The Cry of the Wolf Chapter 47

Crouching at his wife's side, Chief Long Knife pulled Dark Star into his arms, offering her his strength although he was painfully aware that it could never be enough. Yes, he was the children's father and yet, they had been her children much longer. His grief, surely, paled in comparison with hers.

"I want to go home," Dark Star choked when she felt the tender touch of his hands on her arms.

"I'm here," Chief Long Knife soothed, although his voice sounded painfully hollow and far away.

"I should never have come here, I just want to go home," Dark Star involuntarily pulled away from his embrace.

Chief Long Knife frowned in confusion.

Brown Sparrow's mother-in-law cradled her grandson as the young woman joined her friend.

"We can't go back to our village. It was destroyed..." Brown Sparrow bit her lower lip, casting the chief a nervous glance. It was because of him and his warriors they no longer had a home.

How could Dark Star possibly explain to her companions what she meant when they had shown her nothing but kindness and yet had no idea she was from the future? If she had never come to the past, her children...

Dark Star couldn't finish the thought. It was far too unbearable.

Her body racked with sobs as Brown Sparrow embraced her.

"Forgive me, My Love..." Chief Long Knife breathed, but he received no response.

What had he expected? He was far from the scope of mercy. In fact, Chief Long Knife couldn't even forgive himself.

He sat in silence, watching the women embrace as tears blurred his vision - tears he refused to shed. No one could ever see he was weak, or more accurately, human.

Grief consumed the tribe, every family having experienced loss. Children lay in the grave along with fathers and mothers. The plague had not been a respecter of persons.

"Shall we go on another raid?" Falcon's low voice startled the chief. "We need to rebuild our numbers."

Chief Long Knife lowered his head. He couldn't bring himself to stand, much less lead a war party. Death may have left, but it had left its shadow behind, chilling them to the bone.

"Not tonight," Chief Long Knife avoided his companion's eyes, hiding his tear-glazed eyes, "We will discuss this in the morning..."

"Okay...but you know we must. Tonight Dark Star needs you," Falcon stated the obvious, reaching out and squeezing his wife's hand.

Their family had remained untouched by the plague - a miracle.

"Why would God allow this?" Dark Star wept, soaking Brown Sparrow's hair, "Why did He take them and not me? They were innocent!"

"Death doesn't care..." Brown Sparrow tried in vain to comfort her best friend.

"But God should! He is in control of everything but He let this happen!" Dark Star's heart clenched, her thoughts growing more bitter by the second.

"Oh Adelaide," Brown Sparrow murmured, using her old name, "God is still here. He has promised never to leave or forsake us...remember Job? When he lost everything including his children? He said, 'Yet will I praise Him.'"

Brown Star was correct. Dark Star knew it.

"I just can't. I can't praise Him now and...and maybe not ever..."

Chief Long Knife couldn't bear to see his wife endure such grief. Leaving her in Brown Sparrow's embrace, the chief stood, walking slowly about the longhouses, offering comfort to those who were mourning. As with his wife, words could never be enough to replace the void of those they had lost.

"We will go on a raid tomorrow," he assured the warriors who barely nodded their agreement.

The air was heavy with grief.

Slowly returning to the longhouse, his eyes avoided looking at the mass grave they had recently covered up. They'd have to move camp again but to where? They couldn't heal as long as the remainder was in their midst.

The eerie wailing of the mourners was overshadowed by high-pitched howls of screeching as the forest erupted with painted warriors. The timing couldn't have been worse, striking when they were most vulnerable.

Chief Long Knife reached for his rifle before realizing it wasn't loaded. They should have been prepared - he should have been prepared.

Grimacing, Chief Long Knife braced himself for the bloodbath he knew was coming. With the tribe seriously weakened, it could only result in a massacre. They were in no position to defend themselves.

Chief Long Knife had one thought…

"Dark Star."

****

Strong Oak watched from the shadows as English soldiers and… Iroquois? His eyes narrowed taking in the sight. Yes, Iroquois, walked toward the clearing.

"There, that's the fort I was telling you about," Jaira spoke first, pointing to the charred remains. "Well, at least what is left of it."

"Why would they have burned it down?" William frowned.

Eagle glanced at the huge fresh grave, backing away slowly.

"Death has been here."

Jaira swallowed hard, instinctively reaching for the towering warrior's hand.

"Where is everyone? This is it. I'm sure of it. They lived in a thing like that," she pointed to the longhouse with her free hand, "and I remember they were building the fort."

"Yes..." Eagle began before warriors leaped from the trees brandishing tomahawks.

Howling screams shattered the stillness until the ground was covered with limp uniform-clothed bodies, Jaira and her native companions untouched.

Jaira uttered a bloodcurdling scream as William fell to the ground near her feet.