rver's wickiup. White Bear's
fringed shirt and trousers of soft doeskin, worked until it was nearly
white, were a gift from a brave whose wife Sun Woman had helped with a
difficult childbirth.

Redbird's dress was of white doeskin as well. Around her neck hung the
necklace of the small, striped megis shells that had belonged to Sun
Woman.

White Bear looked beyond the fire. Hundreds of men and women were
standing in the shadows watching the ceremony, those of Redbird's Eagle
Clan on her side of the fire, the Thunder Clan, kin of Sun Woman and
himself, on this side. The daughter of the shaman was marrying the son
of a pale eyes father and a medicine woman, and White Bear had returned
from a long journey among the pale eyes and was a shaman himself. It was
a wedding that people wanted to see.

Wind Bends Grass, standing behind Redbird, spoke of her daughter's
character. Even though she had spent all of her life scolding her,
tonight she extolled her to the skies. She was beautiful, loving,
skilled, obedient. Then Wind Bends Grass instructed Redbird in her
wifely duties, making one small change from the usual speech. Instead of
telling her to give White Bear sons, she told her to give White Bear
_more_ sons.

Strangely, at this moment, White Bear found himself thinking of Nancy
Hale. Was she still longing for him somewhere across the Great River?

If Raoul had not driven him out of Victoire, his promise to Pierre might
have kept him there. He might never have come back here, not found out
till much later that he had a son, never have been united with Redbird
as he was tonight. Truly this was coming home. He felt so at peace, he
could almost be grateful to Raoul.

White Bear was especially honored to have as his wedding sponsor the
Thunder Clan's most prominent member--Black Hawk himself.

Black Hawk addressed Redbird and her relatives in his harsh, sombre
voice. "I have known this young man since he was born. His father, Star
Arrow, was a pale eyes, but he was a French pale eyes, and the French
were always the best friends of the Sauk and Fox, even better than the
British. White Bear has been trained in the way of the shaman, and he
has lived among the pale eyes and learned their secrets as well."

_What have I learned that my people can really use?_ White Bear wondered
ruefully. _All I can tell them is that they cannot win a war with the
long knives._

"You must cherish Redbird and protect her," Black Hawk said