Authors: Cathy Keeton
All three of her captors had been out cold for over an hour now. Abby had worked diligently at getting her hands untied. She had pulled and tugged at the rawhide stripes until she was completely exhausted, but there was no use she couldn’t get loose. She lay back on the hard baked earth, just to rest for a few minutes, and fell promptly to sleep.
Suddenly Abby felt a hand over her mouth. She struggled to get to her feet, as she came abruptly awake. She trashed wildly and kicked with all the power she could rally, considering her hands and feet were tied.
“Be still woman, I will not harm you,” a voice from behind her said.
Abby glanced to where her captors had passed out. They were still sleeping off the whiskey. If the man holding her now was not one of them, maybe he was going to help her escape. She stopped struggling as the man moved around in front of her.
“Not another savage, please God not another savage!” she whispered to herself as she saw that this man was also an Indian. She began to panic again at the thought of just going from one bad situation to another.
“I said, be still! I am trying to help you, or would you rather stay here with Black Heart?” he said pointing to the sleeping men.
All Abby could do was stare at the three heathens sleeping a few yards away. Why had it never occurred to her that these men might be part of Black Hearts band?
“Well, do you want my help?”
“Yes please help me,” she said as he cut the bands that held her hands and feet.
She tried to stand once the bands were completely off, but couldn’t due to being in the same position for such a long period of time. The stranger lifted her up into his strong arms. He quickly carried her past a clump of trees where he had hidden his horse.
Once again she was placed on the back of a horse, only this time she was not tied, and there was only one Indian. Something was different about him; he was gentle when he mounted the horse behind her. His arms around her didn’t feel like a vise and his scent did not offend her. He smelled of soap and sunshine.
The stout Indian pony traveled tirelessly though the night. As dawn broke over the horizon, they came to a halt and Abby got her first real look at her rescuer in the daylight. She watched as he moved about removing the saddle from the horse’s back and led it to a small stream.
He really was quite spectacular. She had never seen that much of a male body before. He was naked from the waist up, and his long muscular legs were also bare, the only clothing he was wearing consisted of a small swatch of some type of animal skin tied around his genitals and buttocks. His face and body were a golden bronze tone. His hair came past his shoulder and held back with a band at his forehead. His nose was slightly long which gave him a regal look. His lips were full and his teeth were straight and white, she suspected that if he were to smile the affects would be heart stopping. He glanced at her and caught her staring at him, she blushed but didn’t turn away; it was then that she noticed his eyes was not black like the other Indians. His were a brilliant green, unlike anything she had ever seen. This man was not an Indian; Indians don’t have green eyes. Who was he and why was he dressed like some savage heathen?
“Come we will stay here for the day,” he said pointing to what looked like a bush growing out of the base of a large rock. She followed him to the bush, where he pushed it aside, revealing a sizeable cave. Inside the cave was very roomy, with an amazing amount of light, looking up Abby saw that there was a big opening in the top of the cave.
“I will put the horse out of site, you sit and rest you have had a long, tiring night.
She had to get away! There was no telling what he would do when he returned. Just because he was not an Indian didn’t mean he wouldn’t harm her. But where would she go? She was miles and miles from her home. She didn’t even know which way home was with all the twists and turns they had made. She started to go back outside the cave just as he reentered. The contact of his body with hers sent a shiver the entire length of her spine. He remained steadfast as she began to fall backwards; he grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her back against him.
“Did I tell you to sit down? What is wrong with you, do you prefer the company of Black Heart? If you do I will return you to him!” He let go of her and walked to the center of the cave where he laid out two buffalo robes.
“No! Please don’t take me back to him. I just want to go home I’m scared. Will you take me home please?”
“I cannot take you home.”
“Why? What are you going to do with me?”
“How long do you think I would live if I were caught with a white woman close to town?”
“I’ll tell them you helped me! I’ll tell them you saved my life, I won’t let them hurt you,” Abby begged him.
“I will take you to my village; one of the younger warriors will claim you as his woman.”
“No! I don’t want to be an Indians woman. Why can’t you take me home? You’re not even an Indian you have green eyes.”
“I am Indian my father is Chief White Feather of the Cheyenne. My mother is white,” he explained.
“Did your father capture her?
“Yes, twenty-five years ago, but my mother and father love each other very much.”
“Indians don’t know what love is, they’re savages that live like dogs!” Abby thought she had gone too far as a look of utter rage crossed his face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”
“Yes you did. That is what you have been taught, but you have much to learn. Now you must lie down.”
“What are you going to do to me, I’ll fight you!” she said with her fists flying in the air.
“Are you loco woman? I want you to sleep today. We will travel tonight. I would not take you unless that was what you wanted,” he said with a grin.
“Oh you… you brute! It’s not enough that you will not take me home, you have to humiliate me also!”
“I am sorry. It’s just that you looked so funny jumping around with your fists ready to kill me at my first move. What is your name?”
“Abigail Anderson, “she answered.
“I am called Shadow Spirit. We need to trust each other if we are to avoid Black Heart recapturing you.”
Abby went to the buffalo robe that Shadow Spirit had laid out for her and tried to relax. She didn’t think sleep would come, but exhaustion over took her apprehension and she was soon sound asleep.
As she lay there sleeping peacefully, Shadow Spirit watched her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. She had a small, slightly turned up nose; her mouth was absolutely perfect, with full pouty and very desirable lips. She had the kind of eyes that a man could lose his soul in. They were large, shimmering, and very blue. They reminded Shadow Spirit of crystal blue water. He shook his head as if to clear his mind. She was beautiful but he did not want to fall for this woman or any woman now. Things were too unsettled with the people, his father was not well, and the white man kept coming farther and farther into the sacred Black Hills in search of the yellow rock. No, he could not take responsibility for this woman, he would turn her over to one of the other warriors, and perhaps Brown Dog would take her. He was Shadow Spirit’s friend and had lost his wife shortly after the birth of his twin sons.
Shadow Spirit decided to go gather some berries, for he knew that the woman would be hungry when she awakened. He dare not start a fire for fear that Black Heart would see it. This woman did not realize the danger she was in from Black Heart; he was ruthless. He would play with his victims, torture and taunt them until death was a relief. All Cheyenne knew him as an enemy. When he was a young warrior, he was banished from his tribe for killing a man over the other man’s wife. He became a very bitter man, angry with Indian and white men alike.
Shadow Spirit was busy picking blackberries when he heard Abigail’s screams, “Black Heart!” He ran back to the cave in haste, he peered cautiously inside. Abby was backed up in a corner with a rock about the size of an egg in her hand, ready to throw it at a large white wolf. The wolf sat unconcerned a few feet in front of her, silently watching.
“No,” Shadow Spirit said. “Do not throw the rock. He will not hurt you, he might lick you,” he laughed, “but that is about all, unless you were trying to hurt me.”
“How dare you laugh at me? That beast was about to attack me!” Abby exclaimed, still frightened.
“He will not harm you; he smells my scent on you. We have been riding the same horse for hours you know.”
“I don’t care what you say keep that thing away from me!”
“Out” he said pointing to the entrance.
The big wolf stood slowly and walked to the front of the cave and looked back before leaving.
She felt guilty for having him sent away, but she would have to get used to a pet wolf before she could stand to be in such close quarters with a wild animal. “How did you come to have a wolf for a pet?”
“I found him one spring when he was just a young pup. It was during a violent thunderstorm, so he has been called Storm ever since. He was wet, cold, and almost starved. I took him back to my village and my sister and I nursed him back to health, which was six years ago. Since then he has been more than a pet, he has been my friend also,” he explained. “He would attack the biggest enemy if he thought I was in danger.
“I’m sorry, I was sleeping soundly when I felt something wet on my face. I thought you were…...” she could not tell him she was dreaming about being kissed by the handsome green eyed Indian.
“I would not ravage a sleeping woman. I would want you awake, warm, and willing,” Shadow Spirit responded.
“That will never happen. I want to go home and be as far away from you and your wolf as possible! If you were half as kind as you pretend to be, you would take me home or at least give me your horse and tell me which way to go,” she shouted.
“There is great danger between here and the white man’s town. You would not last a day, if Black Heart did not find you a mountain lion or a bear would. Do you want to take that chance?” He asked without giving her time to answer, he continued. “I cannot take you back. My Father is very ill; I have to assume the responsibility of Chief. Do not ask again.”
“I will go with you to your village,” she said as if she had a choice. “Will you take me home or send someone else with me when it is possible?”
“We will see. Perhaps when you have been with my people for a time you will not wish to return.” He felt protectiveness toward this woman, maybe because it was one of his people that had snatched her from her home.
“I will want to return Shadow Spirit. My father needs me also. Black Heart and his band killed my mother a few months ago. Daddy has only half existed since then. I’m all he has.”
“I am sorry for your Father. Someday we will bring Black Heart to justice for all he has done. It will be Cheyenne justice,” he said. “Now you must sleep.”
“What about you? You need to rest also.”
“I will sleep. Storm will let me know if anyone is around.”
“Shadow Spirit wake up,” Abby said with alarm!
“What is it? What is wrong?”
“It’s Storm! He’s been hurt!”
“Where is he?”
“Come on, I will show you.”
Several feet from the entrance of their cave, there among the bushes, was Storm. His eyes were shut, he was shaking, and he was so covered with so much blood that you couldn’t even tell that he had ever been white.
“I will take him inside. He has lost a lot of blood. I do not know if there is much hope,” he said as he lovingly picked up his pet.
“What can I do?” Abigail asked when they were back in the cave.
“I need some kind of cloth to clean and wrap these wounds with.”
“How about using the bottom of my petticoat? It’s not too clean; I’ve been in these clothes for three days.”
“That is fine. Will you watch him, while I go to the stream for water?”
Abby sat by the wolf. She silently prayed that he would recover he seemed to mean so much to Shadow Spirit. None of what she had heard about Indians appeared to apply to him. He was kind and gentle; the compassion he showed for the wolf amazed her. The way he had treated her since he rescued her made her feel safe. She no longer feared she was going to be raped or killed. Shadow Spirit returned with the bag of water, and set about cleaning the wolf’s wounds. Abby timidly began to help. They worked side by side cleaning and bandaging the wounds. Storm had several deep cuts on his shoulders and rump. There was one very bad laceration from his left ear, across his head down to his right eye.
“What kind of animal could do this much damage to a wolf?”
“A mountain lion,” he answered as he tied the last of the bandages in place.
“You can tell it was a mountain lion, and not a bear or something, just by looking at the wounds? I wonder what the cat looks like.”
“Very dead,” Shadow Spirit replied. “When I went to the stream to get water, she was there trying to cleanse her wounds. I killed her.”
“Did you have to kill it?”
“She would have died a slow painful death, her wounds were much worse than Storm’s”
“When will Storm be able to travel?” The sooner they reached Shadow Spirit’s village the sooner she could be on her way home to her father.
“I don’t know, maybe two sons, if he lives at all.” He turned and walked out of the cave.
Abby sat where she was; he acted like he needed some time alone. She sat there beside the wolf for a long time, watching him breath; he was breathing in short quick gulps. His beautiful white fur had spots of dried blood, and places where the big cat had literally ripped the fur from the skin. He looked so helpless that it made Abby wants to cry. She heard noises coming from outside the cave and peeked out; Shadow Spirit had built a fire and was cooking a chicken, speared on a long stick.
“Come on out, we will eat and then sleep. There is nothing else we can do for Storm, but wait and pray.”
“Where did you find a chicken in the middle of nowhere?”
“It is not a chicken, it is pheasant. My mother says that in the fancy restaurants back east it costs much money,” he said as he turned the bird ever so slowly over the low fire.
“Wait!” Abby exclaimed, “Will Black Heart see the smoke from our fire?”
“Black Heart passed here more than two hours ago. It will be dark soon; he and those who travel with him will be asleep from the firewater.”
“I didn’t see him.”
“You were watching over Storm when he passed. I was afraid you would come out of the cave when he was in sight. There are three of them, I do not know if I could have kept you safe, but I would have given my life trying.”
“Why would you risk your own life to save me? After the awful things I have said to you and about your people?”
“The things you have said, you have said out of ignorance. I believe you should not blame someone for what they have been taught. When you have met my people and come to know them, you will change your views.”
“My feelings are already changing Shadow Spirit. I know that there are some cruel Indians, just as there are some cruel whites. I hope that when we reach your village that your people don’t see me as their enemy.”
“You will be with me no one will harm you.”
“Do you think I could safely go to the stream and take a bath? What’s left of my clothes are so filthy, I don’t want to have to put them back on. Do you have anything that I could put on?”
Shadow Spirit got up and went to a bag he had tied to his saddle. He pulled out a beautiful long shirt that was decorated with beads and fringes.
“You may wear this. It will probably reach past your knees. I also have a pair of leggings, but I am afraid they would be much too long and too big.”
“That’s fine, I’ll make them fit. Do you suppose you might have some soap in that bag of yours?”
“You are in luck.” He handed Abby the soap, their hands touching for only a fraction of a second. He smiled and it shook her to her toes.
The path to the stream was a wonderland of nature. The smell of the air off the running water was fresh and clean, giving Abby a feeling of tranquility. The birds played a beautiful melody in the tall trees, while the squirrels ran busily about gathering food for the winter. The lush green grass at the edge of the stream was cool and soothing to her bare feet. She chose a secluded spot where she would be partially hidden by over hanging tree branches. She slowly removed her clothing, discarding them quickly, eager to feel clean again. She stepped into the sun-warmed water and waded out to the deepest part. The water came only to just above her breasts, leaving the rest of her body bathed in golden sunlight. As she played in the warm water, she felt it wash away the days of dust and grime. Abby washed her hair and swam; enjoying the glorious caress of the water as it rippled over her naked body. Stepping gingerly out onto the bank, she put Shadow Spirit’ shirt on and he was right it did come to past her knees. The doeskin was pure luxury against her bare skin it felt almost sinful. She pulled the leggings as tight as possible using the rawhide laces that ran the entire length of the sides of the garment. They were still too big, but she managed to keep them on.
When Shadow Spirit saw Abby returning to camp clad in his shirt, she took his breath away. Her hair was loose about her shoulders, flowing free and shimmering with drops of water as if it had been dew kissed. He felt his heart skip a beat
“My bath was wonderful,” she said. “The water was perfect, I feel so much better now.”
“You look beautiful. Are you hungry?”
“Yes, I haven’t eaten anything but dried meat and berries for days.”
They ate in silence, both enjoying the pheasant. Abby was self conscious in his clothes.
Shadow Spirit also felt the tension between them. “Abby?”
“Yes?”
“I know you do not have a husband, but is there someone that you are promised to?”
“No, there’s no one. There are hardly any single men in town. The ones there are, are widowers who only want someone to care for their house and children, or immature young men who’s Papa thinks it time for them to wed.”
The light from the fire was dying down; it only left a soft glow of embers, which cast shadows into the night. In the distance, a coyote gave a mournful howl. Abby shivered at the lonesome sound.
“Does it make you sad that you are yet unmarried, Abby?”
“No, I’ve been a school teacher for over two years now I am pretty content with my job. I feel that someday the right man will come along and everything will just fall into place. I want to wait until I know in my heart that he is the right man.”
“One cannot always know such things,” he said. “Sometimes one’s heart can trick his mind.”
“Have you ever been in love, Shadow Spirit?”
“Once, but she betrayed me. She ran off with a warrior from another village.” He put his head in his hands,” They were killed three moons later, at the Sand Creek Massacre.”
“I’m sorry Shadow Spirit, I’ve heard of that notorious battle.” Abby said
“It was not a battle it was a massacre, Chief Black Kettle flew an American flag outside his lodge; he thought that this would protect his people, but he had not met Colonel John Chivington. It was a cold morning, just as dawn was breaking. Chivington and his men pulled a surprise attack on the sleeping village. They killed anyone they could, elderly men, women, children it did not matter to them that there were only about sixty warriors in the village, and the rest were on a hunting trip. Before Chivington and his men left the area, they burned the tepees after taking anything of value that they could find. They also scalped many of the dead, regardless of whether they were women, children, or babies and hung them on their mounts. There were one hundred and forty eight of Black Kettle’s band killed and only nine of Chivington’s men”
“I am so sorry for all the horrible things that my people have put yours through, if there was any way that I could stop it I would!” Abby exclaimed.
“I am not blaming all whites for the sins of some, but truly there are more white men that feel the way that Chivington does than the way that you do.” Shadow Spirit said. “My mother used to get a newspaper from a peddler that came around, sometimes the paper was a year old, and there were many stories about the Sand Creek Massacre.”
“I know I was really glad to see that the truth came out and Chivington was no longer proclaimed a hero. There was conflicting theories as to whether or not Black Kettle escaped. Do you know the truth?” She asked.
“Yes, Black Kettle and a small band did survive. They were moved to a reservation in Kansas, then to a smaller reservation in Indian Territory. I hear he still talks of peace.” Shadow Spirit said sadly. “Black Kettle is of the Southern Cheyenne and we are Northern Cheyenne, my home is in Lakota Territory.”
“Are we in Lakota Territory?” Abby asked.
“Yes we are, and have been since I found you.” Shadow Spirit replied.
“My home is very close to Indian Territory. I have seen Indians now and again but not in town”
“None of my people would dare go close to the white man’s towns the risk of being shot onsite is too great. The Indians that you saw must have been army scouts.”
“My mother was killed by Black Heart, in our home. My father was in town and I was teaching, she was tortured and raped.” Abby stated.
“I hope that you know that my people have no control over what Black Heart’s group does. He has been gone from our people for many moons and can never return.” Shadow Spirit said with resolve. “I will check on Storm, he may need more of the sleeping root.” He rose with grace of a lion.
Storm was still sleeping, and appeared to be resting more comfortably. He was not breathing as hard and there wasn’t any blood seeping from beneath the bandages.
“So far there is no sign of infection, he will perhaps wake during the night in pain, and I will give him more medicine then. I do not wish to disturb him now. We will sleep while he sleeps,” Shadow Spirit said as he laid out a buffalo robe on the ground.
“Shadow Spirit, I need to step outside for a minute, would you kind of keep a look out? I’m afraid that mountain lion might have a mate.”
“Yes I will stand guard for you. Please do not go far.”
“I won’t thank you.” Abby took care of her personal needs behind a massive boulder, while Shadow Spirit stood guard nearby.
She felt a slight embarrassment having him so close, but she had no choice, she had to go. Back in the cave, Abby lay down on the buffalo robes Shadow Spirit had spread out for her. She felt a stab of guilt when he lay down on the hard bare ground. What could she do? She couldn’t ask him to share her makeshift bed. That would be asking for trouble.
“Goodnight Shadow Spirit.”
“Goodnight Abby.”
Shadow Spirit’s prediction came true, during the night Storm woke up. He was weak and howled with pain. Shadow Spirit gave him more of the sleeping plant to calm him.
“The spirit world calls to him Abby. If he lives till the sun rises in the eastern sky, he might have a chance of surviving this.”
Abby sat down on the ground beside Shadow Spirit and placed her hand over his. She felt his anguish as he looked into her eyes. “He will be fine, you’ll see. The bleeding has completely stopped. He is resting again. We should really try to get some more sleep ourselves.”
“You are right, we need to rest. I hope that by tomorrow night he is able to travel so that we may continue on our journey to my village.” He lay down beside Storm, watching Abby as she brought her buffalo robe over to lie on the opposite side of the wolf. She put her hand on the wolf’s side and fell asleep.