Breanna gasped. "He wanted Dakota to come back?"
"Yes, Black Otter is eaten up with jealousy and anger. He will not be satisfied until either he or Dakota is dead."
Breanna tried to rise, but pain prevented it. "Why didn't you go with Dakota, Levi? He needs you."
"Because where he goes, he must go alone—what he has to do, he must do alone."
"I am frightened for him, Levi. Can he defeat this Black Otter?"
"Dakota is stronger and braver, but Black Otter is cunning and deceitful. When they come together, to most folks' thinking, both white and Indian, it will be like good battling evil."
"You didn't answer my question. Can Dakota defeat Black Otter?"
Levi looked her in the eye. "I can only hope—that's all any of us can do. As his wife, I thought you should know how things are."
Helpless tears rolled down Breanna's cheeks; she feared for the man she loved. "I wish I could help him, Levi."
"You can't, though. None of us can."
She rolled her head from side to side. "How will I be able to exist, not knowing if he is alive or dead?"
"You will live each day one at a time, because he would expect it of you."
Her eyes were swimming with tears. "He is the most wonderful man I know."
"You love him a lot, don't you?"
"Yes, but he doesn't seem to want my love."
Levi stood up. "I'll tell you something you aren't going to believe. Dakota doesn't believe that you love him."
"That's because I have tried very hard to disguise my feelings."
Levi shook his head, wondering why neither of them was aware of the other's feelings when it was so apparent to everyone else. "I've said enough for one day. Try to get some rest. Tomorrow, if you're feeling up to it, we'll go on to Murphy's Trading Post.”
***
Breanna rode beside John and Baxley, wishing they would soon reach the trading post. They had been riding since early morning, and according to Levi, they would arrive before sundown. Her shoulder was aching, and she just wanted a soft bed where she could lie down.
When they topped a rise, she looked down at the green valley which was surrounded by mountains and green pine forests. The land around Murphy's Trading Post had been cleared of trees, and a stockade wall built around a fort-like structure. Breanna saw the tepees outside the walls, and glanced at Levi questioningly.
"They would be Sioux," he told her. "Murphy is a friend to them, and most always you will find whole families of the tribe camped nearby."
As they descended into the valley, Breanna wondered if there was anywhere so beautiful. When they reached the gates, she encountered her first glimpse of Indian women and children. She smiled at the dark-eyed children, who stared at her with equal curiosity.
Murphy turned out to be a wiry little Irishman, whose beard was as red as his shaggy head. His eyes sparkled with welcome as he approached Levi. "I never thought to lay eyes on you again, Levi Gunther. I thought some English woman would wrap you up and take you home with her."
"Nope, they didn't seem inclined to take me in."
Murphy glanced at Breanna with curiosity. "Breanna, this Irishman is a friend and longtime acquaintance," said Levi. "Murphy, this is Lady Breanna, Dakota's wife, and John Donegal, Dakota's cousin."
Murphy's eyes widened in appreciation. "I welcome you, my lady," he said respectfully. "We've been expecting you for over a week. My missus has made everything ready for you. She has been buzzing around like a bee, happy to be welcoming another white woman."
After Levi helped Breanna dismount, she smiled at the Irishman. "How did you know we were coming, Mr. Murphy?"
He scratched his red beard. "We have ways of knowing everything out here. Sometimes our lives depend on it. Our sources are very reliable, too. We had even heard that Dakota's woman was very beautiful. A certain Sioux warrior couldn't say enough about your charms."
Breanna's face reddened, and Levi gave Murphy a warning glance.
The redhead cleared his throat and moved on to another subject. "Black Otter knows that Dakota has returned. He was here day before yesterday. Killed a Sioux woman and an old man. His way of leaving his calling card, I guess."
Breanna's eyes widened with fear. "Will Dakota know about this?"
"He knows," Levi assured her.
***
Breanna was seated beneath a wide oak tree, having tea with Henrietta Murphy, while John and Baxley made a tour of the fort with Mr. Murphy. The last anyone had seen of Levi, he was conversing with a Sioux warrior.
Henrietta was a woman in her early forties with soft gray hair that waved around her face, and there were permanent laugh lines that fanned out around her blue eyes. She had come to this country twenty years ago with her father, who had worked for the London Fur Company. She had met and married Murphy, and she told Breanna that she had never regretted it for a moment.
Henrietta saw the worried frown that etched Breanna's lovely face, and she noted the way her guest absently traced the handle of the porcelain tea cup. "Does your shoulder pain you, my lady?" the woman asked solicitously.
"No, it's much better, thank you."
"Then you are worried about Dakota, aren't you, my lady?" the older woman asked in her soft English accent.
The golden eyes that Breanna raised to Henrietta were troubled. "Yes, I am. It's difficult for me to sit here, drinking tea and acting as if nothing is amiss, all the while knowing that my husband is in danger."
"I know your Dakota. I've known him since he was but a boy. Levi used to order books for him to read, and they would be shipped to us here. Your husband is something of a legend in these parts, my lady. He is revered by the Arapaho. The tales of his valor and strength lose nothing in the telling. I would put my mind at rest if I were you. Dakota . . . er . . . I mean, his lordship, can take care of himself."
"Mrs. Murphy, I see no sense in standing on ceremony. Please call me Breanna." She looked to the older woman to allay her fears for Dakota. "Tell me what you have heard about Dakota."
"Well," Henrietta said reflectively. "It was known by everyone that Dakota was the pride of his father. Two Moons was an extraordinary man who believed in honor."
"Dakota has not told me very much about his Indian father. I do know that he respected him a great deal."
"Yes. Two Moons was a powerful war chief, and his name is still honored among his people. It was plain to everyone that he favored Dakota over his own son, and perhaps therein lay the tragedy. As a young man, Dakota was well loved and excelled in everything he attempted. But Black Otter was treacherous and unlovable. As he grew to manhood, his hatred and anger became directed toward Dakota."
"I cannot understand how anyone could hate my husband. He is a remarkable man."
"That would be one of the reasons Black Otter hates him. Of course, Black Otter hates everyone now, and he has murdered and pillaged Indian villages as well as white settlements to revenge the wrongs that he thinks have been done to him. Black Otter did much of this so Dakota would hear about his deeds and be forced to return. His whole reason for living is to see Dakota dead."
"But why?" Breanna asked with growing uneasiness.
"I cannot say, but it is said by the Arapaho that the day will come when the two brothers will face one another, and one of them must die."
Breanna trembled with fear. "I do not understand why Dakota has allowed Black Otter to pull him back. He is tormented, and I have seen this thing tearing him apart inside."
The older woman pursed her lips. "He feels responsible for Black Otter's actions. You will have to understand that he looks on Black Otter as his own brother. Black Otter knows that Dakota promised their dying father that blood would not flow between them. He also knows that forcing Dakota to break his word to Two Moons would be the greatest revenge of all. Can you see now why Dakota is tormented?"
Breanna closed her eyes, aching deep inside for the man she loved. "Yes, I can see. I see no way out for Dakota."
>
"If he slays his brother, he will have broken his word to his father. If he does nothing, he will feel as if he were betraying the Arapaho, for they are the ones who will pay for Black Otter's rampages. The soldiers blame all the Arapaho for the raids, and Washington has threatened to send troops to corral Black Otter. If that happens, innocent Arapaho men, women, and children will die."
Breanna felt tears gathering in her eyes. How would this ever reach a happy conclusion? Even if Dakota won, he would never be able to forget he had slain his brother and broken a vow he had made to his Indian father. Now she could understand the torment he had been living with. Oh, how she wished she had known earlier. Perhaps she could have been more of a comfort to him.
Suddenly Breanna felt someone staring at her, and she glanced up to see the silhouette of a man lurking near the corner of the house. She drew in her breath as the man moved forward and she saw he was an Indian!
Dark eyes swept over her face as the near-naked warrior boldly approached.
"Wh—who is that?" Breanna asked, fearing it might be Black Otter.
Henrietta smiled and came to her feet. "You do not need to fear this Arapaho warrior, Breanna. He is Dakota's boyhood friend, Shadow Walker."
The Indian now stood before Breanna, his dark eyes moving over her curiously. With a smile, he said something she did not understand, but Mrs. Murphy translated for her.
"Shadow Walker wishes to say that Dakota's woman is fair of face, and he finds the color of your hair pleasing to his eyes." Mrs. Murphy laughed. "You will find the young warriors of the Arapaho have flowery words when talking to a pretty woman."
"Please tell him that I am pleased to know Dakota's friend, and ask him if he has seen my husband."
While Henrietta translated, Breanna watched the dark face, noting how intently he was listening. After he had answered, Henrietta turned back to Breanna. "Yes, he has been with Dakota. That's why he's here. It seems Dakota sent him to look after you."
"But why?"
The older woman spoke to Shadow Walker. When she met Breanna's eyes, her expression was troubled. "Shadow Walker says Dakota fears Black Otter may try to get at him through you."
The color drained out of Breanna's face, but Henrietta hastened to assure her that she would be safe in this fortress.
For two long days, Breanna waited for some word of Dakota, but she heard nothing. Fear for Dakota's safety became her constant companion. Tense and near tears, she now stood at the window of her small bedroom, glancing out the stockade gate. It seemed to her that the whole world had paused, waiting... waiting...
She saw Shadow Walker leaning against the stockade wall, his eyes alert, his hand resting on his knife. He was never far away from her. Even though Breanna knew John and Levi were also keeping an eye on her, she drew comfort from Shadow Walker's presence because Dakota had sent him to watch over her.
***
With Shadow Walker following a few paces behind, Breanna walked around the compound, hoping she would be tired enough to fall asleep that night.
When she heard shouting and saw Levi, Murphy, Baxley, and the Americans riding out the gates at breakneck speed, she was confused. John joined her near the gate, and they both watched the men disappear.
"What is wrong?" Breanna asked.
"One of the Sioux informed Mr. Murphy that the small settlement nearby was in flames," John said grimly. What he did not tell Breanna was that if it was true, they would probably be too late to be of any use to the settlers.
"You did not wish to go with them?"
"No, I'm going to stay near you. I don't like the sound of this."
"Surely you do not think that . . . Black Otter is somehow involved?"
"Who can say?" John replied as he and Breanna watched the compound gates close and the man who worked for Murphy slide the heavy bolt into place. The man then climbed upon the scaffold, where he proceeded to stand watch.
One would have thought, to glance at Shadow Walker, that he viewed all this activity with bored indifference, but not if one looked into his eyes. He was very aware of everything that went on around him. When Breanna, John, and Henrietta sat beneath the oak tree, trying to find relief from the heat, Shadow Dancer positioned himself nearby.
"I am not too sure I trust that Indian," John said suspiciously.
"Oh, you can trust Shadow Walker, and be glad that he's here," Henrietta exclaimed. "Dakota must have thought so too, or else he wouldn't have sent him."
"When do you think the men will return?" Breanna asked.
"I don't know." Henrietta's eyes met John's. "It depends on what they find."
***
Breanna waited in her bedroom for Levi's return. When darkness deepened across the land, the flames from the north could be seen glowing against the ebony sky. Hours passed, and still Levi and the others did not return. John had finally given up waiting for them and had gone to his quarters to retire for the night.
Breanna sat on the bed, tracing a pattern of the patchwork quilt with her finger, unable to sleep. There was such a silence that it was almost deafening.
Even the Sioux who had camped outside the compound had folded their tepees, loaded them on pack horses, and ridden away. It was as if they knew trouble was coming and did not want to be a part of it.
She lay back, thinking only to rest. Her mind was so troubled, and her body so weary, that she soon drifted off to sleep.
***
Breanna was awakened by a feeling of deep dread. The candle had gone out, and the room was in total darkness. Hearing one of the plank boards squeak, she froze in terror. Someone was in the room with her!
Easing herself up to a sitting position, she swung her legs off the side of the bed. She thought about calling out for help, but her throat had closed off. Suddenly she was grabbed with a viselike grip.
A hurtful hand clamped over her mouth, cutting off her breathing. A guttural voice whispered orders in her ear, orders she did not understand. She did not have to be told that Black Otter was her tormenter! Dear, God, was he going to kill her?
He violently jerked her to her feet, and she could feel the prickle of a knife at her spine.
Whimpering sounds were blocked in her throat. When Black Otter's hand moved away from her mouth, Breanna took a deep gulp of air, just before he tied a cloth over her mouth so tightly it cut into her skin.
Rough hands bound her hands and she was half dragged, half carried, toward the open window.
Breanna wondered what had happened to Shadow Walker, and why he had not come to her rescue, when her captor pulled her across a prone body and she saw that it was Dakota's friend. There was a knife sticking out of his back.
Anguished sobs were building from deep inside Breanna, and she was so frightened she could not move.
Pain exploded inside her head when Black Otter struck her with a hard object and she fell unconscious.
Breanna was not aware when Black Otter picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. Staying in the shadows of the compound, he left through an opening he had made earlier.
As Black Otter mounted his horse and rode away with Dakota's woman, he felt alive for the first time in months. Dakota would suffer much to get this woman back. Black Otter would play with him, torment him, and then when the time was right, he would kill this woman right before Dakota's eyes.
Yes, revenge would be long and sweet.
33
Shadow Walker felt his strength waning as he dragged himself across the compound. He knew he had lost a lot of blood, and weakness threatened to render him unconscious. He had to get help for Dakota's woman! Dakota had trusted him to keep her safe and he had failed. His shame hurt him almost as badly as his wound. With his last ounce of strength, he crawled to the door of the man who was Dakota's white cousin. With his last effort, Shadow Walker rapped on the door, then gave in to the darkness that claimed him.
John had been unable to sleep, and he heard the noise at the door. Thinking it might be Levi returning,
he quickly lit a candle and opened the door.
Seeing the body of Shadow Walker, and knowing what it must mean, John quickly sounded the alarm while he ran toward Breanna's quarters. When he reached Breanna's door, he flung it open and called out to her.
Advancing into the room, John shuddered with mounting dread. When he fumbled around, found the candle, and lit it, he discovered his worst fears had been realized—the room was empty. There on the bed, among the rumpled covers, was a broken lance.
Henrietta burst into the room, her long braid trailing down her back, her breath coming out in gasps. When she saw the lance, she whitened. "Black Otter has been here. He has Breanna!" she cried.
John closed his eyes, blaming himself. What could he have done differently to protect her? More importantly, what could he do to get her back? He didn't know the country, nor was he able to track anyone. "Have the others returned yet?" he asked.
"No. Our man is tending Shadow Walker. We hope he will recover with the right . . ." Her voice trailed off and tears filled her eyes. "What can we do about Breanna?"
At that moment they heard riders entering the stockade and Murphy's voice called out.
"Thank God," John said, running out of the room. "Keep in the saddle!" he yelled. "Black Otter has taken Breanna."
"That bastard," Levi spat out gruffly. "He set that fire so he would draw us off. I'm mad as hell that I fell for the oldest trick known to man."
"I didn't think he would come into my compound to take Dakota's wife" Murphy said angrily. "Let's get going before he's too far ahead. I sure as hell don't want to be the one to tell Dakota his woman is missing."
"We can't track him in the dark," Levi reasoned. "The best we can do until daylight is go in different directions and hope one of us finds some sign of them."
Everyone agreed this would be the best way. Luther, Inman, and Baxley would ride to the north, while Levi and John would cover the south. Murphy and his man took the west. "What about the east?" John asked.
"We can discount that direction. Black Otter would not be welcome on Sioux land" Levi explained.
Dakota Dreams (Historical Romance) Page 31