Grace stiffened and wiped her tears on the back of her hands. She glared at Green Eyes. “We did nothing to them. My family came here to be close to the Black Hills. Papa claimed others found gold there, and we planned on living in our wagon until he found enough gold to build our house. Those murdering savages came from nowhere, whooping and shouting, their faces painted, their weapons ready. They shot my papa, Mama, and my brother. I tried to run, but there was nowhere to hide. Mama screamed... It was awful.” She covered her ears, as if trying to block the sound from her memory. “I still hear her.”
Tears streaked her dirty face, and her body shuddered with renewed sobs.
Green Eyes’ heart ached for the poor child. She moved closer and put her arms around her. “Hush. Try not to think about it now. Once we get you cleaned up, you will feel better.”
Grace’s incessant crying paused. “I’ll never feel better as long as I have to be in the company of savages!” She collapsed into tears once again.
Obviously upset by Grace’s tone, Little Cloud bolted from the lodge. Green Eyes didn’t try to stop him. She’d explain things to him later, but now Grace needed her… and she needed to convince Grace the Lakota weren’t the savages she believed them to be. But how, after all she’d been through?
Green Eyes tried to draw the conversation away from Grace’s painful memories. “I understand you are upset, but I am not your enemy. I can help fix your dress or lend you one of mine. It is your choice. Should I stay or go?”
Grace kept her head down, her face hidden in her hands.
Green Eyes stood.
“Wait! Don’t go...please,” Grace pleaded, grabbing the hem of Green Eyes’ dress.
A smile tugged at her lips. “I will stay if that is what you want.” She reached for Grace’s hands and pulled her to her feet. “Let me have a look at that dress and see what I can do.” Green Eyes inspected the ragged fabric and shook her head. “I am sorry, I cannot repair the damage, but at least we can wash away some of this dirt you wear.”
* * *
Crossing to the buffalo bladder hanging on the wall, Green Eyes squeezed water onto a soft cloth. She turned and washed dirt from Grace’s face. “There, that must feel better. I will fetch my brush and fix your hair.” She stood back and surveyed Grace’s form. “We look to be the same size, so I will bring you one of my dresses.”
She grasped Grace’s left hand and turned it palm up. “First, let me clean those blisters. Rain Woman makes a wonderful, healing salve. I will ask her for some.”
Little Elk returned. Seeing him, Grace fell to the floor and assumed the same pathetic knee-hugging position she was in earlier.
He held open the tepee flap. “You have been here long enough, Green Eyes. You must go now.”
She furrowed her brow. “I have no idea what has happened to you. You are not the person I thought I knew. Why are you acting so angry and suspicious?”
He said nothing, simply motioned for her to leave.
* * *
Green Eyes pondered her brief meeting with Grace and hoped she had said something helpful. Would Little Elk allow his captive to have a clean dress… have her hair brushed? His behavior bordered on cruelty. She fought the urge to rush back to his lodge, but thought better of her decision. Instead, she filled her wicker basket with laundry and started for the river. Keeping busy would occupy her mind.
She knelt on the bank and pounded the last piece of clothing against a flat rock, then threw the wet shirt into her basket. She stood and surveyed her shriveled hands. The water had turned so much colder in the last month her fingers were half frozen. She rubbed her palms together for warmth.
Drawn by the distant honking of geese, Green Eyes scanned the sky. A formation of birds migrating southward passed overhead—another indication winter loomed.
The hills would be colder. She recalled having to break through ice to do laundry, but still with all the heated talk of war and hatred against whites, she preferred the mountains to the prairie. Tomorrow, the mourning period for the deceased would begin. Anguished cries of death would again fill the air and sour the usual good mood of the people. Dread filled her heart. Maybe when the tribe was safe in the hollow of the mountains, there would be no more needless loss of life. She brushed loose prairie grass from her skirt.
Crossing the compound, she balanced the laundry basket on her hip with one hand and shielded her eyes with the other to admire another flock of southbound birds. What was it like to fly...to be lost in the blue sky with such a sensation of freedom?
A scream pierced the air. She spun and gasped. Little Elk yanked Grace along behind him, her wrists tethered. The poor girl dug in her heels, which only made her captor scowl and tug harder. Green Eyes shook her head. Where would the young woman run if he freed her? What possessed Little Elk to act this way?
She tossed the laundry basket inside the tepee, then against her better judgment urging her not to interfere, she strode over to him and stood toe-to-toe. “I know it is not my place to question you, but—”
He stuck his hand in her face. “You are right, Green Eyes. It is not your place. Step aside. I take the captive to bathe.”
Green Eyes stood firm. “And that is not your place! You know only women are allowed to bathe alone. Grace may be your captive, but she’s still a human being.”
“Grace? Who is this Grace?”
Green eyes tightened her jaw at his attitude. “The terrified girl behind you. If you had taken the time to ask, she might have told you.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “Her name will be what Black Crow says. He will decide what she will be called.”
“Little Elk, I have no idea why you are acting this way.” She sighed. “Please, trust me to take Grace to bathe. As you see, her dress is dirty and torn, and her hair needs tending. Please, I beg you. I will be responsible for her.”
“Responsible for taking her away from me perhaps.” His lips thinned.
She shook her head. “I have no authority to question your rights. That is for our chief and the Council of Elders to decide. I am concerned only with your captive. Can you not see how frightened she is?”
* * *
Before he answered, he scanned the area as if making sure no one watched then turned a cold gaze on her. “I will trust you this time, Green Eyes, but return her to me as soon as she has bathed and changed or…” His steely gaze completed his sentence.
He handed her the tether and stormed away.
As soon as Green Eyes removed the restraining leather bands, Grace rubbed the reddened skin on her wrists. “Thank you,” she muttered.
Green Eyes motioned. “Come, it is time for you to bathe.
They stopped first at Green Eyes’ lodge to find something to replace the tattered rags Grace wore, then on to Rain Woman’s for the healing salve. Curious stares from tribal members they passed along the way kept Grace withdrawn and her jaw visibly tense.
“When I first came here, they looked at me in the same way.” Green Eyes attempted to ease the girl’s fear. “It is because you are a stranger—not because they mean you harm.”
Grace looked at her with a raised brow. “Why did you come here?”
Green Eyes sat on the riverbank and patted a place next to her. “It’s a long story, and one I will gladly share, but first, you bathe. I promised Little Elk I would get you back as quickly as possible.”
Grace knelt, leaned over the water, and cupped her hands, allowing the crystal clear liquid to pool in them. She dipped her face into her palms and melted away the traces of dirt and tears. Using the soft cloth Green Eyes offered, she patted her skin dry.
“Allow me to wash your hair for you.” Green Eyes fingered a dirty strand. “The water will be cold at first, but I will hurry.”
Grace leaned and dipped her tresses into the river while Green Eyes unwrapped the last treasured piece of lavender soap she had brought along from her prairie home. It was one luxury she coveted, but Grace needed it far more.
Green Eyes wet her hands and rubbed them together, producing a sweet-smelling lather, which she worked through Grace’s hair. While rinsing away the soap, she shuddered, noticing the crimson welts all along Grace’s pale shoulders. She wanted to question her, but the poor thing had finally stopped shaking.
After a chilly rinse, Green Eyes tugged a brush through the damp tangles. “That must feel much better. You have lovely hair. Such a beautiful color.”
Her mind drifted back to the welts. Who had caused them? Little Elk? She shook her head. Though he acted so much different from the young brave she thought she knew, surely, he couldn’t be cruel enough to beat someone so innocent and helpless.
Grace flung her hair from side to side, scattering droplets of water in all directions. Her face flinched with pain, and she caressed her shoulder. “Thank you for all you’ve done. I do feel better.” Her half-hearted smile wasn’t at all convincing.
She didn’t mention the welts.
When Grace was ready, she’d talk. Green Eyes had no intention of upsetting her again. She pointed to the folded dress on the bank. “After you bathe, you can put on something clean.”
Grace’s eyes widened. She shook her head. “Surely, you don’t expect me to undress out here where everyone can see me. Heavens no! I won’t do it.”
Green Eyes thought back her to own days of being modest and grinned. “I used to feel the same way until I got used to bathing with others around. But I understand. Just wash up, and you can change in the privacy of my lodge.”
Given time, Grace might adopt the tribe’s same casual attitude toward nudity, but in the meantime, Green Eyes intended to be as patient as Lone Eagle had been with her.
* * *
She waited while Grace washed only her exposed parts. When she finished, she looked more refreshed; not nearly as pathetic as she had with her hair hanging in muddy strands and streaks marring her face. Green Eyes pulled Grace to her feet, being careful with her injuries. “After I put salve on your wrists and feet, and you change into something decent, perhaps Little Elk will forgo the tether and give your wounds time to heal.”
The borrowed dress fit Grace well, and her hair sparkled like golden nuggets in the sunlight. The improvement brought a pleasant look of surprise to Little Elk’s face when he met them outside his lodge. Leaving Grace in his care, Green Eyes started to leave, took a few steps, but turned back. “You see, she can manage fine without restraints. She walked to the river, to my lodge, and back here with no problem. I have tended to the burns on her wrists and the blisters on her hands and feet, so please—”
“I am not blind. I see what you tell me.” He glared at Grace. “I will not bind you again, but I warn you, do not try to escape.” He spoke in English as Green Eyes had taught him.
Grace stared at the ground and said nothing.
He shoved her toward the lodge opening. “It is time for you to make my dinner.”
The young girl cast a pleading look at Green Eyes, but there was nothing she could do but smile. “Good night, Grace. I look forward to seeing you soon.”
Searching for encouragement, she scanned Little Elk’s face, but he pushed Grace inside and ducked in after her.
* * *
Someone called her name. Green Eyes poked her head through the flap and found Little Elk and Grace waiting outside.
“Good morning,” she said. “This is a pleasant surprise.”
“Hau! I bring Grace to stay with you while I join the hunting party.”
“Of course.” She blinked in amazement. “I’d love to spend time with her. And…good luck on your hunt.”
His attitude had changed since Grace first came to stay with him. Until now, he had insisted Green Eyes keep her distance, but this morning, he almost seemed eager to leave Grace in her care. Evidently, being confined with his captive’s anger and frustration was taking a toll. Regardless of what caused Little Elk’s change of heart, Green Eyes welcomed the girl’s company.
Chapter Seven
After Little Elk left, the two women walked to a sparse stand of ash trees next to the river. The once lush green blades had already faded to brown, and a patchwork of fall colors covered the ground. A light breeze fluttered the few leaves remaining on the overhead branches. Neither woman spoke, but stared at the slow moving current that sparkled in the sunlight. An occasional fish leapt into the air and fell back into the water, leaving a ripple in an otherwise satiny surface.
“How did you come to live with the Sioux?” Grace broke the silence. “You promised to tell me.”
How could she make Grace understand she’d willingly given up her white family? Green Eyes thought for a moment. “My story is hard to explain, but I chose to come here with Lone Eagle when my first husband, Walt, traveled a great distance to get supplies and failed to return. I waited for over a month, and with winter approaching I had no choice. I did not plan on falling in love with Lone Eagle, and was surprised I did so easily.”
“You mean you came here freely… never tried to escape?”
“I was never a prisoner here. Lone Eagle allowed me to make my own choice. When a trader came to camp wearing Walt’s belt buckle, and I discovered he was still alive, I tried going back, but he and my parents could not accept that I had been with the Lakota. Besides, I missed Lone Eagle and Little Cloud far more than you can imagine. My decision to return here was the hardest choice I ever had to make, but the best. I didn’t bother with divorce because Walt and I both knew I would never return.”
Grace’s lips thinned as she listened. She turned a steely gaze on Green Eyes. “I don’t understand how you could walk away from a man you married… and your parents, the very people who brought you into this world. To live with savages? How could you? Especially if you had a choice.”
The bitterness in her voice stung.
She touched Grace’s arm. “I know this is hard for you to understand. I had to go home in order to discover I truly belong here. My place will always be with Lone Eagle.”
Grace jerked away from her. Her sky blue eyes turned icy cold. “I’ll never love a savage. I’ll try to escape till the day I die.” She stiffened, her hands fisted. “I hate Black Crow and Little Elk for what they did to my family. They destroyed everyone who loved me and took away my home.” Tears spilled down her freckled cheeks.
Green Eyes put her arm around Grace’s shoulder and pulled her close. “Go ahead and cry. It will help you heal.”
* * *
Little Elk relented and allowed his captive to spend more time with Green Eyes as days passed. Grace began to understand more about the Lakota tribe, but at times, like today, her confusion was evident. Green Eyes engaged Grace’s help in dismantling Little Elk’s lodge for the migration and she couldn’t understand why only the women were responsible for the chore.
She struggled to remove one of the wooden lodge pins holding the outer covering together and the effort overwhelmed her. She ceased pulling and stomped her foot. “I just get used to living here, and now we have to move,” she complained. “Why?”
“It is something we do every year.” Green Eyes maintained her patience. “The mountains provide shelter from the harsh winds and freezing cold of the prairie. The flat land may be beautiful in the spring, but can be deadly during the winter.”
“Well, I still don’t know why we have to take down his tepee? This should be a man’s job.”
Green Eyes laughed and shook her head while working to secure the lodge’s willow poles to the packhorse. She straightened. “No, this is not man’s work. The women own the lodges. When a man marries, he moves from his mother’s home into his wife’s. The only reason Little Elk has his own tepee is because his parents are both dead. He could stay with his grandmother, Singing Sparrow, but this lodge holds memories of his mother.”
Grace knelt and rolled several hides together. She glanced up at Green Eyes. “How did his parents die? Did someone kill them like he killed mine?” Sarcasm tinged her voice.
Grace nodded. “Yes, Little Elk told me. But how did his mother die?”
Green Eyes sighed. “That is another very long story, and one I prefer to save for another day.”
“Fine.” Grace stood and smacked the dirt from her skirt. “I’m tired anyhow. I’ll be so happy when we’re done here.”
Green Eyes led the packhorse closer. “I am sorry to hear that. When we are finished loading Little Elk’s things, you can help me with mine.”
Grace’s shoulders sagged, and she released a loud sigh.
* * *
Nearly midday, Green Eyes stood with Grace and scanned the dissected village. “Hard to believe more than a hundred lodges stood here just hours ago, and now nothing but circles of matted grass prove they were even here.”
Grace pointed to a nearby horse. “Once everything is packed, Little Elk’s belongings don’t amount to very much, do they.”
“Maybe you don’t see what I see. By using the lodge poles to build the travois and then re-using them when we get to our winter camp, we travel lightly. But, we have everything we need.”
“Papa could barely fit everything we had into our wagon. I remember the day we packed to move as if it was yesterday.” Grace’s eyes misted.
Green Eyes sighed. “I know how painful dredging up memories from the past can be. When I married Walt, I left behind most all my belongings. It took me a while to learn to live without the things I was used to having around, and you will, too. So, let us talk of something more pleasant. Today is the day I have awaited. I am in a good mood and do not wish to spoil it.”
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