An Excerpt of Black Crow’s Blessing by Sophronia Belle Lyon, guest post

An excerpt from “Black Crow’s Blessing,” an upcoming short story excerpt from The Alexander Legacy Book 3: The Gattler, the Gunboat, and the GeeGaw, by Sophronia Belle Lyon.

Coming soon!

Little Crow had growed into a beautiful young woman, but that was no nevermind to Runs Far, the Medicine Man. He had been trying to make a point at her expense since the day our destinies got tangled up over a coupla horse kicks.

“You mean ta tell me not a buck in this village has paid you court?” I asked her, givin’ Runs Far as evil an eye as I could muster, knowing he was skeert of that gold color God done give my eyes.

“Black Crow, some have paid me court,” Little Crow whispered, looking into Bill’s eyes, her hand twisted up in his hair, like she’d done mosta the time she and her grandmother nursed him, as if it was him comforting her instead of the other way around. “But they fear Runs Far’s power.”

“Has he threatened you?” I hissed.

“No, Black Crow, he has done nothing to me.”

“So he’s done something to them.” I pulled out the Gattler. “Runs Far!” I shouted. “Get yer shaggy hide over here!”

I knowed it wasn’t the thing for anybody to address the Medicine Man in that fashion, much less a mere woman, but I was frying eggs in the boiling oil of my thoughts just then, and Runs Far was so surprised he done what I told him, and stood in front of me, arms crossed, that stinky, mangy wolf hide he wore on is head black with grease and campfire soot. I took a step back, knowing the crater wall was right behind me, and remembering what they’d told me was writ there in them old petroglyphs.

“Look well, people of the Earth Crack!” I called out. “You fear the power of Runs Far? I say he is a coward, a night-slinker, and he smells plumb bad to boot. Fear him no more! Fear me instead, and my fire stick that lights the sky!”

The Gattler, as some may know, is my gun that’s sort of a cross between a shotgun and a gattling gun, Don’t ask me to explain it here. There ain’t time. I spun the cylinder around to the load I wanted to fire an’ let go.

Liquid rain that made a hornet-swarm buzzing streaked out of the muzzle and swirled around my head and that of Little Crow an’ Bill as we faced them all down. It was hard to predict what the sparkler loads would do, but they wouldn’t hurt nobody, just make a pretty, bright show. Leastways, they never had before.

They streaked and whirled and climbed and I foresaw a fine show when them petroglyphs got lit up proper and flashed out of the dark behind us. The people would see the message their ancestors writ up there – “The Creator of all spoke truth to the Crow, who taught the People of the Crack His Words.”

Blessed if it weren’t a finer show then ever I figured. The wall lit up, fine and dandy, and we all turned to get a good look-see. The folk were gasping and pointing jest like I figured they would.

But that was when the screaming started. We looked around, and there went Runs Far, yelling and slapping himself. The sparkler stuff had caught in that greasy, sooty wolfskin and set it alight. Away he ran, howling and yelping like the dog he was.

It was a little awkward, after the sparklers died down and the folks got up off of their knees. After all the time I’d spent lecturing them on only worshiping God, not the Crow, especially since that was me, I was afraid I’d messed it up bad. But all the talk was about the Creator, and how they were free of Walks Far, so I kinda sighed and let Bill’s eyes reassure me I’d done right.

“I have twenty horses to offer as a bride-price for Little Crow!” a brave called out. Little Crow straightened up and peered toward the council fire.

“I have ten horses and two white deerskins!” shouted another.

“Looks like you got no more courtship problems, my darling,” I smiled at Little Crow.

 

I love everything I’ve read of Sophronia Belle Lyon’s books so far! Check out these other titles by Ms. Lyon:

A Dodge, a Twist and a Tobacconist (The Alexander Legacy), Kindle e-book

A Dodge, a Twist and a Tobacconist, paperback

A Dodge, a Twist and a Tobacconist, illustrated ebook

The ‘Pprentices, the Puppets, and the Pirates (The Alexander Legacy)