I couldn’t stand one more minute of this; clearly I wasn’t composed of the sterner stuff used to fabricate The People. I wrenched loose from Hawk and stumbled toward the edge of the cutbank. I didn’t know where I thought I was going, but I had to get away from all this suffering. I was on my way out of the puny shelter of the cutbank and probably would have been shot for my pains, but I tripped over somebody and fell.

Right behind me, even though I hadn’t heard him, Hawk grabbed me and pulled me back. He didn’t say anything. What could he say? I don’t think he was angry. He sat me down, pulled me onto his lap and held me there until I calmed down. I couldn’t bear to look at him. He was suffering, too, and I was nothing but trouble. I felt young and stupid and foolish, out of my depth, treading water, sinking.

When my breathing returned to normal, I leaned back against him, sort of testing the water, if you will. I shivered as more snow whirled around us. He tightened his arms around me, and I mourned Blue Mountain Woman silently in my heart. I think he knew it. “For many years, it was the two of us, until you came along and we became three,” he said finally, which took my breath away. “She told me to take care of you. I think she knew.”

Knew what? That she was going to sacrifice herself for us? That I more than likely had fallen in love with her son? That life was going to be neither easy nor just? I wanted to ask him, but I was too shy and we had no time for frills.

Maybe I was too exhausted for what he said to register right away. It sank in now. “’We became three,’” I repeated.

“We did,” he said quietly. I heard him above the moan of the wind and the wounded, and the laments of new widows.

I thought he might kiss me, because his face was so close to mine. I tried to flog my tired brain into memory, but try as I might, I didn’t think I had seen any of The People kissing. He pressed his forehead to mine, then rubbed his cheek to mine until I was comforted and content. Maybe we rubbed cheeks too long, because I was definitely feeling livelier by the minute.