Savage Abandon

He exhaled with relief when he saw the caring in his grandfather’s eyes that Wolf Hawk was accustomed to.

His grandfather understood the urgency of Mia’s condition. He would treat her, even though her skin was white. Wolf Hawk had been sure his grandfather would never have turned away someone who so desperately needed his help.

Talking Bird stepped aside and held the flap open so Wolf Hawk could enter. “Go inside,” he said, his voice filled with true concern. “Take her with you. I will do what I can for the woman.”

Mia sighed with relief.

She smiled up at the elderly man.

“Thank you,” she murmured, oh, so glad that these Winnebago Indians knew the English language as well as they did. It made things much easier for her. “Thank you so much.”

“My name is Talking Bird,” the Shaman said, gently smiling now at Mia. “By what name are you called?”

“Mia,” she murmured.

She felt again the wonder of Wolf Hawk’s muscled arms as he swept her up from the beautifully soft moss.

She lay there trustingly in his arms as he carried her inside. Talking Bird followed and gestured with a frail hand toward several pelts that were spread out on the floor near the fire.

“I will see her better beside the fire,” Talking Bird said. He gazed up at the smoke hole overhead, glad that the moon was as bright tonight as it was, for it, too, lent him more light by which to work his magic.

Wolf Hawk very gently laid Mia on the pelts, then stood back and rested himself on his haunches as his grandfather approached Mia and examined her legs more closely.

“My tobacco bag,” Talking Bird said, glancing over at Wolf Hawk.

Understanding that his grandfather wished to offer tobacco to the spirits before he used his medicine on Mia, Wolf Hawk reached behind him and grabbed the drawstring pouch, then gave it to Talking Bird.

He sat down then, folded his legs before him, rested his hands on his knees and watched. He hoped that what his grandfather was going to do wouldn’t bring fear back to Mia’s heart.

He was glad that she was alert now, aware of her surroundings, and of those she was with. She needed to be awake to see with her own eyes what was being done.

When Mia looked quickly over at him, he smiled and nodded.

His smile seemed to reassure her. She returned it and relaxed even more.

She now gazed up at Talking Bird, patiently awaiting whatever he was going to do.

Her eyes widened when he opened the pouch and took out some of the tobacco, then laid the pouch aside and held the tobacco above the fire.

Instead of smoking the tobacco, he held it aloft, and looked directly into Mia’s eyes.

“I will heal you, white woman, but you must also help yourself,” Talking Bird said slowly. “You are stronger than you think. The spirits know this, and you must believe it, too. As I make the offering of tobacco, remember what I have said. Believe it.”

Mia wasn’t sure what she should do…nod…or just wait and see what came next.

She chose to give the old Shaman a nod and a smile, then watched and listened.

She was quite taken by the gentleness of his voice and by his efforts on her behalf.

“Ha-ho,” Talking Bird said as he scattered the tobacco over the fire. “Fire, accept this offering of tobacco. Long ago, when I first learned of the magic that was given to me to use, you promised me aid if I offered you tobacco. Now I make that offering. I need your help to save this woman. Without your aid, she will die. This tobacco is my gift to you, and I pray that in return you will give her the gift of full health.”

He took up more tobacco in his hand and again scattered it into the flames, but this time there was a response. The flames sputtered and sent sparks flying heavenward.

He smiled, for he knew that he had been heard. The purifying smoke had driven away the evil spirits that had caused the white woman to become ill. And this was good, for he had not been certain that the spirits that guided his people’s lives would do the same for this woman, because she was a stranger and her skin was white.

Mia scarcely breathed as she watched what the Shaman would do next. He took several wooden vials from the many that he had placed on the floor around the base of his tepee.

She watched him take a wooden bowl and pour different liquids from the vials into it. Then he came to her and sat down beside her.