by Rita Hestand
"Then I wouldn't have believed it possible. Although," she paused to remember. "I thought you most handsome person I'd ever seen."
He stared into her eyes. "But it is the truth. For when I laid eyes on you, something turned over in my heart. I knew I must have you. I just didn't know how to handle things. We may have wasted time together, but we know each other well because of it, my love."
The next day he went to talk to Big Hand.
"You look troubled Red Elk, what is wrong?" Big Hand asked him, seeing his furrowed brow.
"I have had a vision. Someone will come after Naomi, I don't know when, but I do know they will."
"Do you know who?"
"Not for sure. But I know of only one person with that much hate."
"Naomi will stay with Chosen One. She can hide her if they come."
"Yes, but they will find her, that I know. I have taught her all she needs to know. I've prepared her in every way. But I fear for her life. And she may already be with child."
Big Hand smiled, "You've been busy, my brother."
"Yes, I have." Red Elk smiled proudly. "Thanks for all your well-meaning advice. I am glad you are my friend, as I listen to you."
"It is good. And your teaching her how to protect herself is good too."
"She'll need it, of that I am sure."
"Do you know why they are coming after her?"
"Yes…"
"Well…?"
"It's Painted Dove. I don't know where she is, but she's jealous, and means to be rid of her."
"By all that is holy, you should have killed her."
"Yes, I should have. I know that now. She has a very black soul. The spirits showed me a black soul that moves to do her harm."
"What do you intend to do about it?"
"Find her and find out what she has planned. Will you help me?"
"Yes, I will. But I might break her pretty little neck if I find her." Big Hand threatened.
"Not until you know what she has planned, and who else might be involved in her scheme. She will create a problem for our tribe, exposing Naomi like this."
"Does she want you back?"
"No, she wants revenge for me exposing her." Red Elk told him. "By hurting Naomi, she hurts me, as well. She knows this, as when she kissed me, I did not respond. No one would understand this, but when she kissed me in front of everyone, I stilled my lips and refused to play her game. She felt this and was insulted from it. But I never dreamed she would take it out on Naomi."
"She would have you if you let her."
"I do not want her Big Hand. By all that is holy, I only want one woman in my wickiup, and that is Naomi. She is the treasure I have sought for so long. But I have realized exactly what Painted Dove is. Right now, she's trouble, to all of us. Do you have any idea where the Comanche encampment is?"
"No, she's been here so long, they could be anywhere. And she could have simply gone to a fort or town and enlisted some rangy men to do her dirty work for her. I know she will find her tribe, but I do not believe they will allow her back into it. They know her better than we do."
"This is true too."
"The Confederate General is coming to Tucson, we might start looking there. Will you go with me tomorrow?"
"Yes, I'll be up early. If we can stop her before she does this, it will save our camp."
"I only hope it isn't the soldiers she has gone to."
"Why, wouldn’t that be better, since some of them know you?"
"I don't know. They find I've married a white woman, it could go very badly. I have figured out how to get around this, as I will tell them she is a breed. She could pass for one, of that I am sure."
"Then we must stop Painted Dove before she does any more damage." Big Hand nodded.
"I agree. I'll see you in the morning. Tell Chosen One that when we leave Naomi will stay with her, and that she must try to hide her if anyone comes to this camp."
"I will."
Red Elk looked into his friends' eyes. "Kindness was not enough. I should have known better. She has shown her evil heart to me. Her heart is black, Big Hand."
"We will find her."
"I hope so. Oh, and don't tell Naomi this, as it will upset her more. She's already petrified."
Big Hand nodded.
Chapter Twenty-One
The next day Big Hand and Red Elk set out for Tucson. It was a long ride, and the dust storm kicked up to make it miserable. The wind was much colder now, and they wrapped their heads to protect themselves from the elements.
They held up in a cave until it passed. Four riders rode up to them.
They seemed to study them before saying anything "Who's your friend?" they asked arrogantly.
Red Elk realized they thought him white and saw Big Hand was an Indian. "He's a friend."
The men all looked at each other, their faces registering surprise.
"You headed for Tucson?"
"Yes, we are."
"Are you joining Colonel Baker's outfit?" One of them asked, he was a young fella and eyed them sharply.
"No, we aren't joining anything. He's not there yet, anyway, is he?"
"No, but he will be."
They made a fire and had some coffee and offered Red Elk and Big Hand a cup.
Red Elk couldn't refuse the coffee, it was his weakness.
"You got business there?" The oldest man of the bunch asked.
"We're looking for someone."
"Oh yeah, who?" the third one looked very skeptical.
"A girl… " Big Hand told them.
Red Elk saw their smiles then Red Elk explained, "She ran off from his tribe and we are trying to find her."
"A squaw?" one of the men narrowed his gaze on them.
"That's right."
"You always run around with bucks, sunny?" the oldest man chuckled.
"We grew up together." Red Elk answered.
"Well, we ain't too fond of Indians." The young one told them. The oldest man shot him a look of disdain and he changed his attitude. "But we got other things to worry about."
"Yeah," another man came up to them now and looked from Red Elk to Big Hand. "We heard there's a bunch of Union soldiers headed this way from California. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"
"California? No, we wouldn't." Red Elk met his stare head on. "They are Union soldiers?"
"Well, they are supposed to be, but you never know that far west they might be volunteers. I heard they were a bunch of damned Mormons."
Red Elk looked them over, the young one wasn't over seventeen, the old one was nearing sixty, and the other two were well seasoned cowboys that used their guns as much as their mouths. "I didn't think they believed in killing."
"Mister since the war started, everybody believes in killing. But…" he paused to consider. "You'd think they'd stay home and take care of all them wives, wouldn't you?"
A round of laughter lightened the mood of everyone.
"That's the truth I heard tell that Ole Brigham Young had over twenty wives." Red Elk nodded.
The oldest one hollered out, "Twenty, you'd think one wife would be enough for any man, wouldn't you?"
"It would seem." Red Elk replied.
"What's your names?" the oldest man asked. "I'm Luke and this is Big Hand."
"I'm Melvin, that kid over there with the mouth is Leroy, Paul, and Gabe."
"Pleased to know you." Red Elk told them.
"I don't trust these guys, Melvin." Leroy shouted.
"Leave them alone Leroy, they ain't with them. They probably don't know what the war between the states is all about."
The men saw the storm letting up and prepared to leave. The youngest man didn't seem to want to leave but he eyed them and turned to go.
After they were sure they were gone Big Hand looked at Red Elk. "They thought we were Union soldiers?"
"No Union scouts."
"This big war is sure making everyone jumpy."
"Yes, we have to be careful what
we say and how we say it." Red Elk told him. "I used my white name because they thought me a white. Sometimes it comes in handy." Red Elk laughed.
"The least little thing can set a body off these days. I'm sure glad Naomi cut your hair, or we might have had a fight on our hands."
"She is a wise woman." Red Elk smiled. "She thought it would make me more white looking, she was right."
"Well, it worked." Big Hand smiled.
Tucson was a bustling town and some Confederates were there, but the General hadn't arrived yet. They went about asking for any sign of Painted Dove, describing her to bartenders and even the Sheriff.
No one had seen her, so they went in all the stores and saloons in town. There was no sign of her.
They went to a café bought a couple of ham sandwiches and took them with them as Indians were not allowed inside the café.
They walked all over the town though, making sure she was not there. "Maybe we should check out Camp Tucson."
"Good idea, it isn't that far from here."
They rode on out.
Sighing heavily, they stopped just outside of town to eat and drink their water from their canteens. "Well, you really want to go to Camp Tucson?"
"Why not?"
"What would you tell your friends there?"
"I don't know. Let's go on home, it's getting late. I don't want to worry Naomi. I will go into Camp Tucson and see if she is there tomorrow."
"Do you want me to go with you?"
"No, I don't want to alarm Naomi by being gone long. And she'll worry if we are both gone."
Big Hand nodded. "Did Painted Dove really love you? Maybe I don't have the right to ask you this, but her actions are a bit on the strange side. Is that why she's doing this?"
"Painted Dove is incapable of true love, Big Hand. This I know is fact. I took her for a means of having a child. I was wrong to do so. I was wrong about many things, as you well know. She has no heart. She uses men for her pleasure, that is all. I mean she was upset that I told her she couldn't come back to me after Naomi came, but she had plenty of partners. Bear Foot, my cousin and I don't know how many others."
"She had quite an appetite, didn't she?"
"Yes, her child was not mine Big Hand." He looked at his friend. "I hadn't touched her in five months. So, I know this is true."
"I know that. Chosen One told me she had slept with half the camp. What happened between you to bring it to a stop?"
Red Elk smiled. "I caught her with my cousin. My cousin, Blue Sky. He's barely a man. It turned my stomach. I suspected for a time. After she was so careless to be caught and so insistent to have as many men as she could, I told her no more. That was before Naomi came. But when I laid eyes on Naomi, I knew I wanted her as my own. However, I remembered my father's words of being careful with a white woman. Naturally, Painted Dove saw my feelings for Naomi. Too bad Naomi didn't. Painted Dove didn't like it. I think she thought me blind to her antics. I tried to be kind to Painted Dove because she looked upon me as a man, not red not white, but a man."
"Why then is she so jealous?"
"She's a Comanche for one thing. You know as well as I how they are. Especially the women. Naomi said the women there taunted her every day. They like to exact revenge. There is nothing meaner than a Comanche woman, ask Naomi, they treated her like dirt in their tribe. She obviously blames Naomi for everything that has happened to her. If we do find her, be careful, she's good with a knife."
"How do you know this?"
Red Elk chuckled. "When I told her there would be no more with me, she stabbed me." He told him.
"She is a wicked little winch, is she not?"
"Yes, don't tell Naomi though. She cut me under the arm."
"Do you think we'll catch her red-handed?"
"Maybe, she's not clever about hiding things long. And, I figure, she's probably offering them sex, for doing it for her. But she won't show her face here. Bare Foot might kill her if she did. He really has it in for her, and this time I do not feel sorry for her."
"That's true. He doesn't put up with much from his women."
"Perhaps we should inform him about her."
"You can do that for me tomorrow. He might be able to stop it before things get out of hand. He'll do what has to be done, that much I know. He does not fool around. He will act, I'm sure of it."
"Alright, I will talk to him."
"Good."
"What happens if she's not at the fort?"
"I don't know," Red Elk stretched his legs and yawned. "I guess we'll have to catch whoever takes her and find out where she is. Because she won't stop until she gets her revenge. I figure when she left, she went to find her people. I don't know whether she found them or not, but I doubt they will want her back. So that means she'll need a man to support her or she'll take a job somewhere to keep going."
"That is true too." Big Hand nodded, finishing his second sandwich. "I can't imagine her without a man."
Red Elk snickered. "If she went to Camp Tucson it could be more dangerous for us. They will think I broke the treaty, if she tells them about Naomi. I have some plans for later and if she does that it could mess them up. Fortunately, they don't have many soldiers there to do much about it. I have thought of this often since taking Naomi as my bride. I could tell the people that she too is a breed. They would not be able to tell, with her dark hair, and they couldn't prove it, even if they didn't believe it."
"At least that is in our favor. Who would think a pint-sized woman like Painted Dove could cause so much trouble."
"You are right, I should have handled her differently. But maybe you can understand this, I am a breed, and the tribe does not look upon me as much. So, I have more sympathy for people in trouble and in need. Most of the women would not have me. She was my slave and I thought if I treated her right, she would do right by me. Little did I know. I should have realized that a Comanche could not take being banished well. I just didn't think she'd take it out on Naomi." Red Elk got up off the ground and walked about, staring out at the vast desert, and the mountains in the distance.
"Are you ready to ride?"
"Yes, we'll be late getting back, let's get going." Red Elk agreed.
It was dark when they got back to camp. They were dusty and tired.
Naomi saw how dirty he was and nearly laughed. "My husband needs a bath."
"I should have gone to the creek first." He smiled and kissed her lips.
She felt the grit on his face when she tiptoed to kiss him on the cheek. "Maybe we should both go to the creek." She smiled sexily at him.
His eyes glittered, "That's sounds promising." His quick glance raked her.
She took his hand and led him out.
When they got to the creek the sun was going down and the sunset left a glow on the water. He stared at her, holding her close.
He lifted her dress and she took away his breechcloth and leggings.
They got in and he held her close as they kissed in the water.
She shivered a little. "It's chilly tonight."
"A little but stay here in my arms and I will warm you."
She chuckled. "I hadn't planned on going anywhere."
He scrubbed her down with the soap, then she did him. They hugged and kissed and suddenly he was inside her, and she swooned. "Now I have you where I wanted you," she teased with a smile. "I am shameless, I want you all the time now… " she whispered softly.
"Do you?" he smiled. "Then we are of like mind, for I too think of you all the time in my arms."
His words ignited a fire in her. "I'm glad it's mutual. I have missed you today." She kissed him now with a fever.
He lifted her up, kissing her breasts. She bent backwards so he could have all he wanted of her. Her legs went around his waist and holding him tightly to her. He thrust himself deeper and she moaned the extreme pleasure it brought her. The orgasm came quickly as their hearts were in unison. To love and be loved was the only thing they sought.
Her mo
uth opened slightly when the sensations surrounded them, and he stared at her. "You are the most beautiful creature I have ever known… to look upon you at this moment, is to see heaven."
"Your words make this moment between us so special…" she cried, her eyes opening to look at him.
"You are my woman, forever." He smiled sexily at her.
"Y-yes…" she cried as he plunged himself a bit deeper and she sighed with such a contentment.
"I will never tire of making love with you." he whispered. "You are a good wife," he chuckled and kissed her solidly on the lips. As he withdrew, he washed himself and hugged her.
It got suddenly cooler and Red Elk looked at the sky. "It is a norther coming in. We better get back."
She nodded.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Two days before the next gun run, Red Elk took her to a small pool of water in the edges of the mountains. It was beautiful there, and very secluded. The sun hitting the rocks made for many colors of red, orange and yellows. There was no one around for miles. The rocks of the mountain created an oasis, and there was a small waterfall where the water ran off the rocks of the mountain. He cupped her face and stared into her star lit eyes, "When we wed, we had no honeymoon. No oneness, now we will have that time. Time to express our feelings, time to become as one. Time to be alone with each other, to talk, to love, and to relax."
His glance slid seductively over her like a soft caress of a feather. He licked his lips. A sexy smile lit his lips, as his eyes glittered with passion.
He brushed her lips softly, feeling the heat rising between them, as her mouth opened slightly for him. He stared down at her, smiling, as he continued his exploration. This time his tongue swept inside the warmth of her mouth, mating with hers. She moaned, he sighed with the pleasure. Her arms went around his neck, pulling him down to her, as the kiss melted between them.
"I am almost afraid to be this happy," she cried.
He wrapped his hands in her hair, pulling his fingers through it, then tugging her toward him he pulled her head back and breathed softly against her neck. "I want you with a hunger, but I must temper it, and be gentle." He whispered. "Sometimes it is hard to control what the heart wants."
