A Promised Heart (Book Four of the Dream Catcher Series)

by Rita Hestand

"Bear, stay with the women and children. I will go for Hawk and Bended Knee."

  Jinx saw the commotion.

  Little Eagle spotted him and motioned him over. "You stay with the women and children. Me and Bear are going after Hawk and Bended Knee."

  "Where are they?"

  "They went in the woods. But no one has seen them…"

  "Okay, don't you fret. I got my rifle." Jinx told them.

  Eve was still out of it, and Fawn came to take care of her.

  "She all right?"

  "She will be," Fawn smiled.

  "Hawk shouldn't leave camp without tellin' us where he's goin'." Jinx said.

  Fawn nodded. "Yes, you are right."

  ~*~

  Little Eagle and Bear found Hawk and Bending Knee, after traveling through many washouts, and quicksand swamps.

  They stared through the tall grasses, for Hawk and Bended Knew were strung up like a deer about to be butchered by a small tribe of Comanche.

  The Comanche were celebrating their prisoners, beating them with whips, and torturing them with knives.

  Little Eagle pulled Bear aside, "They won't kill them right away. We need help. How fast can you run?"

  "I am much lighter than you."

  "Then hurry and bring back our people to help."

  Bear took off like lightning.

  Little Eagle prayed it would be soon enough. He hid and watched. If only he could get close enough, he could lose their hands and maybe get them out of there.

  He would wait until night and see how many guarded them.

  It was a long wait and when it came, he snuck closer.

  Thankful for the tall grasses he was well hidden from them.

  As night began to fall, they had two guards on them. One of them was drifting off to sleep. Little Eagle snuck up behind them and slit one of them's throat. The other saw him and attacked him. They wrestled for a moment, until Little Eagle could get in a position to take him with his knife. Finally, he jumped upon him and stuck his knife below his ribs and up.

  They had made a lot of noise and more came and began tackling him. Little Eagle groaned as they bested him and they strung him up with the others.

  "Welcome," Hawk tried to grin at him.

  "You are very hard to rescue," Little Eagle managed to laugh.

  "Is Bending Knee all right?"

  "I am…I'm trying to sleep in this contraption." He said.

  "I sent Bear after the tribe to help us…"

  "That will take too long. We'll all be dead by then…" Bended Knee announced with a chuckle.

  "Well, got any better ideas?" Little Eagle asked.

  "No, I don't."

  ~*~

  Eve began to wake up, she heard Matthew playing his flute and it woke her. She sat up now and looked about.

  "What happened?" She asked Fawn.

  "You were going for Hawk and you must have fainted." Matthew told her as he put the flute down.

  "Hawk, where is he?" Eve asked now, concerned that she hadn't been able to find him.

  "We don't know, Little Eagle and Bear went after him."

  About that time, Bear came running through the bushes at them.

  "Where are you going? Where is Little Eagle?" Fawn wanted to know.

  "I've got to get the tribe. They've captured Hawk and Bended Knee." Bear told them.

  "Wait! That will take too long. We can go…"

  "Women?" Bear looked completely puzzled at that idea.

  "There isn't time if they've been captured." Fawn told him.

  "Fawn, stay with Jane Ann, please." Eve asked of her.

  "But you are very much pregnant," Fawn reminded her.

  "Hawk's in trouble, I must go." Eve declared as though being pregnant had nothing to do with it. Fawn nodded and took Jane Ann in the house.

  Eve sat up straight now and realized what was going on. Willing herself to connect with Hawk, she licked her lips and sighed heavily. She prayed he felt her presence.

  Everyone turned their head to stare at her. She kept doing it. Hoping he would feel it, and know she was coming for him.

  "Let's go now…" She said and looked at them.

  "What?" She asked at their confusion.

  "What was that?" Matthew asked.

  "I'll tell you later, let's go. Get the guns and ammunition. We're going to need it."

  Jinx picked up the guns, Bear got the ammunition.

  "Lead the way, Bear." Eve told him.

  Bear took off and they followed him.

  It was a long journey and they muddle through some rough terrain to get there. Eve grunted a time or two but she made it.

  Nestled in a small canyon, by a stream was the Comanche camp.

  "Where's Little Eagle, "Eve asked as they looked about.

  Bear pointed, "It looks like they found him first."

  Eve was not deterred. That was Hawk up there, and she wasn't about to let him be tortured to death.

  "Let's surround them when they come up to them."

  Everyone agreed and loaded their guns. Jinx was right there with them, ready to take them on.

  They waited most of the night and about dawn; things began to move in the Comanche camp. Before long, the braves stood around Hawk and the others. They laughed and poked fun of them and made merry with celebrations.

  Eve directed everyone to spread out and they surrounded them and The Comanche made war hoops, and tried to take them, but Eve shot her gun off first and hit one of them in the ribs. Bear unloaded a couple of shots and got another one. Matthew held his steady. Bear came closer now, "Let them down." He told them.

  Jinx stuck a gun in the ribs of one of them.

  One of the Indians moved and let them fall down as he loosened the rope.

  Hawk and the others scrambled and moved to take Eve's gun and Matthew's.

  As they backed away, though the Comanche reached for their bows, arrows, and knives and Hawk blasted them.

  Then they ran as though the devil himself were after them. They ran for an hour and suddenly they were back at camp. Fawn was rocking Jane Ann to sleep on the porch.

  "You made it." Fawn cried running up to Little Eagle.

  Just then, the Comanche were back and blasting away at them. They scattered and took cover.

  Hawk and Eve were together. Matthew hunched down in a small ravine. Little Eagle and Fawn went behind some trees and Bear and Jinx did the same. Fawn still carried Jane Ann.

  Eve watched her to make sure they had cover.

  The shooting went on forever. Only one or two of the Comanche fell dead. Ammunition was low and Hawk wasn't at all sure they could endure a full size raid on the camp again. Things were beginning to look very grim. Their water supply had been cut off, there was no food with them, and they were pinned down with a dwindling ammunition supply.

  As near as Hawk could figure, there were about twelve of them, and they'd killed two.

  "Don't use all your ammunition." Hawk called to the others. "Try to pick them off." Hawk told them.

  The well was in sight, but he wasn't sure he could get to it and there was nothing to put water in if he did.

  Their only hope was to wait until dark.

  One of the cabins had been finished though, if they could all get to that, they would have some cover and provisions. The real problem was they had no water.

  As darkness came the Comanche camped.

  Waiting for the moon to go behind a cloud, Hawk went to the well for water as soon as it darkened. He pulled the bucket up from the well and carried it to Eve. She drank her fill and he motioned for the others to come and drink.

  When everyone had their fill, they seemed to revive.

  A norther was blowing up and the air became cooler. Now Fawn wrapped Jane Ann in the blanket she had wrapped around her and kept her warm.

  The others snuggled down as much as they could.

  The wind picked up and the rain poured down like a gully washer. Hail split the ground with its hard little rocks of ice. Be
cause of the dense trees, no one was that hurt from the hail.

  There was noise from the Comanche camp and they picked up their belongings and left.

  By morning, everyone was shivering from the cold and they looked about. The Comanche had gone.

  Relieved they all went inside the cabin and after warming up; Eve and Fawn began fixing them all something to eat. The fighting was over.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Winter was lurking about them as Hawk and the other men went about building more of their homes. Hawk built Eve a cellar to put her canned goods in, and a corral for the horses too. They began building a barn too, to have a place to store things and put the animals in bad weather.

  It was a good start.

  However, the cold of winter came in a harsh blast. A blizzard hit them in December, covering everything in snow and ice. They had built three houses, one barn, a corral and a cellar.

  The men worked tirelessly to finish up what needed doing. Bear made firewood for the winter. Jinx helped Hawk with building he was talented, in that he could make nice cabinets in the cabins, and he even began working on furniture.

  One surprise happened when he brought in a cradle for the baby.

  By now, Eve was a butterball and was sure she was carrying twins.

  "We're going to need another one of those I fear, Jinx."

  "I'll start right away," he smiled.

  Eve knitted a lot for the babies and Jane Ann was beginning to get bigger and more self confident in doing things for herself. She helped her mother and Fawn a lot around the house.

  All the meals were taken at the big cabin, it made it easier than fixing two or three meals and Jinx had made Eve a large table so everyone could sit around it.

  The snow didn't go away for a week and everyone was tired of it. The men had to go out in it everyday to tend the livestock and check on things, bring in some meat when they could.

  Now with three cabins built, all the furniture, a corral the lean-to and the barn started, things were starting to look like a real community.

  As Christmas came, the kids were excited. Eve and Fawn popped popcorn and strung it around a tree that Hawk chopped down for them. They had many evenings when they'd all sit around sipping hot chocolate, and listening to some tale from a book. It was a new experience for some and they all seemed to enjoy it.

  Living together, yet separate was great for all concerned. They'd play dice games and cards, or just sit and talk bout the next days' work.

  Eve tutored the kids, and life was good again.

  It snowed again after Christmas and this snow was lighter, not icy, it was easier getting around.

  Jinx took sick that winter though and Eve was determined to nurse him well. She stayed at his side almost constantly. It was too soon for him to die, she decided. He hadn't seen Hawk's first blood child yet. He had to survive that.

  Eve set up a steamer in the spare bedroom and gave him medicine that the Indians had used for many years to cure consumption.

  Jinx did get better, slowly.

  It was a cold winter evening when Matthew didn't come back from his trip to the barn. Eve was worried, he'd been gone at least an hour.

  "I'll go look for him," Hawk assured her.

  "Thank you…" She smiled. "Hey Hawk, did you feel anything when you were hanging up there in the Comanche camp?"

  "Yeah, I knew you were coming. I'm glad you finally forgave me. You never did tell me what changed."

  "Matthew…he's really got a good head on his shoulders, you know. He pointed out that I had been killing Comanche and thought nothing of it, because I was protecting my children and home. That day I was protecting Fawn and the baby, and myself. Self defense. I wonder why I didn't see it before. And I'm ashamed of how I treated you."

  "I survived, and I’m glad you did too. I love you woman. There will be a lot of rough times, honey, but we'll make it." He smiled. "I'll go see what's holding Matthew up."

  But it was real plain to see. The reason Matthew hadn't returned, was that a bear had cornered him. He stood almost frozen at the edge of the barn, unable to move.

  The bear was only a few yards away, growling and making noises to scare him.

  Everyone came out to see what was going on. Yet no one got close once they knew where the sound was coming from.

  Eve stepped out on the porch, saw it, and nearly screamed.

  She held Jane Ann as she almost ran off the porch at Matthew.

  Hawk stood behind Matthew a ways.

  "Easy son," Hawk cautioned.

  Matthew felt in his coat pocket. It was there. He sighed. He pulled out the slingshot and the rock. Slowly he began to swing it, but the bear just roared at him. The first time he tried the rock fell to the ground in front of him.

  He bent to retrieve it. He loaded it up again, and this time he got a shot off at the bear. It was a direct hit between the eyes and the bear whined and scampered a way. Matthew stood, his legs shaking his heart pounding and turned to look at his Pa.

  "I got him Pa!" He said and ran to Hawk to hug him.

  "You sure did son. I never saw anything like it, right between the eyes." Hawk hugged him.

  Everyone let out a breath and they all rushed to congratulate him.

  That night they had a big supper and celebrated his facing up to a bear.

  "It sure shows how you are growing up and learning to fend for yourself, son." Hawk declared.

  "I gotta admit, my legs were shaking." Matthew said with a laugh.

  Bear looked at him and smiled, "I think I might have peed my pants, if I was you and that close…"

  Everyone laughed.

  "We'll have a lot to tell Black Eagle about next time we see him, won't we?"

  "Yep, I reckon we will." Matthew chuckled.

  That evening Eve sat in the rocking chair huddled with a blanket to keep herself warm.

  "I can't believe he used a slingshot." Eve shook her head.

  "Yeah, he got in a lucky shot. I'm sure he stunned the bear. But I'm glad it happened in a way."

  "What do you mean?" She asked.

  "I'm gonna set a few traps out and do a few things to repel animals from around here. Otherwise we are liable to have all manner of visits."

  Eve nodded with a smile, "That's probably a good idea."

  "How are you feeling this evening?"

  "Like a big bear myself. I'm fine, I'm just so big…"

  "That will change soon enough, don't you fret, and you only got a couple months to go." He told her.

  "I don't know, I don't think I'm going to last until spring…"

  "What do you mean?"

  "I mean, I'm so big now, I feel I'm going to pop."

  "Are you going to need help?"

  "No, I've talked it over with Fawn and we think we can manage." Eve told him.

  "You sure?"

  "Yes…"

  "Jinx got that other cradle fixed." Hawk told her.

  "I'm glad everything is ready."

  A few weeks passed and still the snow was on the ground. The wind picked up too, and it was very cold outside.

  A couple of hunters stopped off at their cabin and was shocked to see a white woman with an Indian husband. However, they said very little.

  Eve fixed them a big supper and they spent the night in one of the other cabins. By morning, they were gone.

  Three days later a congregation of white people was on the front porch.

  "Send that woman out here…"

  Hawk faced the people. "What do you want?"

  "We heard tell you got a white wife, is that true."

  "It is…"

  "Send her out here, we want to see her."

  Eve stepped out on the porch and stared in their faces. Everyone gasped seeing she was so pregnant.

  "What's going on?" She asked Hawk.

  "They wanted to see you."

  "You married to this man?"

  "I am." She replied proudly lifting her chin.

  "He's an India
n."

  "He's my husband and the father of my children." She replied steadily.

  "You are filthy trash woman." One woman said.

  "And you are an ignorant white woman." She hissed at them.

  "We gonna put a stop to you!" The white woman said, spitting pure venom at her.

  "You are on our land. Get off!" She turned to go inside.

  "We're gonna hang you and that husband too!"

  Hawk bristled. "You aren't touching her!"

  One man threw a rope around his neck and pulled him down on the porch, and then they threw one on Eve and pulled her too.

  They headed for the nearest tree and threw Hawk's rope up first.

  They were about to throw the second one up when Matthew met them with a rifle in his hand. "Take that rope off my folks!" He demanded.

  "You claiming this trash as your folks?" The woman spat at him.

  "These are my parents and if you don't get off this property this minute, I'm gonna shoot you dead!" Matthew cried out.

  "You can't shoot us all, son." One of the men hollered.

  "No, but I can," Jinx came running up.

  "It still ain't enough guns." Someone hollered and tightened the rope around Hawk.

  Little Eagle and Bear came running up with their guns loaded. "Maybe now, it's enough."

  Matthew threw down his gun, ran to his mother and Pa, and loosened the ropes.

  Jinx eyed them. "Now you good people pack up and go back where you came from. This is our land, and you are trespassing."

  "You condone this trash?" the woman asked.

  "Do you want some buckshot in your behind, because I'm able to give it to you. You get now and don't you come back. We have guns and know how to use them. This is Indian land and you got no rights here. These two are legally married and the woman is expecting a baby or two any time now…What you are suggesting is nothing short of murder and the murder of two innocent babies. Now git. I won't say it again.

  "Well, I never!" The woman huffed.

  "No, you probably never have…" Jinx repeated.

  The crowd moved off. "We'll send the Sheriff up here," she promised.

  "And he'll meet with the same…"Jinx told them.

  After a while, they all went home, and Eve and Hawk were left to pick up the pieces.