by Karen Kay
“I’m not so bad at it,” ventured Lesley.
“That’s true,” agreed Effie. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Oh, that reminds me.” Lesley got to her feet. “I have some other things I need to speak to Father about. Please do excuse me.”
“Certainly,” said Effie, while the others murmured similar, agreeable noises.
As Lesley stepped toward her father’s tent, which sat farther apart than the others, Effie noted that Madeline seemed to watch the other woman’s progress closely. But then, perhaps realizing that she was staring, Madeline rose to her knees and scooted closer to Carl.
“I’m cold,” Madeline complained.
“Then come even closer.” Carl opened his arms wide to his wife, wrapping her in the warmth of his blanket.
Wistfully, Effie watched the two of them. They looked so happy together. What would it be like to be married?
Shaking her head, as though the action might rid her of the thought, she rose to her feet. “Well, I’m tired, I’ve eaten until I’m full and since we need to get an early start tomorrow, I’d best be off to bed.”
Carl nodded. “Good night, Miss Rutledge. I think we will follow your lead very soon.”
“That’s good,” murmured Effie. “Good night then, Carl, Madeline. Sleep tight.”
Effie padded to her tent. With an admiring glance thrown upward toward a star-laden sky, Effie pulled back the entrance flap of her tent and slipped into its cold, moldy interior, wishing herself back next to the warmth of the fire. Sitting on her blankets to warm herself, she listened to the sounds of the nearby stream as it rushed past. Locusts and crickets added to the general noise of the evening, as well as the whirling calls of the ever-present nighthawk.
What should she do first? She waited not only for her colleagues to retire to their beds, but for Red Hawk’s presence. After straightening her shoulders, she rolled them back to loosen the muscles of her neck and back. Tentatively, she rubbed them, then sighed.
She wouldn’t remain long in the tent, she decided. She couldn’t.
She was simply too excited to stay put, although the exact reason for such enthusiasm continued to confuse her. True, the rendezvous with Red Hawk was part of the cause, but was he the only reason? Yes, she was thrilled because she would have the opportunity to see him tonight, alone and without the others.
Or was there more to it than that? Was her excitement due to the opportunity she would have to put more questions to him? If he really were from the Lost Clan, then the chance to learn more about her own craft was endless.
Think for a moment of the opportunity if it were true, if we could meet these people in the present. Think of the questions we might ask those people, the knowledge we might acquire…
So had her father spoken, long ago.
She exhaled deeply. Certainly, she was not immune to the possibilities that such a condition might present. No long sessions studying artifacts, no guesses, no conjectures to make about the way man lived long ago. She could find out about the past firsthand. As an added bonus, her reputation would be secure.
As one thought after another chased through her mind, she sat up onto her knees and reached for her comb. After grabbing hold of it, she leaned back and began the process of removing the pins from her hair, as well as the lone eagle feather that adorned it. The feather she placed in a box, along with the gun she always carried. Carefully, she set the box aside.
She shook her head, allowing the natural curls of her mane to cascade down her back, and ran the comb through her tangled locks.
“You wear too many clothes.”
She gasped.
“Do not cry out. It is I, Red Hawk.”
“I know, I recognized your voice. It’s only that you startled me.”
“You did not see me here?”
“No, I did not.”
He sighed.
“Don’t say it,” she said. “Don’t tell me again that you will teach me how to look.”
“I will do as you say,” he conceded.
He sat behind her, and she scooted around to face him, nudging him with her hand in the process. He made no comment, though for her part, a feeling of awareness darted from her fingertips, up her arm, all the way to her midsection.
“Are we to meet here, inside my tent, then?” At her question, the excitement from his touch ebbed a little, while a feeling not unlike disappointment came over her, causing her to realize she had been very much looking forward to a stroll beneath a starlit sky.
“We could stay here, if you wish it.”
Her eyes met his in the darkness of the tent. With no light, it was difficult to discern much about him. His presence, as well as the scent of mint, all mixed up with the clean, musky aroma of masculinity, filled the air. She wondered how it could be that she had been so unaware of this man.
“I had not intended that we stay here,” he said. “As well as speaking to you, I have to be about my night duties.”
“Night duties? I didn’t know you had night duties, beyond taking your turn at standing watch.”
She could sense his frown as he voiced, “Are you truly unaware of them?”
“Of course I am. When we made the arrangements for this trip, you said nothing about night duties.”
“Annisa, that is my mistake. I assumed you would understand that protecting you would demand I use the evening to scout, seeking the best trail to follow. If there is an enemy about, I will find him in the evening, thus allowing me to avoid any trail that would intersect with his.”
Effie sat silently for a moment. “I had no idea.” She frowned. “I am not that familiar with scouting. In truth, I assumed you knew the trails so well that—”
“I do know them. What I do not know is where the enemy is. This I determine by looking for him at night.”
“When do you sleep?”
“In the early evening usually.”
“But that would only allow you a few hours of sleep if you have to scout ahead and search for enemies at night.”
“It is enough sleep…for now. When we reach my country, I will rest.”
“I see. And I’m sorry. Had I not been so unfamiliar with scouting—”
“Perhaps you would like to accompany me this night so you can better determine how scouting is done.”
“Yes,” she said at once. “Yes, I think that best.”
Perhaps she should have hesitated before agreeing so readily—it would have been the proper, ladylike thing to do. After all, any such excursion would necessitate her being alone with this man—a man who affected her as no other man ever had. However, as the director of this project, was it not also her duty to accompany him?
She sighed, and said again, as though to convince herself, “Yes, that would be good.”
“Soka’pii,” he acknowledged huskily. “I will require a promise, however.”
“What sort of promise?”
“Once we leave camp, you will come under my influence. You will have to pledge you will do exactly as I say, when I say it.”
“That seems fair enough,” she said, “as long as your demands are reasonable—”
“Saa. You do not understand. You must obey me in all things, if you come with me. We are in enemy country.”
“I think I can agree to that.” She hesitated, trying to discern his features in the dark. “I guess I have been naive, haven’t I? When my father and mother were in this country before, I was unaware that anything like scouting was done. But perhaps we were better armed then and didn’t need scouting. I know that besides my father and Mr. Owens, there were several other men working for us, and they all carried guns.”
He nodded.
“Tell me, Mr. Hawk, on these nightly jaunts, have you found evidence of any enemies?”
“Saa, I have not. As I have said
, the Crows are friendly to whites. But there are other tribes that use this country, as well. All it would take is one mistake to kill us all.”
“Oh, dear.” Effie shuddered. “What you’re really saying is that I should have hired more people to help you.”
“Saa, I do not say that. Tell me, were there more people for you to hire?”
She hesitated. “No. You know there were not.”
“Then we make do with what we have. We will hope, also, that your luck from the days of your parents continues to hold for us now in the present.”
“Yes. Tell me, what would you do if you did find signs of an enemy?”
“I would leave a diversion for them to discover, then set our course toward another direction.”
She looked away from him. “I realize now that my ignorance has put you through much and will continue to do so. I am truly sorry.”
“I know this. ’Tis not important. When we reach my country, I will relax and perhaps find another to help with scouting.”
“Yes, that would be good. But what of the other men, can they help you with the scouting?”
“They would not know what to do, or how to do it. Even if I taught them, they could easily make mistakes that would give us away, and they might get themselves killed. Besides, I would not trust their judgment.”
“Then all I can say is that I hope we find ourselves in your country very soon.”
“I, too, wish to visit my country soon.” There was a smile in his voice. “But until this time comes, I will continue to ensure that the trails we take during the day are free of enemies.” He paused. “Now if you are to accompany me this night, the first thing we must do is prepare you.”
“Prepare me?”
“You will need to look…Indian. Do you have other clothes that are not as full as this dress?”
“I have the thing I was wearing when you saw me in the water.”
“Saa, that will not do. It, too, is full, and it is red. It could be easily seen, even at night. Have you not something less…big, and perhaps of a material that does not tear easily?”
She frowned.
“I think I have a solution. Wait here. I will get something for you.”
Before she could open her mouth to speak, he disappeared. He was soon back, pulling up the bottom edge of her shelter and scooting in beneath it.
Ah, so that was how he came to be in my tent.
Silently, he drew in close to her and handed over a stack of what felt to be soft leather, scented very much like him. “There are leggings here, and a shirt, as well as moccasins. They will be a little big for you, but I think we can make them fit. We can tie the shirt securely, and if you bind the moccasins tightly, they should adapt to your feet well enough. I will leave you now that you might change your clothes privately.”
“Yes,” she said, though oddly, mild dissatisfaction washed through her. Why was this? “That would be most proper. But, Mr. Hawk…” She reached out a hand to keep him by her side. “If we are to hurry, I might need your aid. There are many buttons on my dress that take a great deal of time to unfasten. Will you help me?”
She could sense—no, she could practically hear—the silence of his hesitation. At some length, he said, “I will help.”
Secretly, she smiled, surprising herself. For all her effort at presenting a professional image, it appeared that down deep, this was what she wanted. She offered him her back.
Endearingly, his fingers shook at their task. She could feel them there at her back. She marveled at the effect of his touch on her, for the tingling along her spine was seducing her into a sort of lethargy. However, it wasn’t long before he cleared his throat and said, “They are most difficult…these buttons.”
“Yes, I know. That is why I often require assistance.” Her voice was raised no more than a whisper. “Mr. Hawk, might I ask you something that has been on my mind since we last spoke?”
“Aa.” His voice, too, was low.
“The Clan—the Lost Clan—how old is the tribe?”
She felt him shrug. “I do not know,” he said. “How would I measure the time?”
“I don’t understand. How can you not know this?”
“Because when I was with the Clan, and I lay down to sleep at night, when I would awaken in the morning, it would seem to me as though a mere night had passed. But the elders told me and the other boys that many winters had passed while we slept, sometimes as many as fifty.”
“Then you didn’t notice any difference between being part of a clan that slept for fifty years and your life now?”
“Saa.” She could feel him shake his head. “Until I came out into this world, I had known nothing but the Clan. But I can tell you, having lived here now, that there is little difference, except that being part of the Clan, one rarely ventured away from it. In this world, one has greater freedom of movement.”
“Yes, yes. And what of your traditions?” She swallowed hard, then decided to plunge in. “For instance, what would it be like if I were…your wife, for instance?”
One of the buttons on her dress slipped beneath his grasp. The material tore.
She heard him gulp, but she had come too far to back down, and she asked, “Do husbands and wives live together?”
“Aa, it is so.”
“Good, good. Do not be too surprised by my questions. There are some cultures where husbands and wives do not live together.”
“Then I am glad I am not from those societies, for I would very much like to keep my wife close to me.”
“Would you?”
“Aa.”
“How…close?” She turned slightly toward him.
“Would you like me to show you?”
“I…well, I think…yes…”
He shifted position. “Perhaps, if we were married, it would be like this,” and he kissed her neck, her shoulders, her back, and the path the chain around her neck made. His breath and his lips were hot and moist over her skin.
Fire, rapture, excitement swept through her so swiftly, she rocked back and forth. Indeed, so much emotion swelled inside her, she shut her eyes, for it felt overpowering.
Leaning back, she moaned, then whispered, “What are you doing to me?”
He didn’t answer, but her words seemed to give him determination, for he went on to confide, “Or maybe if we were married, I would want you closer, and perhaps our married life would be like this.”
He drew the top of her dress down over her shoulders. Rising to his knees, he brought his hands around to feel her neck and the top of her chest through the material of her dress and chemise. That his hands shook was hardly noticeable.
“I am pleased,” he said, “that you wear this necklace that holds the white shell earrings I gave you. It brings me great honor that you wear it here.” His fingers trailed down the path between her breasts.
By mutual consent, they pushed against each other, she leaning back, he holding her and showering her neck, her cheek, her ear with kisses.
“You smell so good.” He nuzzled his face against her hair. “I could get lost in the scent of your hair, in the fragrance of your skin. But come, though I wish to linger here forever, I must finish my task and undo the rest of these buttons, or I fear we will never leave this tent. And unfortunately for me, there is much yet to do this night.”
“Red Hawk,” she said, her voice soft, not more than a murmur, “I feel vulnerable, and I so desire you to—”
Rip-p-p.
Another button tumbled to the ground. His fingers trembled at her back.
“Excuse me,” he proffered by way of explanation.
She simply smiled dreamily, enchanted with him, with his clumsiness, with the entire process. The dress could be fixed, but this moment was forever.
He inhaled deeply, exhaled harshly, and the last of her button
s came loose. “’Tis done.”
“Yes, thank you.” She tugged on the dress, pulling her arms out of the sleeves. It exposed the top of her chemise.
“You wear many clothes.”
“Yes, I do.” She inhaled with a gulp, as his fingertips trailed down over each of her arms.
“You will have to remove them all, if you hope to journey with me this night. For they, too, are full and will catch on many things, giving away our passage through this country. Do you require my assistance any further?” He followed the statement with a kiss against the back of her neck, while one of his hands massaged a sensitive spot there.
A soft sigh escaped her throat.
“If we were married, I could do this every night.” He kissed every bit of bare skin, there at her neck, her shoulders, her back.
“But what else would we do?”
She felt him swallow, hard.
“Much more,” he said. “However, I remind you that the others, who camp close to us, are not yet asleep. Do you wish me to show you more of what we might do? Here, now?”
“I…I…” Why couldn’t she speak? “I don’t… I suppose not…but…”
“Do not worry, once we are away from here, and it is determined that we are in safe country, you might ask me again. If you do, we might be able to more deeply indulge.” His lips teased a trail of kisses along her shoulders.
“Red Hawk.” She turned her face toward him. “What’s happening to me? To us?”
“Do you seek the truth?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“I can only tell you what is true for me. Perhaps you feel the same way I do, I do not know.”
“Yes?”
“Love,” he said simply.
“Love?”
He nodded. “I am falling in love with you.”
Such simple words, and yet so stunned was she by his honest confession, she was speechless. She wondered, was she falling in love with him?
Involuntarily, one image after another filled her mind.