without reason.”
Sakima pulled the buffalo hide tighter around his
shoulder, and stared at Taima long moments before speaking. His eyes squinted
and his mouth pursed in concentration. The lines of many summers etched their
messages in the worn face. Though a stern look could stop one in mid-step, he
knew of the gentleness his father bestowed on others.
Then his father gazed into the fire. “All things
happen for a reason, just as the white woman’s coming has a reason. In time,
the spirits will reveal their answers. Now...Ahanu should join his family.”
Without moving his gaze from the fire, Taima’s father
had dismissed him. Knowing Sakima could hear the spirits better when he sat
alone before the fire, Taima rose in one fluid motion and strode away with
Ahanu. Ahanu walked toward his lean-to, but Taima walked up into the hills. He
needed time to be alone and think about what his father had said.
* * * * *
Kate sighed in relief when Aiyana finally finished
spreading the ointment into her hands. Early evening settled around them and
the breeze began to cool. Aiyana stepped into the lean-to, then returned with a
soft, doeskin dress that she thrust toward her and motioned Kate to change.
Inside Aiyana’s lean-to, Kate slipped the new dress
over her head, wincing in agony as it slid down her back. Pain shot through her
body like an electrical storm from the mere raising of her arms. Hitting those
trees today would surely leave her aching for days.
God, why was she here! There had to be some logical explanation for all
this. None of it made any sense. Then she remembered the petroglyphs, how
her hands stuck to the boulder, then blackness. She nearly laughed out loud.
Since time travel didn’t actually happen, there had to be another explanation
and she would find out what.
Stepping around the curtained enclosure, Kate saw
Ahanu sitting before the fire talking with the woman as she prepared the
evening meal. Taima was nowhere in sight, and a rush of air escaped her lungs
as she sighed with relief, unaware till then that she’d held her breath. The woman
scowled at her, so she quickly looked away. If Taima wasn’t here, then where
was he? She glanced into the shadows surrounding the other lean-tos. His people
milled about, but still she could glimpse no sign of Taima.
When she returned her attention to Ahanu, he already
watched her. Another smile cut across his face, then he, too, looked about the
camp. Returning his gaze to hers, still smiling, he shrugged his shoulders and
raised his eyebrows.
Disgusted at being so obvious, Kate fisted her
fingers. “Don’t you think, for one minute, that I care where that savage is!
Because I don’t.”
Ahanu shrugged his shoulders again as the woman
giggled, then turned her attention to the noisy children running toward them.
She crouched down and held out her arms to a little girl, who ran into the
embrace and hugged her. Five young boys jumped onto Ahanu. He rolled about the
ground as they attacked him like playful pups, laughing when they got the best
of him. The little girls stood giggling, watching the boys tease Ahanu.
Kate smiled as she watched the children play. They
appeared to be delightful youngsters. When Ahanu put an end to the playful
attack, the boys turned their attention on Kate--the stranger in their midst.
Each one’s personality differed from the others; Kate
could see that right away. Some lowered their gazes; some stared at her with
open interest. The last little boy to leave Ahanu’s side glanced over toward
the other lean-tos, and then looked at Kate.
She gasped in surprise.
The bright curiosity that glowed behind the little
boy’s blue eyes shocked her--as much as when she looked into the eyes of his
father. She knew he could only be one man’s son--the one man whose very
presence created havoc within her body, making every muscle tighten in her
stomach, her heart to beat out of control, and her lungs to nearly collapse.
She had
Sakima pulled the buffalo hide tighter around his
shoulder, and stared at Taima long moments before speaking. His eyes squinted
and his mouth pursed in concentration. The lines of many summers etched their
messages in the worn face. Though a stern look could stop one in mid-step, he
knew of the gentleness his father bestowed on others.
Then his father gazed into the fire. “All things
happen for a reason, just as the white woman’s coming has a reason. In time,
the spirits will reveal their answers. Now...Ahanu should join his family.”
Without moving his gaze from the fire, Taima’s father
had dismissed him. Knowing Sakima could hear the spirits better when he sat
alone before the fire, Taima rose in one fluid motion and strode away with
Ahanu. Ahanu walked toward his lean-to, but Taima walked up into the hills. He
needed time to be alone and think about what his father had said.
* * * * *
Kate sighed in relief when Aiyana finally finished
spreading the ointment into her hands. Early evening settled around them and
the breeze began to cool. Aiyana stepped into the lean-to, then returned with a
soft, doeskin dress that she thrust toward her and motioned Kate to change.
Inside Aiyana’s lean-to, Kate slipped the new dress
over her head, wincing in agony as it slid down her back. Pain shot through her
body like an electrical storm from the mere raising of her arms. Hitting those
trees today would surely leave her aching for days.
God, why was she here! There had to be some logical explanation for all
this. None of it made any sense. Then she remembered the petroglyphs, how
her hands stuck to the boulder, then blackness. She nearly laughed out loud.
Since time travel didn’t actually happen, there had to be another explanation
and she would find out what.
Stepping around the curtained enclosure, Kate saw
Ahanu sitting before the fire talking with the woman as she prepared the
evening meal. Taima was nowhere in sight, and a rush of air escaped her lungs
as she sighed with relief, unaware till then that she’d held her breath. The woman
scowled at her, so she quickly looked away. If Taima wasn’t here, then where
was he? She glanced into the shadows surrounding the other lean-tos. His people
milled about, but still she could glimpse no sign of Taima.
When she returned her attention to Ahanu, he already
watched her. Another smile cut across his face, then he, too, looked about the
camp. Returning his gaze to hers, still smiling, he shrugged his shoulders and
raised his eyebrows.
Disgusted at being so obvious, Kate fisted her
fingers. “Don’t you think, for one minute, that I care where that savage is!
Because I don’t.”
Ahanu shrugged his shoulders again as the woman
giggled, then turned her attention to the noisy children running toward them.
She crouched down and held out her arms to a little girl, who ran into the
embrace and hugged her. Five young boys jumped onto Ahanu. He rolled about the
ground as they attacked him like playful pups, laughing when they got the best
of him. The little girls stood giggling, watching the boys tease Ahanu.
Kate smiled as she watched the children play. They
appeared to be delightful youngsters. When Ahanu put an end to the playful
attack, the boys turned their attention on Kate--the stranger in their midst.
Each one’s personality differed from the others; Kate
could see that right away. Some lowered their gazes; some stared at her with
open interest. The last little boy to leave Ahanu’s side glanced over toward
the other lean-tos, and then looked at Kate.
She gasped in surprise.
The bright curiosity that glowed behind the little
boy’s blue eyes shocked her--as much as when she looked into the eyes of his
father. She knew he could only be one man’s son--the one man whose very
presence created havoc within her body, making every muscle tighten in her
stomach, her heart to beat out of control, and her lungs to nearly collapse.
She had
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