Courage to Love (Flynn Family Saga) by Erica Graham

yourself killed, I’ll—I’ll—”
    “Kill me?”
    Ben laughed, but he sobered quickly.  “Good luck, Magpie.  And be careful.”
    She nodded.  She turned and rode out of the gate.  When the huge double doors of the gate banged shut behind her, she shivered.  Then, she kicked Patches into a trot.  The little horse ate up the miles.  She stopped for lunch at the same place they made camp the night before they arrived at the fort.  In less than a week, she reached the bluffs.  She hesitated.  Sensing her nervousness, Patches pranced uneasily.  Maggie patted his neck and spoke quietly to him.  She drew a deep breath and rode up the side of the bluff.  From the top, she could see the village.  It looked peaceful enough.  There was no war shield in front of the chief’s lodge.
    Maggie squeezed her legs, and Patches started down the other side of the bluff.
    Six Dakota appeared from behind rocks.
    Maggie raised her hands.  She remained still while they circled her.  One of the men took her rifle, and another unfastened her gun belt.  Then, they took Patches’ bridle and led him toward the village.
    Maggie’s heart pounded in her chest.  She felt terribly vulnerable without her pistol and rifle, but she remembered the day she negotiated an agreement with Sees Far to take clean water from a sacred waterfall.  She’d had to surrender her weapons that day, also.  The thought of Sees Far and his wife, Woman Who Dreams, brought a smile to her face.
    Her escort led her into the village.  The knot in the pit of Maggie’s stomach tightened.
    Then, she saw Flynn, tied to a pole in the center of the village.
    A tall man emerged from the chief’s lodge.  He wore red and black paint, a sign of mourning among the Dakota.  Her escort stopped and dismounted.  Maggie followed their lead.  She signed friend/respect.
    The chief nodded.  “Are you the one called Fire-haired Woman?”  He spoke perfect English.
    Maggie nodded.  “And that is my husband, Eagle Heart.”
    The chief looked at Flynn and then looked back at Maggie.  “I am called Last Buffalo.  My sister, Woman Who Dreams, said that you had a man’s courage.”
    Maggie shut her eyes and opened them.  “Then you bear Woman Who Dreams’ gift.”
    He shrugged.  “Gift or curse, I’m not sure which.  But yes, I dream sometimes of the future.”
    The knot in the pit of her stomach relaxed a little.  “You have chosen to keep the boy and the man alive.  May I ask why?”
    Last Buffalo nodded.  “I have heard that Fire-haired Woman has honor.  Sees Far offered her the life of his son in return for the lives the renegades took, and she refused.”
    Maggie nodded.  “That is true.”
    “And you let him take the bodies of his people for burial according to Lakota custom.”
    Maggie nodded again.  “That is also true.”
    “Sit.”  Last Buffalo indicated the ground in front of his tent.  “We will talk.”
    “You honor me, Last Buffalo.”
    “You have earned it.”
    They sat.  Women brought them food and drink.  The whole time, Maggie was aware of Flynn behind her, but she ate in silence, waiting for Last Buffalo to speak.
    “The last time the moon was dark, some soldiers came into our village.  They were drunk.  They took one of our women and raped her.  She died of it.”
    Maggie’s breath caught.  “Who was she that you wear paint for her?”
    Last Buffalo looked away.  “My daughter.”
    Maggie drew a deep breath.  “Do you know the names of the men who did this?”
    Last Buffalo nodded.  “The lieutenant was one of them.”
    Maggie shut her eyes.  “And a squad of men?”
    “Yes.”
    “Did anyone see them do it?”
    Last Buffalo nodded.  “My wife.”
    Maggie nodded.  “I am a wagon master, not a soldier.  And I am a woman.  I will speak with Colonel Grafton, but I can promise you nothing.”
    Last Buffalo scowled.  He turned to his men.  “Bring out the boy.  Maybe she will change her mind if she