“Will you force me onto the reservation too?”
“No, ma’am. Why would you think that? You ain’t an Indian,” he asked in shock.
“Then where will I go?” she asked, looking across the prairie; her home for the past year, and the only place her son knew. A pain emanated from her heart to the pit of her stomach.
“Don’t ya have family?”
“Not here. I have a sister in Virginia, but we were never close. I believe I would rather stay with the Kiowa. At least my son will be accepted.”
“Well, ma’am, that’s not entirely true. He is a half-breed. They are the ones who have trouble fittin’ in anywhere.”
Alexandria looked at the captain with hatred in her eyes. “My son was conceived in love, and I will raise him to be proud of who his father is.”
“I wish ya the best of luck. But I gotta tell ya, it ain’t gonna be easy,” the captain said before nodding his head and departing.
Alexandria watched him ride away and prayed he’d been wrong in his opinion. She had heard from everyone she came into contact with that she would not be allowed to have an easy life. After forcing the negativity from her mind, she said a prayer for Abigail, asking that she be safe and find happiness. While allowing her mind to linger on her friend, she remembered Abigail’s final words. Had she ruined any change of a normal life her son had? The longer she was left to her thoughts, the more Alexandria questioned if her decision had been the right one.
Her thoughts also turned back to Running Elk. He might not have come for her when he had the chance, but she had never given up hope. As hard as she tried her, heart wouldn’t allow it. Yet her rash decision had ended any chance they would ever be together again.
When she pulled herself from the depressing thoughts she saw four soldiers riding near her. All shared the same look of disgust. Their reaction to her cemented the realization that no matter what her actions led to, she had to make the best of it.
When the formation stopped moving during the heat of the day, the handsome captain once again sought out Alexandria’s company.
Alexandria slowly turned in his direction. “Yes?” she asked, not bothering to stop feeding her child.
“I was making sure you’re still all right,” he stammered, not hiding his discomfort while actively avoiding looking at her.
She was shocked by his modesty. “I have to feed my son when he is hungry. The act is not obscene or sexual; it is merely a fact of life.”
“Yes, ma’am, I understand that well enough. I’m just not used to seeing it. I’ll be over here,” he stammered, pointing in the direction of the horses. “Call me when you’re finished. If ya don’t mind.”
“I will,” Alexandria said, not able to keep a weak smile from crossing her face.
Percival shook his head before replacing his hat and walking towards the horses the soldiers had captured.
Alexandria watched as he approached Standing Bear’s finest stallion. For reasons she couldn’t understand, she suddenly wanted nothing more than for the soldier to move away from her horse. Little Eagle had fallen asleep, so she called out to him.
“Yes, ma’am,” he called in reply before walking towards her again.
“You said you wanted to speak to me. My son is asleep.”
The soldier sat beside her, keeping a respectable distance. “Well then, I guess my first question is, why did you pick that horse?”
“The horse belonged to someone very special to me,” she stated simply.
“Who?” he continued.
“His name was Standing Bear. Why do you ask?”
“The horse is well taken care of. Was Standing Bear the boy’s father?” he asked, pointing to the sleeping child.
“Not that it is any of your business. But no, he isn’t my child’s father,” she answered, attempting to keep the conversation civil but finding it increasingly difficult.
“You said earlier the boy was conceived with love. Are you in love with one of these Indians?” he asked.
“Captain, what difference does that make?” she asked, looking him in the eye.
“You are a fascinating woman. I find myself wanting to know about your life,” he confessed as he stood and walked in front of her. “I don’t mean to upset you, but most women would be thanking me for rescuing them from the savages, but not you. Hell, you even asked to stay with them. I find it hard to believe, that’s all. And please call me Percival.”
“Once again, they are not savages,” she said angrily as she stood to face him. “And believe me, if I thought I could have been back with Running Elk, I wouldn’t have allowed you to catch me,” she informed him.
“Running Elk? Is that the baby’s father?”
“Yes. I only saw him a few tim—”
“He fights alongside Quanah Parker. He’s a Comanche, and a damn good fighter from what I’ve heard,” Captain Armstrong interrupted her.
She could hear the respect in his voice when he spoke of Running Elk and that made her swell with pride.
“You know of him? Tell me what you know,” she begged as she reached out to the soldiers’ crossed arms.
“I don’t know much more than I’ve already said. He fights with the war chief Quanah Parker,” he informed her.
“And he is brave?” she asked, imploring him to continue.
“Running Elk is what I like to call dangerous. The Indians say he has strong magic. So, if he is the baby’s father, what were you doing in the Kiowa camp?” he asked.
“Because Standing Bear took me from our wagon train to the Kiowa village. He told me Running Elk would come for me if he wanted me, but he didn’t,” she explained quietly, avoiding his eyes.
“He left you there? Are you sure he knew where you were?”
“Standing Bear said he would know. He never came for me. Abigail promised to tell me if she heard anything about his arrival.”
“Abigail? Who’s Abigail?”
“My friend. She is white also, but she is still with what’s left of the Kiowa.”
“How? No white women rode away.”
“She was with Little Eagle and me. She ran away,” she divulged, thinking that the information she had just shared with the captain would do nothing more than aggravate him.
“Why? She had the chance to come back to civilization, and she chose to stay in the wild,” he said, sounding as if he didn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Because civilization to her is with the Kiowa. She told me she would rather die than return to the white world,” she answered defiantly.
“I was right. Those Indians have a way of brainwashin’ white women.”
“Are you crazy?!” Alexandria screamed at him. “You understand nothing. They are just like you. They are people. We are the ones taking their land and their way of life. But that isn’t where it ends. White people want the Indians to forget where they came from. We are the ones in the wrong!”
Captain Armstrong backed away from Alexandria as her speech gained speed. “I suppose I can see some of your points,” he admitted after a lengthy silence. But ma’am, I gotta do my job. We need the land,” he added quickly.
“No, I don’t believe that. If you would open your mind, you would realize I am right. The job you have is to wipe out an entire race of people,” she said in a muted tone before she sat down and began preparing to strap her son to her chest with the leather straps Standing Bear had taken such care to make.
“No, ma’am. We don’t do nothing to them that they don’t do to us. So they are murderers too,” he said, crouching down to her level.
“Captain, I am tired of this. All I ask is that you realize the Indians are people first. I would appreciate it if you started treating them like it,” she explained, allowing doubt to creep into her statement.
“I will do my best, but you gotta quit calling me a murderer. Do we have a deal?” he asked, flashing a smile.
“Yes, Captain, you have a deal,” Alexandria agreed as she picked up her s
on.
“Please call me Percival,” he asked again. “May I call you Alexandria?”
“Yes, Captain. You may call me Alexandria. How much further do we have to go?”
“By nightfall, two other companies will meet up with us and then we will have two more days, at least. Will you ride beside me this time?”
“Again, thank you for asking, but I am not very good company. Maybe tomorrow,” she offered, hoping her answer would be enough for the captain.
“We’ll be moving out in the next few minutes. I’ll come back and check on you once we’ve started moving,” he stated before he mounted his horse and rode away.
Alexandria looked around and realized only one soldier was left to guard her. She wondered what had brought about the change but decided against questioning the soldier riding towards her.
“Stop playing around and get on your horse,” he ordered rudely.
“I was just about to do that,” she assured the soldier with hatred in her voice. The man clearly didn’t like her, and he was not going attempt to hide the way he felt. Knowing there was nothing she could do about the soldier’s attitude, she decided the next time she spoke to the captain, she would ask him to change her guard.
After riding a few minutes, Alexandria realized just how defeated she was. Even with one guard near, she didn’t feel the desire to escape.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Abigail waited until the sounds of the soldiers were gone and only then cautiously stepped into the clearing to view her old home. Tears flowed unchecked down her cheeks as she realized the devastation. Finding it difficult to remain standing, she found a felled tree and sat down. She slowly rocked back and forth and cried into her open hands until she heard the faint sound of horse hooves. As soon as she convinced herself she wasn’t hearing things, she stood and ran back to the trees. All sense of time was warped. It felt as if she’d just sat down, but her screaming muscles told her a different story. Her body ached, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her from hiding. She planned on staying hidden until she could identify the rider.
Abigail waited and prayed the visitor was a warrior coming back to view the damage left by the soldier’s predawn attack.
She spied a fierce-looking warrior atop an exhausted pony. The man wasn’t a Kiowa. He was a Comanche. Abigail held her hands to her mouth in hopes the man wouldn’t hear her breathing. She watched as the Comanche ran through the charred remains, cautiously observing the dead as he moved. The look on his face was a mixture of great pain and great relief.
Once he had checked all the lifeless bodies, he looked to the sky, raised his arms, and wailed a name.
Abigail watched the man, thinking she was safe to reveal herself, but didn’t move until she heard the name the warrior called out. As soon as she heard the name, she showed herself with hesitation.
“Are you Running Elk?” she asked quietly, unsure of how to even begin the discussion they needed to have.
Running Elk turned and ran towards Abigail. “How do you know who I am?” he asked with urgency.
“I know Alexandria. She was my best friend,” she answered, crying into her open hands.
Running Elk pulled the woman’s hands from her face, smiled gently, and asked as calmly as he could, “Where is she?”
“She went with the soldiers,” she answered, wiping the tears.
“And my son?” Running Elk asked, still holding the woman by the shoulders.
“He is with her. When the soldiers came, we hid. Little Eagle cried, and she told me to run. She gave herself up so that I could be free,” she explained through the hiccups that followed her crying.
“When did they leave?” he asked, making it clear he was trying his best to be patient with the shaken woman.
“I think it was around midday yesterday. They took all the horses except for the ones the warriors were riding. A few men got away, but they haven’t returned yet,” Abigail explained, beginning to ramble.
“What are you called?”
“Abigail. Running Elk?” she asked, pulling away from the imposing warrior.
“Yes?”
“She never knew you sent someone to the camp to find her. She made me promise I would tell her if you ever tried, but when Standing Bear fell in love with her, and he asked me to stay silent, I did. I am so very sorry. She still dreams of you nightly. She never stopped loving you. I am so sorry they are gone,” Abigail confessed through sobs.
“Then, sweet Abigail, we will find them,” a masculine voice stated from behind the trees where she had been hiding only moments earlier.
Abigail jumped from fright but calmed slightly when she saw Running Elk smile.
“Gray Eagle? Show yourself. I told you to …”
“I am here also,” Kicking Bird interrupted his brother as he and Gray Eagle rode into the camp, side by side.
Abigail knew all about Gray Eagle because Alexandria had told her the story over and over. Knowing the warrior was alive after Standing Bear’s party shot him gave Abigail something to be thankful for. The day had been a nightmare. Her friends and family were gone, she had no home, and she couldn’t think of any way out of her situation. Her brain was going a mile a minute, and the very last thing she should have been thinking about was just how handsome Gray Eagle was. He was almost as handsome as Standing Bear. Her sight was beginning to haze, so she decided to return to the seat she claimed earlier. Her thought was that if she could just sit down and take a few deep breaths, everything would be a little easier. After only taking three steps away from the Comanches, everything went dark.
She woke to find Gray Eagle sitting beside her on a robe. Her heartbeat was racing, but for a minute she wasn’t bombarded by memories of the morning. She was glad no one noticed her wake. They seemed engrossed in a conversation.
“The woman said they left around midday yesterday. We can easily catch them once we have allowed the horses to rest. They cannot be moving quickly,” Kicking Bird stated.
“You saw the other soldiers. They will join together. We cannot take on a whole company. But there has to be something we can do.” Running Elk sounded torn with grief.
Abigail sat up, putting a stop to the talk the men were having.
Gray Eagle smiled at her. “I am Gray Eagle.”
“Alexandria named her son for you,” Abigail said shyly.
“I know,” he stated with pride. “What does the boy look like?”
“He is the image of his father. Alexandria said that often, but now I can see she was right. All except his eyes. He has his mother’s eyes. He is a beautiful child. Alexandria thought surrendering was the best option. She was sure you had given up on her, Running Elk. I should have told her the truth. If she had known there was still hope the two of you would be reunited, she would have never gone. The morning of the attack, she was dreaming of you,” Abigail said, falling into tears once again.
***
Running Elk appreciated the news the woman was telling him, but her constant tears were beginning to anger him. Gray Eagle seemed to be affected differently. His nephew was hanging on every word the girl uttered, even going as far as trying to quell the woman’s tears by assuring her Alexandria’s surrender wasn’t Abigail’s fault.
Running Elk was angry, and not so sure Alexandria’s surrender wasn’t completely Abigail’s fault. But instead of voicing his opinion, he stood and motioned for Kicking Bird to follow.
“We have come too far now. We will rest the horses for the night and then leave in the morning. Gray Eagle can take Abigail on his horse with him. She knows the direction the soldiers took,” Kicking Bird stated.
“Either of us could easily see what direction they went,” Running Elk said sharply.
“We cannot leave the poor girl here,” Kicking Bird reminded his brother. “The warriors have not returned. They might not ever. We must keep her with us. Besides, I believe my son is taken with her.”
“Kicking Bird, she is white,” Running Elk warned.
“She is Kiowa. She speaks the language. She even looks like one of them.”
Running Elk shook his head but didn’t fight his brother any longer. “We will leave at sunup. Now we must give these poor people a burial.”
Kicking Bird nodded and followed his brother back to Gray Eagle and Abigail.
Running Elk’s heart was heavy. But he knew Two Fires and his son were alive and had a pretty good idea about where they were headed. He was sure the soldiers would take their captives to the fort. He also knew it would be difficult, if not impossible to rescue her when she was guarded by soldiers. But he vowed to think of a way.
It took until sundown to bury the dead. They found a nice spot by the water and prayed the people would find peace in the afterlife before returning to where they’d left Gray Eagle and Abigail. The brothers were both stunned when they witnessed Gray Eagle sitting beside the woman, running his hand down Abigail’s hair, looking as if, any minute, he would swoop in for a kiss.
“Well, Kicking Bird, it appears your son is a man,” Running Elk stated, louder than necessary.
Abigail looked confused by Running Elk’s proclamation and Gray Eagle looked guilty. The pair separated quickly. Kicking Bird elbowed his little brother in the stomach.
“You have a mean sense of humor,” Kicking Bird said, trying to keep the amusement from his voice. “But it is good to know you still have one.”
“I have decided I am not returning to our people until I have my woman and my son with me,” Running Elk declared, changing the subject as he vigorously rubbed his stomach.
“Then we have a journey ahead of us, don’t we?” Kicking Bird asked as he placed his arm around his brother. “I will stay with you. I already informed Sparrow of the fact. She was not happy with my plan, but she understands this is something I want to do with you.”
Running Elk smiled and embraced his brother. “I am pleased for your company. Now what are we going to do with your son? The girl needs time to mourn.” he asked quietly, pulling away from their embrace.
“They can ride with us tomorrow. I will talk to him now. It might be best for Abigail if we send them to the camp. She is in need of comfort and love from other women, not my son,” Kicking Bird decided, making sure the last bit of his statement was directed directly at his son.
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