Blue Hawk nodded reassuringly as he spoke to an elderly woman. Yes, he told her, they would soon reach the land of their brothers, the Oglala Bad Face band. Crazy Horse and his people would take them in. There was nothing to worry about. His scouts had assured him there were no wasichu in the area, no enemy Crow lurking about. They would camp here for a day so the old ones could rest.
He sent two of the men out to hunt for game, picked three others to keep watch, and sent two boys to guard the horses.
He helped Mato'zi find his mother, promised young Tete'kesa he could go on the next hunt, picked Kinma up when she fell, and wiped away her tears.
And all the while he looked for Kaylee, his eyes searching for the bright gold of her hair. It wasn't until his grandmother told him the evening meal would soon be ready that he began to worry. It would be dark soon. He went from campfire to campfire, asking after her. It was Tatoka's daughter, Skoso'ta, who said she remembered seeing the wasicun winyan gathering wood.
"You did not stay with her?" Blue Hawk asked.
Skoso'ta shook her head. "She seemed to want to be alone, so we let her be. I am sorry, Blue Hawk, if we did wrong."
He shook his head. "You did nothing wrong, Skoso'ta. Pilamaya ."
He walked through the rest of the camp, certain that he would not find her there but needing to make sure, his heart growing heavier with each passing minute.
When he had circled the camp, he struck out for the stand of timber that grew along this side of the river, his gaze searching the ground for sign. Kaylee had taken to wearing moccasins all the time now. He followed her tracks until the carpet of pine needles grew too thick to hold a print and the darkness made spotting any disturbance of the needles difficult.
It grew darker as he moved deeper into the forest. He paused intermittently to listen, but heard nothing save the restless sighing of the wind and the soft scurrying sounds of night creatures emerging from their holes.
He thought of calling her name, but quickly dismissed the idea. A hunter did not draw unnecessary attention to himself or his prey. Had she run away again? Would she be foolish enough to strike out on her own, on foot, after dark? Every Lakota child knew there were dangers on the prairie at night. But Kaylee was not Lakota.
He moved through the trees quietly, patiently, exercising all his considerable tracking skills, listening for that extra sense he was beginning to feel when it came to her, as if he could know which way she had gone if he paid close attention.
He paused when he found a place where a branch had been pulled clear. A single strand of golden hair told him she had passed this way. She was still gathering wood for his fire. He moved on and found another place where the pine needles had been disturbed.
It was almost completely dark under the trees now.
He moved silently, berating himself for striking out on his own. He should have asked some of the warriors to help him in his search, could not believe he had acted so rashly. He had no excuse except that the white woman had bewitched him. From the first moment he had seen her, he had thought of little else. Mato had told him to follow the woman—and now it seemed it was his fate to do so. It mattered not that she was the enemy, that her ways were not his ways. He had touched her and felt the pull between them, felt his spirit speak to hers, felt hers respond. Had the attraction that flowed so sweet and strong between them frightened her away?
He hunkered down on his heels to consider this thing. Had he frightened her away? He had thought her different from other white women, had been so certain that when she looked at him she saw a man, not an Indian. Had he spoken too soon? He knew that learning to live with his people, learning the Lakota customs and language, would not be easy for Kaylee. He knew there would be those among his people who would never accept her, who would always hate and mistrust her because of her white skin, just as her people would never accept him.
But none of that mattered. She was his, and he meant to keep her. Just when he had reached that decision eluded him. Perhaps it had been that first moment when he had looked up and seen her bending over him, her sky-blue eyes filled with compassion. Perhaps it had been her gentle touch that won his heart, or the fact that she had put the safety of a stranger above her own when she tended him. She had won his respect when she pointed her gun at him and insisted that he look after the injured boy before she agreed to help him return to his people. Perhaps, too, it was stronger than all those things, their connection as mysterious and mystical as his was to Mato.
But reasons didn't matter. She was his. Rocking on his heels, eyes closed, he gathered his power around him and waited, his whole being focused on Kaylee.
Quiet settled around him, a stillness from within and without. Her image rose in his mind. He remembered the touch of her skin beneath his hand, the softness, the scent of it. He concentrated on her scent. Calling on the power of the bear that resided deep within him, he moved his head from side to side in imitation of Mato, sniffing the air.
And it came to him on the evening breeze, Kaylee's scent, and in the back of his mind he heard her voice, calling his name. Blue Hawk. Blue Hawk, where are you ?
Opening his eyes, he sprang up and began to run.
It was almost full dark when Kaylee stopped walking and admitted she was hopelessly, thoroughly, completely lost. She told herself there was nothing to be afraid of. She had spent the night outdoors before, on roundups. Never alone, of course, but she was a big girl.
As she looked for a suitable place to spend the night, she told herself that there was nothing to be afraid of, that there was nothing in the dark that wasn't there during the day, even though she knew that was a lie.
She told herself Blue Hawk would find her, but she was having trouble believing that, too. If he was going to find her, wouldn't he have done so by now?
Suddenly weary, she dropped the firewood she'd gathered and sank down beside a tree, wishing she could start a fire, but she didn't have flint and steel, let alone kitchen matches. Closing her eyes, she rested the back of her head against the trunk. Blue Hawk. Blue Hawk, where are you? Please, find me. I don't want to spend the night out here, alone, in the dark .
She would just rest for a while, she thought. Just a few minutes, and then she would be on her way again. If she was lucky, she would soon find her way back to the village.
She was thinking how nice it would be to snuggle up inside a nice soft, furry robe when she realized she was no longer alone. Fearful of what she might see, she opened her eyes.
The snake was coiled by her foot. She stared at it in horrified fascination, at the distinctive triangular-shaped head, at the long black tongue that darted in and out, in and out, testing the air.
Afraid to move, afraid to breathe, Kaylee sat there, frozen in place, her gaze locked on the snake.
A cold sweat broke out across Kaylee's brow, but she dared not wipe it away, dared not move. She had heard more than one cowboy talk about waking up out on the prairie and finding a rattlesnake curled up in the warmth of his blankets. Was that what this snake was doing? Seeking a warm place to spend the night?
She felt suddenly faint as the snake's head disappeared beneath the hem of her tunic. She couldn't faint, not now. The movement would surely make the snake strike. She had heard stories of men who had died after being bitten by a rattlesnake. It was a slow, horrible way to die.
And then, incredibly, it seemed as though she could hear Blue Hawk's voice calling her name, though the forest remained ominously silent. Could it be? Had she imagined it? She longed to cry out, to let him know where she was, to beg him to hurry, but she was afraid to move, dared not make a sound.
Here! She closed her eyes, her spirit calling to him. I'm here. Hurry!
The snake moved again, its head sliding a little further under her tunic. She clenched her hands as every primal instinct urged her to flee.
Blue Hawk, hurry. Please, please, hurry .
Was it her imagination, or did she hear someone moving toward her? Opening her eyes, she glanced from side to side without moving her head, went weak with relief when she saw Blue Hawk striding toward her.
"Kay-lee?" he called softly.
She stared at him, not daring to answer. Very slowly, she lowered her head.
Blue Hawk paused, wondering why she didn't answer. Was she hurt? In danger? He surveyed his surroundings. Seeing nothing to alarm him, he walked toward her once again. And then he heard it. The unmistakable warning rattle of sinte hla .
He stopped, his gaze searching for the snake. And then he saw it, coiled beside Kaylee's right ankle. The head was out of sight beneath the hem of her tunic.
"Kay-lee, do not move. No matter what happens, do not move."
She stared at him, her eyes wide and afraid, her face pale, damp with perspiration.
"Do you understand?"
She nodded once, her gaze never leaving his face.
Blue Hawk took a deep breath, touched by her trust in him. He wiped his palms dry on his clout. "Do not move," he warned again.
He didn't wait for her to answer. Lunging forward, he grabbed the snake by the tail with his left hand and gave a sharp tug.
The snake's head whipped around, striking at Blue Hawk.
In a heartbeat, Blue Hawk released the snake's tail with his left hand, grabbed the snake by the back of the head with his right hand, and hurled the rattler into the trees.
With a cry, Kaylee scrambled to her feet and fell into Blue Hawk's arms.
He held her tight, feeling her shudder as sobs of relief wracked her body. "Kay-lee, are you all right?"
"You are sure? Sinte hla did not strike?"
"N-no."
His hand stroked her hair. "You were very brave."
"I was very scared." She drew a long, shuddering breath.
He held her away from him a little, his gaze moving over her as if to reassure himself that she was all right. "Why did you run away?"
"I didn't. I wasn't. I was gathering wood." She pointed at the pile beside the tree. "I guess I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and I got lost. How did you find me?"
"I heard your spirit call to me."
She looked up at him, her eyes wide.
"You doubt me? Did your spirit not call out to me? Did you not ask me to find you, so that you would not have to spend the night out here alone?"
She nodded. "I—I heard your voice, too! In my mind, but—" Words failed her. She shivered. "How is that possible?"
"It is the magic between us." He lifted her hand and placed it over his heart. "From this day on, my heart will beat only for you."
She blinked at him, touched by his words, by the depth of emotion in his voice, the intensity in his eyes.
"Kay-lee." There was a reverence in his voice as he spoke her name, and then he drew her into his arms.
She rested her head against his shoulder, overcome by a sense of peace, of belonging. It felt so good to be in his arms. More than that, it felt right. His hand stroked her hair, slid down her back to draw her closer.
She looked up at him, her body quivering, her heart pounding. She wanted him, she thought, wanted him to hold her, to kiss her.
He gazed down at her, a knowing look in his eyes. His arms tightened around her as he lowered his head and kissed her, ever so gently.
For all its gentleness, the kiss burned through Kaylee like a flame, and she clung to him, her hands loving the warmth of his skin, her body moving closer, closer, burning hotter, brighter.
It was wrong, she thought, wrong to kiss him like this, to feel like this. He was an Indian. He was supposed to be her enemy, but her heart refused to think of him in that way. She had been drawn to him from the first. She couldn't explain it, and now, with his arms tight around her and his mouth on hers, she needed no explanation. Right or wrong, she was where she belonged.
Blue Hawk felt the change in her, felt her hesitation melt away as she kissed him back.
He caressed her gently. Her skin was soft and warm. He cupped her breast, heard her gasp of surprise, and then she leaned into him, seeking his touch.
He could have taken her then, but she had no family to watch over her, no male cousins or brothers to protect her, no mother to guard her virtue. And as much as he desired her, he did not wish to shame her.
He kissed her again, then let her go.
Kaylee stared up at him, her eyes filled with desire. "Blue Hawk?"
"Come," he said, "let us go back."
"Do we have to?"
"You have no one to protect your honor, chante mita , so I shall do it for you."
She smiled at him, touched by his words, by his innate sense of decency. "So, you're going to protect me from you?"
He nodded, his expression solemn.
Kaylee ran her fingertips over his chest. He was beautiful, she thought, with his smooth copper-hued skin and midnight black hair.
Rising on tiptoe, she kissed him again. "What if I don't want to be protected?"
"Do not tempt me, Kay-lee."
"You find me tempting?" She looked up at him, felt her femininity stir to life. She had flirted with Randy from time to time, but this was different. With Randy, it had all been in fun, innocent, harmless. But not now.
Blue Hawk nodded. His dark eyes burned into hers, filled with desire.
She ran her hands over his shoulders. Such broad shoulders. She slid her hand down his right arm, her fingers kneading his biceps. She smiled as the muscle flexed. Hard as the proverbial rock, she thought.
"Kay-lee."
She heard the longing in his voice, the unspoken warning. Blue Hawk was not a boy like Randy, to tease and toy with, but a man, a warrior.
She took a step back. "I'm sorry."
"When I take you to my bed, you will be my woman," Blue Hawk said. "My wife."
"Wife!" she exclaimed softly.
He nodded.
"That's not possible."
"Why?" He frowned at her. "Have you a husband already?"
"No."
"You are promised to another?"
"No."
"Then you do not wish to be my woman?"
"Oh, but I do!" she said, and knew in that moment that it was true. Her mother had known her father only a handful of days before they were married, and Emma had never regretted her decision. Love has nothing to do with how long two people have known each other , she had once told Kaylee, and everything to do with the feelings of your heart .
"What will your grandmother say when you tell her?" Kaylee asked.
"She will not approve."
"Neither will my mother and my stepfather," she said, but when he looked at her the way he was looking at her now, what did it matter?
He put his finger beneath her chin. Tilting her head up a little, he kissed her. It was all the reassurance she needed.
Bending down, he picked up the wood she had gathered and tucked it under his left arm. "Come," he said, taking her hand in his. "Unci will be worrying."
It was full dark when they reached the outskirts of the camp. Kaylee looked at the lodges, at the women fixing dinner for their families. In spite of what she had said, she began to have doubts. What if his grandmother rejected her? What if his people refused to accept her? She didn't want to spend the rest of her life as an outcast. If his people would not accept her, and hers would not accept him, where would they live?
Blue Hawk stopped at the edge of the trees and placed the wood in her arms.
"Gathering wood is women's work," he explained.
"I guess I have a lot to learn."
"And I will teach you." He caressed her cheek. "Next time you leave camp, you will let me know."
"I will," she said fervently. "Believe me, I will."