Yellowstone Legends

by Peggy L Henderson

  Kendra averted her gaze. This was new territory for her. Guys had flirted with her plenty of times, and she’d given it right back, but there had never been anything more than light romantic banter. There was nothing flirtatious in Wo'itsa’s words or the way he said them. He sounded almost sad, as if he wished their circumstances were different.

  “Naatoyita told me I’m both bear and wolf, and I shouldn’t feel conflicted. He told me I was a child of the Sky People, like Cameron Osborne and Matt Donovan.” She scoffed. “I don’t even know if I believe any of it.”

  There was more that she should tell him. She should mention that she thought he was a child of the Sky People, too, but it was best if he heard that news from Naatoyita. Besides, she wasn’t even one hundred percent certain Wo’itsa was the one the elder had meant.

  If the idea that she was one of the Sky People had surprised him, he didn’t show it. As if he’d read her thoughts, Wo'itsa nodded. “I will listen to what your elder has to say.”

  Kendra stopped in her tracks and faced him. Her brows rose, and her eyes widened. His remark was most unexpected. “You will?”

  A slight twitch in the corners of his mouth revealed that he was trying hard to suppress a real smile. He nodded, then his eyes fell on the pouch around her neck.

  “Do you have the vessel?”

  Kendra wrapped her hand around the pouch. “Safe and sound.”

  Maybe she and Wo'itsa were finally on the same wavelength. She opened the pouch and took out the snakehead.

  “I’m still not sure exactly how to control this thing, but every time I’ve touched it so far, it was by accident or because I was in a hurry. Naatoyita said it will always take me where I need to be. Maybe if I think really hard about where I want to go, it will take us there.”

  Wo'itsa leaned forward. He eyed the object in her hand. “Mukua told me it will take an ordinary person back to the last place it has been. If you are a child of the Sky People, however, your spirit is part of the vessel, and you will be able to control it.” He looked up. “Tell it to take us back to where I left Mukua.”

  Kendra’s head snapped up to look at him. “No. That’s not where we need to go. We have to get back to 1751 to find Naatoyita. Besides, we can’t just leave without telling Daniel and Aimee goodbye.”

  His next move was unexpected. Before she had a chance to react, Wo'itsa grabbed her wrist and snatched the vessel from her hand. In the next instant, the familiar darkness that came with time travel overtook her.

  A loon or some other kind of water bird called from somewhere in the distance. Kendra opened her eyes and braced against the dizziness that always followed when she’d time traveled. Anger instantly welled up inside her.

  He’d done it! That blasted Wolf had forced them to time travel again. Kendra scrambled to her feet. The movement caused a sucking and sloshing sound, followed quickly by an unpleasant stench of rotten vegetation.

  She nearly lost her balance again, but a strong hand gripped her by the arm and steadied her. Cold water seeped into the moccasins she wore. Her head snapped to the side where Wo'itsa stood, glancing around.

  Kendra jerked her arm free of his grip and stumbled backward, sloshing more muddy water into her shoes.

  “What did you do?” Her head snapped around and she looked at their surroundings. “We could be right back to where that bear attacked you.”

  “But we are not. We are somewhere else.”

  That fact was already clear as she shivered from the cold water surrounding her feet. She took a few steps toward the dense trees that appeared to frame the marshy area where they stood. Bugs swarmed around her head by the thousands, and she swatted an impatient hand at them. That’s when it occurred to her.

  “Where’s the vessel?” What if he’d dropped it? “I can’t believe you made us time travel again, not knowing where we were going to end up.”

  “I have the vessel.” Wo'itsa’s voice was infuriatingly calm.

  “Give it to me.” She held out her hand. “I’m getting us out of here.”

  Wo'itsa shook his head. “I must first find the woman I saw with Mukua. She may be in danger.”

  Kendra stared at the determined look on Wo'itsa’s face. He wasn’t going to budge without a fight. She scoffed. Because she was starting to develop feelings for this guy, feelings she didn’t want in the first place, she’d let her guard down.

  “You don’t even know where we are or what time we’re in this time. Give the vessel back to me and I’ll see if I can get us to where . . . when we really need to be.”

  “We will return to that time as soon as I know that the woman I saw is safe.”

  Kendra huffed. She eyed his left hand, which firmly gripped the vessel, Even with his wounds, she wasn’t going to be able to wrestle that snakehead from him. He’d already proven that he was stronger and a better fighter than she was, unless she could surprise him. In order to take that snakehead away, she’d have to think of something.

  “So, is this where you left Mukua? Are we in the right time?”

  Wo'itsa looked around. He shook his head. “We were in an area with many hot springs.”

  “Clearly, that’s not here.”

  Kendra glared at him after making a point of looking at her soaked moccasins and the dirt on her britches and shirt. She sloshed through more mud to finally reach the trees, which were on a slightly higher elevation where the ground provided relief from the marsh. Wo'itsa was right behind her.

  Once she’d gained solid footing, she spun around to offer her best glare at that infuriating Wolf.

  “You obviously can’t control the vessel. Hand it over before you do more damage to your wounds . . . or before I do more damage to your wounds.”

  There was a slight hesitation, as if he was weighing her words and considering them, then he shook his head again. A slight grin passed over his face.

  “You wish to try to fight me again? I may be weak from my injuries, but you will not be able to best me. I have told you that already, my little warrior woman.”

  If ever there was a good time to stomp her feet and throw a tantrum, now would have been it. Kendra gnashed her teeth and fisted her hands at her side. Every cell in her body wanted to throttle this guy and take him down, but she couldn’t do it. Not even an attempt, because if she did, his wounds would break open again.

  Without antibiotics in this primitive world, there was still a good chance the lacerations would get infected. Aimee had done a tremendous job with the tools and medicines of the time that she had at her disposal, but even she had cautioned that the wounds needed to be kept clean and Wo'itsa should move as little as possible for several more days. At least he hadn’t arrived in this time with his chest in the mud.

  “Stop calling me your little warrior woman,” she argued lamely. In a way, it sounded like an endearment. “And let me tell you something else, Wolf. I don’t think it’s –”

  He cut her off by putting his hand over her mouth and wrapping a firm arm around her middle, pulling her up against him. He held her so close that she was rendered immobile.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Her muffled question brought his hand over her mouth even harder.

  “Someone is coming,” Wo'itsa hissed in her ear. “Remain still.”

  Kendra froze. She listened, although the pounding in her heart, both from anger at Wo'itsa and embarrassment for having been overtaken so easily, prevented her from hearing much of anything else.

  The faint sloshing and splashing sound of something or someone moving through the nearby marsh became louder and clearer. To hear better, Kendra leaned away from Wo'itsa as much as he’d allow. By the cadenced, rhythmic splashes, it sounded like a horse moving through the water. She’d been horseback riding through streams on the Rez enough times to recognize that sound.

  She squirmed to get a better look, but Wo'itsa’s grip was ironclad. Guilt poured through her at the thought of jabbing her elbow into his chest. That would be an underhand
ed move, and she dismissed it as quickly as she’d thought about it. Instead, she raised one leg off the ground and brought her heel down hard on his foot with as much force as she could.

  Wo'itsa mumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like a curse word in English, but her action had the desired effect. He released her just enough that she managed to snake out of his hold. She stepped on a branch, cringing at how loud it sounded to her. Grabbing for a bough on the nearest tree, she steadied herself.

  At that same moment, a horse and rider came into view. The man wore buckskins, much like Samuel Osborne. His dirty-blond hair was nearly to his shoulders. The rider looked alert as he guided his mount through the marsh.

  Kendra froze. If she moved and the man saw her or Wo'itsa, he might pull the rifle that hung on his saddle, shoot first, and ask questions later.

  She nearly jumped when Wo'itsa’s hand touched her arm. A branch moved slightly. At the same time, a flock of geese took flight out of the marsh, squawking and honking loudly.

  In the next instant, the horse spooked from all the commotion. The mare jumped to the side, causing a huge splash in the muck, and then she bucked. The rider had clearly not been expecting his horse’s reaction and fell from the saddle. The horse took off, galloping through the marsh.

  “Now look what you did,” Kendra hissed. All they needed now was for the rider to see them. “It’s time to get out of here before we’re discovered.” The guy who’d fallen off the horse would be all right.

  Kendra spun around and didn’t think. Her arm curled around Wo'itsa’s neck, and she pressed her lips to his. Her other hand sought the vessel he still held. All she had to do was touch one of the eyes, and it would send them somewhere else.

  Clearly, she’d caught Wo'itsa by surprise. He stood stiffly and didn’t even try to prevent her from taking the snakehead. While Kendra’s lips remained on his, her arm firmly wrapped around his neck, the familiar darkness came over her and transported them to another time.

  Chapter 22

  Kendra opened her eyes and stared squarely into Wo'itsa’s, which were inches away. He didn’t move, but simply stared back at her. Their noses were nearly touching, and her arm was still wrapped around his neck, holding him close.

  She cleared her throat and squirmed. Something heavy draped over her thighs prevented her from moving her legs. A quick glance down confirmed that her lower limbs and Wo'itsa’s were entwined like vines. His arm was also wrapped around her middle, making it even more difficult to move, even when her forehead bumped against his.

  “I think we’d better get up and see where we’ve landed this time.” Kendra’s words were barely more than a raspy whisper.

  She blinked and shook her head while peeling her arm back from Wo'itsa’s neck. An odd but pleasant tingle tickled her lips, and the more she focused on it, the greater her awareness grew of the same sensation running up and down her limbs wherever she and Wo'itsa touched.

  For once, he wasn’t pinning her down with the intention of subduing her. This felt very much like a lover’s embrace, and it brought her back to reality quicker than a bucket of ice water over her head.

  This was all a big mistake. Kissing him had been the wrong course of action. There were other ways to divert someone’s attention. What had she been thinking?

  As if he’d just realized their vulnerable position, Wo'itsa moved abruptly and was on his feet in the blink of an eye. He clenched his jaw and gripped at his chest. Clearly, the quick move had hurt. Hopefully he hadn’t reinjured himself.

  Kendra’s knees wobbled weakly as she stood, waiting for the adrenaline to wear off and her heart to stop pounding.

  Did he have any reaction to what she’d done to get the vessel away from him? Wo'itsa looked at her, but except for his dark eyes appearing even darker, there was no indication what he was thinking.

  “How’s your chest feeling?”

  It was the first lame question that popped into her mind to stop thinking about the kiss. No, it hadn’t been a kiss; not a real one anyway. She’d needed some kind of element of surprise to catch him off guard, so she could at least touch the vessel to get them to another time. Kissing him had seemed like the perfect thing to do, and it had obviously had the desired effect. Had she touched the left or the right eye? Hopefully she hadn’t made things worse by sending them somewhere completely unknown.

  Wo'itsa continued to simply stare at her. His eyes narrowed slightly, and there was a scrunch to his forehead, as if he was trying to figure out what had happened before they’d time traveled. Kendra shrugged and laughed. Best to pretend it didn’t mean anything to her, either.

  “What’s the matter? You act as if you’ve never been kissed before.”

  Wo'itsa shook his head. Finally, there was a reaction from him. “I have often seen Cameahwait and his wife touching lips, and always wondered why they seem to enjoy it so much. It is not something with which I am familiar.” A slow smile spread across his face. “I think now I understand.”

  Kendra’s brows rose. He wasn’t familiar with kissing? No wonder he’d stiffened up so much. He’d probably thought she was trying to bite him or something. Judging from that smile on his face, he must have enjoyed it, even if it had been far from a real kiss.

  She took a tentative step away from him. While his face had been unreadable a mere minute ago, now there was a definite smolder in his eyes, and that familiar look of admiration. She shook her head. Not good. This was definitely not good.

  “Well, I had to do something to divert your attention so I could get the snakehead away from you, since you obviously weren’t willing to hand it over.”

  Kendra broke eye contact and put a little more distance between them. She glanced at their new surroundings, trying to focus while her mind still lingered on her body’s reaction to him.

  They were no longer in a marshy area, but definitely still in the wilderness. The mountains in the distance rose dramatically into the sky, and the nearby hills were covered in pine forests.

  “Where are we now?”

  Wo'itsa came up beside her. He swept a quick look around. “These are the summer hunting grounds of my people.” He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “My village is not far from here, if we are in the correct time. It would appear we are back where you wanted us to go.” He hesitated, then added, “You truly are a child of the Sky People.”

  Kendra stared up at him. He looked uneasy at his own words. Had it really worked? Had the vessel actually brought them back to the time and roughly the right place where she’d wanted to go?

  You’re a child of the Sky People, too.

  It was better to keep that thought to herself. Maybe he wasn’t the one she was supposed to find. If he truly was the other child of the Sky People, wouldn’t the vessel have taken him back to where he needed to be rather than transporting them to that swamp?

  They’d almost been discovered by that rider who ended up taking a mud bath when his horse tossed him. The odds that they’d changed something on the timeline because of that little mishap were extremely slim, so it wasn’t something to even think or worry about. But then again, why had they been sent there at all?

  “I need to find Naatoyita. I don’t think coming here to your hunting grounds is going to help me do that.”

  “We will go to my village. Perhaps the shaman can offer some advice and guidance. If your elder has found you once, he will find you again.”

  Her brows rose. “Just like Mukua is going to find you again?”

  Wo'itsa’s face hardened at her question. “I have told you, I will listen to your elder, but I will also speak to Mukua if he returns.”

  Abruptly, he turned away from her and started walking in the direction of the mountains. Kendra sighed and caught up with him.

  “How far is it to your village? You really need to rest and let those wounds heal.”

  Wo'itsa didn’t look at her. “We will be there before sundown.” If his wounds were hurting, h
e certainly didn’t give any indication.

  “Now who’s the stubborn one?” Kendra mumbled. She glanced at the vessel she still gripped in her hand, then stuffed it back into the pouch around her neck.

  They walked in silence. Wo'itsa led the way through the forest, crossing several streams. He slowed down only once to refill his water bladder, but his mind seemed to be miles away. He hadn’t said a word in, what seemed like hours, and became more withdrawn with each step he took. That was just fine. Kendra kept quiet, too, listening to the tranquil sounds of the forest as she followed the Wolf.

  Should she be worried about where he was taking her? The thought of going to his village and having to interact with people whose customs were far from familiar to her was more unnerving than walking alone through the back alleys of L.A. in the middle of the night.

  If they were back in the year 1751, she should be heading to Hayden Valley and Cameron Osborne’s cabin. Maybe Naatoyita was waiting for her there. Unlike Mukua, the old man didn’t have a time travel vessel to pop through time to find her whenever he wanted. She had to go to him.

  For now, she’d stick close to Wo'itsa and not make the same mistake as the day of the bear attack. If Mukua showed up, it would give her the chance to apprehend the elder and take the snakehead from him. That shouldn’t be too difficult, unless Wo'itsa insisted on protecting him.

  It must have been late afternoon by the time the faint smell of wood smoke drifted in the air. Kendra’s hand went to the back of her britches where she normally carried her revolver. The knife Aimee had given her was still concealed securely. It wasn’t her gun, but at least it was a weapon in case she needed something for defense.

  Wo'itsa raised his hand to signal she should stop. He barely glanced over his shoulder when he spoke in a hushed tone.

  “Wait here. I will make sure we are in the correct time.”

  He disappeared almost immediately through the thicket. Apparently he felt confident that she’d do as he asked. At least for the moment, his assumption would be correct. Kendra expelled a long breath through her mouth. She sank to the ground and leaned against a tree, pulling her knees up to her chest.