Wind Rider

by Connie Mason

  “Cut Nose has been banished from the tribe. He will never bother you again.”

  Hannah went still. “The council ruled against him? Even though he is Indian and you are white?”

  “My skin is white, but these are my people, Hannah, just as they are Cut Nose’s people. They listened to us equally, then based their judgment on our testimony and that of Coyote, who had witnessed the confrontation between you and Cut Nose this morning.”

  Hannah sank to her knees beside Ryder. “Cut Nose must have been angry.”

  Ryder chewed thoughtfully. “Very angry. He gathered his belongings and left immediately. When he rode away the People turned their backs on him. Even his parents. Rape is a serious crime among the Sioux and the Cheyenne.”

  “What will he do now?”

  Ryder swallowed the last morsel of stew. “Perhaps join a band of renegades. It is unlikely he will be welcomed into another tribe. Word travels fast from tribe to tribe, and soon all will know of his banishment.”

  “I wish it didn’t have to be like this,” Hannah said sincerely. “There was no trouble until you brought me to Red Cloud’s camp.’

  “Do not blame yourself, Hannah. Cut Nose never liked the idea of my white skin. He would have found another excuse to make trouble for me.”

  Hannah digested that bit of information. “Then we are free to leave?”

  “I have already spoken to Red Cloud. He agrees that I can do much good for the People in my capacity as Indian agent. If I can make a substantial difference in this way, then I will try my best to adjust to the white world.” Pulling her close, he planted a kiss on her forehead. “Of course we will have to marry again in order to satisfy white society. I want no doubt concerning the legitimacy of my child.”

  Hannah grinned happily. “I couldn’t feel any more married than I do now, but I’ll be most happy to repeat our vows before a priest. It would please my family to know that we are married in the eyes of the church.”

  “I know nothing of such things, but I’m sure you will explain it to me. Let us seek our sleeping mat. It is a tiring journey to Denver.” The twinkle in his silver eyes suggested that he had more on his mind than sleep. He rose and pulled her to her feet. Then he picked her up and carried her inside the lodge. He laid her on the sleeping mat and stretched out beside her. When he would have kissed her Hannah placed a restraining hand on his chest.

  “Ryder, wait. There is something I wish to discuss with you.”

  “You want to talk?” His strained voice told her talk was the last thing he wanted.

  “Yes. It’s about Woman-Who-Waddles. I want to take her with us. She has no living relatives and has to rely on the charity of others for her food and sustenance. I don’t think Abby will object, and she will be a great help to me when the baby comes.”

  Ryder was stunned that Hannah cared enough about the old woman’s welfare to want to bring her to live with them. “What does Woman-Who-Waddles say about this? Does she wish to leave the People?”

  “Woman-Who-Waddles lost her husband, her son, and her only daughter, and she is alone. I’ve come to care a great deal about her and am concerned about her welfare. We have spoken and she is agreeable. She is healthy and not as old as she looks, so I am certain she is capable of riding the distance to Denver. She looks forward with relish to the day our baby is born.”

  “It will be as you wish. After our house is built I am certain you will be happy to have an extra pair of hands to help.”

  “Thank you, Ryder,” Hannah said, pulling his head down so she could reach his lips. He kissed her slowly, thoroughly, with all the passion rampant in his rapidly beating heart.

  His tongue searched out the sweetness of her mouth as his hands undressed her. Then the moist heat of his kisses followed the path of his hands, over her breasts, her stomach, her thighs, and the succulent flesh between. Within minutes Hannah’s body took on the rosy glow of arousal, but this time she wasn’t content to lie back and let Ryder have his way. He frowned when she pushed him down and rose slightly above him so she could look down into the shimmering depths of his eyes.

  “I want to do the same things to you that you do to me,” she whispered shyly, though shyness was the least of what she was feeling.

  Ryder grinned, lying back so she could have her way. And she did, tasting him thoroughly and finding him delicious. Her small tongue examined his flat male nipples and her teeth nipped a trail of fire along his stomach and thighs. When the exquisite torture rendered him nearly senseless, she found him with her mouth and tasted his male essence. Ryder cried out, jerking violently beneath the searing heat of her mouth. After several agonizing minutes he reared up and shoved her down on her back. Then he paid her back in kind. When she was nearly mindless with rapture, he reared back and plunged into her.

  A slice of moonlight slanting through the open smokehole was the sole witness to the writhing bodies, the whispered words of passion, and the sharp, guttural cries of pleasure. And as the night wore on, the moonlight paled in comparison to the luminous glow of love that filled the lodge.

  * * *

  Hannah shifted uncomfortably in the saddle, aware that her pregnancy was making travel more difficult than normal. The day was scorching hot and a searing wind blew down from the Black Hills. Solicitous of her health, Ryder made certain they rested frequently during their journey, stopping wherever they found shade and water. Woman-Who-Waddles traveled with them, apparently happy to be of use to someone and no longer a burden to the People.

  At night they usually sought shelter by water, allowing Hannah the opportunity to bathe away the dirt and grime accumulated during the day. They were near the Colorado border and camped on a branch of the Platte River when Hannah set off by herself to walk the short distance to the river, eager for a bath. Woman-Who-Waddles was engaged in building a fire and Ryder had gone off to hunt game for their supper. It was growing dark, but Hannah felt no urgency to hurry.

  They had experienced no trouble thus far in their journey, and she had forgotten that Ryder had cautioned her not to stray too far from their camp. He had seemed more watchful than usual the last two days, but his demeanor indicated nothing out of the ordinary. Besides, she could see the campsite from the river, and what could happen with Ryder nearby?

  Stripping to her shift, Hannah stepped into the water. It was dark and muddy but nevertheless refreshing after a day in the saddle. The hot, dry summer sun and lack of rain had literally dried up the river in many places, and Hannah was pleased to note that at the center of the river the water was waist deep. She splashed happily, unaware of a pair of dark eyes greedily devouring her. It wasn’t until she was ready to leave the water that she sensed a threatening presence. She could feel the hair rising at the back of her neck and whirled about to scan the dark shoreline.

  She saw nothing, chiding herself for being fanciful. Then, abruptly, she recalled Ryder’s words when they had made camp tonight, telling her to remain close to their campsite, that he would hunt nearby in case there was trouble. She even recalled how he had scouted ahead several times during the day and picked their campsite with special care. She was so anxious to bathe, she had foolishly disregarded his orders and wandered off by herself. The last remnants of daylight slid into darkness as she waded to shore.

  Hannah did not see the hand that reached from behind her to cover her mouth, or the arm that wrapped around her waist to drag her behind a nearby bush. But she felt the strength and heat of the massive body as she was pulled toward a waiting horse. When the hand was taken from her mouth she did not have time to cry out before a fist came flying out of the darkness at her jaw. With a moan of pain, she spiraled downward into a deep, dark void.

  Ryder returned to camp with a plump rabbit he had shot with an arrow. He’d deliberately refrained from using his rifle for fear of inviting unwanted attention. For the past two days he’d been aware that they were being followed, but he’d kept the news from Hannah so as not to distress her. If they were
being trailed, it wasn’t by a large war party; that much he was sure of. In fact, he was convinced that only one or two men were keeping a close watch on their progress. Whoever it was was smart, he’d give them that much. He’d caught no more than a fleeting glimpse of a rider. But at least he’d had the foresight to warn Hannah to stay close to camp, he thought as he stepped into the circle of light provided by the fire Woman-Who-Waddles had kindled.

  Ryder noticed Hannah’s absence immediately. He felt a spurt of fear.

  “Where is Hannah?”

  “She went to bathe,” Woman-Who-Waddles told him.

  He looked toward the river where a dark ribbon of water was barely visible in the evening gloom. “How long ago did she leave?”

  Woman-Who-Waddles frowned and cocked an eye at the rising moon. “The moon had not yet risen when she left. I heard her splashing in the water just moments ago.”

  Ryder picked up his gun. “Put the rabbit in the pot to cook. I will go after her. She should not have gone off on her own. Perhaps I did not stress strongly enough the danger that exists in this territory.”

  Woman-Who-Waddles stared at him, suddenly aware that Ryder was more worried than the situation seemed to warrant. “Are we in danger?”

  “I will explain later,” Ryder called over his shoulder as he sprinted toward the river.

  Ryder moaned in dismay when his search failed to locate Hannah. He called her name several times but received no answer. Sweat broke out on his forehead and his gut clenched painfully. Examining the shore, he found moccasin prints in the soft mud. Dropping to his knees, he studied the signs, cringing inwardly when he noted that a struggle had ensued and someone had been dragged along the shore. The prints led to a bush, and Ryder quickly followed them. Whoever had been there was gone. Pursuing a trail of trampled grass and brush, Ryder came to a place where a horse had been tethered. The horse’s trail led north.

  Ryder realized immediately that Hannah had been taken prisoner by an Indian. Obviously, only one man had participated in the kidnapping; he saw nothing to indicate that others were nearby. Then a sudden, wrenching thought came to him.

  Cut Nose! Cut Nose had taken Hannah!

  Supported by muscular brown arms, Hannah came awake slowly. Still groggy from the vicious blow to her jaw, she shook her head to clear the cobwebs from her brain. She had no idea how long she’d been unconscious, but the sky had turned from black to mauve, indicating that many hours had passed since she’d gone to bathe in the river. Her jaw felt as if it was on fire, and when she tried to move pain shot up her cheekbone to her head. She moaned, and the arm holding her tightened.

  “I did not think I hit you so hard, Little Sparrow/’

  That voice! Cut Nose. She smelled his musky scent and bitter gall rose up in her throat. “Why have you done this?” Hannah cried out desperately. “What do you hope to gain?”

  “Wind Rider will come for you. He will challenge me and we will fight as we should have before Coyote interfered. I will kill him and take you for my woman. Then I will slake my lust on your white body and hear you cry out my name when I bring you to pleasure. Then we will see who is the better man.”

  Hannah’s head spun with the implication of Cut Nose’s words. Was Ryder strong enough to fight Cut Nose and win? Was there nothing she could do to stop them from killing one another? Briefly she considered telling Cut Nose that she carried Ryder’s child, but quickly discarded the notion. That knowledge might anger Cut Nose to the point of harming her or the child she carried.

  “Where are you taking me?”

  “Not far. I wish to settle this matter between us soon so I can plant my seed inside your body.”

  “You cannot win against Ryder.”

  “I have already won. I have you, don’t I?”

  “Not for long,” Hannah goaded. “Only a cowardly dog would act as you have, stealing me away in the dark of night/’

  Cut Nose’s lips curled in resentment. Until Hannah came into their midst he had never committed a dishonorable deed. It was her fault, he reflected, blaming Hannah for inciting his lust to the point of making him lose control of his senses. Being banished from the tribe had been so humiliating, he’d vowed to punish those responsible. He had watched the camp until Hannah and Ryder left and had followed stealthily, intending to seek vengeance in his own way in his own good time. Finding Hannah alone had been a stroke of luck he hadn’t anticipated.

  Being called a cowardly dog sent him into a rage, and he struck Hannah viciously. Once again Hannah went spinning into blessed oblivion, unaware that Cut Nose had deliberately slowed his horse and that the trail he left could have been followed by a child.

  Ryder rode like the wind, his sturdy Indian pony obedient to the slightest pressure of his knees and hands. With the onset of daylight it was a simple task to follow the trail left by Cut Nose. It was almost as if Cut Nose wanted to be found. Ryder’s fists clenched on the reins and he urged his horse to a faster gait. If Cut Nose hurt Hannah, he’d tear him apart with his bare hands.

  Ryder plunged without hesitation into the narrow passage between two flat bluffs, aware that this was the spot Cut Nose had chosen for their confrontation. He had stripped down to breechclout and moccasins, to be unhampered by clothing during the battle. The vivid discoloration across his ribs bore mute testimony to the beatings he had endured just a short time ago. But he ignored his pain, focusing instead on Hannah and his unborn child.

  Halfway through the narrow passage, Ryder halted and scanned the collection of rocks and boulders he considered large enough to offer protection to Cut Nose and Hannah. He realized he provided a large target for Cut Nose, but his gut told him that Cut Nose would challenge him openly rather than use cowardly methods of attack. And so he stood fully exposed and waited.

  Hannah groaned as pain exploded in her brain. She had no idea where she was, but the hard ground beneath her and the relentless sun in her eyes told her that she was lying on her back, shielded from view by a large boulder and helplessly tied hand and foot.

  “If you cry out, I will stuff my breechclout in your mouth,” Cut Nose threatened her ominously.

  Hannah realized immediately that she was still Cut Nose’s prisoner. “Where are we?”

  “At a place I know well. Wind Rider approaches. Soon you will be mine, and to celebrate my victory I will take you here on the ground while vultures pick his bones.”

  Hannah paled. “Ryder is here?”

  As if in answer to her question, a deep voice boomed out. “Cut Nose. I am here. Show yourself. If you release my woman without harming her, I will spare your life.”

  “Ryder!” Hannah’s shrill cry sounded like sweet music to Ryder’s ears.

  “Little Sparrow! Be brave. You will soon be free.”

  “Call out again and I will silence you,” Cut Nose hissed. He glared at her, promising swift retribution if she disobeyed.

  “What is it you want of me?” Ryder inquired. He knew from the direction of their voices that Cut Nose and Hannah were sheltered behind a large boulder about fifty yards ahead and to the left.

  “We will settle this matter between us the Indian way. We will fight to the death with knives. The woman will be the prize. Once I have Little Sparrow impaled upon my mighty sword she will forget all about you.”

  Red dots of rage exploded in Ryder’s brain. The thought of Hannah spread beneath Cut Nose’s body, submitting to his crude fumbling, left him with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He would never allow it to happen. “I accept your challenge, Cut Nose. Show yourself.”

  Hannah watched in trepidation as Cut Nose stepped out from behind the boulder. Struggling to her knees, she propped herself against the boulder and peered around the edge. The breath caught in her throat when she saw Ryder dismount and walk slowly toward Cut Nose. She saw that his rifle was still in the saddle boot and offered a fervent prayer that Cut Nose wouldn’t seize the opportunity to shoot Ryder. He didn’t. The Sioux warrior waited stoically for Ryder. W
hen they faced one another Cut Nose whipped his knife from its sheath and crouched low.

  Ryder reacted swiftly, whipping out his own knife and circling Cut Nose warily.

  “You are a fool if you think you can win.” Cut Nose laughed harshly. The sound sent a shiver up Hannah’s spine.

  “You are a fool if you think I will lose,” Ryder shot back.

  Cut Nose lunged. Ryder stepped back and sucked in his breath. The blade missed him by a scant inch.

  Hannah nearly cried out when she saw how close Cut Nose had come to disemboweling Ryder, but she fought for control. The last thing Ryder needed was distraction.

  Ryder struck back, but Cut Nose neatly sidestepped. Then, unexpectedly, Cut Nose kicked out with his foot, hitting Ryder squarely in the ribs. Ryder cried out and staggered, pain searing through him like a burning brand. But when he saw Cut Nose moving in for the kill he rallied and easily deflected the thrust. Once again they circled one another, each looking for an opening to bring home the victory. Ryder was still hurting from the vicious kick to his ribs, but it had served to make him more wary of Cut Nose’s sly tricks.

  “Come on, white eyes,” Cut Nose goaded as he jabbed unsuccessfully at Ryder’s gut. “I cannot wait to kill you. I have already had your woman and long for another taste of her white flesh.”

  Ryder knew he was being goaded and almost succumbed to his rage. It took every bit of his self-control not to lose his head, for he knew it was exactly what Cut Nose wanted. An enraged man was an uncautious one, prone to errors, and Ryder couldn’t afford to make mistakes. The life of Hannah and his child were at stake. He hoped Cut Nose’s claim wasn’t true, but if he had raped Hannah he’d make sure the villain suffered a painful death.