Westward Moon (10 page)

              Jack thought he was seeing things when Mike entered the tipi.

              “What are you doin’ here?  You should be at home,” he said and tried to shift to a more comfortable position.

              “Raven found me and I was closer to camp so I came here.  Besides, I can help you,” Mike said.

              Jack laughed a little.  “Sparrow’s already given me willow bark tea.  There’s not much else to be done for now.”

              Mike shook his head and said, “There’s actually a lot to be done.”  He looked around and started taking medicine bags down from the poles where Marcus kept them.

              Jack said, “Don’t do that!  You’re gonna mess them up and Uncle Marcus is gonna kill you.”

              “No I won’t and no he won’t,” Mike responded.  “He showed me what they are.  He thinks I don’t remember them, but I do.”

              Jack watched Mike begin mixing up a poultice and a different type of tea.  “What are you doin’?”

              “This poultice will help fight infection.  It has to be packed into the wound once we get that arrow out,” Mike said. 

              “You’re not touching that arrow,” Jack said angrily.

              “The tea is to help boost your immune system,” Mike continued as if Jack hadn’t spoken.

              “I’ll drink the tea, but you’re not touching that arrow,” Jack said.

              Sparrow came into the tipi and Mike told her what he was doing.  “Here.  Help him drink it.  You have to drink it all, Jack.  Uncle Marcus says that’s the way it works best.”

              Jack drank it down and Sparrow bathed his brow.  Soon Jack began feeling sleepy.  Mike saw and smiled at him.  “Goodnight, Jack.”

              “What the hell did you give me?” Jack said and then passed out.

              Sparrow looked at Mike in alarm.  “What did you do?”

              “You and I both know that arrow has to come out or he’s gonna die.  You can argue with me or help me get it out,” Mike said as he started looking over Jack’s leg.  “We need a lot of bandaging.  The arrow shouldn’t have hit any major blood vessels based on its location, but I don’t know if the bone is involved or not.  There’s bruising, but it’s not exactly indicative of a fracture.”

              Sparrow couldn’t stop staring at Mike.  He sounded like a younger version of Marcus and for some reason it gave her comfort.  “I’ll get bandages.”

              “Bring a man with you.  I need someone to hold the leg still while I pull,” Mike said. 

              The whole time she was gone, Mike closed his eyes and saw what he needed to in his mind.  When she returned, Reckless was with her.  Mike said, “Hold his leg still.”

              “Hello to you, too, Mikey,” Reckless said.

              “It’s Mike and hello.  Now hold his leg still.  Sparrow, be ready with those bandages when I tell you,” Mike said.

              Reckless frowned at him but grasped Jack’s leg at the ankle and the knee joints.  Mike closed his eyes again and asked the Creator for help and then opened them again.  He said, “There’s gonna be a lot of blood at first, but that’s ok.  It needs to run for a few seconds.  I have to clean each side of the wound and then pack it and put the poultice on it.”  So saying, he slowly withdrew the arrow.  It was lodged in tight and Mike had to yank a little at one point, but it finally came free.

              Mike smiled at his success.  He was relieved that he was able to help his big brother.  Calmly, he cleaned and dressed the wound.  Then he sat back exhausted. 

              “Well done, nephew.”

              Mike looked up to see Black Fox smiling at him.  “Thanks, uncle.”

              Black Fox’s smile disappeared as he said, “Sparrow, come with me.”

              He left the tipi and Sparrow looked over at Jack.  She wanted to stay with him, but she couldn’t disobey the chief.  Anxiety gripped her as she kissed Jack’s cheek and then followed Black Fox.

              Mike saw her fear and ran out of the tipi.  He took Black Fox’s arm and said, “Please be kind, uncle.  Please?”

              Black Fox smiled at Mike and said, “Ok.”

              Mike smiled back and went back to Marcus’ tipi.

              Black Fox sighed as Sparrow finished her story.  Now that he had heard what had transpired with the other tribe, his anger faded.  Her predicament had been critical and he understood why she had run away.  He also knew that there would have been nowhere else for her to run.  Of course she would come back home, especially because of her love for his nephew. 

              The chief thought about how much in love they had been and how devastated Jack was when she’d been forced to go with her family.  She had argued fervently with her father to let her stay.  Two Dogs hadn’t listened and so she’d had to go with them. 

              Black Fox had felt terrible about the situation, but one didn’t interfere with family business.  He’d known that Jack was going to be deeply wounded, but there had been nothing he could have done.  Tensions were high enough at the time the split had occurred.  Black Fox hadn’t wanted to add fuel to the fire by telling Two Dogs that his daughter was in love with his white nephew.

              Sparrow sat before him with her head bowed.  His heart went out to the brave girl who’d had to endure such hardship.  It troubled him greatly that Two Dogs was not following tribal laws by not supporting Sparrow’s attempt at divorcing her rotten husband.  Even though he was chief, Black Fox knew that Wind Spirit could divorce him at any moment if she so chose.  His marriage was based on love, however, and he didn’t worry about such a thing happening.

              The fact that Two Dogs’ men had blocked off their trails was another issue that was disturbing.  Normally Panther should have just walked into camp and demanded his wife back, but the fact that they had intended to kill Jack and possibly Sparrow, told him that they didn’t care about protocol any longer.

              Wind Spirit caught his eye and her eyes shifted in Sparrow’s direction.  As Black Fox looked at Sparrow, her shoulders trembled and her hands played with the hem on her dress. 

              Sparrow’s fear that Black Fox would turn her back over to Two Dogs’ men gripped her strongly.  She sat silently praying to the Creator to fill Black Fox’s heart with understanding and sympathy.  The longer she sat there, the harder it was to control her emotions. 

              Black Fox finally spoke.  “Sparrow, look at me.”

              Sparrow couldn’t.  She shook her head.  She didn’t mean to be defiant, but her fear and guilt prevented her from looking Black Fox in the eye.

              The chief’s request was more forceful the second time.  “Sparrow!  I am commanding you to look at me!”

              Slowly, Sparrow’s gaze travelled upwards until it met his.  Tears streamed down her face and dripped onto her dress.

              “I understand now why you had to run away and I am no longer angry with you.  You are forgiven and I am granting you asylum.  I will not turn you away,” Black Fox said.  Then he smiled.  “Besides, if I did, I would have to answer to Jack or worse yet, Dean.”

              Sparrow smiled a little and then tears of relief formed in her eyes.  “Thank you, great chief,” she said and averted her eyes once again.

              Black Fox stood and stepped over to her.  He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it a little.  “You are safe, little bird,” he said and left the tipi.

              He found Mike standing a short distance away from the tipi.  The boy looked intently at the chief with questions in his eyes.

              Black Fox smiled and said, “All is well, nephew.”

              Mike’s face lit up in one of his beautiful smiles and he gave Black Fox the signal for “thank you” and ran back towards Marcus’ tipi.  The chief shook his head and went to call a council meeting.

              When Jack awoke, his brain felt fuzzy and his mouth tasted horrible.  He cracked his eyes open and saw Mike sitting on the other side of the fire.  Sparrow sat close to him.  She saw that he was awake and hugged him gently.  He hugged her back and kissed her temple.

              “What happened?” he asked as he looked into her beautiful eyes.

              “Mike removed the arrow from your leg and checked you over,” Sparrow said.

              Jack looked down at his leg in shock.  It still hurt like hell, but he saw how neatly it was bandaged and thought that Marcus couldn’t have done a better job.  His eyes met Mike’s and he asked, “How did you do that?”

              Mike moved over closer to him and smiled.  “I’m sorry I tricked you with that tea, but it was better for you to be asleep while I took it out.  It hadn’t damaged any major blood vessels so it was safe to do it.  I let it bleed a little and then cleaned it and wrapped it up.  Oh, and I put that poultice on it, too.  I’ll change the dressing later on again.”

              Jack gave Mike a measuring look.  “Who are you?”

              Mike frowned.  “I’m your brother.”

              “I know, but it’s like I don’t know you.  The real you,” Jack said.

              Mike smiled sadly. “No one’s ever bothered to get to know me.”

              Tears pricked the backs of Jack’s eyes. “I’m sorry about that, buddy.  How about we start right now?”

              “Ok.”

              “Where did you learn all this medical stuff?  I mean, I’m sure Uncle Marcus had a lot to do with it,” Jack said.

              “Some I learned from him and some I learned from his books.  I like them.  They’re not boring like those books Aunt Claire kept giving me to read,” Mike said.

              Jack asked, “So you read these books and remember what’s in them?”

              “Yeah.  It’s a weird thing, but I can see them when I close my eyes.  I can turn the pages until I see what I need.  Uncle Marcus showed me what all these bags have in them and he told me some of the things they can be used for.  I only need to be told once and I remember it,” Mike said.

              “That’s amazing,” Jack said.  His head hurt.  “Can I have more willow bark tea?”

              Mike smiled.  “I have something even better for you.  I found some laudanum.”

              “You have to be careful with that,” Jack said.

              “I know how to mix it,” Mike said and set about doing it.  “You have to mix it exactly like the directions say.  I read them several times a while back, so it’s all in here.”  Mike tapped his temple.

              Jack looked at Sparrow who laughed a little.  “It seems that your little brother is full of surprises.”

              “I’ll say.  Hey, what’s going on with Two Dogs’ men?” Jack asked.

              Sparrow sighed.  “They’re waiting until dark to scout the trails and see what we’re up against.”

              Mike gave Jack the laudanum and said, “They should just follow my stream up to the ranch.”

              “What stream?” Sparrow asked.

              “The one that comes into camp on the east side.  You know, over near White Horse’s tipi?  It’s frozen and you can walk on it.  That’s how Raven and I got here.” Mike said.

              “I’ll go tell Black Fox,” Sparrow said and left the tipi.

              Black Fox was in a council meeting so Sparrow couldn’t give him the information.  She saw Raven and waved him over. 

              “I should have thought of that,” Raven said.  “I’ll tell He Who Runs.”

              Sparrow watched him go for a minute and then went back to be with Jack. 

              Marcus turned down the lane to his old house and felt a moment of nostalgia wash over him.  There were times when he missed the place.  It was where he’d lived from the time he’d been eighteen until three years ago when they’d moved into town.  He felt great affection for the house where he and Claire had begun their life together and where Anthony had been conceived.  

              Roscoe growled and Marcus knew the dog meant business.  Marcus stopped his mare, Rosie, and saw all the tracks in the snow.  Roscoe bared his teeth and growled again.  The hair on the back of Marcus’ neck stood up and his eyes scanned the woods surrounding the house.  He saw the arrow sticking out from the front door and he was filled with dread.

              Suddenly the dog ran around the back of the house.  In a moment, Roscoe’s howl announcing death cut through the silence.  Panic made Marcus jump out of the saddle and follow Roscoe down the trail.  Roscoe sat beside the bodies of two braves.  Cautiously, Marcus approached them.  They were stiff from the cold and obviously dead. 

              Marcus recognized Frog and Jumper.  They were brothers and always travelled together.  They had been with the group that had left Black Fox’s tribe.  Examining the hole in Frog’s forehead, Marcus saw that the bullet hole looked about the same size as the caliber of Jack’s gun.

              Roscoe had moved farther down the trail and his howl came again.  Marcus closed his eyes a moment and prayed that he wasn’t going to find his nephew or Sparrow lying dead on the trail.  Reluctantly he followed Roscoe again and found another brave.  He didn’t recognize this one and wondered if Two Dogs’ had recruited braves from other tribes.  If he had, it meant their numbers had increased which spelled trouble for his tribe.

              Marcus ran back up the trail. There was no way he was going to continue down the trail because there could be braves waiting along the way and Marcus had no desire to die that day.  He checked inside the house just to be sure that no one was there.  The ranch came into his mind and Marcus decided to go there to see if they had any information about what was happening.

              Dean and Seth kept moving around the house watching out the windows for any sign of Indians.  So far there had been none.  All of them were worried about Mike because Raven had yet to come back with him.  Tessa hoped that he was at the camp.  She thought about Jack being hurt and wished she could go to him.

              As Dean looked out the kitchen window, he saw Marcus ride up and dismount.  Dean opened the door for Marcus and said, “Get in here quick.”

              Marcus complied and Dean shut and locked the door.

              “What’s going on?” Marcus asked.

              Dean filled him in on the situation.

              “Damn it.  I was just at Jack’s place.  They ambushed them there.  Jack and Sparrow got a few of them, though.  I found three dead braves.  I don’t know if there were more along the trail or not.  I didn’t go down it because they may have been lying in wait for someone to come along,” Marcus said.

              Tessa asked, “Did you see Mike by chance?”

              “No.  He’s not here?” Marcus responded.

              She shook her head as dread gripped her.  “We’re hoping he’s in the village.  Raven went to find him.  He was going to bring Mike home.”

              Marcus said, “I’m sure he’s safe.  If you guys are all right here, I’m going to go to camp and see what’s going on with Jack.”

              Dean said, “That’s not a good idea.  They probably have all the other trails blocked off.”

              “There’s one way there that I’ll bet they haven’t thought about.  Mike showed it to me.  You know the stream that winds down through the south pasture?”

              Dean nodded.

              “Well, it’s frozen over and you can walk on it.  It’ll take you straight into the camp.  That’s the route I’ll take,” Marcus said.

              Seth shook his head.  “Why doesn’t he tell us this stuff?”

              Marcus said, “I don’t know.  I’m going to get going before night fall.  I’ll come back in the morning and let you know how Jack is and what’s happening.  Hopefully you won’t have to be on alert like this much longer.”

              As he left, Seth said, “God speed, little brother.”

              Marcus smiled.  “I’m going to be forty and you’re still calling me ‘little brother’.  It makes me feel younger than I am.  That’s a good thing. Ok, off I go.”

              As he sprinted away, Seth said, “Look at him go.  Gonna be forty and can still run like that.”

              Maddie laughed.  “He keeps in shape, that’s for sure.”

              Dean sat down at the kitchen table and said, “I’m too old for this crap.”

              Marcus smiled as he ran on the stream.  There were places where the ice was like glass and it was perfect for sliding.  He saw some slide marks and surmised that they’d been made by Mike.  Let it up to his nephew to find tricky ways in and out of the camp.  Marcus was grateful that he had.  Marcus let his inner child loose and did some sliding of his own.  He tried to outdistance the marks made by Mike. 

              Though he played, Marcus kept alert for trouble.  Roscoe ran alongside the stream, his tongue lolling from his mouth as he watched Marcus.  It looked like the dog was smiling and he may well have been.  Marcus could now see the camp through the trees and ran a little faster.  He jumped from the stream bed to the bank and ran into the camp.

              Getting his bearings, Marcus made his way to Black Fox’s tipi.  He scratched on the flap and Wind Spirit told him to enter.