. The long knives will keep you at their
fort there till next spring. Then they will let you cross the river to
join He Who Moves Alertly in Ioway country. Take care of your mother and
your sister. You are the strongest and wisest of my children."

He thrust his medicine bag at her.

"If I bring this into the fort it may be lost to our people forever. You
are my child. You must be the spirit walker for the British Band."

A golden glow spread through her body. She took the bag from him--it was
very light in her hands--and held it against her chest. She tried to
speak, but her throat closed up on her.

Owl Carver said, "Remember always, all people, even the pale eyes, are
children of Earthmaker. Whatever power Earthmaker gives you, never use
it against another person. If the long knives hurt you, you can ask for
strength to fight them yourself, but never call on the spirits to attack
them."

"Yes, Father."

_Even if they have killed White Bear, I will not use the power of the
spirits against them._

"Farewell, my child."

Redbird took Owl Carver's hand. "If you meet White Bear there in the
fort, tell him I am alive and Eagle Feather and Floating Lily are alive,
and one day we will all be together."

Wolf Paw stood beside her, watching Black Hawk, the Winnebago Prophet
and Owl Carver walk into the square of buildings. They were followed by
six blue-coated long knives pointing rifles at them and by a delegation
of Winnebago chiefs and braves.

She clutched the medicine bag tightly.

Her eyes clouded over. She saw a crowd of pale eyes with distorted
mouths, shouting. Terror seized her, and she tried to cry aloud, but she
could not. The white faces dissolved, and she saw a mound of earth in a
forest. Atop it was a willow wand with a small strip of red blanket tied
to it. Darkness closed in around her.

She felt strong hands gripping her arms. Her sight cleared, and she
realized that Wolf Paw was holding her.

"You were falling," he said.

"I am afraid," she said. "I have seen death on the trail before us."

Wolf Paw looked down at her with earnest eyes. He had aged so much! He
had untied the red horsehair crest from his head, a wise thing to do,
because there were pale eyes who might recognize him as a leading Sauk
brave and want revenge. He now had only a short, irregular growth of
black hair on the middle of his scalp and stubble growing around it, but
he still wore the silver coin around his neck.

He