*****
Daniel had never experienced fear such as this before. He recalled being frightened as a child plenty of times, but blinding fear for another person as what he felt when he saw Aimee in the river was an emotion completely foreign to him. He wanted to throttle her in anger when she thrust the child into his arms and pushed herself away from him in the water. He had been left with no choice but to get the boy to shore, then returned for the brave little woman who he knew was losing her battle with the churning river.
He watched in wonder alongside the Tukudeka as she seemingly breathed her life force into the boy’s body. He had no explanation for what he was seeing. Who was this woman? This was the second time he had witnessed her bring someone back from the brink of death. He had never bought into the superstitions of the people who had raised him, but in this moment, he found himself wondering if magic and supernatural forces did actually exist. Right now, those were the only explanations he had for what he had witnessed. Would that explain how she ended up in these mountains, and how she had survived on that ledge?
He carried Aimee inside his cabin. Magic or not, she was as real and soft as any other woman, one he had come to care for more than he wanted to admit. He didn’t want to let her go as he gently laid her on his bunk. Exhaustion had overtaken her and she had fallen asleep. Quickly, he started a fire in the hearth. He had to get her out of her wet clothing, even though she would probably be furious with him when she woke.
There were no buttons or strings to undo on her shirt. Awkwardly, he pulled it over her head. He shook his own head in the process, and contemplated her odd clothing again, even though he was used to them by now. Her pants were another dilemma. There were no thongs that held them together at her waist, and he fumbled with the strange button. When he finally had that undone, he still had to pull and tug to get the britches past her hips. In frustration, he thought to just cut the cursed things off her, but thought better of it. Aimee stirred at his none too gentle treatment, and he strained to hear her murmur, “just undo the damn zipper.” She weakly reached for the zipper and pulled it open before wriggling out of the pants herself.
He had no idea how to remove the contraption at her breasts, and he wasn’t going to try. He quickly pulled some blankets and furs over her, cursing himself for staring at her near-naked form. He gently brushed some strands of wet hair out of her face as he leaned over her. Slowly, he lowered his head and brushed his lips over hers for a feather light kiss, his hand caressing her cheek. Molten heat coursed through his veins and he quickly pulled back.
“My brave little gediki,” he whispered on a smile. He tore his eyes off her sleeping face to rummage through the trunk under his bed for a dry shirt for himself.
His cabin door slowly opened, and his foster mother, Gentle Sun, and Elk Runner’s wife Little Bird entered quietly. Another woman was with them as well. Daniel recognized her as the mother of the drowned boy.
“We will tend to your woman.” Gentle Sun strolled past Daniel, pushing him aside, mindless that he was nearly twice as tall as she.
His woman. If only it were true.
“Go now. Elk Runner and some of the other hunters are going to bring back fresh meat. It has been decided there will be a hunt and celebration in honor of Dosa haiwi and her bravery. The spirits have sent her here to you, and she has been a blessing to the people as well.”
Daniel bowed his head to his mother in respect, not saying a word. He didn’t want to leave Aimee’s side, but he would not disobey the old woman’s authority. With one more glance at the sleeping woman in his bed, he grabbed his rifle and left the cabin.
*****
The men returned from a successful hunt late in the afternoon. The elk would feed the entire group this night. Talk around the camp was only of Aimee and her bravery for jumping into the river to rescue the child, and the magic some had witnessed when she brought him back to life. Daniel played along good-naturedly with the men who teased him about the powerful woman he had chosen as his wife. He was thankful that Elk Runner kept his mouth shut and didn’t reveal the truth of the matter to anyone. Aimee would no doubt have a dozen suitors by night’s end if they knew he had no claim to her. As it was, that Absaroka warrior had already tried to barter for her.
He was anxious to see if Aimee was alright. He hadn’t wanted to leave in the first place. If she was awake, she couldn’t communicate with anyone. She might need him.
The sound of her voice and jovial laughter carried to his ears as he approached his cabin, and it set his heart racing with joy. The urge to see her overwhelmed him as he opened the door. Immediately, the women’s chatter died as he entered.
“My son, I have taught you better manners than to enter a woman’s lodge unannounced.” Gentle Sun’s firm voice assaulted him.
Woman’s lodge? What the hell. This was still his cabin.
His gaze drifted from his foster mother to the bunk where he had left Aimee hours before. She sat between Little Bird and the other woman, while Gentle Sun stood at the hearth. The breath left his lungs at the sight before him. Aimee raised her eyes slowly to meet his, a soft smile on her face. The baby on her lap caught his attention. He cooed and gurgled as she held him in a sitting position. Then his eyes fell on the deerskin dress she wore. The two women on either side of her braided and adorned her hair with shells and feathers.
He had never seen anything as beautiful as the fair skinned, fair-haired woman on his bunk. He knew her curves all too well from her unusual white man’s clothing. Seeing her in that dress, however, raised his awareness of her femininity to even greater heights than he cared to experience, especially since three glaring women confronted him at the moment.
“The mighty fearless hunter is left speechless by his woman’s beauty,” Little Bird remarked, laughter in her voice.
“His eyes will drop out of his head if he keeps looking at her like that,” the other woman chimed in.
“Mother, you will no doubt be a grandmother again very soon,” Little Bird motioned with her head to Gentle Sun. “If we leave them alone now, White Wolf might not let her join the celebration tonight.”
“It would be about time my other son gifted me with some grandchildren,” Gentle Sun croaked.
The women all laughed in unison. Aimee’s head turned from one to the other before meeting his eyes again.
Daniel cleared his throat, annoyed by the women’s teasing. Irrationally, he was irritated by their presence. Aimee appeared to be getting along just fine without him. He wanted to be the one she came to for support, yet there she was, sitting with the other women, having an apparently good time. His sister-in-law had read him correctly, though. At the moment, he could think of nothing he wanted to do more than sweep Aimee into his arms and truly claim her as his.
“You are well?” he managed to ask.
“Yes, your family has been wonderful,” Aimee replied softly. Her complete acceptance of these people made his heart swell, and he was overrun with an overwhelming desire for her. He gave a quick nod, then turned and left the cabin before his body betrayed his thoughts, which would only give the women more fuel for their jokes.
The women soon emerged from the cabin to help with preparations for the celebratory feast. Aimee stayed alongside Little Bird, watching her grind nuts and berries, helping make cakes, and slicing meat to hang over cooking fires and in pits that were dug into the ground.
Daniel watched her from afar, trying in vain to conceal the hunger in his eyes. He noticed none of the disdain against the Indians that he had encountered from whites back east. She was genuinely warm and friendly with these people who were like family to him. She obviously loved children. He watched her play games with the younger ones, and each time he saw her with Elk Runner’s infant in her arms, a new wave of desire spread through him.
He tried not to think about what it would be like to see her holding a child, their child, in her arms. That could never happen. His white mother had died in this wilderness, gi
ving birth to him. Once again, he reminded himself that no matter how she dressed, or her abilities on the trail, Aimee was still a white woman. Like a beautiful spring flower, she would wither and die in these mountains. Neither lasted long in this harsh environment.
*****
The people broke camp early the next morning. Aimee and Daniel stood by as the group prepared to depart. Aimee gave Gentle Sun and Little Bird a warm hug in farewell.
“I wish I understood their language, and could speak with them,” she said when they were once again alone. “I think I did learn a few words, though, Dosa bia’isa.” She glanced up at him expectantly. Daniel gave her a surprised look.
“I know that’s what they call you, and they call me Dosa haiwi, although I don’t know what these words mean.”
Daniel smiled. “To the Tukudeka, I am known as White Wolf, and Elk Runner gave you the name White Dove. But I prefer to call you gediki.”
“Meaning?”
“It refers to a wild cat.” Daniel’s look dared her to have a sharp comeback. She had none. His little nickname gave her the warm fuzzies all over even as she wondered if being referred to a wild cat was flattering or not.
“Well, I . . . ah, think I’d better change out of this dress and back into my practical clothes.” She didn’t know what to say and quickly made for the cabin, leaving Daniel to stare after her.
Chapter 14
Several days later, Aimee knelt at the banks of the river, a big pile of clothing next to her. She dipped her shirts and pants in the water, and sparingly dribbled some soap on them, then rubbed the fabric together vigorously to scrub everything clean. She’d grabbed several of Daniel’s shirts as well. Inspecting the garments, she wished she had some thread and needles to patch up some of the holes in them.
Aimee glanced up to see Daniel returning from one of his forays, running hard. He stopped in front of the cabin, and waved her to him. The urgent look on his face startled her, and she rushed to his side.
“What is it?” she asked anxiously.
“Bring your wash,” he commanded.
Aimee headed back to the river to retrieve the pile of wet clothes, pondering his distressed behavior.
“Stay in the cabin, and don’t make a sound to give away your presence,” Daniel said when she returned. His voice had an edge to it, and his body looked tense. “Do not come out until I come for you.”
“Why, what is it?” The insistence in his voice made her nervous.
“Do as I tell you for once. Give me your word that you won’t leave this cabin for any reason until I get you,” he repeated.
“Daniel, I don’t understand why . . . ”
“Your word!” he growled impatiently. “Or I will bind you to your bed and gag you.”
“Okay, fine. I’ll stay put,” she said in exasperation. He gave her a long hard stare before practically shoving her inside and closing the door. Why didn’t he just tell her what this was about?
She paced nervously, then sat on the bed, listening. Was it Blackfoot? If they were being attacked, Daniel should be in the cabin to take cover with her, rather than facing them out there alone.
Outside, the rhythmic thud of an ax repeatedly striking wood carried into the cabin. He’s chopping wood? What the heck is going on? She left the bed. Her hand was on the door handle, when she heard a strange voice call out “hello the camp.” She recognized a French accent. Overcome with curiosity, she clenched her fists at her side, and sat on her bed to stay away from the window. She lay down, and stared at the ceiling, trying to listen. Why was Daniel hiding her away from visitors? He didn’t hide her from the Indians.
*****
Outside, Daniel stood by the woodpile, swinging his ax and splitting logs. His rifle was propped up within easy reach against the chopping block. A voice called out from behind, and he turned. Two white trappers rode their horses into the yard.
He had stumbled across their tracks earlier in the day, following them for half the morning. When it became obvious they were heading for his cabin, he had cut through the forest to head them off. Until he knew who he was dealing with, he had to keep Aimee hidden away. He couldn’t take the chance of them finding out about her. Perhaps he should have tied her up. She never listened to him. He didn’t want to think about what might happen if these men saw her. He knew he wouldn’t hesitate to spill their blood to keep her safe.
Daniel walked out to meet the men. He called a greeting to each one of them in turn.
“Daniel Osborne, it has been a long time,” one of the men said with a thick French accent, shaking his hand heartily. Without being invited, he dismounted his horse. The other man did the same. “You are well?”
“I am well Francoise,” Daniel replied. “How are you, my friend?"
“Very well, very well,” the Frenchman smiled brightly, exposing stained teeth. “How is your father? We did not see him last month in St Louis.”
“Oh? You must have crossed paths. Presumably he is still there. He doesn’t like to admit it to me, but I believe as he is getting older he prefers city life to the mountains. Something he always swore would never happen.” They all laughed. The three men slipped into conversation that was a mixture of French and English.
“He is more likely enjoying the company of the ladies,” Francoise stroked his goatee knowingly. “That is something sorely lacking up here. The Shoshoni do not like to share their women. The Absaroka, on the other hand,” he smiled, showing more of his rotten teeth, “they will accommodate any visitor with a woman for the night. The unfortunate thing is, they won’t let you take one with you. A man gets pretty lonely up here, especially in the winter. A woman to keep the bed warm at night would be nice.”
Daniel cursed inwardly.
“Word in the mountains is that you have taken a wife, Daniel,” Françoise smiled.
“Who told you that?” Daniel felt an overwhelming urge to hit something, or someone.
“We met a group of Absaroka two days ago, and heard the most curious story,” Françoise said, rubbing his chin some more. “One of them said you had taken a wife. And not just any woman, but a white woman.”
Daniel wanted to kill that damn Absaroka for having such a loose tongue.
“It is about time that a young man such as yourself takes a wife. It is not good to live such a solitary life. I remember when I was your age, I sometimes serviced two or three women in one night.” He and his companion slapped each other on the back, laughing. “I’m not sure I could do that anymore, heh, Pierre.”
“Sit and have some coffee,” Daniel said, trying to hide his growing annoyance. He gripped his ax handle with more force than necessary, and motioned to the coffee pot on the tripod over the fire pit.
“Thank you for your hospitality, Daniel” The man named Pierre said, and poured himself some coffee. The three sat down around the fire.
“So, is it true?” Pierre asked, his eyes darting around the yard.
“I have taken a wife, yes,” Daniel conceded. He had to think fast. This was a complication he wasn’t prepared for.
“Where did you find a white woman, Daniel?”
“I traded her from a riverman up on the Missouri,” he lied smoothly.
“It would have been wiser to marry a Shoshoni, Daniel. You are practically one of them.”
“If you tire of her, we will take her off your hands,” Pierre offered. “I’m sure we can make good use of her, heh, Françoise?” They laughed again. “Where is she? Let’s have a look at her.” Both Frenchmen looked around.
“My wife,” Daniel said slowly in a cold, quiet voice, “is none of your concern. And if you speak of her again in an insulting manner, you won’t walk away from here alive.”
“We meant no disrespect,” Françoise laughed nervously and waved a hand in defense. “A woman of beauty is rare to behold in these mountains, and we only wished to make your bride’s acquaintance.”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed as he nodded. He tried not to let the tension s
how on his face. His muscles were coiled tight as a snake ready to strike. He would have loved nothing better than to beat these men into the ground.
After exchanging nervous glances, the two Frenchmen quickly changed the subject, talking about good beaver trapping areas, the growing demand for fur in the east and across the ocean, and mutual acquaintances. Finally, they said their farewells.
“Give our regards to your father, Daniel, and perhaps we can meet your bride next time,” Francoise said, waving as they mounted their horses and rode on. Daniel kept his eyes on them until they disappeared into the forest. Then he went to his cabin. When he opened the door, Aimee bolted upright from her prone position on the bed.
“That was quite a story you told those men,” was the first thing out of her mouth. “Since when am I your wife?”
“If you understood that, surely you heard them talking about what they would like to do to you,” Daniel said with disgust.
“You really think they were going to just jump me?” Aimee persisted.
“Believe me, you don’t want to meet men like those two.” Daniel gave her a hard stare. “And I didn’t wish to kill two men because of you today.” He ran his hands through his hair and began pacing the small cabin like a caged animal.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“What will it take to convince you?” Daniel whirled around and snarled at her. “Animals like that have only one thing on their minds when they see a woman. And one look at you would make them behave like bull elk during the fall rut. Is that what you want? To have them leering at you with nothing on their minds but you on the ground on your back?” He turned abruptly and stormed out. He had to get his emotions under control. The thought of what men like that would do if they laid eyes on a beautiful woman like Aimee made his blood boil.
“Hey, no need to get so worked up. They’re gone now,” Aimee said from behind him a moment later. He turned to face her.
Yellowstone Heart Song Page 15
