Fated Memories (39 page)

Aleah begged her son to stay with their own kind, but with food so scarce, Two Spirits felt he could help them by working away from the agency. At first everything worked out as he planned. He could provide for his small family and anyone else in need of his assistance. He took great pride in being able to lend a hand. Then the white girl came into his life and, from then on, everything had gone from bad to worse in Two Spirits’ life, and in the lives of his family and friends.

Wolfer always prided himself in being a good judge of character, and the flaws he had recognized in Eathen Thornton’s young daughter the day they had left to go to the reservation had been easy to see. A girl who had been handed everything in life she had ever wanted. When a person never had to reach in life, they more often than not grew up without any sense of values. The needs of others never touched them. Their own needs, however misplaced, were the only needs they concerned themselves with.

Jessie knew the dangers she invited for the young Indian she set her sights on. She had been raised all her life in Montana, where the biased feelings against the Indians still thrived. How could she profess to love someone when she knew that love would, in time, destroy that person?

With these thoughts still running through his mind, Wolfer left his warm bed to throw more wood on the glowing embers of the lodge fire. Dropping down once more on the soft robes, he could not rid himself of the anger coursing through his mind.

How could he, in good conscience, be responsible for the destruction of someone he loved? He claimed the Blackfeet as his family. Pehta and the people raised him as one of their own after his mother abandoned him as a young child. Eathen continued to be a friend, but his loyalties still belonged with Pehta and the Blackfeet people. He hated to see Pehta hurt as he knew he would be when all this ended.

He had given his word to return the white girl to her father. If he let them go to live their own lives, Eathen would go after them himself. Perhaps his own mistrust of women made him view Jessie as a threat. Could it be he misjudged her? Could she make Two Spirits a good wife? His answer sprang forth as he recalled her callous statements on that earlier day they had been together. She would end up destroying Two Spirits. No matter how hard he tried to teach her to live the life of an Indian woman, in the end he would fail. All he could do was make sure Two Spirits went far away where even the all-powerful Eathen Thornton could not find him. If they got lucky, maybe in time Eathen would give up on finding him. Maybe he would be content with having his daughter back safe.

But Wolfer knew, as sure as the snow swirled outside, that Eathen Thornton would never accept the child of an Indian in his home. He felt like a man in a crisis who finds himself forced to choose between two people, knowing he can save but one, while the other must be left behind. The choice was even harder to make when the one who must be left was a child.

His keen senses alerted him to the presence of someone else nearby. Throwing back the top robe, he left the warmth of his bed and, grabbing his gun from beneath the makeshift pillow, he went to stand just to the side of the lodge opening.

“
Do not shoot your father, my son,” Pehta called out to him. “Unlace the flap and let me come in by the fire.”

Without hesitation, Wolfer pulled the leather thong. “I should’ve known you’d follow me.” He grinned, stepping back out of the way.

“
It is a terrible storm out tonight, Wolfer. We may find we cannot leave for a few days.”

“
Why’d you come?” He secured the flap. “Did something happen at the agency after I left?”

“
No, nothing.” Pehta unrolled his robes by the fire. “I thought I should be there when you catch up to them.”

“
If you felt that way, why didn’t you leave when I did?”

“
I did not wish to hear you tell me I should stay in camp to look after Aleah and Sinah. This way, I am here.” A sheepish grin covered his wide mouth. “And we did not have to waste precious time arguing about it.”

The cold air following Pehta into the lodge brought a chill to Wolfer’s nude body, making him retreat under the heavy robe of his bedding. “Before you retire for the night, throw some more wood on the fire. How the hell you found me in that mess swirling out there, I’ll never know.”

“
I left right behind you. Until the blizzard started, you made it easy for me to follow. Let us hope Two Spirits is as easy to track or our trip will be in vain.”

“
I’ll find him.” Wolfer crossed his arms beneath his head. “A human leaves signs just like an animal. Remember, this is what I do for a living. If I couldn’t do it right, I would have been fired long ago.”

“
Are you sure you want to find him, my son?” Pehta’s voice took on an expectant tone. “Can’t we let them live their lives the way they want?”

“
I thought about it. Believe me.” Wolfer withdrew one hand from beneath his head, trying to rub away the dull ache becoming a throbbing pain between his eyes. “Now I’m convinced that if we don’t find them, Eathen will.”

“
His heart is filled with anger and pride. He could not hold up his head in front of his friends in Helena if word got out his daughter is going to have the child of an Indian.”

“
I’ll admit it must be a heavy burden for a man to carry on his shoulders. When I look at the life Eathen lives and the life I lead, I’ll choose mine over his every time.”

“
In the white world, money and power are very important, Wolfer. Two Spirits left his home to make the white man’s money,” he shook his dark head in bewilderment, “now he and his people are in danger because of it.”

“
Well,” Wolfer said, before turning his back on the conversation, “all we can do is hope we find him in time to warn him how important it is to get far away from here.”

“
Your warning will do no good, Wolfer. It will just postpone what will be.”

“
Then, tell me,” he turned back to face his father, “why are we out here in the cold tracking him, if it’s all going to end in tragedy anyway?”

With a shudder, Pehta replied. “I came because I want to look upon his face one last time,”

“
Can the course of things you see for the future ever be wrong or changed?”

“
Yes. Although I do not see this happening with Two Spirits. Then I am not as young as I once was. Perhaps my eyes do not see all there is. Let us hope this is so.”

“
I’m gonna ask you to do something for me.”

“
You know I will help you if I can, Wolfer.”

“
I want you to go back. I think all this will go a lot better if I go in alone to bring back the girl.”

For a long moment Pehta remained silent, then nodding, he replied, “If that is what you wish, then I will leave at first light.”

Turning onto his side, Wolfer closed his eyes, willing himself to relax.

For Pehta it was not that easy, as the thoughts running through his mind refused to be stilled. For the first time in his long life, he regretted the gift of sight he had been given. He knew he would never look upon the face of Two Spirits again and he knew it had been fruitless for him to follow Wolfer. But he had come anyway, hoping against hope this time his glimpse into the future would be wrong. In the morning, he would return to the reservation, still holding out hope Two Spirits would agree to stay in Canada rather than lose his life. He knew this too would not happen. Two Spirits would not let go of something he considered his. Nor would he give up easily what he regarded as his responsibility. He would do all in his power to keep Jessie with him and to see their child raised by them and not some complete strangers Eathen paid to keep his secret safe.

Pehta yawned as the warmth of the fire reached inside to ease his chilled bones and taut muscles. In his dreams, the Old Ones came to impart their wisdom and to leave no doubt in his mind what the outcome of Two Spirits’ journey would be. Before the first rays of dawn touched the skins of the small lodge, Pehta left his bed to look outside. The blizzard had not let up. If anything, it raged stronger. Pehta went back to his mat and dropping his tired body down on the robes, he tried to go back to sleep, knowing he would not be returning to the reservation today. But instead of sleep, he found himself turning over in his mind what the Old Ones had told him. Hot tears seeped from the corners of his eyes, and he made no attempt to stop them, telling himself he had a right to mourn the one as close to being his son as was the man emitting quiet snores nearby.

Chapter Twenty-Five

“
Eathen, how long are you gonna keep on like this?” Charlotte stared in disbelief at the ill-kept man seated before the roaring fire. When he refused to acknowledge her, she walked around his chair to stand before him. “I’ve seen you on some tears before, but this one’s a real eye-opener. I’d think you’d at least wanta take a bath and change out of those dirty clothes. The bottle’ll still be here when you get back.”

“
Leave me alone, Charlotte.” he declared, his voice all but inaudible.

“
Eathen, I’m not gonna stand by and let you go on like this. It’s been four days since you sent Wolfer to find her. In all that time you haven’t bathed, shaven, or even eaten a full meal. All you’ve done is sit in that chair, staring into the fire and drinkin’. Eathen! Look at me!” she demanded. “If I have to, I’ll smash every damn one of those bottles. Then maybe you’ll come to your senses.”

“
Charlotte,” Eathen tried to bring his blood-shot eyes into focus, “I’ve never raised a hand to you but, if you touch those bottles, I swear to Christ you’ll regret it.”

“
All right, Eathen,” she threw up her hands in disgust, “go ahead drink yourself into oblivion. That’s the way you’ve always handled your problems. Why should this time be any different?”

“
I handle my problems the way I see fit. If that ain’t to your likin’, then leave.”

“
Oh, you’d like that wouldn’t you?”Charlotte seated herself in the chair next to his. “Then you could tell yourself there’s one more reason to drown your sorrows.”

Eathen licked his lips in a valiant attempt to pronounce his words. “When I wanna drink, I sure as hell don’t need a goddamn excuse.”

“
No I guess you don’t.” Charlotte propped her feet up on the ottoman. “You could try facin’ your problems for once though. If you had a clear head, maybe we could talk about what we’re gonna do ‘bout this.”

“
There ain’t nothin’ to discuss.” Eathen waved his glass of whiskey in a dismissing gesture. “Soon as Wolfer brings her back, I’m packin’ her off somewhere til’ she has that kid. After that, she’s gonna come back here and start behavin’ like a decent, respectable young lady.”

“
And just where do you plan to pack her off to?”

“
I ain’t thought that far yet.” Eathen gulped another drink from his glass. “I’ll find somebody to keep her til’ this is all over though, you can bet you’re ass on that.” He nodded at nothing in particular. “Money talks, Charlotte. There has to be somebody out there willin’ to take her in for the right price.”

“
And if she won’t go? What then?”

“
She ain’t got no choice.” he bellowed, sloshing more whiskey into his glass. “I can’t let her stay here where everyone’ll know. I’m a powerful man in this state, Charlotte.” He reached out to place the bottle on the end table and, misjudging his aim, watched it fall to the floor. “I ain’t about to listen to the jokes and snickers about my daughter goin’ and gettin’ herself knocked up.”

“
Now we’re gettin’ to the heart of the matter.” Charlotte watched the whiskey soak into the large Spanish-print rug at her feet. “Eathen Thornton’s pride. It don’t matter how many times he drug our name through the mud with every slut from here to Helena! But don’t let anyone else dare to sully the Thornton name or… there… will… be… hell… to… pay!” Charlotte jumped to her feet.

“
I might’ve been the biggest whoremonger this state’s ever seen, but at least I’m a good father. I sure as hell can’t say the same about your attributes as a mother!” Eathen bent forward, groping on the floor for the now empty bottle.

“
What are you talkin’ ‘bout, my attributes as a mother?”Charlotte kicked the bottle out of her way. “I’ve always been a good mother to Jessie. You know I have.”

“
If that’s so, why’s she knocked up with a red-skin baby? Huh?” A loud belch left his throat as he wiped away a drool of spittle with the back of his hand. Grabbing up the empty bottle, he drew back his hand and, before Charlotte could stop him, flung it toward the hearth. “You can’t answer that one, can you, Charlotte?”

“
You pig!” she screamed, as she saw the large oil painting of Jessie that hung over the fireplace come tumbling to the floor. “You drunken pig!” She moved across the floor to retrieve the painting. Dropping to her knees she turned the painting over, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw no damage had been done. “I taught Jessie about what it means to be a good girl.” She leaned the picture against the wall. “She knew better than to let a boy touch her without marriage.” Charlotte turned back to her chair. “What more could I have done?”

“
I don’t know, Charlotte. But you’re her mother. Guess you didn’t tell her strong enough,”Eathen snarled, pushing himself forward in an attempt to rise to his feet. “Otherwise she wouldn’t be in this mess!”

Standing with her hands on her hips, she smiled a smug smile. “Could it be she gets her low morals from her father? I’ve always heard it’s in the bloodline.”