by Rye Hart
We came to the center of the camp where a large group had gathered. The sight of all of them together staring at me made my heart drop in my belly and tears come to my eyes. This couldn’t be good. They were all gathered around, excitedly pointing and chattering to one another. It was as if they were waiting to see some sort of strange spectacle, and I was pretty sure I was that spectacle.
A long row of flaming coals had been set out in the dirt and as he started edging me forward, I realized what they wanted me to do. They wanted to see if I could walk on fire. My heart nearly stopped and I screamed, digging my heels into the ground in an attempt to make it more difficult for them to move me.
“NO! NO NO!” I screamed, my eyes filling with tears.
The tribe didn’t seem to care that I was screaming in sheer terror, though a few of the mother’s turned their children away. I could feel my heart pounding and I was afraid, for a moment, that it might beat out of my chest. I looked to the sky as the tears poured down my face and silently prayed that the Lord would take me before I had to endure too much. . I had a feeling that this walk would be the beginning of a long and painful road that had no end.
Just as my toes started to touch the embers, I heard the loud pop of a gunshot and my eyes flew open. I turned my head just in time to see men riding through the camp in uniforms.
Chapter Three
My eyes were wide and wet with tears. I was terrified, not knowing what would happen next. The men rode through the camp, their clothes dirty and stained from days on the trail. The sudden appearance of them had caused the tribe to scatter, and no one seemed to be concerned with me, which I was rather thankful for.
My wrists were still bound, though my feet had been freed in order to allow me to walk on the coals. I swung around and ran toward the woods on the far side of the camp. It was dark and cold out, but the woods were still my best chance for escape. I wasn’t sure whether these men were here to rescue me or if they would assume I had assimilated with the tribe and kill me.
I managed to disappear into the trees, hearing the sounds of screaming and war cries. The heavy thump of horse’s hooves echoed all around me. The trees scratched at my face and my lungs burned. Though I wasn’t accustomed to all this running, my body sensed danger and acted on impulse and need for survival.
As I broke the tree line, I came to an empty field. I stopped for a moment and put my hands on my knees, taking in big gulps of air that I desperately needed. I closed eyes and concentrated on slowing my breath. The air felt good as it filled my lungs.
After a moment I stood up and looked around, trying to get some sort of plan together. I knew that I couldn’t stay out here long. Either the raiders would find me or the Indians would. I needed to find shelter. There were more trees on the other side of the clearing and as much as I liked being in the field of flowers, I knew it made me an easy target.
I trudged through the wet ground, thinking about the times I’d gone hunting with my dad. The goal had always been to chase the deer into a clearing so that they would be easier to take down. It occurred to me, in this moment, that I was a deer. I was prey and the hunters were hot on my heels. The thought made my breath quicken as I started jogging towards the trees.
A feeling of relief washed over me as I neared the tree line, but it was quickly replaced with terror as I heard the thundering sound of hooves on soft earth, digging into the dirt and pulling it up.
I didn’t even bother looking behind me. It didn’t matter who was on the horse, all that mattered was that he was coming after me. The trees were only a few feet away and I knew if I could get in the brush, the horse wouldn’t be able to follow me. There was a flicker of hope in my belly, but just as the trees started to scratch at my face, I felt a hand wrap around my waist and lift me off my feet.
I was filled with a cold dread, sure that these would be my last moments on this earth. I just prayed that they wouldn’t be painful. The choked sob that escaped my lips couldn’t be helped. I dropped my head and shook it back and forth.
“Please, just make it quick,” I begged. I was so tired of suffering.
“Make it quick? What are you talking about?” The voice was gruff and masculine, but it wasn’t cruel.
My head snapped up and I looked up at the soldier who had a hand rolled cigarette stuffed between his lips. One brow was cocked as he looked down at me, taking me in.
“What are you cryin’ about? We’re here to save you, darlin’,” he drawled.
Save me? It was hard for me to believe him, but God I wanted to. “Who are you?”
He chuckled and tossed the cigarette into the moist ground and I watched the smoke steam around it as embers went out.
“We’re the Cavalry.”
“How did you know I was alive?”
He shrugged and pulled me up to sit on the horse. I wobbled a little, tired and dizzy from running and dehydration. It took him a moment but he finally answered my question.
“We didn’t know you were alive, we were kind of just hoping. Me and my men patrol the area around Boulder, Colorado and when we find a wagon train that’s been ripped to shreds we assume that at least one person was taken. The Indians will typically take a woman. We haven’t figured out why, though we can assume it’s for revenge or maybe as a bartering tool. ” He lifted his hat and scratched his head. “At any rate, we’re glad to find you alive and unhar-“
He hesitated and glanced at my neck, reaching for the animal hide and pulling it back to inspect the marking on my neck. He sighed and shook his head, pressing the hide against the wound again.
“Savages,” he murmured, wrapping an arm around me.
I wasn’t even concerned with the fact that he’d seen the mark on my neck. I was safe. I sniffled a little and leaned into his strong frame, enjoying the warmth he provided.
“Are you going to take me away from here?”
“Of course, darlin’. We would leave you out in the woods to starve.”
My eyes fluttered closed and relief flooded every inch of my body. For the first time in months, it felt like everything was going to be okay.
“What’s your name?” I whispered
“Rick,” he stated simply.
Chapter Four
We eventually joined up with the rest of the ‘Cavalry’, though it was more of a militia. Thirty to forty men sat atop horses, wearing makeshift uniforms with guns strapped to their backs. As we rode through what was left of the Indian village Rick covered my eyes with a free hand. He didn’t want me to see the devastation.
As angry and scared as I had been, I didn’t want to see the bodies that we were leaving behind. It was a necessary evil. I knew that, but it didn’t make it any easier to swallow. I was thankful for the man who seemed to be on a mission to protect me.
Once we were free of the smell of blood and fire, he uncovered my eyes and we made our way through the vast plains. I was exhausted, but I managed to keep my eyes open for just a little while, long enough to take in the stars. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed them until my sapphire eyes were scanning the heavens. They fluttered closed and I sighed, turning and resting my head against Rick’s chest, finally allowing myself to drift off into a peaceful sleep, one that I’d been denied for so long now.
The steady, rhythmic sway of the horse soothed me and allowed my body to finally rest.. I’m not sure how long I was out for, but when I awoke, it was to the sounds of carriages and people talking. I lifted my head off of Rick’s chest and looked around, meeting the eyes of the people who were staring at me in amazement. I could hear people whispering, but I had no idea what they were saying.
Rick wrapped a protective arm around me and I couldn’t help the urge to sink into his warm, strong arms. My eyes fluttered and I chewed my lip a little, looking up at him and he smiled back as if reassuring a child that everything was going to be okay.
He kept me shielded until silence took over the landscape. He finally released me and I sighed, looking around, brush
ing my hands through my dirty red hair. My daddy always said that red hair was a sign of a strong-willed and tenacious woman, but I felt as far from strong-willed as you could be. I felt weak and beaten down.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“Colorado,” he said softly.
For a moment I considered the man who’d sent me money to come live with him, though the thought left me quickly. He would probably assume I’d died on the trip when wagon train didn’t arrive. I didn’t really mind it, though. I was hesitant to leave the side of the man who’d saved me.
“Are you taking me to an inn?” I asked sadly.
He shook his head. “The tavern is full of characters a lady shouldn’t associate herself with. It’s the only inn that we have here in Boulder, and I don’t reckon it would suit you.”
My brows furrowed in confusion and I stared at him for a moment. “Then where are you taking me?”
“I’m taking you to my home, Ma’am.”
My heart fluttered. The sun was high and bright now and I was able to get a good look at Rick’s face for the first time. His skin was leathery and golden from years of working in the sun. There were small creases at the corners of his eyes that hinted at a propensity for laughter.
His eyes were a rich hazel color, and his hair was thick and as dark at the night sky. As I looked closer I noticed a few faint, pink lines along his jaw that appeared to be scars. Even with these little imperfections, he was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. My heart thudded in my chest and my cheeks turned a deep pink color.
“Are you okay?” he asked, glancing down at me.
“ Yes, I’m just a bit surprised I guess,” I said, trying to regain my composure. ”Thank you for letting me stay with you,” I said softly, tucking a few wild strands of red hair behind my ear.
“You’re welcome. It wouldn’t be very wise of me to risk my life saving you only to let you die out in the woods,” he pointed out with a smile.
As we came over a hill I saw a large sprawling house. It was very flat and the roof was a bit shorter than on the houses back home, but it was clearly big enough for a large family. It was practically a mansion, as far as a farm girl like me was concerned.
The horse stopped in front of the log house and I slipped off the creature, standing beside the monstrosity of a home, my eyes wide. “This is your home?”
“Sure is.”
“Why is it so big?”
He jumped off the horse and started walking toward the barn that was situated just to the east of the main house.
“It was an original part of the fort and I led the first charge to reclaim it. Part of my payment was this land and this house.”
“Are you married?” I asked, the question falling from my lips with guarded sort of optimism.
“A lot of people ask me that,” he said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “It must be because of the house, huh?”
If he were to ask me, I would have said it had more to do with rugged handsomeness, but it seemed a bit out of line.
“I suppose so,” I agreed, moving to stand beside him, staring at the house.
After a moment I dared to steal a look at him and he was smiling down at me. My heart fluttered again and I offered a shy smile in return.
“Let’s get you inside and get you cleaned up.”
He guided me toward the house and as I followed him, I had the sneaking suspicion that this man would become my everything.
Chapter Five
Rick was an amazing man. In the months that I’d spent in Colorado, I’d learned so much about him. He’d been born in Illinois and when he was fifteen his pa moved them out west towards Montana. Billings turned out to be far too crowded for Rick, so he went off to make his own destiny when he turned eighteen.
He’d fought in countless militias and been on hundreds of raids, mostly saving people like he’d saved me. I hated the way his eyes got so sad when he talked about the people he could save or the raids they’d gone on where everyone had been killed. He considered me a miracle and I wasn’t going to argue with him.
I was given my own bedroom in the home and he’d even purchased dresses for me. Beautiful, flowing things made of light cotton and dipped in bright colors that were extracted from the strange plants that grew in the western soil.
I’d lived my entire life in Georgia and while I’d seen the shadows of the Appalachian Mountains and lived amongst the Southern hills, I’d never seen anything like the mountains in Colorado. They stretched up towards the skies as if their outstretched fingers were reaching for the clouds. I fell in love with them and told Rick I wanted to climb them. He laughed a little at my admission but never once told me I couldn’t do it.
He was a supportive man and he cared for me in ways I’d only ever dreamed of. We weren’t lovers or even love interests, but he showed me kindness and respect and that was more than I’d ever hoped for. Most of the men that had been left back home in Georgia were cruel and prone to drink. Rick gave me a sense of hope, a belief that there were still good men in this world.
We spent our nights together, talking by the fire and exchanging stories. He seemed deeply interested in what had happened to my small home town. It saddened him that so many people were losing their livelihoods in the name of so-called progress. He scoffed at the word, spitting it out as it left a bad taste in his mouth.
The scar on my neck was hard to forget about. Rick and I would be having one of our usual conversations and I’d catch his eyes wandering over to it. I would shut down immediately and hide in my room. I’d settle at the vanity and try to cover the scar with my thick, red hair. I didn’t want Rick looking at it;I didn’t want anyone looking at it, but that was unavoidable.
Rick took me to the town doctor and the man inspected it closely, assuring me there would be no lasting physical damage other than the scar. As the words left his mouth he patted my knee and offered me a sad look, knowing what the presence of the scar was going to do to my life. He knew that things would be very difficult for me and he wasn’t wrong.
I attempted to make friends in the town, chatting with the ladies after church and trying to catch their attention at the small, local market the residents had set up. Some of the women offered me guilty smiles before quickly scuttling away, while others sneered and turned their noses up as I passed. After the first few weeks, I stopped trying at all. It was far too upsetting to continue being pushed aside and ignored.
It brought me closer to Rick. He must have noticed the way the women treated me, because he always made an extra effort to spend time with me. We became good friends over time and soon, our bond began growing even stronger. I wanted to tell him how I felt, but women just didn’t do that. Besides, who would want to be with a woman who had essentially been branded?
Since I couldn’t express my feelings for him, I showed him that I cared in other ways. I helped him tend the small garden behind his house and I made sure his clothes were clean. I cooked and scrubbed the floors, doing anything a wife might do. He told me over and over again that I wasn’t obligated, and I told him just as often that I didn’t mind. I liked taking care of him.
Some of the women at church caught on to the fact that I had feelings for Rick and they made their own advances painfully obvious. A beautiful woman name Claire with long, curly blonde hair would press herself against him in the most indecent way and whisper soft nothings in his ear. The worst part about it was the fact that she was married to the town’s mayor. It was clear she didn’t love him and he didn’t seem to care; as long as he had a pretty woman at his side, the mayor was happy.
Today was no different than any other day. It was spring and the flowers and trees were finally starting to bloom. A cool breeze swept through the valley we lived in, blowing a woman’s hat right off her head. I managed to snatch it out of the air and smiled, handing it back to her as I wandered through the church yard in search of Rick.
I found him in a nearby field where some of the men collected to talk
after the church service. He had his pipe in his mouth and was laughing at a story one of the other men was telling. My heart warmed and I put my hand over my chest, trying to ignore the tight squeeze of emotion. I needed to stop pining over a man who would never want me.
As I started to cross the field, I noticed Claire out of the corner of my eye. She had the look of a snake in her eyes as she crept up on the men. I bristled with anger, but stayed behind, not wanting to let my emotions get the better of me. Proper ladies didn’t fight and I just wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep my hands off Claire if she teased Rick’s hair one more time.
Claire came to a stop beside Rick and his mood immediately changed. He went from smiling and laughing to sour and frowning. I was too far to hear what they were saying, but I watched as they exchanged a few lines of banter. She pressed her bosom against him and he rolled his eyes, nudging her away. He started to walk up the hill towards me, the smile returning to his face until Claire grabbed his arm again. He shook her off and offered her a few sharp words before climbing up the hill, leaving her stunned and silent.
I stood at the top of the hill, my eyes bright and my heart fluttering. He smiled and offered me his arm.
“Ready to go home, Darlin’?”
Chapter Six
‘Ready to go home, Darlin’?’
The words echoed in my mind over and over again. My heart was slamming in my chest and the joy in my belly was nearly bubbling over. Time and time again he chose me over Claire. No matter how many times she tried to sneak her way into his bed, he flat out refused.
One evening, I was stirring a large pot over the fire, glancing up out the window as Rick came inside, knocking his boots off so he didn’t dirty my freshly cleaned floors.
“How’s dinner coming’?” he asked, glancing up at me as he crossed the main living area.