She ran faster and was soon far away from the house. She began to gain ground and was at a stream before she knew it. There were a few trees on the other side and she swam quickly across but found a rock wall ahead! There was nothing left to do; she was trapped. As Wolf’s Cry ran up, she took off her quiver.

“Wolf’s Cry!” she called, and Wolf’s Cry stopped in bewilderment. “Catch!” To his amazement, she threw the quiver across. It landed at his feet. She backed up and hung her head, a sign of surrender.

Bright Star was taken as a slave. She found out that the mother of her enemy needed help, and she was it. Wolf’s Cry threatened her, then left. So she set to work at whatever the woman told her to do. The woman’s eyes never left her, and Bright Star sensed a deep distrust. But suddenly…

“Bright Star!” someone hissed.

“What are you doing here?” Bright Star asked in Muskogean without looking.

“I came to find you,” Black Bird explained.

“I gave myself up to Wolf’s Cry,” Bright Star explained quickly. “You’ve been in a tribe; you know how it works. Just tell Ma and Pa that I’m alive.”

She heard scrambling feet and knew that Black Bird was gone. Of course, the whole conversation had been in Muskogean so no one had understood a word she had said. Seconds later, footsteps sounded behind her. She rocked to her feet and looked into the eyes of a boy who must’ve been two years older and had long, black hair.

“Who were you talking to?” he asked.

“Myself. I have a habit. Comes from years in the wilderness,” Bright Star lied.

The boy looked her up and down suspiciously before walking away and talking to Wolf’s Cry. Bright Star shrugged and continued working.

It’s my past life that has brought this upon me, she knew, but now I have a secret weapon that I will never have to surrender to get me through it. Only problem is working on a Saturday. But God will understand. I really don’t have much choice.

Bright Star slept outside the teepee that night, tied. Black Bird came and untied her. He tried to get her to go back, but she wasn’t about to put her 3rd family in danger!

Wolf’s Cry had watched curiously from the shadows, although he hadn’t understood the conversation.

He walked up when Bright Star got up that morning.

“Who released you of the ropes?” he asked.

Bright Star whirled, shocked. “Um, I worked them off,” she lied.

Wolf’s Cry stared, trying to get her to tell the truth. She met his eyes with confidence. Even a name right now could be fatal. Wolf’s Cry’s gaze wavered under her sharp eyes.

Bright Star continued her work, trilling bird calls as she worked.

Arrow’s Wind said, “Why’d you keep her? Your mother is even worse about her then we.”

“Doubt that,” Wolf’s Cry grimaced.

Mountain’s Breath, the boy who had questioned Bright Star the first day, came up to Wolf’s Cry. “Couldn’t she have run?”

“She could have, but she is afraid,” Wolf’s Cry explained as Arrow’s Wind left. “Look, Mountain’s Breath, she doesn’t have much left.”

Bright Star suddenly looked up and saw a hawk. She screeched and the hawk landed on her outstretched arm. They screeched to each other for a minute before the hawk flew off again.

“Yeah, Wolf’s Cry,” Mountain’s Breath looked at his friend, “I think I’m gonna watch her.”

Black Bird came back each night, carrying messages from Annie and Reverend Paulson. Each night he tried to get her to leave, but each night she wouldn’t. Wolf’s Cry watched each of these exchanges with mounting anger and apprehension.

Wolf’s Cry eventually had had enough. In the morning, he walked up to Bright Star, who was already up, whistling to the birds. Wolf’s Cry walked right up to her and threatened, “If he comes back one more time, I’ll kill him!”

Bright Star looked him straight in the eye and said, “You’ll have to get past me first.”

Wolf’s Cry looked shocked. “How dare you talk to me that way?!”

“I wouldn’t say it if you were threatening to kill me, but that’s my family,” Bright Star pointed to where Black Bird usually came from. “You kill him, and it will be over my dead body.”

Wolf’s Cry paused for a minute, then reeled back to punch her. But Bright Star’s hand held his fist with an iron grip. She finally released his hand and he lowered it.

“Do not think I have lost my spirit to you, Wolf’s Cry,” she said and went back to her work.

Wolf’s Cry was disturbed by this sudden show of “ferocity,” but Bird’s Flight had been watching and was more disturbed then he. For, even though she wanted revenge, she was afraid of Bright Star. Wolf Hair and Arrow’s Wind also saw it.

It was as if God had told Black Bird to go away and never come back. Bright Star never saw him while she was there. But there were other times when Wolf’s Cry threatened her family, and she’d go into protection overdrive. That scared Wolf’s Cry, so he eventually learned to avoid that subject.

Wolf’s Cry had said Bright Star’s spirit was broken. It sure didn’t look like it! Men started to whisper. Bright Star didn’t seem at all affected by her change in circumstances, and her sudden and sometimes powerful shows of defense of her family made it look like she was planning something. Wolf’s Cry knew the tribe was uneasy, so he went to face Bright Star.

“Slave,” he finally said and Bright Star looked him in the eye, “one more hint of ferocity, and I will kill you.”

Bright Star looked at him, cocked her head for a moment, then went back to her work, smiling. Really, she was thinking about meeting God. How cool would that be? She knew she’d do it someday. Wolf’s Cry thought she hadn’t heard him.

“Did you hear me?!” he shouted.

“Yes, I heard you,” Bright Star nodded. “You told me if I stepped out again, you would kill me.”

Wolf’s Cry walked away, happy that that was sorted. But it wasn’t really. Bright Star would still grow defensive if he ever threatened her family again.

Wolf’s Cry tried to kill Bright Star several times but never quite succeeded. Finally, he confronted her when she was making him look bad among them. She hadn’t given up the “ruse” yet.

“You,” he said. “You stole—and probably killed!—Bird’s Daughter, my sister. You will die this day.”

Bright Star turned to him very seriously and said, “It’s fine if you kill me, but did it ever occur to you that I would have been Bird’s Daughter’s age when I stole her like you claim I did? How could I have lifted her? I have seen 16 autumns, just like Bird’s Daughter has.”

Wolf’s Cry stared at her. “Impossible,” he muttered. “Impossible!”

“Very possible,” Bright Star nodded.

Wolf’s Cry stared in disbelief at Bright Star.

“Why did you not tell me before?” he finally demanded.

“Didn’t cross my mind,” Bright Star shrugged.

Wolf’s Cry cleared his throat, looking embarrassed and unsure of what to do.

“This is awkward,” Bright Star’s lips formed a thin line.

“Uh…” Wolf’s Cry was obviously at a loss for words.

“We don’t have to say anything, you know,” Bright Star said. “Things can carry on the way they always did.”

“No, they can’t,” Wolf’s Cry shook his head.