by Phoebe Conn
He untied her shawl, spread it out on the ground, and laid her upon it. Thinking she might sleep for hours, he washed up in the stream in an effort to refresh himself, and began to pick berries. He had eaten his fill before Alanna sat up. She rubbed her eyes, but still didn't seem to recognize her surroundings.
Hunter carried a handful of berries over to her. "We'll stay here tonight, perhaps longer. Try and eat all you can."
Alanna needed no further encouragement. She popped a berry into her mouth, and then gobbled several more. "I haven't had anything to eat all day."
"I am a poor host it seems."
"Oh, no, it's not your fault." As she reached for the next berry, she noticed Elliott's ring on her finger and drew her hand back.
"What's wrong?"
"I fainted again, didn't I?"
"You were exhausted."
Truly, Alanna could not recall ever being so tired, but she doubted exertion was her only problem. "Our trip wasn't supposed to end this way."
"You could not have foreseen the danger."
"Perhaps not, but when you mentioned wanting to search for Blind Snake last night, neither Elliott nor I took you seriously. If only we had paid attention to you, rather than force you to listen to us, he might still be alive."
Hunter nodded toward the vines, and then gathered more berries for her before he sat down beside her. "The past can't be changed, and you mustn't blame yourself for Elliott's death. It was the fault of Blind Snake and his friends."
"What friends? I thought he was alone."
"We both saw him shoot Elliott, but there were shots from another direction. He may have had only one companion, or half a dozen. They would have overtaken us long before now, if they could. I think they'll go back to the trading post to wait for us. If we stay in the forest for a week or two, they'll grow bored and move on."
Alanna immediately took exception to his plan. "We can't let Blind Snake get away with killing Elliott. If you think he'll be lurking around the trading post, then we have to go back there and have him arrested!"
Insulted that she would question his judgment, Hunter's eyes narrowed to menacing slits, and his expression filled with defiance. "I do not have to do anything. If you must go back to the trading post, you'll go alone."
"You can't mean that."
"Oh, but I do. You may stay with me as long as you do what I say. If you are going to do nothing but argue, then follow the directions I gave you. Travel south until you reach the Mohawk, then follow it east to the trading post."
Alanna had seen that same intractable expression before, and knew Hunter meant what he said, but she was already so badly frightened his threat scarcely mattered. "Do you expect me to willingly be your slave?"
It was just that type of insolence to which Hunter had objected, but Alanna was clearly too tired to leave their camp, let alone return to the trading post on her own. "I have no need of a slave," he scoffed, "but Blind Snake might. The Abenaki treat their captives very badly. If you leave me, be careful he doesn't catch you."
Alanna had not thought to ask to what tribe Blind Snake belonged, but an Abenaki was the last Indian she would ever want to meet. Her hand started to shake, and she dropped the berry she had been holding. Hunter picked it up and handed it to her. It was another thoughtful gesture that didn't match his words.
"I can't eat anymore."
"You must. Without food, you won't be able to keep up with me."
As obnoxious as Hunter was, Alanna was positive he was a far better man than Blind Snake could ever hope to be. Still, remaining with him was a choice she was forced to make out of desperation. "No, I feel sick already. If I eat anymore, I'll be ill for sure."
Hunter scooped up the berries she had left, and set them aside. "I'll save these for morning."
That morning Elliott had been alive, but he would never see another sunrise, and Alanna was overcome with sorrow. He had known her so well, and had loved her in spite of her faults. She doubted she would ever find another man who would always be so wonderfully supportive. She did not even want to look. "The Abenaki have cost me a great deal," she murmured softly.
"The authorities will never find Blind Snake to punish him, but I will. Elliott's death will be avenged."
He sounded so confident, Alanna took his remark as a promise rather than a boast. "Have you killed men before?" she asked.
"Only in the Ohio Valley, and I took no joy in it. That was war, though, not a matter of revenge."
A flurry of wings as the birds nesting in the nearby trees took flight, caused them both to jump in alarm. Hunter rose and offered Alanna his hand, but he shook his head to warn her to be silent. She stood and then reached down for her shawl. Hunter took her hand and led her around the blackberry vines and into a cluster of maple trees. The low branches of one provided a natural ladder, and he gestured for her to climb up into the tree.
When she had been small, she had scamped up trees as easily as Byron and Elliott, while Melissa had never even been tempted to mimic her brothers' boisterous antics. It was the memory of those happy, sunlit days that gave her the strength to tuck the back hem of her skirt into the front of her belt to form a billowing pair of pantaloons. With her shawl again tied around her waist, she accepted Hunter's help to reach the first branch, and from there it was easy to move on up where the thick foliage provided the perfect hiding place. It wasn't until she looked down and found him backing away, that she realized just how precarious her perch truly was.
Hunter waved to her, and then circled around to the spot where they had been resting to hurriedly restore it to its natural state. In the gathering dusk, long shadows filled the forest, and he slipped soundlessly from one to the next. He heard Blind Snake's laughter before sighting him, but his respect for his adversary grew when he saw how easily he had tracked them. Apparently tiring of their sport, the Abenaki and two of his kind were making camp for the night at a spot Hunter had considered and then bypassed. Blind Snake and another brave each had muskets, while the third was armed only with a bow.
Knowing they had to be as tired as he, Hunter considered attacking them now, but in the twilight he might easily miss his first shot, and that would bring the three men down upon him. He would have eagerly taken that risk had he been alone, but Alanna's safety also had to be guarded. Biding his time, he waited and listened. He thought he knew enough of the Abenaki tongue to follow their conversation, but the men were chewing strips of smoked venison, which slurred their speech, and often teased each other with expressions he didn't recognize.
Only gradually did he become aware that they considered pursuing him and Alanna an amusing pastime. They talked about him and his female companion as though they were deer or some other game. They argued over how they would treat them once caught, but not wanting to hear their gruesome plans, Hunter returned to the tree where he had left Alanna. He dared not call out to her, and swiftly climbed up where he could whisper and be heard.
He took a firm hold on her arm to catch her should she faint, and told her what he'd found. "The Abenaki would never have gotten this close if I could have covered our trail. There are three of them, and they'll fall asleep soon. I'd slip into their camp and slit their throats, but I don't want to leave you to face them alone, should I fail. We'll have to go. We'll walk in the stream again, but I'll leave it to create a false trail. By morning, we'll be miles from here."
"Do you think they found the grave?" Alanna asked.
"No, or they would have mentioned it. Elliott's body is safe, but we aren't. Take care climbing down."
Having never climbed trees in the dark, Alanna had considerable difficulty following him back to the ground, but finally managed it without mishap. Her knees felt weak, and she doubted she could go very far. "Couldn't we hide right here? In the morning, if they go west, we can head back to the trading post."
"And if they catch us, we'll die! Let me decide what is best. Your ideas are foolish." He reached for her hand and, jerking her along,
found the stream where he moved with his usual graceful stealth, while she tripped and slipped along behind him.
The blackberries she had eaten provided so little in the way of energy, Alanna was soon gasping for breath. Hunter's stamina was apparently inexhaustible, and he turned to scold her. "Hush, you're making too much noise."
Alanna thought she was doing remarkably well, and refused to allow him to intimidate her. "Must you run? It's so dark I can't see anything but your back, and not knowing where to step makes following you extremely difficult."
"Then see how you like traveling alone for a while." Hunter stepped off the trail and stood still a moment to let his moccasins sink into the mud. "Keep following the stream. I'm going to leave a false trail before catching up with you."
Alanna dreaded the thought of picking her way over the mossy stones alone, but now knew better than to ask him if he actually planned to meet her farther up the stream. Once she had caught her breath, she started off without comment. The day had been as terrible as the one on which Melissa had died, and it did not seem that it was ever going to end. She focused her attention on the moon's fragmented reflection in the water, and tried not to slip and fall while Hunter was still close enough to ridicule her for being clumsy, but she had several close calls before she was out of sight.
Hunter stomped around to make certain Blind Snake would find his footprints, and then walked off into the woods. He continued for half an hour before finding an outcropping of rocks which made a perfect place to disappear. Now moving with far more caution, he turned north, then back west to again find the stream. Once in the water, he traveled as swiftly as the current, and in a matter of minutes caught up with Alanna, who was bent over with her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath.
"We'll soon reach the southern foothills of the Adirondack Mountains. They won't be able to track us through the rocks, and even if they could, we'll have the advantage of having a well-protected camp and can defend ourselves. Come on, we still have a long way to go before dawn."
"Dawn?" Alanna repeated weakly. "I can't take another step."
"Do you wish to become the Abenaki's whore?"
"Of course not!"
"Then you will walk!"
Before Alanna could protest that she could not, Hunter had taken her hand and, towing her along behind him, again made good progress through the stream.
* * *
Alanna awoke as the first faint rays of sunlight appeared in the east. Hunter had removed her boots and stockings and was rubbing her feet with insistent circles, but she was so numb, she couldn't decide if the pressure of his thumbs felt pleasant or painful. All she knew was that keeping her eyes open was impossibly difficult. She didn't recall his giving her permission to take a nap, but if he had, apparently the time was up. She didn't speak until he looked up at her.
"I really mean it this time," she vowed weakly. "I can't take another step."
Hunter slapped her calf playfully. "Yes, you can. You're a strong girl, Alanna. I like that."
She was merely confused by his compliment. "I don't feel strong."
"Well, you are, or you wouldn't have made it this far. Look around. We're in the foothills. We're near Lake Sacandaga, and I'll catch us some fish for breakfast."
The mere mention of food sickened Alanna. "I think what I really need is to sleep for a week or two. Then I might feel up to eating."
"Are all white women so lazy?"
"Lazy?" Alanna sat up and jerked her bare feet from his grasp. "You kept me running all night, and you dare to call me lazy?"
For some perverse reason, Hunter was enjoying teasing her. "Would you rather that I had taken you to Blind Snake's camp, and left you with him?"
"How do I know Blind Snake was even there?"
"You think I made up that tale just to keep you moving all night?"
Hunter looked horribly insulted, but Alanna was too tired to care. "I wouldn't put it past you."
Hunter picked up her stockings and boots and tossed them into her lap. "I have no reason to be mean to you. Unlike Melissa, you and Elliott were kind to me."
At the moment, all Alanna remembered was the way he had kissed her and then told her to sleep with Elliott. That was no way to repay kindness. Had that only been the day before yesterday? she wondered. Looking at Hunter again, she could see the strain in his face; she felt that same strain clear through.
"We ought not to fight amongst ourselves," she suggested. "I'm sorry for what I said."
Choosing to ignore her conciliatory gesture, Hunter's tone was harsh. "Put on your boots and hurry, or I won't wait for you."
Alanna managed to slip on her stockings without too much difficulty, but her feet were so badly swollen, she did not think she could wear her boots. She envied Hunter the comfort of his moccasins, and kept twisting and turning her foot in an attempt to wedge it into her boot. She was certain that if she could just figure out how to get one boot on, the other could be donned with ease.
Hunter stood silently watching Alanna's pitiful efforts to make her once small feet fit into a pair of impossibly tiny boots, and knew she was never going to be able to do it. He again knelt beside her and drew his knife. "Give me that boot," he ordered. When Alanna complied, he made several lengthwise slits in the vamp to give her more room. "Try that."
Alanna stared at the shredded boot. "You've ruined it!" she exclaimed.
"If you can't get your sweet, little feet into them, then they are no good anyway. Now just try it on, and if it fits, I'll cut the other one to match it."
Much to Alanna's dismay, her swollen foot slipped right into the boot; and while it certainly wasn't attractive, it was wearable. She stood up and tried taking a step. Her feet ached all the way to her knees, but at least she would not have to walk barefoot over the rocky soil.
"I suppose how my boots look is the least of my problems. Thank you." She sat down again to wait, while he made the same cuts in her other boot, and then put it on. When he offered his hand, she got to her feet.
"How far is the lake?"
"Not far," Hunter promised. "After we've eaten our fill of fish, you can bathe and wash your clothes. That will make you feel better."
Alanna could easily imagine how dreadful she looked, and she doubted a quick bath in a lake would do all that much to enhance her appearance, when what she longed to do was soak in a hot tub for hours. He was trying to be nice to her, however, and she did her best to smile. "I'll look forward to it."
It took them more than two hours to reach the lake. Hunter made no demands upon Alanna whatsoever, while he used a hook and line to provide the breakfast he had promised. He then gathered wood and built a fire to roast his catch, and gave her the first bite. "I hope you don't mind eating off leaves rather than dishes."
"Why no, unlike plates, leaves don't have to be carried or washed, and I couldn't manage either chore now."
Hunter ate the next trout himself and another, while Alanna continued to consume the first one he had roasted. She ate with dainty, ladylike bites, while he was so hungry he gave no thought to eating like a gentleman. "You should eat more," he scolded.
"Do you like fat women?"
Hunter shook his head. "You know what I like: pretty blond women like you."
Unable to believe he was flirting with her, Alanna paused in mid-bite. Hunter was smiling slightly, but it was enough to convince her there was some truth behind his jest. "I never think of myself as pretty," she admitted shyly.
"You're even prettier than Melissa."
To be compared to Melissa was the last thing Alanna wanted to hear. She rose, brushed away the particles of fish clinging to her fingers, and looked out toward the lake. "Do you really think it's safe for us to stay here long enough for me to bathe?"
Hunter could see by the abrupt change in her manner that he had hurt her, but he didn't understand how. "Yes, go on. Bathe, wash your dress. I won't bother you."
"It's not you I'm worried about."
Hunter captured her glance and held it. He thought that in many ways he was more dangerous than Blind Snake, but if she did not understand why, he was not going to explain. "Good. Now go on, hurry. I don't want to camp here all day. We need to find a more secure place before nightfall."
It was not even noon, so Alanna knew they had plenty of time. She walked down to the lake's edge and sought a spot where the surrounding foliage would provide the privacy she desired. She hung her shawl and the belt with Elliott's knife still suspended from it on a branch, and then peeled off her torn and soiled dress. She waded into the lake and did her best to scrub the garment clean, then came out and spread it out over the bushes to dry. Her once snowy white cap was dirty and tattered, and after she had washed and wrung it out, there wasn't much left to dry. Too shy to slip out of her chemise and drawers, she again entered the lake still wearing them.
The water was too cold to be enjoyable, and she had to force herself to bend down to wet her hair. She wished Hunter carried a bar of soap with him, but lacking that, she rubbed her long curls between her hands and hoped that the fresh water alone would rinse them clean. She had to wash her lingerie as best she could while still wearing it, but thinking any effort toward cleanliness would be an improvement, she hurriedly completed the task and came out of the water.
She would have to wait for the sun to dry her clothes, and shook herself to fling the remaining water out of her lingerie, before sitting down on a grassy spot several feet from the water. The natural beauty of the scene, and the sun's warmth lulled her into a dreamy mood, and she soon began to yawn. She got up to turn her dress over, so the sun would dry the other side, and then returned to the comfortable patch of grass. Telling herself she had time for a brief nap, she stretched out and closed her eyes.
