The Warrior & The Baby

two settlers in the west, in indian territory.
one is a true explorer, he speaks the lakota sioux language.
the other is a former cavalryman, who also speaks the language.
they don't speak to one another, nor do their families interact, but their wives get along well the occasions that they meet.
in the dead of winter, one man finds a baby, half submerged in snow by a river, silent, alive, abandoned. blood on the blanket. he leaves it, but then, picks it up and brings it home to his wife, who is nearly about to deliver, so they have preparations for a baby. they have another child, about the same age as this child.

the other man, along his travels, finds a brave, near death, cut a thousand times, apparently dropped from a high cliff, but tumbling down the snow. alive, close to death, crawling in the snow. he leaves him, but thinks better of it and brings him to his home, figuring he hasn't long to live, but he can die warm with decency.

as he's bringing him home on horseback, he runs across a group of braves. the native he has on his horse, they are unable to make out, because he is covered. they look, but do not attack. they know him. he speaks their language.

the wives speak, communicating about their finds. unable to share their ideas with their husbands.

the brave somehow grows stronger. until one day he's gone in the night.

the baby is adopted into the family. he learns from other natives chasing them, one who trades with the family, takes a shining to him and teaches him to be a brave. he is of course remarkable in his strength, sufferability, skill, bravery, and physical abilities. he runs away from home for increasing periods of time, he is smitten with a female from the village..

he grows to become a scout.

apparently betraying his race, until one day he leads the enemy into a huge ambush lead by the brave who was saved, who is a chief, and is his father. his family killed by his enemy, his baby left to die, and him, tossed off a cliff, somehow they both survive.

after the ambush, they move north and west.