Summary

This chapter switches to Niska's first person narration as she notes that Xavier wants to talk to her but he only lets the words out when he sleeps. He does not say a lot but she is able to make out a sentence here and there. Niska remembers how proud he was as a child when he claimed he would never speak the language of the white men. But now he speaks English even in his sleep. Niska knows that he cannot speak to her yet about what he has seen so she decides that she will tell him the story of her life. She realizes that she has been starved to talk to someone and she hopes that her words can release some of the poison that is hurting Xavier's soul.

Niska's first person narration then goes back in time to her...