Sweet Savage Heart

by Janelle Taylor

  Anger flared briefly in Travis’s leafy green eyes, but he quickly suppressed it. “I am half Lakota, Lone Wolf. I do not wish to see my mother’s people massacred. The whites are wrong to take Indian lands and lives. Many whites and bluecoats are bad; they seek to kill any Indian, even women and children and the old ones. The whites are countless, Lone Wolf, and I see great suffering and death for many Lakotas. The bluecoat war chiefs and soldiers battled another white enemy with numbers and weapons greater than those the Lakotas possess, and they won a painful victory. They are powerful warriors, Lone Wolf. They carry hatred for the Indian and hunger for his lands in their hearts and minds. As a stormy river, they cannot be halted or controlled. If you cannot make honorable peace, you must have weapons for your battles and hunts so your people can live. The old ones must not suffer in their last days or die on land far from the sacred hills. The women must not mourn the deaths of sons and husbands who are defenseless against the soldiers’ fire sticks and longknives or be left to the charity of others who have little themselves. And what of the children? Must they suffer or grow under the shadow of white fear or be denied their lands and heritage? Must they be raised as slaves of the white-eyes?”

  Travis fused his gaze to Lone Wolf’s so the warrior could read his honesty and sincerity, praying that Lone Wolf did not know of his dishonor long ago. “I will help you get the supplies to make this war even. This very sun, many supply wagons are unloading at the Chambers Trading Post, two days’ ride from your camp. We saw this with our metal eyes but did not ride close, for we wished no whites to learn of our journey to the Oglala camp. Nate and I will ride there with the money. The white traders are greedy. If they ask why we buy the supplies, we will tell them for friends to defend their lives and lands. Since we are white, they will not suspect that we buy them for your people. You must use them to fight soldiers, Lone Wolf, not innocent whites who have been tricked into coming here. Defeat the soldiers and make it impossible for settlers to exist on your lands, and they will return to theirs or push further west. Prove you are a man of honor and mercy by driving whites from your lands alive.”

  “I am to trust you with such a deed and plan?” Lone Wolf asked.

  “As I trusted you with my life this sun. Send a band of your best warriors to guard us with the money and to guard the supplies after we purchase them. When we bring them to your camp, you will give the white captive to her grandfather. Do we make trade?” the green-eyed man asked. Travis knew about the 1830 Indian Removal Act, the 1851 Indian Appropriation Act, the numerous worthless treaties, and the many brutal massacres of Indian camps, so he knew why Lone Wolf was reluctant to trust him or any white man, even if he did have a past reputation and identity as a renowned warrior.

  The Sioux chief was intrigued. “Tell me of the white captive you risked your life and honor to seek. How do you know we have her?”

  Without his awareness, Lone Wolf’s expression responded to the shocking words of Travis Kincade as he related the tale of the Kiowa capture of Rana Michaels eleven years ago and revealed the details of the enlightening visit and the paintings of artist Thomas Mallory. “She lives with the Oglala people as the adopted daughter of Soaring Hawk. She is called Wild Wind,” he explained. Motioning to Nathan, Travis said, “Her grandfather has come to bargain for her release. She is of his blood and belongs with him.”

  Lone Wolf said with a sneer, “You wish Lone Wolf to sell his own sister? What trick is this? The fires in White Eagle’s head and heart now burn with the black fires of evil and betrayal. My sister belongs with her people. She is to join with Rides-Like-Thunder of the Cheyenne. Why do you seek to help the bluecoats buy her? What do they want with Wild Wind? I should slay you where you stand.”

  Travis was relieved when Lone Wolf did not mention his traitorous father, for he felt only shame and disgust for Jeremy Kincade’s betrayal of his mother, Pretty Bird Woman, and her people. Travis had been ensnared and dishonored by his father’s treachery, for he had ridden innocently with him that black day that had ended so tragically for his mother and many Hunkpapas. For a long time he had carried the bitterness, cynicism, and stigma of his father’s actions. If a man could not trust, respect, and love his own father, how could he inspire such feelings in other men? he had wondered. But Nathan had taught him how to deal with those destructive emotions. Returning to these lands placed his life in peril, for the Hunkpapas would influence the Oglalas not to trust the son of Jeremy Kincade and would probably seek to slay him. Years ago he had tried in vain to clear his name and had barely escaped with his life. That burden still rode with him; yet there was no way to wash the black stain from his face, for all of the guilty ones no longer existed.

  Travis replied in a measured tone that concealed his anger, “No, Lone Wolf, she is not your sister. Nathan wishes to have returned to him what is his, what Soaring Hawk took from the Kiowas and the Kiowas took from my friend, Nathan Crandall, who saved my life and has been as a father to me for seven winters. There is no deceit in our hearts and words. His heart filled with joy when he looked upon her painted face. I have seen the face of his daughter, Marissa; it is as Wild Wind’s reflection on the surface of the water. I speak true; she is his granddaughter. He begged me to come to speak with my Lakota brothers for him. We come in peace, Lone Wolf. We have no quarrel with my Oglala brothers. We do not seek to trick or endanger Wild Wind or your people. She is the child of Nathan’s daughter who was slain by the Kiowas. His heart burns only with love and hunger for her.”

  When the warrior remained quiet, Travis continued, “The bluecoats do not know of our visit to the Oglalas. He has come prepared to reward the Oglalas for their kind treatment and acceptance of his granddaughter and for her rescue from the Kiowas. If you love Wild Wind as we have been told, you will desire only her happiness and safety. We have seen and heard of the increased hostilities between the white man and all Indians, and you have spoken of them. Wild Wind is white. She is not safe here.” Travis then recounted the many perils that could befall Rana from the whites and the Indians. “You are chief and your people are at war. Who will protect your sister if you are slain? Would she be safe here or in the Cheyenne camp? No. Let her return to her home and family, Lone Wolf. We will protect her and love her.”

  “How can you know my sister is the female you seek?”

  Travis explained about the scar on Rana’s ankle and the birthmark on her left arm. He pointed out the girls’ matching histories, ages, and looks. “You know she is Rana Michaels,” Travis stated firmly. “Just as you knew she must leave your people and lands one day,” he added to test a suspicion of his. “That day has come.”

  Lone Wolf eyed the mixed-blooded male with renewed interest. The man’s eyes and statements were startingly direct and confident. There was an air about Travis that could cause other men to be consumed with fear or to feel challenged. Yet Lone Wolf was not a man of fear or rashness. Seemingly without trying, the white man had used a tone of voice that suggested he was capable of challenging and defeating almost any foe or peril. Lone Wolf’s mind filled with respect for the other man. Yes, he recalled this half-white warrior and his legendary prowess. He knew Travis was speaking the truth and was offering him a tempting path to help his people. Was this the path of destiny that had been calling to his sister for many years? Should he force her feet upon it? He glanced at Nathan Crandall and requested, “Lel usi yo.”

  Travis told Nathan, “He wants you to come over here. Don’t worry, Nate; he can be trusted. Nothing’s settled yet, but he’s willing to discuss a trade.” Travis quickly revealed the warrior’s identity, his rank, and the fact that Soaring Hawk was dead. Nathan stepped forward to join them. The two white men stood side by side eyeing the powerful chief.

  Lone Wolf slipped from his horse’s back. To convince his warriors that there was no danger and to express his lack of fear to the white men, he rested his lance and shield on a nearby rock, then removed his bow and quiver to place them with his discarded weapo
ns. He faced them and, as he did so, instantly decided that his sister favored the older man, especially in the coloring of the eyes. In fluent English, Lone Wolf inquired casually, “What will you do if I refuse to bargain with my sister’s freedom? Our peoples are at war.”

  “If you do not accept our offer in exchange for Rana, I will try to steal her from your tepee. If I fail, her grandfather will bargain with the Army to fight for her release. Do not force me to battle my brothers for what we know is right for all concerned.”

  “What if I order my warriors to slay you and your father friend? Why do you not challenge for Wild Wind in the Lakota way?”

  Travis gently seized Nathan’s arm and shook his head in warning when the older man started to interrupt. He smiled affectionately and encouragingly at him, then answered the warrior in Oglala for privacy. “My friend’s protection and happiness come first in my heart, for he has given me love and acceptance as no other has. I am as his son. It would pain him deeply to cause my death while seeking the return of his loved one. He is getting old and needs me at his side. If I challenge for her, then she is mine, not her grandfather’s. I seek to marry no woman until love is a strong bond between us. We came under truce. If you slay us, your face would be stained with dishonor. If I challenge for Wild Wind, her bargain price and all it buys will be lost to you and your people. Accept our offer, Lone Wolf, for we will not leave the Dakota Territory without her. You must trust me. If I were a man of lost honor and hate, I would have entrapped and slain you and your warriors.”

  Lone Wolf grinned, for he knew Travis could have and would have done exactly as he had said, and probably would have succeeded. The warrior was cunning and astute. He knew Travis’s words were not a threat; they were a sincere warning, a statement of fact. He could tell that the two white men were determined to regain the white girl who had lived as his sister for ten winters. Lone Wolf knew he could refuse Nathan’s and Travis’s demands and offers, that he could slay both men. But these were men of courage and honor, despite their white skin, and they were offering something his people needed desperately.

  Lone Wolf sat and crossed his legs. He had many responsibilities on his shoulders. He needed a clear head for planning their defense against the awesome white attack that was sure to come soon. Worries over his sister constantly clouded his reason and provoked his anger and impatience. He needed the weapons, supplies, and money that Nathan was offering for her recovery. He needed Wild Wind’s future settled. Undeniably, Wild Wind was Rana Michaels, and Rana was white. Perhaps she belonged with her true family, away from these conflicts between the Indian and white man. Perhaps the Great Spirit had sent this solution to him, for White Eagle had lived in both worlds and could help his sister adjust to her old life. Lone Wolf could not help but wonder what Wild Wind would say and do. Perhaps, he mused, it would be best for all if White Eagle and Wild Wind were joined…

  Travis sat down before Lone Wolf. Black eyes locked with green ones. Travis could tell that the warrior was considering his offer seriously. Yet an air of mystery and a hint of amusement exuded from the warrior, which he tried to comprehend. Travis pressed his advantage by reiterating why Rana should be sent home and why Lone Wolf needed to accept their bargain. Recalling a fact mentioned earlier, he inquired, “Has the joining ceremony been announced for Rana and Rides-Like-Thunder? Is that why you hesitate or refuse to bargain?”

  The chief answered candidly, “Many have asked for Wild Wind, but she has rejected all warriors. She threatens to leave our camp if I force her to join on the full moon. She bluffs Lone Wolf; she has no place to go that offers safety and happiness, and she is too proud to disobey before the eyes of our people. She is to choose her mate or leave by the Sun Dance, or I will bind her to my Cheyenne friend. What if my sister refuses to go with her grandfather? What if she chooses Rides-Like-Thunder or another warrior over him?”

  Travis smiled at the amusing and strangely pleasing revelations. “She has been raised Oglala, Lone Wolf; she will obey the commands of her chief and brother. Do not give her a choice. Order her to return home with Nathan. Explain the bargain to her; ask her to sacrifice herself for the survival of her Oglala brother and people.” Lone Wolf winced and frowned noticeably. “Such a brave and unselfish deed should make her proud and happy, perhaps earn her a tribal feast and coup, perhaps a special medicine wheel for her fiery hair,” Travis suggested cleverly.

  Lone Wolf laughed. He recalled how she had earned her last one by defiantly trailing a hunting party, then warning them of a white ambush in time to crush their foes. “White Eagle has not forgotten the ways of the fox,” the warrior remarked, complimenting his cunning. He liked this half-white male, who he was beginning to think might make a good match for his sister. “Wild Wind was raised Oglala, but she carries white blood that makes her stubborn and defiant, as White Eagle was long ago. You have changed, my Hunkpapa friend. You have found peace and honor and acceptance in your new life. Would it be the same for my sister? Can you make her white again? Can I force her to obey me in this? Many times her Indian heart wars with her white skin. If she does not remember her grandfather, she will not wish to return to him. She might fear leaving with strangers to go far from the people she knows and loves. In truth, she desires to be a warrior, not a woman. If I agree to your trade, White Eagle, do you have the strength, cunning, and patience to tame a wild wind for her grandfather?”

  Travis scowled in annoyance, dreading to learn if Rana had inherited any of her mother’s bad traits or if she were anything like the twenty-eight-year-old Clarissa Caldwell, who could pass for twenty-three. Considering their personalities, it was no wonder those two Texas vixens had become close friends during Marissa’s last few visits home, even though Marissa had been ten years older than Clarissa. Lordy, even their names rhymed! he reflected sardonically. It still surprised Travis that Harrison Caldwell’s daughter had not persuaded Marissa to stay home and get rid of Raymond Michaels. From what Nathan had told him, the two women had stuck together during that last visit like a tick to a calf’s ear. No doubt Rana and Clarissa would take to each other just as rapidly and tightly. His mind ceased its foolish ramblings. “I was afraid she was named accurately. It sounds to me like I’ll be taking a problem off your hands. If you release her to us, I’ll do whatever is necessary to get her home and get rid of that rebellious streak. Perhaps a good spanking will work magic on her. That’s one white man’s custom I heartily approve of.”

  Lone Wolf shook his dark head. “If she leaves with you, you must be kind and patient with her, White Eagle. Have you forgotten how hard it was for you to leave and to change?” he reminded Travis knowingly. “She is my sister and she is Oglala. I must speak with my council before I give you my answer. Come, you will wait and sleep in my tepee. Do not speak of this matter to my sister or to others. She will feel betrayed by our exchange. She does not agree with trading for another person as is done with wives and captives. If we vote to keep her, you must leave in peace as you came. Do not force us to slay good white men, for they are few and we count them friends.”

  “I cannot agree to leave without her, Lone Wolf, for I have given my promise to return her to her home and grandfather. Do not force me to battle for her. All Oglala warriors and their brave chief are needed to fight a real enemy, not their friend White Eagle.”

  Lone Wolf pictured himself addressing his council on this matter. He would explain his warring emotions and predicament to the wise and heroic men who sometimes made him feel too young and ignorant to be sitting around the same council fire with them. But he could not make such a crucial and troubling decision by himself. He would ask for the opinions and reactions of each member. He would listen carefully to each reply, then allow each member to cast a vote on whether or not to accept White Eagle’s offer. With wry amusement he reflected that the council discussion and vote would be different if the young, unmated warriors of the tribe were deliberating and deciding Wild Wind’s fate. He was glad he had not mentioned his
imminent decision about enforced marriage to his Cheyenne friend and relieved that Soaring Hawk was not alive to confront his heartrending dilemma. If the vote went as he expected, he would have to convince his sister of his love for her and his desire to do what was best for all concerned, including her.

  No one spoke as Lone Wolf continued his silent study of the situation. The Oglala chief concluded that perhaps it was an ironic form of justice that a white man’s money and help would clear the tangled path to survival for his people. But there were dangers and obstacles to consider. The council might believe this was a bluecoat trick and order White Eagle and his friend put to death. The council could vote to keep Wild Wind or to allow her to make her own choice. The council could vote to torture the white men until they turned over the much-needed money for supplies and weapons. Or the council could vote to trick White Eagle into getting the supplies and weapons before slaying them. Even as chief, once he went before the council, he could not go against their vote.

  To prevent Nathan from hearing his words, Lone Wolf responded in his native tongue. “If the council votes against you, then we will speak of such matters. Come to my camp, I will call the council together. My head and heart belong to this problem and it confuses them. Others must help make this decision. Tell White Eagle’s friend to camp here with my warriors until the new sun glows in the sky. He does not know our ways and might interfere or offend. He is eager and afraid; he may speak words I do not wish others to hear. He is white. His words and presence could endanger two lives and our bargain.”

  After Travis nodded understanding and agreement, Lone Wolf advised, “There is danger for you and your friend, White Eagle, if the council thinks you speak or act falsely. Do not enter my camp if you are afraid to face death or cannot keep your word. You know our ways; the council’s word is law even for their chief.”