LAST JOURNEY TOGETHER.<O:P>

   They had begun their climb up the steep hill just after the new day had dawned. Together they had journeyed for three whole days to get to this holy site. The sky had already darkened the previous night when they had finally arrived at the foot of Paha Sapa. So they had decided to spend the night regaining their strength before beginning the long hard journey to the summit.
   Once the sun had climbed above the distant horizon, the first rays of light sweeping across the land, casting shadows as it climbed ever higher in the clear blue sky, they were both ready to begin. During the initial stages of the climb the old man led the way with his young companion following in his wake. The authority in his step and his determination to reach the summit before the sun hung directly overhead was one of the reasons driving him on. For he knew instinctively that the sun would bring with it a tremendous heat that would, apart from the strain of climbing, drain his strength. However, this was only one of several factors that drove him forward on this most important of days.
   It was only when it started to become painfully obvious that the elder of the two was beginning to suffer physically, as his pace slackened to almost a stumble, did the young Lakota warrior move in close and offer immediately his strength and guidance to the older man. He gratefully took the arm that was offered and allowed the strength of the young warrior to then become his guiding force.
   In silence they climbed, the only sound to be heard was the heavy breathing of the old man and the sound of the wind rushing around them. Once or twice the older man stopped and turning, around slowly, looked back at the lands now spreading out far below them. Then with a contented smile upon his thin bronzed face he turned and continued the climb. On the first of these occasions the young warrior thought that perhaps his father needed to rest. For the physical effects of the climb had begun to drain even his young strength and energy.

   When his father had stopped the young man had immediately begun to remove the parflech and the buffalo hide from his aching back, only to find the old man had no intention of stopping at all. Not to be caught out again on the second occasion when his father stopped again the young warrior just stood watching him. He did allow himself, on this occasion, to think about the heavy bundle that was strapped to his back. It was now causing his aching muscles great discomfort, but he ignored the pain as he had been trained to do. A smile creased his young lips when, just as before, his father turned around to face the hill once more and then continued onwards and upwards.
   As they neared the summit of their climb the old man pulled away from the younger man. He struggled to take the last few steps that now placed him upon the crest of the hill. His frail bony body trembled beneath the weight of the climb and he stood unsteadily upon his thin rickety legs looking out across at a crop of large stones that he had last seen in the far off days of his own youth. The old man was completely and utterly spent. The climb had taken its toll on both his body and mind.
   Now beside him once more he felt the comforting presence of his son who quickly placed an arm around the old bony chest as he guided him gently and lovingly across to the stones upon which he gentle lowered his father. The lined and weathered face smiled up graciously for he knew in his heart that without the help of this fine young warrior he would have never been able to reach this sacred place.
   Thankful for the rest the old man sat and watched as his son unloaded the weight from his own back and then joined him on the rocks. Then, as one, they both looked up into the blue sky above and a smile formed on their lips as they both realised that they had managed to achieve the climb before their brother, the sun, had climbed the full heights of the sky.

   “You did well my son.�?The old man said gently as he laid a hand upon the young man’s firm shoulder.
   “Thank you Father.�?The young warrior replied trying hard to hide the pleasure that his father’s words brought to his heart.
   “The last time I sat upon these stones,�?the old man said looking around them, “I was younger than you are now my son. It was then that I knew where I wanted my body laid when my time to die came.�?As if anticipating the younger man’s reactions the old man held up his hand to silence him. “Today is a good day to die my son.�?BR>   The great sadness now welling up within the young warrior’s chest, because of his father’s words, now threatened to suffocate him. He fought hard to keep the tears from blinding his vision. He knew that he must not show selfish reactions to the news that his father’s statement had brought. But he could not bring himself to look upon the kind old face that he had come to love so much with a full and open heart. Never before in his life had words brought such pain to his mind and body.
   “I know I have burdened you with a heavy heart. I know my passing will bring great sadness to your life. But I wanted us to make one last journey together before I leave you to journey alone to the Hoop of the People.�?The old man said softly sensing his son’s sadness. “These last few days that we have spent together can only be matched by others that I have spent around you. You have filled my life with great pleasure and I thank you for that.�?It was only then did the body of the young warrior shake with the full range of emotions that suddenly, and uncontrollably, spilled out of him.
   “Father…�?The words that he wanted to speak would not come as the tears spilled from his eyes.

   “You knew that the day would come when I would have to say goodbye and leave you behind my son.�?The old man smiled lovingly as he brushed a tear away from his son’s face. “That day has finally come. Do not be sad for me, for I have been looking forward to this day and the great journey that it would bring, for a long time now. Help me to prepare myself to begin this journey back into the womb of Mother Earth.�?He smiled lovingly at the young man.
   The young man felt the arm of his father upon his shoulders. They sat in silence until he was at last able to finally compose himself. Then with great reverence and purpose the young warrior began the preparations for his father’s last great journey.
   The old man stripped naked before sitting down upon the hot earth of the hill. He had arrived naked into the world and that was how he was determined to leave it. The death song that he had composed in his younger days was now heard by another for the first time. As the old man chanted and offered up prayers to the Great Spirit his son made ready the paints and potions that were to be used to both decorate and anoint his father’s body.
   Carefully spread out upon the ground ready for him to lie down upon was the buffalo robe that would be wrapped around his body before it was laid out upon a scaffold that his son would build after his passing. Once the lotions had been made the young Lakota moved across to his father side and began the task of cleansing his bronzed wrinkled skin with sage. Throughout it all the old man kept his eyes closed as he offered up an endless stream of prayers.
   Once the body had been washed the young man began the task of decorating the body with paint. Before each colour was applied the young Lakota offered up the bowl to the four directions, and held up the bowl to the sky so that the Great Spirit would see the colours before they were applied.

   Next came the finery. Although he wanted to be naked when he entered the Hoop of the People, the old man knew that the feathers and the increments of war that he had gained during his life upon this earth would be needed to warn, and possibly used to fight, those enemies who might be waiting to make war with him in the world that now awaited him.
   Feathers were placed in his long grey hair and armbands, decorated with beautiful beadwork, were placed upon his thin upper arms. Thus attired the young man helped his father to his feet and walked with him to the buffalo robe. Standing before the buffalo robe the old man held his arms up to the darkening sky and said.
   “Oh Great Spirit I thank you for all the days of my life, and for this one in particular. Thank you for blessing me thus. Thank you for allowing my last day upon this earth to be shared in the company of one whom I will carry in my heart now and for ever more. Bless him with your light and show to him the true path that all Human Beings must walk.�?Then with a little difficulty he lowered himself down upon the buffalo robe and as his son knelt down beside him, placing the weapons that the old man had used in his younger days when a warrior around him, the old man smiled up at him and said. “It is pleasing to me that the last sight that I shall see upon this earth is the sight I have loved more than any other…goodbye my son.�?And then he closed his eyes for the last time.
   Before he left the hill to return alone to his village the son chopped and prepared the branches for his father’s scaffold. The old buffalo robe containing the body was then placed atop this structure. As he made his way on foot once more down the hill to begin his return journey home, high in the sky above him the young man heard the sound of the bald eagle crying out to him.
   “Goodbye my son…goodbye.�?It seemed to cry.<O:P> </O:P>

THE END.