T'on Ma (23 page)

The newlyweds were dressed and out the door before the sun came up. Hurrying through the compound, they saw that the Coopers were also awake and were breaking camp.

"Good morning," Lana called out to her family.

"Hi, sis." Nathan walked over to her. "I guess we're both old married folk now."

"Yes, I suppose we are," Lana laughed. Watching everything be packed away brought a frown to her face.

"This is going to be so hard." She turned to Liam and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I know, sweetheart. I know." He put his arms around her, trying to comfort her.

Christina walked up and tapped her on the shoulder. Stepping out of Liam's embrace, she turned to Christina.

"Here's your wedding dress." Lana handed the carefully folded garment to her. "Thank you, again, for letting me borrow it."

"You are more than welcome," Christina smiled, hugging her.

"You all ready?" Lana asked.

"Yep. Everything is loaded up." The two young women walked closer to the wagon while Liam went to help Jake with the team. "So," Christina continued. "How was it?"

Lana cut her eyes to look at her sister-in-law. "It was amazing. I mean, I don't want to leave our bed."

"I know!" Christina grinned. "Isn't it great?"

"We should be ashamed of ourselves. We're just two hussies. You know that?"

"Probably," Christina agreed. "But I don't think our husbands would have it any other way."

"What are you two grinning about?" May asked as she stepped from behind the wagon.

"Just newlywed stuff," Lana explained. "Oh, here's your ring back, Ma." Lana pulled it from her finger and handed it over.

"This ring has been really busy the past few days," May laughed. "From me to Christina to you and now back to me." Putting it on her own hand, she looked at the two girls. "You'll both have your own rings soon enough. And they'll be prettier than this old thing."

"Ma, you wouldn't take for that 'old thing' and you know it!" Lana teased her.

"You're right. It was all your pa could afford at the time, but it means more to me than the world."

"We're all packed," Paul announced as he put the last of their things in the wagon and Jake tied the new dairy cow to the back.

"Then I guess it's time to say goodbye." Lana began tearing up. While she and Liam made the rounds, saying goodbye to everyone, she managed to keep her emotions in check. But, when she stood in front of her father, she began crying.

"Oh, Pa." She buried her face against his chest. "I'm going to miss all of you so much. I don't know if I can stand it."

"Sshhh." He patted her back, that dangerous lump in his throat again. "It's going to be just fine. Besides, we'll see you soon enough, whenever the crops are in. We'll be back to trade. And you come see us as often as you can."

"I will." Lana wiped her eyes. She hugged him tightly one last time and then stepped back.

Shaking Liam's hand, Joshua looked him straight in the eye. "You be good to my little girl."

"I will, sir. I promise."

"All right, then." Joshua turned to survey the wagon and the horizon and then turned back to study the fort for a moment. "All right, then," he repeated, trying to hide his sudden panic at leaving Lana behind. "I guess we'd better make tracks."

Nodding once to Nathan, who started the team, Joshua fell in step by the rolling wagon just as the sun peeked over the eastern horizon.

"I love you! All of you!" Lana called out after them as she waved. "Bye!"

"Bye, Lana." Christina turned from her place on the wagon and waved back. "Bye!"

In a few minutes, the wagon rolled behind a hill and the Coopers were out of sight. Lana turned to her husband with the most woeful expression he'd ever seen.

"Come here, beautiful." He pulled her to him. "I know just the thing that will cheer you up."

"What?" she asked, knowing that nothing could cheer her up right then.

"It starts with a good breakfast and then we'll go shopping."

"Yes, sir." They turned back and walked into the fort, heading for the Officers' Mess and hot coffee.

Quietly, slowly, the Kiowa warriors crept up to the grazing herd. The horses belonged to the Cheyenne and were poorly guarded as they ate the rich spring grass. The camp sat further back against a low hill. If they moved quickly, the raiding party could have the horses away and across the river before an alarm sounded.

Two Hawks slunk up behind one of the four guards, killing him instantly with a sharp thrust of his knife. Laughing Turtle also reached a guard, but wasn't as adept at his task. The man lay on the ground, blood gurgling from his mouth, as he stared accusingly at Laughing Turtle. Grimacing, Laughing Turtle stabbed him again, this time, making sure he hit the heart. The man's head fell back, his eyes still open.

With all the guards dead, the five Kiowa herded the horses toward the river without causing too much commotion. They had successfully crossed it when they heard a cry go up in the village. Shouting and waving their arms, they brought the herd to a gallop and disappeared into the distance.

It took several days to return to their tribe, but they arrived to a hero's welcome. The horses were divided up between the five men, making each one wealthier. Horses meant status and power, rifles and wives. Two Hawks now had eighteen horses of his own. But he wanted more. Driven by Lana's rejection and his own anger, he wanted so many horses that he could buy
ten
Lanas if he wanted to!

Three days hadn't passed since his return before he was on the raiding trail again. Only this time he traveled alone, heading northwest.

T'on Ma had her arms wrapped tightly around his waist as she lifted her head for his kisses. He leaned down, touching her sweet lips with his own, when she burst like a raindrop, splashing on hard earth, and turned into a stream of water flowing toward the east. Two Hawks turned to look east, but it sat in total darkness, and he could see nothing. Peering into the inky black, straining to see any shred of light or form, he heard a cry, a woman's cry, a heartbroken cry that pierced him with its sorrow.

Jerking straight up from his blanket, the warrior looked around him in the night. There was no one with him. There was no one crying. He held his head in his hands, clenching his eyes against the dream. Again. This dream, again. Slowly, reluctantly, he lay back down for a few more hours sleep before the dawn and another day's journey north.

In a week's time, Two Hawks had ridden many miles, finding nothing of interest. However, late one afternoon, he came across a small band of Osage hunters. They had made camp for the evening and were busy with fires and food. Looking over their horses, Two Hawks saw a magnificent palomino stallion. Its owner tied the horse close to the camp so he could keep an eye on it.

Slipping back from his outlook, Two Hawks tethered his horse and settled down to wait for night. There were seven Osage warriors, so he needed to be quick as well as quiet in order to escape with the palomino. Once night fell and several hours passed, Two Hawks crept back to his outlook. It surprised him that the Osage had not set a guard. All seven men were asleep.

Creeping cautiously toward the camp, Two Hawks watched the horses. One sound of alarm from them meant trouble. A few flicked their ears back as they listened to his approach, but none whinnied. Taking a few more cautious steps, he stopped and watched again. One of the horses stomped its foot and shook its head. His owner turned, mumbling in his sleep, and then grew quiet again. A few more steps brought Two Hawks to the palomino's flank. Reaching out steadily toward the horse, he began gently stroking its side. Its ears flicked, but it made no other move.

The Kiowa untied the rope from the rock next to the horse's owner. Two Hawks looked carefully at each sleeping form. None had moved. Pushing against the horse's chest, he moved the horse back two steps. After waiting a moment, he repeated his action. He went through this process several times until they were several feet away from the camp. Two Hawks turned the horse around and led him away at a slow pace, trying to stay as quiet as possible.

Finally, carefully, he had just made it back to his own horse when he heard a shout from the camp. Two Hawks jumped on his horse and galloped into the night, leading the palomino by its rope. The Osage warriors heard the hooves and began running and shooting in that direction. Just when Two Hawks thought he was safely away, something stung his right shoulder. He could feel warm blood running down his back as he lurched forward. Clinging to his horse, he sent them galloping faster, not able to stop, knowing the mounted Osage were in hot pursuit.

By switching every few miles from horse to horse, he outran the Osages' exhausted horses, though it took a long time to do so. Once safe, he stopped to tend his wound as best he could, but he couldn't reach the bullet in his shoulder. His only hope was to travel quickly to his village for help.

Several days later, Two Hawks rode into camp and fell from his horse. A high fever and infection ravaged his body. Tall Moon came immediately and treatment began as he dug out the bullet from Two Hawks' infected shoulder. Gray Dove, her two daughters, and Corn Flower took turns tending the sick man for days. Many times, Gray Dove feared for his life, but the four women kept bathing in him with cold water and Tall Moon forced him to drink cup after cup of willow bark tea. Once the fever broke, the patient slowly began to mend.

Two Hawks had just awakened from a nap when Corn Flower came in carrying a bowl of food.

"Good. You're awake," she said, stepping over to him. "Laughing Turtle caught some rabbits this morning. I've made you a stew from them." Kneeling beside him, she held out the bowl. He took it and began eating. She watched him, grateful that his appetite had returned.

"We were so worried about you. There were many nights we thought were going to be your last." Reaching out, she touched his shoulder. "But you are too strong to let a bullet stop you."

Finished, Two Hawks handed the bowl back to her, expecting her to leave. When she didn't, he looked at her, frowning. "What?"

"I want to ask you something."

"All right. Ask."

"Why are you so angry? Why are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"Get myself killed?" That puzzled him.

"Yes. Why else would you keep raiding, even when you're alone? Why are you so angry?" she asked again.

The expression on his face told Corn Flower that he didn't want to talk about it.

"I can guess," she filled in the silence. "Water Woman has done something to hurt you. Perhaps even told you to go away."

"She is none of your concern," Two Hawks snapped.

"She is if she's your concern." Corn Flower moved her hand from his shoulder to his chest. "Is she your concern?"

Two Hawks shook his head once. "No. Not any more."

"I see." She paused for a moment before continuing with her confession. "You told me before you left that I wasn't to wait for you. But I did. I have had many suitors, but I have always waited for you." Leaning over, she kissed him as sweetly as she knew how. He didn't respond, didn't move. She might as well have kissed a rock. It would have been less cold.

Sitting up, she frowned. "I don't understand! What's wrong?"

For a moment, Two Hawks felt sorry for the beautiful young woman. "Don't you understand yet? My mind and pride might be at war with her, but my heart still needs her. Go to one of your suitors. Marry him. Waiting for me will be wasting your life."

"So, your heart needs someone you are at war with? You will die a lonely old man if you don't change."

Two Hawks had no argument for her, so he simply turned his back to her.

"Oh, you are impossible!" Picking up the bowl, Corn Flower stormed out of the tipi, refusing to give up on Two Hawks, much as he refused to let go of T'on Ma. Somehow, though, she didn't see the similarities. It might have helped her understand him if she had.

As soon as he grew stronger, Two Hawks made plans for another raiding party.

"What?"
Many Deer exclaimed. "Why? You're barely on your feet."

"Please," his mother begged. "Don't go again so soon. You still need to heal."

But Two Hawks only turned his face from them, unwilling to listen to their words, unmoved by their concern.

"Why is he doing this?" Gray Dove asked her father, Red Flint, later that day. "It's as if he had a death wish."

"Perhaps he does," Red Flint acknowledged. "He hasn't been the same since Water Woman refused him."

"Her!" Gray Dove scowled. "I wish he had never met her. She's brought nothing but trouble. He should have married Corn Flower last summer. I'd be a grandmother by now."

"Wishing won't make it change," the old man shook his head. "Not for you. Not for your son."

"I don't understand why he won't take Corn Flower. She's perfect."

"Daughter, you've married the man you loved, so perhaps you
don't
understand why he won't take Corn Flower. Water Woman is in his heart, in his mind. Asking him to replace her with another woman is like asking a starving man with buffalo steak to trade it for a meal of dirt."

"So he's trying to get himself killed?"

"He might not realize it, but yes. I think so." Red Flint paused for a moment. "Once, many years ago, when you were too young to remember, I saw another brave lose his woman. He deliberately went out starting trouble with other tribes. Eventually, he got what he wanted and was killed."

"Then what shall we do for your grandson?"

"I'm not sure there is anything we
can
do."

Frustrated at his answer, Gray Dove shook her head and walked away.

Several days later, Two Hawks was hunting when he came across Nathan working in the field. While they disagreed over Lana, they still had a mutual respect for each other. Riding up to Nathan, Two Hawks dismounted and lifted his hand in a sign of friendship.