by Phoebe Conn
He looked sincerely distressed, and Alanna feared she was doing a very poor job of showing her love. Having also finished eating, she moved to his side. "It was your example that inspired me. I would never have found the courage to join in the fight, had you not been so brave."
Her smile was entrancing, but Hunter wasn't fooled by her flattery. "You are a very poor liar, Alanna. I think you would have tried to protect me, even if I had been on my knees pleading for my life like a coward."
Alanna sat back slightly. "I'm sure you never behave in a cowardly fashion."
"A Seneca warrior is taught to be brave."
"Can bravery be taught? Isn't courage a part of a man's character?"
"Perhaps." Wanting her more than to win the argument, Hunter slipped his hand into the thick curls at her nape to draw her close. "You are a part of me now, my heart, my soul."
As their lips met, Alanna had only a fleeting sense of the vast distance still separating them, before she was lost in the love Hunter was so anxious to give. His kisses were warm and deep, filled with the devotion he had just described, and Alanna wondered if every couple who fell in love shared the same delight in each other. She hoped they did, but for now, she was content to return Hunter's affection with no thought of others.
Seeking to bind her to him with invisible chains of love, Hunter treated Alanna with the same gentle sweetness he had shown earlier. She was an exquisite beauty, one he sincerely believed deserving of a slow, purposeful seduction. He circled her nipples with a lazy touch, his thumbnail barely brushing the fabric of her gown, until she was the one to reach for the buttons. He continued kissing her while she undid them, and then eased her out of the gray dress he had never considered becoming.
"You're as lovely as a rose," he whispered. "You should wear more colorful clothes. Blue, green, yellow, pink, lavender, colors that are as pretty as you are."
"Thank you." Alanna hesitated a moment, as she attempted to find a similar compliment to pay him. "With your golden skin and black hair, your buckskins are already perfect for you. I can't even imagine your being more handsome."
Hunter reached for the pheasant feathers she had lain aside, and threaded them into his hair. "How do I look now?"
"Like an Indian."
"No, like your Indian." Hunter slipped his hand under her chemise to caress her bare breast, and nuzzled her neck with teasing nibbles. He drew her earlobe into his mouth and traced the delicate perfection of her ear with his tongue.
"You're tickling me," she complained in a throaty giggle, but she leaned closer rather than draw away. She plucked one of the feathers from Hunter's hair, and drew it across his ribs. His deep chuckling protests simply encouraged her playfulness, and soon they were rolling over the grass, laughing, teasing, and tickling each other until the compulsion to turn their erotic game into something deeper overwhelmed them.
They cast their clothes aside, and with urgent kisses and adoring caresses, fanned passion's flames. A tall, muscular man and a lithe, graceful woman, they were a superbly matched pair, who created together a joy neither would ever have found, with another. Heightening the thrill of their loving, Hunter entered Alanna with a forceful lunge that made his possession of her, as well as hers of him, complete. He lay still as he kissed her, waiting for her body's subtle contractions to begin the ancient dance that would rock him clear to his soul.
Alanna bent her knee to caress his thigh, while her fingertips played over his back in an insistent rhythm. Hunter had expected his fair bride to be shy at first, but she had proven to be such an ardent woman, that he unleashed the strength he had held in check, and with a cadence that matched his quickening heartbeat, raced toward the ecstasy he wanted her to share. When he was certain that she had, he sought his own release deep within her.
Sated by pleasure, he believed their first day of marriage had come to a perfect end, until he glanced up and saw more than a dozen Abenaki warriors watching them from the opposite side of the lake.
Chapter 23
Pretending he hadn't seen them, Hunter ducked his head and whispered a hurried command in Alanna's ear. "On the count of three, we're going to get up and run for the trees. One, two, three!"
Although startled by his sudden change in mood, Alanna responded to his urgent tone; the instant he rolled aside and leapt to his feet, she grabbed his hand and joined him in sprinting for cover. It wasn't until they were safely hidden in the pines near their camp, that she dared look toward the lake. The Abenaki braves were now doubled over with laughter, but she doubted they would be amused for long.
"Could they be looking for Blind Snake and his friends?" she asked.
"They're too far from their homeland to be a hunting party, but they could be on their way to the Ohio Valley to fight again for the French. If they are, they would believe Blind Snake to be ahead of them. Let's hope they don't want to cross the lake to fight us."
"We have three muskets, two bows, and plenty of arrows," Alanna planned aloud. "If we keep moving as we fire at them, they might mistake the two of us for part of a much larger number, and flee."
Hunter's eyes widened in dismay. "You want to attack them?"
Alanna made a fast tally of the Abenaki braves. "There are fifteen of them, and only two of us. Attacking them would be suicidal, but if they attack us, we'll have to confuse them long enough to get away. Can you reach our clothes?"
Hunter looked up to gauge the angle of the setting sun before shaking his head. Two of the Abenaki, holding their muskets aloft, had waded out into the lake. Their companions were now laughing at them, and he hoped sufficiently distracted for him to grab his weapons, if not the clothes they had left scattered about. Staying low, he left the trees only long enough to fetch his bow and quiver, along with the quiver belonging to the slain Abenaki.
When he returned to Alanna's side, he fit the nock of one of the Abenaki's arrows in his bowstring. "If they come more than halfway, I'm going to kill them," he vowed. "The others won't risk staying out in the open long enough to cross the lake."
"Perhaps not, but they can fire on us from the other side."
"That doesn't mean they'll hit us! Now hush."
Crouched beside the naked Indian, Alanna knew their lack of clothes was the least of their worries, but while she had been flattered to be described as a wood sprite, she didn't want to have to run through the forest looking like one. She too judged the angle of the sun, and feared it was not going to set soon enough to save them. "Oh, no, now another brave's coming across!"
Hunter gripped his bow more tightly. He could tell from the carelessness of the brave's actions that they did not perceive a pair of lovers as a threat. He intended to take every advantage of that mistake, and waited for them to reach the middle of the river. "When they fall," he whispered, "gather up our clothes as quickly as you can. You bring them, and I'll carry the other things, until it's safe to stop and dress."
Alanna nodded. Her chemise and drawers were within easy reach of his breechclout, leggings, and moccasins, but her dress would take another few steps to retrieve. She'd not been wearing the belt and knife, nor her stockings and boots, but the few articles she would have to pick up looked dreadfully far away. "I'll do it," she promised, but she was now shaking so badly she didn't really see how.
Hunter kept his eyes on the Abenaki wading across the lake. Their friends on the shore were shouting encouragement, but the three braves were having difficulty battling the current. One turned back, but the other two kept on coming. Their arms raised, their chests presented perfect targets, and Hunter took careful aim. A few more steps and they would either be defeated by the depth and current, or the distinctive arrows of their own tribe.
Alanna held her breath as the two braves fought their way across the southern tip of Lake Sacandaga. Swollen by melting snow, the water swirled around them, but they were strong young men who apparently relished a challenge. She felt Hunter grab for a second arrow almost in the same instant his first pierced the che
st of the closest brave. The wounded man's companion was hit a split second later. From where Alanna was watching, they appeared to have merely stumbled and been caught by the current, for at one moment they were standing upright, and in the next they were swept away.
Fooled by Hunter's silent assault, the Abenaki observing from the shore believed their friends had merely lost their footing. Unaware of the braves' true peril, most again burst into laughter, while only a couple waded out into the lake to help them. Eager to get away, Alanna dashed out to fetch their clothes, while Hunter gathered up everything else. He threw her shawl on the ground, tossed on all it would hold, then grabbed the ends of the woolen square to form a bundle. With the muskets slung over his shoulder, he then led the way into the woods.
While she did not recall falling, Alanna had favored her bruised knee all day, and she was soon not only out of breath, but linking badly. When Hunter finally stopped, she sank to the ground with the armful of clothing still in her grasp. Hunter quickly donned his clothes, and then helped her on with hers. He brushed the pine needles from her feet, before slipping on her stockings and boots.
"Here, take Elliott's knife. You know how to use it. By the time the Abenaki discover what really happened to the pair in the lake, it will be too dark for them to come after us. We're going to have to walk all night, though. Try and keep up with me. I don't want you to get lost."
While he helped her to her feet, Alanna swayed slightly, but then caught herself. "Let me carry something, the bag of jerky and my shawl at least."
"No, you'll need all your strength just to keep moving." He brushed her lips with a light kiss, turned away, and started off at an easy lope.
Alanna knew Hunter could run for hours, days perhaps, but she had an increasingly difficult time keeping up with him. She soon had to stop and grab hold of a tree trunk for support while she caught her breath, but she thought she could push off again before Hunter was lost from sight. The light was fading so rapidly, however, that before she realized what had happened, he was gone. She called to him, but still breathless, her voice echoed faintly off the trees surrounding her. The peaceful silence of the forest at twilight remained unbroken.
Bent on leading his bride to safety, Hunter did not turn back to look for Alanna until the darkness made it impossible for him to see her in a quick glance over his shoulder. He came to a halt, and waited a moment for her to catch up with him, then realized that she had fallen more than a few paces behind. He couldn't call out to her without revealing his position, and thereby also jeopardizing hers.
He had attempted to sound convincing when he had told her they would not be followed, but he was not at all certain that the thirteen surviving Abenaki braves weren't trailing them at that very moment. In the gathering dusk, the terrain he had just crossed took on a menacing gloom, and memories of the nightmares he'd suffered while feverish came cascading back in heady waves of fear. There were no evil demons lurking in this forest, but there could easily be Abenaki braves, whose deeds would be doubly cruel. He had been eager to put as much distance between them and the Abenaki as he could, but he had not meant to run off and leave his bride to fend for herself.
Forcing himself to be calm, he retraced his steps. When he had traveled fifty feet or so, he began to call to Alanna in a hushed whisper, but there was no reply. Stealth was an important consideration, but finding her was imperative. Unable to think of a better idea, Hunter took out his flint and, after searching in the dark for dry branches, lit a small fire. Hoping that Alanna would see the glow, he waited a few minutes and then added more wood.
Once Hunter had disappeared, Alanna had been afraid to move, for fear she would stray off the path he had been following. Her knee was aching badly now and, frightened as well as hurting, she began to sob. She heard a small animal shuffling by, a raccoon perhaps, and rested her hand lightly on the hilt of Elliott's knife. Hunter had told her to travel south should they become separated, but she would be unable to set that course until dawn, when the sun would guide her way.
Feeling utterly defeated, she sank to the ground and prayed that Hunter would soon come for her. She knew she was an awful nuisance to him, but she had tried to match his pace, and simply hadn't been able to do so. Staring off into the forest, she saw a glimmer of light and, intrigued, stumbled to her feet. She doubted Hunter would have lit a fire, but praying whoever had would prove friendly, she started toward it.
Hunter heard only a soft rustling of leaves and, not daring to again call Alanna's name, he stepped out of the circle of light thrown by the fire, and waited to see who was approaching. Half-expecting one of the snarling demons from his nightmare, he had to suppress a loud whoop of joy when he caught sight of his bride. He came forward to greet her. She looked so forlorn that it broke his heart.
"I'm sorry," Alanna began. "I tried to keep up, but—"
Hunter stilled her apology with a kiss. "The fault is mine, not yours," he assured her. "Do you need to rest awhile?"
"No, I'm afraid if I stop, I won't be able to get up again."
Hunter turned away to throw dirt on the fire and extinguished it. "This day has been too long for us both. We'll just walk from here, and when you need to stop for the night, we will."
"But we can't stop."
"If we can't even find each other, the Abenaki won't be able to find us. Stop worrying, and let's go." This time Hunter took her firmly by the hand and shortened his stride to match hers. He had to be brave for her, but just being with her again gave him courage.
* * *
Stretched across Hunter's lap, Alanna slept soundly until the first rays of the morning sun grew too bright to ignore. She stirred slightly, but because Hunter was still sleeping, she chose to snuggle against him rather than stand up and stretch. They had walked for hours before stopping, and she hoped they would not have too much farther to go that day to reach the trading post.
Easily frightened, she grew tense when she heard a whistle that sounded too shrill to come from the birds who had begun to sing before dawn. She hoped it was merely her own nervousness rather than imminent peril, and attempted to listen carefully and analyze what she heard. Fully alert when the whistle came again, she was positive it was answered by a human voice speaking a language she didn't know.
"Hunter," she whispered. He opened his eyes, and she reached up to silence any response he might have made with her fingertips, then gestured toward the path that lay just a few feet away. "Someone's coming," she mouthed silently.
Hunter slid her off his lap, and then quickly surveyed the spot they had chosen to rest. He had purposely left the trail to provide them with a secluded hiding place, but now that he saw how little cover they really had, he pointed toward a cluster of blackberry vines and signaled for Alanna to follow him. Still carrying their weapons, he stayed low as he circled the vines, and when she joined him, he pulled her close.
"If it's the Abenaki searching for us, I'll let them pass and take another route back to the trading post. If they see us, I'll kill as many as I can, while you get away. Then I'll follow you."
"Don't ask me to leave you. Let's both go now."
"They're too close, they'd hear us. Don't argue with me about this, Alanna. I owe you my life, and I intend to safeguard yours."
Alanna reached for one of the muskets. "Is this loaded?" she asked.
"Yes," Hunter assured her.
Alanna swallowed hard. She had had no choice about shooting Blind Snake, but she prayed these Abenaki would not force her to kill again.
Impressed by her confidence, Hunter gave her a quick kiss and picked up his bow and an arrow. "Pray they don't see us," he whispered.
Alanna was already doing that, but she crouched even lower, desperately trying to make herself invisible. There was another whistle, this time much closer, and she was so frightened she had to remind herself to breathe. She dared not faint when the Abenaki would pass by so close she could almost reach out and touch them.
When the Abenaki
at last came into view, they were traveling in a single file, spread out with several paces between them. The first man was moving slowly, scanning the trail before he took each step, but if he had been following their tracks, he missed seeing the place where they had turned east to stop for the night. He kept right on going past them. The next man in line glanced neither to the right nor left, and their hiding place remained undiscovered.
Peeking through the vines, Alanna began to count, three, four, five, as the Abenaki braves continued to stream by. It was the seventh man who gave a shout and started for them, but Hunter grabbed Alanna's wrist to stop her from firing. Terrified, she watched the brave bend down to peer into the vines. He was so close, she thought he could probably hear the frantic pounding of her heart, but Hunter remained motionless, and she followed his example. Her knee had begun to ache again and holding her cramped pose grew increasingly difficult, but the Abenaki brave persisted in his lazy perusal of the vines.
That his friends had kept on going rather than join the curious brave gave Alanna hope that he had not signaled a warning, but expecting to be sighted any second, she was nearly limp from anxiety by the time he straightened up and followed the others down the path. She set the musket aside and collapsed against Hunter. "I thought he would see us for sure. Was he just looking for berries?"
Equally exhausted by worry, Hunter sat down and tried to catch his breath. "Yes, that's why I let him live. Fortunately, none of these vines' berries were ripe enough to pick, or they might all have decided to join us for breakfast. Luck is still with us."
Alanna wasn't sure luck had all that much to do with it, but as composed as she was likely to get, she got to her feet. "You said you knew another way back to the trading post?"
Amazed that she had recovered so quickly from such a terrible scare, Hunter also rose. They still had some of the venison jerky left, and he handed her a strip. "Better eat this. To avoid the Abenaki, we'll have to swing farther to the north. It'll be a longer trip. Can you make it?"