Silken Savage

by Catherine Hart

  The attack was over almost as swiftly as it began. The Utes had surprised them, but had not caught as many of the Cheyenne asleep as they had hoped to. The Cheyenne warriors reacted quickly, and with a vengeance. Because most of them kept their horses near their tipis, they soon routed the raiding Utes and had them fleeing.

  While a party of warriors chased the Utes across the plains, the rest of the villagers set about tending the wounded and assessing the damage.

  Luckily, only two persons had been killed. One was a young boy who had been guarding the horses. His throat had been slit before he could sound the alarm. The other was an old woman who had been run down and trampled by a Ute warrior on horseback. Eight others had been wounded, two of them seriously. One warrior had taken a bullet in the chest, and another had a lance run through his shoulder. All the other wounds were slight and easily cared for.

  Five tipis had been fired, and most of the women of the tribe donated goods from their own lodges to replace those that had burned. Tonight, several families would double up for shelter, but tomorrow the women would sew new lodge skins and gather lodge poles for five new tipis. Everyone would contribute something in either time, labor, or goods. It was the Cheyenne way to look after all members of the tribe, sharing the misfortunes as well as the good.

  Tonight there would be ceremonies and mourning for those killed in the raid. Eight Utes had been killed so far. At least one Ute had been captured. More might be returning with the Cheyenne warriors later. This one had been knocked unconscious, but not seriously wounded. By dawn tomorrow he would be praying for death, for the Cheyenne would extract their vengeance in slow torture.

  The morning was half gone when Black Kettle approached Tanya. She was sorting through some robes, trying to decide which to give to the families whose tipis had burned.

  “Corn Crow awaits you, Little Wildcat,” he informed her.

  She looked up at him, confused. “I don’t understand, my chief.”

  “You are to track him today. Surely you have not forgotten,” the chief answered.

  “I had not forgotten. I thought perhaps it would be put off for another day after all that has happened,” Tanya commented. She stood to follow him.

  “No, we will proceed while we are awaiting the return of our warriors. Corn Crow is not the brave I had originally chosen, but he is available and he will do. When you have found him, you will go on into the foothills and I will send the others to track you. If they have not found you by the time the sun rests over the top of the foothills, return to camp.”

  Black Kettle looked about at the destruction the Utes had caused. “Tonight there will be ceremonies for our dead and wounded, and then will be a war dance in preparation for our revenge on the Utes. Tomorrow our warriors will prepare themselves for war, and form a raiding party against the Ute camp. Repairs will be made to our own village, and while the raiding party rides out to seek revenge, the rest of the tribe will continue on to our winter grounds.”

  “While we spend our days at these things, you, Little Wildcat, will finish your testing. Time grows short, and there is much to be done yet in preparation for winter. You must take advantage of this opportunity while you can, for Panther has told me of the babe you carry. Regardless of what you may think, I too prefer my first grandchild to be born properly, with his parents wed. Any risks to the child I wish to have behind us as soon as possible, so we can all settle down and await a healthy baby, preferably a boy.” Tanya laughed despite herself. “Naturally, I’ll try my best, but often nature surprises us. My father also wanted sons, and got two daughters instead.”

  Black Kettle smiled with her. “A son is a man’s immortality, but there is no shame in having a courageous daughter like you, Little Wildcat.”

  He eyed her belt. “Where are the scalps you took this morning?”

  “They are in the tipi,” she answered rather reluctantly.

  Black Kettle gave her a sharp look. “You must prepare them properly to preserve them. You have counted coup on two of our enemy today, and saved the life of Shy Deer, who sings your praises. You have earned our gratitude; now go and earn your place in our tribe.”

  Even given a healthy head start, Corn Crow stood no chance against the excellent training Panther had put Tanya through. She cornered him in little over an hour. As he returned to a prearranged meeting place to inform her three waiting trackers, Tanya headed for the rocky foothills as Black Kettle had instructed her.

  For a short while she followed a well-traveled track she stumbled across, mixing her horse’s tracks with those of the deer. When she came across a river, she urged Wheat into the cool water, and followed it upstream for a few miles. Where she exited the water on the opposite bank, she dismounted and carefully covered her trail.

  Some time later, she came across a rocky ledge. Here she dismounted, tied her pony, and explored the crevices. Hidden behind a huge boulder and a thick, bristly bush, she stumbled across a small, shallow cave. It was a tight squeeze, even for her, but she finally managed to get to it and carefully explored it for inhabitants. Luckily, there were no signs of any.

  Climbing back down, she rode Wheat further into the trees, taking care not to ride her mare over rocks where her hooves would mark their surfaces. Eventually she found a thicket and led her horse into it and tied her. With a strip of leather, she fashioned a muzzle, hoping it would prevent her from whinnying should the trackers pass close by.

  This done, she repaired the damage to the thicket and backtracked the way they had come, erasing the tracks as she went. When she reached the ledge, she wedged herself into the tiny cave and waited. The cave was set crosswise so that if she peeked out to her left, she could see the top of the foothills, and if she looked to her right and down, she could see for miles in the direction from which she had approached.

  Tanya guessed she had been cramped into her cave about two hours or more when she thought she heard voices on the breeze. Hardly daring to move, she eased her head around and looked down to her right. There, far down the way, she spied two of her trackers. She recognized them as Towering Pine and Snail of her tribe.

  As she watched, they looked up almost directly at her and waved. For a moment she thought they had spotted her, but almost instantly she realized they were signaling to someone above her.

  “Drat!” she thought to herself. “Only another hour or so and I would have won!” If they had followed her this far, they were sure to find her soon.

  Hooves rang out on the rocks not far above her, and soon the third rider came into her view. It was Clever Fox. He glanced her way, and Tanya dared not breathe, or even blink. Her eyes watered from the strain and her lungs begged for air. Finally he turned away and was soon hidden from her view. Cautiously she drew a much needed breath, thankful she had had the foresight to remove the colorful headband.

  Snail and Towering Pine now split up, slowly going in opposite directions, obviously searching for signs. This told Tanya they had lost her trail, and she could only hope they didn’t find it again.

  Anxiously, Tanya sweated out her remaining time, her eyes and ears constantly alert for her trackers. Once more she thought she heard them far below her, but she could not spot them. At long last, the sun touched the peak of the foothills, and cramped as she was, Tanya made herself wait still longer to make sure they had really gone before she crept quietly from her hiding place.

  She eased her rebelling muscles into a more comfortable stance, and rubbed and stretched them until she could once more move without painful needles shooting up her limbs and back. Then, on fleet, silent feet, she returned for her horse.

  The stars had come out and the night sky was deepening from purple to black when she rode into the camp. She had stayed well behind the three braves on her return trip. Tanya rode directly up to Black Kettle’s tipi, where the three trackers were in con- ference with Panther and the chief outside his lodge.

  She arrived just in time to hear Snail saying, “There was no sign of her
after a while. Perhaps she will not return, but will try to find her old family.”

  “I think not,” Panther declared, catching sight of her as she neared. His smile nearly split his face. “Little Wildcat has returned!”

  Five sets of dark eyes settled on her, but Tanya had eyes only for Panther. “It is well that you taught me so expertly, Panther, for they nearly found me,” she said.

  “Where?” Towering Pine wanted to know.

  Tanya favored him with a smile. “Among the rocks near the long ledge, there is a small cave. When I saw you and Snail below me, I was sure you had located my trail, especially when Clever Fox rode almost directly over my head. You came so close I couldn’t believe it when you didn’t discover me after all.”

  Tanya dismounted wearily, and Panther was instantly at her side. “You are tired. Go to our lodge and rest. I will have someone look after your horse. I will send Walks-Like-A-Duck with food, and then you will sleep until I send for you.”

  Tanya started for the tipi, but Black Kettle’s voice stopped her. “Little Wildcat, you are well?”

  She glanced back to meet his concerned look. “Yes, my chief, I am quite well,” she answered with a nod. “Just tired, very tired.” As if to prove her point, her feet dragged every step of the way to her tipi, and her shoulders sagged, for once refusing to remain straight.

  To Tanya it seemed only minutes after she’d closed her eyes that someone was shaking her awake. She opened sleep-heavy lids to see Walks-Like-A-Duck standing over her. “Panther says you are to join the ceremonies now.”

  Tanya sat up yawning. “I’d much rather sleep,” she commented lamely as she started to dress.

  Walks-Like-A-Duck watched silently as Tanya carefully re-plaited her hair and adjusted her headband. Then she reached out for Tanya’s waistband. In her hand she held the two gruesome scalps Tanya had successfully pushed from her consciousness. Tanya reacted automatically, backing away abruptly.

  Impatiently, Walks-Like-A-Duck held out the scalps. “You must wear these on your belt this evening, Little Wildcat. While you were gone today I scraped and dried them for you.”

  Grimacing inwardly, Tanya cautiously took them from her and hooked them to her belt, murmuring her thanks.

  “Lord, the things I do for that man!” she thought to herself.

  Bracing herself for the ordeal to come, she followed Walks-Like-A-Duck outside. The night sky was deceptively peaceful, bright and clear, as if to make up for the frightful events taking place beneath it. The moon was high, and Tanya judged it to be around midnight. She had slept for over three hours.

  The entire tribe was gathered about the central fire, reminding Tanya of her first night in the Cheyenne village. For a minute she stood uncertainly, absorbing the sights and sounds around her. Once again, all the men wore their paints; colorful, fascinating, and gruesome. Tonight, it seemed, the women took an active part in the ceremonies. They were mourning their dead, and their shrieks and wails were heartrending. Tears sprang to Tanya’s eyes as she saw them weeping and wailing, adorned in ashes, tearing at their clothes, and clawing at their skin and hair. Relatives of the dead had cut off their braids and slashed their bodies in an open display of their grief.

  To one side of the central fire, two Ute braves were lashed to poles, their naked, sweat-slick bodies glistening in the flickering firelight. The Cheyenne warriors had captured the other when his horse had stumbled and fallen. This night the Cheyenne men would sit back and watch, as their women took their revenge on the unfortunate victims.

  As Tanya looked from the Utes to the grieving women, she was torn between revulsion of what she knew was to happen and the knowledge that it was justified. Feeling the weight of the scalps at her belt, she only hoped she would not have to participate.

  Her eyes travelled about the circle, finding Panther seated next to Black Kettle, Winter Bear on the chiefs other side. Panther motioned to her to join him. When she reached him, he seated her next to him.

  “Chief Black Kettle has demanded your presence for this evening.”

  Tanya nodded wearily. “I understand.”

  “You will be expected to participate later, when the Utes are turned over to the tender mercies of our women,” he went on, his face a mask as he reached out to touch the scalps dangling from her belt.

  “I know,” she responded quietly.

  “Shy Deer spoke of how you saved her life this morning. You showed great bravery.” Still his face revealed nothing.

  “I used the skills you taught me,” Tanya told him, calmly meeting his look.

  Still he fingered the scalps. “You hate these, don’t you?”

  Her answer was a simple “Yes.”

  “After tonight you will hang them on the lodge pole.” Only his eyes reflected his understanding.

  Tanya nodded stiffly, turning her attentions to the activities.

  The tempo of the drums changed, announcing the change from grieving to vengeance. The men performed a lengthy war dance, and by the time it was the women’s turn, the deep, steady throb of the drums seemed to have seeped into Tanya’s bones, invading her being to commune with her soul. Without conscious volition, she was on her feet, joining the shrieking women, her knife flashing in her hand. Her own voice joined the others in their taunts and wild ravings.

  As if in a trance, she approached the Utes, her golden eyes glowing. Caught up in the mood, it seemed that she stood aside and watched herself as her hand flashed out and her knife made a small, precise slice on the thigh of one of the captives. Her lips curled in a parody of a smile.

  A small voice in a remote corner of her mind questioned her savage actions. Had she lost her mind? Was she suddenly possessed? Her pulse beat wildly in response to the drums, and her blood raced through her veins, obliterating her weariness. She felt wild and free, and exhilarated.

  The sun had risen over the horizon when Tanya wiped the last of the captives’ blood from her knife blade. The drums ceased as the last, shuddering breath eased from the Utes. Their lifeless forms hung from the poles, barely resembling human beings. Thousands of small cuts laced their blood-streaked bodies; pools of blood congealed at the base of the poles. Their ears, noses, lips, fingers, toes, and privates had been severed from their bodies. Empty sockets gaped where their eyes had once been.

  Tanya took one last, long look, shuddered violently, and stumbled wearily off to her tipi.

  She slept deeply until noon, never stirring when Panther gently stripped her clothing from her and covered her with the blanket. When she arose, it was to a lethargic feeling, as if she’d been drugged. She blanched beneath her golden tan as she recalled her actions of the night before. She had acted like a savage! But as she attempted to drag her conscience to the fore, the feelings of guilt she thought she ought to have dissolved. She tried and failed to dredge up feelings of remorse.

  With one last fatalistic shrug of her shoulders, she muttered, “What is done is done and best left to rest. They were our enemies and would have done the same or worse to any of us.” Still, she grimaced at the traces of blood on her hands and arms. Unbinding her hair, she headed for the stream.

  The entire female population of the village seemed to have the same idea. Worn out from the previous evening’s activities, they too had slept unusually late and were just starting the day.

  With none of her old self-consciousness, Tanya slipped out of her dress and moccasins and waded into the cool, clear water. Intent on her bathing, she was unaware of Suellen’s presence beside her until the girl’s strident voice sounded loudly next to her.

  “What do you think your parents and fiance would say about the way you acted last night?”

  Tanya spun to glare at her. Nancy was standing behind Suellen, frowning. Full of spite, Suellen continued boldly, “You’re a born whore, Tanya! You like that tall, copper stallion between your legs. Unlike the rest of us, you seem to thrive on this dreadful life.”

  Tanya closed the distance between them swiftly, h
er eyes shooting golden flames. “You jealous bitch!” With that, she swung back her arm and delivered a sharp slap across Suellen’s face. The other girl lost her balance and plopped on her rear into the shallow water.

  Nancy let out a gasp of dismay. “Oh, Tanya, I’m sure she didn’t mean it! It’s just that you are treated so much better than the rest of us.”

  Suellen struggled to her feet, dragging her wet hair out of her face. “Oh, I meant it, all right! Every word of it! Miss High and Mighty here wants to join the tribe. Well, she’ll fit in perfectly with this bunch of savages! I guess breeding really does tell!”

  Tanya gathered her dignity about her. In a deadly quiet voice, she said, “You have overstepped yourself, Suellen. I shall have to see that you are properly punished.”

  At this, Melissa, who had come up soon after the fracas began, cut in. “Oh, no, Tanya. Please!” She touched Tanya lightly on the arm.

  “I would not allow her insolence to go unanswered if we were in the President’s parlor, Missy, and I cannot allow it here.”

  A crowd of Indian women had gathered round. Quickly Tanya sought out Forest Fern, Suellen’s mistress, and told her of Suellen’s insults. “I realize I am not yet a member of the tribe, but I soon shall be. If it were left to me, I would flay the skin off her back, but she does not belong to me. I leave it to you whether she shall be punished or not, and to what extent.”

  That said, Tanya went back to her bathing. Melissa sidled up to her. “Is it true what Suellen said about you wanting to join the tribe?” she whispered.

  “It is,” Tanya answered stiffly.

  “Don’t be angry, Tanya,” Melissa pleaded. “I just don’t understand why.”

  “I want to marry Panther.”

  Melissa nodded sadly. “He certainly is handsome, and he treats you so nicely. Do you love him?”

  Tanya’s anger dissolved. “Yes, very much. We are to have a child in the spring.”