“When I enter trances, the magic takes away much of my strength,” Shining Soul said, his voice drawn. “I must go and rest now. Just know that what I have told you today is truth.”
“We know,” Wolf Dancer said. He took Shining Soul gently by an elbow and helped him into his home.
“My owl headdress,” Shining Soul said, leaning his head down for Wolf Dancer to remove it. “Please take it from my head and place it in its special case until it is time to wear it again.”
Wolf Dancer gently lifted the headdress from the shaman’s head and placed it in its magic case, then went back to Shining Soul and helped him down onto his thick pallet of furs.
After Shining Soul stretched out, his eyes already closed, Wolf Dancer gently placed a blanket over him. He knelt there beside his shaman for a while longer, and only when he saw that Shining Soul was asleep did he leave.
When he stepped outside the lodge, Lavinia ran up to him. “Is he alright?” she asked, having seen how the trance had weakened Shining Soul.
“He is elderly, but as I have told you before, he is a strong man, and will be among us for many more moons to come,” Wolf Dancer said. He placed his hands gently on her shoulders. “He will witness not only the first child born of our love for one another, but also the second.”
“You are looking ahead to children?” Lavinia asked, smiling into his eyes. “That is wonderful, Wolf Dancer. I dearly wish to give Dorey a sister and a brother. Except for Twila, Dorey has been lonesome for other children.”
“She will have a true family again once we have spoken our vows,” he assured her.
He looked over at Twila and Dorey, then at Joshua. “Joshua,care for the children today, will you? Lavinia and I have much to discuss concerning our future.”
“I will do that for you and Lavinia,” Joshua said, smiling at her. “Lavinia, you take your time with Wolf Dancer. De girls always have enough to do to keep dem busy.”
“Before we can return to my home, which will soon be yours also, Lavinia, I must alert my people that they may leave their lodges and resume their normal day’s activities,” Wolf Dancer said. “You can wait for me, or go on to my lodge.”
“I will wait here,” she said, then stood alone as she watched Joshua and the girls go to Joshua’s home, while Wolf Dancer asked one of his warriors to spread the word that their shaman had performed his spell.
Then Wolf Dancer returned to her. “Come with me,” he urged, taking her by the hand. “There is something else I want you to see.”
“What is it?” Lavinia asked curiously. Each day now she was being shown something new and exciting.
“You will see,” he said, then led her through the thick vegetation until they came to the river.
He suddenly stopped. He bent to his knees and lifted a rock that was not too heavy for Lavinia to carry, then gave it to her. “You will need this,” he said. “You have much to learn about my people, now, before we are married, and later, after we have shared our vows. From now on, we will share everything until we are no longer of this earth.”
Lavinia hefted the rock and followed Wolf Dancer, then stopped and gazed in awe at what lay ahead of them.
There were many rocks, stacked upon one another in the form of a wide circle.
She gazed questioningly at Wolf Dancer. “Is this what you wanted to show me?” she asked, turning and gazing at the carefully stacked rocks.
“Yes, it is important for you to know about this,” he said. “We should go close enough for you to place your rock with the others.”
“Why am I going to do this?” Lavinia asked, following him until they came to the circle of rocks. Up close, she realized the rocks formed a wall higher than her head.
“This is a sacred circle of rocks,” Wolf Dancer said. He stepped closer and placed his hand on one of them. “It has been built by people who bring stones here in memory of a loved one who has journeyed on ahead of them.”
“I have brought only one stone, but I want it to represent my mother and father, as well as my husband,” Lavinia murmured, wanting to embrace this Seminole belief.
“Lay it with the others,” Wolf Dancer encouraged, stepping back. “Speak with all of the stones that are there and tell them what is in your heart.”
Lavinia stepped up to the stones and very carefully placed the one she had brought with the others, making certain it was secure so that it would not tumble free after she was gone.
She gave Wolf Dancer a questioning glance.
“Tell them your feelings, but not aloud,” he said. “It is between only you and the sacred rocks. They will hear your thoughts.”
Lavinia began thinking to herself how she missed her parents and her husband, and thought of everything else that had made her feel so alone these past months, even when her husband was alive.
But she then thought with gratitude of what she had found with Wolf Dancer, feeling blessed in every way since their acquaintance.