Black Wolf came inside and saw Matooka his wife and two children finishing their supper. The third child came bursting inside.
"You may speak freely," Nakota said with a slight grin, rustling his young boy's hair as he spoke.
"Sasha informed me that your father has been poisoned." Black Wolf said quietly.
"Poisoned, you mean he ate the wrong thing?" Nakota asked with a concern.
"No, he was deliberately poisoned, I am afraid." Black Wolf explained.
"So," Nakota bristled, "he has done it!" Nakota stood up straight, his hands fisting as he spoke.
"Who?" Black Wolf asked, noting the anger flowing from the man.
Nakota banged his fist on the rocks around the hearth.
"Big Knife, he rode out of camp last night with several others from the tribe. He announced his plans to make war, against my father's wishes. He gathered a few men who wanted to go with him. I will kill him for harming my father!" Nakota promised.
"Wait," Black Wolf called to him as he strode outside.
"I agree he has done much wrong to your father and his people and he must be stopped, but between your tribe and mine, perhaps we can get this under control before it becomes a war."
"Is my father awake?" He asked him.
"No, but Sasha treats him. However, I must prepare you that he might not live." Black Wolf informed him. "She's not sure when or how he was poisoned."
"I will see my father first, then will you go with me to speak with Big Knife. As I think he will have a harder time explaining it all to us if someone that is not from this tribe speaks too."
"If you think he'll listen." Black Wolf said, although he saw already that this Big Knife was preparing for a real war with the blue coats, and he, like Nakota wanted to put him down before it went too far to stop.
"Good. You are a good husband for Sasha, I can see that. I am glad you have come. There are many in this Valley who would join Big Knife. We must stop him before it gets out of hand."
"Yes, even in my village there are some that would war if they got the chance."
"We have lost many lives through the wars and since the blue coats came, even more. When they made us live on reservations there were still wars. But for five years now we have kept the peace. Now it is with us again."
"We will stop it!" Black Wolf assured him, laying a hand on his shoulder. "We have a good treaty this time and we don’t want to be moved off the Wind River Valley.
"We are of one mind, it is good." He shook Black Wolf's hand.
Chapter Eleven
"Are you sure it is food poisoning Sasha?" Nakota asked, as he hugged her tightly, seeing the distress on her face. He moved to stare down at his father, who was pale and almost lifeless.
"Yes, I'm afraid so. He has all the symptoms. It must have happened within a short time ago. To be this sick this soon, means the poison was powerful and the only thing I know that kills so quickly is the toad stools. How long has he been sick?"
"I do not know when he became ill. I have been on a hunting trip, and not been home. He has been frail for some time. He stays in his tepee most of the time now and he's seems to have been getting weaker, more every day. How long ago do you think he was poisoned?"
"I cannot be sure. It could have been just days, unless they used a slow poison, then it could take weeks for him to show any signs of it. I suspect toad stools. They work quickly and discreetly. But I must tell you, a woman would know what they look like and not pick them. Any woman at all. He was deliberately poisoned by someone here in this camp. He would never have known it unless he was looking for it. It is hard to distinguish when it is cooked. We need to find who did this and get answers."
"Have you treated him with anything?"
"I gave him some sumac tea for his fever, it is coming down now. I will give him blackberry and ginger tea when he wakes for his stomach. He has diarrhea and cramping, but it is best not to stop this as it empties the stomach of the poison. It is hard on him at his age. I want to warn you brother, he might not survive this. Had I caught it sooner, he might make it, but I don't know how long ago this happened. And he is very weak right now."
"To be sure of who is responsible we will need to know what he ate, who prepared it and who served him." Black Wolf insisted.
"That is easily found out." Nakota insisted and
strode out of the tepee with a purpose his fist clenching and unclenching as he spoke.