s other self.

He saw the huge golden eyes, the massive, long-muzzled head, the
towering body.

Soon he and the Bear spirit were walking together toward the sun.

* * * * *

Redbird did not understand herself. She hated White Bear, but when she
saw blood running down his face, she had hated herself. She sat in
darkness, biting her lips to keep from screaming.

She crept to the doorway and pushed the curtain open a crack. She could
see him sitting again with his back to her, his shoulders broad in his
green pale eyes' coat.

She drew back into the wickiup and saw the small steel knife she used
to cut up food gleaming near the embers of her fire. She picked it up
and held its edge against her feverish cheek.

The last light of day fell on her as the doorway curtain rose. Startled,
she almost cut herself. She whirled to see Eagle Feather staring at her.
She threw the knife down on the straw-covered floor.

Eagle Feather gave her a questioning look but said nothing.

She drew him down beside her and started telling him the story of why
the leaves change colors and fall to the ground in autumn.

It was dark outside when Sun Woman came back from the river, where she
had been washing the plants she had gathered. Redbird was afraid Sun
Woman would ask her to forgive White Bear, but the older woman said
nothing.

They passed what seemed like an ordinary evening, talking and telling
stories and singing. But Redbird could not forget that figure sitting
like a tree stump just beyond the buffalo-hide curtain.

Much later she went out, and by the light from tonight's full Moon of
Falling Leaves, looked into White Bear's face. It was motionless, as if
carved from wood.

He did not seem to see her. He must be on a spirit journey. Hot with
rage, she kicked at his knee. What right had he to go on a spirit
journey leaving his body to haunt her wickiup?

The impact of her moccasined foot shook him slightly, but it was like
kicking a bundle of pelts.

Redbird's breath came out in a cloud, lit by the full moon. She gathered
up some twigs, brought them into the wickiup and added them to the fire.
Sun Woman went out carrying a blanket. Redbird saw her draping it over
her son's shoulders.

_He does not need that_, Redbird thought, remembering how White Bear had
come back, seemingly frozen, from his vision quest in the Moon of Ice.

Tightly wrapped in her own blankets with Eagle Feather curled