“Friar Hugo, old friend, brace yourself. I am the bearer of tragic news!"Alarm spread across Hugo's pudgy features. "Tell me, Jess. What dreadful thing has happened?"Jess spoke haltingly in a broken voice. "I fear that Cluny has tore up one of your oldest and most venerable dishrags. Alas, Redwall will never see it wipe another plate.”

“Remember,my son, that when you have such a friend it is a rare gift from the Father.Ever since that day, Wind has been my best friend." Rides the Wind paused and looked across the fire at Jesse. "Until,of course, I found a certain white woman on the prairie."He stared at Jesse,who answered playfully, "My dear husband,what an honor it is to know that I rank above your horse.”

“You are my friend, Prairie Flower. If I tell you what is in my heart, will you promise never to tell?"Prairie Flower laid a hand on Jesse's shoulder, pulling it away quickly when her friend flinched in pain. "I will not betray my friend."Taking a deep breath, Jesse lifted her head. "When Rides the Wing comes near to me, my heart sings.But I do not believe that he cares for me.I am clumsy in all of the things a Lakota woman must know.I cannot speak his language without many childish mistakes. And..." Jesse reached up to lay her hand on her short hair, "I am nothing to look at.I am not..."Prairie Flower grew angry. "I have told you he cares for you.Can you not see it?"Jesse shook her head.Prairie Flower spoke the unspeakable. "Then,if you cannot see that he cares for you in what he does,you must see it in what he has not done. You have been in his tepee. Dancing Waters has been gone many moons.""Stop!" Jesse demanded. "Stop it! I..just don't say any more!" She leaped up and ran out of the tepee-and into Rides the Wind, who was returning from the river where he had gone to draw water.Jesse knocked the water skins from both of his hands. Water spilled out and she fumbled an apology then bent stiffly to pick up the skins, wincing with the effort."I will do it, Walks the Fire." His voice was tender as he bent and took the skins from her.Jesse protested, "It is the wife's job." She blushed, realizing that she had used a wrong word-the word for wife, instead of the word for woman.Rides the Wind interrupted before she could correct herself. "Walks the Fire is not the wife of Rides the Wind."Jesse blushed and remained quiet. A hand reached for hers and Rides the Wind said, "Come, sit." He helped her sit down just outside the door of the tepee. The village women took note as he went inside and brought out a buffalo robe. Sitting by Jesse,he placed the robe on the ground and began to talk."I will tell you how it is with the Lakota. When a man wishes to take a wife..." he described Lakota courtship. As he talked, Jesse realiced that all that Prairie Flower had said seemed to be true.He had,indeed, done nearly everything involved in the courtship ritual.Still, she told herself, there is a perfectly good explanation for everything he has done.Rides the Wind continued describing the wedding feast. Jesse continued to reason with herself as he spoke. Then she realized the voice had stopped and he had repeated a question."How is it among the whites?How does a man gain a wife?"Embarrassed,Jesse described the sparsest of courtships, the simplest wedding.Rides the Wind listened attentively. When she had finished, he said, "There is one thing the Lakota brave who wishes a wife does that I have not described." Pulling Jesse to her feet, he continued, "One evening, as he walks with his woman..." He reached out to pick up the buffalo robe.He was aware that the village women were watching carefully."He spreads out his arms..." Rides the Wind spread his arms,opening the buffalo robe to its full length, "and wraps it about his woman," Rides the Wind turned toward Jesse and reached around her, "so that they are both inside the buffalo robe." He looked down at Jesse, trying to read her expression.When he saw nothing in the gray eyes, he abruptly dropped his arms."But it is hot today and your wounds have not healed.I have said enough.You see how it is with the Lakota."When Jesse still said nothing, he continued, "You spoke of a celebration with a min-is-ter.It is a word I do not know.What is this min-is-ter?""A man who belives in the Bible and teaches his people about God from the Bible.""What if there is no minister and a man and a woman wish to be married?"Jesse grew more uncomfortable. "I suppose they would wait until a minister came.”

“Tell me what you fear and I will tell you what has happened to you.”

“but nothing upset and preoccupied him like the phrase whatever they dread most, that will happen. It seemed more than a simple curse; there was the ring of something presaging and prophetic about it, it was the sort of thing Jesse would say.”

“That's your problem, Jesse. You want to fix things by distracting me with your touch instead of talking to me and giving me some answers. I can't let that happen again.”