he would ever have, and if he left
things as they were, he would die without knowing him.

"She is my woman--in truth, my wife--and the boy is my child," Pierre
said. "Raoul has much. They have little. Raoul is wrong to cling to this
hatred. To give in to him would mean abandoning these two people to whom
I owe so much. As soon as the weather is a little warmer, Papa, I mean
to leave for Saukenuk. And I do dread what may happen, but, yes, I still
mean to come back with my wife and my son."

5

Star Arrow

_White Bear. My name is White Bear._

The sun, shining down through branches dotted with budding leaves,
warmed his back. He wore the knife his father had left him sheathed at
his waist. His eyes searched among the branches of the trees. He did not
know exactly what he was looking for, but Owl Carver said that he would
know it when he found it. He stopped at the base of an oak tree and
looked up.

He thought he heard something moving through the bushes on the upriver
side of the island. He stopped peering at the branches and looked up at
the sky.

The black trunks of the oaks and hickories rose above him. He felt as if
he were standing in a circle of wise old men, who were there to advise
and protect him. Ever since that time of sitting in the sacred cave when
his soul had gone out of his body, whenever he was by himself he never
felt alone. He felt the presence of spirits in all things--trees, birds,
plants, rocks, rivers.

After a moment's listening he heard nothing strange and went back to his
search. He had chosen this island because he had come here many times at
different seasons with his mother, gathering plants for medicines. Today
he was looking for one thing. Somewhere on this island grew the branch
from which he would cut his medicine stick. Owl Carver had carefully
instructed him.

_It will call to you out of the forest. It may be of oak or maple or ash
or cedar or even hickory. You will know it because it will not be like
any other branch you see, and your eye will be drawn to it._

A cloud drifted over the sun, and his arms and shoulders suddenly felt
cold. The coldness felt strange, and he remembered that his spirit
guide, the White Bear, was said to live in a very cold place. He stood
still. He felt he should wait for something to happen.

A shaft of sunlight fell on the black trunk of a tree a short distance
in front of him. Where the light struck the tree, a branch was growing