Breasts, heavy with the promise of wholesome milk, almost rested on the swollen belly of Summer Blossom as she jogged along the path lighted only by the raging fires behind her. She kept her dark eyes on the ground, hands cupped under the belly that held her unborn child, fearful that one wrong step could cause a fall, possibly to cost her the child's life. It was bad enough that she was now one without a man. Her husband, Three Trees, had been killed protecting her and his brother, Dark Wolf, allowing them time to escape the dog soldiers that had attacked the small encampment.

The Ootakwa tribe had been seeking out the buffalo that were reported to be somewhere in the vicinity. How it happened that the soldiers had come upon them was a mystery. There had been no reports from the scouts that there had been any sighting of soldiers while searching for the expected herds of buffalo that made their annual trek through the vast prairies. Perhaps, they too had been seeking out the buffalo.

Summer Blossom paused to let her eyes adjust to the ever darkening path leading to the hidden sod cache her people had built for future hunting parties. It was used to store the nutritious buffalo meat that would be smoked for the duration of the hunt. She had long lost sight of Dark Wolf. Pausing to catch her breath, she strained her eyes and ears to pick up any small sign of the boy. Inwardly, Summer smiled. Dark Wolf was proving his skills at stalking were vastly improving.

The dry crackle of plains grass let her know he was near, or so she had hoped it was him. Her mind was eased when the perfectly imitated clucking of a prairie chicken signaled the direction for her to move in. With mincing steps forward, Summer abruptly stopped as a wave of tightness gripped her belly. Her womb contracting with the first signs of impending labor along with the hot gush of amniotic fluid down her thighs, soaking the fringe of the soft antelope dress. She did her best to stifle the whimper that passed through her lips but, it was enough to bring Dark Wolf quickly to her side.

"What is it, Summer?" he asked, his face was ashen, fear in his young eyes that noted the puddle at her feet. "The baby, it is making it's way into the world?"

Summer could only nod, labor was coming too quickly as wave after wave of contractions wracked her trembling body.

"Come," Dark Wolf spoke, sliding strong arms about her for support, "The smoking hut is very near."

As the words left his lips, the clouds parted to the silvered full moon that hung in the sky like a smooth white stone. In it's light, the two were able to find their way to the hut, it's entrance gaping darkly from the humped mound. The youthful warrior helped the laboring woman to the floor of the hut, greatly concerned, her face a contorted mask of pain.

Summer panted shallowly like her mother had told her. She had learned many secrets to the process of birthing when she first shared the good news with the woman who had given birth to her. She was amazed how well such a simple thing worked, it eased her pain enough to tell Dark Wolf what she would need him to do.

"You have ......your knife...... Dark Wolf?" she asked between puffs of breath. When he removed it from his rawhide boot to show her, she continued, "We will....need some ....sinew to tie off....the life cord....and something to swaddle him.....in."

Dark Wolf wasted no time, searching about the large hut in the faded moonlight. Summer Blossom propped herself up against a rough hewn beam, hiking up the hem of her dress up to her hips so she could draw her knees up, settling herself into a birthing position. Modesty was put aside, though, generally, a birth was attended by the women of the tribe and the medicine woman, not some untried brave who still hadn't even had his rites of manhood.

Dark Wolf discretely kept his eyes averted from the woman's secret patch, color high on his cheekbones. His curiosity would be quelled soon enough when he would have to do the unthinkable task of guiding this new life into the world.

Summer motioned to him to hurry, biting off the urge to scream with a particularly painful contraction, tears filling her doe brown eyes. When she finally did let out a long keening, he rushed over to her, a long strip of buffalo sinew and an odd shaped piece of tanned hide clutched tightly in his shaking hands. His casted about the large shelter, finding a thin piece of bone he held it before her mouth for her to bite down on.

"Hush, Summer Blossom! You will bring the dog soldiers to us!" his fear filled eyes lifting to the entrance, expecting to see one of the blue clad soldiers standing there, turning a rifle onto them. He ran to the door, pulling the heavy buffalo pelt that served as a door down, cutting off the moonlight.

But, Summer could not stop her screams, her hands grabbing her knees as she automatically began to bear down, the baby having slipped into the birth canal. Dark Wolf was now begging her to stop screaming.

It was at that moment there came a low rumbling that got louder, the ground shaking with thousands upon thousands of cloven hooves, followed up with bellows and snorts. It almost sounded like they would over run the sod formed shelter. Then all went silent.

The silence was broken by the whimpering cry of the baby.

"Summer Blossom! You have a fine strong son!" Dark Wolf announced as he placed the child on the now flattening belly of his brother's wife. His eyes were moist with tears, he had gotten to, first handedly, witness the miracle of life. He carefully tied the umbilical close to the child's belly in two places with the sinew and cutting between them, He finished the process of gently pulling out the afterbirth, following the directions given him.

Summer had her own tears for the squirming newborn still coated with the thick creamy substance that protected it in the womb. She suddenly realizes that the baby's crying will attract the soldiers as much as her screams might have done and pulls the child up to her, cuddling and cooing.

A stirring at the entrance cause both Ootakwans to freeze. Even the child goes quiet. Dark Wolf holds out the wicked looking skinning knife in front of him in a defensive gesture.

The skin is pushed aside by the shaggy head of a buffalo. Not just any buffalo, but the White Buffalo himself. The big bull examines the people with large curious eyes, head held close enough to the ground that his breathing sends up small puffs of dust. Man and beast stay this way for what seemed an eternity.

Slowly, Summer Blossom got to her feet, respectfully bowing her head to the noble beast, holding her new son out at arms length. She considered it a great honor that the birth of her child would have the auspicious presence of the great white buffalo.

The bull stretched his thick neck as far in to the enclosure as the doorway allowed, snuffling at the tiny baby. After a few seconds, he drew his head back, giving what looked like a nod of approval with his huge wooly head and withdrew. For the rest of the night, the white bull stood sentinel in front of the hut, his herd milling around him serenely munching the dry plain grasses.

Dark Wolf was still squat down, watching this miracle in awe. It would be a story he would relate for the remainder of his life to his wide eyed grandchildren in the years to come. The story of the birth of his brother's son, White Buffalo Moon.

Many of the tribe had miraculously survived that hapless night, also finding amnesty amongst the herd that appeared like a divinity from their gods. Those that died at the hands of the dog soldiers were mourned and their souls given up to the great spirit of the white buffalo.

As for the soldiers, it was their own search for the buffalo that had brought them upon the camp of the Ootakwa. They never found the escaped Indians, for, with the appearance of the buffalo herd, they called off the search, reluctant to send the beasts stampeding off. They would never know of the miracle that had occurred.