Oregon Disaster: Trail of Hearts book 5

by Wesson, Rachel

  “Sarah? Wake up.” He lay her gently on the ground but she didn't wake up. He rushed to lay the furs down and then carefully he undressed her in a bid to locate the injury. She was bleeding quite heavily. Oh no, the baby.

  He went to the stream to get water to clean her. When the cold water touched her skin, she regained consciousness. He washed her gently and dried her as she slipped away again. He lit a small fire and prayed hard for the strength to help her. Tala whined and kept pawing her to wake up, but she didn’t.

  “Leave her boy, she needs to rest. She will be better soon.”

  He hoped he was right.

  * * *

  Sarah slept for hours. He checked on her a few times and was relieved to see the bleeding seemed to have stopped. He moved her into the cave, after making up a more comfortable bed with grass covered by one of his furs. He cleared the immediate area of leaves and twigs just in case they hid snakes or scorpions. Then, he lit a small fire and began roasting the animal he had caught earlier. He also boiled water in a small can that used to belong to his sister. Using the warm water, he washed Sarah again. He knew the danger now was not from the loss of the child but from loss of blood. He took the risk she would wake up alone and went hunting for some medicinal herbs. His stock was running low and there was one the women of the tribe used to make blood stronger. He ordered Tala to keep watch over Sarah.

  He wasn’t gone long and she was still sleeping when he returned. He ate alone but couldn’t eat much. He was terrified she would die. Why was she sleeping so long? Was the baby the reason why she had been so desperate to stay with Edwin Morgan? He knew in the white woman’s world, to have a babe outside of marriage was a bad thing. How could he have thought she was just too stubborn to acknowledge she had made a mistake? The poor girl must have been terrified. He didn’t know her family, but from what Walking Tall said, they sounded like good people. Would they have cared if she came home with a baby and no husband?

  Chapter 19

  Sarah floated in and out of consciousness. She wasn’t sure where she was, but she was warm and felt safe. For the first time in a long time, she was totally relaxed. All she wanted to do was sleep. She was dimly aware of someone looking after her, washing her down and trying to feed her, but she wasn’t hungry. Her stomach cramped but when she drank the pains went. She fell back asleep into a dreamless world.

  Gradually she woke for longer periods of time and began to become aware of her existence. She was lying under a pile of rather smelly furs. It was quite comfortable apart from the smell, but even that was becoming more bearable. Her stomach hurt, she put her hand down to stroke it before realizing she was totally naked. She grabbed the furs closer. Where were her clothes? Who had undressed her? She edged up in the makeshift bed.

  She realized she was in some sort of cave. She closed her eyes trying to remember the events of the last few days, but there was nothing. She felt around the ground for her clothes but found only dirt. Then a dog licked her face. It seemed really happy to see her. She pushed it away, but it barked and insisted on licking her again. Then it went to the opening of the cave, barked some more and came back to lick her face and hands again.

  “You are awake. Good. Tala was worried.”

  “You? You brought me here. Undressed me?” her voice wavered but his facial expression didn’t change. He certainly didn’t look embarrassed. “Why?”

  Her stomach did a double somersault at the look on his face. “What?”

  “Sarah, do you not remember leaving town?”

  “No.”

  “Or anything else?”

  “No, you’re scaring me. What happened?”

  He bent down and took one of her hands in his. The expression on his face was a mixture of tenderness and pity. She was suddenly very afraid. “You’re scaring me.”

  “I am very sorry, but you lost your baby.”

  “What? How do you know? What do you mean? How could I?”

  She snapped her hand away and covered her stomach with both hands. Somehow, she knew he was telling the truth but how could she not know? How could something like that happen and she be unaware of it?

  “Morgan kicked you viciously and then with your work and the walk and everything, it must have been too much. You were bleeding for a long time. Nothing I could do worked. It wouldn’t stop.”

  “You mean it was you who nursed me? Washed me?” her cheeks heated as she closed her eyes trying to remember. But the last few days were pure darkness.

  “Maybe it is better you do not remember. You are young and strong. It looks like you are recovering. I was worried you were going to die too.”

  “Too?”

  “Do you remember why we had to leave town?”

  She shook her head, not able to stop the tear from sliding down her face.

  “Faulkner threatened you. He wanted you to work off debts of Morgan’s. He pulled his gun on us and you hit him with a rock.”

  “I killed him,” she said, sounding dreamlike. “I remember now. I killed a man. No wonder my baby died. It’s punishment for what I did. You should leave me here.”

  “Sarah, stop it. You didn’t do anything but protect yourself and me. Nobody ever tried to protect me like that before.”

  “But my…” she couldn’t bring herself to say the word.

  “I am sorry about what happened to you. I wish I had known that first night. I may have used the wrong herbs. Maybe my medicine caused it.”

  She couldn’t believe this kind man was blaming himself for what had happened to her. He had saved her life.

  “No, you didn’t do anything but help me. I still don’t understand why but I am very grateful to you. Edwin would have killed me for saying no to Faulkner. He didn’t want the baby anyway. He…” she couldn’t go on as the tears came. She rocked back and forth inside the furs. He came closer but she didn’t move. She didn’t react when he put his arms around her and drew her toward his chest. She lay her head against him, listening to his heartbeat as she cried and cried. Not just for her baby but for herself.

  Chapter 20

  It took a while for the tears to run dry and only then did she remember she was naked and leaning against a stranger’s chest. It didn’t matter the stranger had already seen her body. That was different. She’d been unconscious. Blushing, she gathered the furs closer around her.

  “Thank you,” she murmured, too embarrassed to look at him.

  “You should eat,” he said. “You need to build up strength for our journey. It will take many days.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “I will take you to Walking Tall’s camp. He will return you to your parents.”

  “No,” she shouted, panic making her voice louder than she intended. He drew away from her. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to shout. But I can’t go home. Not now, not like this. My parents will be so ashamed of me.”

  “Your parents love you. They will forgive you.”

  “How do you know?”

  He looked at her. She caught the sadness in his eyes before he looked away. “It is what I have been told. Now I must find food and you should get dressed. I washed your clothes and they dried by the fire. They should be ready.”

  She couldn’t do anything but mumble her thanks. She had never known a man to wash anything. Even her uncle Rick, who was amazing on every level, didn’t wash clothes. Before Jo had come along, he had paid a lady on the wagon train to do her and Carrie’s laundry. She got dressed quickly as Bear went to cook. Her clothes were not only clean and dry but smelled lovely too.

  She cleaned up the little cave as best she could before making her way to the fire where Bear was cooking. She didn’t offer to help as her cooking skills couldn’t match his. She ruffled Tala’s fur absentmindedly as she watched Bear cook.

  “Why haven’t we met before? Have you lived with Walking Tall for long?”

  “Many years I have stayed at his camp.”

  “But you never came down to Portland?”


  “No.”

  She sensed there was a reason why, but he seemed hesitant to talk about it. She held her tongue for a bit, but eventually curiosity got the better of her. “Why?”

  “Why what?”

  “Why didn’t you come down to Portland? Walking Tall brought many braves and their families down to see my brother, Almanzo. Well, he is not really my brother. My uncle Rick and his wife Jo adopted him on the trail.”

  “I know Almanzo.”

  She couldn’t tell whether he liked Almanzo or not; his expression was closed.

  “Did we meet when Jo went to help the Indians on the trail?”

  “I saw Jo working but she did not bring young girls with her. She came with another lady. Jo is a very clever healer. Walking Tall’s women gave her moccasins as a gift.”

  “Yes, they did. She still has them. Or at least she did.” Sarah looked into the distance, wondering how Jo and Rick were. She missed her family.

  “Why did you not learn healing gifts from her?” Bear asked as he handed Sarah a plate.

  “How do you know I didn’t?” she countered.

  “You didn’t help the young boy when he asked.”

  Shame colored her face. So he had seen her refuse Johnny.

  “How long were you watching me?”

  “Some weeks, maybe a month.”

  “That long, you have been spying on me and you never let on you were there?”

  He didn’t flinch at her tone. He just stared at her. “What would you have done if you knew?”

  “I would have told you to go home,” she replied honestly.

  “So?”

  “What do you mean ‘so’?’

  “I am not your man or a dog. I do not go just because you say so.”

  “You have no right.” Her anger at his presumption made her tone sharper than she intended.

  “I have every reason to follow you. I was asked to do it and I owe a large debt to the person who asked me. Your parents wanted to know you were safe.”

  “My parents sent you?” Wild hope filled Sarah. She could go home. If they had sent Indians looking for her, they must really want her to come back to Portland. Tears pricked her eyes.

  “I do not know if they know I am here. Walking Tall sent me. He is concerned about your parents and you.”

  Sarah let the plate fall. Tala demolished the contents, but she didn’t care.

  “Why is Walking Tall worried about my parents? What is wrong with them?”

  “I do not know. I did not ask. Walking Tall is Chief now. He says do, and I go do.”

  “Oh. That is so annoying.”

  “What is? I respect my elders and betters. But I can see you find that concept strange.”

  His knowing tone irked her although she knew he was right. She hadn’t shown much respect for anyone. Not her parents, or even herself. Still, she felt compelled to defend herself. “What is that supposed to mean? How dare you judge me? You don’t know me.”

  He regarded her silently for so long she didn’t think he was going to answer.

  Then he stood up, taking her plate with his. “No, I do not know you. But I have seen enough to see you are spoiled and badly behaved. You think only of yourself. Good night.”

  And he was gone, leaving her speechless behind him. She opened her mouth to retaliate but what could she say? He was right.

  Chapter 21

  Bear stomped off, furious with himself for losing his temper. She had been through enough and here he was judging her. He had no right to do that. But she had gotten under his skin in a way no woman had ever done. He had nearly lost his reason when she was unresponsive to his medicine. When he was away from her he found himself missing her smile and the way she fidgeted with her hair. He was angry because a woman like her had chosen a man like Morgan. But what good was it doing, taking his anger out on her? Hadn’t she paid a high enough price?

  He kicked some stones as he walked but it didn’t help. He needed to cool off. He was tempted to strip and go for a swim but he didn’t have time for that. Not now. It was too dangerous to leave her alone. It didn’t seem like anyone was looking for them, but what if she got sick again? What if the bleeding came back and he wasn’t nearby? Not that she was likely to ask him for help. He had behaved like a pig. Walking Tall cared for Sarah. Bear knew this from the stories his friend had told over the years. It wasn’t just because she was part of Almanzo’s extended family. Walking Tall seemed to see something in Sarah he admired. Bear sat and thought about this for a while. What was it? She was stubborn, that much was obvious. But he supposed she was also brave. It hadn’t been easy to wait on her own in a mining village where single women were rarer than hen’s teeth. She had gotten a job too, a way to support herself and her baby. He gritted his teeth. Maybe he had been wrong about her. Had she been afraid of going with the boy to help him? That was understandable if she was thinking of her child. It was very easy to sit on the outside and judge someone else. But until you walked in that person’s shoes, you didn’t know what they were dealing with. That was the message Snow Maiden had tried to instill in him. But he hadn’t listened then and it seemed he still hadn’t gotten the message. His sister had been sweet and kind hearted whereas he seemed to have a stone for a heart. Why else would he orally attack a woman who had just lost her child?

  Tala’s barking alerted him that something was wrong. Drawing his knife, he curbed his instinct to run back to the cave and padded stealthily up to it. If Tala was barking due to strangers, he wanted the element of surprise on his side.

  * * *

  Sarah had sat at the dwindling fire watching in the direction Bear had taken. She should be angry at the way he had spoken to her, but she wasn’t. How could she be? He was right. She had been selfish from the very start. Rick and Jo had tried to tell her Edwin wasn’t the man for her. Rick had agreed to them courting but she couldn’t wait a year. She knew now that her uncle had probably hoped that a year would have given her time to see Edwin’s true colors. But would it have been enough?

  She knew Almanzo and the rest of her family hated the Morgans, and with good reason. That family was horrible, always making disgusting comments about other people. Mrs. Morgan had even made disparaging remarks about Tilly and Fiona, suggesting they shouldn’t have returned from captivity. Not that the Indians were responsible for their abduction. The tribe had actually saved their lives, but the truth wasn’t of interest to Mrs. Morgan. Why couldn’t Sarah have seen the apple didn’t fall far from the tree? Edwin shared all of his mother’s opinions in addition to even more unsavory ones he dreamed up for himself. How could he suggest she would work off his debts by selling her body to Faulkner? She let a tear slide down her face, then realized Tala was growling beside her.

  “He’ll be back soon Tala, settle down.”

  But the dog wouldn’t settle, he kept baring his teeth.

  “What’s wrong?” Sarah picked up a stone but even as she did, she knew it would be no match for whatever Tala was growling at. Tala started barking louder. Sarah caught a glimpse of what had alerted him. It wasn’t the men from town as she had suspected, but something much worse.

  Chapter 22

  “Tala, come here boy. Don’t go near it, he’ll hurt you.” She made a grab for Tala but he evaded her. Instead, he ran toward the cat barking loudly but she swiped him away with her vicious claws. Whimpering pitifully, Tala flew through the air to land heavily on his side. Sarah watched in horror as he tried to get to his feet but couldn’t. The cat looked from her to the dog and back before making its way toward Tala.

  Without even thinking, Sarah threw the stone in her hand at the cat. Silently she thanked Almanzo for all his lessons growing up. In her determination to throw like a boy, she had developed good aim. The stone hit the cat in her flank, making her hiss with anger. Sarah picked up some more stones and threw them as she made her way toward the fire. The remains of their roasted meal was beside it. She picked up the food and threw it to the cat. Sarah hoped t
hat would satisfy her, but no. The cat sniffed it and walked past.

  It came toward her, but slowly, as if wondering what was the best way to attack. Sarah racked her brains trying to remember what she knew about these big cats. But adrenaline drowned out her memory. Tala got to his feet, and dragged himself toward the cat barking like mad. She winced as the cat turned to look at him.

  “No,” she screamed, but before she could do anything, a knife whizzed through the air and hit the cat right in the chest.

  “Sarah, get to the cave now. Move.”

  But Sarah couldn’t move. Her gaze was stuck on the cat hissing at Bear.

  “Sarah go. I have to get Tala. Take a fire log with you.”

  Sarah broke out of her trance and grabbed a lit log then walked slowly backward to the cave. The cat didn’t pay her any attention. She watched, horrified, as Bear moved slowly toward the injured dog calling for him to come. Tala tried, but it was obvious he was too badly hurt. The cat snarled as Bear grew closer. Sarah couldn’t just watch. She threw the fire log at the cat screaming at Bear to grab Tala and run. The fire log didn’t hit the cat, but it was enough to scare her off. She escaped back into the bushes, leaving Bear free to carry Tala and run back to Sarah.

  “Don’t you ever do as you are told?”

  “Is he okay? Will he die?”

  “Get the water and get into the cave. That cat will be back. My knife didn’t do sufficient damage. A wounded wild animal is more dangerous.”

  Sarah didn’t doubt that. She ran to grab the water and another lit stick from the fire. She figured they would need a fire in the cave. Bear waited until she was safe before following after her, Tala cradled in his arms. He lay the injured animal down gently.