Savage Summer (29 page)

“You don’t know Windhawk if you think that you have any say in the matter. He don’t have to do nothing he don’t want to. Damn it, don’t you knowed he’s the same as a king here in this village. Would you go walking up to the king of England and demand his daughter?”

Morgan merely nodded. “No man, be he king, or chief of the Blackfoot, can keep me away from Sky Dancer. I didn’t come all this way to lose her.”

“You won’t be so damned sure of yourself when you meet Windhawk!” Farley told him.

Danielle was dreaming she was being chased by savage Indians. Their faces were painted with hideous colors, and she couldn’t get away from them. She watched as one of them shot an arrow, which struck Wolfrunner. She clawed and struggled to get to him, but they were holding her back.

She turned her head from side to side, moaning. Suddenly she felt a cool hand on her forehead, and she opened her eyes. For a moment she thought she was looking into a mirror, for her own image was looking back at her.

“I am dreaming,” she whispered through parched lips. “It was a nightmare.”

“You are safe now, Danielle,” a soft, sweet voice said. “You have nothing to fear. Morgan and Farley brought you safely back to us.”

“Sky Dancer? Is it you?” Danielle said in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“Yes, it is me. You must rest because you have been through a great ordeal. My mother said you were to stay in bed until she says you can get up.”

“I don’t understand. Where am I?” Danielle asked, looking about her.

“You are in my father’s lodge.”

All at once the whole ordeal came back to Danielle in a flash. She tried to sit up, but was too weak. “Wolfrunner, I have to find him!” she cried. “They killed him! Someone has to help me find him.”

Sky Dancer touched Danielle’s forehead and discovered she was feverish. That must be why she was talking irrationally. “No, Danielle, Wolfrunner is not dead. He is recovering in his father’s tipi.”

A tear rolled down Danielle’s cheek, and she clasped Sky
Dancer’s hand. “You wouldn’t say it if it weren’t true, would you, Sky Dancer? Is he really going to be all right? Do not lie to me. I can take the truth. If he is dead, I want to know it.”

“I can assure you Wolfrunner is resting comfortably. He is most certainly not dead. Dr. Morgan Prescott is here, and he assures us that Wolfrunner will soon mend. Please try to rest now.”

Danielle looked confused. “What would Morgan be doing here? I don’t understand. Yes…I remember…he and Farley rescued me from the Indians.”

“You don’t have to think of anything but getting well. Are you hungry?”

“Yes…I think so.”

Sky Dancer picked up a bowl, and lifted a spoon to Danielle’s mouth. “You will love my mother’s stew. I will feed you myself.”

Danielle had many questions to ask, but she was content to satisfy her hunger at the moment. Nothing mattered but that Wolfrunner was going to recover.

Sky Dancer held a waterskin, allowing Danielle to drink deeply. Danielle noticed her feet were bandaged, and looked at her cousin inquiringly.

“Morgan tended you,” Sky Dancer said, answering her cousin’s unasked question.

“Tell me how I got here? What is Morgan Prescott doing here? Did my father send him?”

“Lay back, and I will explain some things to you. Wolfrunner has already told us about your adventure. It seems that the warriors who abducted you thought they had taken me.” She smiled. “That is an easy mistake for one to make.”

“Yes, he died without ever knowing he had made a mistake. If it hadn’t been for Wolfrunner I don’t know what would have happened to me.”

“There is no need to dwell on the unpleasant. I have a surprise I think you will like. Your father is here. Farley rode all the way to Philadelphia to tell us of your disappearance.”

“Where is my father? When can I see him?” Danielle
asked, needing to see him, to assure herself he was really in the village.

“He and my father returned earlier. Uncle Tag sat beside you for a long time and then he and my father left to visit Wolfrunner.”

Danielle reached out for Sky Dancer’s hand. “I have come to know a great deal about your life. I wanted to be more like you, Sky Dancer. When I came here I was a spoiled little girl, but I have changed.”

Sky Dancer pushed the damp hair out of Danielle’s face. “I have walked in your world, and I found many wondrous things, not the least of which was love.”

Danielle frowned thoughtfully. “You love Morgan Prescott, don’t you?”

“Yes. I love him and he loves me.”

Danielle laughed delightedly. “You have managed to walk off with the prize catch of Philadelphia. I began to think Morgan would never find a woman to his taste.”

“I do not know if my father will allow me to marry Morgan,” Sky Dancer said sadly. “I fear he will not.”

“What will you do if my uncle won’t let you and Morgan marry?”

“I will obey my father.”

“You are far more fortunate than I, Sky Dancer. I, too, have found love, but the man I love does not love me. I think I shall never know true happiness.”

Sky Dancer clasped her cousin’s hand. “How could anyone not love you?”

“Wolfrunner thinks of me as nothing more than an irritant. He will be only too happy to be rid of me.”

“Wolfrunner,” Sky Dancer said in amazement. “He is a noble warrior.”

Tears spilled down Danielle’s cheeks, and Sky Dancer gathered her close. “I am lost, Sky Dancer. How can I go on without his love?”

“Do you know for a certainty that he does not share your feelings?”

“Yes, he has told me very clearly that he doesn’t want me. I cannot really blame him. You know what I was like when I first came here.”

“If he does not love you then there is nothing you can do. You must be brave, and never look back. There is every chance that my father will send Morgan away. I fear we may both be in for a heartache.”

Danielle glanced into her look-alike’s eyes. “I am glad I have come to know you. In all that has happened, I always felt close to you. When I felt I couldn’t go on, I would try to think what you would do, and it helped me to be strong.”

“My mother says that we both nursed at her breast after your mother was killed. She always told me that gave you and I a special bond.”

Danielle smiled. “And so it does. My one regret is that we shall soon be separated. I will go back to Philadelphia, and you may have to stay here.”

“I fear that is just what will happen.”

“At least you have the comfort of knowing that Morgan loves you a great deal. Why else would he have come so far to see you, Sky Dancer?”

“Yes, I do have that.”

“Have you had a chance to talk to Morgan?”

“Just for a moment.”

“Wouldn’t it be possible for the two of you to have some time alone?”

“No, it would never be allowed.”

“Let us hold on to each other as long as we can,” Danielle said. “I feel so close to you.”

“And I you, Danielle, for when I was in Philadelphia, I walked in your shoes.”

It was long past nightfall when the Indian came to Farley’s tipi. He told the old trapper that Windhawk wanted to see him and Morgan at once. As the two men walked slowly toward the big lodge, Farley eyed the young doctor.

“You have been summoned by the great man himself. I
’spect he’ll be wanting to thank you for saving Danielle’s life. Tonight isn’t the time to bring up how you feel ’bout Sky Dancer,” Farley warned.

As they entered the lodge, there were several men sitting around the fire. Tag was one of them, and the other four were Indians. There were no women present, and Morgan suspected they might be behind the curtained off area, thus dashing any hopes he might have had for seeing Sky Dancer.

As they approached the men, Morgan’s eyes went to the one Indian who seemed to stand out among the others. He could only be Windhawk. It wasn’t that he was dressed any differently from the three other Indians—it was more that he was a commanding personality. He held his head proudly, and his dark eyes were alert with intelligence.

Tag motioned that Morgan and Farley should join them around the council fire. Morgan took a seat next to one of the Indians, and all the while he was studying Windhawk. The dark eyes seemed to see inside him, and he felt as if Windhawk could read his every thought. He could see now how Joanna had been drawn to this man, for Morgan had met no other like him.

“You are Dr. Morgan Prescott,” Windhawk stated in near-perfect English.

“Yes, and you would be Windhawk,” Morgan answered.

Windhawk inclined his head. “Tag you already know—this is Dark Warrior, Hunting Bear, and Gray Fox. Gray Fox has something to say to you and Farley. He will speak in English so you will be able to understand him.”

The Indian named Gray Fox stood. “I want to thank you both for saving my son Wolfrunner’s life. Once before I gave my thanks when Joanna saved my son’s life. It is no less precious to me now than it was when he was a baby. I offer each of you the choice of my best horses.”

“I do not want your horses, Gray Fox. We did nothing that…”

“What he means,” Farley spoke up, jabbing an elbow into Morgan’s side to silence him before he insulted the war
chief, “is that me and Morgan would be honored to accept one of your horses, Gray Fox.”

The Indian, Gray Fox, nodded and took his seat. Tag was the next to speak. This was a different Tag than Morgan was accustomed to. He was dressed as an Indian and his golden hair was encircled with a leather headband.

“You both know that my gratitude goes past anything material, yet I would also like to offer you the prized beaver skins that were left to me by Sun Woman,” he said solemnly.

By now Morgan was totally confused. “Why was Tag acting so strangely? He acted like this was some solemn ceremony, when a handshake would have sufficed.

Again Farley poked him in the ribs. “We are happy to accept your gifts,” the old man said. “Although we were proud to save the life of Danielle and Wolfrunner.”

“Tag, I don’t want your thanks,” Morgan spoke up. “I did nothing that you wouldn’t have done in like circumstances. Why are you saying this to me?”

Tag motioned for Morgan to hold his tongue, but Windhawk spoke up. “I give you leave to speak, Doctor Morgan Prescott. For saving the life of my dead sister’s daughter you can ask what you will of me, and if it is in my power, I will grant it to you.”

Morgan remembered Farley warning him not to mention Sky Dancer at this time. “I want nothing but to talk to you on a matter that concerns us both, at a later time, Windhawk. Will that be agreeable to you?”

Windhawk nodded his head. “I will let you know when the appointed time comes.” Then Windhawk did something that startled Morgan. His face eased into a smile, and he looked at Farley. “You were once a burden I had to bear, old man, because Joanna loved you. In later years, you have become my valued friend, and not so much of a burden.”

Farley’s laughter crackled out. Evidently the ceremony was over, and they could relax. “There was a time when you woulda killed me sure enough iffen Joanna hadn’t stopped you. I still get nightmares remembering it.”

“You are a wily devil, Farley,” Tag spoke up. “One would have to get up very early in the morning to get the better of you. You have been my friend since I was but a boy. Since I have grown to manhood, that friendship has deepened.”

Suddenly the lodge flap was thrown wide, and Joanna entered. Morgan watched Windhawk’s face as his eyes followed his wife. He could see the adoration sparkling in the dark depths, and the warm glance that passed between the two of them. It was possible to cross over the forbidden line and love someone outside one’s race. Windhawk and Joanna were living proof of that. Morgan just hoped Windhawk would feel that way when he asked for Sky Dancer’s hand.

“Am I intruding?” Joanna asked.

Windhawk’s mouth eased into a smile. He said no words but then he didn’t have to. The look he gave her said she could never intrude in his life.

“Doctor Prescott, White Dove asked if you would mind looking in on Wolfrunner before you turned in for the night,” Joanna said, looking directly at him. “I told her I was sure you would want to check his wound.”

“Yes,” he said, rising. “I was going to do so any way. If you will excuse me,” he said, standing up.

“Farley will take you to Wolfrunner,” she said, moving to her husband’s side.

Morgan cleaned and dressed Wolfrunner’s wounds. “You are healing nicely,” he said, looking into dark, brooding eyes that seemed void of any feeling.

“I will be up soon. I will not lie on my mat like a woman,” Wolfrunner said in a harsh voice.

“Even the strongest of us need time to heal. You have been gravely wounded. I wouldn’t be in such a hurry to get up if I were you.”

“You are not me,” Wolfrunner said coldly. “No white man could know how an Indian feels.”

Morgan closed his black bag, and stood up. “I will stop by to see you again tomorrow.”

Wolfrunner looked up at Morgan. “I have not thanked you for saving my life. While my life is no great thing, I am grateful that you saved Danielle.”

Morgan was getting weary of everyone thanking him. Apparently the Blackfoot people were generous with their praise. “I did nothing. If you want to show your thanks, then follow my orders.”

“There is something you can do for me, Doctor,” Wolfrunner said in a soft voice, as if he didn’t want to be overheard by his mother, who was seated nearby.

“If I can.”

“I would like it if you would say that I can have no visitors. Sometimes when someone is very ill, the medicine woman of my tribe says this.”

“Your visitors should be restricted, but I do not think—”

Wolfrunner held up his hand. “I do not want Danielle to see me. You must say that she is not to come.”

Morgan looked puzzled for a moment. “I will pass, the word,” he said. With a nod of his head, he left the tipi and stepped out into the night.

Morgan thought of the strange conversation he had just had with Wolfrunner. His patient was still weak, but he suspected with the stamina the Indians displayed it wouldn’t be long until he was up and about.

As Morgan walked toward Farley’s tipi, several Indian braves smiled and nodded at him. Evidently he and Farley had been made into some kind of heroes because they had rescued Danielle and Wolfrunner.

He was so deep in thought, he didn’t hear the soft moccasin footsteps that approached him from behind. When Sky Dancer touched his shoulder he turned around to face her. Her eyes met his, and he was reminded of the night they had made love in the summerhouse in Philadelphia. By the light blush to her cheeks, Morgan suspected Sky Dancer was also remembering.