Snow Eagle by Shirley A. Roe Read Free Book Online Page B

slowly, his eyes rested on the old woman. “We must move now. Buffalo Woman is right and she has made this journey more times than any of us. The ice field will take all of one day and one night to cross. We must move out.” Clouds of Thunder raised his walking stick as a sign of his conviction. Buffalo Woman's head bobbed up and down.
    “We must consider the safety of the tribe and the weather could turn for the worse. I agree with Clouds of Thunder, we go now. We have already lost several hours of daylight.” Raging Bull rose from his seated position. Waving Pine agreed, instructing some of the young men to load his nephew, Burning Branch onto one of the travois. Sunflower rose to stand beside her father showing her agreement. She needed her people to believe she was trustworthy. Her son had escaped and in her heart she was glad but now she had to concern herself with the welfare of the tribe.
    “It is so. We move now.” Black Rain and Red Hawk nodded and everyone moved at once. The fire was extinguished, packs and bedding were loaded and everyone pulled their fur boots over their moccasins. Little Fawn helped Frightened Deer pull on a pair of boots and again, without a word, the two women joined the others. Little Fawn looked back over her shoulder towards the mountains beyond. She could not shake this feeling that Snow Eagle was in trouble. The Tlingit tribe moved out onto the ice field and began the long cold crossing.
    Snow Eagle pushed himself across the miles. He reached the rock wall at high noon and stared at the towering precipice with trepidation. He would have to climb the almost vertical cliff in order to reach the trail above. Once he reached the summit, the trail was swift across the top of the mountain. After a few words to the Great Spirit, he started up the rock face.
    Charging Elk and his band reached the Tlingits camp by nightfall. “They have not been gone long. We must stay back in order to avoid being seen.” His men settled in for the night, fire pits recently extinguished were brought back to life. “A few more days and we shall have Songbird back where she belongs. The rest of the Tlingits are to be disposed of, my friends. Enjoy yourselves.” Charging Elk laughed as he watched the faces of his warriors. He knew that finding young women to couple with would be first and foremost, after all of the others were killed. He himself was looking forward to Songbird's gratitude. The Tagish were not normally a violent tribe but the act of kidnapping the daughter of the chief had enraged them. Charging Elk's orders were to recover the woman and kill those that dared to take her. He had been eyeing Songbird for some time and this would give him great prestige. He would ask that she be his squaw and he was sure the chief would agree. His only hope was that Gray Wolf had not tainted her. He settled in his blankets for the night, dreaming of his future. High in the night sky, the silhouette of an eagle crossed in front of the round, brilliant glow of the moon.
    Snow Eagle tried to slow his breathing. He tightened his grip on his knife now deeply imbedded in the crack in the rock. Earlier in the afternoon he had increased his speed, wanting to make the summit before dark. He now chastised himself for his foolishness. He had lost his footing and started to slide down the rock face. Terrified, but quick thinking, he struck out with his blade and the knife lodged in a crevice in the rock stopping his descent. Now he was precariously perched on the side of the cliff with chances of continuing looking very slim. Eyes scanning the face, he tried to study the hand and foot holds but the light was gone and even in the bright light of the full moon, his visibility was limited. His left foot was secure on a ten- inch ledge; his right foot was about a foot higher and wedged in a crevice barely wide enough for the toe of his moccasin. His muscles were beginning to ache after the treacherous climb. He had to stay