up to the sky and whispered a prayer that he would be allowed to keep her, always.
When he looked down again, she was standing a staff's length away, winded from running and gazing at him with her heart in her eyes. He smiled, and spread his arms, inviting her into his embrace.
Chapter Five
Today, Sally went to her lover with no uncertainty in her heart. Last night had shown her without a shadow of a doubt that she belonged with him. To him.
She had come West for a new life, far from the angry war raging in the East. She had never in her wildest imagination thought that her life was destined to be lived as an Indian captive -- in essence, a slave. To become the very thing men were fighting and dying over, to eradicate back home. Yet, she would embrace that new life, if it meant being with the man she loved.
"Standing Bear, " she whispered, and went into his arms. He appeared different today, his tall, powerful frame dressed only in a breechcloth and rippling muscles. "Have you come to take me away?"
"Will you go with me now?" he asked.
"Yes. " There was no hesitation. Not even a doubt.
Pleased, he looked deep into her eyes, searching. "Where will we go? For how long?"
"Anywhere you go, I will follow. For as long as you'll have me, I'll stay with you. "
His gaze caressed her. "Who is this woman I hold, so different from the one yesterday, who told me to leave her alone and in peace?"
"I am Pale As Moonlight, Standing Bear's woman. "
He tugged her close to his chest and held her tight. "Whatever happens, " he said, his voice low and unsteady, "I will spend the rest of my life striving to be worthy of your bravery. "
She pulled away and studied his expression carefully. "What do you mean, whatever happens? You are taking me away, aren't you?"
His somber smile scared her. But before she could question it, he steered her to his horse and jumped on. He reached down to swing her up behind him. "Come. I will show you my mountains. "
She wound her arms around his waist and held on. She felt a momentary pang of remorse at leaving behind her sister and her few worldly possessions. It had all happened so quickly. But Alyssa would be safe with the Thompkins', and their cousin in California would see to her sister's future. She loved Alyssa and would miss her desperately. But Standing Bear was right. A sister did not warm your nights, or keep you safe and give you children. And there was no possession in that wagon or destiny waiting for her in California that Sally couldn't live without. As unlikely as it sounded, she belonged with Standing Bear, and would never regret the choice she made this day.
The warm rays of the morning sun shone down on them as they rode up the slopes of the foothills and into the great Rocky Mountains. Swaying to the steady rhythm of the horse's gait, she buried her nose in Standing Bear's neck, resting her cheek on the long, black hair coursing down his back. His clean male scent surrounded her, and she wanted to wrap herself in his smell so it would cling to her always. So there would be no doubt to whom she belonged.
She kissed his shoulder, moving aside the sweetgrass rope he had coiled around it. The thick fibers felt scratchy against her palm, strongly woven. Its rich, tangy scent was so much a part of Standing Bear.
"Why do you always wear this?" she asked, curious. She'd never seen him without the strange rope that looped around his throat. Even last night, he'd worn it over his flannel shirt, and had only removed it when they'd made love for the second time.
He slowed the horse to a walk, traversing the length of a grass-filled meadow.
"It is a kind of sash. Worn by the Badger Men, " he answered after a pause. "A symbol of our willingness to fight for our people. "
She leaned back and stroked a finger down one of its coils. "A symbol, how?"
"We wear one end fastened around our necks, so it is
When he looked down again, she was standing a staff's length away, winded from running and gazing at him with her heart in her eyes. He smiled, and spread his arms, inviting her into his embrace.
Chapter Five
Today, Sally went to her lover with no uncertainty in her heart. Last night had shown her without a shadow of a doubt that she belonged with him. To him.
She had come West for a new life, far from the angry war raging in the East. She had never in her wildest imagination thought that her life was destined to be lived as an Indian captive -- in essence, a slave. To become the very thing men were fighting and dying over, to eradicate back home. Yet, she would embrace that new life, if it meant being with the man she loved.
"Standing Bear, " she whispered, and went into his arms. He appeared different today, his tall, powerful frame dressed only in a breechcloth and rippling muscles. "Have you come to take me away?"
"Will you go with me now?" he asked.
"Yes. " There was no hesitation. Not even a doubt.
Pleased, he looked deep into her eyes, searching. "Where will we go? For how long?"
"Anywhere you go, I will follow. For as long as you'll have me, I'll stay with you. "
His gaze caressed her. "Who is this woman I hold, so different from the one yesterday, who told me to leave her alone and in peace?"
"I am Pale As Moonlight, Standing Bear's woman. "
He tugged her close to his chest and held her tight. "Whatever happens, " he said, his voice low and unsteady, "I will spend the rest of my life striving to be worthy of your bravery. "
She pulled away and studied his expression carefully. "What do you mean, whatever happens? You are taking me away, aren't you?"
His somber smile scared her. But before she could question it, he steered her to his horse and jumped on. He reached down to swing her up behind him. "Come. I will show you my mountains. "
She wound her arms around his waist and held on. She felt a momentary pang of remorse at leaving behind her sister and her few worldly possessions. It had all happened so quickly. But Alyssa would be safe with the Thompkins', and their cousin in California would see to her sister's future. She loved Alyssa and would miss her desperately. But Standing Bear was right. A sister did not warm your nights, or keep you safe and give you children. And there was no possession in that wagon or destiny waiting for her in California that Sally couldn't live without. As unlikely as it sounded, she belonged with Standing Bear, and would never regret the choice she made this day.
The warm rays of the morning sun shone down on them as they rode up the slopes of the foothills and into the great Rocky Mountains. Swaying to the steady rhythm of the horse's gait, she buried her nose in Standing Bear's neck, resting her cheek on the long, black hair coursing down his back. His clean male scent surrounded her, and she wanted to wrap herself in his smell so it would cling to her always. So there would be no doubt to whom she belonged.
She kissed his shoulder, moving aside the sweetgrass rope he had coiled around it. The thick fibers felt scratchy against her palm, strongly woven. Its rich, tangy scent was so much a part of Standing Bear.
"Why do you always wear this?" she asked, curious. She'd never seen him without the strange rope that looped around his throat. Even last night, he'd worn it over his flannel shirt, and had only removed it when they'd made love for the second time.
He slowed the horse to a walk, traversing the length of a grass-filled meadow.
"It is a kind of sash. Worn by the Badger Men, " he answered after a pause. "A symbol of our willingness to fight for our people. "
She leaned back and stroked a finger down one of its coils. "A symbol, how?"
"We wear one end fastened around our necks, so it is
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