T'on Ma

by Magnolia Belle

  "And you are my heart. I will see you in the spring," he told her as she stood up. "Watch for me."

  "I will." Turning quickly, she walked over to her horse, not wanting Two Hawks to see her cry.

  * * *

  At first, Liam had watched the whole transaction with disinterest. But when Lana kissed Two Hawks, he became angry and disgusted. In his worldview, as with a lot of the western settlers, to be an "Indian lover" was unacceptable. A "squaw man" was beneath contempt. For a woman of European descent to be romantically involved with a Native American put her beyond acceptance. Her family considered her dead, a social pariah. Even women who had been rescued from capture found re-entry into society extremely difficult because the prejudice of the time ran so deeply.

  "I thought you said your family just traded with the Kiowa," Liam said to Joshua during the kiss. When he didn't get a response, he looked into Joshua's eyes and saw the same expression of disgusted worry in them that he had.

  Liam was extremely glad when his troops, the Coopers and Christina left the Kiowa to cover what distance they could before sundown. As they made their way back to the Coopers' homestead, Liam kept thinking about the kiss he'd witnessed between Two Hawks and Lana. It upset him deeply.

  At first, he thought he was only upset because she was white and Two Hawks Kiowa. But, as miles and time passed, Liam realized that he was also jealous. That beautiful young woman should be kissing him, should be worried about his well being, should be in his arms. He kept watching her as they traveled. He'd never felt such a strong attraction to anyone before - not like this. And he was unwilling to walk away without trying to reach her, to make her see reason.

  By the end of the second day, the Coopers and the cavalry rode into the Coopers' yard. Paul and Jake raced out of the house, whooping and hollering at the sight of their sister, brother and father. May stepped out of the door, smiling so hard that her face hurt.

  "Goodness, let me look at you," she said, holding Lana by her shoulders. "You look too thin." With that, she burst into tears and pulled her daughter close.

  "Oh, Ma. I'm all right. Really." Lana hugged her mother tightly and patted her back. "I want you to meet someone." She stepped back and introduced Christina.

  "She was taken by the Apache, too," Lana explained. Christina walked over to greet May and was surprised to be pulled into a tight hug herself.

  "You poor thing," May exclaimed. "Come into the house this instant. Paul, fill the buckets and keep them coming. We've got two baths to take."

  "Make that four," Joshua frowned. "I stink to high heaven and I'm the best smelling one here."

  Nathan rolled his eyes at that, but was in no position to argue. Liam laughed guiltily, and then, excusing himself, went with his sergeant to get the troops set up by the river for the night, and to find a bath of his own.

  May set up a large washtub in her bedroom. After the first two buckets of water were heated, Christina had the honor of taking the first bath. When she had finished, her black, grimy water was thrown out and fresh brought in for Lana. Soon, the two wet-headed, clean young women were sitting on the edge of May's bed, wrapped in blankets, and drinking hot coffee.

  "This is heaven," Christina sighed.

  "As soon as you're done with that," May informed them, "you'll need to sit in the other room while the men get cleaned up."

  "Yes'm." Lana gulped the rest of her coffee and stood up. "Goodness knows they need it, too." Reaching for Christina's hand, she suggested, "Let's dry our hair by the fire."

  They were perched on chairs, their long hair turned toward the fire, when Nathan came in. "Oh, my," he grinned, "Look at you. Those blankets fit you so well."

  "Ha. Ha." Christina smirked. "Very amusing."

  "Get in there," Lana pointed to her parents' room. "You stink."

  A lump suddenly appeared in his throat when he looked at his sister and the beautiful Christina, laughing and happy. They were safe now; he had helped save them. Nathan quickly ducked in the bedroom, too tired to fight his emotions and unwilling for anyone to see.

  * * *

  Once baths had been taken and everyone eaten supper, the three brothers went into their room to sleep. They had barely settled in before they heard loud female voices.

  "No, you!" the boys heard through their door. It sounded like Lana and Christina arguing. Nathan frowned, wondering, after all they'd been through, what the two women had found to fight about.

  "No. It's your bed. You sleep in it!" Christina retaliated.

  "But you're our guest. I insist. Besides, I'm so used to sleeping on the ground now, I'd probably be uncomfortable."

  "Like I wouldn't?" Christina argued.

  Nathan pulled a long straw out of the broom perched in the corner of their room. Snapping it into two unequal lengths, he held them out to his younger brothers.

  "Short straw gives up their bed," he announced.

  "What?" Paul looked alarmed.

  "There's no debate," Nathan warned him. "You don't know what those two went through. The least you can do is give them a comfortable sleep tonight."

  "Oh, all right," Jake sighed. He carefully studied the straws in Nathan's hand and, finally making a decision, pulled one out. "This one." Paul drew the other one and held it against Jake's. Jake moaned at the sight of his short straw.

  "Come on, Paul," Nathan stood up. "Help me carry the bed in there."

  The two brothers made it through the doorway with the bed, apparently just in time. Lana and Christina seemed to be on the verge of real anger, neither willing to give in to the other.

  "Here you go," Nathan grinned as they set the bed against the wall. "Compliments of Jake."

  "I couldn't," Christina started to protest.

  "Oh, yes you could." Nate stopped any further protest by kissing her quickly. Paul blushed at this unexpected turn of events, while May and Joshua exchanged questioning glances.

  "Thank you, Jake," Christina called so that Jake could hear her from his room.

  "Yeah, sure." Jake didn't sound too happy.

  "Goodnight, you two," Nathan said. "See you in the morning." With that, he turned Paul around by his shoulders, and pushed him toward their room.

  * * *

  Liam joined them for breakfast the next morning, before the Army's planned departure, anxious to see how Lana was doing. Over the meal, May finally learned some of the story. Paul and Jake couldn't believe their sister had killed Apaches with a gun, and that Christina had actually killed one with a knife.

  After hearing Christina's plight, May reached across the table, taking her hand. "Don't you worry about it. You'll stay here with us."

  "Won't it be too crowded?" Christina asked.

  "We'll make room," Joshua told her. "Simple as that."

  "Then, I'd love to," Christina smiled brightly. Glancing quickly at Nathan, her heart leapt when she saw how pleased he looked.

  "Do you have any relatives at all?" Liam asked. "Is there someone you could write to?"

  "I have an aunt in Pennsylvania, my father's sister. I should write to her, I guess."

  "If you'll do that before my men and I leave, I'll carry the letter to Ft. Worth and it can be mailed from there."

  "That is very thoughtful," Christina said. "I'll see to it right after breakfast."

  During breakfast, Lana felt herself becoming detached, withdrawn somehow. Perhaps she was just too tired from her ordeal. She only caught snippets of conversation around her. Maybe she needed a walk. Excusing herself, she grabbed a shawl and headed out the door, the egg basket in her hand.

  True to her word, once breakfast was cleared away, Christina wrote her letter. While waiting for it, Liam walked outside to find Lana. She stood by the chicken coop, staring blankly into the horizon.

  "I'd like to talk with you before I leave," he told her.

  "Sure," she said disinterestedly, not looking at him. "Talk."

  "I want you to know how relieved I am that everything turned out all right."
r />   "Well, almost everything," she frowned. "I worried about Centas Yi all last night."

  "I'm sure he's fine." Liam took her hand. "I mean I'm glad that you're all right. When I heard you'd been captured, my heart almost stopped beating."

  "I'm sorry you had such a fright." She finally turned toward him. "I never did thank you for bringing your troops to look for us. It was a miracle you got there when you did."

  Her blue eyes went wide at the recent memory and, now that she had started talking, she found she couldn't stop. Words tumbled from her mouth as if she were trying to explain to herself what she had been through.

  "I didn't say inside, but one of them tried to rape me. They killed him and he fell on me, dead. Then, when Centas Yi and Nathan found us, we ran for so long with no food, very little sleep…" Her voice trailed off before she continued, realizing that she wasn't making sense, but not caring. "And they finally caught us. Centas Yi sang his death song and I wasn't going to let myself be taken alive. I made Centas Yi promise. Then we ran out of ammunition and Centas Yi had his knife out and..."

  Something inside of her burst open. Now that she was safe at home, she didn't have to be strong anymore. "…and I didn't want to die!" Hot tears ran down her face, carrying her fear, panic, anger, and worry with them.

  Liam reached for her, pulling her to him. "Sshhh. Sshhh. I don't want to think about it." He closed his eyes against the picture in his mind. "It's enough that we did get there in time and that you are all right." Lana clung tightly to his shirt with both hands and buried her face against his chest, sobbing. Not knowing what else to do, he held her while she cried.

  After a few moments, she grew quiet and laid her head on his shoulder, feeling safe in his arms. Holding her like that, having her trust him with her raw emotion, being the one who saved her life, pulled her deeper into the young officer's heart. He closed his eyes, relishing the sensation of her leaning against him, taking comfort from his embrace.

  Realizing what she was doing, Lana stepped back as she wiped her eyes. "Liam, please excuse me. I shouldn't be crying in your arms like this. You have to know that I have feelings for someone else."

  "I know. I saw you kiss him."

  "Then you know how I feel."

  "Perhaps. But you don't know how I feel." With that, he leaned down and kissed her softly. "That's only a little of how I feel about you," he told her. "There is more. A lot more."

  "Oh, Liam, what am I going to do with you?" Lana asked sadly, looking up into his somber eyes. "I can't be mad at the man who just saved my life. But please, don't do that again."

  As Lana walked back to the house, Liam watched her with a frown on his face. He had to talk to her again. But not now. There wasn't enough time now, and she was too upset. Within the hour, Lt. O'Connell and his troops headed due east back to the fort, Christina's letter tucked in his top pocket.

  Chapter 18 - Three Women

  They had to travel slowly with the wounded brave, but at last, the Kiowa band arrived and set up its winter camp. Gray Dove worried about her son, not just about his physical wound, but about his state of mind. Leaving T'on Ma had made him depressed and despondent. His mother didn't know what she could do for him.

  His friends stopped by to visit when they could. That seemed to do some good for a short while. Time passed and, when he was well enough, Two Hawks went for long rides, always alone. It wasn't enough that he knew he loved T'on Ma. The lonely man now discovered just how much he needed her with him. They had endured so much together, had survived impossible odds. And now, this forced separation was unbearable.

  "Mother, I need to speak with you," Two Hawks said one blustery afternoon. The two of them sat around the fire as he watched her cut up vegetables for a stew.

  "All right," Gray Dove nodded.

  "How did you know you wanted to marry Father?"

  Gray Dove looked softly into the fire, thinking of old memories.

  "How did I know?" she repeated. "I had admired him for a long time. He was such a good hunter. He lived with honor. And, of course, he is very handsome. I never dreamed he was watching me as well." She grinned. "But he was."

  "So, you always knew?"

  "Maybe not always. But when I was old enough to consider such matters, then, yes. I suppose I knew for a long time."

  "That's how it is with me. When spring comes, I am going to bring Water Woman here." He studied her face for a reaction. Seeing none, he continued. "As my wife."

  His mother looked at him. "Your wife?"

  "Yes. I need you to show her how to be a good Kiowa wife. How to strike the tipi, gather food, make moccasins, and tan hides. Will you do that? Will you ask my sisters to help?"

  Gray Dove shook her head. "You know how I feel about this. If you bring her here, there will only be trouble."

  "Perhaps not," he argued. "Not if she is here as my wife. I have certain status in the tribe. They will respect her because of me."

  "She will be lonely and unwelcome. Do you want to do that to her?"

  "Unwelcome? Even by you?"

  Gray Dove sighed. "We are only one family. That is not enough. All the others will be difficult. Especially Corn Flower's family. You know that."

  She watched her son scowl before she continued. "Has Water Woman agreed to this? Is she ready to become Kiowa? To denounce her people's ways?"

  "We haven't had time to talk about all this," he admitted. "But I think she will."

  "You'd better make very sure about that before you bring her here. You are asking her to give up a lot." Gray Dove could tell by Two Hawks' stubborn expression that he wasn't getting a clear picture.

  She tried again. "What if your sister fell in love with a bluecoat? What if she wanted to marry him and live at the fort? Would that be all right with you? With our family?"

  "I'd forbid it. Everyone knows that soldiers beat their women."

  "No, son. Not all soldiers. And it wouldn't be for you to forbid. It would be your sister's choice, even though it would break your heart." Gray Dove paused, looking somberly at her son. "That's what you are doing to us. That's what you'd be doing to Water Woman's family. For all we know, they may think that all Kiowa braves beat their wives."

  "But we don't!"

  "Of course we don't, but do they know that? Would they let their daughter go to a life they know nothing about?" She reached across to pat his arm. "Please, don't be so selfish that you hurt people. Think very carefully about this."

  "I've done nothing but think about this," he grumbled.

  * * *

  Two weeks after this conversation, the Kiowa band had six Apache visitors. The elders called a general assembly in the late afternoon to hear their news. The men gathered in the center around the council fire while the women and children stood on the fringes, eager to listen to the visitors. Two Hawks had been out riding all day and arrived after the assembly started. Walking through the women and children, he made his way to sit next to his father.

  "You!" someone called loudly. Two Hawks looked up and stopped where he stood. There, pointing an accusatory finger at him, stood the leader of the Apache raiding party, Dark Fist, interrupting the delivery of his news of the forts being built in Texas to glare at Two Hawks.

  The Apache pointed to everyone in the circle, calling them to bear witness to his testimony. "This man stole from me. I demand my property to be returned!"

  A hushed muttering rolled through the tribe. Two Hawks was no thief!

  Tall Moon, the medicine man, rose and asked, "What has our brother stolen from you?"

  "Two slave women. I was taking them to Mexico."

  Tall Moon turned to look at Two Hawks, knowing he had been in the company of two white women, though Tall Moon had never heard why.

  "Is this true, Two Hawks?"

  Two Hawks walked over to stand in front of Tall Moon. "No! I was not stealing from him. I was taking back what was already mine."

  "Already yours?" Dark Fist asked incredulously. He slowly turned ar
ound to carefully study the women ringing them. "I don't see her. Where is she? Bring her here so that I can see she is yours."

  "She isn't here now," Two Hawks admitted.

  "And it wasn't just one woman, but two that you stole," Dark Fist added. "Are they both yours?"

  "No. Just one."

  "So you admit to stealing at least one."

  "I don't admit to anything."

  "Then what do you call it?" Dark Fist laughed derisively.

  "My woman refused to leave the other behind. So I untied her. She came with us on her own."

  "Do you always do what your woman - who isn't here - tells you?"

  The Apaches snickered.

  "And, also, why did you fight beside a white man against us? Do you choose him over your Apache friends?"

  Many Deer stood up and went to his son. No one else had heard Two Hawks' entire story of rescuing T'on Ma. His son would need his support now. Gray Dove watched with great concern from her place among the women.

  "Apache friends?" It was Two Hawks' turn to sound incredulous. Lifting his shirt, he pointed to the scar on his back. "My Apache 'friends' did this!" He slowly turned so everyone could see. "As for the white man, he is brother to my woman."

  "So, you are now brother to a white man." Dark Fist's voice was full of arrogant accusation. "Which makes you a white man. Which makes you my enemy!" He pulled his knife, threatening Two Hawks.

  "Wait! Wait!" Many Deer took a step closer to the Apache. "There is no need for bloodshed over this. Do not let this break the peace between our two nations. How many horses will you take for the women?"

  "Horses?" The Apache spit contemptuously on the ground. "The women were worth many rifles. Can you give me rifles?"

  "You know we cannot," Many Deer said.

  "Then I demand blood!" Dark Fist lunged toward Two Hawks, but Many Deer's hand on his chest stopped him.

  "What if my son helps you find two more women?"

  Dark Fist lowered his knife as he considered this offer. "One had blue eyes. She is worth at least two women by herself."