Chapter 15
Dawn had been surveying the camp for two days now. As night settled she felt her weary limbs push her to the ground. Always being on watch not to get caught by the Braves watching the village had drained her strength. The cold added to the feeling of despair. She had seen the prisoners, and to her relief they seemed to be treated well. She couldn't figure out what the third woman was doing there, Buck had mentioned only one. But one of the women always stayed close to the one Buck called Kid and the other obviously had found a friend in the tall Brave. She smiled to herself as she remembered witnessing them kissing. There was just something that troubled her, the man that had kissed the girl seemed so familiar. But the darkness and distance may have fooled her.
Settling herself on the ground under some pine twigs for cover against the cold, she realized she wouldn't be able to get the captive's out by herself. Not with the man injured and obviously incapacitated of moving fast. Since she had ran out of food she would have to make the long walk back to her horse and then get to Buck somehow and tell him. I wanted to make you proud of me, she thought, but I am not able to get them out. I'm so sorry Buck, but I will need your help. Her thoughts went to the handsome man she loved and she smiled to herself, seeing his face before her. She would just rest awhile before starting back. It was already getting dark and she knew that would slow her down. Memories of Buck warmed her in the night. Embracing herself against the cold she fell asleep.
Buck had found Dawn's horse. She had left the horse nearby the water and trees and obviously continued on foot. She must be out of food and water by now, he thought as his gazed into the thickening forest. As he examined the terrain he understood why she had done so, there was no way a horse could make it through this kind of stony terrain. He would have to do the same. But it was getting dark and he would not be able to follow her tracks with any speed. He decided to wait until morning. She couldn't be very far now. He wondered if she was feeling lonely and cold out there. Seeing her before him, shivering in the icy wind that was blowing, made his eyes fill with tears. Dawn, he thought, why did you do this? Why did she go out on this wild search for his friends? He knew the answer in his heart. Dawn would do such a thing, that was just her character. "You could have waited for me!" he grunted.
But he knew he had already asked her to wait for too long.
"It's some kind of map" Teaspoon gasped "Boy's you've done good. Finally!" Examining the map Teaspoon wrinkled his forehead "I don't have a clue where this is at, do any of you boys?" He handed the map to Noah.
Noah took it and tried to figure what part it depicted. "No, neither do I" he sighed handing the map over to Jimmy.
Jimmy examined the piece of paper with care. There were sign of trees around what seemed to be a plateau of some kind. Mountains surrounded the plain and there was a cross drawn in the middle. An arrow was drawn from the mountain to the cross. His mood sank as he realized he was at a loss too. "Seems like somewhere in the high countries" he said with a resigned voice and handed the map over to Rachel.
The silence grew in the room. They were no closer to their friends despite all this. Jimmy sighed and went to the window. Staring out the window he felt the last hope of ever seeing them again leave him. They would have to go home, having no idea what had happened to Kid and Lou, or even Natalie. Living with the knowledge they hadn't been able to help them would be like carrying a heavy burden on the shoulders for the rest of their lives. He would just have wanted to talk one more time to the Kid, having him understand, and relieve himself of the guilt he felt in his bones. He would have liked to see Lou's soulful eyes shine in the settling sun. He would have liked to ask Natalie, 'why'?
The light in the man's room below was turned out. He registered that but didn't care anymore. Standing in the window he glared down on the street without seeing. Then suddenly he jerked. Benjamin Shearer was making his way to the livery stable, carrying a blanket covered bundle and obviously in a great hurry. The man looked suspiciously behind him, as if he waited for somebody to show up.
"We gotta go!" he said as he turned around, meeting the questioning eyes of the riders in the room. "Benjamin is on his way somewhere, and I think we outta follow"
Dawn woke by somebody touching her arm. She huddled and thought the touch was part of her dream "Buck, let me sleep a little bit longer, I'm so cold..."
"Dawn?" she heard a voice ask in surprise. This was not a dream she realized and opened her eyes. Besides her sat her childhood friend, looking at her with wide open eyes.
"Aganti" she spoke just as surprised as he was. "What are you doing here?"
Aganti pulled her up, brushing the pine needles off of her. "Shouldn't I be the one asking that" he replied in the Kiowa language he knew so well, as he steered her down towards the village, "Girl you have some explaining to do!"
Lou watched Kid sit outside by the big fire. Watching it. He looked worse today than he did yesterday. She knew he was still running a slight fever, she had felt that this morning. She shrugged at the thought that maybe it was her fault. This morning he had decided to pull his weight in the old stubborn way of his. Arguing with Aganti, the latter had given in and decided to let him watch the fire while the others were out looking for food to prepare. Lou sighed as she watched him. He should still be inside the warm teepee, not sitting outside in the crack of dawn. She went inside to get him an extra blanket. Wrapping it around his shoulders she gave him a smile and sat down besides him. Instantly Kid took the blanket and wrapped her inside it too.
"How are you, Kid?"
He gave her a surprised glance "I'm fine, Lou, you OK?"
"Don't look so fine to me, Kid!" she looked him right into the eyes demanding the truth. Looking away he poked with a stick in the fire.
"Kid, I was just thinkin' that what we did last night may have gotten you worse?" she felt her cheeks blush as she threw a glance at him, not daring to meet his eyes.
He let out a soft chuckle and drew her close to him, resting his chin on her head, he hugged her tenderly. "No Lou, I'm more worried what might happen to you." His voice suddenly grew serious. "Lou, you know what's bound to happen sooner or later if we go on like this, and that scares me, Lou"
"To tell you the truth, Kid, I wouldn't mind" Lou said softly, knowing she meant every word.
Kid took her cold hand into his and entwined his fingers with hers. "I love you, Lou, you know that. And I hope it'll happen some day Lou, but not now, not here and not like this." His blue eyes were filled with tenderness as his gaze met hers. She knew his southern manners still had a strong hold of him, and she loved him for it.
"Don't worry, Kid, everything's gonna be alright" she whispered into his shoulder.
They separated themselves from each other in a hasty manner as Aganti came in their direction, dragging a girl behind him.
"Another visitor" he stated at Kid's and Lou's questioning looks. The girl gave him an angry glance as she sat down by the fire. She leaned in to warm her hands near the flames.
Kid and Lou watched the girl, waiting for an explanation. Then she turned her eyes in their direction.
"You must be the Kid" she said looking at the stunned young man.
Buck arrived at the ridge in time to see Dawn being dragged away by a Brave. He felt his heart beat loudly as he silently followed them taking the knife into his hand, hoping to get close enough to free her. He stopped in surprise as he spotted teepees and a fire in front of him. Only trees were shielding him from their view. There were too many to take on alone. He hid behind a fallen tree to watch them closely. His eyes followed the young Braves he steered Dawn toward the fire burning in the center of the village. He gasped as he realized Lou was sitting by the fire, besides the Kid! He squinted his eyes again to make sure they weren't fooling him. But it was them alright. Kid dressed in an Indian outfit that made him almost unrecognizable. Then he saw another girl with long light hair join the rest near the fire, Natalie! He slowly let the breath he had been holding out. A wave of relief rolled in over him. They were all alright and Dawn had found them. He smiled to himself in his hiding place. Good girl, he thought, you've done your part, now it's my turn to get you all out of here!
Kid eyes almost popped out at the girls statement. He felt Lou's gaze on him. "And you are?" he started hesitantly.
"Oh I'm Buck's friend" she said, a shy smile crossing her face.
Natalie came up from behind her and watched them all, with the same question they had, imprinted on her face. Lou looked at her and shook her head. The she turned back to the Kid and noticed a smile on his face.
"So you're Dawn?" he said meaningfully to the girl.
She just nodded. Lou's eyes darted from the girl to Kid. Lou's eyes on the Kid demanded an explanation.
"Buck's been tellin' me about his Kiowa sweetheart, during some of our rides" he told Lou almost apologetically.
"Been swoppin' stories have ya?" Lou remarked dryly.
The girl giggled.
Natalie was placing a kettle with water onto the fire. "What are you doing here?" she asked the girl.
"Natalie, huh?"
Natalie nodded and continued "Why are you here?"
"I decided to come looking for you, since Buck seemed so worried."
Kid and Lou threw a quick glance at each other. "Is Buck around too" Lou asked silently, watching out that Aganti, who was making his way back to them, wouldn't hear. The girl shook her head and Kid felt the hope he had started to nourish die out.
"So who is Buck?" Aganti asked the girl as he arrived close enough.
"Buck who?" She made a mock face at him.
"Dawn, dont even try it, it's me you know!" Aganti pointed out with a broad smile.
Natalie watched them both. "You know each other?"
"I used to beat him at every game, even thou' he was three years older" Dawn grinned at Aganti "that seems to bother him still!"
"Childhood friend!" Aganti told Natalie. As he saw her questioning glance in the girl's direction he continued "Dawn here is part Kiowa, and my mother is Kiowa too. Dawn's mother and mine were good friends and we used to visit now and then. Dawn's mother taught me English." He touched the girls shoulder "I'm so sorry about your mother Dawn, I just found out. She was a good woman."
Dawn looked to the ground.
"Just tell me Dawn, are we to expect any more visitors?"
"Not that I know" Dawn answered him, staring him in the eye.
"I sure hope so, Dawn!" he said turning to Natalie and giving her the food to prepare. His eyes rested on hers and she saw a hint of fear in them. Then he turned and went away. Leaving Natalie to wonder where the fear she had seen came from?
Feedback?
|Chapter 1||Chapter 2||Chapter 3||Chapter 4||Chapter 5||Chapter 6||Chapter 7||Chapter 8||Chapter 9||Chapter 10||Chapter 11||Chapter 12||Chapter 13||Chapter 14||Chapter 15||Chapter 16||Chapter 17||Chapter 18||Chapter 19||Chapter 20|
Back to Nesciri's |continuous stories| |completed stories| |reading room|