Two Eyes eventually led them to Rough Bear’s and his own lodge. He walked in front of them, behind him was James looking at the his moccasins. Behind him, Elroy intensely observed the surroundings: women in their shelters threading on snowshoes or on clothes for the winter, men building weapons for the next hunting season, children knitting moccasins, elderly preparing food… And everywhere there was this smoke, the hurting smoke, hurting their eyes, yet heating up the atmosphere all too frozen. Several fires were lit in the village and beside them were men responsible for wood or putting branches upon the flames in order to create this redundant and exasperating smoke. Women were in charge of the fires inside these great rectangular lodges. James appeared to be slightly dream-walking as he followed the steps of Two Eyes.
He stared at his majestic back where each muscle appeared, each vein witnessed an experience. The ornaments on Two Eyes’ head and shoulders, his moose hide pants, his moccasins, everything enlightened and delighted James. At last he had found his place, the true civilization wherein he felt fit to live. What is it to live? Somehow it is to sacrifice yourself for somebody, or something. James had never had had a true aim but to discover the new world. Never absolutely content of his accomplishments, what could he have done? But this discovery of an entirely new civilization enthralled him more than anything else. There have been plenty of things he had doubted about during his youth, by then these had vanished. He had experienced the return to simplicity in life, in a different life. He could resent and truly feel the superiority of it over his former experience.
When they had reached the lodge, Two Eyes bent and turned the hide aside to bid the men in. Ducked, they got in as Rough Bear called them closer. He was sitting behind the great fire where ashes glittered red as hell. Two Eyes told him what they came for and Rough Bear turned his head to face them. His look was terrible; his eyes so deepening and so sincere, so convincing the men realized his power all at once. Yet his face witnessed experience, sorrow and solitude but more than ever pride and dignity. When the appropriate moment had surfaced, James started in their language:
“We are but very new in your assembly, yet we have discussed and thought for the best of it,” Rough Bear did not show the least expression on his face, his arms crossed, his body motionless, were all too many factors to disturb James. Elroy could feel his companion’s hesitation and continued:
“Sure, we are willing to make this – your nation- stronger and with your acceptance we would rejoice to show you our plans,” Elroy quickly drew to the end of this odd introduction with only one talking side. James shortly opened his mouth but, realizing everything had been said, closed it again, and remained still, as the others. Then they realized the power of silence, when silence means more than just a pause for breathing. The suspension of thoughts can be good, or no. The silence lying between them was broken by the flush of wind out on the clearing right behind the lodge. Gusts of wind were blowing a strange kind of music on the snowy white surface outside.
A few moments later Rough Bear announced:
“What art these, your plans?”
“Our wish is to make the settlement stronger in providing it with provisions and thus making it less vulnerable in winter season,” James enunciated the very ground of his argument.
“In winter it freezes everywhere, be it on hill or on plain” was Rough Bear’s answer.
“If we build the settlement close to the lake, for instance, fish will not be scarce” James turned to Elroy as he had remained silent all the while.
“You would certainly reply that the lake is frozen too but we have plans to get to the fish anyhow.” Elroy told the leaders of the nation, he could see a short glimmer of cheerfulness in Rough Bear’s face. Realizing this was but a momentary distraction, Elroy went on:
“Here the settlement is set in a wide clearing. Nice to be but quite vulnerable to the outer enemy, don’t you agree? To mend this vulnerability we – in our plan – wish to build the settlement on a higher altitude, on a hill, or rock,” Elroy announced their strategic intentions. Again silence reigned inside the lodge. After a short while Rough Bear put some more wood to restore the fire but it was not enough. He turned and cast some odd powder on it and the flames sprung anew all at once surprising the men.
“Me likes the quickness of mind you fellows have,” Rough Bear stated his mind then turned towards Two Eyes who stood behind him, firm, his arms crossed and his look filled with dignity and pride. Feeling the silence and wonder in his tone Two Eyes bent his impressive head, his eyes looking aground, through the flames, at the two men and said:
“Departure: morrow a noon. Warn thy ladies get things done and snowshoes and we go for a ride.” After these words silence prevailed, he lifted his head looking straight in front of him.
The atmosphere felt really odd, both Elroy and James were surprised by Two Eyes’ reaction, by Rough Bear’s mystical behavior. James believed he still had many things to learn from the Indians, not quite persuaded and feeling insecure. Elroy felt the same way but eventually replied after a few instants:
“Great. One day should be enough. But do you not wish to know where we would go?”
“This we shall see tomorrow. You have told us you would take care of the health of our nation, we have no doubt you will, so we shall meet tomorrow,” Rough Bear replied to both of them who started to stand up and bid good-bye. Even if these last words proved to be somehow more personal he did not show the least expression on his face. James and Elroy left the lodge and reached their shelter again. Walking their way back they reconsidered this odd event, it felt as though this was a moment to be cut out of reality. They both swore they would keep this scene forever on their mind, still amazed by the frankness and acceptance of truth. They could not quite conceive their meeting relied but on words and that they had won the estimation and most of all the trust of natives.
© 2016 Matt Oehler
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