Warriors around him spread out once again while he rolled the message into a tube and tucked it beneath the leather thong around his waist. He held out his hand for the knife.
Hoka Luta lifted his chin. “This belongs to the enemy who dared to take my woman. I shall use it to kill this man.”
“She is still my daughter, and the fate of the enemy is mine.”
After a terse moment, Hoka Luta handed over the knife.
The three warriors joined in the search for the trail that would lead them to Winona and Spotted Deer. With the enemy on foot, they would be able to catch up quickly.
“Here,” a warrior called out. Once more the warriors gathered. Staring down at four sets of hoofprints, Hawk Eyes buried the father in him deep inside and called upon his warrior’s training. The number of enemies was now four, and no longer were they on foot. Did they ride to meet up with many others?
Hawk Eyes signaled two of his warriors and ordered them to return to camp and gather more men. By following the trail left by Hawk Eyes and the warriors they’d catch up quickly.
With a heavy heart, Hawk Eyes mounted his horse and vowed not to return home without his daughters.
Tall pines stood shoulder-to-shoulder, like soldiers standing guard in the light. Branches interlocked to form an impenetrable barrier, keeping out all but the smallest of creatures. Above, rays of moonlight tried to pierce the canopy formed by the thick stands of trees, but darkness ruled in the deep shadows of the forest.
Sitting on a bed of pine needles at the edge of a small triangle of trees, Winona scrunched her eyes in a vain attempt to see her captor in the darkness.
“Why have you kidnapped me?”
“It is not your concern.” The harsh, low answer came from somewhere in front of her.
Winona narrowed her gaze, more against the answer than in a vain attempt to see her enemy. All during the long day of hard riding, the Cheyenne warrior had kept silent except for barking out orders during their brief stops to rest the horse. She’d had enough.
She tossed a fistful of pine needles away from her and said, “You made it my concern when you took me and Spotted Deer away from our family. I deserve to know why. And what you plan to do with us,” she added.
That was the worst part. She’d never experienced this fear of not knowing.
“I suggest you rest,” her captor told her.
“You expect me to rest? How do I know you will not…harm me while I rest?”
Her answer was met with a heavy sigh. “As long as my demands are met, you will not be harmed.”
Not reassured in the slightest, Winona plucked at the deerskin fringe brushing against her shins. His answer raised more concerns.
“What demands? The Sioux have no quarrel with the Cheyenne.”
A twig snapped somewhere in front of her. Though she couldn’t see clearly, she knew he’d moved slightly to the right and that he was still in front of her. “Enough questions.”
“I am supposed to believe you?” Tired, restless and worried, Winona knew she shouldn’t push, but it was because of how she felt that she couldn’t just shut up and let the enemy intimidate her.
Another twig snapped, followed by a soft rustle, as though the broken bits had been tossed. “Believe what you want. I said all I plan to say.”
Fingering a twig herself, Winona resisted the temptation to toss it at her captor.
After a few moments she asked, “Then at least tell me your name. What do I call you?”
No answer, which didn’t surprise her. That was fine with her. If he refused to give her a name, she’d just find her own name for him. Running her fingers along her jaw, she thought.
“Sunka,” she said aloud, as though talking to herself.
“What?”
Winona, grateful for the dark cloak of night that hid her expression from his, grinned at the shocked disbelief in his voice. She shrugged. “Do you not understand Lakota?”
When he didn’t reply, she answered, “ Sunka is Lakota for dog. If I must
Hoka Luta lifted his chin. “This belongs to the enemy who dared to take my woman. I shall use it to kill this man.”
“She is still my daughter, and the fate of the enemy is mine.”
After a terse moment, Hoka Luta handed over the knife.
The three warriors joined in the search for the trail that would lead them to Winona and Spotted Deer. With the enemy on foot, they would be able to catch up quickly.
“Here,” a warrior called out. Once more the warriors gathered. Staring down at four sets of hoofprints, Hawk Eyes buried the father in him deep inside and called upon his warrior’s training. The number of enemies was now four, and no longer were they on foot. Did they ride to meet up with many others?
Hawk Eyes signaled two of his warriors and ordered them to return to camp and gather more men. By following the trail left by Hawk Eyes and the warriors they’d catch up quickly.
With a heavy heart, Hawk Eyes mounted his horse and vowed not to return home without his daughters.
Tall pines stood shoulder-to-shoulder, like soldiers standing guard in the light. Branches interlocked to form an impenetrable barrier, keeping out all but the smallest of creatures. Above, rays of moonlight tried to pierce the canopy formed by the thick stands of trees, but darkness ruled in the deep shadows of the forest.
Sitting on a bed of pine needles at the edge of a small triangle of trees, Winona scrunched her eyes in a vain attempt to see her captor in the darkness.
“Why have you kidnapped me?”
“It is not your concern.” The harsh, low answer came from somewhere in front of her.
Winona narrowed her gaze, more against the answer than in a vain attempt to see her enemy. All during the long day of hard riding, the Cheyenne warrior had kept silent except for barking out orders during their brief stops to rest the horse. She’d had enough.
She tossed a fistful of pine needles away from her and said, “You made it my concern when you took me and Spotted Deer away from our family. I deserve to know why. And what you plan to do with us,” she added.
That was the worst part. She’d never experienced this fear of not knowing.
“I suggest you rest,” her captor told her.
“You expect me to rest? How do I know you will not…harm me while I rest?”
Her answer was met with a heavy sigh. “As long as my demands are met, you will not be harmed.”
Not reassured in the slightest, Winona plucked at the deerskin fringe brushing against her shins. His answer raised more concerns.
“What demands? The Sioux have no quarrel with the Cheyenne.”
A twig snapped somewhere in front of her. Though she couldn’t see clearly, she knew he’d moved slightly to the right and that he was still in front of her. “Enough questions.”
“I am supposed to believe you?” Tired, restless and worried, Winona knew she shouldn’t push, but it was because of how she felt that she couldn’t just shut up and let the enemy intimidate her.
Another twig snapped, followed by a soft rustle, as though the broken bits had been tossed. “Believe what you want. I said all I plan to say.”
Fingering a twig herself, Winona resisted the temptation to toss it at her captor.
After a few moments she asked, “Then at least tell me your name. What do I call you?”
No answer, which didn’t surprise her. That was fine with her. If he refused to give her a name, she’d just find her own name for him. Running her fingers along her jaw, she thought.
“Sunka,” she said aloud, as though talking to herself.
“What?”
Winona, grateful for the dark cloak of night that hid her expression from his, grinned at the shocked disbelief in his voice. She shrugged. “Do you not understand Lakota?”
When he didn’t reply, she answered, “ Sunka is Lakota for dog. If I must