said Black Wolf, with that ugly grin of his.
“No thanks,” I replied, “One Hunt is my warrior.”
Black Wolf is next in line to become the head of the tribe after One Hunt and he also is a very skilled hunter and provider. He and One Hunt were never very close friends because of an accident that happened in the past that left Black Wolf with a scar by his mouth. It left him with bad temperament and it made him look like he was always sneering. It was always obscure if Black Wolf actually had romantic interests for me or if he only wanted to possess what One Hunt desired.
Returning from a very successful hunt, One Hunt brought home a large deer, knowing that it would provide food for many people. Being proud of his success he went looking for Lone Walker to show her the deer. He looked all around the village for her, but she was nowhere to be found. He checked by the lake, which was one of her favorite places for walking. He saw footprints in the sand, but they were all old prints and not the sharp prints of freshly walked. He returned to the village and asked, “Where is Lone Walker? I must show her this magnificent buck I brought down.”
“She went to the lake to pick blueberries,” said the maidens. “You better hurry before Black Wolf finds her.”
He knew of this place, it is where they played when they were much younger. It is very quiet and secluded and often filled with beautiful wild flowers and also has a very large blueberry patch. In a clearing nearby there is also a field full of large juicy strawberries. Because of the abundance of wild berries, one had to be very careful not to alarm the bears who weren’t always so willing to share the berry patch.
Off he ran, full of enthusiasm to tell Lone Walker of his successful hunt.
He found me there in the middle of the blueberry patch; my basket was full of berries. I stood there, tall amongst the bushes with the sun beaming down upon me. The sun was warm and I had beads of sweat rolling down my bronzed skin.
He ran up to me, “Come back to the camp to see the fine deer I killed,” he said very proudly as he thumped his chest.
“I admire your hunting abilities and one day you will become a fine leader and warrior, but right now I am busy picking berries,” I said.
“I am a truly great man and warrior now,” One Hunt replied with a very smug look.
I looked at him and gave him a knowing smile, “You are not as great as you think you are. Much more time will have to pass before you become the great warrior that you are expected to become.” I loved to tease him and watch the expression on his face.
His brow furrowed as he pretended to be slightly angered and got his face close to mine asking, “Am I not a man now?”
I just ignored this comment for now, and told him, “I have two special gifts I made for you. One is for you to place around your neck and the other is for your lodge after the ceremonies when you become a warrior, or wear it in your long hair during the dance of your warrior ceremony.”
The first gift was a Spirit Bag containing special items inside it to remind him of me. It had a lock of my hair, a piece of the fabric of my tipi and a small stone shaped like a heart to remind him that he always has my heart. The other gift was a small dream catcher I made from the traditional chokeberry wood, horse hair and my hair woven together, with a bear claw in the middle.
I watched as he quickly put his Spirit Bag around his neck without looking at what was inside.
I will look at it later when no one is near, he thought. He scoffed at the idea of a dream catcher, thinking that it was very childish and not worthy of someone as brave as he. He did see that the dream catcher webs were made with horse hair and her hair all woven together and it was all done so carefully and beautifully that it looked like a spider web. At the beginning of each weave hung a beautiful feather which ended with a blue bead made from turquoise.
I said, “There is a special feather that I placed on it in the middle along with the bear claw. It is a white feather that fell from a dove sitting with his mate in a tree.”
Taking my hand and squeezing it lightly One Hunt said, “Thank you, I will cherish these forever.”
“You better, because the white feather represents my undying love for you,” I said.
I was slightly angered at his apparent lack of appreciation, so I took a handful of the berries I had in my basket and threw them at him, hitting him in the face and making blue streaks all over him. That gave me a lot of satisfaction, but then he chased after me, and then finally getting hold of me, he spun me in circles by my hand, making the remaining berries I had in the basket fall to the ground. I ran off again, and he grabbed a handful of berries and chased after me until he caught me again. I didn’t run fast, just enough to make it difficult for him.
“You don’t run very fast for a big strong warrior,” I said. Then he smeared the berries on my face and arms. After wrestling we both tumbled into the water and I grabbed a handful of mud and smeared it all over his face.
That gave me great a lot of pleasure and I said, “There, that makes you look much better.” I thought what a mess we both are. Neither of us could talk and we were laughing so hard we couldn’t even walk.
I stood up while One Hunt was still sitting in the water, and then I sat right on top of him, knocking the wind from him.
I sat there watching him catch his breath. I know he saw the water dripping from my dress and saw how the dress clung to my body.
“You are very beautiful and sometimes I forget to tell you that,” said One Hunt.
My body was full and swelling and seemed to be bursting from my white doeskin dress. He could see the excitement rising in me and it greatly excited him. My lips were becoming fuller as he looked at me.
We lay there, on top of one another, my face close to his. My breathing was very deep and my eyes were almost closed. He placed his lips gently on mine. We pressed our lips even tighter to one another, then my lips parted and I could feel his tongue against my lips. I then sought his tongue with mine, and we merged our mouths and tongues so deeply into one another that I felt like I almost penetrated into his heart. My passion started to rise, which was something so new to me. I could feel his hands touching my breasts, and my nipples became hard as stones.
I stood up, dropped my dress, and took him by the hand, and led him to a soft place beneath a large oak tree. “We will be more comfortable on the grass beneath the tree,” I said. Then, I slowly removed his loin cloth and then we lay on the ground and he touched my body ever so lightly and sensuously.
“My passions are taking over my sensibilities,” said One Hunt.
I gave a knowing nod of my head. “I know, but I think it is too late for second thoughts.”
He said, “I have never seen a woman’s body before and I am overwhelmed by your beauty.”
He then laid his head upon my chest and felt my heart pounding. My breathing was getting deeper with each breath. Then he placed his hands upon my breasts and I quivered and shook slightly as he touched me.
“Don’t stop,” I begged between deep breaths.
“I won’t,” he said. “I can’t stop, even if I wanted to.”
He then began to explore my body. My stomach was rising and swaying, and my body hair was touching his face. It was such an erotic sensation, and one I had never felt before. My passions were almost beyond all control. He began kissing my body all over, using his lips and tongue, seeking all my sensitive places. My body was shaking and swaying like a blade of grass blowing in the wind.
“Go slow and easy,” I said, “This is my first time ever.”
“I will be very gentle and careful; this is my first time also,” he said.
My body was receptive and we both were so wet that he gently entered into me causing me no pain. I wanted this to be a pleasant occasion for us even though we were novices at making love. After he was inside me our bodies began moving rhythmically in unison.
Our bodies swayed together so slowly and gently that it was like a leaf swaying in a light summer breeze. Soon passion took control of our bodies and we moved as if controlled by a mysterious force. Our movements became more frenzied, and then I cried out, “I love you One Hunt.” We moved together, touching one another, our tongues seeking each other, until our bodies exploded like an evening thunderstorm.
“Now you are a man and you have made me a woman,” I whispered. “We will forever be one.” We lay there for the longest time, embracing each other and looking into each other’s eyes.
“I have never felt such love, I know we are soul mates and have always been destined to be together,” I said.
“I truly love you,” replied One Hunt. “We will forever be one and no matter what happens in life, I will always be with you.”
Suddenly realizing the time, we knew we had to leave.
I was so embarrassed about my uncontrolled passions that I turned red and was puzzled and mystified of the love we made. I have always been in control of myself and this was completely unnatural for me. I knew our actions were a result of love for one another and not lust.
“We’d best be off. We don’t want anyone to come looking for us,” said One Hunt.
I reluctantly nodded my head in agreement.
We set off walking together hand in hand, back to the village.
Every once in a while I would squeeze his hand and smile and then he would gently squeeze my hand in response.
One Hunt would be facing his trials soon to become a true warrior, but before this test he would go on a final hunt. The trials may last a few days and he wanted to provide extra food for Lone Walker during his absence. His survival, hunting and tracking skills were more than adequate to become a warrior, it was his inner force and fortitude that would be challenged the most; this was more of a spiritual test than one of cunning and endurance.
After this hunt he hoped Lone Walker would teach him more of the healing plants of the forest that the Shaman of the village used. He knew of one plant that that had beautiful white flowers and it bloomed early in the season after the snow. It had roots that were used to make a red color for painting and dying of clothing and was also used as a medicine when one had trouble breathing and talking. The roots would bleed when they were cut, similar to human blood. He would use this color to paint his face.
There were so many plants in the forest and they all had a special uses. He thought, Lone Walker will know, as she is learning from the village Shaman.
She told him that she is learning the chants and medicines the Shaman used. She is helping the Shaman search the forest for the special plants that he uses. The Shaman is becoming too old to make long trips into the forest and having trouble with his vision. She told the Shaman she loves any excuse to explore the woods and feels privileged to learn from him. She said that she often she gets distracted, following an insect or looking at a flower and the Shaman would yell “Lone Walker,” and then she would begin looking again for the special herbs as instructed.
During his hunt he found the trail of a deer near the base of a rocky knoll. He was stalking a lone buck deer near where the tree line was disappearing. He caught a glimpse of the buck as it slipped behind a large rock. He decided to follow, knowing this path would dead end at a cliff over the river. Confidently he thought he would have the buck trapped. He went around the side of a large gray and white boulder, with bow in hand, full of anticipation of bringing down this magnificent buck for supper.
He wanted to impress Lone Walker, and hoped she would use the skin to make him some new clothing. He slowly and quietly moved through the bushes and came upon a large black bear with a white face hidden behind a clump of bushes, eating a small animal. He had no intent to frighten the bear but it became enraged when he surprised it. The bear then reared up to frighten off One Hunt. The musky scent of the bear and the odor of fresh blood filled the air. With his arms raised upwards, growling ferociously and foaming at the mouth the bears image was intimidating. One Hunt edged near the cliff away from the bear, but he also wanted to show no fear of the animal.
“I mean you no harm,” he said, standing his ground, to show the bear there was nothing to fear.
Looking at him through reddened eyes the bear said in a booming and threatening voice, “Why are you in my forest and do you intend me any harm.” Before he could answer, the bear immediately asked, “Do you know of a maiden named Lone Walker, as I am her Spirit Bear.”
He cowered slightly and not looking directly at the bear he said, “I mean you no harm and yes I do know a Lone Walker,” but as he said this, he shifted his weight slightly and dropped his bow on the ground.
As the bow fell, it hit a small rock which bounded over the cliff, knocking other small rocks down the cliff as well. The falling rocks scared the bear and he pounced on top of One Hunt attacking him and knocking him over the cliff. He tumbled over the cliff in a brown cloud of dust and hit his head on a rock during his downward tumble, and then lost consciousness.
He fell into a shallow pool of clear water and blood began to stain the water and spread outward like red spider webs. The water was not very deep, just barely the same depth as he was tall. His legs were not broken, but they were cut and mangled like a twisted branch from a tree. The cold water made him regain consciousness temporarily. He was able to keep his head above the water and float to the shore before he lost consciousness again. Fortunately he fell near the far shoreline away from where many of the animals hunted and drank water from the pool. He lay there many days unconscious and the blood from his wounds covered the ground.
After many days of lying there and being near death, a hunter from a tribe of the north accidently came upon him. Although the markings upon One Hunts clothing were unfamiliar to this stranger, he did recognize this was not just an ordinary warrior, but a warrior destined to become a chief. The craftsmanship of the beads on his breast plate was very special as well as the headband and other ornaments on his body. He gathered One Hunts quiver full of arrows, knife and the broken bow, stopping to admire the knife and how sharp the blade was. He was amazed at how neatly the handle was wrapped in a tan animal skin with the shape of a heart burnt into it. The blade was made from a black glassy material he had never seen before.
The warrior laid One Hunt and his belongings on a triangular bed he made from long tree branches. He fastened the bed of poles to his horse. His horse was very strong and beautiful, colored with black and white splotches and had red hand prints on his rear side. The horse had no trouble pulling them, and they started the journey back to the hunter’s village with the injured One Hunt tied to the bed.
Whenever the bed hit a bump the hunter heard One Hunt moaning in pain and trying to say a name. He couldn’t make out the name, but he repeated it often.
The trip took many days and frequently One Hunt awakened but only long enough to take nourishment. Upon awakening he asked, “Where am I, what happened to me?”
One Hunt learned this strangers name was Soaring Eagle. The whole trip was a blur to him and he didn’t remember much that happened.
He was very fortunate Soaring Eagle was a good person and did not want him as a prisoner. “My skills at healing wounds are very limited,” said Soaring Eagle. “We must make haste to my village where you will get better care from the village healer. He will know what to do.”
I was becoming worried as the hour was late and still One Hunt had not returned. Although it wasn’t that unusual for him to be gone for many days on a hunt, I just had a feeling that something was wrong. This is not right, I thought. The animals in the forest are all quiet and I had an inner feeling of anxiety and danger for One Hunt. Even the squirrels are quieter than normal and not twittering or chasing each other.
I just couldn’t shake this worry and soon found myself going into the forest where I knew he would go for his hunt. Nowhere was he to be found nor was there any evidence he passed this way. I decided to go into a blind canyon that he frequented. At first there were only prints made by a deer and then after a short distance I saw footprints made by One Hunt in pursuit of the deer. There were also large prints made by a bear, then the trail ended. Standing on top of a huge boulder, I thought I should see a sign of smoke from his campfire, but I saw nothing. It’s early in the day, so maybe he didn’t need a fire yet, I thought.
There was a strange silence, except for the screeching of the hawk high above. I felt a chill that was taken into my bones and I knew this was not from the cool air. Immediately I knew something bad happened to my lovely One Hunt. I ran back to the camp to get some of our friends to help me search for him.
They all scoffed at the idea of anything bad ever happening to this great warrior. “He is too strong and full of life for any disaster to befall him,” they said.
If no one will help me then I would continue searching by myself. I packed all the dried food and herbs my family could spare and tomorrow, at dawns first light, I would set off to search for my love.
The next morning, I decided to search all his favorite hunting places and some of the secret places I knew of where the animals came to drink from the mountain stream. There was also a special pool of water that was a favorite of the large animals to drink from and hunt the fish. I searched all through the forest and could find nothing of my One Hunt. Then despair started to set in.
I will be brave and not cry, I thought as the tears ran down my face.
I searched the many caves in the area and the places that were well protected, thinking if he were hurt he would search out a safe haven to recover. I entered the caves, slowly letting my eyes adjust to the darkness. There was no smell of smoke from a campfire and there were no recent foot prints except for those of some small creatures. There was no trace of him anywhere.
Outside the cave there were traces of a deer and I could tell by the depth of the prints that it was a large deer and it appeared to be moving at a fast pace. Following these prints, soon there were bear prints alongside the deer’s. I could tell by the depth and spacing of the prints that the bear was in pursuit of the deer. Following these prints I found the remains of a small campfire at the base of a hill.
It was a hastily constructed campfire and I could tell by the arrangement of the stones that it was a campfire made by my One Hunt. Finally a little hope, I thought. The arrangement of the stones was a favorite pattern used by us. I always joked that it looked like a heart. It isn’t proper to set my heart on fire, I would say.
After searching the entire area, I saw no signs of any struggle or any possible harm that happened to my love.
A strange cloud of cold fog moved in and encompassed me, and then out of this fog my Spirit Bear appeared. “Have you seen my One Hunt,” I asked?
Standing up tall and pointing with his paw, he said, “Follow the path to the right and at the end of the trail and you will find the last place I saw your One Hunt,” said the Spirit Bear.
Hastily following this path I saw traces of footsteps going up the side of the hill. Please let him be well, I thought. After following these traces of footsteps up the side of the mountain I came to a place where there was a large boulder. I could still see the image of foot prints and saw that there appeared to be a struggle of some kind as many of the stones in the area were upended and dislodged from their natural place. Then, off to one side, next to a cliff I saw the dream catcher I made for One Hunt. Some of the feathers were missing so he must have been in a fight. The white feather remained and so I knew that this was the one I made for him. I knew he would not have left it there if nothing happened to him. I picked it up and told myself, I will give it back to him when I find him, and tell him to be more careful.
I could feel my heart beating so strongly and it felt as if my chest and head would explode. There was a tremendous throbbing in my head and a buzzing in my ears that drowned out all other sounds. I peered over the cliff and could see a pool of water far below, but there were no signs of him. This was the same pool of water the mighty bear hunted, because of the many fish that gathered in its waters. I knew if he lay there injured for very long he wouldn’t be able to protect himself from the bear or other animals.
I hurriedly climbed back down the mountain until I came to the pool. It was a long journey back down and it was very treacherous. I was in such a hurry that I became careless and cut and scraped my hands many times on the sharp rocks. I would definitely need to wrap them and keep them clean.
I remembered how One Hunt always said, Lone Walker, take your time and be careful.
It seemed like it took forever for me to reach the pool, but it only took a short time. I searched all around for him but he was nowhere to be found. Then there was a spot of blood and following these droplets along the banks I found larger traces of blood. Mixed within them were the prints of a large bear and also those of another human being. The prints ended there as I came to a place of a stone outcropping. I searched the entire perimeter looking for any more traces of him, the bear, or the other human being. I thought, well he must have been hurt and this other human must have found him.
There were prints of a horse and a trail indicating the horse was pulling a large pole, like a lodge pole. I realized maybe it was a triangular bed the stranger placed One Hunt upon. I wondered if he was injured or captured. It didn’t really matter, because either way he needed my help.
“Of course,” I said out loud, it all makes sense now. He is alive, now I just have to find where he was taken and save him.
Darkness came upon me and I could do no more. I hurriedly built a temporary shelter of pine branches and moss. Then I made a campfire to keep the animals away and made a meal of the dried meat which I brought with me.
Again, I could hear One Hunt whispering in my ear, eat well; you must stay strong when you are in the forest.
This was the season of many rainstorms and I would need protection from the rain. The covering of pine branches and moss on my shelter should protect me from any rain. I hoped it would not rain because it could remove any traces of One Hunt. The prospects of no rain didn’t look good as I could see the sky turning blacker and I could feel rain in the air.
During the night a quick thunderstorm came through and illuminated the sky with beautiful lightning and everything shook from the booming sound of thunder. The thunder seemed to bounce off the distant mountains. I wondered if One Hunt was also seeing the lightning. Had he taken shelter and was he protected? The rain poured down, and I could see many little streams running off through the forest making many small rivers. After the storm passed, the forest came alive. All the frogs and insects started their songs and the sky turned light from the bright moonlight. Even the air smelled fresher from the cleansing rain. Although I welcomed the rain I knew that it was not a good sign.
When I awakened in the morning I knew that the rainstorm removed any remaining traces of footprints on the stone and in the dirt. I wouldn’t be able to track him any further. I couldn’t control myself and I began to cry, because I feared my One Hunt was lost to me forever.
I cried so hard that my voice was heard all through the forest. I cried out loud for my One Hunt. “One Hunt where are you, come back to me,” I shouted over and over, with the tears running down my face. I felt like my life was over and I mourned and cried for the longest time. I cried so hard that the muscles in my neck and throat tightened like the knots in a vine and the tears streamed down my face and fell to the ground. Wherever my tears touched the ground, the ground turned black and the plants withered and died. Even the animals of the forest heard my sad cry and a nearby lone wolf joined me in my cry of sorrow, and then all the forest animals began to sing their cry of sorrow for me. The din of all the creatures and myself crying was deafening.
Gradually I lost my voice until I was no longer able to speak. I tried calling out his name but no sound would come out. I desperately wanted to cry out, I love you One Hunt and I want you back, but only the sounds of the animals of the forest could be heard, and it filled the air. I was crushed and felt alone. The whole meaning of my life was gone. Nothing could ever equal this despair and sorrow I was feeling. I felt that the spirits had abandoned me and I was all alone.
I returned to my tipi and sat in unhappiness for many months. The painted picture of One Hunt and I on the inside of my tipi constantly reminded me of my loss. There was no longer any happiness to life, even the thought of my morning song felt empty. Before, the song brought me such pleasure, but now when I thought of the song it only reminded me of my lost love. I tried to play my flute, but the only sounds coming out of it were sorrowful and sad. It no longer played happy music. I thought to myself, I will be happy, I will get over this, but the tears constantly flowed.
The people of the village came by and tried to cheer me up but it was all to no avail. I always tried to put on a happy face, but all could see that it was not true. No one ever found any trace of One Hunt or what may have happened to him. The village warriors often set out in search of my lost love but they always returned with no information.
“Lone Walker, we found nothing, not even a trace,” they would say with saddened faces. It is as if the earth swallowed him up.
My only hope was that he would find his way back to me. I prayed every night to the Great Spirit. Keep him safe and return him to me so I can be whole again, I whispered while looking at the stars, hoping he was seeing the same stars that I saw.
“You cannot be lost to me, we are destined to be married and become soul mates for eternity,” I whispered. Oh, how I hated not being able to talk out loud!
Every night before I went to sleep I prayed to the spirits to deliver my One Hunt back to me. I even left small locks of my hair tied to an eagle’s feather hoping the wind spirits would send them to One Hunt so he would know I was waiting for him. I would hold the feather tied with my hair up to the wind and say, “Fly to the heavens and find my One Hunt and bring him back safely to me.”
Soaring Eagle brought One Hunt to his village and One Hunt lay semiconscious for many days. When he finally awakened he could remember nothing of what happened.
“Where am I and how did I get to this village,” he said with a puzzled look on his face. “I am One Hunt,” he said and then gazed off into the distance because he remembered nothing more of his past life. All his memories were shrouded in a fog.
“I found you next to a pool of water, unconscious and injured,” Soaring Eagle told him “And if I left you there the animals would have dragged you away.”
He didn’t know why he had a feeling of something missing or why his heart and chest hurt. Frequently he heard a feminine voice in his head calling him, but he didn’t know who it was. “One Hunt, come back,” this voice would say over and over.
When he was more coherent Soaring Eagle, explained in detail how he found him by the banks of the lake and didn’t know anything of his clan since he was a stranger to those lands.
“See this knife that I found on you, it looks to be very special. Do you remember anything about it,” asked Soaring Eagle as he handed him the knife. “Your injuries were grave, and you would have died if I left you there,” he said with a concerned look on his face.
Soaring Eagles sister, Wind Talker entered the lodge and offered him some broth to make him stronger. “Drink this hot meaty broth I made,” said Wind Talker carefully handing him the bowl. It will make you strong again.
“Thank you,” he replied and then as he moved to take the broth then he noticed he couldn’t feel his body. His arms moved, but beneath his arms all the way down to his feet he felt numb and cold. He couldn’t move his legs at all. “What happened to my body,” he said touching his body. “I feel nothing.”
A deep fear struck him, he didn’t know who he was or where he was at, but he was also paralyzed. Panic overtook him, and then Wind Talker took his arm pulling his face close to her chest to comfort him and said, “Don’t worry, I have seen this before and you will heal in time.” Then she said, “It is your memory that I don’t know about its healing.” The rising and falling and the warmth of her breasts gave him a comforting and a calming feeling.
He felt a tremendous longing, but didn’t know for whom the feeling was for. Was this feeling of longing for Wind Talker, or was it for a past and forgotten love? She stroked his face and tried to comfort him, but a great sadness overtook him. He I felt a voice inside of him, whispering, but the words were all masked and he couldn’t make out what they said. Were the voices telling him of his past life? The only thing he understood was a voice saying, “Come back to me.”
Wind Talker cared for his injuries with loving care. She carefully placed splints on his legs that were made from sturdy hickory branches laced together with small thin vines keeping them straight. She cleansed his wounds everyday and used a special healing ointment to curb any infection.
“Your body is healing very nicely and there are very few traces of your injuries,” she said.
“Yes, but I still can feel nothing, my body is still paralyzed and it worries me,” he replied with a concerned look.
“Time and exercise, and it will eventually heal and everything will return,” said Wind Talker with a confident look.
Wind Talker carried him out into the sun every day and tried rubbing his body with the different herbs growing along the banks of the river, near her lodge. He would lie in the sun, warming his body while she rubbed him with herbs and special lotions.
“I believe the warming sun and the lotions will help your body heal faster,” she said while rubbing his body with the herbs.
“I still have no feeling or controlled movement of my body,” he said.
She rubbed and caressed the muscles in his thighs and legs, but all was to no avail. Once she even held and caressed his body and it responded and became rigid for a short time.
“Do you feel that,” she asked in a slightly passionate voice?
“I feel nothing,” but as he looked at his body he could see that he responded to her caresses.
His body was amazing and she fantasized about him making love to her in a field of flowers. She could feel him caressing her and she responded to his gentle touches. Then she could feel her wetness beginning. Stop, she thought, enough of this foolishness until he is healed.
She cared very deeply for him, but knew he would never be a man to her unless he regained feeling in his body. She was getting older and soon would need someone to provide and care for her. His body appeared so normal and strong, and she feared if he didn’t get feeling back soon, his body would wither and die. She tried moving his limbs to keep the muscles strong, but there was already a slight weakening in them. His arms were no longer taut and the muscles in his arms no longer bulged as they had when she first met him.
One day as Wind Talker was sitting next to him making a dream catcher for her brother for a ceremonial dance she noticed how One Hunt was watching her intently. “I see a slight movement in your legs,” said Wind Talker with an inquisitive look.
“I still feel nothing, maybe it is just some of the nerves healing,” he said.
“Hmmph,” she said, but then she thought, I wonder if it might be a reaction to a distant memory.
She thought that he was in the onset of healing. She looked at him and asked, “Are you aware of this change?”
“I don’t know what caused the movement to happen, but it is progress,” he said with a large smile.
“Let me try rubbing the herbs on your body again,” she said, but nothing happened this time. Wind Talker was always so patient with him but she knew soon his body would waste away to a mere shell of who she once knew. She had fallen deeply in love with this handsome and kind man.
After much time passed and there was still no significant improvement so she decided to talk to the elder of the village. The elder said that he knew of nothing he could do to help, but the Shaman of the village knew of a magical spring that sometimes healed the sick.
She set off to speak with the Shaman. When she found the Shaman he was in the midst of healing a small child that developed a large lump in his throat. She waited until he was done with the small child. She watched as he applied different herbs and performed many mysterious rituals.
She explained One Hunts condition and how his healing had been minimal. “I care for him deeply and want him to be well again,” she told the Shaman with a concerned voice.
“He should take a spiritual journey, a vision quest,” said the Shaman, “Maybe he can find the strength to heal himself from within. If the vision quest goes right, then he will find out who he is and learn of his life’s purpose,” he said. He said, “You must prepare him for this arduous journey and you will need tobacco, pipe, eagle feather and a conch shell. I will instruct you with the dance and chants.”
He instructed her how to prepare the tobacco for his pipe, and how to arrange the eagle feather and conch shell for the altar. “Going into the spiritual world is very serious and he must be pure of heart, and if so the spirits will guide him,” cautioned the Shaman. “The meaning of the vision may be obscured and hidden from him, but in time it should all become clear. He is to remain patient as the spirits often speak in mysterious ways.” He gave her a special black stone and told her to give it to him and place it in his spirit bag for protection during the vision quest.
Wind Talker took One Hunt to a special cave that she knew had been used for spiritual journeys. “This is very secluded and we will be away from any intrusions,” she said as she placed him in a comfortable place next to where she would prepare a fire inside the cave. She said. “It was explained to me that, the vision quest may seem like a dream and be confusing, but with time it should all become clear. You will have to be patient.”
She prepared an altar, sweet grass, sage and a small fire, and then added the special herbs to the fire as she was instructed. With the smoldering sage in hand she went to the four corners of the cave and said a blessing and began chanting, “Please accept this great warrior and let him find the true path of who he is.” The fire crackled, sparks flew everywhere, and then they rose and spiraled upward. She danced and sang the special journey chant as she was told.
He hoped this vision quest would give him back his memory so he could understand who he is and the meaning of the hair, heart shaped rock and fabric in his spirit bag and the heart shape on the handle of his knife. He wondered, were these things from a past love, is that why his heart aches much of the time?
He rested near the fire; all covered in a warm blanket and he began to feel his thoughts spinning. His eyesight started to fade and he thought, I will discover who I am. Soon he became intoxicated by the scent of the herbal smoke while watching Wind Talker dancing around him. Her body was illuminated and glowing from the firelight. As she moved it cast sensuous shadows on the wall of the cave. As she sang her voice reminded him of someone in his past, but he couldn’t remember who.
He faintly heard, “One Hunt, come back to me,” in a beautiful voice.
Soon the cave filled with smoke and he could hardly breathe. All he could hear was the chanting of Wind Talker and then that died as he drifted off into a deeper sleep. His thoughts were all confusing. First he saw a forest, sky filled with soft white clouds and then a beautiful woman standing next to a bear with a white face. They motioned for him to come to them, then they faded away and then he was standing in a village in front of the circle of life.
Soon he was dreaming that he was a Chief of the Ojibwa tribe, living in the land of the Econolocahache, the land of the great turtles back. There was a great disturbance in the forest. Strangers, with pale faces, from the far north had invaded the land and were disturbing the earth.
The vision continued as Chief One Hunt sent his daughter, princess White Feather to protect the forest. White Feather was a small maiden with beautiful features with long yellow curly hair. She brought her sister Dream Weaver and brother Kicking Rocks with her for companions. They each had special talents that would help her during this quest to save the forest. Dream Weaver was slightly larger and older than White Feather. White Feather was the youngest of the three and quicker of foot than was Kicking Rocks. He was the second youngest with a very muscular body and could outshoot everyone and had unsurpassed tracking skills. When the arrows left his bow it was as though they were magical, and they always hit their target. They were not only brother and sister but also the best of friends.
As they started on their journey, Chief One Hunt gave Dream Weaver and Kicking Rocks a special and magical pouch that was made from a turtle shell to take with them and gave White Feather a doll containing her image and strands of her hair. “This doll will hold and protect your spirit from dangers, as long as you are together,” said Chief One Hunt, “And the magical pouch will come to your aid in a time of need.”
The three set off on their journey and along the way, they met the Eagle of the Forest. The eagle was black with a white head and had very sharp talons. In one of his talons he held a clear stone. “Kicking Rocks, take this rock. It is a magical rock and it will allow you to see your way on cloudy or dark days,” said the Eagle of the Forest as he peered directly into Kicking Rocks eyes.
The stone was crystal clear, except for a dark spot in the center.
“Use it only during the times when the way is not clear and always protect the stone, as it is very valuable,” said the Eagle.
“Thank you, I will do exactly as you have instructed me,” said Kicking Rocks as he stared at the stone.