Running Elk Read online

  Alexandria wasn’t used to being deceitful but was amazed at just how well she was doing it. She knew if the others decided she was correct in her suggestion, she would have a few hours to convince Richard that staying together was the best plan.

  After a few minutes of silence, Richard spoke. “I’m grateful you weren’t harmed. But what happened to your dress?”

  Alexandria patted his leg and smiled. “Oh this?” she asked, looking at where she had torn her sleeve. “I fell when I was walking back. You know how lucky we were that nothing bad happened, don’t you? I don’t know why, but I have a feeling that everything will be fine. That being said, I would like to stop as soon as we locate another watering hole.”

  Richard rolled his eyes. “You are taking all of this entirely too well. But then, you weren’t tied up either. We can stop as soon as we find water. Not so you can run off and bathe again but because I need a drink.”

  “I understand. And you’re right, I wasn’t tied up. I’m sure you acted like the leader you are. I will just ask one more question before we leave all this awfulness behind us,” Alexandria said as she reached behind her to get a pillow. The wood was not a comfortable seat.

  “Sure, ask away,” Richard agreed, shaking his head. “You’re not gonna be comfortable until after your furniture is in our new home, so it will be at least a year from now,” Richard teased.

  Alexandria smiled at him. It was difficult to act as if nothing had changed. Everything had. She was head over heels in love with Running Elk and not only that, she was planning on running off with him. Knowing Richard would be fine without her was little help. Even understanding how the actions she was planning on taking would affect everyone she knew, she was still prepared to take the leap.

  “Did the Indian have any markings?” she asked after trying repeatedly to convince herself she was not the worst person in the world.

  “No. I don’t think so. Besides, what if he did?” Richard asked, not hiding his confusion.

  “I was just asking. When we do come across a soldier, it might be helpful if you can describe the man.”

  “He was an Indian. Isn’t that a good enough description?”

  Instead of showing Richard her disgust, she moved to the back of the wagon. “I think I will try to nap.”

  “My little pioneer,” Richard said under his breath.

  ***

  Alexandria woke when the movement of the wagon stopped. She had no idea how far they had traveled but was covered with sweat, so she knew it was late afternoon.

  “Did you sleep well?” Mary asked, offering to help Alexandria down.

  “I guess I did. Where’s the water?” she asked as she jumped to the ground.

  Mary smiled and pointed over her shoulder. “But that can wait. Let’s get some food started.”

  Alexandria went about doing the chores and while the group ate dinner, she listened while each recounted the attack. Every time they spoke, the story got bigger and more action-packed.

  She did her best to act surprised and terrified when her friends recounted the events of the morning, but her heart was alive with excitement. She ached to see the handsome Indian again. After picking at her beans and coffee, she excused herself to sit on the wagon and look out at the marvelous prairie. Words really could not describe the beauty. Richard and Peter partook in a few drinks while Mary sat by the fire and picked at a biscuit. Alexandria welcomed the breeze and wished she could share her thoughts with Running Elk. She was swept up in the beauty of the rising moon when she felt his presence. Her heartbeat quickened as she attempted to locate him.

  ***

  Running Elk saw the woman’s expression change and smiled. He knew she felt him near. That was the way it should be. She jumped down from the wagon and walked to the people as she had the day before. This time, the dark-haired man stood with her. Running Elk watched as Alexandria attempted to calm him down. Finally, the white man sat down, but not before forcing Two Fires to take the gun. She took the rifle and walked behind the wagons.

  Running Elk slipped silently around the white people and made his way to her. She turned when she heard a tree branch splinter. He was beside her before she could speak and took her in his arms. “Are you all right? Did you manage to keep the group together?”

  “I am perfect, and yes, everyone is here. It was a terrible shock, but they’re just glad they weren’t hurt. How did you get here? You said I wouldn’t see you again for a while. What has happened?”

  “I am hunting so that Morning Star has plenty of …” He stopped talking when he realized he had spoken his wife’s name.

  “Who is Morning Star?” she asked him.

  He could see the hurt in her eyes. “Two Fires, you have my heart. But I have a woman. I have never cared for her, but she stays in my tipi and I make sure she wants for nothing. You must know that only you consume my thoughts. I want you. No matter what. You knowing about her can’t change anything. You are with a man, and I am with a woman, but soon it will be only you and me.”

  “So you don’t love her?”

  “Yes, I suppose I do love her. But not like a man loves a wife. I wish the nights were longer, but I must go. I needed to know you were all right. My brother, White Wolf, will send someone to watch over you and keep you safe on your journey. I will find you as soon as it is possible. You will be present in my thoughts constantly. I promise you, we will see each other again.” He pulled her into him and kissed her deeply.

  He longed to lie with her but reminded himself her absence needed to be short. Surely the others would be on alert.

  Running Elk slowly returned to his horse, looking back only once before mounting up.

  “Don’t forget about me,” Two Fires said quietly.

  “I would sooner forget to breathe.”

  ***

  Alexandria watched him leave and found herself confronting feelings she didn’t know she was capable of. The man was different than anyone she had ever met. He made her heart race and her soul sing. But she knew their coupling was fraught with dangers. Not just for her, but she was sure he was facing obstacles too.

  Knowing he would remain on her mind until she saw him again, she held his necklace in her hands and said a prayer for him.

  “Please keep him safe,” she whispered as she looked up at the quickly disappearing stars. She would have been quite happy staying where she was, leaning against the wagon, if Richard hadn’t appeared.

  “Alexandria Hazel Standish. What is wrong with you, woman? Are ya going soft in the head? You do realize you are standing in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by savages?” he asked angrily. “And just why is the rifle lying on the ground?”

  Although it was clear that Richard wasn’t happy, she couldn’t help but smile when she looked down at the heavy weapon laying in the dirt at her feet. She reckoned it had fallen out of her grip when Running Elk had held her in his arms. She was certain of one thing. The handsome Indian made her lose her sense of reason.

  Chapter Six

  Running Elk was anxious to get back, so much so that he only killed four rabbits. His thoughts were consumed with learning whether White Wolf had found someone to watch over Two Fires’ party.

  He quickly made his way through the quiet camp. Most were in their homes, sleeping or visiting. A few of the elders sat outside their tipis and smoked their pipes. They nodded their greetings as Running Elk made his way towards White Wolf. The warrior dropped the game by the door of his brother’s tipi.

  The flap on the tipi was closed, which meant White Wolf did not want to be disturbed, but Running Elk walked in anyway. The fire was only glowing ashes, and the dwelling smelled like sweet herbs. His brother was in a deep meditative state and oblivious to his presence. It was infuriating to say the least.

  Knowing he would get no answers, he turned and left, picking up his game as he walked.

  As soon as his home was in view, he saw Morning Star standing in the entrance, eagerly awaiting his return.
r />   “It is good to see you. Come in. Our meal is ready,” she said, smiling brightly.

  He tried not to let his wife see his irritation.

  Running Elk sat cross-legged in front of the fire and waited until Morning Star served him. The woman smiled proudly as she handed him a bowl of deer meet cooked with sage and potato. The food smelled heavenly, but it always did.

  “I hope the hunt doesn’t last for too long,” she said as she sat beside him.

  “It will last longer than I want it to. I never thought we would have to go to such lengths to find our food source,” he said in between bites.

  “You are a great hunter, husband. I am sure you will locate a herd in no time.”

  He planned to revisit White Wolf when he was finished eating and was doing his best to have a normal conversation with Morning Star but found his mind roaming.

  In his haste to be with Two Fires, he had not given the situation with Morning Star much thought. He had given his brother his word that she would be taken care of, but hadn’t thought much past that. He wanted to ensure that Morning Star’s reputation stayed untarnished and once things were settled, he would speak to everyone and explain that the parting was his fault entirely.

  “The food was superb, like always. Thank you,” he said, handing her the plate. “I will be back after speaking to White Wolf.”

  Running Elk stood and walked out of his tipi.

  Morning Star didn’t say anything, but Running Elk heard the deep sigh.

  When he made his way through the camp and saw the open flap on White Wolf’s tipi, he was sure things were going to start going his way.

  “You have never been impatient before, little brother. Has this white woman changed you so much?” White Wolf asked. “Before you speak, let me finish. I have found a volunteer to watch the white men’s wagons. Now let’s go outside and walk. The dawn promises to bring a beautiful today.”

  Running Elk bit his tongue and followed his brother outside. “Your mood has improved.”

  “I talked to Kicking Bird and we both came to the same conclusion. This hunt will be good for you.”

  “You would know these things. You are the shaman,” Running Elk said through gritted teeth.

  He did not like thinking his family was sure the woman would simply leave his thoughts because of absence. She was burned into his heart and brain. He wasn’t crazy about the tone of White Wolf’s voice either. “Do you not see the future? Why even speak to Kicking Bird? You have all the answers.”

  Running Elk stopped himself before he said something he couldn’t take back.

  White Wolf stopped walking and turned to his brother. “Running Elk, I see only bad things when I see you with the woman. Morning Star loves you. So much so that she would give her life for you. Why can’t you love her? She would not cause any trouble for you. Or for our people, for that matter.”

  “Because I cannot. Morning Star is not the woman for me. And I will leave as soon we return from the hunt. But know that if I do leave, I will not return. That way, Two Fires will not be blamed for anything. I will go to her!” He stopped talking when he realized just how loud his voice had gotten.

  ***

  White Wolf wasn’t sure if his brother was venting or if he might actually leave his family, his people, for a white woman. He was so consumed with wonder that he left Running Elk where he was standing, walked into his tipi, and closed the flap. He needed to pray and seek guidance from the gods.

  It was apparent that he and Running Elk were not seeing things the same way, so he was surprised when his little brother followed him inside and sat next to him before reaching for the pipe.

  “Running Elk, we will speak no more until we say our farewells,” White Wolf said in a dismissive tone as he lit the pipe and drew in the vision-giving smoke.

  Chapter Seven

  Running Elk backed out of White Wolf’s home and walked in the direction of Kicking Bird’s home. Before he reached the tipi, he saw his oldest nephew grooming one of his horses.

  The boy was becoming a fine man. The hunt would be his first, and he was already showing signs of being a gifted warrior.

  When Gray Eagle saw his uncle, he walked towards him in a hurry with a smile on his face.

  “Have you heard the news, uncle?”

  “What news is that?” Running Elk asked, slowing his pace but not stopping.

  “Father and White Wolf have allowed me to watch the party of whites traveling through our land.”

  The boy was excited to have been chosen. Running Elk could tell his nephew thought it was quite an honor to be trusted with the task. He had mixed emotions when he heard his nephew’s declaration. On one hand, he knew his nephew would take the job with the seriousness that only a family member would, but on the other, Running Elk was worried the young man was not actually up for the task.

  He kept his thoughts to himself and smiled at Gray Eagle. “This is an extremely important task. Are you sure you are up to it?” he asked, putting his arm around his nephew.

  “I can do it, and I am up for the job. How difficult can it be to watch a group of whites?” he asked, sounding like he knew the answer would be “not difficult at all.”

  “Usually it would be a fairly easy job, but these people are different. There is a woman with them with yellow hair. She is called Two Fires …”

  “Why do you call a white woman a name for our people?” his nephew interrupted.

  “Because I know the woman, and her soul is mine. She must not be harmed. And you must stay with them until they reach their destination.”

  Gray Eagle didn’t look convinced that his uncle hadn’t been in the sun too long, but he didn’t voice his suspicions. “I will do the job I have been given.”

  “Good. Then, on the hunt, I will have nothing to worry about. She is in good hands.”

  “Good luck on the hunt, Uncle,” Gray Eagle said, walking back to his waiting horse.

  “I will see you soon,” Running Elk said, suddenly realizing there was no reason to speak to Kicking Bird.

  His oldest brother cleared his throat at the same time as Running Elk turned to wander back to his tipi with the intention of gathering the supplies and arrows he was sure Morning Star had packed and waiting. Even knowing his job was finished and that it would be a quick in and out of his home, he was relieved when he heard his brother’s attempt to get his attention.

  When he turned, Kicking Bird was standing close enough to have observed his conversation with Gray Eagle. His brother was smiling. “I am on the way to say farewell to White Wolf. Would you like to join me?”

  “No. We don’t seem to agree on anything anymore. Besides, I was just there, so I don’t see the point of returning,” Running Elk informed him.

  “The only thing you don’t agree on is the white woman,” Kicking Bird corrected, steering Running Elk in the direction of White Wolf’s anyway.

  “Two Fires is not the downfall of our people. The whites who will take our land and kill all of our food for sport before leaving it to rot under the noonday sun are our enemies. Not Two Fires,” Running retorted, his voice again growing in volume.

  Kicking Bird stopped walking, turned to his brother, and held him by his shoulders. “My brother, do not be angry with me or White Wolf. We are trying to hold onto our way of life and listen to the signs the gods give us. We are more than willing to die for our land, our beliefs, and our people. But we will not invite trouble. If White Wolf has seen that as an outcome of bringing the woman here, then there is nothing you, or I, for that matter, can do. I know it is not what you want to hear. The heart wants what it wants,” Kicking Bird began his speech in anger, but as he finished talking, Running Elk could tell his brother would go to the ends of the earth for Sparrow.

  “I understand that times were different when you found Sparrow, but would that have mattered? If you saw her today, would you just walk away from her?”

  Kicking Bird smiled sadly. “I remember every detail of our
meeting. She was lost and frightened. Her family had all died from a sickness on their way to a new land. I still can’t explain how I saw her hiding in the tall grass, but I did. As frightened as she was, she looked me in the eyes when I jumped from my horse and offered her my hand. And with that look, I knew we would share our lives together. All that aside, I can’t say I would leave our people for her, then. Though now, I wouldn’t want to greet the rising sun without knowing she was with me.”

  “You loved her from the first time you saw her. Why are my feelings so different? The woman holds my heart. You know how strange these feelings are for me. I have given the people everything they asked, and if you and White Wolf are convinced nothing good will come of our being together, then I have to leave,” Running Elk explained, doing his best to not raise his voice.

  “Let us table this difficult discussion until we return from the hunt,” Kicking Bird suggested. “White Wolf’s visions have never been wrong, but we will not think on it just yet.”

  “His vision is wrong now. I will leave, brother. If that is the only way.” Running Elk hoped his brother understood it was a last resort, but one he was willing to take.

  Kicking Bird loosened his hold on Running Elk’s arm and looked to the sky. “You feel that strongly for a woman you have only seen twice?”

  “I do. I am just not sure what will happen to Morning Star.”

  “You know full well that if you leave, she will be disgraced. You go gather your supplies; I am going to speak to White Wolf. Maybe he can pray on this and find a way around it all. Too many people will be hurt if you leave. When we return, you should seek out Quanah. He might be able to see this situation from a fresh angle. I will meet you shortly.”

  Running Elk nodded as his brother walked away. He didn’t see how Quanah could possibly be of much help. The chief was a well-respected warrior and half white, but Quanah had given his word no more whites would be taken. But Two Fires would willingly join the band, so he held onto some hope.

  Before pulling the flap open on his tipi, he said a quick prayer, asking the gods to keep Two Fires safe, and then walked in to both greet and say goodbye to Morning Star.