Blackbird

by Henderson, Nancy

  She looked down at Adahya’s lips. Now what? they seemed to ask in return.

  Her heart beat wildly, and she tightened her grip on his jacket for fear she would lose her balance. She took a breath, closed her eyes, and tilted her head toward him.

  She pressed her lips on his. His were surprisingly soft, a harsh opposite to his hard exterior. His mouth did not stir, and she opened her eyes.

  He was staring down at her.

  “You have to close your eyes,” she said against his mouth.

  “I will not be able to see you.”

  “That’s the idea.”

  He closed his eyes.

  “Now open your mouth a little.” She was trembling.

  He opened his mouth, and she pressed her lips tighter against his. She feathered her tongue across his top lip, and then suckled the lower one. His breath quickened, and instinctively, as if kissing an Indian in the middle of the forest was a usual occurrence for her, she brought her arms up around his neck. His arms pulled her into him. He was not returning the kiss, really, at least not with the equaled effort she was putting into the task, but his hands began moving in rhythmic patterns from her hips, up the sides of her breasts, and back down to cup her buttocks. Warmth coiled in the pit of her stomach. She had returned Joshua’s single kiss, but he had never held her like this, never played games like this with his hands. She wondered what it would be like to lie with this man, this dangerous Mohawk who purportedly took scalps of white women and children.

  With all her strength, she pushed him away.

  “What is wrong?”

  She did not bother to answer. Suddenly irritated, she picked up her valise and began walking.

  “What is wrong?” He stepped in front of her, forcing her to stop. The look in his eyes indicated confusion.

  “You didn’t kiss me back,” she snapped, blinking away a swell of tears.

  “You did not tell me I must do so.”

  “Well, of course you must. Those are the rules!”

  “I will do better this time.”

  He reached for her, but Katherine darted past him, leaving him standing alone. Humiliation, anger, and frustration fought for dominance within her. She wanted to hit him, kick him, hurt him so badly he could never stand again. Exactly why, she did not know.

  * * *

  THEY walked at a swift pace for hours. No one spoke, and Katherine wondered if Adahya was angry with her. He was, after all, always angry, it seemed. Her own irritation had faded to embarrassment. Such a ninny she was to have thrown herself at a complete stranger and this man, in particular.

  She had not really thrown herself at him, of course. She had only wanted his opinion of her, so she could try to understand what Joshua must think. Adahya was the one who had all but forced her to kiss him. But something had happened when he had held her like that. Something beyond words or reasoning. She could not wait until she returned to the mission. She would get Joshua to love her. Somehow. And Joshua would be the one to arouse such feelings in her.

  As the midday sun beat down on the top of her head, she cursed herself for forgetting to bring a bonnet. Another senseless stunt. She swallowed, her throat dry. She could no longer hear the stream which they had followed for miles, only the occasional lonely cry of a crow or a chickadee. Perspiration dripped down the back of her neck. Her high lace collar was wet and clammy, and her hair hung in limp, stringy clumps. The hem of her skirts were torn and snagged with thorns and forest debris. She should have brought a change of clothing. Now she would look terrible when speaking with the British officials at Fort Ontario.

  The Indian stopped abruptly, and a flock of passenger pigeons broke through the branches ahead of him.

  Katherine peered over his shoulder. Birch and hemlocks encircled a small body of water. The tiny pond was without current and landlocked. White blossomed lily pads floated along the surface. At the far side of the water, a heron stood on one leg, its shoulder hunched as it searched for small fish or frogs.

  Leaning his musket against a tree, the Indian shed his jacket, weapons, possible bag and tossed them aside. Then right before her very eyes he stripped naked and, running full speed, dove into the center of the pond. The heron flew away as if hell were at its heels.

  Adahya surfaced in the center of the pond. Katherine watched in half amazement, half embarrassment as he stood in the waist-deep water and splashed and played as if he were a child. She wondered if he had forgotten her presence.

  He dove under a few more times and resurfaced back in the center. He just stood there looking at her. Water glistened from his hair, to his chest where not a hair resided, down his stomach, past his navel, and into the water where he stood naked beneath it.

  Katherine had never seen a man like this. Something unfamiliar stirred within her. This man was like a rare, expensive thoroughbred horse. Wild, untamed, perfectly masque line. And dangerous.

  * * *

  ADAHYA watched her inspect him, and wondered what she thought. Her expression was one of embarrassment, but somehow she did not look disappointed. He smiled.

  “Chogan.” He did not know when he had begun calling her the Algonquin term for blackbird, but it suited her perfectly. She was like a crow, that never stopped squawking and one could hear for miles. Except now.

  “Chogan, come.”

  She gripped her valise tighter, and he was pleased to be the cause of her sudden self-awareness.

  “I can’t swim,” she declared.

  “Everyone can swim.”

  “I can’t.”

  He frowned. Swimming came as natural as breathing. He had never heard of anyone being afraid of water. Then again, he was not used to dealing with white women. He motioned to her anyway.

  “Adahya will not let you drown.” He saw her look of fear and made a face. “Not today, anyway.”

  For a moment she simply stared at his outstretched hand. Then, apparently having made her decision, she ordered, “Turn around.”

  Smiling to himself, Adahya turned his back to her and listened to the faint sounds of her clothing being shed, layer by layer.

  “Don’t turn around until I’m in the water,” she said.

  Patiently, he complied. He heard her enter the water and felt the waves ripple past as she moved through it.

  “You may turn around now,” she finally said.

  Adahya turned, and his breath caught in his chest. The cloth covering her breasts was thin and sleeveless, revealing delicate arms and a thin, shapely neck, which he no longer ached to choke. He had never seen a white woman in her underwear, and the sight rocked him to the core of his being. She started to slip and unfolded her arms to balance herself on the slippery bottom, and her breasts jutted forward, her nipples hard and erect beneath the thin muslin chemise.

  He was rock hard beneath the water. Breathing heavy, he reached for her hand and coaxed her further into the water.

  “I told you I can’t swim!” she complained.

  Refusing to release her hand, he gently pulled her out deeper. The water surfaced around their chests now. As she took a step forward, her feet slipped from beneath her. He grabbed her waist to steady her, and she instinctively put her arms around his neck.

  The length of her body pressed against him. Adahya hoped his arousal was not apparent. Without thought, he tightened his grip on her waist. He looked into her eyes, which he suddenly realized were the color of the sky during a snowstorm. This woman was white--a Colonial, and therefore, an enemy--and never in his wildest dreams would he have guessed he would be in this situation. She was not the sort of woman he would be attracted to, but at that moment she was the most beautiful, most erotic creature he had ever seen. Knowing it was wrong yet unable to stop himself, he tilted his head and put his mouth on hers. Following her previous instruction, he kissed her as if the white man’s way of showing affection was something he had been doing his entire life.

  He took her mouth within his own slowly at first, surprised by the soft wetn
ess of her lips. Her hands went up into his hair, as she kissed him in return. Her tongue entered his mouth, exploring and sending wild currents of red hot fire to the pit of his stomach and radiating into his loins. Following her lead, he explored her mouth with his own tongue, his breath heavy and uncontrolled.

  The emptiness of the last six months suddenly left him. After Song’s abandonment, he had vowed to never take another woman, never have anything to do with them period. Perhaps that had been a hasty decision. Perhaps this white woman did not love Knox. Certainly from the way she was kissing him she felt something for him. Perhaps she could learn to enjoy being Adahya’s woman instead of Knox’s.

  * * *

  KATHERINE felt the length of the Indian’s arousal pressing against the waist of her bloomers.

  She opened her eyes wide and pushed against his chest. “Stop!”

  When he failed to listen, she pushed him harder.

  He released her, and she fell backward, water rushing into her nostrils and ears. She screamed, but water filled her mouth. Panic gripped her. She opened her eyes but saw only black, murky water. Her bottom hit something hard. She flailed and kicked. She couldn’t breathe! Oh, God, she couldn’t breathe!

  A hand gripped her shoulder, and she was suddenly on her feet again. She clutched Adahya, coughing and gagging uncontrollably.

  He, however, was laughing.

  “It’s not funny!” She wanted to strike him, but held on to keep from going under again.

  “You must learn how to swim, Chogan.”

  “I’m not a fish!”

  “Good thing.” He released his grip on her waist, but she clutched him tighter.

  “Don’t put me down!” Suddenly terrified of drowning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his wet hair. She refused to put her feet down for fear there would be no ground beneath her. “Take me back to shore!”

  He carried her to shore and gently sat her down in a patch of cattails growing along the water’s edge. In her panic, Katherine had forgotten that he was unclothed. Now, she looked up to see him standing over her, naked in all his glory. Her eyes unconsciously fell down the length of him. The only hair on his entire body began at the bottom of his navel and trailed down to his manhood where it thickened considerably.

  Katherine had never seen a naked man before, and she stared at his partially rigid shaft. She looked back up to find him grinning at her. Horrified, she closed her eyes.

  Adahya only laughed.

  She scrambled to her feet, her eyes still closed. “Please get dressed.”

  “Have you seen enough, Chogan?”

  “Just get dressed!”

  “I should be asking the same of you.” He laughed again.

  Katherine looked down and suddenly realized that her wet underwear was exposing her as if she wore not a stitch of clothing. She grabbed her clothes and ran behind a tree.

  Adahya was laughing again.

  When she had dressed, she came back to the water’s edge. Adahya had his leggings and breechclout back on, and she relaxed. She perched herself atop a large rock and finger combed her wet hair, allowing it to dry in the sun. After awhile, a feeling of being energized and refreshed lightened her spirit. She began to hum softly.

  Adahya climbed and sat beside her. So close, in fact, their shoulders touched.

  She stopped humming.

  He draped an arm over her shoulder.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I like this kissing,” he whispered, his lips uncomfortably close to her ear. “You are a good teacher, Chogan.”

  “Well, we can’t do it anymore.” She pushed his arm off her, suddenly irritated.

  “Why not?”

  “Because it’s insane.”

  “Is it?”

  “Yes, it is. I have to get to Fort Ontario, and we’ve wasted enough time already.”

  She slid from the rock, but when she passed in front of him, he caught her wrists.

  “Maybe you do not have to go after all,” he said.

  “Don’t be silly. Of course I do.” She looked down at her wrists. Adahya still held them, and now he was rubbing her pulse points with his thumbs and sending strange shivers of warmth up her spine. She looked into his dark eyes. Tiny gold flecks swam in their dark pools.

  “Adahya’s woman brought much shame and regret to him, but he believes he is not all terrible like Song thought.”

  Katherine tried to pull away, but he held fast to her wrists. Remaining silent, she listened to him go on.

  “Perhaps you would come to live at Adahya’s hearth and forget Knox. Adahya is a distinguished warrior among the Hodenosaunee. He would provide well for you.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  KATHERINE stared at him, speechless. Her whole life she had dreamed of a man bending down on one knee before her, confessing love and promises of marriage and happily-ever-after. Instead, she got a wet, half-naked Indian sitting on a rock asking her to become his woman. This was nothing she had dreamed of, but his admission was so direct. And it was the most genuinely heartfelt thing anyone had ever said to her.

  It was also the most ridiculous thing anyone had ever said to her. He could not possibly think she would drop everything in her world to live with a Mohawk Indian whom she barely knew. She could never love this man. She had kissed him, and she had felt something powerfully close to carnal lust when he had touched her, yes, but she did not hold feelings for him. She loved Joshua Knox. And after she returned from Fort Ontario Joshua would be proud of her. Proud enough to return her love.

  Katherine pulled her wrists from Adahya’s grip. He slid down from the rock and stood before her.

  “Adahya, I don’t know what to say. I--”

  He pulled her into his arms. “We will have a good life together, Chogan. You will see.”

  “No, you don’t understand.” She pulled out of his embrace and stepped back. “I can’t live with you. I mean, I’m flattered for your offer, but--”

  “But Adahya is a savage.”

  “But I don’t love you.”

  His eyes were seeking, as if he were trying to understand. He reached for her again, but she kept her distance, allowing him to only grasp her hands. “Love is important to you?” He was massaging the backs of her fingers with his thumbs again, and she wondered if this was some sort of game in which he sought control over her.

  “Isn’t it to you?”

  “It is not necessary.”

  Katherine gaped at him, now her turn to try to understand. Of course, love was necessary. It was the key ingredient to any relationship between a man and a woman. It was what sealed a woman’s heart to her mate forever. She had known people who had not married for love, but she herself could never do that. She would not.

  “You said yourself you loved Song,” she insisted.

  “Perhaps I was wrong.”

  Katherine did not understand. To say he had never loved his deceased wife was callous. He was staring so intently at her. His thumbs still massaged the backs of her hands, sending tiny rivulets of warmth up her arms. He was waiting for her answer. An answer he would not like.

  “You don’t even know me.” She tried to sway him.

  “Adahya knows enough.”

  “I could never stay with someone who does not love me.”

  “You stay with Knox.”

  His words cut like a knife. He had only known her for four days, but he always knew the exact words to cut her heart in two. He preyed on her weakness, the fact that Knox did not love her, and he stomped all over it. She could feel her bottom lip trembling. “You have no right to say that.”

  “If Knox loved you he would protect you. He would not allow you to go off with strangers. He would not let you face danger to save his name, to fight his battles.”

  “He doesn’t know I came here, and you know that.”

  “I know he left you unprotected.”

  “Thomas and Robert--”

  “This Thomas was off hunting, and
Robert is a child. Knox left you to be protected by an unreliable man and a child. Anything could have happened to you. Such actions are without honor. If you were Adahya’s woman, no danger would come to you. You would not be left to be scared or to worry that you would not be taken care of.”

  Katherine felt a tear escape and roll down her cheek. He was right. Joshua never loved her, and he probably never would. Despite this man’s pledge to her, loneliness returned to her like a torrent.