The noise of the fight had awakened the Badger women and they crawled out of their tents. When they heard the slave catchers' criesand the wordsthey got to their feet. Like a burning fire sweeping the dried grass of a prairie, panic swept among them.
"Our men are captured!" cried one.
"It is the dreaded slave catchers!"
"They are here to capture us, too! Aaaaiiieeeee!"
cried another woman, tugging at her small daughter's hand. They began running, away from the tents, toward the forest.
Hooknose and Red Jaw laughed and shouted and shook their spears at the women. More women began running, carrying small children in their arms. Everywhere Falcon looked, he saw women fleeing to the forest.
"Chase after the women!" Claw screamed. "They are escaping!"
But the Badger women and children had a slight lead and they ran swiftly. Guiding them was a long-legged heronwithout her cane.
Hooknose and Red Jaw did not join in the chase. They gloated with satisfaction at the capture of the eight healthy young men and stayed to guard their prizes.
Falcon threw aside his spear and started running. He raced across the trampled grass, passing several of the Badger women who looked at him in fearful surprise as he ran by them. His presence scared them into running faster.
He was rapidly gaining on the one he sought, because she was slowed by her heavier mother. He saw her glance over her shoulder. When she saw him, she pulled harder on her mother's arm.
They disappeared into the forest and Falcon chuckled to himself. She would not get far now.
But when he reached the trees, his smile vanished. It was dark and quiet. They had to be hiding. No one can disappear this fast, he thought.
He spied a different woman cowering behind a bush. She gasped when she saw him, the terror
on her face changing to disbelief as he strode right past her. She scrambled for a safer hiding place.
Where was the long-legged one? He stopped and took a deep breath, scanning the trees. He jumped over an old grass-covered log and trotted farther into the woods. He halted again, listening intently.
Ah, breathing. He smiled. His hunter's instincts fully alert, he stealthily treaded on soft-soled moccasins toward her.
Star watched him stalk toward her, pure animal terror freezing her in place. She gulped air in frantic breaths. He must not find her! He must not! Some part of her brain told her he had not seen her.
They were slave catchers. Somehow, the Jaguars were in league with slave catchers!
Palpable dread coursed through her. She glanced wildly around. Her mother was safely hidden in an old rotten log. She would be safe. That knowledge comforted Star a little and calmed her panic. She must remain very, very still in this brush at the foot of a large pine tree. And very, very quiet.
He had stopped. He was listening. For what? The terrible thunder of her heart? The shudder of her breath? What? What?
She gripped her hands tightly together; she must not give in to the fear. She must not! She need only be quiet, silent, and he would never find her.
He stalked softly in a large circle and she knew
from his measured movements that he was a deadly hunter. And she was his prey. But he did not know where she was, she consoled herself over the pounding of her blood. He could not know, not for certain!
He surveyed the trees, his head moving slowly around. He stared directly at her and she swallowed convulsively. She prayed the screen of brush protected her from those piercing eyes. Then he started for her.
He does not know I am here, she told herself. He cannot know!
He prowled over and halted next to the tree she crouched beside. She feared that her body's trembling shook the very branches above her. She could not alert him to her presence! Why, she dared not even breathe while he was so close.
She froze when he leaned against the tree. She gave a start when he said aloud, "I wonder where she is?" There was a silence, broken only by her pounding heart, before he added, "Hmmmmm, I wonder just where can she be?"
Star's fists clenched tight. She must not move a muscle.
"She had me fooled. Yes, she did. I thought she was an old woman. But she does not run like an old woman, no. Now, where has she run to?"
Star squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself not to faint in fear. He was so close to her she could hear the soft slither of his leather clothing when he crossed his arms.
"I think," he mused aloud, still talking to the trees, "that perhaps she is a young woman. A beautiful young woman at that. Now where, in a big forest such as this, where would such a beautiful young woman hide?"
She heard him push away from the pine trunk. His soft tread carried him away from her. Hopefully, she opened her eyes. He sauntered over to a clump of pine, the trees grown so close together she could not have squeezed an arm between them.
"Is she in here?" He disappeared into the trees. Several pounding heartbeats later, he reappeared, shaking his head. "No, not in there."
He wandered thoughtfully around the trees and over to a big rock. "Is she behind here?"
He ducked behind the rock and reappeared in the time it took Star to draw a shaky breath. "No. Not there."
He shook his head and reconnoitered the forest. Once again, his eyes fell on the copse in which she hid. He prowled slowly toward it. "Now where can she be?"
Star wanted to get up and run.
He halted in front of the branches that hid her. With a swift motion, he squatted. He peered at her through the branches. "Aha," he said softly. "And what is this lovely surprise?"
Aghast at being found, she could only stare at him in horror. Then she backed out of the brush and turned and ran, careless of the saplings in her way.
Swift as an antelope, he lunged after her.
He caught her to him easily and ignored her kicks and flailing arms. Effortlessly, he threw her over one shoulder. A single swat on the backside was intended to quiet her struggles.
Star sobbed and writhed, but she might as well have been a struggling mosquito for all that he noticed. Cutting through the panic in her mind was one clear cry of silent despair. Oh, Great Spirit, help me! I am going to be a slave!
Chapter Six
When they returned to the Badger camp, Star was able to squirm off the Jaguar's shoulder. He held her to him and she was forced to slide down his hard frame to the ground. Her legs collapsed under her. When he helped her to her feet, his hand on her elbow, she shrugged his touch away and stood straight and defiant, no longer playing the hated role of bent-over hag.
She turned proudly away from him, but unfortunately she could not go far, for he kept a firm grip on her arm. Her ash-strewn hair blew against her cheek and he leaned over to brush the caked strands away. When she turned to glare at him, he stared at her mouth. She swallowed.
All around them stood crying women and children. She averted her eyes from his black ones and cast frantically about for the other Badger women.
Then she saw them, the Badger men. They sat in a sullen, silent group, bound. She took a step toward them, but his hard grip on her arm restrained her. ''Easy," warned her captor. "If you go over to them, the slave catchers will think you are theirs to take."
"That is what you plan to do with me, is it not?" she snapped, drawing herself up as tall as she could. She would not beg, even though all her blood throbbed in fear.
"No," he answered, and there was a hateful, amused curl to his firm lips. "That is not what I plan to do."
Claw swaggered up to them. Star turned away, unable to look at either of the victorious Jaguars another moment.
"Who is this woman, Falcon? Where did you find her?"
Star glowered at her captors. Falcon, he was called. Bird of prey. How fitting, she thought angrily. A tiny shiver went through her.
"She is our sixth," answered Falcon, still gripping her arm. "Now we have the six women we demanded."
Claw smiled. "Yes, we do. Very good." Just then he caught sight o
f Red Jaw hovering near the captured women. "You, there! Get away from those women." He hurried over.
The slave catcher looked guilty and hastened back to his place guarding the captured men. Star's gaze leapt to the bound men and she gasped in fear. "Camel Stalker!"
"You know him?" Falcon tightened his grip.
Camel Stalker's face contorted in rage.
"Perhaps you were promised to him, eh?"
Star clamped her lips shut. She would tell him nothing. Nothing!
"Speak, girl!"
She looked away. He marched over to the Badger men, pulling her with him. Unwilling, she watched in growing alarm as he kneeled beside the bound Camel Stalker. She gave a tiny cry when he gripped Camel Stalker's hair and yanked his head back. He whispered something to the Badger and then pointed at Star. When Camel Stalker did nothing, the Jaguar yanked his hair harder. Finally Camel Stalker's mouth moved but Star could not hear his words. The Jaguar grinned and released Camel Stalker's hair.
Star met Camel Stalker's stricken eyes. In them she read his anger and hurt pride and the shame of his defeat. She wanted to cry. He had tried to help her; all the Badger men had tried. Not cowards, they had returned from their hunt and mounted a raid against the more powerful Jaguars, a raid that had unfortunately failed to free the women.
"I will not forget you," she mouthed silently to Camel Stalker. He regarded her bleakly. Then he dropped his gaze.
He thinks he has nothing to offer me, she thought. No doubt he berates himself; but I know he tried to help me.
She read his self-condemning failure on his worn, bruised, handsome face. "Oh, Camel Stalker," she moaned sadly. Her dreams of a happy marriage to him were as dead as the ashes on her head. "Oh, Camel Stalker ..."
"He cannot help you," said Falcon. "He goes into slavery with the Fish Eaters. You will not see him again!"
He could be speaking of an animal hunt, so indifferent is he, she thought. No, he would show more interest in a hunt. He does not care what happens to my people!
Then she remembered her mother, hidden in the fallen log. Thank the Great Spirit that my mother is safe!
The Jaguar pushed her ahead to the path to the river. "Let me see what you look like without all that mud on you."
They walked in silence to the water, Star scrutinizing the cottonwoods and aspens and brush, looking for any opportunity to escape. But he allowed her none.
She stood stock-still beside the river, unwilling to help him in any way.
"Go in." He pointed at the water.
She took a step.
"Do I have to wash you myself?"
She shrugged, uncaring of what he said or did. Her people were destroyed, her promised husband captured and about to be sold into slavery. Despair settled like a cold hand on her heart.
He waded out into the water with her in tow. She let herself be led. She wanted to retreat to a secret place inside herself and never come out. But he would not let her.
He started splashing the cold water on her, on her arms, on her legs. Finally the cold shock snapped her out of her lethargy and she began to wash the mud off her face. She pushed him away and dipped her head in the water and scrubbed at her scalp. How good it felt to be rid of the mud and ash at last!
When she was done, she waded out of the water, not caring that her dress was wet, that her hair hung in long wet hanks down her back.
He stood on the shore, arms across his chest, and his cold eyes bored into her. She swung away from his avid gaze and took several sauntering steps back to the trail.
He gripped her arm. "Not so swiftly, my Badger maiden," he said. How she loathed that half-twisted smile!
"What do they call you?"
She regarded him in haughty silence.
"Your name?"
She lifted her chin. "I will die before I tell you my name," she said.
He appeared startled at the depth of her anger at him. What does he expect? she thought. That he can take my people into slavery, steal me away, and that I will not hate him for it?
"I will find out," he said, stoniness in his voice.
He can be stubborn, she realized. Well, not as stubborn as I am!
They returned to the Badger camp in silence, Star walking straight and tall ahead of him. She swept into her tent and gathered up her bedskins and sewing needles and her leather hair ornaments. She was about to leave when she spied a woven reed basket. Carefully folded away inside it lay her favorite dress, a gift from her mother. Blue Jay had tanned the pale doeskin to a fine softness, then laboriously sewn on every one of the black and white porcupine quills decorating the breast. Folded under the dress was a pair of matching moccasins, also ornamented with quills. Star had worn the dress and moccasins but once, at her coming-of-age ceremony to announce to her people that she was an adult woman. She clutched the basket to her chest.
"What is taking so long in there?" came Falcon's deep voice.
Hastily, Star threw her needles and hair ornaments on top of the dress. She snatched up a small tanned hide of cottontail rabbit and stuffed it on top of her implements. There! He would not know of her precious dress. To hide it further, she grabbed a small basket of dried herbs used for healing and crammed it under the bigger basket's handle. Now the dress was well hidden. She could not leave her dress behind; she could not! About to be torn away from everyone she loved, she would take this with her into her new life, a reminder of the love she had grown up with.
"Woman!" came the imperious voice on the other side of the tent flap.
Falcon still lingered outside the tent. He is afraid I will escape, thought Star. He is right to fear, for on my first opportunity, I will!
She stroked her hair to one side of her face, calming herself with the gesture, then stepped out of the tent. "I am ready."
She must memorize her last view of the river and the trees. She would return and find her mother, but she had no knowledge of when that would be. For now, she etched the vista of river and grasslands and forest and huge rocks on her
mind, searching for and memorizing landmarks so that she could find this place in any season.
The Jaguars were herding the women into a group. She was surprised to see that they were not taking all the women. Only the five they had claimed earlier. And herself, of course. Do they have honor after all? The question blew away in the wind when he approached her.
"We leave now," he said.
She averted her eyes and regarded the Badger women who were allowed to remain. Without a word to him, she strode over and spoke to Grouse, her mother's friend who was also the mother of Finds the Marten, now one of the captured men. She was aware that Falcon followed her, though not closely.
"Tell my mother I will return," she told Grouse. The frightened woman nodded and glanced at the Jaguar captor.
Star saw the fear in her eyes. "Tell my mother that I will return!" hissed Star, as if by the force of her words she could make them come true.
Grouse's lips quivered as her eyes focused on something over Star's shoulder. Falcon was standing there.
She felt his hand on her shoulder, jerking her back, away from Grouse, away from her mother, away from her people.
She turned away, not looking at Grouse, not seeing the angry sullen men, and especially not seeing him, the Jaguar. But he would not let her go.
"Tell me your name," he said.
She shook her head.
"Tell me your name or I will go to your promised man and force him to tell me."
She glared at him, searching his obsidian eyes to see if he meant what he said. But she did not know him, did not know if he did what he said. She tightened her lips. Let him go to Camel Stalker.
He must have realized that she had no intention of telling him anything because he shrugged and sauntered over to the bound Badger men. Again, he squatted down beside Camel Stalker and said something in a low voice. Camel Stalker glowered at Star and shook his head.
What does he say to Camel Stalker? she wondered f
rantically. Whatever it is, he lies! she wanted to scream. But surely Camel Stalker knows he lies. Surely he would not believe anything the Jaguar tells him!
Falcon said something else. Camel Stalker shook his head, his lips clamped tight.
Ah, he will not tell, she thought. Camel Stalker protects me! She cast him a trembling smile.
Then the Jaguar pulled out his knife. He held it casually in his hand as he spoke in a low voice with Camel Stalker.
His threat was obvious to Star when Camel Stalker's stricken eyes met hers. Her heart pounded in fear. "Tell him, Camel Stalker!" she whispered. "It is better to tell him my name than to die!"
She waited, mouth dry, hearing only the blowing wind, her eyes locked upon Camel Stalker's.
When his lips shaped her name, she wanted to weep. He dropped his gaze and she felt her
tears well. Oh, Camel Stalker! I understand. You had to do it. But stillShe turned away, anger surging through her at his forced betrayal, and anger at the Jaguar for taking the last bit of dignity from him.
Falcon joined her, a smug smile on his face. "He would have made a poor husband," he assured her. "He gives up too easily."
"You had a knife," spat Star. "What else could he do? Die?"
Falcon shrugged. "I might have used the knife. I might not have."
Star bared her teeth at him. "He did not know that. I thought you would use it."
He grinned. "Probably, I would have."
She glared at him. "I do not understand you, Jaguar. You threaten a man's life with your knife and then disparage him for succumbing to your threat."
"It matters not."
"It does matter." She glowered at him. "It matters very much."
"Nothing matters." His white teeth gleamed and she felt her anger surge anew.
"My life matters!" she answered angrily. "Camel Stalker's life matters. It matters that you are taking me from my home, from the mother I love... ." She swallowed, unable to continue as she thought of leaving her mother.
His eyes grew suddenly cold. "Forget her. Forget your people. You will come and live with me now."
Broken Promise Page 4
