by Connie Mason
“Are you willing to accept Dawn into your tribe?” Shadow Walker asked. “I had hoped you might take her as your second wife, but since you already have a second wife, perhaps you can find a young warrior in need of a mate.”
“Is that what you wish?”
“It is how it must be.”
“Then so be it. But I would ask one thing of you in return.”
“Anything.”
“Remain here through the winter. I have missed you.”
Shadow Walker wanted to refuse but couldn’t find it in his heart to do so. Running Elk had given him sanctuary when he’d been shattered by Morning Mist’s death. He had allowed Shadow Walker to heal at his own pace, had become friend and teacher to him. But remaining here would present serious problems. He knew it would be easier to make a clean break with Dawn. Remaining would only provide opportunities for them to indulge in their lust for one another. It was going to be a challenge, but he would honor Running Elk’s request and remain with the People until spring.
“I will stay until the snow melts from the mountains. Then I will travel to Oregon to visit my sister.”
Spring Rain arrived with their food, and discussion ceased as they dug into the steaming bowls of venison stew and thick slices of frybread.
Dawn felt strange as she accompanied Sun In The Face to the stream to freshen up. Sun In The Face was friendly and eager to please, and as she chattered, Dawn felt more comfortable with the Sioux tongue. There was still much she didn’t understand, but she supposed she’d learn in time.
“No one will bother us here,” Sun In The Face said as Dawn knelt at the stream and splashed water on her face and neck. “It is the women’s bathing place. Is Shadow Walker your man?” she blurted out with unaccustomed boldness. She flushed and apologized when she realized she had overstepped the bounds of politeness.
“It’s all right,” Dawn said. “I am not offended. Shadow Walker is not my man. He brought me to Running Elk because I had nowhere else to go and he thought I would be happy here.”
“Things are not always good on the reservation, but I believe you can find happiness with us. All the young warriors will vie for your attention. Soon you will have many suitors to choose from.”
“I’m not sure I want a husband. I am a widow. My marriage was not a happy one.”
“Trust Running Elk to choose someone suitable.” She gave Dawn a shy smile. “Perhaps he can persuade Shadow Walker to join with you, even though Laughing Brook will not like it. She has waited many years for Shadow Walker.”
Dawn felt a sudden chill. She had given little thought to the possibility that Shadow Walker had a woman waiting for him. Was that why he was so anxious to see her wed to another?
Chapter Eleven
Dawn was invited to share the lodge with Running Elk and his family, but when Shadow Walker pointed out that Dawn was a widow and should be given her own tipi, Running Elk agreed. Dawn watched with admiration as the women erected her new home within the circle of the camp. When they had finished, they carried in all the supplies and utensils necessary to set up housekeeping. In a very short time the tipi was comfortable and homey.
Shadow Walker was also to have his own lodge, and when the women finished erecting Dawn’s, they began work on Shadow Walker’s. Dawn felt somewhat lost when she thought of occupying the tipi by herself. She and Shadow Walker had been together so long she didn’t know how she was going to sleep without him nearby.
Shadow Walker approached Dawn, thinking he’d never seen her looking so forlorn. “You can’t be unhappy already; you haven’t been here long enough to form an opinion. What do you think of Running Elk and his wives?”
“Running Elk seems … very nice, and his wives are friendly.” Suddenly she clutched his arm in desperate appeal. “I’m not comfortable with these people, Shadow Walker. I’ll be alone after you leave.”
“I’m not leaving until spring. By then you’ll have met a young man you fancy. You may even be married.” He frowned. Why did he find that notion disturbing?
She sent him a fulminating look. “I don’t want to marry again.”
“All men aren’t like Cobb. Running Elk will find a good man for you. And I’ll be here to help.”
Dawn looked away, unwilling to show him how much his urgency to be rid of her hurt. From the corner of her eye she saw a woman approaching. She was older than Dawn, perhaps in her late twenties, and more voluptuous. As she drew near, Dawn noted how the woman’s eyes clung to Shadow Walker.
“Welcome home, Shadow Walker. I have missed you.” Her eyes held an invitation as old as Eve.
“It is good to be back, Laughing Brook. Have you met Dawn?”
Laughing Brook barely looked at Dawn as she acknowledged the introduction. “Is she your woman?”
“No. You know no one can replace Morning Mist in my heart.”
“I have waited a long time for you to return.”
“I’m surprised you haven’t remarried. There are any number of warriors who would appreciate a wife such as you.”
“There is only one warrior I want,” she said with sly innuendo. “Come to my lodge tonight. I will cook for you.”
Dawn bristled with jealousy. It shouldn’t matter who Shadow Walker took to his bed, but it did.
“Not tonight. Running Elk has invited us to share his meal. Maybe another time.”
“Another time,” she agreed, tossing a smug smile at Dawn as she turned and strolled away.
“She doesn’t like me,” Dawn said.
“You’re imagining things. Laughing Brook has no reason to dislike you.”
Dawn thought differently but did not belabor the point. It was obvious that Laughing Brook wanted Shadow Walker. Dawn would have pursued the subject of Laughing Brook if Spring Rain and Sun In The Face hadn’t stopped by to take her to the bathing place. Later, she was to take the evening meal with them.
Dawn ate with the women after the men had been served. It seemed strange that men and women didn’t eat together, but there was much she had to learn about Indian culture. She helped with the cleanup while Shadow Walker and Running Elk smoked and talked.
“An unsettling rumor has reached my ears, Running Elk,” Shadow Walker said at length.
“What rumor is that, my friend?”
“I encountered Horned Owl and a group of renegades a few days ago. I also spoke with a chieftain taking his people north to the Little Big Horn. There is talk of retaliation against the army for injustices done to the People. Is it true that the Sioux Nation is gathering at the Little Big Horn in preparation for a battle?”
Running Elk nodded slowly. “Your ears have not deceived you, Shadow Walker. Too many treaties have been broken, too many false promises given. The recent invasion into our sacred hills cannot be tolerated. We must show the White-eyes they cannot treat us with blatant disrespect.”
“I do not like what I’m hearing, Running Elk. Surely you are too wise to take your people to the Little Big Horn. Remain here. Stay out of the fight. It can only lead to the beginning of the end for the People.”
Running Elk stared off into the distance, his expression bleak, his dark eyes hollow with sadness. “The beginning of the end has already come. Whites are running over our lands like ants upon an anthill. There is no stopping them. They will not be happy until the People are herded like animals onto inhospitable lands. We have no hope if we do not retaliate.”
“I sympathize wholeheartedly, and pray our lawmakers will recognize the plight of the People. Meanwhile, you are treading on dangerous ground by massing together and forcing a fight.”
“We do this to appease our pride and our honor. My people will rally to their leaders. The summons came from the Hunkpapa chiefs, Gall, Rain In The Face, and Crazy Horse and Low Dog of the Oglalas. Thousands of Sioux and Cheyenne will answer the call.”
“Are you saying you will join the hordes preparing for battle? There is scant hope of defeating Custer’s Seventh Cavalry.”
�
��You are wrong. We will annihilate them,” Running Elk said confidently. “Our people will gather in great force. The cavalry will be lured out to meet us and they will taste defeat.”
“Then what? Say the People are victorious. There is bound to be retaliation.”
“It will be as Wakantanka wills.”
“What can I do or say to persuade you to remain at the Red Cloud Agency? I beg you, do not participate in this folly. The thought of your death pains me.”
“I do not wish to cause you pain, but honor demands that I join the great chiefs in their endeavor. In the spring I will take my people to the Little Big Horn. If it results in my death, I will die with honor.”
“What about your wives and children?”
Running Elk winced as if in pain. “They will understand and honor my decision to die as a warrior should.”
“I am sorry, Running Elk, but I cannot accept that. While I am here I will continue to voice my objection.”
“And I will do as my heart directs. Now that that’s settled, let us discuss Dawn. She has just arrived, but already there is much speculation among the young warriors. Stands Alone has asked to court her.”
“Stands Alone,” Shadow Walker mused thoughtfully. “I remember him. Is he of good character?”
“He is a fine warrior. A bit young, but he will be good to Dawn. She will have many warriors to choose from if he doesn’t appeal to her.”
“Yes, of course,” Shadow Walker muttered without enthusiasm.
He was beginning to have second thoughts about leaving Dawn, knowing what he did now about Running Elk’s decision to join the masses gathering at the Little Big Horn. There was bound to be violent retaliation after the battle, and Dawn would be drawn into the middle of a dangerous situation. How could he leave her to that kind of fate? He decided to delay as long as he could before making a decision. Meanwhile, he’d see what developed between Dawn and the young men courting her.
Time passed with alarming speed. The days were growing cool and the nights frosty. Dawn wasn’t unhappy, but neither was she content. She suspected she’d be reasonably happy as long Shadow Walker remained with her. Spring Rain and Sun In The Face took her in their care, teaching her about her mother’s people and their culture. Stands Alone had begun to court her, but she had no interest in the warrior. Yapping Wolf, older and more seasoned than Stands Alone, also expressed interest in her. Dawn found him fierce and frightening and tried to avoid him, but he was persistent in his pursuit of her.
Shadow Walker watched the developing situation with growing interest. He thought Stands Alone inoffensive, if somewhat immature, but considered Yapping Wolf boastful and cocky. The way Yapping Wolf strutted and preened before Dawn irritated him greatly. He decided to speak to Dawn about the aggressive warrior the first chance he got. That chance arrived one day when Dawn went down to the stream alone to fetch water.
“Dawn, wait, I’ll walk with you,” he said as he caught up with her. “How are you getting along?”
“Do you really care?” Dawn asked with little enthusiasm.
“What kind of a question is that? Of course I care.”
Dawn kept on walking. Oh, yes, she knew how much Shadow Walker cared. He cared so much he barely knew she existed these days. It nearly killed her to watch Laughing Brook make a fool of herself over him. She wondered if the lovely widow was sharing his bed. A lusty man like Shadow Walker wasn’t likely to remain celibate, not with Laughing Brook around to appease his needs. Dawn smiled a secret smile. If Laughing Brook thought Shadow Walker would marry her, she was in for a rude awakening. No one knew better than Dawn how committed Shadow Walker was to his dead wife’s memory.
They had reached the stream now, and Dawn set the waterskin down and turned to face Shadow Walker. “Is there something else you wish to say to me?”
“I’ve noticed that Stands Alone is courting you. What do you think of him?”
“He’s a nice boy,” she said with marked indifference.
“He’s older than you. But I think you’re right. He’s not right for you. Neither is Yapping Wolf.”
Dawn’s temper flared. “I thought you wanted me to find a husband. I’ll choose whomever pleases me.”
“Are you saying you actually like Yapping Wolf?”
“What if I do?” She’d not give Shadow Walker the satisfaction of knowing she didn’t like the fierce brave.
“Then you have less sense than I gave you credit for. He has a cruel streak in him, not unlike Cobb. He’ll not treat you kindly.”
“Let me be the judge of that.”
He grasped her shoulders, dragging her up against him. “Dammit, Dawn, I care what happens to you.”
Dawn gave a mirthless laugh. “No one cares what happens to me. I’m here because you insisted. You wanted me taken off your hands and now you’re trying to tell me what to do. Go find Laughing Brook, I’m sure she’ll adore your advice.”
Shadow Walker stared at her, seized by the sudden urge to kiss her. He had missed her. Missed the warmth of her sweet body, the tantalizing softness of her lush lips. But continuing their intimacy wouldn’t have been right.
“Laughing Brook means nothing to me. Had I wanted her I could have had her years ago.”
“That’s right, you don’t want a wife. You prefer to live with memories of the past. Unfortunately, memories can’t warm your bed. You use women like Laughing Brook to satisfy your male needs and fill your empty moments.”
“My empty moments can never be filled by women like Laughing Brook, not even temporarily,” Shadow Walker confessed. He pulled her closer, his gaze intense and probing as he looked deeply into her eyes. He cupped her face with his hands and brought his mouth down on hers. Dawn felt as if she had waited forever for this kiss.
He kissed her endlessly, his mouth hot and hard, his tongue deeply seductive. His breath was warm and tasted of mint. Fire licked through her when his tongue touched hers. He began to caress her breasts, and Dawn felt the resulting heat clear down to her tingling center. When he stopped kissing her, she uttered a small cry of disappointment, but quickly recovered.
“Why did you do that?”
“I’ve wanted to kiss you for a long time. You can’t imagine how difficult it has been for me not to touch you. You deserve far better than I can offer you. My heart isn’t free. I’m not ready yet to give up my memories of Morning Mist.”
Dawn tried to turn away, but he held her captive in his embrace. She had to fight her body’s reaction to him. “Then you have no say over whom I marry.”
“I’ve been thinking about the battle that’s brewing and have begun to entertain second thoughts.”
“About what?”
“Running Elk is determined to take his people to the Little Big Horn. A battle will be devastating to the Sioux. There will be violent retaliation. You won’t be safe here.”
“Where will I be safe?”
Shadow Walker grew thoughtful. “I don’t know. I’ll think of something.”
Dawn turned away. “Don’t bother. I’ve relied on you long enough. I’ll stay here and take my chances with one of the men courting me. Yapping Wolf seems most eager to join with me.”
“You can’t marry Yapping Wolf.”
“Why not?”
“Because I won’t let you.”
“You can’t stop me.”
He gave her a slow smile. Dawn should have known by his expression that he had something devious in mind. “It’s been over two months since we made love. You should know by now if you’re pregnant.”
She swallowed convulsively and shook her head. “Pregnant?” Oh, God, she knew so little about woman things. Her mother had never gotten around to telling her before she died. Could she be pregnant? “I … I … of course I’m not pregnant.” Lord, she certainly hoped she wasn’t.
Shadow Walker should have been relieved, but the opposite was true. What in the hell was the matter with him?
“I have to get back,” Dawn said, reach
ing for the waterskin. “Spring Rain will wonder why I’ve been delayed.”
“Let me help you,” Shadow Walker said, bending to dip water into the bag.
They walked back to camp together, parting at Running Elk’s lodge. Shadow Walker wanted to say more but decided this wasn’t the right time. Perhaps he should have a word with Running Elk about Dawn. Then a small party of warriors asked him to go hunting, and he decided a hard ride was just what he needed to clear the cobwebs and Dawn’s arousing scent from his head.
“Shadow Walker is handsome, is he not?” Sun In The Face said as she joined Dawn. “He is every bit as brave and strong as Running Elk. He will make some woman a wonderful husband.”
“Shadow Walker wants no wife,” Dawn said with an abruptness that sent Sun In The Face’s eyebrows upward. “He’s made that perfectly clear on more than one occasion.”
“I think you would like to be his wife,” Sun In The Face observed. “I believe you love him very much.”
Dawn went still. Love? Did such a thing exist? What she felt for Shadow Walker was difficult to label. Billy had totally subjugated her. When freedom had come unexpectedly, she’d vowed she’d never place herself in another man’s keeping. But Shadow Walker had shown her there didn’t have to be pain between a man and woman. There could be tenderness in intimacy, and caring. And joy. Was that love? She wasn’t sure. She did know that she cared about Shadow Walker more than she had thought it possible to care for anyone.
“It matters little what I feel for Shadow Walker,” Dawn said at length. “I would not burden him.”
“Yapping Wolf and Stands Alone offered Running Elk many horses for you. They are both greatly respected by the People. Will you join with one of them?”
“I don’t know,” Dawn said truthfully.
They parted then. Dawn returned to her lodge to work on the doeskin tunic Spring Rain had given her. She was sewing beads and feathers on the butter-soft garment according to the Indian woman’s directions. Bringing the tunic into the sunshine, she sat cross-legged in front of the tipi and diligently plied her needle. A short time later a shadow fell across her and she looked up, surprised to see Yapping Wolf standing over her.
