She’d have to spend time outside of the wagon. It hurt to move but… Being left behind couldn’t happen. She would never survive.
“Ma’am, it’s Zander,” the young man called softly from outside. “I’ll be under the wagon for the first half of the night and then Declan will be here. Good night.” He rolled under the wagon. She heard him moving and mumbling, probably getting the rocks out from under him, he settled down.
She stared at the canvas above her. She’d rather sleep during the day so she didn’t have to feel the rough road as they traveled. Zander’s nose made a whistling sound when he took a breath. It wasn’t very loud, but it made her smile.
Hours later she heard Declan wake Zander, who responded none too gently, with a few grunts and a lot of movement.
“Shh, she’s sleeping,” Declan said.
“I know that,” Zander replied defensively.
“Don’t worry, I can’t sleep,” she said in a loud whisper.
“Was that Luella?” Zander asked.
“Who else would it be?” She could picture Declan shaking his head.
She heard a bit of rustling and then all was quiet for a long while.
“Good night, Luella,” Declan said softly.
“Good night, Declan.” She smiled to herself. Too bad she couldn’t add any of the men who worked for Harrison to her list of possibilities. They didn’t have their own wagons, so just what did they plan to do once they got to their destination? Fort Laramie wasn’t supposed to be too far from Chimney Rock. Did they have places for the wives of the soldiers there? Maybe they’d pass near another wagon party and she’d catch someone’s eye.
All of her thinking had dimmed her hopes. What if nothing worked? Her best plan would be to stay at the fort until she found a husband. Her thoughts kept swirling round and round until she finally heard the sounds of the camp coming awake.
Mothers scolded, children complained, and fathers threatened. Just like her family. Her heart dropped. She’d do well to remember she didn’t have a family anymore.
“Are you awake?” It was Declan.
“Yes.”
“Would you like some coffee before Cora can come to help you?”
“That would be very nice, thank you.”
Declan loosened the cinch rope at the back of the wagon and looked in. “I’ll raise the canvas again after you’re dressed and all. You’ll be able to look at Chimney Rock all day. The Captain said we’ll stay here an extra day.”
“Thank you for being so thoughtful.”
He wasn’t gone but a minute before he stuck his head back in. “Sorry, just found out we’re leaving right now. There were at least three Indians near the camp last night. I never saw a thing. Hold on, it’ll be a hard ride.”
Her heart beat faster. Indians wouldn’t even want her since she couldn’t walk. People hurried all around her. She dipped her cup into the half-full bucket and got some water then reached for the medicine. She hastily poured some into the water and drank it down. She had just finished swallowing when the wagon lurched and she fell back.
She hoped everyone escaped, her family included.
“Do you know how to use a rifle?” Declan yelled over his shoulder.
“Yes.”
“Good, we might need you to shoot.”
“I don’t think I’ll be helpful. I took medicine and I’m feeling strange.”
“How strange?” he yelled. “How much did you take?”
“I poured—”
“What?”
“I poured some I don’t know how much!”
“Drops right?”
Oh no, what had she done. She didn’t even think about how much to put into the water.
She held on even though she was lying down. “No! No drops!”
Continue Reading
Dawn’s Destiny
Joyful melodies from fiddles, concertina, and harmonica drifted on the night air. Muted laughter and soft conversations joined with the song. The music played on, though more and more people were heading toward their wagons. Mothers ushered children, gentlemen escorted ladies, perhaps in hope of stealing a kiss.
Independence Rock towered over them, and Heath realized just how tiny humans were in comparison. His replacement for guard duty should be arriving soon. He knew they had opened a jug of whiskey before he’d taken up his post. Would there be any left?
The thought of the amber liquid took him back to Ireland, to the days before the Great Hunger. There always was whiskey aplenty but as soon as the potatoes rotted for the second time, no one had a coin to pay for such a luxury.
He sighed. America was a great country but he missed his homeland. He had saved what he could and then he and his brother Declan made the horrendous trip to Boston Harbor. They weren’t afraid of hard work and had become popular at the docks for being reliable workers. But they’d longed for more. They wanted what they couldn’t have in Ireland. They wanted to own their land.
The sounds of merrymaking were left behind as he drew near the wagons. He nodded to one of the other men on the wagon train with them and headed out toward the livestock. He, Declan, and their friend Zander had hired on with Harrison Walsh as drovers. They took care of his twenty head of cattle and impressive string of horses.
He heard a grunt and peered in the direction it had come from. An Indian stood up and stared at him. What was Eagle Nest doing here? Was he following the wagon train? Heath had his hand on his pistol in its holster as he walked toward the tall man.
“Eagle Nest,” Heath said as he nodded. He waited to see what the Indian wanted. At one point in their journey Eagle Nest had wanted his now sister-in-law, Luella for his wife. It didn’t happen, and Eagle Nest had been a good chap about it.
“Lu-ella. I need Lu-ella. I have white girl here and she needs to get away from Kills Many.”
Heath glanced at the girl with Swift Eagle and had to keep himself from openly cringing. She was filthy from head to toe. She wore a doe skin dress that had several rips in it, and it looked as though someone had beaten her face.
Heath nodded. “I’ll get Luella and Declan.” He walked back, keeping to a leisurely stroll and trying to act in a normal manner so as not to draw attention to himself. He arrived at their wagon to find they had not yet retired for the evening.
They looked cozy sitting next to each other, talking in low voices, and holding hands. Whatever Declan said to Luella made her face turn red.
Declan looked at him and frowned. “We were just about—ouch.” He looked at his wife in surprise after she elbowed him in the side.
“What your brother means is we were thinking about going to sleep.”
“Eagle Nest is here, and he has a hurt white girl with him and he wants to see you, Luella.”
“Swift Eagle? I told you before his name is not Eagle Nest. Show me where he is,” Luella said as she stood up.
“I’m coming too.” Declan stood right beside her.
She nodded at her husband and as Heath set off for where he had left the Indian, they followed.
Eagle Nest—or Swift Eagle, he supposed—stepped from behind a bush, startling Heath.
Luella smiled. “It’s good to see you again Swift Eagle.”
“It is good to see you too.” He gestured behind him. “Sunset is hurt. Can you fix her?”
Luella gasped and stepped forward, taking a closer look at the woman accompanying the Indian.
“What do you mean by fix? You want me to tend to her so you can—oh dear… Where did you get her? I know you didn’t do this to her.”
“Kills Many beat her and he wants to kill her in a bad way. She said no. Will not be wife.”
“Swift Eagle, will Kills Many come looking for her?” Heath asked.
“He thinks he killed her when he threw her off a cliff, but she lives. Lu-ella, you are a brave woman of my heart. I know you will help.”
Luella nodded as she took the woman into her arms, almost falling from the weight of her.
&nbs
p; Heath swept her up into his arms, and she whimpered.
Luella hurried and hugged Swift Eagle. “I’m honored you brought her to me.” She pulled back and smiled. “Will I see you again my friend?”
“I go to my tribe and make sure Kills Many believes she is dead. You always in my heart Lu-ella.” He turned and walked away into the darkness.
“Bring her to our wagon,” Declan instructed in a brusque tone.
Heath nodded, already heading in that direction. The girl was in such distress and was obviously struggling to stay quiet. He carried her with ease; she weighed little more than a child. Her face was swollen and bruised. Her lip was split, and the blood had dried. Swift Eagle had claimed she was white… He peered into her face, but he couldn’t tell. She looked like an Indian to him.
The light from the fire didn’t show him much more. Whatever she had put in her hair smelled putrid. He set her on the wagon tailgate keeping her in his arms so she wouldn’t slip to the ground. Declan put quilts down on the wooden floor of the wagon and set out all they had to use for injuries and sickness.
Declan jumped down and lifted Luella up into the wagon. “I’ll heat the water,” he told her and hastened away.
Heath gently laid the woman down and left the wagon. She’d probably feel better if there weren’t any men in there.
He glanced around, but most folks had already retired. No one was paying them any mind save one man named Eddie, who stood watching them, his expression openly hostile. Eddie wasn’t the nicest of men. Heath gave him a quick nod, hoping the other man would turn away but he sat by his fire and stared in their direction. Nothing stayed a secret long on this journey. When he saw Captain London hurrying over, Heath groaned.
“I heard there’s an Indian in the wagon,” the older man said in disbelief.
“She’s white and hurt. You remember the Indian Luella’s Pa tried to sell her to? He brought the woman for Luella to take care of. I think she was a captive.” Heath said. He hated being outside of the wagon. He wanted to know what was going on.
“How hurt is she? Was it that Eagle Nest fella? Has he been following us? Did you see any other Indians?” He fired the questions off without giving Heath time to respond. Then he waved an agitated hand through the air. “We’d best double the guard.”
“He was alone. He was trying to get the woman to safety and away from the tribe. He left as soon as she was in my arms. He thinks a lot of Luella.”
The captain relaxed his shoulders and nodded. “To be safe we’ll double the guards. I’ll just tell you how it is with female captives. Other females don’t want to be tainted by them. They all claim they would have killed themselves rather than live with Indians. It’ll be a hard road for the poor gal. You get permission from Harrison to have her in his wagon and it’s fine by me that she travel with us.”
“Thanks Captain.”
“Everyone will know before the sun is up.” He tilted his head in Eddie’s direction.
Heath nodded. “The same thing occurred to me. I’ll protect her.”
Captain London gave Heath a long look before he nodded. “I’ll leave her in your capable hands.”
Heath watched him leave. Then he hurried and poured the heated water into a basin for Luella. “How is she?”
“Her injuries will heal. It’s her mind I’m worried about, but maybe it’s too soon. She’s terrified, even of me. She was tortured.” She took the offered basin and went back to the girl.
Heath sat next to Declan who had just come back with more wood for the fire. “Have you ever seen the likes?”
Declan nodded his head. “People coming out of English prisons. The women especially were broken shells of who they’d been. Some were able to heal but they were never the same. The inhumane treatment, the vermin and the shame was too much for some. I’ve seen people walk away from their families never to be heard of again. I heard one woman say the best thing to do was to let them be. Allow them to make the decision if they want to talk about it or not and don’t push them to do anything. I suspect this is much the same, well, probably worse.”
“Did you know that Eagle Nest is really Swift Eagle?”
Declan laughed. “Of course I knew. Do you think Luella would allow me to call him by the wrong name? He gave her an eagle feather, you know, which is a great honor. Feathers are earned, not just given. My wife is quite a woman.”
“You were fortunate, indeed, on that. You both looked happy tonight.”
“We have finally decided that we will build a future together—with you and Zander of course. Where is Zander?”
Heath shrugged his shoulders. “I saw him earlier and he mentioned one of the Turney girls.”
“Which one? There’s the oldest, Mona, then Jane and the youngest Cindy. But the oldest can’t be more than fifteen years old. He’d best be respectful and keep his hands to himself.” Declan shook his head.
“Speak of the devil,” Heath remarked, and then he chuckled. “Looks like he’s limping.”
Zander sat by the fire, heated anger emanating from him. “That Eagle Nest is on my list of people who need to be taught a lesson. He clocked me from behind and then he tied me up. I finally got loose and expected to see you all dead.”
“He brought an injured girl to Luella. I guess he didn’t have time to explain it to you,” Declan said.
Heath nodded. “If he hadn’t wanted you to be able to untie yourself he would have tied you tighter. And his name is Swift Eagle.”
“He didn’t bring any of his tribe with him?”
“No, he just dropped off a white girl,” Declan said, shaking his head. “Luella is tending to her now, but it’ll be a long road for the poor lass.”
“I thought you were supposed to kill yourself if Indians caught you. I’ve heard that advice often. What kind of future will she have? Not a good one I can tell you that,” Zander spouted.
“Think about it, Zander,” Heath said with a flash of irritation. “First, it is against our religion to commit suicide but if it wasn’t and you were captured would you just kill yourself? We’ve survived more than most, and my life will not be taken by my own hand. Plus I’m thinking they won’t be providing you with the means to kill yourself. We’re not able to talk to those who did kill themselves to know if they regret their decision”
Declan laughed. “No, they aren’t, are they?”
Declan stood and lifted his wife down from the wagon. “How’s she feeling?”
She put the dirty cloths and towels into the washtub and poured the rest of the hot water on them. Then she filled the pot again and put more water on to heat. She sat and sighed. “She doesn’t have any broken bones. She had enough cuts that I need to see if I can find some comfrey in the morning. She’s asleep, but I’m going to make willow bark tea for the pain. There are new bruises on top of old bruises and there are probably older ones under those. Her name is Dawn. From what I can gather her family lived in a settlement. They were attacked, and she and six others were taken. Her baby and husband were killed. She has no one. I bet once the swelling goes down she’ll be very lovely.” Luella met Declan’s gaze and something unspoken passed between them. “No male is to approach her. I’ll talk to Cora, and I think between the two of us we’ll heal her wounds, but she’s trembling and can’t seem to stop. I’d appreciate it if everyone showed her kindness even when talking about her.” She glanced left and frowned. “Eddie’s been watching us? I’m hoping everyone on the train will treat her with the respect she deserves but I’ve heard what people say, and it’ll get ugly.”
She sighed and poured herself a cup of coffee. “Zander, are you all right?”
“Your Indian beau clocked me and tied me up.”
“At least he didn’t kill you.” She sat down. “I’m going to take a break and then get breakfast going.”
“We can cook for ourselves,” Declan told her. “I’ll help you rinse out those clothes and then I’m tucking you in for a few hours of sleep. Cora will be up soon.
She’d probably be happy to help.”
* * *
Dawn’s eyelids fluttered, but only one cracked open to let in a bit of light. Her other eye was swollen shut. She needed to stay awake. Who knew what these strangers would do to her? The woman seemed nice. Luella, what a pretty name. There was compassion in her eyes, not the horror Dawn had expected.
She must be a frightening sight to all the white people. Her body ached from the beating and the fall. The ride here hadn’t helped, but Swift Eagle was very kind and very gentle. He seemed anxious to see his friend Luella. And he had been right to want to see her. There was kindness in her. A kindness for which Dawn was truly grateful.
Had Luella cringed when she’d seen Dawn’s body? It was marked, scarred, and burned. The Lakota Indians had entertained themselves watching Kills Many torture her. Her heart hurt for those she’d lost and never had a chance to mourn. Almost every moment of her time with the Lakota she was kept busy. Perhaps that had been just as well, since thinking about what happened at the settlement where she had lived was too atrocious.
There had been times when she thought she’d lose her mind completely. It happened to captives; they couldn’t deal with what happened and then they weren’t right in the head. Eventually they became too much trouble and they were killed.
She’d had to encase her heart to preserve her sanity. There had been a few white people who acclimated to the way of life of the Sioux. The children were mostly adopted by families. The adults’ fate was always something that could change at any time. She’d been given to Kills Many’s wife, Dancing Girl.
Another woman climbed into the wagon and Dawn began to shake. Her breaths came in short gasps as emotions threatened to overwhelm her. She needed to concentrate on what was happening now.
“I’m Cora, Dawn,” she said in a soft tone. “Luella and I are friends. I came to see to your wounds. I have an ointment I made from comfrey.”
Dawn nodded, unable to speak past the fear swelling in her throat.
“Good, you know of it. I know you had willow bark tea but I do have laudanum if you need it.”
Sullivan: Cowboy Protector: The Kavanagh Brothers Book 4 Page 14
