The Vision Quest

After two days and nights, Chief White Cloud bade
farewell to his beloved son and wished him a fruitful
journey.
The agreement between the two was that if Running
Deer absolutely needed assistance, he could build a
large fire and send smoke signals that one of the tribes
in the area would see and pass on the message to his
father. He was cautioned that if at any time he
interrupted the initiation, at some time in the future, he
would have to start again from day one.
As the sun dipped below the mountains leaving an
apricot string of clouds in its wake, Running Deer ate his
last light meal and washed it down with fresh, clean
water from the nearby river. This would be the last solid
food or drink he would partake in for the next seven
days and nights, commencing at midnight. All that was
14