Yellowstone Legends Page 17

  The elder paused to clear his throat before he continued. “It is through Wo'itsa’s vision that Mukua found the whereabouts of Matunaaga and Natukendra’eh in the future.”

  Cameron stepped forward, his upper body tense. “I don’t believe that Wo'itsa had something to do with Mat’s death.”

  Naatoyita hastily shook his head. “Certainly not intentionally. Wo'itsa has been led astray by Mukua. It is imperative that he be brought back to walk the correct path.” The elder’s eyes rested on Kendra.

  “Time out,” she called, making a “T” with her hands. “I really don’t understand any of what you two are going on about, and before this discussion strays any further, I want some real answers to my earlier questions.” She stared at the elder. “And I’d like them now.”

  The one bit of information from the exchange between Cameron and the old man that stood out in her mind was that Wo'itsa might not be the wolf from her grandfather’s warning. Somehow, that knowledge brought her some relief. Casting aside her straying thoughts, she focused on the elder in front of her.

  Naatoyita gazed across the river toward the tall mountains that rose into the sky quite a distance away. Kunu had always said that the Sky People resided in the high mountains where they were closest to their spirit ancestors. After several moments of awkward silence, the elder looked her directly in the eye.

  “You have lost sight of who you are, Natukendra’eh. You must reconnect with your family and ancestors. It is time you remember where you belong.”

  With a groan, the elder lowered himself into the soft grass and motioned for her and Cameron to do the same. Cameron nodded to her in silent communication that she should sit.

  “I belong in New York, where I’m a cop and catch the bad guys. Right now I’m here to apprehend whoever murdered Matt Donovan and Harry Swift Elk.”

  The elder shook his head. “While their deaths are tragic, they have fulfilled their destinies. Harry Swift Elk raised you and kept you hidden in plain sight from Mukua.” Naatoyita smiled. “It never occurred to Mukua to search for you in the most obvious place – among your own people. Naatosi and I knew it was a risk not to take you further away from the sacred mountains, but our plan clearly worked.”

  Kendra groaned in frustration. Cameron must have heard it. He held out his hand and nudged her in the arm.

  “It will all make sense. Be patient.”

  Naatoyita cackled. “You were not patient when I revealed your true identity to you, Cameahwait.”

  “I don’t want Kendra to go through the same frustrations I had to deal with from you.” Cameron’s harsh words were surprising. He clearly didn’t care much for the elder, and made no effort to conceal that fact.

  The old man seemed to take no notice, and directed his eyes on Kendra. “Your mother’s name was Pahamittsi Puhagand. She was a great shaman and a wise woman. When she gave birth to you, she already knew you were destined for great things. She gave you your name, knowing that someday you would soar like the great spirit bear that you are.”

  Kendra held her breath. Hearing the name gave her goose bumps. Pahamittsi Puhagand. Her mother. For the first time in her life, someone knew about her parents.

  Bear with spiritual powers. “That was my mother’s name?” Her question was barely a whisper. Her own name had similar meaning.

  Natukendra’eh weda … She Who Soars like the Spirit Bear. A name she’d always despised and thought of as silly.

  Naatoyita nodded. “Your mother was a great spiritual leader among her people.” He directed his gaze at Cameron. “As your father’s sister, she was also known as an Osborne, but preferred to call herself Ursa.”

  Cameron’s eyes shot to Kendra. “We’re related? If your mother and my father were siblings, then you and I are cousins.”

  No further words came to mind at that moment, and everyone remained silent. Was it time to accept that this was all real, and she was part of something far greater than was comprehensible?

  Like her grandfather telling her stories as a child around the campfire, Naatoyita talked about the Osborne line, and how the sacred mountains would be protected in future generations as long as the Osbornes were around.

  “What about my father?”

  Naatoyita smiled from her to Cameron. “Ursa fell in love with the shaman of the Wolf Clan, Beya Puhagand. They married, and she chose to live with his people.”

  The elder paused, his chest rising and falling several times before he continued.

  “When the war between the clans broke out, both spoke out against the fighting. To everyone’s great sorrow, and the anger of the Wolf Clan, your father was one of the first people killed. Many members of the Clan feared that your mother would turn against them when he died, since she had strong ties to the Bear Clan. Heavy with child, she fled to find her brother. Shortly after, she gave birth to you.”

  Kendra shook her head. All her life, she’d wondered about her parents and why they’d abandoned her. To ease her pain, she’d convinced herself that they had been bad people, possibly even criminals.

  The elder held out his hand and pointed at her arm. Kendra pushed her jacket down her shoulder once again to expose the tattoo. Naatoyita touched first the image of the wolf, then the claw marks of the bear.

  “They are both equally strong. It was your mother’s hope that someday you would reunite the clans, Natukendra’eh. The blood of the bear and the wolf flow through your veins. Your dreams already told you that. You think you are conflicted about who you are, when in truth, you already know the answer.”

  Kendra’s mind swirled. She dropped her gaze to the ground and covered her face with her hands. Even in her wildest dreams, she couldn’t have imagined anything like this. Cameron’s hand on her arm was reassuring.

  “Took me a while to grasp it all, too, Kendra. I know it sounds overwhelming right now.”

  She scoffed. “Overwhelming is an understatement.”

  Her first instinct was to reject everything she’d just heard from the old man, but the truth was difficult to deny. Everything Kunu had told her, and everything that had happened so far . . . nothing about it made sense unless she believed the impossible.

  “I am afraid that time is of the essence, especially after all that has happened.”

  Naatoyita’s sorrowful words cut straight through her. Kendra glanced up at the old man, blinking to focus her eyes.

  “Time for what?” Cameron voiced the question in her own mind.

  Naatoyita’s stare grew intense as his eyes volleyed between her and her . . . cousin. For the first time, she had a member of her family, a blood relative. The old man gave her no chance to let that sink in.

  “Mukua has broken one of the most sacred laws of the Sky People elders.”

  “Yes, he killed Matunaaga.” Cameron’s words were laced with hatred.

  Naatoyita shook his head. “He has killed another elder of the Sky People. Naatosi is dead as well.”

  Cameron jumped to his feet, then glared down at the old man before his eyes went to Kendra. “I should have killed Mukua yesterday when I had the chance.”

  With a groan, Naatoyita raised himself to stand, and Kendra followed.

  “In his quest for revenge, he is growing bolder and more determined to alter what must come to pass in the future. Your presence has made him reckless. It is up to you to stop him, Natukendra’eh.”

  Kendra’s eyes widened. “Me? I still don’t even know exactly what’s going on. I don’t even know how that time travel thing that brought me here works.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out the snakehead, handing it to the elder.

  Naatoyita took it gingerly in his hand and looked at it for the longest time. A smile passed over his wrinkled face, making the grooves in his skin appear even deeper.

  “Naatosi guarded the original vessel well,” he whispered. “I always wondered where he hid it. Now I realize it was safely with Matunaaga all this time.”

  “The original? How many of these th
ings are there?” Kendra glanced at Cameron, who shrugged. “I know Mukua has one, also.”

  “There is one other. All of them must be found and destroyed, or Mukua will always find a way to alter the future. He has already broken one of the sacred laws of the Sky People. He will not rest until you are both dead, too. If he has managed to kill Matunaaga, he will become bolder in trying to destroy the rest of the children of the Osborne line.”

  Kendra squared her shoulders. She might not understand everything going on around her, but one thing was certain – Mukua had killed Matt Donovan and her grandfather. He needed to be brought to justice. Her eyes narrowed on the elder.

  “How do we stop him?”

  “The only way to stop Mukua is to destroy the vessels before he can do more harm. But first, we must ensure that everything is as it should be along the timeline. Mukua also seeks the vessels, and he has done everything he can to undo what Naatosi and I have done to ensure the continuation of the Osborne line. You are the final link to the Sky People, and if your line dies out, so do the protectors of the sacred mountains.”

  Kendra stared at the shriveled object in the elder’s hand. The red eyes seemed to glow and stare right at her. An intense feeling filled her, as if they were calling to her. She forced her hands against her sides to keep from reaching out to take the thing away from Naatoyita.

  “What, exactly, is this thing, and how does it work? How is this time travel even possible?” Finally, the questions that had been burning inside her for days were out.

  Naatoyita told her the story she’d heard Kunu tell, about how the elders came together with the leader and shaman of the bear clan, and formed a plan to protect their children.

  “Your parents suggested an ancient magic to safeguard the future of the clans. It was something we elders had only heard about in old legends. No one knew if it was even true or possible to harness the power of time. Desperate, we had to try. Using all of our combined puha, we called upon the spirits of the ancients and the spirits of the youngest members of the clans, those who would give hope for the future.”

  The elder stared from Cameron to her to make it clear whom he was talking about.

  “The vessels were created from the spirit that lives within each of you. They are a part of you, and will always take you where you are most needed.”

  Kendra pinched the bridge of her nose.

  Next to her, Cameron shook his head. Either he’d never asked these questions, or he’d simply not cared about the answers.

  “So, if we can get the other vessel from Mukua, and find the third one, we can be superheroes, save the world, and get on with our normal lives?”

  Kendra’s brows rose in anticipation of the answer to her question. If only she’d taken away Mukua’s vessel after she’d apprehended him the other day, then all they would have to do now was find the third one and this whole thing could be over. She could go back to her familiar life as a cop in New York.

  Next to her, Cameron sniggered, and Naatoyita stared at her. Her question might have been a bit too sarcastic. Maybe it was best to ask a different one.

  “How do we destroy the vessels once we have them?”

  “There are three vessels. It requires three children of the Sky People to destroy them.”

  Kendra glanced from the old man to Cameron. He looked equally confused. “Matt’s dead. There are only two of us left.”

  Naatoyita shot her a piercing glare. The elder held out the vessel, shoving it into her hand. “Touch the right eye. It will take you where you need to go. Touching the left eye will bring you back.”

  Kendra’s brows furrowed. “Where am I going?”

  “There is one other child who survived the war. Find him, and together you can reunite the clans.”

  Chapter 16

  Wo'itsa leapt to his feet the moment Morning Fawn fell into the river. Every part of him screamed to go after her, yet he remained rooted to his hiding place among the trees. He’d never exercised this much restraint to help someone in need, but Mukua had said he must not be seen by anyone.

  His eyes darted to the older woman left at the riverbank, the one who reminded him so much of Kendra. She stood as if paralyzed with fear, glancing around frantically, but she didn’t call out for help. Suddenly, as if she’d realized something important, she rushed off in the direction of her village.

  The swift current carried Morning Fawn downstream while her arms flailed wildly in the air. Her head disappeared beneath the water, then reappeared.

  All of this had happened in the blink of an eye, yet it was as if time had stood still. When the unfortunate woman disappeared under the current again, Wo'itsa couldn’t wait any longer and do nothing. It was up to him to save Morning Fawn, and it didn’t matter if he was seen.

  Wo'itsa’s heart pounded as he sprinted between the trees. He’d lost much time already for not acting right away, and his lungs burned as he pushed himself to go faster, leaping over and around thick undergrowth as he raced parallel to the river but used the trees for cover.

  The heavy current had already swept Morning Fawn far downstream. If the woman drowned, it would be his fault.

  He was almost out in the open meadow, when he collided with something hard, or rather, it collided with him. Whatever it was had come out of nowhere and knocked the breath from his lungs. Falling hard, his shoulder hit the rough ground, and he cursed in the way Cameahwait had taught him when they were boys. Ignoring the pain, he pushed at the weight that landed on top of him. Was he under attack?

  Strands of his hair fell in front of his eyes, making it impossible to see, but it became clear by the feel of the weight that it was a person who had rammed into him. He pushed himself upward and quickly rolled to the side, knocking the body off him with very little resistance.

  Wo'itsa scrambled to his knees then straddled his opponent, pinning his attacker to the ground. Shaking his head to clear the hair from his vision, he stared down into the face of the woman who had haunted his thoughts for several days.

  Kendra’s eyes opened. She looked dazed, as if she’d just come out of a trance.

  Or she’d time traveled.

  How else would she be here? The time travel vessel must have brought her here, and would explain why he hadn’t seen her before she’d collided with him.

  Recognition quickly flooded her eyes as she stared up into his face, and she immediately began to struggle.

  “Not you,” she groaned. “Why does it have to be you?”

  “You were expecting someone else?” Wo'itsa gripped her wrists to keep her pinned to the ground. The time travel vessel fell from her hand, rolling just outside her reach. She stretched her arm and groped for it with her fingers, but Wo’itsa’s hand clamped more firmly around her wrist.

  “I told you the last time when we were in a similar position that you will not best me again, woman,” he growled, his face inches from hers.

  He had no time to fight with Kendra at the moment. He had to save Morning Fawn, but he couldn’t let the vessel get away a second time. Perhaps his luck had shifted, and he could save an innocent’s life while at the same time securing the time travel object for Mukua. There was no time to waste.

  Wo'itsa swung his leg over Kendra’s body while at the same time letting go of her wrists, and quickly lunged for the vessel. The woman’s reflexes were like lightning. She kicked at his legs, sweeping him just enough off balance that he couldn’t reach the snakehead. The tips of his fingers connected with the vessel, and everything went dark at the same time.

  An unknown stretch of time passed before Wo'itsa opened his eyes, fighting off the dizziness familiar from the other time he’d traveled with Mukua.

  He blinked rapidly to regain his vision. The sun shone brightly up above. Beside him, another body stirred. Before he had a chance to react, the swift kick of someone’s foot connected with his upper arm, sending him fully to the ground. Enough was enough. Mounting anger spurred him to action.

  Wo'itsa rip
ped his knife from its sheath and leapt to his feet. He sprang at Kendra, grabbed her not-so-gently by her wrist, twisted it behind her back, and pulled her up forcefully against his chest. His other arm wrapped around her neck, and he pressed his knife to her throat.

  “I’ve had enough of your attacks, woman,” he growled in her ear. “If you wish to treat me as your enemy, then so be it. I will treat you the same.”

  With his tight hold on her, Wo'itsa glanced up for a split second to confirm what he’d already suspected. They were no longer in the same place – and most likely no longer in the same time – as moments before. Because of this ill-tempered female, Morning Fawn would most likely lose her life.

  A quick look at Kendra’s hands confirmed that she did not have the vessel. How had they time traveled together? During their earlier struggle, he hadn’t been able to grab hold of the snakehead, but had merely touched it. A sinking feeling came over him.

  “What are you waiting for, Wolf?” Kendra mocked, her chest rising and falling in quick succession. She squirmed against his tight hold. If he increased the pressure any more, he might break her ribs. She must have realized she should not move her head and neck, or his knife would draw blood.

  “Get it over with and kill me.”

  Wo'itsa’s heart pounded with anger, and every muscle in his body was taut and ready for battle, but another emotion began to take over. He couldn’t hurt her. She was small and defenseless in his hold, and well aware that he could kill her with ease, yet she was brave and proud.

  Awareness of how her slight body pressed up against him grew at an alarming rate. Strands of her dark hair, filled with an unfamiliar yet pleasant scent, brushed against his bare chest, sending ripples of pleasure through him. It had been years since a woman had had this kind of effect on him.

  Wo'itsa pulled his knife away from her throat and eased his grip slightly. Not a second later, he released her completely and stepped back. Having her so close interfered with his concentration, and right now, his senses needed to be strong and alert.