Spirit Journey: Historical Western Cowboy Romance Novel (Dawson Chronicles Book 3) (4 page)

The sisters clung to each other.  Jaylyn rocked Peanut, reassuring her that everything would be all right, that they would figure it all out. 

Raven crouched down by Peanut.  “Your sister’s right.  Sometimes we don’t always know why things happen, but there is always a reason.  You’re not alone, remember?  We will help you.  You helped us find Runner, so we owe you.  If not for you, we might have searched for months without finding him.”

Peanut’s tears slowed.  “I don’t understand.  Reckless, how did you know that I’m pregnant?”

“I am what our people call a dreamer.  You might call me a sensitive or a psychic, but my power is not easily defined.  When I was younger, I drowned twice and both times Wakan Tanka brought me back from the spirit world.  I have one foot in each world and communicate with the spirits.  They help me during times of trouble and sometimes warn me about danger.

“Or, like now, they help me communicate with others like myself.  My young cousin is also a dreamer, but until now, he has not had the kind of power necessary to communicate over long distances.  I know you may not believe me, but I speak the truth,” he explained.

Peanut said, “It’s hard to doubt after what you just did.”

Reckless smiled and then looked at Black Fox.  “I would speak to my chief in private,” he said formally in Lakota.

Black Fox rose and he and Reckless walked a ways down the trail together.  Black Fox waited for Reckless to speak.

“Before my vision ended, Great Grandfather spoke to me.  He said that he wants me to bring my father to him.  I asked him how I could do that when my father walks the spirit world with him, but he did not answer me.  Do you know what that means?”  Reckless watched his uncle closely.

The sudden tension in the chief’s posture and the surprise in his eyes told Reckless that he did.

              Black Fox closed his eyes for a few moments before opening them.  “It is not my story to tell.  Stay here.”

              “Why?”

              “Stay here,” Black Fox insisted.

              Confusion kept Reckless company while he waited for his uncle to return.

              Black Fox came to the fire again and caught Owl’s attention, motioning for him to follow him.  When they were alone, he said, “The time has come, brother.  Go to Reckless.”

              Owl’s heart filled with fear, but he nodded and steeled himself for the coming conversation. 

              Reckless had been expecting Black Fox, but it was Owl who walked towards him out of the darkness.

              Owl smiled tightly at Reckless.  “Let us walk.”

              “Where is my other uncle?” Reckless asked.

              “At the fire.  He is not who you need to talk to about this.  I am,” Owl replied.  “A long time ago, your father went out on a hunting trip and their party was attacked by a large group of Kiowa.  Most of their party were killed, but a few escaped and made it home.  Your father was not among them.  We were told that he was dead.  You know that it is our custom for a woman whose husband has been killed to marry her husband’s brother if they are agreeable.  This happened after my first wife, Blue Star, died, so I was unmarried. 

              “I was married briefly to your mother, Reckless.  We made a fair match, even though we were not in love with each other.  We respected each other and were very fond of each other and that was enough.  We were also a comfort to each other in our time of grief.  This happened in December and we were only married for the rest of the winter.  Your father returned around the end of March.  You were born not quite eight months after his return,” Owl said. 

              Reckless stopped walking and stared at Owl.  Confusion filled his expression and his chest rose and fell rapidly with the force of his turmoil.  “You are my father?”

              “No.  He Who Runs was your father in all ways but one, Reckless,” Owl said.  “He was so happy to have a son and he loved you as much as any father loves his child.”

              Reckless’ mind went back in time to a conversation he’d had with his parents after his vision that had led the tribe to their new home in the canyon after the army had burned their old camp.  He’d spent four days in the summer sun out on the rock ledge at camp, searching for a safe place for their tribe to live …

He wanted to see his parents and walked in the direction of their campfire.  Halfway there, he got dizzy again and had to stand still.  Brook supported him, worry etched on her face as she watched his eyes close.  In a few moments he moved on again and they reached his parents’ fire.

Eagle Woman saw her son’s condition and put a hand to her mouth.  She would have come to embrace him, but he said, “Mother, please do not touch me.  Forgive me for not using proper etiquette.”

Smiling, she made do with touching her son’s hair and pressing a hand briefly to his cheek.  Reckless smiled back at her and then sat down awkwardly.  The skin all over his body was bright red and burned with every movement.  Sighing, he closed his eyes again until some of the pain subsided.

He Who Runs watched him with concern.  “My son, you should not be up walking around yet.  You are not strong enough.”

Reckless opened his eyes and said, “I needed to tell you something before I forget it.”

“What is it?” his father asked.

“Grandfather said to not forget the promise you made to Wakan Tanka all those years ago.  I do not know what that promise was, but he said you would remember it, that you promised to tell the truth.  I do not need to know what that is, so do not feel compelled to tell me or anyone but who it involves,” Reckless said.

He Who Runs was clearly shaken and then masked it.  He nodded but said nothing else as Eagle Woman looked nervously at her husband.  Reckless saw the exchange but didn’t comment on it. 

Brook said, “He is hungry.  Might we trouble you for some of your stew and a drink?  I could go make him something, but I don’t want him to have to move more than necessary.”

“Of course,” Eagle Woman said.  “How thoughtless of me.”  The truth was that she had been badly startled by her son’s words.

Reckless looked directly into He Who Runs’ eyes and said, “Now do you doubt my vision?  Do you doubt that I walked with our grandfather?  I saw that my words meant something to you. You now know that what I say happened is true.  Do you deny it?”

“No.  I do not deny it.  I believe you,” He Who Runs said.  “Thank you for delivering Grandfather’s message.”

“When we were burned out of our camp, and I had that vision, Brown Stag gave me a message for my parents,” Reckless said.  “He said that they needed to tell the truth about something—that they had promised Wakan Tanka that they would.  This is what Brown Stag meant.  He wanted them to tell me that you are my father.”

Owl nodded.  “Only a few people know.  It is the only lie we ever told and it was so hard to do so since it is not our nature.  Your parents were back together as they should have been.  I would not stand in the way of their happiness.  I was so happy to have He Who Runs back and I had no bitterness about Eagle Woman and I divorcing.  It was the right thing to do. 

“Besides, we were never truly married since your father still lived.  A small Cheyenne hunting party had found him.  He had been badly wounded and it had taken a long time for him to recover enough to return home.

“Do not be angry with your parents, Reckless.  They loved you so much and did not know how to tell you.  They would have eventually, but they died before they had gathered the courage,” Owl said.  “I promised to never tell you.  It was not my place.”

Reckless didn’t know what to say or do.  His world had been sent spinning like a top and he didn’t know how to stop it.  He searched Owl’s face for traces of resemblance.  “I do not look like you.”

Owl smiled.  “No.  I think you would have looked like your mother no matter who your father was.  I am not sure why Brown Stag wants this known now, but there must be a reason.  Although you may think so, this does not really change anything. 

“He Who Runs was the man who helped clothe you, made sure you had food, and guided you as you grew.  All of your uncles had a hand in that, but He Who Runs was your father.  I keep saying that because I want you to understand that he truly was.”

Reckless was helpless to stop the tears that trailed down his face.  “Did you not want me?  Why did you not tell me after they died?”

Owl shrugged.  “I could not go against your parents’ wishes.  In your heart, do you not still think of He Who Runs as your father?  Even after learning of this?”

Searching within himself, Reckless saw that it was true, but he was still confused.  How was he supposed to feel about Owl now?  What was the point of knowing that Owl had sired him?  Knowing that Brown Stag always did things for a reason, Reckless tried to take comfort in the knowledge that all would be revealed to him when the time was right.

“Why have I never heard about Mother and you being married?”

“Our marriage was so brief that people forgot about it after a while.  We said that you had been conceived shortly after He Who Runs had returned and no one questioned it,” Owl said.  “They just thought that you had been born early.  As I said, it is the only lie we ever told and it was a very difficult one.  However, as time went on, we were convinced that we had done the right thing.  Your father never looked at you as anything other than his son.  He loved you with his whole heart.”

Reckless shook his head.  “Am I to call you Father now?”

“I do not expect that.  I could never replace him, and I do not want to.  I am content to be your uncle.  I have always been very proud of you and I love you very much, but I would never intrude on your relationship with your parents.  I have no objection to you calling me Father, but do not because you think that it is what I want.”

“Are you afraid of what everyone will think?” Reckless asked.  “Does Aunt Hannah know?  Do your children know?”

“No.  There was no need to tell them,” Owl said.  “But I will tell them when we go home.”

Reckless said, “Do not tell anyone yet.  I need to think about all of this.”

“Of course.  I will abide by whatever you decide,” Owl said, smiling kindly.  He withdrew from Reckless, giving him the space he’d requested.

*****

              Peanut had been settled in for the night, but her mind wouldn’t quiet even though she was exhausted.  In a matter of three weeks, the bottom had dropped out of her life.  She’d lost her father, and her fiancé, a man she’d loved and trusted, had tried to kill her, Jaylyn, and Annie.  They had no money and wouldn’t until they arrived back home and sold their land.

              It was the lowest point in her life and the future didn’t look promising.  She didn’t know how she was going to provide for two children.  Taking a deep breath, Peanut held it for several moments and then let it out, trying to fight off the panic she felt rising.

              Warm air suddenly blew against her neck, making Peanut jump.  Dash had come to visit her as though he knew that she could stand some comforting.  He stretched his neck out so he could sniff her face.  She smiled and pet him.

Skip quietly joined them, but he only offered her a small smile.

              “Shouldn’t you tie him up?” Peanut asked.

              “Nope.  He’s our attack mule,” Skip managed to get out.

              She laughed.  “What?”

              It was a subject Skip could talk about without tripping over his tongue too much.  “Mules are notorious for protecting their territory and loved ones.  That’s why it’s a good idea to put them in with other grazers.  Horses and sheep will run from a predator, but not donkeys and mules.  About a week ago, Dash ran off a grizzly that wandered into our camp.  That bear didn’t stay around long once he got a taste of Dash’s back hooves.”

              “I didn’t know that.  He doesn’t wander away, though?”

              “He won’t leave me.  We have a strong bond.”

              Skip’s eyes lit on Annie, who slept beside Peanut.  He smiled as he watched her sleep. 

              “Things’ll look a little better in the morning,” Skip said.  “Goodnight.”

              “Goodnight.”  Peanut’s eyes followed him as he left, wondering at his odd behavior.

              Jaylyn and Peanut laughed while they watched Skip give Dash his massage the next morning.  Annie enjoyed it, too.  She clapped and laughed when Skip waved at her as he stood on Dash’s back. 

              “He does that every morning,” Jonathan said, smiling.  “Dash loves it.”

              Skip scratched Dash’s butt, making him prance and the women laughed harder.  When Skip slid off, he got out a brush from his pack and gave Dash a quick grooming before saddling him.  He talked to Dash the whole time he fastened his saddle and paniers on. 

              Peanut was fascinated by the way Skip could climb all over Dash as he arranged bedding on the saddle and made a cushion on the left side panier.  Dash turned his head back to see what was going on since this was new to him.  Skip talked to him and assured him that all was well. 

              When he was done, he came over to the fire.  “That should work,” he said to no one in particular.

              “Thank you,” Peanut said.  “I’m sorry to make you go to so much trouble.”

              Skip’s gaze briefly met her eyes.  “No trouble.”

              Peanut smiled at him as Annie squirmed to get down. 

              Squirrel said, “It is all right to let her crawl.  She will come to no harm.”

              “Ok,” Peanut said, gently setting Annie down on the blanket that Jaylyn had spread out for her. 

              The baby made a beeline for Skip, squealing in triumph as she arrived at his feet.  Looking up at him, she babbled a loud string of words at him, her blue eyes wide.

              “Really?  You wanna go see Dash?  Are you sure?”

              Annie squealed and patted one of his feet.

              “Ok.  As long as you’re sure.”  Skip picked her up.

              “Skip, you don’t have to keep watching her,” Peanut said.

              “It’s ok,” he said, walking over to Dash.

              Eric smiled at Skip’s bashful behavior.  He handed Jaylyn and Peanut a plate of bacon and scrambled eggs.

              “Breakfast, ladies.  I was the chef this morning,” he said.

              Peanut said, “Boy, does that look good.  I’m starving.”

              “I agree,” Jaylyn remarked, tucking into the food.

              Eric sat down by them.  “Peanut, if you start having a lot of pain, just say so and we’ll stop to rest a little.  And don’t worry about slowing us down.  It’s fine.”

              “All right,” Peanut said.  “Will it be safe for Annie to ride on Dash?”

              “As safe as safe can be,” Eric said.  “He’s used to kids sitting on him and running around his legs.  I guess you could say that he’s kid-proof.  He doesn’t spook easy like a horse will.  Mules take longer to process things.  They’re more intelligent that most horses and really think things through to see if they’re dangerous or not.  They also won’t let you lead them into danger.  It’s a good idea to heed them because they might just save your life.”

              Jaylyn said, “You seem very fond of mules.”

              “I am.  I trained under one of the finest equine veterinarians and he showed us what misunderstood and valuable animals mules and donkeys are,” Eric said.

              Peanut said, “I always thought they were stubborn.”

              “They can be, but there’s usually a reason behind it.  You have to talk them into things at first, but once they learn something, it’s rare that they forget it.  That’s why it’s important not to yell at them or try to force them.  All it takes is one bad experience to ruin a mule.  Horses are more forgiving.  It’s much easier to train a mule the right way the first time because retraining them is very difficult,” Eric explained.

              Jaylyn liked listening to him and was impressed by his knowledge on the subject.  He was expressive and very nice to look at.  Knowing she shouldn’t have those sorts of thoughts, she tried not to focus on him.  She glanced at Peanut, startled to find a knowing smile on her little sister’s face.

              Jaylyn frowned at her a little, silently telling her to stop it.  Peanut’s smile widened even as she returned her attention to her plate.  Squirrel had also picked up on Jaylyn’s preoccupation with Eric and smiled inside.  She knew that her handsome nephew drew the eyes of many young women, but his broken heart had made him bitter and blind to their interest.

              Thinking about Reckless’ vision, Squirrel thought that there might be several reasons why the Great Spirit had led them to the women.  Perhaps one of them was to heal Eric.  Time would tell. 

              It wasn’t long before they broke camp.  Raven and Mike situated Peanut on Dash’s back, making sure her injured leg was comfortable.  Skip handed Annie up to Peanut and smiled a little, but he didn’t speak to her.  Squirrel had made a baby sling for Peanut and she put Annie in it.

              Peanut didn’t understand his behavior.  He talked a blue streak to anyone else, but he clammed up around her.  Maybe it was because she had a baby and one on the way without being married.  Was he judging her?  She didn’t think so, but why did he act so strangely around her?

              Looking down at Skip as he walked beside Dash, Peanut wondered if he was Lakota at all.  He wore only a breechcloth and leggings, his strong upper body bared to the sunlight.  He was tanned, but not nearly as dark as the others.  Maybe he was only part Lakota, like Eric.  His eyes were almost black and his hair was darker than Eric’s.  Peanut liked his wild halo of curly hair. 

She jerked her mind away from those sorts of thoughts. 
What’s the matter with you?  Almost being murdered must have knocked all of the good sense out of you.  The only thing you should be thinking about is figuring out how to take care of your kids.
  Peanut put her mind to work on the problem of their dire situation.

As they traveled, Skip kept casting furtive glances at Peanut and Annie.  Since Eric rode right behind Dash, he saw Skip’s fascination with Peanut and had a hard time not laughing.  He felt bad that Skip was so painfully shy around pretty girls, but he couldn’t help being amused.

Looking in front of Dash, Eric saw Jaylyn sitting behind Hailey on her horse. 
Talk about pretty girls.
  Jaylyn’s blue eyes and flame-colored hair were very eye catching and she had a very nice figure.  He judged her to be around five-four or so. 

Nope.  I’m not going down that road.  Not again.
  He didn’t know Jaylyn, but there was something about her that told Eric that she wasn’t the sort of woman who would be interested in a casual relationship.  However, he had no intention of getting attached to a woman ever again.

Pulling his gaze away from Jaylyn’s pretty form, Eric wondered what had gone on between Reckless, Black Fox, and Owl last night.  There was an obvious undercurrent of tension between them, but he didn’t pry.  It must have something to do with Reckless’ vision.  Reckless sometimes couldn’t share everything about the things he experienced and Eric always respected that.

Runner had been learning from Reckless before he left, and according to Reckless, Runner was growing in power.  What had Runner imparted to Reckless?  Eric hoped that it wasn’t anything negative.  He wasn’t the only one thinking about the situation.

Reckless couldn’t understand why Brown Stag had given him this information.  What was he supposed to do with it?  He wished he could talk to Brook.  She was his best friend and confidant.  She was also a wise woman and she was skilled in assisting him in working through problems and helping him see hidden meanings. 

But she wasn’t with him so he had to figure this out on his own.  It was something he had to weigh carefully before acting upon.  Looking skyward, he prayed for guidance, hoping that the answers wouldn’t be long in coming.

*****

              Peanut and Jaylyn caught on to their new friends’ traveling routine and Peanut’s leg healed faster than anticipated.  By the fourth day, she was able to walk short distances.  Although she didn’t really require the special way that Skip padded Dash’s saddle, he kept doing it.  She couldn’t figure him out and mentioned it to Dino one night when they were alone at the fire.

              “Did I make Skip mad or something?”

              Dino looked up from his writing.  “Hmm?  What about Skip?”

              “Is he mad at me?” she asked.

              “I don’t think so.  Why?” Dino asked.

              Peanut resettled Annie on her lap.  “He talks to everyone else but me; he hardly looks at me.”

              Dino’s blue eyes gleamed as he grinned.  “That’s because you’re pretty.  Skip can’t talk around pretty girls, or at least ones he doesn’t know.  He’s quiet because he likes you and he’s just too shy to talk to you.”

              Peanut was stunned.  “I’m not pretty.  I’m pregnant and I’ve already got one baby.”

              Dino laughed.  “Well, you might be pregnant and have a baby, but you’re still a pretty girl.  I mean that in a strictly platonic way.”

              Peanut smiled.  “I’d hope so.  How do you know he likes me, though?  You said he’s shy around girls he doesn’t know.  It could just be that.”

              Dino moved over closer to her.  “With a lot of us being raised around the Lakota, we’ve sort of adopted some of their ways.  Skip’s been around my family since he was born.  One of the ways a brave shows his regard for a woman is by bringing her nice things, or by doing stuff for her, like making her comfortable every day when she’s riding his mule, for example.”

              Peanut laughed even as she thought over Skip’s behavior the past few days.  He helped with Annie and had brought berries and other treats to her.  He hardly spoke when giving them to her, but he always smiled before going away again.  Could it really be true that he liked her that way? 

Even if it was, Peanut wasn’t interested.  She’d just been betrayed in the most heinous way by the man who was supposed to have been in love with her.  She had no interest in getting involved with anyone again.  She had much more important things to worry about. 

*****

              “Runner, here,” Ken Merrick said.

              Runner came back to the present and took a dish of peas from Ken.  “Thanks.”

              “They’re gettin’ closer, huh?” Ken asked.

              “Yes.  I can’t wait to see them again.”

              Ken’s wife, Doreen, said, “I’m sure you can’t.  They’ll be so happy to see you.  How will they know where you are?”

              Runner said, “I’ll tell Reckless the next time we communicate.”

              He knew that not everyone would believe him about his abilities, but he’d proven himself to the older couple a few times, and the Merricks were firm believers in the boy’s skills.

              Doreen sighed.  “I’m looking forward to meeting them, but I don’t want you to leave us.”

              Runner smiled.  “I know, but I have to go back home.  You can come visit me.  I’ll write you, too.  I’ll miss you.”

              Doreen patted his arm.  “Of course you have to go with them.  They’re your family.”

              Runner said, “You’re my family now, too.”

              She chuckled.  “I never thought I’d become family to a handsome Indian boy, but I love you.”

              “I love you, too.”

              “All right.  Enough with the mushy stuff, you two,” Ken groused.

              He was going to miss Runner, too.  The boy had wandered onto their property out of the blue one day and had been with them ever since.  He’d offered to do work around their homestead in exchange for sleeping in their barn and a little food.

              Doreen had taken to Runner right away and had insisted that he take one of the extra rooms in their house.  He’d come at a good time—Ken’s logging business had picked up and Runner was strong and dependable.  Already six feet tall when he’d arrived, he now stood six-three and he’d gained a lot of muscle from all of the physical work.

              Ken didn’t know what he was going to do without Runner.  More than Runner’s great work ethic, Ken was going to miss playing games and hunting with Runner.  He was going to miss all of their serious conversations and hearing about Runner’s family.  He and Doreen had never been able to have children, and Runner helped fill that void.

              Knowing that Ken wasn’t big on outward shows of emotion, Runner didn’t comment on the wistful expression on Ken’s face.  Instead he concentrated on the fine Sunday meal that Doreen had made and talked about ordinary things.  All the while, the joy in his heart grew as he felt his family drawing nearer to Pringle.  He prayed that they hurried.

*****

              That night, Reckless sat by a small fire that he’d built away from the main fire in their camp.  He stared at the fire, letting the flames work their magic.  Their sinuous movements and crackling sounds were hypnotic and he was usually able to enter into a trance by concentrating on them.  He’d asked Mike to chant softly for him and had taken a small amount of datura.