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Taima's Woman

Trish Dudek

Taima’s Woman

Copyright © 2012 by Trish Dudek

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ISBN: 978-1-4697-3570-2 (sc)ISBN: 978-1-4697-3571-9 (hc)ISBN: 978-1-4697-3574-0 (e)

Printed in the United States of America

iUniverse rev. date: 1/4/2012

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To my late husband, Chet, in memory and with love. A promise kept.

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The Legend

T under Horse spread among the Indian tribes of the region; all plains and mountain tribes had lost mares to him. He came, fought, and stole mares. Herd

stallions couldn’t stop him; he used his size and speed to escape capture. Since the summer of his third year, no man could catch him.

under Horse had been driven into a trap by a group of Kainah Horse Medicine Men. He might have found the chance to escape if he had stayed at the edge of the herd with the older, more experienced horses. But he became trapped in the middle of the frightened herd with no way

en, in the Kainah village, he felt a rawhide noose tighten around his neck, strangling the air from his lungs. His legs felt the hobbles that robbed him of movement. He spent agonizing days in captivity, longing to run free. One morning, a careless young

under Horse’s legs pulled the rawhide tight and snapped it! He thundered through the village at a fi under Horse knew the two-legged creatures wanted to take his freedom, and he needed to stay away from them!

As the black and white stallion grew older, he realized men didn’t possess his strength and knew there wasn’t any reason to fear

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them as long as he kept open space around himself. Even the best of their horses wasn’t a close match for his speed.

B B B

Today he ran with a storm at his back; the long hair of his mane and tail fl e thunder rolled across

e horses behind him stretched from the rocks and yellow pine down over the valley fl oor, through the stream, and up into the hills on

e stallion led his herd; their blood was hot from the run.

Clouds thickened in the late afternoon sky, and fl ashes of lightning continued, followed by the deep rumble of the thunder

e rain began as intermittent drops but e stallion tossed his head, kicked his

hooves, and moved his herd up into a hollow among the trees for en he turned to gaze toward the valley below.

ey were young horse-medicine warriors from the Black Horse Band of the Kainah Blackfoot. From the high mountains to the buff alo-darkened plains they pursued this

ey wanted to capture the stallion that had ey didn’t care about the

rain. All they wanted was the horse.No other stallion matched his majesty. He stood proud on the

crest of the hill; the black of his coat appeared blacker than night in contrast with the pure white markings on his rump. Many tribes and villages knew him; he roamed the mountains and plains; he appeared like a ghost to steal mares from their herds. Herd stallions

e under Horse, ruled his land.

Today, this legend was hunted. Blackfoot warriors pursued him again.

Down on the valley fl oor, the Kainah warriors forded the stream, ey raced up the slope of land that took e rain fell steadily against the rocks and

trees; thunder reverberated across the sky.