Her hand shot to her hip despite sitting atop a horse and she glared at him. “You’re not funny, Daniel Osborne. Leave the comedy act to Elk Runner.”
Daniel raised his right leg over his horse’s neck and slid to the ground. He stepped around the animal and reached for the new belt around Aimee’s waist. With a swift tug, he pulled her out of the saddle and up against him. The precise meaning of her choice of words regarding his brother was once again lost on him, but he could make a guess as to what she meant.
They had left the cabin not more than an hour ago. She’d questioned him then, as well, but reluctantly relented and agreed to make the journey to the great canyon so soon after his injury. While they’d passed the time in companionable silence so far, her concerned glances hadn’t gone unnoticed. Clearly, an hour had been as long as she’d been able to remain silent about what was on her mind.
She’d been just as concerned for him when he’d insisted on heading home to the valley from the Tukudeka village the morning after he’d returned from the hunt. The clan was getting ready to travel to their winter camp, and Daniel wasn’t going to be the reason to delay them.
“Your concern warms my heart, Aimee. I will let you know when I need to rest.” He glanced from her eyes to the sky. “We don’t have many days left before the season changes to winter, and I don’t want to make this journey through the snow unless I absolutely have to.”
“I want to get rid of that time travel device, but not at the expense of your suffering.”
“And I won’t be, because I have you with me.” Daniel kissed her, then lifted her back into the saddle. He smiled at the expected glare he received once she was seated on top of her horse.
“Why did you do that? You’re never going to heal.”
“I wanted to.” He chuckled, then swung up on his own horse and gave it a nudge.
He’d missed Aimee’s sharp, feisty side, and he’d learned quickly what it took to get her riled. For several weeks before she’d returned to the future, she'd been uncharacteristically serious. Now he knew it was because she had anticipated the end of their time together, but she’d been unable to tell him because of her promise to his father.
A cold wind swept along the riverbank as he led the way toward the great canyon to the east of his valley. The canyon and its mighty river and falls had been his place of solitude and mourning for the woman he’d thought he’d lost forever because of his angry outburst. Fitting that it should now become the place that would ensure that she remained with him always.
He ventured a glance at her while keeping an eye on his surroundings. Heading south brought them into Blackfoot territory, although most of the tribes in the area would have moved on to winter range. Still, it was best to remain vigilant.
“Aren’t we heading too far south?” Aimee asked after more silence. “If we’d followed the Gibbon . . . I mean, the Little Buffalo River, wouldn’t that have put us in a more direct line with the canyon?”
“It might be faster, but it is also the more strenuous way, and less accessible for the horses. We should have gone on foot if you are in a hurry.”
Aimee smiled. “In my time, it would have taken about an hour, maybe less.”
“We will be there in two days.”
For the remainder of the day, Daniel led Aimee through the forest along a wide creek that flowed into the Burning River, and into the mountains heading east. He avoided an area where the earth was hot and steaming, and where the shallow mud pools would kill a man if he carelessly stepped in the wrong place.
He reined his horse to a stop along the shores of a small alpine lake nestled among the trees in the forest atop a plateau.
Aimee glanced at her surroundings. “I’ve been here before. This is the Mary Mountain Trail in my time. We’re going to reach the canyon via Hayden Valley.”
She dismounted her horse, groaning as her feet hit the ground. She leaned against the animal for support. “And I need to get used to riding. I think I might prefer walking after all.”
“Traveling on foot is better most of the time,” Daniel agreed. “We can go places horses can’t.”
“Then why did you want to ride?” She raised her brows in a silent challenge, lifting her head to him as he still sat astride his horse.
Daniel dismounted. He held his flintlock in his hand and led his horse to the water to drink.
“Because I’m injured,” he said when Aimee stepped up next to him.
Her satisfied smile made his lips twitch. Nothing was more gratifying than pleasing the woman he loved, even if he preferred to do it on his own terms which sometimes raised her temper.
“Once we set up camp, I’ll brew you some willow bark tea,” she said. “When we get home after this little journey, you’re going to rest and fully recover.”
“There is still much to get done before the snow starts to fall. Unless you want to starve, I’ll need to hunt. Once the snow gets deep, game will be scarce.”
Aimee led her horse away from the water to graze the grasses along the shore. She fumbled with the saddle and pulled it from the animal’s back, then looked up when Daniel joined her.
She leaned up and placed a kiss on his lips. Daniel pulled her fully into his arms, holding her close, and savoring her lips on his. His side ached, but it was of little consequence when it came to holding his wife in his arms. He drew back to Aimee’s eyes filled with love, staring up at him.
“I think we should set up camp,” she whispered.
Daniel nodded, stepping away from her. He unsaddled his horse and hobbled the front legs of both animals together, then turned them loose to graze while Aimee gathered wood. She spread out their sleeping furs near the fire he’d started with a quick flick of his knife against his flint.
Daniel stood and went to his saddle lying on the ground. “I have a gift for you.”
“A present?” Aimee’s eyes widened. Her forehead scrunched.
Daniel pulled a bundle of leather from one of his saddlebags and held it out to her. “I made this while I was on the hunt with the Tukudeka. You can add this to the small needle I saw you carve from bone at the cabin before we left. Perhaps a few more items, and you will have a new medicine kit soon.”
Aimee glanced from him to the bundle in his hand. She took it from him and unwrapped it. Her eyes shot back to him.
“Daniel, this looks almost like a surgeon’s scalpel.” Her mouth fell open.
The blade and handle were smaller than any knife he’d ever made before. He nodded.
“I found a piece of obsidian that reminded me of our talk. The handle is made from elk antler. Soon, I will fashion a hunting knife for you made from the horn of a mountain sheep.”
She held it up and rotated it.
“Careful, it’s very sharp.”
“I can see that,” she said, awe and confusion in her eyes.
“I remember seeing your tools from your medicine kit from the future. You used a small knife like this when you saved Elk Runner’s life. I thought adding a handle would keep you from cutting yourself.”
She blinked rapidly, then smiled at him. “It’s perfect. Don’t give me a reason to use it on you.”
Daniel grinned. “To kill me, or to save my life?”
“Neither, you big dolt.” She carefully wrapped the knife back in the leather before flinging her arms around his neck.
“We’ll find more obsidian, and you can make tools that will aid you in your medicine,” he murmured against her cheek.
“There’s so much I can do, Daniel,” she said enthusiastically. “I can make suture material from horse hair and even animal intestines. I read about it while I was in nursing school. I don’t know why it fascinated me so much, but I’m glad that I paid attention.”
“As I’ve said before, you are not only a gift to me, but to the people here as well.”
“I always wanted to be a nurse like my mother, but she preferred to take care of newborn babies. I like the rush of trauma medicine.
If you take me to St. Louis next spring, I’m sure I can find some western medicines there.” She laughed. “I’ll just have to get used to using things like opium, which is definitely not okay in my time. But as you said, I can improvise.”
Daniel shook his head. Seeing her happy warmed his heart. She’d been rather unsure at the village, but the confident woman he loved was back.
They ate a meal of dried elk meat and some cakes made from nuts that Gentle Sun had sent with them the other day. Aimee heated water, then rummaged through her new medicine satchel that the shaman had filled with various herbs.
She added a couple of pinches from one of the smaller pouches to a tin mug with hot water, and held it out to him. “Willow bark tea.”
Daniel took the cup from her while her attention returned to her satchel. She packed away the various smaller pouches of herbs. A bitter smell rose with the steam from the cup. He hesitated, then raised it to his lips. He was about to take a drink, when Aimee shouted his name. Her arm shot out and smacked the cup from his hand, spilling hot liquid on his thigh. Her eyes filled with horror.
“Did you drink any of it?” she demanded frantically.
Daniel shook his head.
She released an audible sigh of relief. Her hand shook when she ran it through her hair.
“I almost poisoned you. I mistook the tobacco the shaman smokes and gives to the girl with asthma for willow bark. You could have been really sick or worse.”
Her voice cracked when she spoke. Her hand rested against her forehead. She stared at the cup on the ground, then at Daniel. The look of anguish in her eyes reminded him of the day he’d told her to leave his hospital room. Daniel reached for her arm.
“I didn’t drink it,” he said again to reassure her.
“Some magical healer I am,” she stammered. “Instead of helping, I nearly poisoned you.”
Her eyes fixed on the pouch around his neck that contained the snakehead. She held out her hand.
“Give me the device. I’m going back to the future to collect some medical supplies and some books on Indian herbal remedies. Next time, I might actually kill you or someone else.”
Daniel’s jaw clenched. He tugged her toward him and held her in his arms.
“I will not let you return to the future for those reasons. Like you said, we can’t rely on that device every time something happens that would be easier to fix in the future. We will dispose of it as we’ve planned. I’ve survived all of my twenty-five years not knowing anything about the future. I think I can manage to go on without the aid of time travel.”
He stared into her shimmering eyes. “And so can you. You will learn, but you need to give it time. You cannot learn everything at once. You recognized your mistake before it was too late, and I know you will not make the same one again.” He smiled to encourage her.
She shook her head. Her chest heaved. Slowly, she relaxed in his arms. “No, I most definitely won’t make that mistake again, but I don’t want you to be the guinea pig every time I do make a mistake.”
“A guinea pig? Is that like a whistle pig?”
“A whistle pig?”
“Marmot,” Daniel explained.
“No, it’s a cute furry little animal, smaller than a marmot. I had one as a pet when I was five.”
Daniel chuckled. “It sounds like something good to eat. The Tukudeka enjoy marmot. You’ve probably eaten it while at their camp.”
Aimee’s eyes widened. Daniel laughed and pulled her more firmly into his arms.
“It won’t be long before you will concede and hunt for your bambi in order to eat,” he murmured in a teasing whisper against her neck.
Aimee leaned away from him. Her eyes narrowed in a glare. “I’m afraid you might be right.” She sighed. “I’ll go hunting with you when we get back to the valley,” she said quietly, staring up at him.
Daniel’s brows rose. “I was trying to lighten the mood, not tell you to go hunting.”
She held his gaze. “But it’s part of living here, isn’t it? I have to, in order to survive, right?”
Daniel ran his hand down her arm. “When you are ready.” He placed a kiss on her forehead. “It will take time to adjust, just like it will take time to learn new ways to heal people in this time. There’s no need to rush. You gave up everything to be here.”
Aimee wrapped her arms around his middle, careful to stay away from his injury. Her head tilted to look him in the eye. “You’re wrong. I gained everything, Daniel.”
Chapter Eight
Daniel kept to a brisk walk, avoiding deadfall and moving through the trees. He held his horn bow firmly in his left hand. Taking his flintlock on a hunt would have made too much noise. A large goose that dangled from a leather strap tied around its legs was slung over his shoulder.
Heavy mist hovered over the waters of the small lake. It covered the ground heading into the forest, making visibility difficult. The morning was still gray, and he’d be back to camp where he’d left Aimee sleeping before the sun fully rose above the mountains to the east.
Daniel adjusted his grip on the leather holding the goose. His injured side throbbed dully, but the pain was less than it had been the day before. He’d dodged out of the way of the bull elk’s antlers, but the animal had delivered a kick to his gut instead. Had he hesitated a fraction of a second, he would have been impaled by the animal’s sharp antlers.
His possible death hadn’t been on his mind as much as what would have become of Aimee had he died. Most likely, she would have taken the snakehead and returned to the future. The pouch around his neck containing the device rested lightly under his shirt.
Aimee’s outburst that she wanted to take the device and return to the future to collect her medicines had surprised him. Daniel had never seen her more distressed than when she’d accidentally offered him a tea brewed from the tobacco the shaman used in his ceremonial pipe.
Her loss of confidence in her abilities disturbed him, but she was a strong woman. Not having her modern things had made her unsure of herself, but his gift of the knife had made her happy, as he’d hoped it would. She’d learn how to be resourceful again and utilize the tools of this time in her healing skills.
His own thoughts were still plagued with indecision about the snakehead, especially after his accident with the elk. If something should happen to him, Aimee wouldn’t have the means to get back to a safer time.
He shook his head. She’d been correct when she’d said they needed to get rid of it. It would only continue to torment them both whenever something happened that could easily be solved in the future. He understood better how the device had enticed his father to take advantage of time travel, and why he hadn’t wanted Daniel to know about it.
Several ducks fluttered on the water closer to the other side of the lake where he’d left Aimee. Daniel stopped and studied the water. The dense mist prevented him from seeing all the way to the other shore. Several ravens took to the air in the nearby trees, cawing loudly. Daniel cocked his head to the side to listen. Something wasn’t right.
He changed his course and traveled further into the trees away from the shoreline and broke into a run. Daniel dropped the goose he’d shot and pulled his knife from his belt. He dodged around and leapt over downed logs that lay scattered in abundance. As he came closer to his camp, two Indian ponies came into view, tethered to some trees.
Daniel stopped, keeping downwind of the animals. He ducked around the trees until his camp was in view. His face hardened with anger. A Crow warrior stood in his camp, his hand around Aimee’s wrist. She didn’t fight him, but clearly tried to communicate with him. The other Crow rummaged through their belongings.
“Thieves,” Daniel hissed under his breath.
The man who’d grabbed Aimee looked familiar. He was the same warrior who’d tried to barter for her months ago. What were Crow still doing in this area? Apparently, the warrior hadn’t understood that Aimee was not for trade. Daniel clutched his knife. This time, his
message would be clear.
Crouching low, he sprinted between trees to get closer. The Crow thief digging through Daniel’s saddlebags was too intent on what he was doing to pay any attention. Daniel darted from behind the tree and wrapped his arm around the man’s neck, dragging him out of sight of camp. When the Indian struggled to fight back, he held his knife to the warrior’s throat.
“Don’t kill them, Daniel. Please.”
Aimee’s frantic plea caught Daniel off guard. His head snapped up, his eyes scanning for his wife. She wasn’t looking in his direction, but somewhere off into the distance. Had she seen him, or was she merely creating a diversion for him? She had to know he was nearby. He pressed the knife more firmly against the Indian’s throat.
“I seek no trouble with the Absaroka,” he growled in the Indian’s ear. “Your families have always been welcomed at my fire. If you value your life, pray that no harm comes to my wife at the hand of your brother.”
The Crow nodded, ceasing his struggles. He was young, most likely in his first season as a warrior, and had much to learn. With a fast punch to the man’s temple, Daniel knocked the young warrior unconscious. The Indian sank to the ground. Daniel quickly grabbed his opponent’s weapons out of his belt and tossed them into the bushes. Then he stood and reached for an arrow from his quiver and stepped into view of his camp.
“Release my wife, and I will let you live,” Daniel called to the other warrior.
While Daniel had rendered the young warrior unconscious, the other Absaroka had grabbed Aimee around the waist and tried to drag her into the trees. Her yellow hair flew around her as she struggled with her would-be captor. Kicking and lashing out with her arms, she fought against the much larger man like the wildcat for which Daniel had named her.
The Indian shot a quick glance at Daniel, but didn’t heed his warning, or perhaps he was too pre-occupied in his struggle with the small woman he grasped. Aimee’s head shot up and her eyes met Daniel’s for the briefest of seconds, but communicated everything he needed to know. The silent plea in her eyes was for mercy for the warrior.
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