The warm air of the priest of summer blew softly across the head waters of Shooting Creek. I, Little Snake, was sent by the Otter to get the Shaman of the Horn and to give him the bad news of the death of his old friend, Red Wolf, who was killed by the white eyes at the dawns early light. The Otter is the son of Red Wolf and he is taking this very hard, the death of his father and the chief of our village. Red Wolf would never give into the white eyes. They said the day would come that they would kill him and they did.

     Not long ago, Chief Red Wolf sent the Otter west to look for a place in the lands of the Cherokees, near the lands of our brothers, the Creeks. Red Wolf had made talk of moving the village west, near the river, the Tennessee, which was in the western part of the Cherokee lands. Now our chief will not have to move.

     I see the camp of the Shaman of the Horn. He comes here every warm time, when the priest of the sun is hot. “Is that you Little Snake? Can’t you find the right path to the village?” Shaman of the Horn and the Otter sent me to you. “What is wrong? Our chief and your friend were killed at a little after dawns light this morning by the white eyes. He had gone for his morning run. They got him in their crossfire near Shooting Creek. Come, we must go at once. He went to his lodge and said, come old woman, the Wolf has been killed and his spirit is in the dark side. We walked fast along the path back to the village, the Shaman of the Horn blew the sands of the maze and cedar into the air, giving praise to the spirits, when there before my eyes, walked the shadow dancers with the Shaman of the Horn.  They danced up and down the path as the Shaman of the Horn prayed, telling them that the Wolf was in the dark side. When some of the shadow dancers went away, the others went on dancing with the Shaman of the Horn, but before we reached the village, the other shadow dancers returned, carrying the spirit of the Wolf to the other side, to be empowered by the prey gods. They danced, carrying the spirit of the Wolf all the way to the village.

     The Shaman of the Horn said, “Otter, you will become the chief of the village now, I have sent the spirit of the Wolf to the lands of the Totem, the shadow dancers, when dancing to the prey gods with the spirit of Red Wolf. Otter, he is now with the chief, his father, Running Fox. They are now sitting around the story fires of the prey gods. Soon he will return to his tomb and you can call him to the great circle. Now we must bless the circle and begin the ceremony to make you our new chief, for the spirits have said that your name will be said around the story fires for many moons to come and the armies of the white eyes will hunt you in the mountain lands of our people. Otter, we must go to the circle now, the Mothers of the Longhouse and the elders wait. Come, my chief.”