Silken Savage
Page 11
Her sharp ears counted the hooves of three horses. Adjusting her quiver, she stepped out of the shelter. There was no sense hiding and being trapped like a bird in a cage.
Two men had entered her clearing, leading a pack mule. They looked to be traders or miners. Whichever, they had a rough, shifty appearance to them. Both sported shaggy hair and unkempt beards. Their clothing was so dirty Tanya was sure one good washing would leave them in shreds. Both had their rifles in hand and ready, though not aimed as yet.
Had they not spotted her immediately, Tanya might have tried to make a run for it and get away on Wheat, but they were looking directly at her as she stepped into the open.
“Ho! What we got here?” the one with the red hair and beard said.
“What do you want?” Tanya asked in English.
“Why, it’s a white squaw, Zeke! How d’ya like that?” Red commented lazily. “Where’s yer man, honey?”
“He and my brother went hunting this morning,” Tanya lied. “At first I thought that’s who you were. I expect them any time.” She had been going to say he was in the lodge, but they would have soon found out that she was alone, so she thought it best to let them believe someone was due soon.
“You here all alone, darlin’?” Red persisted.
“Not for long,” Tanya said. “I wouldn’t get off that horse if I were you,” she warned, bringing up her bow as Red made to dismount.
“Now, that ain’t a friendly way't’ be,” Red complained. “Me an’ Zeke here don’t mean ya no harm. Do we Zeke?”
“Shucks, no!” It was the first Zeke had spoken. “Why, if we was up't’ no good, we’d a shot ya by now. There’s two o’ us.” He nodded his greasy blond head at his partner.
“Just be on your way, then,” Tanya suggested.
“We been travelin’ a long spell,” Red said. “We ain’t ate in quite a while. Wouldn’t mind havin’ a bite o’ somthin’ if ya could spare it.” He eyed her still- simmering stew in plain sight over the fire.
“Take some and go,” Tanya offered, “but don’t get off your horses to do it.”
“Well, I was gonna ask if we could warm up a bit by yer fire. It’s mighty chilly ridin’'t’night, an’ our horses could use a rest. You ain’t afraid o’ us, now are ya?”
“No, but I’m not a fool, either,” she answered.
“Sure wish you’d quit pointin’ that thing, gal,” Zeke commented, eyeing her bow and arrow. “Makes me nervous like.”
“Tell ya what,” Red interrupted. “I’ll jest git a bit o’ that stew while ole Zeke here waters the horses at the stream. That O.K. with you?”
Tanya nodded reluctantly. Maybe they would leave peaceably after that. She didn’t like the idea of being confronted with two men with rifles and pistols. The odds were not in her favor.
“All right, but be quick about it, and keep your hands in plain sight.”
Red dismounted. As he did so, he gave his horse a sharp slap on the flank, and the animal charged straight for Tanya, blocking her view of the two men. By the time the horse had passed, the men were upon her. Tanya reached for her knife and realized she’d left it in the shelter, grabbing only her bow as she’d dressed.
One man Tanya could have handled, but two burly beasts were too much. They quickly had her subdued, one holding her arms pinned behind her back. The other, Zeke, stood before her, his eyes gleaming with lust.
“Looks like we got us a feisty little white squaw, Red. She sure as hell ain’t no white man’s woman dressed like that!”
Red agreed. “I hear tell them Injuns teach their squaws all kind o’ tricks, an’ you an’ me is gonna find out. Laws! It’s been so long since I had me a woman I’m about't’ burst my britches right now!”
Zeke reached out to fondle Tanya’s breast, and she let out a loud shriek of protest. “Lord, where is that fool warrior who’s supposed to be guarding me?” she wondered. “What good is he if I can’t depend on him? There’s been enough commotion here to wake the dead!” Obviously he had been sent to observe, not interfere, or he would have helped her when the cougar attacked. Tanya was on her own.
She changed her tactics as Red forced her to the ground. “Please don’t do this,” she pleaded, turning huge, wounded eyes on him. “You don’t know what it’s been like!”
Red frowned. “Then why didn’t ya run for it when yer Injun left ya alone?” he asked.
“Where could I go?” she countered, crocodile tears creeping down her cheeks. “I don’t know my way out of these hills. Besides, my family’s all been killed, and I don’t know anyone even if I could find a town. Who would help me?” She could see his face softening.
“Me an’ Zeke could take ya along with us if ya was't’ treat us right. You do right by us, an’ we’ll see ya git't’ town an’ git settled. Won’t we, Zeke?”
Zeke grinned lewdly as Tanya’s gaze switched to him. “Sure thing, honey gal. Why, me an’ Red are two o’ the nicest guys ya’d ever want't’ meet.”
“Yeah,” Red agreed. “Now, let’s seal the bargain here an’ now.”
Tanya stiffened as his hand went to his belt buckle, then she forced herself to relax. “Gentlemen,” she said with a sigh, “I was gently raised before I was so brutally kidnapped. Would it be too much to ask for a bit of privacy?”
Red’s face instantly became suspicious. “What kind o’ tricks ya up to, woman? I ain’t ready't’ let ya out o’ my sight.”
“No tricks. I’ll stick by the bargain, but I’d rather it be one at a time, with no one looking on, if you don’t mind. I may not be as innocent as I once was, but one’s modesty does not simply disappear.”
Red and Zeke grinned sheepishly at one another, and Red said, “Yeah, well, I guess I see yer point. Some things ain’t meant't’ be shared, an’ there ain’t no point in feelin’ rushed.”
Tanya nodded. “Precisely.”
Red helped her to her feet and headed her in the direction of the shelter. “You take care o’ the horses, Zeke, an’ git some grub goin’. The way I’m feelin’, this ain’t gonna take long.”
Tanya entered the lodge ahead of him. She bent, swiftly locating her knife, her hand closing over the hilt. She’d stopped so suddenly that Red stumbled into her and fell headlong onto the floor of the hut. Instantly her knife drove through his back. He was dead before he could call out for help.
Zeke was unsaddling the horses when she crept up on him. He had both hands on the saddle and was just lifting it from the horse’s back when he felt the sharp edge of her knife kiss his throat. Immediately he froze.
“This is for my unborn child, who you and your partner would have killed if you had raped me,” she hissed near his ear just before her blade sliced cleanly through his throat. The saddle fell from his lifeless hands and blood gurgled through his severed windpipe as he sank slowly to the ground at her feet.
Sleep being impossible, Tanya strung the two dead men up on the same limb she’d bled the deer from. Then she sat quietly outside her shelter, watching for the dawn. When the sun rose at last, she went to the river to bathe the scent and the touch of the men from her body.
One final time, she softened and stretched the cat skin. At last she lay down on the lush, sun-sweet grass and slept.
At midday, she packed her things and went through the two men’s belongings. There wasn’t much. Each had possessed a rifle, a handgun, a knife, and a horse and saddle. They had only a few dollars between them. Their saddle bags held one change of clothes each, a bit of tobacco and jerky, and a few rounds of ammunition. The pack mule carried a bit more ammunition, plus some salt, flour and coffee, a battered coffeepot, an old skillet, a kettle, and a few utensils. Tanya also found an axe, a shovel, a pick, two extra blankets, two heavy winter coats, and a small bundle of beaver pelts, either gotten in trade or stolen.
Tanya saddled the horses. She cut the bodies down, draped them over the backs of the horses, and tied them there. She would take the bodies back to the Cheyenne village with her,
along with their horses and goods.
Tanya rode all that day and early evening. The next morning she reached the spot where she was to meet the warrior. For a couple of hours she waited, and almost began to think he was not coming, when he finally appeared. It was Dancing Horse, and he made no comment about the bodies or the extra horses.
Together they traveled all that day and most of the next to reach the old winter camp where Tanya had first come to know the Cheyenne life. In the early evening, they rode into the village.
The war party had returned, and Panther was there with Black Kettle to greet her. Black Kettle spoke to Dancing Horse first. “Has she fulfilled the requirements of her test?”
“Yes, my chief.” Dancing Horse added seriously, “There were times I thought she would fail, and others when I felt she might need my help for her safety’s sake, but she did not. She managed on her own through trials we could not have foretold.”
Panther could contain himself no longer. “What is all this?” He gestured to the dead men and their horses.
Tanya answered him simply. “These men rode into my camp on the fifth night. They meant to harm me and our child. I killed them.”
The old chief nodded, his shrewd gaze travelling over her. “Did they harm you? Is that how your dress was torn?”
“I killed them before they could harm me in any way. The dress is another matter.” To Panther she said, “Panther, I must ask for forgiveness. I have slain one of your sacred mountain lions. I must have gone too close to her den, and she attacked me. I had no choice but to kill her or be killed. I searched for her cubs, but failed to find them.” Her eyes searched his dark face. “Does this harden your heart toward me? Do you now wish to withdraw your offer of marriage?”
Panther’s answer was softly spoken, but clear. “It saddens my heart to hear of this, Little Wildcat, but it could not be helped. To have it otherwise would have meant your death, and that of our child. I still desire you for my bride as soon as Chief Black Kettle can arrange it.”
Tanya smiled at last, and Black Kettle stated authoritatively, “Tomorrow we shall have a feast, and Little Wildcat will become my daughter. Then we will discuss the dowry and the bride price. As soon as the terms are met, we will arrange the marriage.”
To Tanya he said, “Go now, and eat and rest. My grandchild must not come to harm. Your horse and baggage will be taken care of.”
As Tanya turned to go, he added, “You will stay in the lodge of Walks-Like-A-Duck for tonight. She will bring what you need from Panther’s tipi.” At her dismayed look, he stated firmly, “I have spoken.”
Tanya gave Panther a grieved, longing-filled look, but knew better than to argue.
* * *
Tanya slept through until morning. Walks-Like-A- Duck had brought her clothes from Panther’s lodge, and Tanya slipped off to the stream to bathe and don fresh garments. She spent part of the day with the other women, helping to harvest ripe vegetables and gather fruits for winter. It felt good to be back. The afternoon hours she used to measure and cut the cougar hide for Panther. Tanya managed to sew the two front sections to the back before it was time to stop and prepare for the evening’s activities. By careful measuring, and because the cat had been so long, she had enough material to fashion a hip-length hooded coat for Panther, using the tail for the belt. There was just enough hide left over to make a purse for herself, one that would hang from her waist. The claws she would string into matching necklaces for herself and Panther. One of the old men of the tribe who specialized in such things would preserve the head for Panther to display on his lodge pole.
Tanya dressed in the decorative doeskin dress she had made for this occasion, and took extra pains with her hair. Just as she was about to join the others, Walks-Like-A-Duck approached her, carrying two familiar scalps; one red and one mousy blonde. This time Tanya took them from her without hesitation, hooking them at her waist. Then she walked proudly through the camp to her place beside Black Kettle.
The atmosphere was festive and charged with excitement. It wasn’t every day a chief adopted a daughter, and a white woman at that. Black Kettle was attired in his most ornate garments this evening; a full headdress adorning his head.
When everyone had gathered, he stood, regal and proud, and gained their attention. His deep, commanding voice rang out. “This night we accept a new member into our tribe. Tonight I gain a daughter to gladden my heart.”
He gestured to Tanya, seated next to him. “Little Wildcat has come to us only recently, but she has proven herself to be brave of heart and courageous of spirit. No longer will we look upon her as a white-eyes, for she has the soul of a Cheyenne. She has earned the right to be called Cheyenne and claim the title of daughter of a chief. From this day forward, she is due the honor and respect of her position.”
He motioned for her to stand and for his wife, Woman-To-Be-Hereafter, to come forward. Black Kettle took an ornate necklace with a pendant in the shape of a large silver disc, and placed it about Tanya’s neck. In an unusual display of affection, he placed his cheek, next to hers. “Welcome, daughter.”
To his wife he said, “Woman, I present your daughter.”
The elderly, but still regal, woman approached Tanya. With great ceremony she placed upon Tanya’s upper arms two decorative silver armbands to match the necklace. Then she, too, placed her cheek against Tanya’s. With tears glistening in her eyes, she said, “My heart overflows with joy this day. Finally I have a child.”
Tanya kissed the weathered cheek. “I am honored to be the daughter of two such wonderful parents.”
This concluded the ceremony, but the festivities had just begun. The drums beat out the news to the tribal world that Black Kettle had a daughter. A great feast had been prepared to honor the occasion, and the games, contests, dancing and revelry went long into the night.
Tanya was overjoyed at having achieved her goal.
Next she would become Panther’s wife and the mother of his child, but in the interim she would be lodging with her new parents. She hoped the preparations for her marriage would be accomplished quickly, for to see Panther and be near him, and not be able to touch him, was agony.
Chapter 8
THE NEXT couple of days Tanya was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. First thing the following morning, Panther met with Black Kettle to discuss Tanya’s bride price. Black Kettle accepted Panther’s offer of thirty ponies. Now preparations were underway for the marriage ceremony.
Woman-To-Be-Hereafter was putting the finishing touches on an elaborately fringed, feather-soft cream-colored doeskin dress for Tanya. It was painstakingly decorated with intricate beadwork. Woman-To-Be-Hereafter had been working on it for weeks.
“It is better to be prepared, just in case,” she told Tanya. “What if I had not started it? My daughter would not have a proper dress for her wedding.”
“What if I had failed the tests?” Tanya asked.
Woman-To-Be-Hereafter shrugged. “You did not.”
Black Kettle presented her with silver discs as decorations for her hair. Panther sent her a beautiful pair of copper earrings, and Woman-To-Be-Hereafter pierced Tanya’s ears so she could wear them. Shy Deer gave her an intricately decorated headband she had made herself, and Walks-Like-A-Duck made her a new pair of beaded moccasins. Tanya sewed her panther-fur purse herself.
Panther, too, was to have a new outfit for his wedding. Shy Deer and Walks-Like-A-Duck were sewing it for him. His shirt and leggings were to be heavily fringed, the shirt and moccasins decoratively beaded. His breechcloth would be elaborately painted. With it he would wear his finest headband and feathers, with silver discs dangling from his braids. He would wear a favorite necklace, armbands, and wristbands to complete the outfit.
Tanya finished the cougar-claw necklace, and sent it to him with the request that he wear it to their wedding, as she would hers. She also finished the cougar-fur coat, for she wished to give it to him as a wedding gift.
When Black Kettle asked Tanya what else she might want as a wedding gift from him and her mother, she asked that he try to buy Melissa from Ugly Otter. “He mistreats her so that I fear for her life,” she told him.
Black Kettle frowned. “You are Cheyenne now. The white slaves are no longer your sisters. It is not right that you should sympathize with them.”
“I would feel sorry for anyone under his hands,” Tanya answered. “He is a cruel man. His own wife and children feel his lash and answer to his anger. Melissa is but a sweet, fragile child. Now she may be with child herself.”
“If she carries Ugly Otter’s child, he may not be willing to sell her,” Black Kettle reasoned.
“It is not certain. Either way, is it necessary to tell him?” Tanya suggested. “I fear what his wife will do if she finds this out, and I don’t see how Melissa or her child can survive many more beatings.”
“What of the other white captives?” Black Kettle asked. “Have you plans for them also?”
“Do not misunderstand, Father,” Tanya explained. “They did not ask to be brought here, but I can do nothing for them. Melissa I ask for because I truly fear for her life. If she belonged to another warrior who did not treat her so badly, I would not ask, but Ugly Otter is an animal; a brutal beast.”
“This is true, but what will you do with the girl?”
“I will take her for a servant. She can help me in our lodge.”
“She will not be much help to you when her stomach gets large and she is awkward and clumsy.”
Tanya laughed. “Perhaps not, but four hands are always better than two, and it will not be for long.”
Black Kettle gave her a thoughtful look. “How will you feel, daughter, when village gossip has this girl carrying Panther’s child? For that is what they will think.”