The midday sun beat down on the men on the horse as they crossed the grassland. The rider knew they would make it back to the village before dusk this day and he let the horse slow down. It had been a while since the man lying across his lap had woken up and he was becoming concerned.

Up ahead in the distance the rider saw the village spread out near the river. The rider directed the horse to the stream near the edge of the village and jumped to the ground. He carefully lifted the unconscious man in his arms and made his way to the center of the village.

The man walked through the village collecting the stares of all his people. Women stepped out of their huts, grabbing their children by the shoulder and pulling them to their knees. They did not live in fear of the white men any longer, but they still remembered the hardships their people had faced at the hand of the white men.

He knew he was not supposed to bring any paleface into the village, but this one had been attacked and he was barely alive. What kinds of problems could he cause? He was near death as it was.

The man made his way to the other side of the village, where a lone hut stood. Smoke billowed up from a small fire outside the hut. The man saw a pot there, boiling over the fire.

"Jolon? Jolon? Where are you?"

The buffalo hide that hung in the entrance to the hut was suddenly pushed aside and a tall man stepped outside. The man was young, dark skin, dark eyes. His eyes were smiling and in his hands he held a bowl full of cornmeal. The man known as Jolon dipped is fingers into the substances and put a scoop in his mouth. His arms and chest were dirty with mud mixed with paint. He wore a buffalo skin hunting pants. Jolon had just come back with the hunting party. He was the son of the medicine man.

The man needed to get the white man to the medicine man. Running Bear was the only one who could save him now.

Chinouk didn't know why, but he wanted this man in his arms, to live. He had a feeling this settler and his wagon train had run into some Crow. They lurked around theses parts. Scaring and killing buffalo and people alike.

It didn't matter the color of their skin, the Crow would kill anyone who was not of their tribe, anyone who they could steal from. Chinouk was told at a young age not to travel alone. Be he was rebellious by nature, so he didn't often listen.

He was glad he had ventured out this time. He would never have found this man if he didn't. He knew this white man was different, special.

"Jolon, your father? Is he here?"

"No, he is in the woods. Gathering. He will return shortly. Who is that?" Jolon gestured to the limp form in Chinouk's arms.

"I found him. He is nearly dead. On the ride here he did not wake once. But he is breathing. His breath gets shallow, he needs Running Bear."

Jolon stared at the slim for of the man in Chinouk's arms. "Bring him in. Put him on the pallet in the corner. I will tell Running Bear. You go now. The Chief was looking for you. Say you been gone too long. He will not be pleased if you don't see him," Jolon told his friend.

Chinouk nodded and headed across the field, with one look over his shoulder at the sleeping form of the paleface. His father was the Chief of the Sioux tribe. He had married an Indian woman first, but both she and Chinouk's older brother died during childbirth. Later Chief White Horse hand married a white woman. She was a slave of the Crow tribe down the river. When their tribe and the Crow tribe had fought the Chief had been a young warrior. He had rescued Chinouk's mother and later married her. His marriage was not widely accepted, but only tolerated because he was the son of the tribal chief. And one day he would be chief as well.

Raven Hair, as the tribe called her, had given him one son. Chinouk-a handful. Chinouk was well liked among the tribe, as trouble causing, but endearing child. He wormed his way into their hearts early. As a young man he earned his feathers, along with Jolon. They were best friends. Son of the Chief and son of the medicine man.

As they grew older, each young man took his role in the tribe. With his natural hunting skills, Jolon had become the leader of all hunting parties.

Chinouk worked with the two white traders who did business with their tribe periodically. That was here he had been, when he found the paleface.

He was on his way back form seeing Lance-Green Eyes and Justin-Golden Hair, as the Chinouk had named them, in the settler's village. It was a three-day ride from his village. He normally did it with Jolon or "Joey" as Lance and Justin called him. They called Chinouk "Chris"- good English names, they said.

But Jolon had been out hunting and Chinouk's father needed Chinouk to trade some buffalo skin for more molasses.

On his way back, Chinouk had seen the desecrated wagon train. He was almost physically ill as his moccasins picked their way through the dead bodies. When he happened upon the unconscious man, Chinouk could not help but try and save him.

Though bringing a white man into the village was frowned upon, and people got scared, they would eventually accept him because Chinouk had brought him to them, and Chinouk was the son of Chief White Horse.

Chinouk made his way to his father's hut. He announced his presence and at his father's command, entered by lifting the buffalo skin hanging in the doorway.

Chinouk saw that his father and the other tribe elders were talking and he was ready to excuse himself.

"Chinouk, what news from the white traders?"

Chinouk smiled and told the Chief he had the supplies in his sack. Chinouk also decided right then to tell the Chief of the sick paleface.

The Chief was a fair, wise man and was glad to see his son was helping the injured man. But the Chief did have his concerns and he asked his son.

Chinouk reassured the Chief that no one would come looking for this man as in appeared all traveling with him had perished in the Crow raid.

The Chief as appeased with this news and dismissed his son to do as he pleased.

Chinouk had just left the hut when he saw Jolon running towards him from across the field.

"Chinouk…your paleface…"

"Yes? Is he…"

"He's awake."