Running Elk

by Elizabeth Anne Porter

  The blood, the bruises, the way he was bound. Everything about the situation was wrong. Running Elk was more than a Comanche warrior. He was a man, and no man should be treated as he had been.

  “My one love, they will be moving me shortly. That will be my only chance at escape. Listen to me carefully,” he said quietly, leaning as close to her as his bonds would allow. “If I can’t get away then I want you to return to the camp with Kicking Bird. I want our son to see his home and know his people.”

  Alexandria couldn’t mask the pain his words were causing. “You promised me you wouldn’t lose me again,” she stammered, twisting the torn cloth in her hands.

  “Look at me,” he said sternly.

  She did as he directed, wiping the fresh tears from her eyes.

  “I will not be hanged like a thief. I will either die or be free before we reach the new fort. I will not be chained and imprisoned again,” he explained, searching her eyes for understanding.

  “Running Elk, I will find Kicking Bird in the morning after I learn where they are taking you. Just please don’t speak of dying again,” she begged softly.

  “You and I were meant to share a life together, and we will,” he said, attempting to calm her fears.

  Alexandria leaned forward and gently kissed his swollen, bloodstained lips.

  He pulled away quickly when he heard footsteps closing in, causing himself a great amount of discomfort. “I hope it is this lifetime,” he said, wincing in pain.

  Alexandria laid the food down within his reach and turned to see the soldier who had unlocked the door approaching.

  “Is everything all right?” he asked, sticking his head through the opening of the door, giving Running Elk a look of warning before smiling warmly at Alexandria.

  “I’m fine. Have you finished eating already?” she asked, standing and walking towards the young soldier.

  “No. I just wanted to come check on ya. If ya don’t mind, I’d really like to try a piece of pie. But only if you’re sure that this savage ain’t scaring you,” he answered politely.

  “The man is harmless,” she assured the soldier, biting the inside of her cheek.

  “No, ma’am. That’s where you are wrong. That man is everything but harmless,” he warned, tipping his hat. “I will be right here if ya need me,” he assured Alexandria as he backed out of the doorway.

  When Alexandria turned her attention back to Running Elk, she saw he was attempting to eat. He had bent his body in order to not choke himself and managed to pick up a piece of bread. She moved quickly and knelt beside him. After helping the warrior hold the food, she again tried to clean some of the dried blood from his wounds.

  “Woman. Move away from me,” he warned threateningly. “I may hurt you.”

  The intensity of his tone only made her move nearer.

  “Why didn’t you come for me before? I thought you had forgotten about me,” she asked, breaking the deafening silence.

  “We do not have time for that story now. But know I would sooner forget to breathe than forget you.” he answered, avoiding her searching eyes. “I promise you, you have never left my thoughts for a moment.”

  His answer might not have been what she expected, but his words took her breath away. Not being able to control her desire for closeness, she laid her head on his shoulder and sighed deeply.

  “I may be in pain, but your touch is awakening me. And my flesh is too weak,” he said, carefully laying his head against hers.

  Alexandria didn’t want to put space between them, but worried for him, so she reluctantly moved slightly. “Kicking Bird will trust me, right?”

  “He will. Tell him what you know and what I have told you. If all goes well, my brother will be waiting for the wagon to leave the fort. He is a good man and he will do what he can,” he said, returning to the food his body so badly needed.

  “Will he go to White Buffalo’s camp?” she continued.

  “Yes. I’m sure he’s heard I was captured. He will be there and things will work out if they are meant to. Our lives are in the gods’ hands now.”

  Alexandria hoped he was right and knew their time together was coming to an end. “I want to stay here with you,” she admitted sadly.

  “You cannot stay in this place with me. Where is my son?” he asked, hoping to stop the tears he was sure were again readying to fall from his love’s eyes.

  “I had to leave him with Captain Armstrong,” she answered quietly.

  Running Elk stopped chewing his food and looked at her in disbelief. “Why have you left my son in that man’s care?”

  “So that I could talk to you,” she explained carefully. “He will not harm our son, and we are alone. I will not let it happen again. The man repulses me.”

  “He does not feel the same way about you. That blue coat wants you,” he said angrily.

  “Well, he will not have me. You see, my heart is forever with you,” she replied honestly.

  “I know you speak the truth, Two Fires, and I am grateful for your love, but I do not trust the man. But we do have a score to settle,” he spit.

  “I was only doing what was best for us. Please don’t be angry,” she said, touching his cheek gently.

  “I am not angry with you; I am angry at the world. I don’t want you to go but you have a busy day tomorrow and my son doesn’t need to be with that man any longer than necessary.”

  “Uh ka-muh-kuh-tuh nuh,” she whispered as she began placing the empty plates into the basket.

  “And I love you,” he reassured her as he leaned back against the dirty wall.

  “I will try to bring you more food when I have returned from speaking to Kicking Bird,” she promised as she reluctantly stood up.

  He nodded his head and closed his eyes.

  After drying the tears in her eyes with her sleeve, Alexandria opened the door and walked out. Jatana and the soldiers were walking towards her.

  “Gentlemen, sharing dinner with you was a rare treat. Maybe we can do it again sometime,” Jatana suggested sweetly.

  “Yes, ma’am. Anytime,” the younger of the soldiers replied, smiling.

  “I take it everything went all right?” Jatana asked, directing her question toward Alexandria.

  “It was fine, but we really should be heading home,” Alexandria proposed.

  “Thank you, ma’am,” the soldiers spoke in unison as the women began walking away.

  “Well?” Jatana questioned as soon as the two were out of the soldiers’ earshot.

  “He told me if he doesn’t escape, he will die. Jatana, I can’t let that happen,” Alexandria said, stopping and almost collapsing into her new friend’s arms.

  “Then we will do what has to be done,” Jatana said, hugging Alexandria warmly. “What is our next step?”

  “I am going back to the Kiowa encampment in the morning,” Alexandria told her, praying with everything she had that she wasn’t making a mistake by trusting the woman.

  “Then we will make sure you have a horse this time. Let’s go convince Percival he has come up with another brilliant idea all by himself,” Jatana suggested in an attempt to lighten Alexandria’s mood.

  “He will follow me if he knows what I’m doing,” Alexandria informed her with sadness thick in her voice.

  “Then we won’t tell him what you’re doing. I will say we’re going on a ride together. If he believes I’m accompanying you, he will not deny our request or follow you,” Jatana stated as they entered the warm, dimly lit home.

  The captain smiled when they entered. He was standing by the fireplace looking at photographs of his family that adorned the mantle. “Little Eagle is asleep in your room,” he said before taking a seat beside Jatana on the divan.

  After quickly moving down the short hallway and looking in on her son, Alexandria returned to the pair before sitting in the chair across from the divan to ensure Percival wouldn’t be close to her. “Thank you,” she said, laying the empty basket at her feet.

  �
��Percival,” Jatana began, diverting the captain’s attention from Alexandria. “We would like to take a ride in the morning. Do you think you could get Alexandria a horse?”

  “She has the horse she rode here on. Where exactly will you be going, Alexandria?” he asked.

  “Nowhere, really,” Jatana answered before Alexandria could speak.

  “Alexandria?” the captain repeated, ignoring his sister-in-law’s answer.

  “I wanted to look around the land. If I plan to stay here, then I want to choose a good place,” she answered, lying quite convincingly.

  “Then I will accompany you,” Percival declared as he stood.

  “You are far too busy to follow us around. If we find a suitable plot of land, we will take you there after we return. Honestly, Percival, I never thought of you as the smothering type.” Jatana said, jumping into the conversation again.

  The captain smiled at his irritating sister and patted her on the back. “Alexandria, would you join me on the porch?” he asked hopefully.

  “I’m tired,” Alexandria replied before seeing the look on Jatana’s face. “But, if it is only for a minute, I suppose it would be fine,” she answered, giving in.

  “Then, Jatana, I will see you tomorrow,” Percival declared, smiling as he opened the door for Alexandria.

  Once Alexandria was outside standing on the small porch with the captain, she felt the cold and wrapped her arms around herself.

  “It would seem your talk with Running Elk has ended any thoughts of a relationship with him, and that is a wise thing. Would it be so bad to spend time with me?”

  Alexandria’s anger again took over, but she was able to tamp it down and looked at the soldier. “No,” she lied sweetly, hoping she was doing the right thing.

  “I could give you anything you want,” he informed her as he closed the small gap between the two.

  “I’m sorry, but I am cold. I will see you in the morning,” she said, avoiding his touch as she backed into the house before closing the door.

  “That wasn’t very nice,” Jatana teased.

  Alexandria leaned against the closed door. “The man is beginning to concern me,” she admitted when she moved away from the entrance.

  “I understand this is difficult for you, but you need to trust me.”

  Alexandria listened to the woman and prayed she was being honest. Jatana already knew everything Alexandria was planning and understood she could very possibly be opening herself up for disaster, but Alexandria wanted to be able to trust someone.

  Jatana seemed to read Alexandria’s thoughts. “I believe in love, and you and Running Elk seem to be very deeply in love. That is the only reason I am butting into your life.”

  “You are not butting into my life. You have been a great help to me, and I want to believe we are friends,” Alexandria stated as she sat at the table and took a sip of the tea Jatana had poured.

  “I am. You’ll see. But you should get some rest. We have a busy day tomorrow,” Jatana said as she took the half-full cup from Alexandria’s grip.

  “Thank you for everything,” Alexandria said as she stood and began walking towards her room.

  After opening the window, she placed the folded-up blanket on the floor. The breeze was chilly, but it was easier to sleep when she was cool. Before lying on the floor, she placed another blanket over Little Eagle’s sleeping form.

  Alexandria had almost completely blocked out all worries about Running Elk and drifted to sleep when she heard footsteps approaching. She lay still with her eyes slightly open, looking towards the open window. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the outline of the captain’s hat. Her emotions were a mixture of relief and anger. Relief because she was sure she wasn’t imagining things, and anger because he was watching her without (he assumed) her knowledge. Instead of standing up and showing him she knew he was there, she shut her eyes tightly and attempted to steady her breathing in hopes he would walk away. When she heard the footsteps growing quieter and was sure he was gone, she stood and quickly shut and locked the window.

  Instead of trying once again to sleep, she dressed, dressed Little Eagle, and quietly walked out of the house.

  While she was walking through the compound, she stayed in the shadows as much as possible. Only once was she stopped and asked where she was going.

  Her answer to the soldier’s query was that she was taking the child to a shaman. Surprisingly enough, the soldier either didn’t care what she was really doing or believed her. He even showed her the way to the corral. After spotting Standing Bear’s horse, she mounted him and rode towards the gates. The same old soldier who showed her the coral opened the thick wooden gates for her.

  Alexandria was grateful for her luck and rode her horse at a full run until she reached the front of White Buffalo’s tipi. After jumping from the horse, she kissed Little Eagle and attempted to calm her breathing. When she heard the man’s voice, she jumped and quickly turned.

  “What are you doing here, child?” White Buffalo asked. “The sun has not yet risen.”

  “Did you find Kicking Bird?” she asked, ignoring the old chief’s question and still attempting to calm her heart rate.

  “He did,” a handsome warrior answered as he exited White Buffalo’s tipi.

  The man was shorter and stouter than Running Elk but the resemblance was impossible to ignore. Relief flooded Alexandria’s body. “Kicking Bird, I am Two Fires,” she greeted, walking closer to him.

  “I am aware of who you are. And this must be my nephew,” the warrior surmised as he looked to the boy who was still securely tied to Alexandria’s chest. “Will you show me the child?”

  “Of course,” she said, loosening the leather straps and handing the warrior her son without hesitation.

  “Nei mah-tao-yo,” Kicking Bird said before kissing Little Eagle on the top of his head. “Though you are not so little anymore. I have missed much,” Kicking Bird said, speaking in both Comanche and English.

  Alexandria watched as her son smiled at his uncle and pulled at the beautiful feather the warrior wore in his hair. Her son seemed happy to be in Kicking Bird’s arms.

  “He is a fine boy,” the warrior decided after some time.

  “He is,” Alexandria agreed. “I think he looks like Running Elk.”

  “Very much like his father.” Kicking Bird agreed. “Come inside and tell me why you are here so early.”

  Alexandria nodded and followed the warrior into the warmth of the tipi before turning to ensure White Buffalo was still behind her.

  The war chief sat by the fire and threw more kindling atop it before looking to Alexandria. “Why are you here so early?” he repeated.

  “I was planning on coming anyway, but the soldier who came for me yesterday was watching me through my window,” Alexandria began explaining.

  “He was doing what?” Kicking Bird asked, clearly not understanding what Alexandria was trying to explain.

  “When I was trying to sleep I heard footsteps outside my window. When I opened my eyes I saw the captain watching me through my open bedroom window. He’s beginning to frighten me,” she explained, hoping she was making any sense.

  “He watches you? Why?” Kicking Bird asked, still holding his happy nephew in his arms.

  Alexandria noticed Kicking Bird had given Little Eagle the colorful leather strap he wore around his biceps, exactly like Running Elk’s. Her son was happily chewing on it while watching Kicking Bird’s every movement.

  “Because he wants me to be his. He told me when they take Running Elk away, he will take care of me,” Alexandria explained, physically shuttering at the thought.

  “Does my brother know of this man?”

  “Yes. He doesn’t know the captain has been watching me, but he absolutely knows who the man is. Running Elk didn’t trust the man before all this happened. I saw Running Elk earlier when I was allowed to take him some food,” she explained, still staring at her son.

  “How is he?” Kicking Bir
d asked quickly, concern thick in his voice.

  “Not good. They beat him and he is in a lot of pain,” she answered, unsuccessfully attempting to stop the tears from falling once again.

  “What did he tell you?” Kicking Bird asked gently, making it apparent he didn’t want to add to the woman’s pain.

  “He said he would either escape or die, and if he is killed, he wants me to return to the camp with you. He wants Little Eagle to know his people.”

  As Alexandria spoke, Kicking Bird stared into the fire. His expression made it evident he would do everything in his power to stop his brother from dying.

  “I need to know when they are planning to move him,” the warrior said, almost under his breath.

  “I believe in a week’s time,” Alexandria offered, studying Kicking Bird’s face.

  He was much like Running Elk except that his features were softer. Being in the presence of Running Elks family caused Alexandria to experience a mixture of joy and sadness because Running Elk wasn’t there.

  “How are they going to do it?” Kicking Bird asked, bouncing Little Eagle on his crossed legs.

  “Running Elk said something about a wagon. Tell me what you need to know and I will find out everything I can,” she offered while wiping the tears from her cheeks.

  “So, you plan on returning to the soldier fort even after you caught the man watching you?” White Buffalo asked, joining the conversation.

  “I have to,” she answered defeatedly. “If I don’t, he will come here in search of me. I only came here because this is where I feel safe, even if you don’t really want us here.”

  Both men looked puzzled at her declaration.

  “Don’t want you here? Why would you say that?” White Buffalo asked quickly.

  “The general told me I couldn’t come stay with you. He said you don’t want us and we have no place amongst your people,” she explained, swallowing the lump that formed in her throat.

  “Yet another tahbay-boh lie. You are not being allowed to live with us because of them, not us. While some of my people may worry that your presence here could cause more trouble with the soldiers, you and Little Eagle will always be welcome with us,” the old man reassured her.