Page 42 of The Spirit of the Wolf

“Hau. From now until we reach the trading post, we will of necessity travel only at night.”

“Is it safer to travel at night, then?”

“Hau, hau. It is summertime. A time for warring parties, for young men seeking revenge, and for young men looking to count coup so as to court the girl of their choice. It is not a good time to be traveling on the open prairie.”

“I see.”

“Therefore we will sleep during the day and go forward at night, and even in doing this, we will need to disguise ourselves and be very careful.”

“All right,” she said. “Then I should make preparations to leave tonight?”

“Yes.”

She nodded. “What kind of wood do you require for your arrows?”

“The Juneberry or the chokecherry are the best wood for this.”

“Did you say the Juneberry or the chokecherry?”

“I did.”

“But…I don’t understand, why do we have to travel to find this wood? There are Juneberry and chokecherry trees here. I have been picking berries from them. Did you not know? I am glad I asked, for now we are saved a needless trip. Perhaps we could spend the extra time here in our camp. Hmm, although probably not, since time is of the essence.”

He didn’t respond. She went on to say, “You see? Your requirements are right here.”

“And so it might seem to you,” uttered Grey Coyote at last. “But in making an arrow, one must consider other important acts.”

“Other acts? Like what?”

“Look around you, outside our small dwelling, and tell me what you see.”

Although Marietta saw little point in the exercise, she pushed back the entrance flap and glanced here and there. “Well, there’s lots of space, much brown grass, a few scrub trees…but mostly there are Juneberry trees,” she emphasized.

“Exactly.”

“Exactly what? If they’re Juneberry trees…” She shook her head.

“Look again.”

She sighed.

“You must glance around you and discover what you do not see.”

“Look at what I don’t see?”

“Hau.”

“But I don’t see anything else.”

“This is my point.”

Marietta frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“There is nothing else here, and it is this which you must observe closely.”

She groaned.

He paid her little mind. “Do you notice that there are but few trees here, and even they are having a hard time in this soil?”