prayed that his cousin would be patient and not come foolishly barging into camp, getting skewed with and arrow or worse.
Blue Thunder’s brows jumped at the mention of his wife’s name but he kept his features unreadable. “Sit!” the order was given sternly and the white man complied with an oath. He had been told of this stranger’s bravery. He came to give his thanks and to meet the man who was not much older than Star Gazer. The young man was tall, blonde and good looking. He saw a family resemblance but his heart sank when the youth asked about his soul mate. Would this young stranger bring more trouble to his people? Why did the stranger, who tried to save Star Gazer’s life, have to be looking for Moon Glow? Mixed emotions filled his thoughts.
“We talk.” He joined the young man on the ground. “I am Blue Thunder, son of Dasodaha.”
The man extended his hand. “Blake! Blake January.”
Blue Thunder didn’t miss the thorny look in Blake’s light eyes. “You say this Melissa is cousin?” He understood Blake’s annoyance for being kept in the lodge so many days. He wanted to talk with his wife before saying anything.
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Blake nodded.
“You come looking for her?” He already knew the answer but he needed time to study this Blake’s character, to see if he thought he would be trouble.
Again Blake nodded.
Blue Thunder just grunted. A moment passed before he spoke again. “You were spying
on camp when bear attack Star Gazer?” He said in a form of a statement and a question.
Blake frowned. “Star Gazer?”
Another nod, but this time the irate man folded his arms across his chest, showing him that he was getting impatient with the questions. He ignored the angry look on Blake’s face. In spite of himself, he liked the white man.
“You are very brave to come to my brother’s rescue. We thank you, although you were near Indian camp to spy. I am sorry for the way you were treated but my people did not know what to do with you. I will talk with Moon Glow first. Your cousin is all right, she spent past days nursing my brother back to health. I am sure she does not know you are here or she would have come to see you. I believe my people kept you from her sight.”
He kept the fact that Apache’s didn’t like killing bears or hawks because of superstitions, but which they regard in a lesser degree than killing a golden eagle. Blue Thunder rose, the meeting was over. What he didn’t tell Blake was that after the braves returned to skin the animal, they laughed all the way back to camp. It seemed Blake’s bullet lodge itself in the beast’s rump and the other took off the beast’s left testicle.
The next morning, Melissa woke to two things: Her husband’s warm and loving embrace and an aching back. Although overjoyed to find herself in his arms, it took a moment for all the events of the past week to come into focus and she was startled that she was no longer near Star Gazer.
“Oh, Blue Thunder,” she yawned, “when did you return?” Snuggling, she cried, “Oh, I
must see to Star Gazer. How long did I sleep?” He grabbed her hand touching her lips with his finger.
“Husband missed wife’s soft sweet mouth and her warm body. Star Gazer is all right.
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You slept soundly through the night and you should sleep more. You lost weight and have dark areas under beautiful honey eyes.” His voice was pensive. “You carry my child, you need rest. You have done everything possible and I am proud of you. Father and aunt are with him; Star Gazer will live because of you.” He kissed her tenderly. “You rest and I will bring food. We must fatten you up, you are skinny mate.”
The beginning of a smile tipped the corners of his sensual mouth and Melissa’s heart melted and she didn’t argue and lay back down. “I missed you, my husband. How was the hunt?”
“It went well. Now rest and I will bring food. Later we will talk about another matter.”
She was curious but closed her eyes. Blue Thunder returned shortly with her meal and she slept again, waking as the sun slipped behind the mountains.
“Blake!?”
Melissa cried with joy when she heard her cousin was the man who tried to save Star Gazer.
“Your cousin was lucky that Silver Horse, Kicking Bear, and Weeping Bird were near when he shot the grizzly,” her husband said.
“Where is he? Is he all right? Why wasn’t I told sooner?”
“Whoa, one question at a time,” he chuckled. “I will bring him to you and you can see for
yourself that he is well. At the time, he was of no importance; my people worried more about Star Gazer, when he was near death. I talked to Blake and my father talked to him this morning. In his clumsy way, he did save Star Gazer and we owe him that much.”
Blake embraced Melissa. For some strange reason he didn’t mention her brother, wanting to make sure that they were both not in any real danger. He had no reason, as of yet, to trust the red men. His cousin wept with happiness and said that they had so much to talk about. Melissa’s husband sat in the shadows as they answered each other’s questions. He told her how he went to her home and found it abandoned.
“It took me a while to find where any of your slaves had gone. Luckily, Sam’s grandson, Jacob, had changed his mind about going up North and gone to work as an apprentice for the
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blacksmith in town. Jacob told me you and your sister went west after the attack.” He remembered how he and Jason spent another month tracking down the wagon train that left for California.
“I found the train weeks after the Indian attack only to hear that you were abducted. I nearly went crazy when I leaned that little Daphne had given birth and was going to marry a young man.” Blake rubbed his eyes and expelled a long breath. “Sorry about your parents and about Effie. I was beside myself worrying about you. Have they treated you all right?”
Before he gave Melissa had a chance to speak, he continued, “After what I was told by Sam, I was surprised to see Daphne as well as she was. She seemed happy with Seth and her baby they named Dawn. She is worried about you and I promised her that I would find you and bring you back.” Again he omitted the fact that her brother was overjoyed to find his baby sister alive, and he had spent three days adoring his niece. He and Jason promised Daphne and Seth that they’d see them again.
Melissa shuddered, “Although I am relieved that my sister is doing well, I cannot go back with you,” she informed him with tears in her eyes.
He tossed her a puzzled frown and directed his question to her swollen belly. “Why not, are you a prisoner?”
“Oh, no! Nothing like that,” she blurted. “I’m carrying Blue Thunder’s child and I love him with all my heart.”
Not wanting to believe she was telling the truth, he shook and lowered his head scratching the nape of his neck. She couldn’t be in love with this Indian. Could she? He wished they could speak in private, tell her everything. Blake was sure she was afraid of the large brave.
He whispered, “I am here for you if you change your mind about him.” He nodded towards the shadow. “Blue Thunder said I must stay until they break up camp in the spring.” He scowled knowing that Jason would certainly come looking for him soon.
Melissa squeezed his hand. “We cannot chance your bringing back soldiers. I will deliver my baby then. When you leave, you must go back and tell Daphne that I’m all right. I am not being forced against my will. I have a lot to tell you; we’ll talk tomorrow.”
Blake nodded.
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Later that night, Blue Thunder and his wife ate supper in silence. She lifted her head and asked, “What will happen to Blake?”
He set his plate aside and took his wife’s hand in his. “Your cousin is much admired among my people, as you are now, but he is inexperienced. I am keeping him here for two reasons: One, he is your family and I think he will be good for you to have him near. The other reason is that he needs to learn skills if he is to survive in the wilderness.” He toyed absentmindedly with her
fingers. “Blake has survived this far but he is a bad shot and only wounded the bear. If my people had not been nearby, he would have been killed along with Star Gazer.”
His eyes misted at the thought. “My father is holding council with the elders tomorrow to decide about you and your cousin. You have won great favor in Dasodaha’s heart for saving his son’s life with your powerful magic. My people now call you, Woman Who Stitch Flesh.”
Blue Thunder laughed and his wife joined in.
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TWENTY-EIGHT
Jason was losing his patience. He had seen Blake being escorted by a large, imposing brave from one dwelling to another. Then hours later, before dusk, his cousin was escorted back to the other large. Strange looking huts, he thought, but didn’t ponder on it long, he had more important things to do, like saving Blake’s skin than to care what those Apache’s lived in. He would hide out one more night but he dared not light a fire.
Shivering in the night’s cold air, he was growing tired of cold beans and jerky; he’d make his move tomorrow. They had to let Blake tend to nature, that’s when he would free his cousin. At least his cousin still had his full head of blonde hair on his head. He wondered how or why in the first place Blake let himself be captured. He thought his cousin was smarter than that.
Jason had to smile to himself. Even in his childhood, he was helping Blake out of scraps. His towhead cousin was not big or tall for his age and he was the butt of jokes. Jason was tall, taller than his classmates so when the bullies picked on Blake, it was Jason who received black eyes, split lips or bloody nose defending the boy. But then one year, around fourteen, Blake shot up like a blade of grass that had been over fertilized. His cousin even passed him in height by two inches and after that, he fought his own fights. In fact, Blake took to carrying small dumbbells around with him, lifting them every chance he got and he shadow boxed daily in the
barn. But here Jason sat. Once again ready to save Blake’s sorry hide, and he with only one good eye.
The next day Blake was taken to the pond by only one buck. He was surprised that they were alone but something was going on because earlier all the braves had gone to the lake to bath and see to nature. This was to his advantage; he could over power one Indian and escape hoping to fine his cousin, but a twig snapped and he and his escort turned in time to see Jason leap from the bushes, gun in hand.
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“Don’t shoot him!” cried Blake.
“What!? Have you been brained washed? He’s the enemy. Is my sister alive?” shouted Jason, gun still in his hand.
Blake nodded. “Yes, and she’s okay. And I’m all right in case you were wondering.”
The sarcasm went over his cousin’s head and he snapped, “Where is she? We’ll get her out of here and---”
“Jason!” Blake screamed but the warning came too late. The butt of a tomahawk came down on his cousin’s unsuspecting skull.
“Don’t kill him, he’s my cousin! He’s the white woman’s brother,” Blake quickly explained, fearing that Jason might have made the situation more dangerous, for all involved. He tired to explain again but the two bucks spoke in their Anthabasian tongue, and then one hoisted the unconscious man over his broad shoulders. Blake was nudged with a knife at his back to follow. Damn, he should have told Melissa the truth. Surely, now they’ll both be tortured and
killed. Would Melissa be able to save them? Since he held back information about her brother, she might be too angry to intercede on his behalf. But they were kin; that should account for something.
Blue Thunder was about to leave for the meeting when Dancing Wolf called to enter his wickiup. “Enter,” he gave permission. The stranger was dumped unmerciful on the ground before him. Blake ran in, and his wife stood, immediately curious at what had befallen the stranger.
“What happened?” She ran over and a wordless cry escaped her when seeing the unconscious man. “Jason, Oh, God, it’s my brother!” She fell to her knees and cradled his injured head. With tearful eyes she looked, searching for answers. “Who did this to him?!” she wailed.
His wife’s cousin knelt by her and said without meeting her gaze, “I’m sorry Melissa. I should have told you the truth, that we had traveled together to find you. But I was afraid that I might not get out alive and I was hoping Jason would stay hidden until I knew for sure that you and I were truly safe.”
The stranger moaned.
“Husband,” she tried again. “Why was he rendered unconscious?”
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Her golden eyes darkened with some emotion he did not care to speculate and Blue Thunder was sorry it had to come to this. He knew a man was hiding in the woods, one of his sentries spotted him the day after Star Gazer’s attack. No one could stay so close to the camp and not be discovered. But he had spied on the man himself and noticed that the stranger was no older than the other white youth, and he also observed the resemblance to his wife.
She had told him of a brother who went off to fight in the Civil War. He was wearing a uniform jacket, which made Blue Thunder assume this was the sibling. The young stranger was no threat to his people, so he left him alone and hoped this Blake would tell the truth. He didn’t want to be the one to tell Moon Glow until he knew for sure that it was her kin.
“Answer me?” she snapped, not letting go of the question and she made no attempt to hide her irritation. “Why was he knocked out?!” she cried.
Blue Thunder shrugged but apologized. “I am sorry, my wife,” he spoke to her in Anthabasian so Blake wouldn’t understand. “But it seems that your brother had been hiding out in the woods and your cousin thought it was not important enough to tell you this. I did not think that it was in my rights to inform you something this Blake wanted kept a secret. He should have told you. Your brother is not hurt badly,” he nodded to his wife’s brother who was slowly coming around.
“Blake?!” she snapped and squinted her eyes at her foolish cousin warning him that he had a lot of explaining to do. Blue Thunder knew that leer; he had seen it so many times. It was a look of forbearing.
“Oh, my head,” he moaned out loud.
“Jason, honey, it’s Melissa. Open your eyes. Please, are you all right?” Her hand went to smooth his unkempt hair off his face when she tenderly touched the puckered skin on the side of his face. “Oh!” she gasped, “Oh my darling brother, who did this to you?”
Again she questioned Blue Thunder with her demanding eyes and he raised his hand in defense of what she was insinuating. “My worriers only knock him out, that....”
Blake piped up then. “I should’ve have said something before. It’s a scar from the war, cuz.”
Blue Thunder knew this whole incident had grated on his wife’s nerves to no end. And he
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was worried about the child she was carrying. Moon Glow kissed her brother’s face and he could see that she couldn’t contain her anger and blubbered, “You w-were very s-stupid to pull a stunt like that; sneaking up on a red m-man. I am glad that you are alive and here but---”
“Sis?” Jason blinked. The pain in his skull seemed to be more intensified in his blind eye. He was afraid to open his good one, fearing what he might see. When he did, his sister was sitting on his blind side and he had to move his head slightly. The move shot another pain thorough his head. “Ow,” he whimpered. “What hit me? I feel like a mountain fell on my noggin.” Finally, Jason lifted his head slightly and tried to smile. “Still the same old sister,” he said tongue-in-cheek. “I risked my neck to save you hide and what thanks do I get. Clobbered and then lecture by the one who means more to me than my life.”
A tear splashed on his nose and the next thing he knew, she was hugging him to her bosom. After she wept for awhile, soaking his coat and shirt, he asked to be helped up. That’s when the big Indian lifted him and sat him on a pile of furs.
“I am Blue Thunder, your sister’s husband. She is loved by me and my people as I had explained to Blake. I am sure your head will
heal before your pride.”
What could Jason say, the Apache was right.
He, his sister and his cousin spent hours speaking. It was then Jason told her of his loss of sight in his right eye and his harrowing experience in the battle field.
“Sis,” he began his story by trying to explain a few things that might let her understand the war better. He knew he was being technical, but it was a fact. “Sis,” he repeated and swallowed the lump. “There were three basic kinds of combat troops; infantry, cavalry, and artillery. Since I had no horse, I was one of the infantrymen who fought on foot. We all had our own weapon. We were far the most numerous part of the Civil War army and were chiefly responsible for seizing and holding ground.” He said it with pride. “Men were put next to one another in a line, to move and shoot together.”
“Kinda crazy,” interrupted Blake. “In fact the whole damn war is damn ludicrous.”
Jason snorted, “How would you know. The fact was the muzzle-loading muskets were only capable of being loaded and fired about three times a minute. Therefore, we were nothing if we didn’t stand in a line, and I for one felt safer knowing I wasn’t alone. Beside, I was told by a
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captain that there were two reasons for this technique, my smart-ass cousin. I hope I’m not boring you with this information but just in case you decide to join when we return to the south, it might save you smart-ass!”
A snort was heard.
Jason continued. “The first reason allowed soldiers to concentrate on their firing with our rather limited weapons; second: it was almost the only way to move troops effectively under fire.” His sister touched his scar knowing he had to talk about it and she let him. His sibling was smart, she knew he needed more time to erase the pain.
She gave Blake a telling glance but he didn’t take the hint and said, “Why did you join Jason? You’re only a few months older than me. We both haven’t touched a razor to our face.”
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