Running Elk

by Elizabeth Anne Porter

  “I will see you soon,” she said, urging her horse to a full run with her moccasin-covered feet.

  Kicking Bird shook his head when he realized she was wearing a white woman’s dress but still wore his people’s shoes.

  When she returned, she was delighted she hadn’t run into the captain. She was overjoyed when she entered Jatana’s house and he wasn’t there either.

  Jatana was bursting to ask questions and began interrogating Alexandria as soon as she sat down and took a sip of lemonade.

  “Is everything planned? Are you going to tell Running Elk tonight? When are you leaving?”

  “Kicking Bird is taking care of everything. I don’t know anything yet. He said he would contact me with the information I needed to know,” Alexandria lied.

  She wanted to trust her friend, but when the stakes were Running Elk’s life, she decided discretion was the best way to go.

  “Well, at least you will be able to tell Running Elk you spoke to his brother,” Jatana said, clearly disappointed.

  “Yes,” Alexandria agreed. “It hasn’t been long, but I miss him already.”

  “We can go to the jail after we eat. I imagine Percival will be here for supper.”

  “I guess hoping for a whole day without his company would be too much to ask,” she mused as she walked behind Jatana into the kitchen with the intention of helping the woman cook dinner.

  Much to Alexandria’s surprise, they were able to finish their meal without seeing Percival. It seemed the longer the captain was gone, the more her mood improved.

  She was all smiles when she and Jatana walked to the guardhouse.

  Jatana immediately had the soldiers guarding the building eating out of her hands and Alexandria was able to walk into the cell without so much as one word of warning from the guards.

  Running Elk smiled when he saw her.

  It still amazed her that her heartbeat quickened with something as simple as a smile from the warrior.

  “How are you?” Alexandria asked in English.

  Running Elk continued to watch her as she waited for his reply.

  “Oh right. I forgot you don’t speak English. I’m so sorry. How will we ever communicate?” she asked playfully. “You see, the thing is, I believe I would very much enjoy communicating with you.”

  “To-quet,” he said through clenched teeth, the muscles in his jaws tight.

  The warrior looked fierce, but she could see the twinkle in his eyes when he told her all right.

  She sat across from him in the same place she had earlier. From the looks of the dirt, she had been his only visitor. After sitting down and rearranging Little Eagle on her lap, she began laying out the food for the wounded man.

  She was so excited to tell him her news that she blurted it out. “I’ve seen Kicking Bird again and gave him the news I received from Jatana. And I’m to go to him in five days’ time. He assured me he had everything well in hand.”

  Her mood was light, but Running Elk was still sullen and deep in thought. “Tell me what you know.”

  “You will be moved by wagon and ten armed guards.”

  “And the captain … I hope,” Running Elk added, looking optimistic.

  Alexandria nodded her head. “Why do you want him there?”

  “So that I can pay him back for the beating he gave me,” he answered angrily.

  It had never crossed Alexandria’s mind that the captain had been involved with the warrior’s beating until she heard Running Elk’s icy tone.

  “There are many reasons I want to see the man suffer. He beat me when I was tied up. A weak man avoids a fair fight every time he can. And yet, maybe I am angrier about him trying to keep us apart.”

  Alexandria was planning on moving to Running Elk’s side but was stopped by a quick knock on the door before Jatana joined them.

  “Running Elk, this is Jatana. I’ve told her a lot about you. So much that she wanted to meet you,” Alexandria explained uncomfortably. She hadn’t realized how difficult the situation would really be when she offered to introduce the two.

  Running Elk’s features turned hard when he watched Jatana approach.

  Alexandria smiled an apologetic smile in hopes of calming the man she loved.

  The warrior said nothing but tightened the muscles in his jaw as the woman sat beside Alexandria.

  The woman smiled. “I can be trusted,” Jatana offered meekly, making it clear she felt the uneasiness in the room.

  Running Elk did not move or speak.

  “I brought her here because she’s been helpful. I know you aren’t happy about this, but don’t make this harder. Please,” Alexandria explained in Comanche, to ensure Jatana would be in the dark about her statement.

  “What you have done is foolish, Two Fires. What is it that she wants?” he asked her angrily.

  “She only asked to meet an Indian.” Alexandria realized her declaration was not enough.

  Running Elk had told her to trust her heart, but he was making it apparent he didn’t trust Jatana.

  “What did he say?” Jatana asked excitedly.

  “He said it was nice to meet you,” Alexandria lied.

  “Do not lie to the white woman,” he said, growing angrier every minute.

  “Then you tell her how you feel. I’m only doing what I have to do to help you,” Alexandria expressed, using a tone she had never before employed with him. She was angry and hurt by the way he was speaking to her.

  “What did he say that time?” Jatana asked, again interrupting the two without caring.

  “He said you’re a very pretty woman,” Alexandria lied again.

  Alexandria saw Running Elk’s nostrils flare, but Jatana was paying attention to Alexandria.

  “Will you tell him it was nice meeting him?” Jatana asked as she backed up towards the exit. “I must get back to the soldiers. I don’t want anything ruining your time together.”

  The woman seemed totally ignorant that her presence had done exactly what she was trying to avoid.

  Alexandria stood up, placed Little Eagle on her hip, left the basket and food where it sat, and walked out of the small, dank room without a word.

  Chapter Fifty

  “I will see you soon,” he mumbled as she slammed the door shut.

  Alexandria regretted leaving him the minute she was outside but knew she couldn’t turn around and go back in. She waited impatiently for Jatana to finish her conversation with the soldiers and walked back to her friend’s house in silence.

  The quiet was broken as soon as they crossed the threshold. “Is everything all right? You seem upset. What happened?”

  “Nothing. I’m just tired. I’m sure I’ll be fine in the morning.”

  “Then you won’t want a cup of tea before bed?” Jatana asked, not masking her disappointment.

  “I’m sorry. In the morning, I’ll be better company. I promise,” Alexandria said apologetically as she walked down the short hallway to her bedroom.

  After closing the door and seeing to Little Eagle, she sat beside him on the bed.

  The reality of the last year seemed to hit her all at once. The only constant had been her love for Running Elk. She had never seen him angry at her and regretted leaving him without at least saying goodbye. What made matters worse was that she was sure her leaving the way she did had also hurt him. But it wasn’t just Running Elk who plagued her thoughts. The captain had been absent most of the day. She was pleased about his absence but knew it wouldn’t last. Worrying that he might very well make another appearance at her window, she found it difficult to relax enough to sleep. Instead of lying on the floor, she wrapped her arms around her son and tried to rest her mind.

  Alexandria had only just dozed off when the sound of shattering glass woke her. She immediately sat up and tried to focus her eyes. It looked as if someone was clumsily crawling through her window.

  “Did ya mish me?” the captain asked as he stood at the foot of her bed, doing his best not to fall.
<
br />   He was clearly both drunk and angry.

  Instead of answering the man, she sat in shocked silence, taking the opportunity to cover herself with a blanket.

  “I mished you,” he slurred as he stumbled closer.

  “Go away!” she said, pushing her body against the headboard in an attempt to put more distance between the two.

  “No, ma’am. Not thish time,” he said, sitting on the side of the bed.

  Alexandria moved across the bed, making sure Little Eagle was still sleeping between two pillows, and attempted to stand. Before she could put much distance between the two, the captain grabbed her around the waist forcefully. With every passing second, it was becoming clearer to her that he wasn’t planning on going anywhere.

  “You and I are gonna get together. Whether you like it or not. I’m takin charge of this sitshuation. Once ya have been wish me, you will never want that Injun again. And looky at you sleepin’ on a bed. You’re already makin’ improvements,” he stated as he held her tight with one arm and began removing his boots.

  As soon as Alexandria felt his grip loosen, she made a break for it and ran towards the door. He was too quick and grabbed her again, knocking her to the floor. Her face hit the doorknob and blood immediately flowed from above her eye. She fought to free herself from his iron grip but it was proving useless. When she opened her mouth to scream, he slapped his hand over her lips. Doing the only thing she could think of to get him to move his hand, she bit him. Her actions only resulted in his grip tightening.

  He pulled her closer to him as she lay on the floor before ripping her nightdress from her body.

  “Please, don’t do this,” she mumbled into his closed hand.

  Percival laid his full weight on top of her and began pulling at his trousers. Even with her thrashing and biting, he was still able to accomplish his task.

  “Stop fightin’ me, or I will hurt your baby. I swear I will,” he threatened before quickly pulling his hand from her mouth and replacing it with his lips.

  She fought to keep her mouth closed but he fought harder to open it. Alexandria could taste blood as he bit her lip.

  Alexandria felt helpless. The captain had threatened to harm Little Eagle and she knew if she screamed for Jatana, they could very easily all end up dead.

  “Lie still,” he said trying with great effort to stop her from kicking beneath his weight. “You’ll love it. I promish.”

  “Go to hell,” she seethed as she fought him from pinning her arms behind her head. “Jatana!!” she screamed.

  Percival slapped her across the mouth and smiled when she winced. “I told ya I’d kill the half-breed, and now I will,” he said, moving to stand.

  “Jatana!!” Alexandria screamed again.

  Percival fell when he tried to walk because his pants were still around his ankles. While he was attempting to correct that situation, Alexandria moved to protect her son. She was bleeding from her eye and mouth and was naked when she picked her son up. After quickly wrapping the blanket around them, she again ran for the door.

  As soon as Alexandria’s hand reached the doorknob, Jatana opened the door. The woman looked horrified by the scene. “Oh my God! What happened?” she asked as she reached to embrace her friend.

  “I’m leaving. I will not stay here a moment longer. Please try to get to Running Elk and tell him I love him. Make him listen to you. This will be the last time I see you,” Alexandria begged as she continued to walk towards the exit.

  “You can’t leave. Look at you. You’re bleeding and naked. You have to clean yourself up and put some clothes on.”

  “No. If I’m forced to look at that man again, I will kill him myself. Please let me leave. It is the last thing I will ask of you.”

  The panic she was experiencing had not lessened simply because she wasn’t sure if the captain was passed out or not. She found herself hoping the man was dead on the floor. As frightened as she was, the main emotion coursing through her body was self-preservation. Finding somewhere where she felt safe was the only thing she could do, and Kicking Bird was where she was headed. Since stopping to retrieve her horse would only slow her escape, she wrapped the blanket around her and Little Eagle, kept her head down, and walked towards the gates of the compound.

  Before she slipped through the wooden door, she heard her name being called. The pain that had been absent while she was fighting with the captain hit her hard. Her head was throbbing and her face hurt, but she forced herself to keep walking. As long as she kept moving, she wouldn’t collapse, and she couldn’t fall to pieces until Little Eagle was safe.

  Her legs were beginning to become uncooperative when she heard a voice.

  “Ha-ich-ka pomea ein?”

  When she heard the question, she cautiously looked up.

  As soon as Kicking Bird saw her face, his features changed. “Two Fires, what happened?” he asked before jumping from his horse. “Tell me what happened,” he demanded gently.

  “Please help me get away from here. He may be following me,” she begged, looking around the area frantically.

  “Tell me the captain didn’t do this,” Kicking Bird seethed as he held her close to him, cradling Little Eagle in the process.

  “Please, just get me to safety,” she continued to beg.

  “You are safe with me,” he stated angrily.

  “He has soldiers at his command. I won’t be safe until I’m far away from here.”

  Kicking Bird loosened his embrace and silently offered to take Little Eagle from her shaking arms. She gratefully handed the man her child before covering her nakedness carefully.

  “We need to get you cleaned up. Can you mount a horse without causing yourself pain?” he asked, attempting to mask the worry and hatred that showed in his features.

  “He knows where I will run. What if he follows me?” she asked, hoping he would have an answer that wasn’t “you shouldn’t have come here and endangered our people.”

  “Do you honestly think he will come here after doing what he did to you?” he asked, his voice full of hatred.

  “I do, and that’s what scares me.”

  “Then I will keep you safe. I will do whatever I need to do to keep the both of you safe.”

  “What does that mean? I can’t stay here. This is the first place he’ll look. I know I shouldn’t have come, but I wasn’t thinking straight. I’ve endangered your people too.” Alexandria began falling into hysterics once again.

  “I will take you home,” Kicking Bird decided as he walked the horse Alexandria was sitting on.

  “Home?” she asked, looking down at him.

  “Seeing the blood and swelling on your face angers me more than I care to freely admit. It will take both time and love to put what the captain did to you behind you. It is my job to take you as far from the fort as I can. I have to take you to my people. It’s the only way I can ensure that you are out of his grasp,” Kicking Bird explained. “The only regret I have is not being able to kill the captain with my bare hands,” the warrior added almost under his breath.

  “No!” Alexandria objected when the realization of what Kicking Bird was saying sunk in. “You can’t leave Running Elk. If you do, he’ll die. No. You must save h—”

  “I do not savor leaving my brother,” Kicking Bird assured her as he interrupted. “But keeping you and Little Eagle safe is what he would want.”

  “I won’t let you do it,” she stated stubbornly.

  “Two Fires, you cannot change my mind. I don’t want to leave my brother, but as I said, it is what he would want. Running Elk will do his best to make it back to you,” Kicking Bird said gently.

  “He told me if he was unable to escape, he would die,” she sobbed before falling into tears again.

  All Alexandria really wanted was to be in Running Elk’s strong arms. Life was not worth living without the man.

  “Do not cry. He will do his best. Come down from there and get yourself cleaned up,” he suggested as he helped her
dismount. “White Buffalo is at a council, so you will be alone,” Kicking Bird continued as they neared the entrance to the Kiowa chief’s tipi. “Go inside and warm yourself. I am going to find some water and clothing for you,” he said, holding the flap open for her to walk through.

  Alexandria turned to take Little Eagle from Kicking Bird.

  “He’s better with me,” he said, smiling gently.

  Alexandria pulled the bloodied blanket closer to her body and sought the warmth of the fire while she waited for the warrior’s return. Being inside the dwelling did little to ease her anxiety. She kept her eyes glued to the entrance. Her mind was full of fear, hatred, and regret. The brunt of her guilt was caused by the way she and Running Elk had parted. Leaving with Kicking Bird would make it impossible for Running Elk to learn what had taken place. Any hope that Jatana would relay the information to him was slight at best. Alexandria stared into the fire and said a short, silent prayer that she hadn’t misjudged the woman.

  “We have little time to spare,” Kicking Bird informed her when he entered the dwelling. “Put these clothes on and we will clean your wounds once we are further away from the fort.”

  Alexandria wanted to argue with the warrior, but the sound of his voice and the quickness of his movements made her think twice. Kicking Bird had made it clear he didn’t want to leave his brother any more than she did.

  She dressed as quickly as her sore, beaten body would allow and watched as Kicking Bird secured Little Eagle to his strong chest. Once they were on the horse and began putting the fort behind them, she spoke quietly. “Ura, Kicking Bird,” she said softly into his back.

  “You are welcome, my sister,” he said with sadness in his voice.

  She was pleased the man had called her sister but was heartbroken knowing she was going to Running Elk’s people without him.

  Kicking Bird stopped the horse at the nearest river.

  “You can clean your wounds here,” he offered as he dismounted, holding his hand out to aid her.

  “Are you sure he won’t follow?” she asked, looking around nervously.

  “If he does, he will meet with considerable resistance from White Buffalo’s camp. That will give us some time, if he is fool enough to come after you at all.”