Chapter Twenty-three
After a few minutes, Little Fawn had calmed down enough to allow Red Bear and Ike to move Buck to his own home. “Please, let me stay with him until you return,” Little Fawn said to Ike once Buck was settled in.

Ike looked at Red Bear. The older man nodded so Ike did the same.

Little Fawn sat next to Buck and placed her hand on his arm. “I will sit here while you sleep,” she said. “I don’t want to go back to the party, and I don’t wish to go home alone.”

Buck smiled at her. “I would like that very much,” he said. This time when he was offered some willow bark tea to drink, Buck didn’t refuse. The pain in his back was too much for him to rest without some type of assistance. Soon Buck was resting peacefully, and Little Fawn was able to relax knowing he would be alright.

Ike and Red Bear made their way back to the celebration. Red Bear immediately went in search of Laughing Crow. He decided the best place to start was with his two companions – Little Fox and Stands Tall.

“We haven’t seen him since you caught him in your home,” Stands Tall said in response to Red Bear’s inquiry.

Little Fox nodded. “He probably went to his secret place in hopes that you will forget by morning.”

Red Bear glared at the younger men. “Where is this secret place?” he demanded.

Stands Tall shrugged, and Little Fox did the same. “He would never allow us to go with him,” Little Fox said. “He told me that he needed someplace that was his alone; someplace where the two of us couldn’t worry him.”

Stands Tall nodded. “He only put up with us because no one else would have him, and we didn’t really have a choice.”

“If you see him, let me know,” Red Bear told them. “I wish to talk to him about his recent behavior; it seems unlike him. I want to know what possessed him to do such a thing.”

Little Fox glanced at Stands Tall who nodded his encouragement. “We need to tell him.”

Little Fox took a deep breath before replying, “It is not so different from the way he always has treated Running Buck. He just wasn’t as good at making it look differently because he was angry.”

“What does he have to be angry about?” Red Bear asked as he indicated to the two to join him as he sat down.

Little Fox explained, “He wanted to marry Little Fawn and she turned him down. He thinks of himself as better than Running Buck so he was angry that she would agree to this match.” He paused and then continued when Stands Tall nudged him. “He has always been jealous of your brother.”

“Why?”

Stands Tall decided to try and explain. “I think it started when Running Buck accidentally bested Laughing Crow in class.”

“You were never in the same class,” Red Bear said. “You are all older than Running Buck.”

“Exactly,” said Stands Tall. “We were given the task of following a trail to find an object that our teacher had hidden. None of us were able to do it; in the next class of younger boys, Running Buck found it easily.”

Little Fox nodded. “In fact, he was told to show us how he followed it.” He laughed softly. “I remember he was trying so hard not to let his pride show because he didn’t want to upset anyone, but he’d bested us all.”

Red Bear sat quietly listening to this tail about his brother that he’d never heard. “I wonder why he didn’t tell us about that,” he finally said.

Stands Tall glanced at Little Fox before venturing, “Perhaps because that was the day that he was injured and we found him at the river.”

Red Bear straightened and looked closely at the other man. “Do you know what happened that day?”

“Not completely,” said Stands Tall. Little Fox nodded his agreement.

“Tell me what you know,” Red Bear asked.

Stands Tall took a deep breath. “After the tracking incident, we were called back to practice on easier tasks and Running Buck was allowed to leave early. He went to go help your mother.”

Red Bear nodded as he thought back. “She sent him to get water,” he recalled. “She was busy with other things and didn’t realize that it was taking him longer than it should until I came looking for him to practice tracking.”

Little Fox took up the tale. “When we were finally let go, Laughing Crow asked us to go to the river with him. He suggested it would be a good place to practice tracking each other. As we were going, we heard a loud noise and went faster to see what it was. When we reached the water, we saw Running Buck lying on the ground. It was obvious that he was injured because there was blood.”

Stands Tall continued. “Laughing Crow ran to him and made sure he wasn’t dead, he then sent Little Fox back for help while the two of use tried to see if we could figure out what had happened.”

Red Bear nodded. “I remember running into you,” he said to Little Fox, “you told me where to find him, and then continued to go get White Buffalo.” He then looked at Stands Tall. “When I got there, you were holding Running Buck while Laughing Crow was cutting him.”

Stands Tall nodded. “We figured out he’d been shot and decided to try and get the bullet out so he wouldn’t get sick from it and die like Laughing Crow’s father.”

Red Bear once more nodded. “I remember.”

“Anyway,” Little Fox continued, “since he did not get in trouble even though he caused Running Buck pain, Laughing Crow decided that all he needed to do was make it look like he was trying to help and he could torment Running Buck whenever he wanted.”

“Why did you not stop him?” Red Bear demanded.

“We tried,” Little Fox said. “In fact, we did a fairly good job of making sure Running Buck didn’t get seriously injured or killed.”

Red Bear worked at controlling his anger as he asked, “Why did you not tell me what was happening?”

Stands Tall took hold of Little Fox’s hand and gave it a squeeze. He then faced Red Bear, “Would you have believed us?” he asked.

“Of course,” Red Bear answered.

“Really?” asked Little Fox. “You didn’t believe Running Buck when he tried to tell you about what was happening. You told him we hadn’t meant to hurt him; that it was an accident that occurred because we were older and he was small for his age.”

Red Bear started to object, but then remembered that was exactly what had happened. Anytime Buck had tried to tell him that the other boys were picking on him, Red Bear had turned a deaf ear. He looked at the two men sitting before him. “Thank you for trying,” he said. “I just wish I had done a better job of listening to him; maybe then things would be different now.”

Stands Tall smiled at the older man. “Perhaps,” he said, “but I’m not sure they would be better.”

“What do you mean?” Red Bear asked.

“Running Buck is a good man,” Stands Tall said. “He is going to make Little Fawn a good husband, and will most likely be able to keep her from doing something that will get her in trouble.”

Little Fox nodded his agreement. He added, “If he’d stayed here, that may not have happened.” He paused and glanced over at Sky Chaser and Ike. “And Silent Wolf would not be here for Sky Chaser if Running Buck had never left.”

Red Bear glanced at his daughter and the silent young man who had captured her heart. “I guess you are right,” he said. He turned his gaze back to the two young men sitting across from him, holding hands in an open display of their affection for each other. “When did you two become so wise?”

“It’s amazing what one sees when left on the outside of the village workings,” Little Fox said. “Besides, my mother is the really wise one; she was saying these things to my father last night when he was wondering how to punish Little Fawn for her brashness. I simply listened.”

Red Bear nodded, smiled, and stood. “Please,” he said to the two younger men as they also stood. “Next time you notice that I am being unresponsive as I was with Running Buck, remind me of this conversation. I too can learn.” He embraced each of the two young men and turned to go back across the village to check on his brother.

Before Red Bear was able to leave, Little Fox spoke to him. “I have suggested to Running Buck that he ask Father to be able to take Little Fawn home with him in the morning. I think it might be a better idea for you to suggest she make the move tonight.”

Red Bear stood studying the man before him. “Why would you deny your sister a proper wedding?’

“Laughing Crow will not dare to hurt her if she has already been given to another; he may try again if she is just promised. In his mind, he’s proving that he is better because her intended cannot protect her.”

Red Bear nodded. “Is Silver Fox still here?”

Little Fox pointed him out. “Shall I go get him?”

Red Bear shook his head. “I will go talk to him. Thank you once again for your help. If your father does not object, I will share this plan with the couple.”