Savage Beloved

But even as he said it, he knew there was one person who resented Candy’s presence: Hawk Woman. He knew he had to deal with her, one way or another, soon.

They quickly dressed, then left the tepee together. Shadow was now awake and walked beside them.

Candy gasped at the amount of corn the women had harvested so quickly. They were in the center of the village now, near the huge outdoor fire that still burned.

Each was emptying her bag, dumping the corn into one big heap. The pile soon became so high that it looked as if wagons had been used to haul it instead of the simple carrying bags.

“The next step is to build a long, narrow ditch with mud embankments along each side against which to lean the corn,” Two Eagles explained.

“And then what?” Candy asked, truly curious as she watched the women dumping the last of their corn on the pile.

“They will build a big fire and throw the ears into it,” Two Eagles said. “The women will take turns reaching their hands in and out of the flames to turn the ears over. They are skilled at doing this, and no one ever burns herself. When the wood burns down, the naked ears are left to roast in the coals. Sometimes the ears roast all night, as this gives them a delicious flavor, but today the women will just leave the corn in until the sun begins lowering in the sky. Then whatever husks remain on the corn will be removed and the women will proceed to cut the kernels from the cobs. For this purpose they will use a clam shell, but kernels from small-grained ears are removed with a knife.”

“It sounds so tiring,” Candy said. “Are you certain they don’t want me to help them?”

“They are very practiced at this, so they would not consider asking you to join them now. But soon, when the full crop is to be gathered, they will welcome you at their sides,” Two Eagles said. “But as you can see, today they are doing fine without you.”

Candy saw some of the women spreading large hide covers over the ground, then pegging them down tight until they were smooth. “Why are they doing that?” Candy asked, glancing up at Two Eagles.

“The kernels of the roasted corn will be spread out there,” he said. “The blue corn will be separated into three groups by size, small, medium, and large. Then they will be winnowed and put into sacks made of tanned hide. After each sack is full, the women will beat upon it with a long stick to make sure that the grains are settled compactly into the bag. They will place a lid inside the bag and pull the drawstring closed. After all the bags are filled, there will be a big pile of them.”

Candy had heard everything Two Eagles had said, but her eyes had been drawn elsewhere, to where children stood in a circle around another cluster of plants that grew where no tepees had been built.

“What are they doing?” she asked. “They seem to be having so much fun, but all I see beside them are plants. I believe those are bullhorn plants, aren’t they? I’ve seen them, but never went close to really look at them. The thorns looked very sharp. I’m surprised the children aren’t being cut by them.”

“Come and see,” Two Eagles said, taking her by the hand and leading her toward the children. “The children are enjoying one of their favorite sports.”

“Sport?” Candy said, arching an eyebrow. “How can that be called a sport?”

“You will soon see,” Two Eagles said, chuckling. When they reached the children, they stood to one side, yet close enough to witness what they were doing.

“There are so many ants,” Candy said, shuddering, for she despised the tiny crawling creatures. The children, however, were somehow amusing themselves with them.

“Ants live in the huge hollow thorns of the bullhorn plant, and one need only touch a leaf or stem and ants will rush to defend the plant,” Two Eagles said.

Candy watched as what seemed an army of ants rushed out after one child touched the plant. Then the ants went back into hiding, only to reemerge as another child touched t

he plant.

The children seemed endlessly amused by this game, giggling as again and again they caused the ants to emerge, to attack whatever was disturbing their home.

Two Eagles and Candy watched awhile longer, then went back to their lodge, where food awaited them.

While they had been gone, someone had come and brought them a large tray of vegetables, fruit, and meat. They were both famished after having made love twice in such a short time.

As Candy ate, she became immersed in thought, wondering where Hawk Woman was today. She had not been with the women who had gone for the corn, nor had Candy seen her outside her lodge.

She gazed in wonder at the food.

Had Hawk Woman brought it?

Was it even safe to eat it?

Then she realized just how foolish it was to suspect such a thing, for Hawk Woman would not harm her chief. Candy resolved to enjoy the food with Two Eagles, smiling as the man she adored fed Shadow a piece of meat.

She was concerned about her wolf.

Shadow had been acting differently, of late. She was quiet, not romping around outside as she had always done at the fort.