Rose Eagle Read Online Free PDF

“sweetie,” for which I was grateful.
    â€œHow are you?” Aunt Mary asked.
    â€œAside from my leg feeling like a fish that just got gutted?” Lenard chuckled. “Not that bad.” He touched his leg, which was wrapped in bandages from his thigh down to his calf. “You know just how many stitches I got in there?”
    â€œEnough to sew a good-sized star blanket,” Aunt Mary replied.
    â€œDang.” Lenard Crazy Dog shook his head. “Should have known about that sixth one. Guess I’m not going to be much use for a while, am I?”
    Aunt Mary took his hand. “Depends on what you mean by being of use.”
    Puh-lease!
    Then she turned and looked hard at me.
    â€œRose, honey,” she said. “In that dream of mine . . .”
    She paused.
    â€œGo on,” I said.
    â€œDreams are funny things. They never tell you everything right out. Often it’s more like hints, though mine have gotten stronger ever since the one that came to me just before the Cloud got to us, telling me that, no matter what, everyone had to get up out of the Deeps and stay out.”
    Aunt Mary looked down at her hands. “I don’t know why my dreams are so much clearer than they used to be. Maybe it is because what my Grama Little Elk said was true. That electricity was interfering with spirit things like dreams and visions and the old powers we used to have.”
    She paused again, and this time I just waited without saying anything. Then she took a breath and nodded.
    â€œIn my dream, I saw you going on a quest after we’d done the sweat. And I knew that whatever was at the end of it, if you found it, it would bring good to all of us. But you were not alone on that journey. Someone was with you, a man who was strong enough to help you along the way. When Lenard showed up, I figgered he was that man. But now I see that it wasn’t him. You have to leave on that quest before the moon gets full. Which means you have to leave in three days.”
    I bit my lip. Three days? I wasn’t ready for that. I wasn’t ready for next week or next year or maybe ever. And why did it have to be me?
    â€œLeave where?” I managed to say in a small voice.
    â€œMato Paha,” Aunt Mary said. “Bear Butte, where Crazy Horse had his great vision. That is where you have to go now. My dream told me that for sure. Just as clear as day. From Bear Butte, you will know where to go next.”
    Bear Butte. I knew about it. Every Lakota knew about it. Of all our sacred places, none was more special. The whirlwind spirit lived on that sacred mountain. Before the Freedom from Religion Laws, people used to go there, climb the mountain, and leave prayer feathers. Sometimes stay there for days at a time without eating or drinking while waiting for a vision. But as far as I knew, it had been years since anyone had been allowed by our Overlords to do that. What would I find there?
    Leonard cleared his throat.
    â€œI been there,” Lenard said. “Year before they caught me and sent me off to Detention. Sneaked in past the guards and the fences strung up all around the base of the mountain. And its power was still there, little girl. Crazy Horse’s spirit was there too. You get up on that mountain and you will feel it, sure as shooting.”
    â€œThree days?” I said.
    Aunt Mary turned and took my big right hand in both of hers. “Three days, Rose, honey,” she said.
    â€œThree days,” I said again.
    â€œBut you won’t be alone,” Aunt Mary’s voice took on a brighter tone. “While you were waiting here, I found the perfect person to go with you. And he was more than glad of the chance to do something meaningful. In fact, I can’t think of a better person. You know who it is?”
    I thought I did. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that was mixing with a strange sort of hopeful excitement.
Yes,
part of me was