happening. "If they send a search party out, it will include all able-bodied men, including our shadow over there, leaving only old men, women and children."
Kari's silence made Jordan wonder if her cousin wanted to stay in the village. Granted, their lives had taken on a certain tranquility they hadn't had on the trail, but it was still a life of servitude. Kari had adapted easily, and had actually gained a lot of strength, physically and emotionally since they came to the village.
"Don't tell me you want to stay?" Jordan asked, making sure her voice remained calm when she felt closer to the edge than ever.
Kari bit her bottom lip, her gaze dropped to the ground by Jordan's feet. "Of course not...but even you have to admit things could be worse."
"I don't believe what I'm hearing!" Coming to her feet, Jordan threw the mud ball at Young Wolf's head, missing him by inches. The young brave flashed her a warning glare, but did no more. For once she almost wished he would--she was far too frustrated.
Jordan rested her hands on her hips and returned her attention to Kari. "You told them we were trying to leave, didn't you? That's why we've been caught every time."
"Jordan, you're being ridiculous. I never said a word," she replied, standing hesitantly.
Narrowing the space between them in two strides, Jordan whispered under her breath, "You're lying. I know you are."
"I can't believe you're accusing me," Kari said, pain evident in her voice. "You've been so mean lately. I don't like this any more than you do. I'm just not going to let it get to me."
As tears brimmed in Kari's blue eyes, Jordan felt regret and remorse, making her pull her cousin into her arms. She sighed heavily. "I'm sorry. I just want to get out of here. I didn't mean it. I don't want to be miserable when we can't change the circumstances."
Kari put her at arms length and dried her tears with the back of her hand. "We'll leave soon, Jordan. We just can't push it. When the time's right, we'll leave, and when we do, we'll never look back. You'll have your ranch--"
Jordan and Kari jumped simultaneously as a jubilant cry rang out over the camp. Realizing what it meant, Jordan's heart hammered wildly.
Gray Hawk had returned.
GRAY HAWK'S gaze moved over the familiar faces of women and children, looking for the woman he couldn't get out of his mind.
He acknowledged the greetings from his friends, but as the minutes ticked by and he didn't see Kari or Jordan, he began to worry. What if they had escaped despite his efforts to see otherwise? Or what if Running Deer and Jordan had gotten into another altercation and things had gone too far?
Certainly Young Wolf would have prevented that.
His gaze fell on Running Deer for a brief moment before they moved abruptly to Tawanka, the medicine woman, who nodded in the direction of the gardens. Seeing some of the women with baskets of vegetables, he smiled, knowing Jordan and Kari hadn't gone anywhere.
The days had been tolerable considering the raids took all his concentration and strength. But at night, when he lay alone under the stars, Jordan's face appeared, mocking him with her beauty as he imagined her soft body lying beneath him as she gave herself to him freely.
He'd had a lot of time to think. In all his twenty-six years, he always enjoyed the hunts and raids. Yet this time he found it no longer excited him the way it once did. He longed for something to fill this emptiness inside of him--this loneliness that threatened to eat him alive.
Iron Bear commented just that morning on how much Gray Hawk had changed, asking out loud, in front of the others, if his white blood wasn't stirring within his veins. He should have been furious, but instead Iron Bear's words triggered questions. Questions that neither his white or red blood would be happy hearing the
Kari's silence made Jordan wonder if her cousin wanted to stay in the village. Granted, their lives had taken on a certain tranquility they hadn't had on the trail, but it was still a life of servitude. Kari had adapted easily, and had actually gained a lot of strength, physically and emotionally since they came to the village.
"Don't tell me you want to stay?" Jordan asked, making sure her voice remained calm when she felt closer to the edge than ever.
Kari bit her bottom lip, her gaze dropped to the ground by Jordan's feet. "Of course not...but even you have to admit things could be worse."
"I don't believe what I'm hearing!" Coming to her feet, Jordan threw the mud ball at Young Wolf's head, missing him by inches. The young brave flashed her a warning glare, but did no more. For once she almost wished he would--she was far too frustrated.
Jordan rested her hands on her hips and returned her attention to Kari. "You told them we were trying to leave, didn't you? That's why we've been caught every time."
"Jordan, you're being ridiculous. I never said a word," she replied, standing hesitantly.
Narrowing the space between them in two strides, Jordan whispered under her breath, "You're lying. I know you are."
"I can't believe you're accusing me," Kari said, pain evident in her voice. "You've been so mean lately. I don't like this any more than you do. I'm just not going to let it get to me."
As tears brimmed in Kari's blue eyes, Jordan felt regret and remorse, making her pull her cousin into her arms. She sighed heavily. "I'm sorry. I just want to get out of here. I didn't mean it. I don't want to be miserable when we can't change the circumstances."
Kari put her at arms length and dried her tears with the back of her hand. "We'll leave soon, Jordan. We just can't push it. When the time's right, we'll leave, and when we do, we'll never look back. You'll have your ranch--"
Jordan and Kari jumped simultaneously as a jubilant cry rang out over the camp. Realizing what it meant, Jordan's heart hammered wildly.
Gray Hawk had returned.
GRAY HAWK'S gaze moved over the familiar faces of women and children, looking for the woman he couldn't get out of his mind.
He acknowledged the greetings from his friends, but as the minutes ticked by and he didn't see Kari or Jordan, he began to worry. What if they had escaped despite his efforts to see otherwise? Or what if Running Deer and Jordan had gotten into another altercation and things had gone too far?
Certainly Young Wolf would have prevented that.
His gaze fell on Running Deer for a brief moment before they moved abruptly to Tawanka, the medicine woman, who nodded in the direction of the gardens. Seeing some of the women with baskets of vegetables, he smiled, knowing Jordan and Kari hadn't gone anywhere.
The days had been tolerable considering the raids took all his concentration and strength. But at night, when he lay alone under the stars, Jordan's face appeared, mocking him with her beauty as he imagined her soft body lying beneath him as she gave herself to him freely.
He'd had a lot of time to think. In all his twenty-six years, he always enjoyed the hunts and raids. Yet this time he found it no longer excited him the way it once did. He longed for something to fill this emptiness inside of him--this loneliness that threatened to eat him alive.
Iron Bear commented just that morning on how much Gray Hawk had changed, asking out loud, in front of the others, if his white blood wasn't stirring within his veins. He should have been furious, but instead Iron Bear's words triggered questions. Questions that neither his white or red blood would be happy hearing the
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