A short distance away, Shamira and Meequaw stood by their pile of possessions, ready to flee. A young Paccu warrior offered to ease some of the beautiful young girl's burden. Another watched with envy. Petawahin turned to Ketanka.

"Take care of my family while I'm gone. And keep those Paccu coyotes away," he grumbled. "Send them along with every scouting and hunting party. If you make a war party, tell them how brave they are and put them in front."

"I thought you wanted to see her married," Ketanka almost laughed.

Petawahin glared at the two young Paccus. "I want my daughter to marry a warrior who can protect and provide for her, not just look at her with the eyes of a pup. Kwoita sees with my eyes also."

"Kwoita sees with his own eyes," the old man returned, "and Shamira will see with hers. The more you try to fight her vision, the less she will see of yours; just as right now you struggle to see less of mine. Find Sequannah and be patient. If you can free twenty Paccus, I'm sure you can find a way to get Sequannah. Beware of the snakes and do not look them in the eyes. They are allies of the Snake warriors."

Petawahin looked at the chief questioningly. Ketanka shrugged. Shatomi and Quebathe, though, nodded in testimony to Kwoita's statements.

"Many snakes move in front of the painted ones. They are the eyes for the Snake people and capture those in their path," Quebathe testified in his soft voice. "If you look at them, their eyes are magic, and you cannot move. It didn't happen to me, but the others..." he shook his head. "If the snakes are holding someone, they do not see anything else. A child could kill them. But it would be dangerous to follow the Snake people alone."

"I will be with Washan," Petawahin said confidently. He squinted at the southern horizon. "How did the fire start?"

The warriors shrugged, looking anxiously around. The columns of smoke had already formed an unbroken wall of fire. The women gathered everything together; all of their belongings had been readied since before dawn. Many were already on the trail towards the northernmost camp at the foothills of the Dark Mountains. Petawahin glanced in their direction as the first people moved northward. Shamira shaded her eyes as she searched for Sequannah. Meequaw tugged at her arm, pointing towards the fire, but Shamira began walking towards the men.

Petawahin went to intercept her. She stopped and stared at the ground when she saw him. He had come alone. "Where's Sequannah?" her barely audible voice faltered.

Petawahin looked away. "He was captured by the Snake people...with the Paccu they call Woltah."

Shamira shrugged, then shifted her gaze back to the ground.

"Are the others going to get him back?" she insisted. "You freed those Paccus, why aren't they getting Sequannah back for us."

"They are useless. They would only get captured again. It is best to have them here to protect the clan...Mokotak may be captured too. Nobody knows where he and the other Paccu are either. I'll find Sequannah with the help of the Washan."

"And what if you are captured, too?" she pleaded. "I will have no family."

"Kwoita...and Meequaw," he answered.

"Kwoita! How many winters did we count as his last? He is the oldest grandfather in all the clans. How will he provide for us while I wait for a husband," she cried. "I will go with you. He is my only brother and I would rather die or be captured than left alone."

"You are a shadow in the woods...and good with your weapons. But there are too many questions about these people to separate you from the protection of the clan. If they captured you, that would be one more hostage they could use against us."

"They will not capture me," she cried, "I will fight to the death."

"That does not comfort me," he answered. "Do not cry over us, we will be back. Go with Meequaw and stay with her. The winds will change, and even these painted ones will have to move south. If the Paccus and Minnecou do not get along, go and live with Ketanka and his family. When I find the Wolf brothers I will send a message, but after that, you can only wait for our return," Petawahin clasped her hands.

He turned and left before she could reply. She watched him disappear into his hut to gather food and weapons. Fumbling through her bundles, she found a small pouch of berries. She pulled out a parfleche filled with dried venison, then ran to him. Petawahin was already outside of the wickiup, trying to learn the best way to find the Washan from Quebathe. She ran up and handed him the food. He nodded, met her eyes briefly, then shooed her back to the clan. One small glance would tell her more than he could say in a morning and more than he would ever demonstrate in front of others. She watched as he tore the flap off his hut and tossed it to Kwoita, putting a hand on his shoulder. She couldn't hear the words he spoke; his lips were still moving as he bolted towards the flames. When she could no longer make him out through the smoke, she turned slowly away, though she should already have been fleeing with the clan. Fires like these can fan a scorching rush of wind ahead of the flames, sometimes igniting the air, itself.

She trudged to her pile of bundles, turning several times to catch another glimpse of Petawahin as each puff of wind cleared out a swath of smoke. But he was beyond her view, stealthily avoiding the watchful eyes of Snake warriors. Kwoita waited with his own belongings as well as some of Shamira's. Only the returning Paccu and Minnecou warriors trailed behind them as he hurried her along to catch up with the rest of the clan.

"So I hear I may die any day now," Kwoita spoke softly.

"I did not mean it that way. If my father and brother do not return, then what would you do if Ketanka wanted me for his wife, or one of the Paccus?" She paused for a moment. "Does my father tell you everything I say?"

"I cannot say," he smiled, "but I'm sure he tells me everything as long as it does not interfere with my view of him as a perfect human being. Let's hurry while we can still see."

Shamira had a hard time keeping up with the old warrior. "Don't kill yourself trying to show me how strong you are. I know that you are not going to die today."

"You have become a disrespectful young woman. I move slow so you won't have to walk alone, and you try to slow me down even more so you can enjoy your laziness."

Shamira rolled her eyes. A noticeable wheeze became distinct as he huffed and puffed.

"I am not lazy," she said stubbornly. "I'm just not strong enough to keep up with you."

"Now you are telling the kind of lies your grandfather likes to hear," he smiled, still straining to breathe. "Do not worry. If I live through the trials I put myself through, I always become stronger."

"Grandfather, you tell me not to worry, then give me reason to worry more. My father must have learned this from you."

"We are still here, and I am the oldest grandfather in all of the northern clans."

"One day you will go too far, and that will be your last," she retorted.

"It is the same for everyone."

As they caught up with Meequaw, she joined in with the last bit of conversation she'd overheard. "Don't let him convince you that everything he does is for his own good, Shamira. Sometimes he thinks he is his son, and then other times he thinks he is his grandson," she said, shaking her head.

"You are not so young yourself," Kwoita pointed out. "How many teeth do you have left."

"A mouthful of teeth does not make it any wiser to dive off a cliff, or go scouting after enemy warriors."

"If I worry myself into not doing what I can, then of what use am I to anyone? I would be like a child, but a child would grow into something useful."

"Grandfather, why didn't the Paccus help my father? Why are the wolf brothers coming back here? My father cannot fight Snake people with just the Washan," she said angrily. "Why are those Paccus back here where it is safe when it is mostly their people that have been captured?"

"Petawahin is patient. He will wait for an opportunity to get Sequannah back," Kwoita explained. "The Paccus may try to fight them, which would result in all of us being killed. We forced them to come back."

"If Mokotak or the Wolf brothers went along, he would have a chance."

"Mokotak went too far ahead. We don't know what happened to him. With all of these Paccus we need the Wolf brothers and every Minnecou warrior to make sure that they do not try to run our clan. Many of them are injured and exhausted now, but what will happen when they are better? Washan chose what is best for the people."

"When will we find out what is going on?" Meequaw asked impatiently. "We all must know in order to protect ourselves."

"Should we all stop now and hold a council?" Kwoita asked sarcastically. "Or do you think it might be better to wait until we are in a safe place."

"I hear many stories. I would like to know what is true and what is not," Meequaw demanded.

Ketanka bellowed far in back of them. They turned to see the chief throwing his arms up and roaring at the Paccus, showing them how to cover their trail. He left Quebathe and Shatomi to teach them more.

"Here comes Ketanka now," Kwoita said. "Now you can tell him about the council meeting tonight."

"Old moose turd!" Meequaw snapped. "He's just showing the Paccus that he is the chief. And I will talk to him about the council meeting."

Kwoita nudged Shamira, "Let's watch her chin quiver as her words stay tied to her tongue." Shamira seemed to relax a little as these two fell back to their old antics. No matter what the situation, they would eventually find a weak spot to needle each other. Ketanka lumbered up in back of them, shaking his head.

"Kwoita, go back there and show them how to cover their trail. They're supposed to be hiding the clan's trail and they're leaving it even more visible with their clumsy shuffling."

Ketanka grabbed Kwoita's bundles and walked along with Meequaw and Shamira. "Let's catch up with the others. The faster we move, the faster they'll move in back of us. If we move quickly, we can make it to the Dark Mountains in two days. We have nearly a full day ahead of us and I intend for us to move swiftly till nightfall, to reach where we usually camp on our second night."

"We have had no council meetings or talks about what is going on since we first heard of these Snake people," Shamira spoke ahead of Meequaw. "My father is out after Sequannah now and no one knows the fate of our best warriors. All we hear are stories about snakes. Could we have a council meeting where everyone can hear what is said? We all need to know."

"Yes, let's hear the stories from all the men," Meequaw joined in.

"We will put distance between us and the Snake people until we can find out more about them and know exactly where they are at all times. We must wait until the Wolf brothers or Mokotak returns and we have more information about what these Snake warriors are doing. For now, I think it would be best to show the Paccus how to travel. I will talk to the old woman. Maybe she can explain to them. We will invite her to council meetings and she can speak to the rest. They don't understand us anyway. If they want to stay, they can follow and do as we do; if not, we will send them away."

"Should we try to teach them our words and learn some of theirs?" Shamira asked. "We may need to stay together if these Snake people decide to follow us. It would be best if we understood each other."

"It may be necessary," Ketanka sighed. As they approached the main party, three Paccu women and two young boys were just ahead of them and Ketanka quickened his pace to overtake them. "Here is a good place for you to start," Ketanka smiled, as he handed Kwoita's bundles to the empty-handed Paccus.

Ketanka walked quickly towards the front of the procession, leaving Meequaw and Shamira with the Paccus. Shamira pointed to herself, repeating her name, then pointed to Meequaw telling them hers. The two young boys jumped around telling Shamira their names, but the three women appeared to be shy and hesitant. One of them looked almost indignant at having to carry one of the bundles Ketanka had handed them.

"We saved them from the Snake people who were whipping and beating them, and because we ask them to carry a few small things, they act as if we are making them our slaves," Meequaw mumbled disgustedly. They perceived Meequaw's tone, dropped the bundles, and walked away. "I wonder if they acted this way with the Snake people," Meequaw shouted. "Now I know why they were being whipped."

"Help me pick up these bundles," Shamira asked. "Maybe if we show them that we wish to be their friends, they will become good allies with the Minnecou."

"They are lazy and ungrateful," Meequaw said matter-of-factly. "They only have respect for the Snake people's weapons."

"But they would always hold hate in their hearts," Shamira said. "And was it not you who told me that no matter how small or weak a person, their hate can have a bad effect on everyone."

"You talk to them; I don't think they would appreciate my words now."

Meequaw and Shamira caught up with them once again, even with all the bundles they carried. Shamira, walking alongside, held out a sac and spoke the Minnecou word for water. They seemed unimpressed, but one of them did take it when Shamira gestured for them to drink. When she went to hand it back, Shamira gestured to the others. They spoke, then took some of the bundles. They smiled at Shamira as they relieved her of some of her load, but scowled at Meequaw as each of them plucked one of the smallest items. Meequaw, however, still managed a weak smile as she voiced her appreciation to the impudent guests. They quickly hurried off, maintaining a deliberate distance until they caught up with another group. These were the injured Paccu warriors who had not gone out with the scouting party at dawn.

The band moved at a rapid pace until after the sun had reached its highest point before they finally stopped. During their brief rest, Shamira and Meequaw noticed the three Paccu women and the two young boys sitting off to one side, talking. They went over to join them. Shamira sat down and smiled, but they just glanced at her and stopped talking. A tense silence kept up for several moments as Meequaw and Shamira sat beside them, neither able to break it without any understandable form of communication. The Paccu warriors, obviously not in much pain from their minor injuries, laughed and seemed to be bragging to each other as they glanced frequently at the two Minnecou women. The Paccu women knew and the Minnecou women sensed that they were talking about Shamira.

She refused to allow their laughter and leering to make her uncomfortable in the midst of her own clan. When Shatomi, Quebathe, and Kwoita came up with the other Paccus from the rear, however, she felt much more at ease. A tall, pleasant looking Paccu warrior walking with Shatomi, came up to the injured Paccus and spoke briefly with them. One of them spoke out and the whole group laughed and stared at Shamira. The tall Paccu muttered something that obviously irritated the outspoken Paccu, and the whole group jeered at the one who had been speaking of Shamira.

Shamira saw Kwoita walk up last in line, covering the trail as he went along. Behind him, she could see two figures running. She ran to him, pointing at the two approaching warriors, but before she could reach him, she recognized the Wolf brothers. Her uneasy feelings faded as Mahkawan and Tamahna strode into the group. The laughter and boisterous conversation diminished to a few weak smiles and idle conversation in the presence of the Wolf brothers.

The only one who appeared even capable of challenging one of the Wolf brothers was the tall one named Ceptke. But his manner was friendly. He walked off towards the front of the procession with a gesture of greeting and a subtle smile as he passed Shamira and the Wolf brothers. Tamahna was pleased that at least a few capable warriors were among the Paccus, but he also noticed the smile Shamira returned to the tall warrior. She immediately turned her attention to the Wolf brothers. Meequaw joined them and helped Shamira prepare something for Mahkawan and Tamahna to eat as they finally returned to the clan. Their families were among the very first to leave, traveling at the lead.

"Were you told about the snakes?" Mahkawan asked the two women.

"We have heard many stories," Shamira replied. "But no people can tell snakes where to go or what to do. Someone must have stepped on a nest."

"The Washan says they are magic," Mahkawan said. "Many clans train wolf and coyote pups, maybe they do the same with snakes. But, I don't see how anyone can make a snake listen..."

He thought for a moment. "I think it is magic. We stayed behind with the Washan to watch their painted warriors and find out where they were going. The ugly looking one that they carried around started to scream at us into the woods, but he could not find us. He tapped his snake stick against a tree. Soon after that, the snakes came back, and began to move toward us. The Washan told us to light fires in a long line to stop the snakes from finding us...or heading towards the clan. Then we moved further south, in a different direction than they would look for us. The fire spread quickly and we heard the hissing of many snakes as they burned in the flames. That is when Petawahin came. He told the Washan that we were to go back to the clan. He said to tell you that he was only going to get Sequannah and that he would come back to meet the clan before the leaves change. They will watch from a distance until they have a chance to get Sequannah when no one was looking, or until they find their village.

We waited around there for a while after your father and the Washan left, but all the snakes were burned in the fire and the Snake people were gone. The fire got very big and we had to get out of there quickly. The rest of the morning we spent following behind the clan, but there were no Snake warriors and the trail was well hidden. In a couple of days, no one will be able to find our trail. Petawahin said he and the Washan will go to the Dark Mountains when they return, and if we are not there, they will go to the south where the clans gather for winter."

"Were there many Snake warriors?" Shamira asked.

"With us and all of the Paccus we have here, they still have ten warriors for every person in this band, including women and children. We could not attack them without every one of the other Minnecou clans to help us. There will be much to talk about this winter," Tamahna admitted.

"What happened to Sequannah?"

"They tied him and dragged him by the hair, but they didn't whip him. They beat the other Paccu that was with him, though. Then they beat another group of Paccus. I'm not sure if they noticed that Sequannah was different," Tamahna said.

"We have to do something," Meequaw demanded. "They will torture us like the Paccus. They will get worse unless we find a way to teach them to stay away from Minnecou."

"They were fools to anger Ketanka. If he doesn't find a weakness, he will make one. We killed two of their scouts, but they never found them because they had to run from the fire," Mahkawan stated. "Petawahin freed twenty of the Paccus and killed two more of their warriors. And we made them run from the fire, but I am not sure if they know we are not Paccus. If they do, perhaps they will prefer to avoid Minnecou."

Meequaw handed them pemmican mixed with berries they had picked the previous day. Shamira repacked the large packets of food into her bundles and handed the two men the sac of water. She then poured some of the water into a smaller sac and put in a mixture of sassafras roots, raspberry leaves, and ground rose hips. By next morning, the tea would be ready to drink--it would give strength on the trail. The tea could have been made much quicker if it were possible to make a fire, but the Minnecou have always been adaptable to living on the move. They knew where they were going and which materials would be on hand. Whatever would be available at the next encampment would be that much less they would have to carry.

They had many sacred places to return to each year, and could not understand how their relatives from the south and some whole tribes could live in the same place all the time. But those people who lived in year round villages acquired many more possessions and couldn't understand how the migratory peoples roamed around in what seemed to be a constant state of poverty. Tribes like the Minnecou, however, felt stronger eating the wild foods and grew restless if they remained in the same place.

The Paccus were different. They spent their winters in one area and summers in another. Staying with the Minnecou, however, could prove to be trying. With the Snake people around, though, the Paccus had no choice unless they were to move west of their hunting areas, exposing themselves to other hostile tribes.

"We are only going to be at the Dark Mountains for a short time," Mahkawan said. "Tamahna and I talked on the way. We thought we could make one big lodge for both of our families. If you and Shamira would like to stay with us, you are both welcome. Wanashta and Tumaris are probably far ahead. When we start moving again, you could catch up with them and tell them we're here. It would be good for them to know we are safe. Maybe you could all talk together and decide what kind of a lodge we should build."

Shamira's eyes lit up as Mahkawan spoke. Meequaw looked to Shamira to see if she would be interested in the new arrangement, but she didn't have to ask. She was glad to see Shamira smiling and eager. Normally, she would have had the Paccus talking and laughing by this time, and she would have learned a good deal of their language. But there was too much confusion and uncertainty.

As the Wolf brothers crammed handfuls of pemmican into their mouths, Shamira reached into one of her bundles and pulled out a small packet of hazelnuts. Their eyebrows rose.

The Paccus were rationing their food, but it was nearly gone. The Minnecou had barely enough to make it to the Dark Mountains. Trying to feed the Paccus, however, could leave the Minnecou hungry as well. Looking to the head of the line, Tamahna saw that they were on the move again. He slung his bow over his shoulder.

"They are starting to move," he said, addressing everyone in the rear of the procession. "Let's keep up with them and stay closer together. Be careful where you step. Don't break any branches or leave anything behind." The Wolf brothers helped Shamira and Meequaw repack their bundles.

"See if you two can move a little easier now and catch up with Tumaris and Wanashta," Mahkawan said. "They may need help with the children and you could let them know we are here. Maybe we will camp with them tonight, I'm not sure, but we will be there to eat. You had better move quickly or you may not catch them until we stop."

After they had gone a short distance, Shamira looked back and saw the Wolf brothers checking the area where the Paccus had sat, fluffing up the grass with dead branches. Looking towards the front, they could see Ketanka walking back, stopping to talk several times as he went along. He could move easily back and forth along the procession as well as most of the warriors because they were carrying very little besides their weapons. The women, however, were heavily burdened, and the children were given as much as they could carry. The only warriors that were carrying heavy articles were the injured Paccus who were strong enough. The Paccu women were nearly empty-handed; there were only scant food provisions and most of their possessions were left in the ashes of their former village.

"We're not going fast enough for you two?" Ketanka questioned as he intercepted them.

"We're trying to catch Wanashta and Tumaris to tell them that the Wolf brothers are here."

"Tamahna and Mahkawan are back?" his voice rose. "Good! Then Petawahin found the Washan. Did Mokotak return, too?"

"No," said Meequaw. "Maybe Petawahin and Washan will find him. The Wolf brothers came back alone."

"Did you learn anything from the Paccus?" Ketanka questioned Shamira.

"They are not friendly. They kept a distance between us all morning."

"The old Paccu woman is up front with the families you seek. They are trading stories with the Paccus while the old woman translates." Ketanka grabbed a few things from each of the women.

"Come! I'll help."

Ketanka took up a frantic pace towards the front of the procession and the two women glanced at each other, though neither would say that they would rather have carried everything at their own pace than to get rid of a few items and put themselves through an exhausting trial. It was especially true at this point because they were on one of the steepest inclines between the lake and the Dark Mountains. As the smiling chief's vigorous step brought them to within shouting distance of the Wolf brothers' families, he still remained unaware of the angry and impatient eyes trained on his rotund form as the two women strained to keep up.

"I hope this doesn't stir up his gases," Shamira whispered.

Meequaw started to giggle and Shamira soon lost her composure. Every time they laid eyes on the chief, they both started to laugh. Ketanka pretended not to hear, but after a few moments of this, he turned abruptly and handed the two women the rest of their bundles.

"You should be able to catch them now."

"Thank you, Ketanka," they both said smiling. "We would never have gotten here this quickly without you," Meequaw said, still smiling. The chief walked off with an uneasy feeling, but shrugged it off before he'd gone a dozen paces.

Though the clan was discomfited with the presence of Paccus and the threat of the Snake people, they remained self-assured; everything seemed be going accordingly. They had planned to move north on this very day, even before the demise of the Paccus. The Paccus had no choice but to follow, or return to their ransacked village. Fleeing with the Minnecou gave them a chance to compose themselves and remain in the relative safety of numbers. The Minnecou, no matter how arrogant or intimidating, could be trusted. Even so, the Paccus grew more uneasy with each step as they widened the gap between themselves and their captive relatives, ranging ever further into unfamiliar Minnecou outlands.

Shamira and Meequaw caught up with the Wolf brothers' families, but at a much slower pace than they had endured with Ketanka. Mahkawan's three sons ran to greet them, each with a large spear in his hand.

"We protect you!" they exclaimed. "We protect you!" they proudly displayed warrior spears their mothers allowed them to carry. They were obviously too big for them to handle, but Tumaris and Wanashta knew this would help to allay their fears.

Along with the Wolf clans were four more Paccu women, including the older woman and her complement of children. Two old Paccu grandfathers also kept pace in this section of the procession, while the young Paccu boy who had shot Quitkwa walked along behind them, his bow in his left hand and an arrow in his right. He was one or two years older than the eldest of Mahkawan's sons, but at that age, he may just as well have been ten winters older, so great was the difference between them. His solemn stare and manly disposition stood in sharp contrast to the playful and clumsy pack of wolf pups. Shamira and Meequaw caught up with the head of the procession while Mahkawan's three sons fell into a solemn march behind the group, wielding their spears in imitation of the young Paccu. Wanashta carried Washeena in her arms and Shamira immediately offered to take her. Wanashta smiled in appreciation as she handed her the sleeping child, but she still appeared burdened.

"Tamahna and Mahkawan are in back of the band," Shamira told her.

Wanashta's expression changed immediately as she called to Tumaris. "Our husbands are behind us!" Tumaris smiled and seemed to step more quickly.

"Now they will be coming to scout ahead of the band!" Tumaris exclaimed.

"They said they wouldn't be back until nightfall because they would be staying behind, instead," Shamira stated. "Ketanka kept Kwoita back there, too, to make sure that our trail was well covered. I hope they bring Kwoita here with them tonight. Mahkawan said that they would come to eat if not sleep."