Running Elk

by Elizabeth Anne Porter

  He knew he would be no good to his people without Two Fires by his side. If he couldn’t have her, he would be on his own; no longer a Comanche. Maybe then he could enter any Kiowa camp and not bring their wrath down on his family. When he did locate the woman who consumed his every thought, he would barter for her and would not stop until she was his again. He had to maintain the belief that it would all work out, or he wouldn’t be able to go on.

  ***

  When he woke, Running Eagle went in search of Kicking Bird and told him of his decision. His brother attempted to stop him. He repeated more than once that Running Elk was not considering his people and reminded him that the Kiowa would come to their camp willingly if they were asked. In the last few months, the two bands had fought side by side.

  “I understand what you are saying, but I cannot wait. I promise I will do nothing to endanger the truce. I am alone now,” Running Elk stated, finding it strangely difficult to admit to his brother that Morning Star had left him. He was a prideful man even when he was in the wrong.

  “Morning Star will be taken care of. I know where she is, and I believe she will find her happiness.”

  Running Elk felt the familiar knot grow in the pit of his stomach when he heard the news. “She has found a man so soon? It would seem she was no happier than I was.”

  It had never entered his mind that the woman he called his wife might have been carrying on with another man, but once it did, he was furious.

  “You don’t seem pleased with the news. You never loved her and were never truly with the woman. She had no idea the man she is now with was enamored with her. The woman was faithful to you. The man she is with has longed for her from afar since you took her into your home.”

  “Huh. Tell me where she is staying,” Running Elk demanded. He knew his reaction made little to no sense, but that didn’t make it any easier to calm himself.

  “If you must know, she is with our brother. You should be glad, or at the very least, relieved.”

  Running Elk quickly covered the shock he was experiencing. All of the advice White Wolf had offered over the years made sense. Instead of dwelling on his brother’s betrayal, he stayed focused on the reason he was speaking to Kicking Bird. “I should do this. I can’t do that. I am growing excessively tired of being told what to do. I am my own man. My own blood deceiving me like this just shows how alone I am.”

  Even though Running Elk was well aware his outburst was totally uncalled for, he was too far in to stop and apologize. Accepting that he was making more of the situation than he had a right to, he turned and walked away before Kicking Bird could say anything further.

  ***

  Kicking Bird watched his little brother leave with a heavy heart. Running Elk was hurting and in need, but there was nothing he could do to aid him. He prayed his little brother would be able to work through his demons and return soon.

  Chapter Sixteen

  After walking down the ridge and entering the packing encampment, Standing Bear led his horse to a colorful tipi. It was covered with a painting of a bear and a buffalo. Once they reached the entrance, he dismounted and reached for Alexandria. She leaned toward him cautiously. Her legs gave out when she put weight on them. Standing Bear scooped her into his arms and carried her inside. While she was being carted in, she could hear people speaking. Although she had no idea what the words meant, it seemed to her that people were shocked and slightly agitated about something.

  Standing Bear sat her down on a thick brown fur in the back of the dwelling, moved back to the front and picked up some logs. Without looking up at her, he readied a small fire in the center of the home and walked out, pulling the flap closed behind him.

  Alexandria was alone for the first time in over a week. She remained sitting and slowly surveyed her surroundings. She was sitting on top of a soft, thick brown fur. They were dotted throughout the tipi. There were colorful paintings on the walls. The main focus was a bear and a herd of animals. The dwelling was like nothing she’d seen before. It was a large circular structure held in place by numerous tall wooden beams. Everything about the tipi was different than anything she’d imagined. There were no chairs, or even tables. After taking in her surrounding, she again focused on just had lost she was. The fear she was experiencing was almost choking her. After swallowing several times, she decided to try to stand. Her legs were still shaking, but thankfully they held her weight. Her body was weak, and her mind was spinning, but at least she was standing on her own.

  After making her way to the fire, she sat down and attempted to warm her cold, shaking hands. Her first coherent thought was the realization that she had been left inside her captor’s home. The hatred she felt towards the man hadn’t lessened, but she did have questions for him. He had been so very cruel at first and then had suddenly softened. After he’d recaptured her, his demeanor had changed and he had seemed to almost care if she was comfortable or had enough to eat. While she was initially grateful when he left her alone, she soon learned she didn’t care for such isolation.

  “Where am I?” she whispered, looking up through the hole at the top of the tipi. “Where are you? Dear God, what is going on?”

  “Maybe I can help answer some of yer questions,” a voice spoke from the entrance. “Stay there, we’ll come ta you. You are in a Kiowa camp, and this man here is Standing Bear. He wants ta know what they call you.”

  A white man sat on one side, and Standing Bear sat on the other. Her first reaction to seeing a white man was relief. If she could talk to him, surely he would help her.

  “Thank God you’re here.”

  The white man was older. And from the looks and smell of him, it was safe to assume he hadn’t had a bath in months. He had gray hair and a long straggly beard. His eyes were a clear, deep blue. He smiled a toothless grin when she reached for his hand.

  “Well, I can’t remember the last time I was welcomed like that. But Standing Bear here wants ta know your name, and he’s not a man I would call patient.”

  Alexandria turned to face the man who had stolen her life. The white paint that had covered his face for the entirety of their trip was gone. He wasn’t nearly as fierce-looking as Running Elk, and yet she was still scared of him. “Your name is Standing Bear? My name is T … Alexandria. Now that the introductions are over, ask him why I am here. Then inform him that I need to go. I have to find Running Elk,” she explained, turning from the warrior to the old man.

  The trapper looked around her and addressed Standing Bear.

  Alexandria kept her gaze on the old man, refusing to turn back to Standing Bear.

  After the warrior spoke, she waited for the trapper to interpret.

  “He says he has heard of Running Elk. But he doesn’t want ya, or he would have come for ya by now. Its proly best if ya forget about him. Standing Bear here is a warrior in fine standin’. He don’t want ya as a slave neither. I reckon you should consider yerself lucky. Proly on account yer so perty. Anyway, Standing Bear wants ya, and it don’t seem like you have much of a choice in the matter.”

  Alexandria listened to the man but her brain refused to allow the words to sink in. She shook her head. “No. Running Elk and I were meant to be together,” she explained as calmly as she could manage.

  The old man ran his hand through his straggly beard and looked to Standing Bear before replying.

  “If ya know what’s good fer ya, you’ll be happy here. These boys enjoy torture. In fact, they are known fer it …”

  Before the trapper could finish his warning, Standing Bear interrupted.

  Alexandria stubbornly kept facing the white interpreter.

  There were a few sentences that passed between the Indian and the trapper before the old man spoke again.

  “He says you’ll warm ta him. You will be staying here, in his tipi. In a bit, he is gonna bring another white girl in here so that she can teach ya a few words and get ya cleaned up. Ya really don’t have any say in the matter. But remember what I told
ya. You are lucky. I gotta get goin’ now,” the man said as he rose and quickly backed out of the dwelling.

  “But …” She stood quickly, but Standing Bear was quicker. He was blocking the exit before she was able to take a step.

  He smiled and led her back to the fire. After gently pushing her back down to a seated position, he joined her and attempted to speak her name several time. The closest he got was a broken Alax. She sat in silence, staring into the fire, while he practiced butchering her name.

  When she heard a voice from outside the tent, Standing Bear said something and a white girl entered cautiously. Alexandria looked at the young woman. She couldn’t have been more than eighteen and was short and thin. Her hair was orange and freckles ran from her cheeks to her nose.

  Once the young woman was standing across from Alexandria, she spoke. “Hello.”

  Alexandria stood quickly and grabbed the girl by her thin arms. “You have to help me. I have to get out of here. Please tell him to take me to Running Elk. Please, please. Don’t you see? You have to help me.”

  Standing Bear walked to Alexandria and put his arm around her waist. She tried to pull away from his embrace but Standing Bear’s grip was so tight that if she had moved any further, it would have caused herself an immense amount of pain.

  He quickly spoke a few angry words to the white woman before waiting for her to tell Alexandria what he said.

  “Alax, Standing Bear wants you to realize that you belong to him now. He is a great warrior. You should feel honored,” the girl said, never raising her eyes from the dirt floor.

  “No. You have to understand. I love another man. Does that not matter?” Alexandria asked in near panic.

  “Standing Bear has taken you to his tipi. He is a good man. Now come and we will get you some clothes and a bath before we begin packing the tipi,” the woman answered calmly.

  Alexandria was so frustrated, she was on the verge of screaming. She understood everything she had been told, but the people she was talking to seemed to not hear her. Was she supposed to do nothing? Follow their instructions blindly? Was she meant to just fall into living with another man she didn’t love? At least she had been friends with Richard. She could barely tolerate Standing Bear and vowed not to be his wife. That was something she simply would not do!

  “Come now, you will feel much better once you are clean,” the girl urged nervously.

  When the girl reached for her hand, Alexandria attempted once again to break free from Standing Bear’s grip. “What is your name?” she asked as soon as realized the warrior had loosened his hold to allow the tiny girl to pull her towards the exit.

  Standing Bear walked back towards the fire and nodded before saying something else to the woman that Alexandria couldn’t understand.

  Alexandria felt beaten. She had run out of ideas about what to do. But having clean clothes, bathing, and washing her hair didn’t sound like a terrible thing. While she was cleaning up, maybe she would find a way to convince the girl to help her out.

  “My name is Abigail. Abigail Thompson. And you are called Alax.”

  “Well, that’s close. I’m Alexandria Standish,” she corrected weakly then smiled. “But that doesn’t fit me like the name Running Elk gave me.”

  “Is Running Elk the man you love?” Abigail asked.

  “Yes, and I know he will come for me. He promised we would be together. He has to come. And how will he know where to look if this camp is moving?” Alexandria asked as tears filled her eyes.

  Abigail stopped walking and put her arm around Alexandria. “We are moving like we do with the change of season. And I’m sorry, but I do not think anyone will come for you. If they do, Standing Bear will most probably not give you up. But your pain will be a little less with every passing day. Believe me, I know what I am talking about. I am lucky. I have an adopted family that loves me.” Abigail said before beginning to walk again.

  They walked to a plain-looking tipi and Alexandria waited while Abigail walked in and returned with a bundle of clothing. The women of the camp were busy pulling down the tipis, but they all stopped what they were doing and looked at her. Their expressions varied from interest to disgust.

  “You and I are lucky we are not being mistreated. Remember that.”

  Alexandria fell in step slightly behind Abigail. “Abigail, I will not be with that man. He killed my husband and friends. And if that wasn’t horrible enough, he forced me to watch. Every time I look at him, my mind replays the scene.”

  “I understand what you are saying. But please, try to accept your fate. We all must. Now bathe, I will be right here. While you are cleaning yourself, maybe I can try to teach you some words in Kiowa,” Abigail directed as they walked to the water’s edge.

  The water did look inviting. Alexandria didn’t say anything as she looked around to ensure she wasn’t being spied on before quickly disrobing and running into the cool, crisp water. Once she forced herself to stop shaking, she began washing up. It felt good to be clean. She took time washing her hair, making sure all the dirt was gone. Just as she was thinking about stepping out, she realized Standing Bear had joined Abigail.

  Alexandria could see they were talking and turned around to hide her nakedness from the warrior.

  Before turning away, she saw a look of disappointment cross Standing Bear’s face.

  Alexandria didn’t turn around until she heard Abigail calling her name. She slowly turned to look at her new friend and realized Standing Bear was gone. Abigail met her at the water’s edge and helped her dry her goose-bump-covered body before helping her dress. The clean clothes felt good against her skin and whether she wanted to admit it or not, the soft tan-colored buckskin dress and beautifully beaded moccasins were comfortable. She let Abigail braid her hair and they walked back towards Standing Bear’s tipi. Abigail was silent, and Alexandria was once again busy trying to think of a way out of her new life.

  ***

  Standing Bear was waiting for them when they arrived at his home, but the tipi was gone. All that remained was the circle of stone that had been at the center of his dwelling and the dying embers of a fire. Alexandria was shocked at how quickly a group of people could be ready to move their homes. Abigail patted Alexandria on the back and mounted one of the two ponies Standing Bear was holding.

  Alexandria attempted to mirror Abigail’s movements but learned that not having a saddle made the task a little more difficult than normal.

  “No,” Standing Bear said, smiling with pride.

  It was evident he was proud of himself for speaking a very simple English word.

  “No?” Alexandria asked, not allowing herself to be slightly impressed. After all, she didn’t know the Kiowa word for no.

  He spoke to Abigail in his language.

  “He said you will ride with him. In front of him, were his exact words.”

  Something in Alexandria snapped. “And there is nothing I can do? I do have a mind, you know. How can you not have one? How can you sit there and smile at me? Does it not bother you to blindly follow their orders?” she asked, trying to break free of Standing Bear’s grip.

  He pulled her body tightly against his before looking Alexandria in her eyes and speaking.

  “He said that you can’t fight him forever. That he will be good to you, but that you must not run. Alexandria, he speaks the truth. If you run and they catch you, and they will, you could very easily be killed,” Abigail added her insight at the end. “I like my life here. I hope to make a marriage pact one day. I have learned to be content with what life has handed me. And he is a handsome man. The most handsome and desired warrior in the camp.”

  Alexandria listened to Abigail but still attempted to break the embrace. The warrior held her with very little effort on his part.

  “If he is so wonderful, then you take him.”

  Standing Bear lifted her onto the horse and mounted behind her.

  “He has chosen you. Now, while we ride, let’s try to learn some w
ords.”

  After riding for hours, Alexandria was convinced she would never learn to communicate with anyone other than Abigail. That didn’t stop Abigail from pointing at objects and saying words. After the first hour, Alexandria was pretty sure the Kiowa word for man or warrior was ch’i.

  “Why is it so important that I learn the language?” Alexandria asked, frustrated.

  “Because you live here now, among people who speak this tongue. And more importantly, because he wants you to learn.”

  “Teach him English,” Alexandria spat.

  “He is learning. He already told you no. After you have rested your mind, we will try again. But now I am riding ahead to speak to my mother,” Abigail informed her before she rode away.

  Alexandria looked across the open prairie through tear-filled eyes. As much as she tried to reassure herself that there was a way to escape, she still felt desperate.

  The wind blew suddenly and Standing Bear’s hair covered her face. She pushed the errant stands away from her without looking back.

  Her captor had been silent the entire trip, but Alexandria was sure the reason was because Abigail was attempting to teach her the language.

  In between introducing words to Alexandria, Abigail had repeatedly told her how handsome her captor was. But Alexandria had never been able to look at him for long. She knew when he smiled, his face softened, but she definitely didn’t consider him handsome. He was a monster.