Savage Skies (21 page)

She watched him down one glass of whiskey and then another. He became quiet, seeming more interested in getting drunk than anything else.

“Whiskey helps a lot when you need to forget,” he said, his words slurring even more than before. “I need to forget. Oh, Lordie, if you only knew what I seen recently. Well, you don't want to know, and I cain't ever say.”

Speckled Fawn knew what he wanted to forget without his telling her, so she just stayed quiet and waited for him to pass out.

He was having trouble keeping his head up, and each time he took another drink, much of
the whiskey sloshed out of the glass onto his lips.

He was losing control.

That was what Speckled Fawn wanted.

She had worked in enough dance halls to recognize the signs before a man passed out.

Thank the Lord, this man was nearing that point now.

“I was wrong to take my daughter from her mother,” Earl suddenly blurted out.

He looked over at Megan, who was still sleeping soundly. “I do regret taking the child to raise by myself,” he said. “I only took her to bring hurt into my wife's heart. I've grown tired of her and the child. And now here I am, stuck with a child to raise all by myself.”

His words were so slurred Speckled Fawn could hardly make out what he was saying. But knowing so much about him from what Shirleen had told her, she could decipher enough of what he was saying to make sense of it.

He slid a slow gaze over at Speckled Fawn. His eyes glittered glassily. “Since you've lost your own daughter, would you like to have mine to take her place?” he asked thickly. “I'd gladly part with her. She's done what I needed her for. Now I'd like a life of my own, alone.”

Speckled Fawn was stunned by the way things were happening. Never had she expected this. She realized now just how evilhearted this man was.

“If you don't truly want her, why did you take her?” she asked cautiously.

“Don't you hear well? Have you got cotton or something else in your ears?” he said, squinting at her again. “I told you I took Megan in order to hurt her mother.”

He leaned closer to Speckled Fawn. “I'm serious,” he said. “Would you like to have the child? Yours was taken from you by the heathens. Now you can have mine instead. Take my daughter and you'll no longer be alone.”

He chuckled again and began talking even more erratically. “How'd you escape your captors?” he said. “You're mighty clever to have done it.”

He didn't give her a chance to answer because he didn't really want an answer. He just wanted to ramble on and on. “I hate all redskins,” he said, glowering. “They are murdering, lice-infested savages.” He chuckled as he stared at the flask of whiskey. “I had me an Indian squaw one day. It was about a year ago. I'd been out alone hunting and there she was, all alone, picking berries. I recognized her. She was known to be the wife of a powerful Assiniboine Indian chief. She was Chief Blue Thunder's woman.”

Afraid of what else this man was going to tell her, Speckled Fawn felt sick even before he confirmed her suspicion. She was almost sure that she was sitting face-to-face with the son of a bitch who had ended the life of her chief's wife.

But Speckled Fawn had to play his game. She knew he enjoyed telling her what he had done. He deserved what he would eventually get. A man like him wouldn't live long. Someone would take offense at his arrogance and silence him forever.

“I've not heard of that Indian chief,” she lied. “Or his wife.”

“Well, you're hearing about her now,” he said, snickering. “I threw that squaw to the ground. My, oh my, did she plead and fight as I raped her. When I was done, I silenced her forever with my knife.”

Speckled Fawn tried not to show how horrified she was feeling. Oh, Lord, she was face-to-face with a rapist and murderer.

She flinched when Earl suddenly slapped the knife sheathed at his right side.

“This here is the knife that did it,” he bragged. “There's one less savage squaw on this earth now because of me. I believe the Comanche renegades were accused of the crime, for no one ever came lookin' for good ol' Earl Mingus.”

He leaned even close to her. “See?” he said. “I did you a favor. The Comanche came and killed your husband and child, didn't they?”

“Yes, Comanche, but not Assiniboine,” she dared to say. “They are known to be peace-loving people.”

He frowned. “Are you an Injun lover or what?” he said, his head swaying as the alcohol fully claimed him.

“No, you must know I'm not, after suffering such losses because of them,” she said. She rose from the chair and went to Megan. She looked over her shoulder at Earl, whose head was resting on the table. “Are you serious? Can I truly have the child? I promise to be a good mother.”

He shrugged. “That doesn't matter. I just wanna get her outta my hair,” he said. “Take her.”

He lifted his head unsteadily from the table and gazed at Speckled Fawn through blurred vision. “But where will you take her?” he said. “Your home was burned.”

“I have a friend who lives in a small settlement not far from where my cabin had been,” she said, hoping that her lie was believable. “Until the child is older and better able to travel, I'll stay there. Then later I will head for Boston, my true home. Don't you agree with me that the long journey back East would be too hard on the child if I took her there now?”

“Probably so,” he said, shrugging.

“Then you agree to my plan?” she asked. “Can I truly take her? Take her now?”

He nodded and stood shakily. Then he watched Speckled Fawn gather Megan up from the bed and into her arms. The child slept through it all.

“Thank you,” Speckled Fawn said as she glanced quickly at Earl, then rushed out of the cabin.

She was glad there was no moon.

Everything was pitch-black as she headed toward the gate.

She looked over her shoulder at the cabins. She saw no lamplight in any of them. Everyone else had gone to bed for the night.

She prayed that the sentry was asleep, too.

She also prayed that the gate could be easily opened without making noise.

Breathlessly she made her way toward the gate, disbelieving her luck. She had a feeling that when tomorrow came, and Earl was sober and realized what he had done, he would decide to come after Megan.

The good thing was, he would have no idea where to look. By then, Megan would be safely in her mother's arms.

Speckled Fawn was certain that God was with her tonight, because she found the gate ajar and the sentry fast asleep.

She prayed that the child wouldn't wake up at the wrong time.

She slowly stepped outside, past the sentry.

Then she held Megan near to her heart and ran as fast as she could until she fell into Blue Thunder's arms. He gently took the child, who awakened at that moment, her eyes wide with fear when she found she was in the company of Indians.

“You are safe with us,” Blue Thunder tried to reassure her. “You are going to be alright. I am taking you to your mother.”

Megan's eyes widened; then she trustingly
hugged Blue Thunder. He took her to his horse and mounted, holding her carefully on his lap.

With pride in her eyes, Speckled Fawn rode beside Blue Thunder as they headed back toward the village. Now she would be fully accepted by Blue Thunder. She had finally proved her worth to him.

She could hardly wait to get home and tell her husband what she had done, although she knew that he probably wouldn't be able to hear her in his deep sleep.

She hoped a miracle would happen and he would awaken again as he had before.

Kiss the tears from her eyes,
You'll find the rose
The sweeter for the dew.

—Webster

Shirleen was stirred from her sleep by the sound of horses outside.

Was she dreaming?

Or was she truly hearing horses coming into the village?

Having remained fully dressed as she had stretched out before the night's fire, she rushed to her feet and ran outside. She could see Blue Thunder's face beneath the moon's glow, and then, oh, Lord, she saw her sweet Megan lying nestled on Blue Thunder's lap, asleep.

Shirleen was overwhelmed with a joy she had never known possible as she ran toward the oncoming horses, her arms outstretched.

When Blue Thunder saw her, he drew rein and dismounted, handing Megan to her. Only then did the child awaken and realize what was happening.

“Mama! Mama!” Megan cried, clinging to Shirleen's neck. “Oh, Mama, Papa took me away! I didn't want to go, but he took me anyway!”

“I know, dear,” Shirleen said, gazing lovingly at her daughter, wondering if this was real or if she was dreaming.

But her daughter's arms around her neck were real enough!

Her tiny body cuddled so close to Shirleen's was real!

Shirleen looked through thankful tears at Blue Thunder as he stood there, smiling, watching the wondrous reunion of
ina
and
micinski
.

Then he suddenly became aware of the silence around him as the people of the village came out of their lodges, solemnly staring at him.

He looked at one person and then another. Finally he noticed someone standing at the doorway of his uncle's lodge.

His people's shaman, Morning Thunder.

He also realized that when he had first seen Shirleen, she had come from his own lodge, not his uncle's, where she had promised to stay until he returned with his uncle's wife.

Speckled Fawn also became aware that things were not as they should be. She could feel the color draining from her face when she, too, saw Morning Thunder standing just outside her husband's lodge.

She looked quickly at Shirleen, who had
promised to stay with Dancing Shadow while Speckled Fawn went to help rescue the younger woman's child.

She gazed into Shirleen's eyes. “What has happened?” Speckled Fawn asked in a faint whisper, for she was almost certain of the answer without hearing it.

“I am so sorry,” Shirleen said softly.

“He . . . is . . . dead?” Speckled Fawn cried out as she slid from her saddle. “My husband . . . ?”

“He died peacefully with a smile on his face, for he thought I was you,” Shirleen said, her voice catching. “He . . . even . . . spoke some last words to me, and they were about you, Speckled Fawn. Only you.”

“And I wasn't there,” Speckled Fawn choked out. With tears streaming from her eyes, she broke into a run and was soon inside her lodge, at her husband's side.

Shirleen turned to Blue Thunder. “I truly did all that I could,” she said, a sob catching in her throat. “I talked with him those few moments when he finally found voice enough to speak. He . . . did . . . seem content to die.”

“He was always a contented man, so it would not be different when he knew that he was on his way to the stars and beyond,” Blue Thunder said. He stepped over to Shirleen and wrapped his comforting arms around both her and Megan. “He had done all that he could for his people, and he knew that. He also had found great contentment in finally having a wife.”

“I am so glad that he found such happiness on this earth,” Shirleen murmured. “So few have that opportunity.”

“I have found much happiness myself, caring for my people,” Blue Thunder said thickly. “And that happiness has become twofold since meeting you. Now I can share more happiness with you, since I know yours is more complete because you have your daughter with you again.”

“I can hardly believe she is here,” Shirleen said. Megan had fallen asleep again, but this time against her bosom, not Blue Thunder's.

“Let us take her where she can rest comfortably,” Blue Thunder said, slipping gently away from Shirleen. “I will tell you all about her rescue, and then I must go and sit with my uncle.”

With Blue Thunder's arm around Shirleen's waist, they walked toward their tepee, leaving their horses to be tended by the young brave who remained dutiful to his chief's wishes. Around them, families were reunited and speaking softly of the death that had come into their village, as well as a new life.

After Megan was resting comfortably on a bed of pelts, Shirleen and Blue Thunder knelt together awhile beside the sleeping child.

They each kissed Megan's brow, and then went to sit beside the lodge fire.

After Blue Thunder added wood to the fire and the flames were leaping upward, sending warmth and light throughout the tepee,
Shirleen and Blue Thunder sat down on a thick pallet of furs, and he told her in depth how the rescue had transpired.

“And so Earl actually stole our daughter away only to spite me, not out of love for Megan,” Shirleen said, anger like a hot poker inside her belly. “He did not concern himself for one minute how the child was feeling. He only thought of himself, as always. He is perhaps the cruelest man that walks the earth.”

“Just be thankful that Speckled Fawn was able to get Megan away from Earl so easily, and that she succeeded in leaving the fort without being seen,” Blue Thunder said soothingly. “All else is no longer important.”

“Tell me all of it,” Shirleen said, moving to her knees in front of Blue Thunder, her eyes searching his. “Tell me everything.”

He reached out and gently touched her face, then proceeded to tell her all that she was eager to hear.

And when he was finished, she was awed by Speckled Fawn's daring, but mainly so happy that everything had worked out and her daughter was with her now, forever.

“Your Megan is quite wonderful,” Blue Thunder said. He reached out and drew Shirleen onto his lap. She twined an arm around his neck and nestled close to him. “As are you, my woman.”

“You have no idea how happy I am at this moment,” Shirleen said, then leaned away
from him and gazed into his eyes. “Yet so
sad
. I could feel Speckled Fawn's grief when she realized her husband was dead. I could feel the sadness of your people.”