Sweet Savage Heart

by Janelle Taylor

  “We did not expect White Eagle this moon. Buffalo Slayer told us you rode after the treacherous white dog,” Lone Wolf remarked.

  “I found the bastard and killed him,” Travis informed the warrior as he withdrew a scalp lock from his pocket and handed it to him. “Put that on your coup stick for all to see what happens to those who trick or betray the Oglalas.” He did not say how easy it had been to locate and battle Claude Chambers and his two hirelings, all of whom had been camped and getting drunk on whiskey purchased with his stolen money. He had ridden like a devil-pursued man to pay the new trading post owner, who had not concealed his astonishment at Travis’s honesty. Then he had ridden like mad to make sure he arrived before this sun set, just in case the wagon was late. In five days, he had covered many miles, and most without food or sleep. “I rode like the storm clouds to make sure Lone Wolf did not make another mistake. You see I am a man of honor and truth,” he stated coldly, pointing to the wagon and then flicking the small section of hair into the chief’s grasp. “Not so, a warrior named Black Hawk. He lies dead near the river for trying to rape my wife.” To avoid causing Nathan any further distress, Travis spoke in Lakota. After finishing his account, he ordered himself to calm down, for the dangers to Nathan and Wild Wind were past. He only wanted to get out of this territory before any Hunkpapa warriors passed this way and remembered him. Damn, he swore silently, feeling utterly fatigued, his nerves taut.

  Nathan caught his arm and asked worriedly, “Son, you all right?”

  “I will be as soon as we’re heading home. I was in a little bit of a rush, so I haven’t eaten or slept for days. I had forgotten why I left this bloodthirsty land. Seems I’ve regained some bad traits, which you’ll just have to correct again,” he stated jokingly to relax the man.

  Travis turned to Lone Wolf. “Any more objections to our leaving as soon as we show you how to use those weapons?” he inquired sullenly.

  Lone Wolf shook his head. “Where is my sister?”

  “Here,” Wild Wind answered, pushing her way to his side. She was miffed by White Eagle’s coldness and refusal to comfort her at the river.

  The young chief eyed her intently. Her hair was mussed, her cheeks were glowing, and signs of minor injuries were visible. “White Eagle says Black Hawk attacked you near the river,” he probed.

  “White Eagle speaks the truth. Black Hawk is dead and Wild Wind is safe,” she responded, but her look at Travis was filled with tiny blades. “White Eagle had to battle Black Hawk to the death to rescue me.”

  “Is there more?” he questioned sternly.

  “No,” she replied and pulled her stormy gaze from Travis.

  “Your husband needs food and sleep. Do you wish me to have another see to his needs while you recover from your struggle?”

  “Yes,” she stated, angry with Travis and wanting to avoid him. She left the group and went to Lone Wolf’s tepee to lie down, assuming it was surely too late to begin their journey today.

  Myeerah and her mother fed a hungry Travis before he went to the river to bathe and change clothes. While Nathan instructed the warriors on the use of the rifles and carbines, Travis collapsed on the sleeping mat rolled out beside Nathan’s in the guest lodge. There being no need for him to remain alert and on guard in the safety of the camp, Travis drifted into deep and much-needed slumber.

  When Lone Wolf finally entered his tepee long after dark, Wild Wind gazed evocatively at him. He told her he had eaten with Myeerah and her family and would join to the lovely girl after his sister’s departure in the morning. Lone Wolf did not offer any information about her missing husband, and Wild Wind was compelled to question his absence.

  “He sleeps in the guest lodge with his friend. He will come for you when the new sun appears. He has kept his word and his bargain. You belong to White Eagle,” he reminded her, noting her rebellious glare.

  “Perhaps, like my brother, he wishes privacy on the first night with his mate,” she speculated, then blushed at her bold words.

  “I offered to sleep in the guest lodge with his friend. He was weary from his journey and said there will be other nights to claim his mate. He says White Eagle and Wild Wind are strangers, and strangers do not share a sleeping mat. Be happy he is a good and patient man.”

  Lone Wolf hoped his words would silence her probing questions and would end her curiosity. He claimed his sleeping mat and closed his eyes, aware that she was still gaping at him in astonishment. Soon she would learn that, as he had promised, White Eagle would not take her to his sleeping mat and would free her from her Indian joining vows, which held no power in the white world. Soon she would discover that it had been her grandfather who had desired her freedom. Eventually Lone Wolf’s mind drifted to other matters: his joining with Myeerah on the next moon and the defense of his people with Travis’s guns.

  Wild Wind lay down in a huff. She was sleeping alone on the first night she might have shared with her new husband. She would be humiliated and teased for her lack of appeal to him. How dare he ignore her! It was no excuse that he was exhausted! At least he could have slept in her tepee to prevent gossip. She had been desired by many warriors. They were joined, and joined couples slept together. He would pay for this insult, she vowed irritably.

  Early the next morning, Wild Wind sought out Myeerah to help her prepare for her joining to Lone Wolf. The two girls went to a secluded spot near the river. As they bathed and dressed, Myeerah said, “The sun climbs high, Wild Wind. It is time for you to leave.” The girl sensed that her friend was intentionally avoiding her new mate, was actually hiding from him. “Do you seek to make White Eagle angry?”

  Wild Wind stiffened and her eyes glowed with intense emotion. “For many moons I waited for his return. He can wait one sun for Wild Wind. She must show no eagerness to leave with a stranger. He joined to me, then insulted me by sleeping in another tepee. If he is tired, he must rest before our long journey,” she scoffed. “He makes fun of Wild Wind and pretends she is not desirable. If that is so, he should not have chosen her. Let him wait and worry. Let him see Wild Wind does not find him desirable as a mate.”

  “Do you fear him?”

  “I fear nothing and I will not be shamed before my people. Perhaps he will grow weary of waiting and leave without Wild Wind.”

  Myeerah wisely suggested, “Let us return to camp.”

  “No. Sit, and Wild Wind will braid your hair. Your fingers are not working well on this happy day. I must see my friend and brother joined. The white man can do nothing to harm me in our camp.”

  Travis was pacing as he awaited Wild Wind’s return to her tepee. He had assumed she was off somewhere preparing to leave or saying farewell to her friends and people. He glanced at Lone Wolf and remarked pointedly, “Wild Wind moves slowly this sun.”

  Lone Wolf motioned to her belongings, which were ready for the journey. “She will return soon, my friend. She was angry and confused when her mate slept in another lodge. She fears others will laugh and tease her for her husband’s action. Let her head and spirit cool. She does not understand why you cannot take her to your mat.”

  “I gave Lone Wolf and her grandfather my word not to touch her. It’s getting late. Where can I seek her hiding place,” he questioned, wishing he could have spent the night with her.

  “Be strong and patient, my friend. If you show anger, she will be happy for causing it. I must prepare my band. We ride with our Hunkpapa brothers this sun. Two Ponies tell me they come to hunt and feast with Lone Wolf. It is a good day for a joining.”

  His words struck Travis like a physical blow to an unprotected gut. Without showing any fear or tension, he would have to find Wild Wind and Nathan and ride out as fast as he could. He would claim he had to hurry home to defend his lands, an excuse Lone Wolf would understand. “I will be strong, Lone Wolf. I will find her and take her, by force if necessary. I must show Wild Wind she has to obey, to prevent trouble on the trail.”

  Lone Wolf shrugged and agreed. “
Do as you must, White Eagle. I will not interfere. Her defiance must be tamed for your safety.”

  Travis went to speak with Nathan. “Listen to me closely, Nate, because we don’t have much time. I never told you why I left this area, because it was too painful and humiliating and I wanted to forget it. But it’s past the time you heard the truth. My father, Jeremy Kincade, was a trapper and trader in these parts back in the days when Indians would accept and befriend a good and honest white man, or one who appeared to be one. One day he tangled with a pack of wolves and was rescued by a Hunkpapa hunting party. After they tended him, he took up with them and later married my mother, Pretty Bird Woman, daughter of their war chief.”

  The mention of his deceased mother brought anguish to Travis’s eyes and voice. He cleared his throat and continued. “He stayed for years, then went off supposedly to check out the advancing white man. When he returned, I was thirteen, and he said it was high time I learned about my white blood and civilization. He was my father and I was curious, so I obeyed him. We traveled around for two years, but I didn’t like what I was seeing and hearing. I was almost sixteen and I was taller and stronger than he was. After some arguing and a shooting in Kansas, we went back to my mother’s camp. He trapped and sold furs until the Hunkpapas stopped him for killing too many animals just for their skins. One day he accidentally encroached on sacred burial ground and found gold. He started sneaking off to collect it and hide it. He planned to leave as soon as he had enough—if a greedy man ever has enough gold. Two of his trapper friends showed up and joined him, so he needed more gold for his partners.

  “You know what happens when men get too greedy. Four braves caught them panning in the river on sacred land. They shot three of the braves and stabbed one. Jeremy figured it was time to get out quickly. He knew most of the warriors were out of camp, hunting and raiding. He sent his two friends to the nearest fort to tell the soldiers the Hunkpapas had twenty white captives they were torturing and killing; he thought that would keep the warriors busy while they made their escape with the gold. He returned to camp and calmly packed up his belongings and told us he was heading off for a few months. By then I was eighteen and loved being a hardto-match warrior. He asked me to ride with him to the edge of the Hunkpapa territory to say good-bye. Maybe he was trying to save me from the attack, but it didn’t matter to me then and it doesn’t now. He was evil and worthless.”

  Travis inhaled before continuing as he forced the new anguish from his voice. “Like a trusting son, I mounted up and rode off with him to rendezvous with his cohorts. One of the wounded braves reached camp and exposed Jeremy Kincade’s treachery. That warning gave the Hunkpapas time to send for their warriors and to summon help from our Blackfeet brothers. The soldiers were defeated, but many Hunkpapas were slain, including my mother.” He breathed deeply and for a time cast a fixed stare on the distance.

  “A war party was sent after us and pinned us down before they could recover the gold, or mention it to me. I had some rivals and enemies in camp, and I didn’t know why we were being attacked; so, like a fool, I defended myself and my father. After his friends were slain, I tried talking to the warriors. They captured us under a false truce and we were dragged back to camp. Trouble was, the brave who had escaped death to warn them claimed I had been with my father, desecrating sacred land and taking part in the killings. Charge-A-Buffalo hated me because the girl he loved had had her evil heart set on me. I guess he figured he’d keep us apart by getting me killed. He died without clearing me. Jeremy tried to convince them I was innocent, but what was the word of a white enemy and half-breed traitor against a renowned warrior who had endured agony to warn his people? They tortured Jeremy all day, then killed him. Before he died, he told me where they had hidden the gold, which was nothing more than yellow rock to the Indians. They didn’t care about the gold or its recovery, only our alleged crimes.”

  He stated bitterly, “They wouldn’t even allow me to fight a truth challenge. They tried to torture a confession from me and planned to kill me at dawn. After dark, Pretty Rabbit freed me. Hell, she owed it to me for causing Charge-A-Buffalo to hate me and lie about me. She had fueled his desire, jealousy, and desperation by always comparing him to me unfavorably. Plenty of times she told him if it hadn’t been for me she would have loved and married him. She drove him wild with hunger and mad with frustration. Charge-A-Buffalo was clever and proud; he made sure nobody witnessed or learned about his shameful rivalry, so he wouldn’t look foolish or bad. Pretty Rabbit wanted us to escape and marry, but she was killed before we got away. Lordy, Nate, wicked vixens have always gotten me into trouble! I’m telling you the truth. If Jeremy hadn’t been slain, I would have battled him myself to prove his evil blood did not flow within me. He’s responsible for my mother’s death and my people’s rejection; he didn’t deserve to live.”

  When he paused, Nathan said, “I’m sorry, son. I know it must have been hard losing everything and everyone like that. Sometimes greed takes over and a man don’t know what he’s doing. I see why you had trouble talking about this or trusting anyone. A betrayal like that would make any man bitter and hostile, especially a boy. The Hunkpapas should have known you by then. It wasn’t right to cast you out.”

  “With so many dead and Charge-A-Buffalo’s words against mine, all they saw was my white skin and my father’s treachery. Even those who believed me dared not speak or act against the council’s vote. There wasn’t any way to prove my innocence, so I had to ride and keep on riding. For months I was dogged and attacked. The Hunkpapas won’t ever forget what happened or forgive me. That’s the problem, Nate.”

  “What do you mean, son?” he inquired in confusion.

  “The Hunkpapas are part of the Lakota Council Fires. Their camp is only a few days’ ride from here. If they learn I’m nearby… I don’t have to tell you what danger me and you would face. I’m sure they’re still watching and waiting for me to return for that gold. We’ve got to get the hell out of here pronto. Lone Wolf says a Hunkpapa hunting party will arrive today. If the Oglalas hear the Hunkpapas’ charges against me, they’ll think I did try to fool them the other day and that I only replaced the damaged guns to save your hide and mine. It’ll start all over again and we won’t stand a chance of survival and escape, not with Rana. Besides, we’ve been gone for over a month. There’s no telling what Caldwell is up to now. McFarland is getting on in years; he could get nervous over our lengthy absence.”

  Nathan’s expression revealed his grave concern. “Let’s go.”

  “That’s the other problem. Your defiant granddaughter is off hiding somewhere. She’s peeved because I spent the night with my friend instead of my wife. Something about feminine ego and pride. I’ll explain what I have to do, Nate, and you can’t interfere. We’ve got to ride, hard and fast. You get our horses saddled and ready to leave. I’m going to find Miss Rana Michaels, tie her up, and get us out of here before those Hunkpapas arrive.”

  Nathan gasped in shock. “You can’t treat her like that, son,” he protested. “She’ll be scared, and them Indians will be plenty mad.”

  “Better her scared for awhile than us dead. Lone Wolf gave his permission to use force to claim her. Don’t forget, she’s supposedly my wife now. Defiance can be dealt with harshly, and she does have a reputation for rebellion and stubbornness. Let me handle it my way. We can lose her and our lives if she balks and stalls our departure.”

  Nathan did not like the idea, but he realized from Travis’s words and expression that he was genuinely worried, and when Travis Kincade was worried, he’d better worry too. “All right, son, but be gentle.”

  “That’s up to your granddaughter, Nate.”

  As Travis and Nathan were leaving the tepee, Lone Wolf joined them. “Wild Wind is at the river with Myeerah. Come, we will get her. It is best for all if others do not see her battle you.”

  The horses were saddled and Wild Wind’s possessions were collected. Then the three men headed for the river an
d quickly located the two women downstream by their voices. Lone Wolf wisely suggested, “Tell your father friend to wait here with the horses.” Nathan obeyed.

  Lone Wolf called out to alert the women before he and Travis approached. The warrior chief smiled at his beloved and frowned at his adopted sister.

  “Have you lost all pride and courage, Wild Wind?” Travis asked. “You have stalled our departure long enough. We must go,” he commanded firmly.

  Wild Wind glared at White Eagle, then at Lone Wolf, who did not defend her against such treatment. “Wild Wind will leave when she is ready to leave. I will see my brother and friend joined first,” she asserted. Startled that White Eagle had sought her out so boldly, she stared defiantly at the man before her line of vision, for his size and stature seemed to block out everything and everyone else. As her challenging gaze met his narrowed one, a strange warmth passed over her body and she found she was having difficulty thinking and breathing. She realized that if ever a male was masterful in exerting his prowess and in controlling any situation, he stood before her now, and, indeed, he owned her. Yet she was still wary of this man who had so easily enchanted her and alarmed by the emotions he had brought to life. She would not let him think her a coward or a weakling—or his lowly squaw! she stubbornly decided.

  When she tried to push past Travis, he captured her arm in a firm yet pain-free grip. “We ride, woman,” he commanded sternly. “I have work to do and land to protect. You hide like a frightened rabbit.”

  “I will ride after Lone Wolf and Myeerah’s joining,” she replied. She yanked on her arm, but White Eagle would not release it. She scolded him in Sioux, and still he held her securely. A curious panic flooded her body, and her blue-gray eyes blazed with fury. Her other hand attempted to claw free the imprisoned one. White Eagle simply captured it and stared calmly at her, his green gaze mocking her helplessness.