by Stacey Kayne
Blood.
Dear God. He's been cut! Each movement pulled at the gash, increasing his loss of blood.
If Jed felt his injury, his expression didn't show any signs, nor did he give any attention to the wound that was now bleeding steadily into the river which whipped around his waist.
Armed with the knife he'd pulled from his shoulder, the Apache took a cautious step back.
Jed reached behind him, pulling out the small tomahawk. As he did, the Apache sent his knife into the air, spinning toward Jed. Jed used the hatchet to knock the knife off-course and into the river. His arm snapped forward again, this time releasing the hatchet.
The Indian clutched at the ax embedded in his throat. Rachell gasped as he fell forward into the water. The hard current quickly carrying the limp body down river.
Jed stumbled, his features etched with pain as he struggled to walk from the swift current. Blood drizzled steadily from the wound. He stumbled again. Rachell shouted his name and swung down from the saddle.
She ran toward the river. Gathering up her skirt, she raced into the water. "Oh my gracious," she cried, looking at the deep cut in his side. She'd seen men die from such wounds during the war. "I told you you'd get hurt!" she shouted as she looked up into Jed's wide eyes.
She wrapped her arms around his waist, intending to help him from the freezing torrent, but the rush of water tugged at her long skirt, threatening to pull her down.
Heavens, what had she been thinking? Her heart constricted with fear as she struggled to keep her balance.
As she strained for another step, Jed lifted her from the river's grasp and into his strong arms. Reaching the riverbank,
he set her on her feet then released a deep groan as he bent forward, planting his hands on his knees.
"Thought you were afraid of water," he gasped.
Horrified by the blood now flowing from his side, she pried the knife from his clenched fingers.
"What are you doin'," he said in a weak groan. 'Tryin' to finish me off?"
"Damn you, Jed Doulan! You're bleeding like a stuck hog!" She stabbed the knife through the bottom of her wet skirt. "You could have shot them with no injury to yourself."
"A man's got to have some integrity."
"A lot of good integrity does a man with no blood!"
Jed's face twisted with pain as he straightened. "That's great," he said through clenched teeth. "I risk my life to defend you, and all you can do is shout at me."
As she finished cutting the wide strip from her skirt, Jed's body went rigid. All signs of pain and emotion drained from his face. "Rachell, get behind me," he ordered. He took the knife from her hand and turned his attention toward the woods.
Only then did she hear what had captured his attention. The sound of approaching horses.
Jed grabbed her by the arm, tugging her behind him as four more Indians rode out from a cluster of trees not twenty yards down river.
"Oh, God." Rachell's fingers gripped Jed's waist protectively.
The largest of the four Indians jumped from his horse and ran toward them. "Jed!"
Stunned, Rachell stared at the savage who'd called Jed's name.
Jed clutched the gash in his side and staggered forward, grinning at the Indian running toward them. Blood continued to spill through his fingers, drizzling down his buckskin pants at a frightening pace.
"Running Bear."
"Brother," replied the Indian. He wrapped his thick arm
around Jed's shoulders while the bleeding man leaned heavily against him.
Rachell was sure he would have fallen to the ground if the large Indian wasn't there to support him.
The Indian's dark eyes clouded with worry as his gaze dropped to Jed's side. "You growing old, my brother." He glanced at the two dead Apache further back on the riverbank. "I know day when you fight ten men with no loss of your blood."
Jed's laugh was drowned out by a painful groan. "Right now, I feel old," he said, his face twisting with pain. "That's what I get for swimmin' with vipers."
"You should bathe with woman, not enemy."
Rachell was astonished by the muffled laughter of both men. The Indian was as crazy as Jed. She reached around Jed's waist, pushing his hand aside as she bound the fabric from her skirt tightly around his waist to slow the bleeding. She gasped as Jed slumped against Running Bear, nearly falling from his grasp. Running Bear motioned the other three men to assist him.
"My Imp," Jed groaned.
The Indian glanced down at Rachell. "Imp will be safe."
As though he'd been holding out for that reassurance, Jed fell unconscious. The other Indians quickly grabbed hold of him. Running Bear motioned to the patch of grass she and Jed had sat in earlier and spoke in his foreign tongue.
"Come, Imp," he called as they carried Jed away from the river.
Jed was carefully laid out on the grass. Rachell dropped to her knees beside him. The strip of her skirt had darkened, already drenched with Jed's blood. Hearing Sage nicker, she turned to see Running Bear barely avoid Sage's teeth as the horse sidestepped, trying to keep Running Bear out of Jed's saddlebags.
Rachell didn't have any idea what he could be looking for and figured if he couldn't see the warning in Sage's flattened ears and sharp whinnies, he deserved the bite. Turning her attention back to Jed, she began to tug at the binding that was soaking up Jed's blood like a dishrag and doing little to stop the bleeding.
"You sew," a deep voice ordered from behind her. Rachell looked up as Running Bear knelt beside her. "His blood flows fast," he said as he laid a piece of folded leather between them. He quickly untied the leather binding of the pouch and turned back the sides to reveal an assortment of surgical instruments; scalpel, tweezers, small pliers, scissors, and needles for stitching, along with the necessary thread.
She'd seen and used such instruments during the war when the Carlsons' home had become a battlefield infirmary.
Running Bear cut away the useless binding. Rachell took the curved needle, and with a steady hand that came from months of tending wounded soldiers as gunfire surrounded the Carlsons' Louisiana estate, Rachell set about stopping the bleeding and closing the gash in Jed's side.
When she'd finished, Running Bear handed her a strip from Jed's wet shirt which he had shredded for bandages. He assisted her, lifting Jed as she wound the cloth around his middle. As she secured the end of the tight binding, a large hand engulfed her shoulder. Warily, she glanced up at Running Bear's face. For the first time, she actually saw him.
A rather small flap of leather was all that covered his extremely large person. Thick black braids draped across the dark skin of his broad shoulders. Three black bands circled his wide biceps in what looked to be permanent tattoos. Thin metal hoops pierced his ears. A heavy cluster of necklaces hung from his neck, some woven, some beaded.
His sharp amber eyes quickly assessed her before he said, "No worry. My brother is too stubborn for death. He will rest in my camp." He turned away, calling to his companions.
The three equally-underdressed and decorated men were working on a cot made from two thick branches and Jed's bedroll. They helped Running Bear hoist Jed's limp body onto the makeshift cot, and then secure him behind Running Bear's dark horse.
Rachell went back for Sage. She didn't bother to raise her wet skirt which now hung only to her shins as she lifted her foot to the high stirrup. She silently followed Running Bear as he led his horse by the reins.
Chapter Eight
Although they couldn't have ridden more than a few miles, an eternity seemed to have passed before Rachell spotted white plumes of smoke filtering up from beyond the distant hillside.
Her breath caught as they topped another stone ridge. She hadn't expected to find such a large gathering of Indians. Beside a small stream, thirty or more dwellings were clustered in the narrow valley below. Capturing the glow of the setting sun, the gentle strip of water looked like a white satin ribbon weaving across the grass of the valley
floor.
As they approached the Indian village, men, women and children rushed out to greet them. Running Bear instructed a few men to help him with Jed. Rachell dismounted and stood by Sage, unsure of what to do. Seeing Jed's limp body sickened her heart with worry. The sound of his name being murmured among those who'd gathered around them drew Rachell's attention toward the crowd of Indians.
Startled by so many eyes focused on her, she took a step back and bumped into Sage.
The natives seemed to be just as startled by her. Many bodies moved as one, taking a giant step backward.
/ must look a fright. She glanced down at her blood-stained
hands and bodice. The jagged bottom of her skirt revealed her ghostly-white shins and scarlet boots.
"Come," called Running Bear.
Jed was being carried into the village by Running Bear and three other men. Rachell quickly fell in step behind them as they moved through a maze of huts unlike any she'd ever seen. Though they had the same shape as the skin-covered teepees she'd only seen in pictures, with tall poles protruding from narrow tops, the outsides of these homes were covered with tightly bound reeds and sticks. Running Bear and the men ducked into a dwelling near the edge of a meadow. Rachell crowded in behind them. An Indian woman was already inside, spreading blankets and a large fur on the ground.
Jed was placed on the fur. The woman and three men quickly departed, leaving only Rachell and Running Bear with Jed.
"Check injury," Running Bear instructed as he began to unlace Jed's wet moccasins.
Rachell was already on her knees, reaching for the binding. Loosening the strip of cotton, she was relieved to find that all her stitches had held. As she checked each stitch, making sure none had been pulled or loosened during Jed's transport, Running Bear shifted Jed on the blanket and removed the rest of his clothing.
Rachell sat back, and lost her ability to speak.
In the dim light of the hut, the muscular lines of Jed's body were well defined. Realizing she was gaping at Jed's strong, naked body, heat stung her face. She quickly stood up and looked away.
"Imp?" said Running Bear.
Rachell pulled in a deep silent breath, allowing herself a moment to regain her composure before she glanced back. When she finally managed to turn around, she was relieved to find a blanket covering the lower portion of Jed's body.
"You are wife of Jed?" Running Bear asked, his gaze questioning as he stood and took a step toward her.
"We're married," Rachell replied truthfully, "but-"
"My heart feels joy," Running Bear said, slapping his hand against his chest, and causing Rachell to jump. Before she could explain she wasn't truly Jed's wife, Running Bear's large hands gently clasped her shoulders. "My vision is complete," he said, smiling into her eyes. "You are light of my vision. Now my brother will find peace."
Rachell didn't know how to respond. He would surely be disappointed to know that she'd brought anything but peace to his unconscious brother. It was because of her he'd nearly bled to death. As she struggled to think of a proper response, the sharp sound of a horse's protest carried through the skin shelter. Rachell turned away from Running Bear and darted toward the opening, certain the distressed horse was Sage.
In the meadow just outside, another half-naked man held the rearing horse by the reins. He slapped a long switch across Sage's neck.
Jed would have had a fit if he'd seen his horse being handled in such a manner!
"Don't!" Rachell cried, shoving the Indian aside and jerking the reins from his hands. Sage turned away and galloped into the nearby meadow. Rachell glared up at the Indian backing away from her with wide, fearful eyes.
"You don't have to beat him!"
The Indian stiffened and stared at her. Fuming, she spun and started toward Sage. He certainly wouldn't allow any of them to get near him now. She walked deep into the meadow, talking gently to Sage as she approached him.
"Easy, boy," she soothed, "I'm not going to hurt you."
Running Bear stood at the edge of the meadow, watching Jed's fearless wife calm the ill-tempered horse. Unlike his choice of mount, Jed had chosen his woman well. Running Bear entered the meadow, careful not to spook the skittish animal. The woman also sensed his presence and whipped her head in his direction.
"Jed is not going to like this." She rubbed her hand over a welt on the horse's neck.
"He will not," Running Bear agreed. "Horse not friendly to man."
"Well, I'd gnash and buck too if someone took a switch to me."
Running Bear grinned, knowing his brave had been defending himself from being trampled. The woman before him would not believe this. He watched as she unbound the pack behind Jed's saddle and slid it off. She nearly followed it to the ground as she struggled with the weight. She spoke gently to the horse as she reached for the cinch.
Running Bear took another step closer.
As he expected, the bastard horse sensed freedom the moment Imp unhooked all restraints of the saddle. Just as she gripped each end, the horse leaped forward, leaving the small woman to handle the weight of the saddle. He grabbed the heavy leather as it flattened her to the ground.
"Jed say, always hobble horse first." He hoisted the saddle onto his shoulder.
"We can't all be as sensible as Jed," she grumbled, struggling to her feet. "But I'll remember that next time."
"No need." Running Bear shook his head. "Husband lift saddle next time."
"I hope so."
Running Bear saw great concern for his brother in the woman's green eyes. Her strong spirit was a good match for Jed.
"Come, Imp," he said, walking back to the wickiup she would share with Jed. "You rest."
Rachell couldn't deny her exhaustion. She followed the friendly Indian toward her shelter, and the crowd of people now gaping at her as though she were insane.
A woman broke away from the group and walked toward Rachell and Running Bear. It was the same woman who had spread the blankets and fur out for Jed. Like Running Bear, the woman's ears were pierced with metal ornaments and black bands were painted on her upper arms. The low neckline of her dress revealed more of the dark markings. Her long black hair spread across the shoulders of her buckskin dress. She carried something in her arms.
Probably restraints, Rachell thought, again glancing at all the wide eyes and uncertain expressions of the others. Running Bear's arm moved around her shoulders as he ushered her toward the woman. Hearing him say "Imp" as he spoke to the woman, Rachell realized she was being introduced.
The Indian woman smiled and gave a greeting Rachell didn't understand.
Running Bear introduced the woman by a name which included well over ten syllables.
"Could you say that again?" Rachell asked, although she was certain her tongue would trip over the long name, even if he repeated the lengthy title a hundred times.
Running Bear grinned. "You call her Snow Flower."
"She's your wife?"
"Yes. She bring you dress."
"Thank you," Rachell said, accepting the folded buckskin and moccasins. "My name is Rachell," she said as they walked toward the hut she'd sprinted from.
"Jed not call you Rachell." Running Bear eyed her for a moment, then said, "I call you Imp."
Rachell hoped Jed had awakened while they were away. Running Bear certainly wouldn't be swayed on this issue without Jed's approval.
Ducking inside, Rachell gave a sigh of disappointment at seeing Jed still lying unconscious. She squatted beside him and brushed a hand across his cheek, not liking his pale complexion. "He lost so much blood," she said, thinking out loud.
"His heart is strong." Running Bear set Jed's belongings at the far side of the shelter then turned to face her. His expression was warm, offering her reassurance. "Jed will be well."
Running Bear definitely shared Jed's confidence. She wished she felt half the certainty she saw in his dark eyes. Realizing she still held her dry clothes, she set her moccasins on the blanket and s
tood, shaking out the tan dress.
"This is so soft. It's lovely." She smiled up at Snow Flower. The woman smiled in response.
"Snow Flower speak little of your language," said Running Bear.
"You speak English very well."
His lips stretched into a proud grin. "I was boy when my brother teach me his language."
Rachell drew a ragged breath as she glanced back at Jed.
"No fear, Imp. Your brave is strong." He stood and moved toward the door.
'Thank you."
"Rest." He released the flap of buckskin that was rolled up near the opening, letting it fall across the doorway as he and Snow Flower stepped outside.
With darkness quickly claiming the sky, Rachell found the matches in Jed's supplies and lit the lantern Running Bear had brought in with their other supplies. She shrugged off her wet clothes and pulled on the buckskin dress. The leather garment hung only a bit lower than her shortened skirt, but it was dry. And soft. Removing her soaked boots, she found the white, beaded moccasins to be just as comfortable and warm as the dress.
Running Bear returned with a woven bowl filled with food. He seemed pleased to find her dressed in the Indian attire. He paid little attention to Jed as he asked if there was anything else she needed, encouraging her to speak up if she discovered she did, for his teepee was right beside theirs. His full confidence in Jed's recovery amazed her.
When he'd gone, Rachell sat beside Jed. She held the bowl of bread and meat on her lap for a long while before pushing it aside. She stroked the hair at his temple, running her fingers over his smooth black hair streaked with a bit of gray.
During the war, she'd seen men in their twenties with heads full of gray hair. Jed wasn't in his twenties, more likely thirties, she thought as she studied his strong cheekbones and sharp jaw line. Her hand followed her gaze as she traced the shadow of a beard, the stubble rough against her fingers.
Even unconscious, Jed appeared strong, confident, hard. She brushed her fingers across the smooth skin at the corner of his eye which crinkled when he smiled, softening the harshness of his strong features.
"My brave," she said to herself. There was no question of Jed's bravery. Twice now he had risked his own life to save hers. The kisses they'd shared were the most intimate experiences of Rachell's life, yet Jed was far from being hers. He was merely tolerating her until he could unload her onto Elizabeth.
