War Cloud's Passion

by Karen Kay

  Still she was not reassured and she said, “But if that’s true and you were only amused by me, then you must not have meant it when you said you desired me.”

  His voice held a note of humor when he commented, “Did my actions this evening look to you as though I lied about this?”

  A sigh fell into the silence between them and she realized it was her own. No, his actions spoke well for him. Still, she was unsatisfied with his answer and she remained silent.

  “Know, Nahkohe-tseske,” War Cloud said, stroking her shoulders as he spoke, “that since that first night we met, I have been truthful with you. My concern about your welfare and the children’s is genuine.”

  Anna heard him and, while on one level, she might believe him, on another she could not be mollified so easily. She said, “But you did not tell me about the curse at first, even though you agreed to help me. Did you not care then that you might involve me in this and that the curse carried the penalty of death?”

  He shrugged as though it were nothing and said, “You were white.”

  “So? I am white now.”

  “It is as the wise ones say,” he commented, as though he spoke to no one but the wind. “The whites ask many questions.”

  “Stop that.” She sat up.

  “What?”

  “Every time I get too close to you, you pick on my race.”

  “There is a great deal about your race to ‘pick on.’”

  “Do not do that.” She gently slapped one of his legs before settling back against him.

  He took her scolding good-naturedly enough and inhaled deeply before he said, “It is hard for me to think well of your race, but I am sorry. You are right. You have not proven yourself to be anything like the other white people that I have known. To call you white is a great insult to you and I will try to remember that.”

  “Hmmm,” she said, setting her lips into a frown. “I think, War Cloud, that your answer to me is even still an insult. Tell me, are all Indians your friends?”

  “You know they are not.”

  “Then,” she countered, logically, “you must admit that there are different types of people even amongst races.”

  His massage upon her back lightened. Gently, he turned her around until he could see her eyes. And staring down at her, he said, “I know where your tongue is leading you, Nahkohe-tseske, and I do not wish to go there with you. Know that the white man has proven himself to be lower than even the Crow or the Shoshone. Those tribes, at least, do not kill women and children unless forced to do so, nor do they slaughter us while pretending to talk peace.”

  Anna stilled beneath his earnest expression. “I am so sorry about that incident at Sand Creek,” she said as though she had personally done the damage.

  “I do not want your sympathy.”

  “Then what is it that you want from me?”

  Rather than answer, he kissed her hair, the sensitive skin at her neck, her ear.

  And she moaned.

  He whispered, “Does that tell you?”

  She turned her face away, and though she smiled, she could not help commenting, “I am uncertain. Although I am flattered by your attention, I little understand it. I know my limits, War Cloud, and long ago I came to terms with the fact that I am not a pretty woman.”

  “Do not say these things about yourself.”

  She presented him with her back and sat forward. She said, “Let us not discuss that subject, either, at least not right now.”

  “E-peva’e. All right.” He brought his arms around her waist, pulling her back into his embrace, all the while whispering against her ear, “Know that I find you beautiful.”

  “Stop!”

  “You do not believe me?”

  “No.” She shook her head.

  “Here.” He set her a little away from him and, turning her around, took her hand and guided it to his chest. “Do you feel the beating of my heart?”

  She tilted her head to the side, her eyes staring into his.

  “Know that when you are near to me, my heart beats fast, as though I am running while remaining perfectly still. Now, while I admit that upon first seeing you, without any knowledge of your spirit, I might have passed you by, it is also true that from the start, no matter how unattractive you tried to make yourself, there was something about you that drew me to you. Yes, I witnessed your valor and your love for your children, but there was more. No, long have I been of the opinion that you are, indeed, as beautiful in body as you are in spirit.”

  Anna did not know what to say. She could not dispute him, for he spoke with too much sincerity.

  “But even knowing this,” she countered, as though she had to challenge him, “you were ready to have me die?”

  “Remember that I have never offered you marriage.” He folded her back into his arms and said, “Nahkohe-tseske, you appear ready to find fault with me perhaps a bit too easily. Let me ask you a similar question.”

  “Fine,” she granted. -

  “Have you told me the complete truth about your intentions toward me?”

  She cut a glance up at him. “I think so.”

  But he insisted. “About everything?”

  She turned her head away from him. Of course she had not told him everything. Yes, she had been truthful; it was only that she had left out certain parts.

  But there were some things a girl had to hold secret within herself, after all. She could never tell him, not ever, that she had envisioned walking away from him. It was not a thought that filled her with pride. In view of the fact that she had pleaded with him to make love to her, it would make her seem callous, as well as perhaps a little wanton, too. Plus, it would not do a great deal to satisfy his dignity. No, she could never tell him that.

  He said, however, as though he had read her thoughts, “I think neither of us is saying the exact truth that is in our hearts. Perhaps it would be good if we were completely honest with each other.”

  She bobbed her head once, as though she agreed perfectly with him, although silently she continued to hold her own doubts.

  He said, “I will tell you about the curse, all that I know, but you must also be honest with me regarding why you are falling in with my plans so easily. Do not be mistaken and think that I have not noticed this about you.”

  She quickly sucked in her breath.

  And he prodded, “Is it a pact?”

  She remained silent for a moment or two. And he urged, “Do we have a treaty?”

  What could she say? At last, she complied and said, “Very well.”

  “I will go first,” he said, “for there are some things about the curse that I have not told you, and you are right, you should be aware of it all, for despite our efforts, there might come a time when it could still influence you.”

  “Good,” she agreed.

  “The story of the curse goes back long, long ago to my ancestor, Sky Falcon. Although he is being punished for cheating on his wife, the truth is that he was not completely deceptive to her. And that is the sad part of the story. His love for his wife was deep and true. But Sky Falcon had been a merchant in his younger days and had known many a young girl in an intimate way. Because of this, his father-in-law would not accept him as a husband.”

  “Then how did he come to be married?”

  “Spirit Woman, she who was the love of his life, eloped with him. And they were happy for many years amongst his own people. But always did Spirit Woman’s father sit in anger. Hatred festered within him. And at last he devised a plan to kill Sky Falcon and get his daughter back. But the plan had terrible consequences, for in the end, his deception took his daughter from him forever.”

  “How did it happen?” she whispered.

  “I do not know all of it, but here is what my father told me and what his father before him told him. Old Lost In Timber plotted with a witch, Dark Star. Because both Lost In Timber and Dark Star had great powers, they were able to make Lost In Timber take on the form of a mountain lion. Toget
her Dark Star and her ‘pet’ came into the camp of my ancestor, Sky Falcon. There Dark Star set out to seduce my ancestor, but she could not do it by fair means, for Sky Falcon’s heart was true.

  “It is said that this witch managed at last to take over Sky Falcon’s mind by having him touch a magical pelt, and she would have taken him into her intimately had it not been for Spirit Woman finding them.

  “Still,” continued War Cloud, “all might have been salvaged, had not Lost In Timber, whose spirit had been living within the mountain lion, attacked Sky Falcon. In order to save her husband, Spirit Woman offered her life to the witch in exchange for her husband’s life.

  “This was quickly done and Spirit Woman was taken into another world. Meanwhile old Lost In Timber became again his own self, but it was too late. His daughter was gone.

  “It was his own fault,” said War Cloud, “but old Lost In Timber could not see it. And so angry did he become, that he cast a powerful spell over Sky Falcon, as well as over all Sky Falcon’s kin for generations to come. Always would this clan from that day forward be unlucky in love, and so unfortunate would they become that their seed would at last die out from this world.”

  Anna sat within War Cloud’s arms, listening to his gentle voice, so close to him, yet so far away. She dared not move. The story he told her was beautiful in a way, but alas, it was too strange for her to accept. Yet she understood that this man fully believed it. Unfortunately, it brought too clearly to mind the differences between her and War Cloud, and a peculiar sensation filled her soul. It was as though she felt herself grow distant from him.

  Odd that only a few moments ago she had felt practically one with him.

  But never had it been more evident to her that she had stepped into the midst of a culture she did not understand. Curses? Witches? People turning into animals and back again?

  She said, unable to help herself, “It is unbelievable.”

  “And yet,” he countered, “you saw the proof of it last night.”

  “Did I? I had a strange dream. That is all.” She suddenly grew tired and closed her eyes. And of course, the truth was, she had reason to be tired; she’d had little sleep. Still, only a few moments ago, she had been the picture of health and energy.

  He asked, “Was it a dream?”

  “Of course it was,” she said. “Although I do admit to envisioning your ancestor in my dream. Tell me, War Cloud, why does your ancestor appear to haunt you?”

  War Cloud swept his arm out in front of him, indicating the world at large. “Because,” he answered, “Sky Falcon can find no peace until the curse is broken. Old Lost In Timber ensured that even in death Sky Falcon would not be united with his wife. And so Sky Falcon searches. He seeks her and someone who can at last break the spell.”

  “And you all believe that I am the one to do this?”

  War Cloud shrugged. “The wise men know that only a strong heart can afford to be kind. You are both.”

  This was a piece of knowledge that she had never heard before and she took a moment to assimilate it. It took strength to be kind? Was it the mark of a society of bullies where the opposite was held true, even revered?

  Miserably, she had no answer to her question and found herself asking War Cloud, “And what if I decide to help you and I fail?”

  “Then we all fail,” he said. “It will not be the first time.”

  Her fingers had been sifting through the sweet-smelling grass that grew beside them. She picked up a long piece of it and, putting it in her mouth, asked, “What must I do to help?”

  “No one knows,” came his answer.

  She paused. “But if no one knows, why tell me any of this?”

  “Because,” he said, “if you decide to continue on with me, there is danger. You must know that the spirits want us married. It is why they came to you last night in your dream. If you marry me and do not die, the curse will end. My ancestors think your beliefs are strong enough to withstand the danger. That is all.”

  “I see.” She threw the blade of grass away and twisted around to look at him. “And you? What do you think? Do you agree?”

  “I think it is too great a risk to take. I believe that we should continue on as we have decided we will do. We will take the children to safety and you will go back east where you belong. You will remain alive; the children will remain alive; all will be well.”

  “Except that the curse still exists.”

  “It is not your worry.”

  But strangely enough, she thought, it was becoming more and more her problem, although she decided to keep this bit of information to herself.

  “And now,” he said, “you must tell me what it is that you wish to keep secret.”

  She sighed, the change in topic coming a little too quickly for her. Must she tell him those things she would rather not say?

  “You promised,” he urged.

  She pouted before she remarked, “You must give me your word, then, that you will not think unkindly of me if I tell you this.”

  “It is done,” he answered.

  She glanced away from him, wishing she did not have to say the words, but at last she uttered, “I…I was…had a thought once—when we were going head to head—that it might not be so bad to be able to have a night with you and then walk away.”

  He nodded.

  “I was ashamed I had the thought. But even knowing this, I could not wait to commit the act that would bind us together.”

  “I know this.”

  She held her breath for a moment and then said, “In my society, such a woman is not well thought of.”

  He did not speak for several minutes, and while Anna waited, the world seemed to stop spinning. At last, however, he began to speak, saying, “When two people are thrown together, as we have been, it would seem strange if neither person found something about the other to admire. Both of us are unmarried. Both of us are young and the threat of passion would be difficult to suppress. You are not to be blamed for what has happened. The fault, if there is one, is mine. Had I not told you of my plight, you would not have thought of it.”

  “I am not so certain.” With this admission, she felt his surprise, though he uttered no words to express his reaction. She explained, “I found you attractive from the first moment I saw you.”

  He seemed to accept this well enough, since all he muttered was a “Humph.” Nonetheless, after a brief hesitation, he went on to say, “It matters little who is to blame. The past means nothing. What is important is what we do from here. The spirits are trying to marry us. I do not like it.”

  With these words he fell into silence, and she followed his lead, both quiet, both seemingly engrossed in their own thoughts. At last, he commented, “I think the best thing to do is to pretend that the act of mating did not happen between us. My needs are satisfied for the moment. There is no cause to do it again.”

  Almost at once, Anna’s composure slipped, although she did her best to pretend that his words had no effect on her.

  Unblinking, however, he continued, “I think that, as hard as it is, we have no choice but to continue on as we were. I will lead you to the white settlements as soon as I warn my people of the danger to them; you will place your children and I will help you. After it is done, I will go north to visit my relatives as I have intended doing all along, and you will return to the East. It is the best thing to do.”

  Was it? Anna found herself compelled to disagree with him, the desire almost overwhelming, but because she could find no logical explanation for the emotion, aside from her own passion, she remained silent.

  The odd thing was that he was telling her these things even while he held her within his arms. And she was reluctant to remove herself from the warmth of his embrace.

  Was there no other solution? Truly?

  At length, he observed, “It is a good thing that you do not want to be my wife and that you have told me this. For therein lies your safety.”

  “But that’s not true. It was
only a thought.”

  If he heard her, he did not mention it. He sat up and positioned her a little distance away from him, and though she missed the safety of his arms, she made no comment.

  “Soon,” he told her, “you will need to awaken the children. For this day, we go to the Dog Soldier camp.”

  She murmured, “Then we will be traveling in the daylight hours?”

  “Haahe, we are in Dog Soldier country and there is no longer a need to travel at night. Scouts have spotted us and will protect us until we reach camp. You should go and prepare the children now.”

  She sat forward, but before she left him altogether, she turned back to him. “War Cloud?”

  He arched a brow in her direction.

  “It was a thought I had, that is all. Do not think that I will not still endeavor to have us married. Plus, I am not convinced that going our separate ways is the right thing to do.”

  “Haahe, I know.” He smoothed the backs of his fingers over her cheek. “But I am. Now, go.”

  She could think of nothing else to say and so, with little more to be debated, at least for the present, she went.

  Chapter Twenty

  By midmorning Lame Bird and Collin returned, reporting that they had spotted troops to the east, following the trail of Tall Bull’s camp. These were the troops under Major Eugene A. Carr, a man well known to the Dog Soldiers. He had been hunting Indians all winter, it seemed, finding few to battle.

  But now it was summer and the Indians were more willing to fight. Thus there had been skirmishes between the two forces almost daily.

  Something had happened to Collin, however. He limped.

  “We were surprised by two Pawnee scouts,” said Lame Bird in Cheyenne, gesturing the meaning of his words in sign language so that Anna could understand. “The Pawnee,” continued Lame Bird, “had dressed themselves to appear that they were Sioux—who you know are friendly to us. These Pawnee had waved their robes to the two of us.” He pointed to himself and the other boy before continuing, “We did not know that these Indians were anything but friends, and when they asked us to approach, we did so. They attacked. In the skirmish, my white friend, Collin, was hurt.”