and courage and wisdom when my own was not enough.”
Last Buffalo nodded. “Then we pray to the same God. The name does not matter.”
Maggie smiled. “No, I guess it doesn’t.” Her smile faded. “I am in your debt.”
Last Buffalo shook his head. “No. Sees Far owed you a debt, and you chose not to collect it. The account is even now, Fire-haired Woman.”
Maggie nodded. “I hope I will see you again, Last Buffalo.”
“And I, Fire-haired Woman. I wish you luck with the colonel.”
Maggie smiled wryly. “Thank you. I will need it.”
A man brought Patches, and she mounted him. She nodded once to Last Buffalo and rode slowly out of the village. At the top of the bluff, she saw Wakta, a tiny figure of a horse in the distance. As soon as she reached the plains, she kicked Patches into a gallop.
* * *
Flynn heard her and turned. He saw Maggie, riding Patches as hard as the little horse could run. She caught up to him quickly. Her face was very pale. His heart twisted painfully in his chest. “Maggie, are you—did they—?”
“No, Flynn. They did nothing to me.”
“Why?”
Maggie looked at Peter pointedly. “We’ll talk later.”
Flynn nodded.
Maggie urged Patches forward, and they rode side by side until they came to a small spring. They dismounted. Flynn made a fire. Maggie brought out dried beef and hardtack. Once again, Flynn marveled at the way they worked together. “I’ll catch us some rabbits tomorrow,” Flynn said as he chewed the dried beef.
Maggie smiled at him.
Peter sat staring into the fire.
Maggie touched his shoulder, and he jumped. “Are you all right, Peter? Did they hurt you?”
Peter nodded his head, but his eyes were large and dark. “I wasn’t scared a bit, Mrs. Flynn.”
“I was,” Flynn said quietly.
Peter stared at him. “You were?”
Flynn nodded.
Peter bowed his head. “So was I, but I was ashamed.”
Flynn put his arm around the boy. “There’s nothing shameful about being afraid, Peter. Only a fool is never scared. And you’re not a fool.”
Peter nodded slowly. He yawned.
Maggie unrolled a blanket near the fire.
Peter smiled at her. He lay down and within minutes, he was asleep.
Maggie got up and so did Flynn. They walked away from Peter so they wouldn’t wake him. Flynn turned to Maggie. “Why did Last Buffalo let you go?”
Maggie looked east, toward Nebraska. “He is Woman Who Dreams’ brother.” She hesitated. “There’s something I didn’t tell you.”
Flynn’s gut tightened. “What?”
Maggie turned to him. “After we were attacked, Sees Far came to see me. He apologized and offered me the life of his son.”
Flynn nodded solemnly. “That sounds like something he would do.”
“So Last Buffalo let me go to cancel that debt of honor.”
Flynn drew a deep breath. “So it’s over?”
Maggie shook her head. “Not quite. He wants justice. For his daughter.”
“And if the colonel won’t give it to him?” Flynn’s voice had an edge to it.
Maggie shook her head. “I didn’t lie to him. I told him I couldn’t guarantee anything. I don’t know if Grafton values the life of a Dakota as much as the life of his lieutenant.”
Flynn nodded slowly. “Neither do I. But he has been in charge of Fort Laramie a long time, and for most of that time, there has been no trouble between the Dakota and the army. And he’s Sam’s friend.”
Maggie sighed. “Well, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” She yawned.
“How long has it been since you slept?” Flynn touched her shoulder gently.
“I slept.”
“An hour here, and an hour there?”
Maggie smiled at him. “You know me too well, Flynn.”
He smiled back. He unrolled his blanket. Maggie took the jar of salve from her saddlebag. “Take it off, Flynn.”
He hesitated. “I may not be able to get it back on
Last Buffalo nodded. “Then we pray to the same God. The name does not matter.”
Maggie smiled. “No, I guess it doesn’t.” Her smile faded. “I am in your debt.”
Last Buffalo shook his head. “No. Sees Far owed you a debt, and you chose not to collect it. The account is even now, Fire-haired Woman.”
Maggie nodded. “I hope I will see you again, Last Buffalo.”
“And I, Fire-haired Woman. I wish you luck with the colonel.”
Maggie smiled wryly. “Thank you. I will need it.”
A man brought Patches, and she mounted him. She nodded once to Last Buffalo and rode slowly out of the village. At the top of the bluff, she saw Wakta, a tiny figure of a horse in the distance. As soon as she reached the plains, she kicked Patches into a gallop.
* * *
Flynn heard her and turned. He saw Maggie, riding Patches as hard as the little horse could run. She caught up to him quickly. Her face was very pale. His heart twisted painfully in his chest. “Maggie, are you—did they—?”
“No, Flynn. They did nothing to me.”
“Why?”
Maggie looked at Peter pointedly. “We’ll talk later.”
Flynn nodded.
Maggie urged Patches forward, and they rode side by side until they came to a small spring. They dismounted. Flynn made a fire. Maggie brought out dried beef and hardtack. Once again, Flynn marveled at the way they worked together. “I’ll catch us some rabbits tomorrow,” Flynn said as he chewed the dried beef.
Maggie smiled at him.
Peter sat staring into the fire.
Maggie touched his shoulder, and he jumped. “Are you all right, Peter? Did they hurt you?”
Peter nodded his head, but his eyes were large and dark. “I wasn’t scared a bit, Mrs. Flynn.”
“I was,” Flynn said quietly.
Peter stared at him. “You were?”
Flynn nodded.
Peter bowed his head. “So was I, but I was ashamed.”
Flynn put his arm around the boy. “There’s nothing shameful about being afraid, Peter. Only a fool is never scared. And you’re not a fool.”
Peter nodded slowly. He yawned.
Maggie unrolled a blanket near the fire.
Peter smiled at her. He lay down and within minutes, he was asleep.
Maggie got up and so did Flynn. They walked away from Peter so they wouldn’t wake him. Flynn turned to Maggie. “Why did Last Buffalo let you go?”
Maggie looked east, toward Nebraska. “He is Woman Who Dreams’ brother.” She hesitated. “There’s something I didn’t tell you.”
Flynn’s gut tightened. “What?”
Maggie turned to him. “After we were attacked, Sees Far came to see me. He apologized and offered me the life of his son.”
Flynn nodded solemnly. “That sounds like something he would do.”
“So Last Buffalo let me go to cancel that debt of honor.”
Flynn drew a deep breath. “So it’s over?”
Maggie shook her head. “Not quite. He wants justice. For his daughter.”
“And if the colonel won’t give it to him?” Flynn’s voice had an edge to it.
Maggie shook her head. “I didn’t lie to him. I told him I couldn’t guarantee anything. I don’t know if Grafton values the life of a Dakota as much as the life of his lieutenant.”
Flynn nodded slowly. “Neither do I. But he has been in charge of Fort Laramie a long time, and for most of that time, there has been no trouble between the Dakota and the army. And he’s Sam’s friend.”
Maggie sighed. “Well, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” She yawned.
“How long has it been since you slept?” Flynn touched her shoulder gently.
“I slept.”
“An hour here, and an hour there?”
Maggie smiled at him. “You know me too well, Flynn.”
He smiled back. He unrolled his blanket. Maggie took the jar of salve from her saddlebag. “Take it off, Flynn.”
He hesitated. “I may not be able to get it back on
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