Running Elk

by Elizabeth Anne Porter

  There was a dim light emanating from the room. Kicking Bird watched until his eyes adjusted to the area. The room was crowded with furniture. He scanned the area quickly and noticed a sleeping form on top of the bed. As soon as he saw the child, he knew he was looking at Little Eagle; the sleeping toddler was the image of his father. Kicking Bird was sure he was looking into the room his brother desired, so he ducked under the glass- covered opening and moved to Running Elk’s side.

  When Running Elk looked at Kicking Bird, his brother pointed to the window and then to an area where the warrior could easily hide.

  Running Elk slowly moved toward the window and peered in. When he saw his son sleeping on the white bedding, he pushed his face closer to the glass. The warrior quickly scanned the room to locate Two Fires. He found her lying on the floor on top of a blanket. A smile crossed his face and his breath quickened. Before he could act, he heard the voices in the front of the house and pulled away from the opening.

  “Jatana, she is gonna stay here if her sister sends her some money. Stop matchmaking, all right?” he heard the man say.

  “Do you think she will ever be with Running Elk?”

  When he heard his name, he strained to hear everything more clearly.

  “He’s a hostile, but I kinda hope he does show up. It might make an interesting game.”

  Running Elk waited until the door shut and the noises in the house were silenced. He knew walking in the front door would be difficult to do without being caught. The blue coats were walking about too much. His need for her was so strong, he might have done just that if he hadn’t found one of the windows at the front of the house open.

  After slowly pushing away the linen that hung in the opening, he slid in, silently making his way down the short hallway to Two Fires’ door.

  As soon as he was inside, he picked his son up. A tear fell down his cheek. He had never felt such pride as he did when he held his son close to his heart. After placing the sleeping child back on the soft bedding, he knelt down and gently laid his hand on Alexandria’s back.

  Running Elk stretched out beside her and ran his hand through her tousled hair. His finger found his necklace tied around her slender throat. She rolled over, still embracing sleep.

  He placed his lips close to her ear and repeated her name in his language. He knew she spoke Comanche well enough to understand him. Abigail had told him Alexandria demanded she teach her all the Comanche she knew.

  “Two Fires, I am here,” he repeated as he nibbled her earlobe. As he spoke, his hand ran the length of her long, lean body.

  Running Elk sensed Two Fires’ change in breathing and his heart skipped a beat. She was awake, and he repeated her name.

  ***

  Alexandria didn’t want the dream to end so she held her eyes tightly shut.

  “Two Fires, look at me. It has been too long to play games. My body aches for you,” he breathed into her ear.

  “Running Elk?” she whispered.

  Running Elk could see her rapid heartbeat in her neck. “Please be here,” she begged as she rolled over.

  Hearing her speak in his language made him love her more. It was clear to him the woman was more Indian than white. And he felt pride in her.

  “I am going nowhere for now,” he said, pulling her closer to him with his muscular arms.

  She couldn’t stop the tears from flowing as he kissed her cheeks and eyes gently before moving to claim her lips.

  “This time, we will take our time, my love,” he said as he loosened the ties to her white nightgown, kissing her collarbone as soon as it was exposed.

  She ran her hands up and down his body and kissed his bare chest as he pulled the nightgown from her shoulders to expose her bare breasts.

  Running Elk stopped breathing momentarily. “I had forgotten just how beautiful you are.”

  She was lying beneath him, naked from the waist up. He kissed her breasts and then moved down her stomach until she was squirming beneath him. When he raised up to continue to remove the long gown, he noticed the look of disbelief on her face.

  “Two Fires, say something to me,” he whispered as he began kissing the inside of her thigh. It never dawned on him that the shock of his appearance might have been too much for her.

  “I love you,” she said, barely audibly as she ran her hands through his long, silky hair.

  “Uh ka-muh-kuh-tuh nuh,” he said, parting her legs with his knee after hearing the words he’d longed for.

  She held him tightly as he slowly entered her. When he began moving, he became lost in a world that was all their own.

  Running Elk knew the dangers of speaking above a whisper and gently placed one of his hands over her mouth when Alexandria started making the noises he loved hearing.

  Afterwards, he lay in his arms until her regular breathing returned.

  “You have given me a wondrous son,” he whispered as he caressed her body.

  “I still can’t believe you’re really here. When can we leave?” she asked when he began to move away from her.

  “I am here, but we cannot leave now. If they found you missing, they would look for you, and I’m afraid there would be bloodshed. What have they told you?” he asked, picking up the nightgown he had discarded, before thinking better of it. He enjoyed her being naked, so he lay back down and held her close to him.

  She nestled into his warmth before answering him. “They told me I can’t live with the Indians,” she said, a little louder than Running Elk was comfortable with.

  “Shh,” he warned quietly. “Then you must get them to let you leave the fort. I can’t take you from here. It is too dangerous, and I will not lose you again.”

  “When should I leave?” she asked before pulling him into a deep kiss.

  ***

  Alexandria had sorely missed the way he made her feel. Her heartbeat hadn’t slowed since she heard his voice in her ear. Everything about the man made her weak. His voice was deep and strong, his spirit courageous and bold, his body as hard as stone, and his hands could play her body like a fine-tuned instrument.

  “In two moons. We will be ready and waiting for you. We will be together, and I will take you where we can be safe,” he explained as his fingers toyed with her nipple.

  She was finding it increasingly difficult to pay attention to his plan but wasn’t about to ask the man to stop doing what he was doing.

  “We? Is Gray Eagle with you?” she asked before moving quickly and sitting on top of his hard stomach.

  ***

  “Who?” he asked, allowing Alexandria to understand she had the same effect on him as he did on her. “Oh no, my brother is with me. His name is Kicking Bird …”

  “Gray Eagle’s father?” she asked, interrupting him.

  “Yes,” he answered, laughing softy. “I forgot you knew Gray Eagle for a moment. You do drive me to distraction.”

  Alexandria slid back down to a lying position and began tracing his stomach muscles with her fingernail. “When I realized it was him standing beside you, I was so happy. I worried that he was dead.”

  “He is fine. In fact, he is with your friend,” he said, holding her hand in his.

  “What friend?”

  “Abigail. They seem to be taken with one another.”

  Alexandria sat up and looked down at Running Elk in shocked disbelief. “How do you know Abigail?”

  Running Elk was preparing to answer the question when he heard the banging on the door.

  “Jatana! Open the door!”

  Alexandria stood up and frantically began dressing. Running Elk was doing the same.

  “You have to get out of here,” Alexandria whispered frightenedly.

  “I will be fine,” he promised before he kissed her again. “Now lie down and I will hide under your bed.”

  She nodded and pulled the blanket over her. Trying to slow her breathing was more difficult than she’d imagined. Especially when she heard the footsteps and the captain’s voice approa
ching.

  Alexandria jumped when she heard the knock, even with prior knowledge it was about to happen.

  “Alexandria,” Captain Armstrong said through the closed door. “I need to speak to you. It is very important.”

  “Do you have any idea what time it is?” she asked, doing her best to sound as if he had awoken her.

  “Yes, ma’am, I do. But like I said, it is important,” he insisted impatiently.

  Alexandria stood, covered her nightgown with the blanket, and moved towards the door. Little Eagle began crying so she reached to pick him up. As she leaned at the foot of the bed, she felt Running Elk touch her bare foot.

  “Give me a second. You woke my son,” she stated as she slowly opened the door.

  Captain Armstrong quickly scanned the dimly lit room before centering his attention on Alexandria.

  “I have had word that your brave is near,” he said, watching her features closely.

  “He is?!” she asked, not hiding the excitement she knew was expected from his statement.

  “So it would seem. This is the first time you are hearing this news, right?” he asked suspiciously.

  “It is,” she skillfully lied. “Can we go look for him?”

  “No, I’m afraid not. He is a hostile, and if he is seen he will be taken prisoner,” he explained through clenched teeth.

  “Does he know that?” she asked, worried.

  “I’m sure he does. I told you he wouldn’t give up on you,” he said, speaking louder to ensure he was heard over Little Eagle’s wails.

  “Well, as you can see, he isn’t here. And he shouldn’t be here if he can go to prison. We will speak more in the morning,” she spoke just as loud as the captain had.

  “I don’t see him, that’s true enough, but you look a mess,” he said, slowly backing out the door.

  “I was having a nightmare,” she explained before closing the door and letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

  Alexandria sat on the bed and tried to comfort her angry son. She waited for Running Elk to sit beside her and speak before she said a word.

  “I will be fine,” he whispered, putting his arm around her and placing his hand atop his son’s head. “It will be more difficult for you to leave now that they know I am here, but you must try. In two moons, we will be waiting.”

  Alexandria nodded. “How are you going to leave?” she asked, her voice thick with concern.

  “The same way as I came in,” he said, pointing to the window.

  “Are you sure that’s safe?” she asked, moving closer to him.

  “I’m sure. I must leave now though. The sun will be up soon, and I need the darkness to hide me. We will be together again soon,” he said before kissing her passionately.

  While Alexandria was trying to catch her breath, Running Elk laid a kiss on his son’s forehead.

  She didn’t watch him leave. She couldn’t. All she wanted was to run with him. Every other time she’d let him leave her, something had stopped them from reuniting. As hard as she tried to banish the thought that she would never see him again from her mind, she couldn’t.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Alexandria held her son close and told him his father loved him very much. The boy fell asleep as the new day was dawning. She knew her body couldn’t function much longer with so little sleep and decided to ask Jatana if she minded if she slept a little later. When she ventured into the kitchen, she saw Captain Armstrong sitting at the table, drinking coffee. He greeted her with a smile.

  “Good morning.”

  Alexandria ignored his greeting. “Jatana, I didn’t sleep well again last night. If you don’t mind, I would like to stay in bed a little longer.”

  “I’m afraid that isn’t possible,” the captain answered for his sister-in-law. “Sleeping on the bed might help your sleep, by the way. You and I have a meeting with the general this morning.”

  “Why?” Alexandria asked, looking at the captain for the first time since she entered the room.

  “He wants to discuss your future plans. But before we meet with him, we have got to talk. So please, sit down and have a cup of coffee,” he suggested, standing and pulling out the vacant chair for her.

  Alexandria was curious about the captain’s strange tone.

  “What could we possibly have to talk about?” she asked before taking a sip of the hot, bitter liquid.

  “Well, the general believes your son is Kiowa and his father was Standing Bear. So you need to stick to that story if he brings it up,” he said quickly.

  “Why does he think that?” she asked, looking confused.

  “Because if he knew you were connected to Running Elk, then he would have to put the man in jail. Christ, the man is almost doing my soldiers’ job for them. He should know the dangers of being here,” he said, speaking frankly to Alexandria.

  Alexandria listened to him and searched his face for signs he was concerned and sincere. After looking at him closely, she was convinced he was neither of those things.

  “Why are you trying to be helpful?” she asked suspiciously.

  “I don’t want you hurt anymore. Now, just stick to the story I told him if you want to be allowed to roam freely through the fort. I spoke to him last night and told him I would keep an eye on you while I am here. I am trying to help you, but you must stick to the story,” he said, stressing the importance of keeping to the lie.

  “Does he know Running Elk is near?” she asked, still watching his eyes closely.

  “No. The scout who informed me doesn’t think much more of my father than you do. He only told me because he is paid well to scout for me,” the captain answered, looking down at his drink.

  “Why did you want to know? First you tell me you are trying to keep me from being hurt, then you send someone in search of Running Elk. What is the truth?” she asked, beginning to feel the familiar anger rising.

  “Because I need to know these things. Running Elk knows what he is doing. But he needs to be careful. I see this as a game between him and I. The winner will end up with the pleasure of your company,” he informed her. His voice was devoid of humor. The man was totally serious.

  Alexandria tried to quell the sick feeling rising in the pit of her stomach.

  “What are you talking about?” she asked, pushing away from the table before standing and placing her hands on her hips.

  “I’m not telling anyone he is here. If he can get to you without me stopping him, then he will win,” he answered plainly.

  “Does it not matter that he is the only man I will ever love?” she asked, still confused at the captain’s plan.

  “It does, but if he is in jail, you will need someone around, and I will be here,” he explained.

  “I don’t like the idea of your little game and will not be a part of it,” Alexandria stated as she turned to return to her bedroom.

  “Well. You either play, or we will tell the general the truth,” he said abruptly, stopping her forward movement.

  “I will be leaving today,” she said to Jatana.

  “If you leave, the old man will know something is wrong and he will send you back east,” Captain Armstrong threatened.

  “You are not my friend,” Alexandria spoke, full of anger and hurt.

  “I know you were aware Running Elk was here before I was, and I did nothing about it. He will not be so lucky the next time. If he attempts to enter this home again, he will be jailed,” he informed her smugly.

  Alexandria tried to hide the shockwaves his words sent through her body. She had been sure Running Elk was not seen. He had been too careful to leave any signs of his presence. After coming to the conclusion the captain was only trying to get a reaction out of her, she decided she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

  “You were the first to inform me. I wish that wasn’t true, but you have to know that if he had come for me, my son and I would have been gone.”

  “No, ma’am. Your brave is much smarter
than that.”

  Alexandria turned and walked towards her room. Once she was alone, she shut the bedroom door and sat on the bed before allowing the tears to flow.

  She had prayed that nothing would interfere with her reunion with Running Elk and valiantly fought the doubt that had crept in as soon as he was gone. She knew Running Elk had understood the words the captain was spewing the night before and hoped he knew just what the captain was capable of. Because she certainly hadn’t been. The captain had seemed to accept her offer of friendship, yet he had just made it clear he would be there to care for her after he carted Running Elk to a cold, dark prison cell. Alexandria knew the warrior could not live in a cell. Panic was taking over when the captain’s voice boomed down the hallway.

  “Alexandria. The general will be waiting for us, and he is a man that does not like being kept waiting,” he said impatiently.

  She didn’t reply to his instruction but dressed her son quickly before dressing herself. After gathering her son in her arms, she walked towards the kitchen slowly.

  “I can watch your son if you’d like,” Jatana offered when she walked over to greet the boy.

  “No thank you. Maybe later though. I think I would enjoy a walk around, and it would be nice to know my son will be looked after. Will your kind offer still be there?” Alexandria asked, forcing a smile.

  “Yes, I look forward to it,” Jatana answered.

  Alexandria didn’t like the position she had placed Jatana in. She hoped the fake smile was enough to convince Jatana that her brother-in-law hadn’t totally unnerved her.

  When she followed the captain outside, she was greeted with the warm sunlight. She took a deep breath and tried to steel herself for another meeting with another Armstrong man. It was disheartening to realize she wasn’t a better judge of character. And it was proving extremely difficult to think of anything other than the night she had spent with Running Elk. Her heartbeat quickened and her breath labored every time she allowed the memory to root in her overcrowded thoughts.

  As they walked, she noticed the captain watching her closely. It surprised her how much hate she felt towards the man. Alexandria could only hope her sister would quickly wire the money she asked for and decided to tell the general she would gladly leave the territory as soon as she was able. It was the only thing she could think to do that could cause the general to stop watching her movements so closely. The only hiccup in her plan was that she had to find a way to get word to Running Elk, and she had to keep the soldiers from finding him.