Autumn Wind Read online

  "Watch,” he repeated.

  With a giggle, Huya-Na bent over his captive then swooped in to give her a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

  Tahcawin shrieked as though someone had prodded her with barbed wire. She flailed trying to get up to attack her captor, snarling at him, kicking her legs.

  The little boy hopped up, moving well back from Tahcawin's lashing feet. He ran towards his friends, turned to jog backwards for a moment or two, laughing and pointing at Tahcawin as she shot to her feet and screamed her anger at him.

  Takoda removed his hand and chuckled. “A brave warrior is our little Huya-Na,” he said.

  "Oh, by the Sun!” Mina gasped, her hand going to her mouth.

  Tahcawin stomped her foot then came running over to her father, her arms held up to him. He scooped her up and asked what was wrong.

  "Neshoko,” she stated, her legs locked around his waist. “Did you see what that awful boy did?"

  Takoda nodded. “Ayai, just as I saw what you did to start it,” he answered.

  "He asked for it,” Tahcawin snapped.

  "I think not,” her father said as he bounced her on his hip. “You should try to be more ladylike, little one."

  Tahcawin folded her little five year old arms around her pudgy little body. “Neshoko, I demand a pashoni from Huya-Na Little Star,” she declared.

  "Girls can not have a pashoni," her mother told her.

  The little girl's eyes were red hot with rage. “Then what can I do, nesheka? How can I make him pay for offending me?"

  "How did he offend you, pasha?" Mina inquired.

  "Did you not see, nesheka?” Tahcawin exclaimed, reaching up to scrub at the place where Huya-Na had dared to put his muddy face.

  "We saw,” her mother said with a twitch of her lips.

  "I demand he pay for what he did!"

  Takoda ruffled his little girl's hair and whispered something in her ear. Tahcawin giggled then hugged her father fiercely before kissing his cheek.

  "You understand?” Takoda asked.

  "Ayai, neshoko,” she said, blushing. When he set her down, she ran off to join her friends.

  "What did you tell her?” Mina asked as she slipped her arm around her husband's waist and his arm went around her shoulders.

  Takoda laughed. “I told her to marry him and make him look at her as her father looks at her mother."

  Mina rolled her eyes. “You did not."

  "I did,” he said. “Would I lie to you?"

  "No,” she replied. Her gaze went to her oldest daughter and she saw that Tahcawin was giggling with her friends and they were all looking to where the boys were playing hoops, Huya-Na, with them. She saw her daughter heave an exaggerated sigh and dramatically put her little hands to her heart.

  "She loves him?” she asked in an incredulous voice.

  "And he loves her,” Takoda agreed. “With all his young heart. We should encourage that love, hishnae, and let it thrive as it is meant to."

  "But they are too young,” Mina complained. She put a hand to her belly where the latest Dark Wolf offspring was giving her reminders he or she was there.

  "They are older than we were when you set your cap for me,” he told her.

  Mina looked up at him. “Was that what I did when I tripped you into the mud puddle?"

  He smiled. “You tell me."

  "You were looking at me,” she defended her actions. “I took offense."

  "I was always looking at you,” her husband reminded her, “because you were the prettiest girl in the tribe."

  "And you were the handsomest boy,” she said, laying her head against the side of his chest.

  He stopped and turned, slipping his crooked index finger under her chin. “You are still the prettiest girl in the tribe,” he said. “Teshima, arechi hyegahaota."

  Mina closed her eyes as her husband defied tradition and propriety by lowering his lips to hers. His kiss was a promise of all the warm autumn nights to come.

  The End

  GLOSSARY OF THE KACHADOL PEOPLE

  Betrothed (female to male) chemioho

  Brother ciye

  Chieftain Nehato

  Contest of honor pashoni

  Daughter pesha

  Dream Otahee

  Father neshoko

  Father-in-law Nechoko-Oxacho

  Four Winds Gahaota

  Girl's coming of age awihya ishnaha

  Grandfather lohnei neshoko

  Grandmother lohnei nesheka

  Heart of my heart (female) hishnae

  Heart of my heart (male) hishno

  Husband tutishno

  I am at fault Nashino peha kae

  I love you teshima

  I (male/female) Nashino/nashina

  Intended (female to male) chianusko

  Little Whirlwind arechi hyegahaota

  Man Washono

  Moon Kecha

  Mother nesheka

  Mother-in-law Nesheka—Oxacha

  No Nei

  Punishment pole hotaheen

  Punisher estahno

  Punishment Nashino tovoho hotahee

  Sister diya

  Son pasho

  Sun Dance Kachono

  Sun People Kachodol

  Sun Kacho

  Tribal Ceremonial Lodge montaikane

  Tribal council wamanhano

  Warrior Kishnabo

  Water Wuchina

  Wife tutishno-a

  Woman Washina

  Yes Ayai

  You will be mine Nyhimaiah Washina

  You tchu

  Your tchuni

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