Another Chance (25 page)

Lifting his embroidered, leather sheath, he looked from the beadwork to
Sarah. "You may have my holder, too."

Beginning to feel boxed in, she attempted to turn the discussion
. "Who gave the knife and sheath to thee?"

"My father gave me the blade
. Quick Rabbit made the holder."

"Thou must not trade gifts unless the person who has given thee the present gives thee permission
." She hoped the Lenape had a similar tradition.

"Quick Rabbit won't care
. She just sits and stares."

Sarah
had the answer to her question regarding the identity of the woman sitting in front of the end cabin without even asking. The information would help her when she next visited the solitary woman. "And thy father?" Sarah asked quickly.

Little Turtle scuffed his moccasin against the sparsely covered dry ground
.

"My father gave this to me
. I must have his permission to give his present away," Sarah said. "If I had another, I would present that one to thee."

"When can you get another one?" Turtle asked
.

Since hers had come from her own time, she scarcely knew what to say, so she hedged
. "With the war going on, finding another one might take time."

He eyed her seriously
.

Wanting to cement their relationship, she said, "If thou would like to borrow my penknife, I will be happy to lend it to thee
."

"Can I throw it?" he asked
.

"Sure
."

Carefully, he pulled out the largest blade then held the handle in his hand
. He flipped the knife toward the ground. "
Eyaka!
" Little Turtle shouted with frustration when the penknife fell on its side. He tried several more times.

"May I help?"
Sarah asked, holding out her hand.

After closing the blade, he slapped the case onto her palm
. She bit back her flinch, hiding the sting. When she had pulled out the longest steel edge, she balanced the knife in her hand. With an easy twist of her wrist, the steel sliced a hole in the ground.

"How did you do that?" Little Turtle asked
.

"Like this
." Sarah picked up the knife and repeated her trick.

"Let me try
."

As
Sarah handed him the knife, she said, "The handle is very heavy. The weight effects the…"

Before she finished, the boy threw the knife
. This time the blade ended face up. He grabbed the handle and tried again. The point touched the ground before flipping over.

"May I show thee?"

Reluctantly, he gave her the open knife.

"Hold the handle in thy palm, close thy fingers around the case, and weigh it
." She jostled the container in her hand and flexed her fingers. "When thou art comfortable, bend thy wrist and release the knife." The tip of the blade sank into the ground.

"Let me try
." Impatiently, he heaved the knife before releasing it. The handle thudded on the ground. He stared at the open blade. "You put a spell on it, so the knife won't work for me." His eyes squinted with anger.

Sarah
rose. "No, I didn't. Thou must practice and learn how to hold and release …

He stamped away before she finished
.

She considered calling him, but realized now was not the time
. After picking up her knife, she wiped the blade on her apron and considered her next move. Since going after Little Turtle would accomplish nothing, she focused her sights on helping Quick Rabbit. As Sarah retraced her steps, she thought about what she should do and how. Failing to come up with any great ideas, she walked toward the Lenape woman's cabin and hoped the right words would come.

Drawing near, she said, "My name is
Sarah Stone. I'm visiting Long Meadow." She refrained from mentioning that she was "hiding" from the British soldiers.

Quick Rabbit did not appear to have moved while
Sarah was gone. The Lenape woman's body language spoke of rejection, hurt and pain. Sarah ached to place her arms around the pitiful woman, but remembering the earlier reaction to being touched, refrained.

Kneeling close by,
Sarah said in a quiet, calm voice, "My father has a tavern, and I help him.” While she spoke, she kept her attention focused on Quick Rabbit. So far, the woman had not shown any indication that she had heard Sarah speaking. Undeterred, Sarah talked about life at the tavern. When her knees began to ache, she sat on the bark walkway. The palm of her hand landed on a plant. Hastily, she jerked back then saw the plant was only a stalk of grass. Seeing a few others growing on the path, she pulled them while she chatted. Having finished this chore, she saw the garden. "Why not?" she said aloud.

She gathered several large tulip poplar leaves and placed them on the ground
. As she picked the seeds off each plant, she laid like with like on her makeshift sheets. She continued her one-sided conversation. Next, Sarah cut the overgrown herbs, preparing to tie them in a bundle.
Oh, for a roll of string or twine
, she thought. Not having either, she used the stem of the plant. Several tries and three stalks were used before she secured the bunch. Realizing the woman was not focusing on her, but unwilling to stop and leave her alone, Sarah spoke on. When she ran out of stories concerning the inn, she told tales about her own childhood. With Quick Rabbit lost in her own world, Sarah felt safe.

By the time
Sarah wrapped the herbs and removed the seeds from the plants, the sun was well past its zenith. Sarah sat back on her heels and looked at Quick Rabbit. "What shall we do now?" She chuckled at her comment, for she remembered a nurse asking her that question when she had broken her leg and couldn't climb out of bed.

              * * * *

Wolf threw the reins over the post and bounded up the steps
. "Long Knife, wait here. I might need you to find White Owl." The silence of the house greeted him as he strode to the kitchen. Bowl-Woman looked up. The wooden spoon in her hand stilled. "Where is Sarah?"

Twin streaks of red slashed across the cook's walnut colored cheeks
. "
Iki!
 
TaXkwaho a-kanimi shi
."

Fear and misgiving rose like bile in his throat
. With difficulty, he controlled his temper and his tone. "You do not know? Did I not ask you to watch over her?"

She nodded
. The blush deepened.

"Why didn't you?"
He tried to govern his voice, for he knew stubbornness and Sarah walked hand in hand. His apprehension increased, yet he refused to allow the anxiety to master him and block out all rational thought.

In a slow, measured manner, Bowl-Woman explained, "Little Turtle said he needed me to fetch White Owl
. By the time I had returned with
Xhan Xhan
, the woman was gone."

His son's less than gracious acceptance of
Sarah increased the possibility of her having fled the plantation. "Where is Little Turtle now?"

Relief passed over Bowl-Woman's face
. "He stands outside, near the kitchen's door, practicing with his knife."

Hastily thanking the cook, Wolf strode to the rear yard
. His son glanced in his direction then looked away as if embarrassed. "Obviously, you heard my discussion with Bowl-Woman," Wolf said.

Little Turtle nodded, but kept his eyes averted
.

"Do you know where
Sarah is?"

Still staring at the ground, he bobbed his head
.

"Are you going to tell me?"
Wolf's annoyance grew.

"I saw her at the creek, near the cabins," his son spoke reluctantly
.

"One of the first rules of a Lenape is hospitality and courtesy
. You have shown neither."

"She is just a white woman," Little Turtle spat out
.

Wolf examined the boy
. Before Sarah, Wolf would have made the same comment. He had planted his prejudices on his child. Abashed at his action, Wolf said, "She is our guest."

Little Turtle drew a circle in the dirt with the toe of his moccasin
.

Sensing the child was not convinced, he said, "When I return, we will talk
." Wolf wondered exactly what he could or would say to his son.

 
              * * *

Wolf heard
Sarah talking, but could not make out her words. She had her back to him as she weeded the garden. All around her bundles of herbs were tied together and ready to be hung to dry. He wondered with whom she spoke. He saw only Quick Rabbit sitting a few feet away. Had she come out of her dreamlike state? Another look shattered his hope. She remained in her own world. Why did Sarah sit near her and talk? Why was she digging in Quick Rabbit's garden?

"What shall I do with them?"
Sarah asked, as she held a bunch of herbs aloft.

"Why not put them inside her house?" he responded
.

"Wolf
."

Sarah
's smile warmed him as much as the relief at finding her had minutes before.

"When did thee return?" she asked
. Her face reddened.

He knew why Bowl-Woman had blushed, but why did
Sarah? Did his return give her as much pleasure as seeing Sarah gave him?  He hoped so. "Long Knife and I rode in a short while ago."

"Did thee find the men?" she asked, as she wiped her palms on her apron
.

"No
." Going to her side, he offered his hand. Her smooth palm, now creased with tiny scratches from her weeding, slid firmly into his leather-hardened hand. As he tightened his hold and pulled her up, the fire flashed through his arm. He tried to deny the cause, but one look in her eyes chased all such thoughts aside. He drew her near, until they stood only inches apart. She raised her face and stared deeply into his eyes. Her expression showed her concern and her desire for him. Gently, he captured her chin with his fingers as he lowered his lips to hers. His open mouth surrounded hers, and he drank in her sweet breath. Her tongue moved slowly over his teeth before entering the inner sanctuary and possessing him.

Wanting her still closer, he released her hand and encircled her waist
. Her arms wrapped around him. The aroma of basil, mint, and other spices tickled his nose. His conscience warred with his desire and screamed for him to put her aside. Instead of kissing her again as he wished, he placed his hands on either side of her face and drew gently away from her. Passion and desire showed in her eyes. He tried to mask a similar reflection in his own, and hoped he succeeded.

She gave him a lazy smile, before resting her head on his chest
. He touched the top of her soft, thick chestnut hair with his chin. Her breath warmed his chest and stimulated an ache deep within him, while her hands massaged his back and inflamed his yearning for her. Ever since she had winked at him that first night at the inn, he had coveted her. He had suppressed his longing, for every white woman was taboo. Yet, the more time he spent with her, the greater his craving grew. His grandmother's face flashed across his mind. He must control his longing. Sarah must not suffer as she had.

He glanced over her head
. Quick Rabbit still sat hunched over.

"Thee didn't locate the men?"
Sarah asked, again. Her lips grazed his pap, increasing the sexual desire he had only banked by breaking their kiss. Her question and the failure of his quest returned a degree of command to him.

"Again, too many men had trampled over the ground
." Looking once more at Quick Rabbit, but keeping his arms around Sarah, he asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Feeling bored, I decided to explore
. When I found Quick Rabbit, I wanted to help."

He watched her look with compassion at his friend
. Again, the drums sounded their alarm. Sarah must not become involved. Any commitment would bind her closer to him and his way of life. She must remain an outsider. His grandmother had trod a similar path, and that way had led to her unhappiness. When she died, she had only her Lenape family to grieve for her. Their white neighbors had shunned her funeral. Although Sarah's interest in his people pleased him, Wolf would not allow her to suffer the same fate.

Reluctantly easing his arms away, he hardened his heart and asked harshly, "If the wise women in the village cannot help, neither can you
." As he spoke the words, he sensed her hurt. He wished he had not had to say them, but a small pain now was far better than a lifetime filled with sorrow.

She stepped away and gaped at him
. With wide-open eyes, she stared at him in disbelief. "No one appears to be doing anything. I thought I might help."