Indigo Sky (27 page)

Chapter 36

Forced to do labor-intensive tasks, Leila worked in silence, planning an escape and pondering how her life had changed—how she had changed. Gone was the spoilt and pampered debutante.

She staggered under the weight of a leg of bison and tried to hang it on a hook to be cut into strips for drying. It slipped and fell to the floor.

The elder picked up a strap and flailed Leila’s back, screaming, “Bad! Useless worm!”

Leila ground her teeth and picked up the leg. “Those seem to be the only words you know, you evil-tempered old hag.” A foot slammed into Leila’s backside, sending her to the ground. She cried out and fell hard. She rolled and clutched her stomach.

The elder jabbered insults in her tongue. She leaned down and pulled Leila’s rawhide dress up, exposing her stomach and genitals.

Leila glared at her and jerked the dress down. “Stop that, you horrible bitch!”

Little Star stood over Leila. “You not call Red Arrow’s mother that.” She pointed at Leila’s stomach. “You have child in belly.”

Leila scrambled backwards, shaking her head. “I-I didn’t know she was his mother.” She wrapped her arms across her stomach. “And I’m n-not having a baby.”

Little Star spun away and left the tipi. Moments later, Red Arrow and Hook Nose arrived and stared impassively at her.

Hook Nose folded his arms across his chest. “You dare to insult Red Arrow’s mother, squaw!”

Leila pouted. “She insults me all the time.”

“You worthless.” He conferred briefly with the warrior and turned back to Leila. “Red Arrow not want you.”

Icy fear coursed through Leila’s veins. “Why not?” she stared at her accuser, her arms stubbornly folded over her bosom.

“Child in belly.”

She shook her head, pressing against a pole. “No, I have an infection of the bowels.”

“We not need paleface sickness.”

“Then let me go.”

“You insult Red Arrow’s mother.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, but she kicked me.”

Red Arrow kicked Leila, viciously striking her ribs. She cried out and rolled onto her side. He walked out with Hook Nose.

Leila screwed her eyes shut and held her side.
What now
? She tried to draw a breath.

Warriors yanked her to her feet and dragged her out. With her head reeling from pain, she hung between them. They hauled her to a copse of trees beyond the tipi lodge. Two warriors held her down and tied her to a tree.

“You learn now.”

“Oh, God. No!” 

She slithered down to the ground, her head hanging. They left her with her hands tied in front of her and her body roped to the tree, like one of their tethered horses.

She looked around. She couldn’t breathe. It was as if she had mud stuck in her throat that prevented her from sucking air.
Dead, I’m dead
.
I must stay awake. How long will they leave me here, and what do they want me to learn? Submit. They want me to learn to submit. How do I escape
?
Oh God, where is Tom?

A hand came out of nowhere and covered her mouth. “Shhh, be quiet.” A man’s voice broke off, and he slowly removed his hand.

She stared up at Tom with relief in her eyes.

“I’ve been hanging around for over a week. The tipi they held you in was too close to the center of the lodge or I’d have rescued you sooner.” He began to untie her. Suddenly, he cocked his head and stopped.”

He pulled the ropes back around her and melted into the forest.

Crying out, Leila shook her head.
What happened? Where did he go?

Red Arrow stepped into the clearing and stood over her, legs spread and arms folded, glaring. “You come now.” He began untying her. “Where are you taking me?”

Leila’s eyes dilated.

Tom appeared behind him. With a swift movement, he had the Indian in a headlock. His knife flashed, and blood spurted from Red Arrow’s throat. He dragged the Indian into the undergrowth, ran to Leila, and freed her.

Lamenting with relief from the horror of her experience, Leila stumbled after Tom.

He pushed her up onto one of the horses hidden in the bushes. “We need to move fast. It won’t be long before they find that Indian.”

She whispered, “Where are we going?”

“West. As planned.”

Leila ground her teeth; her ribs hurt. And Tom was as silent as ever. “When did you realize I’d been caught by the Dog Soldiers?”

“Shhh, hush up.”

They rode for what seemed like forever before Tom said, “I saw you being taken.”

“Tom, thank God you came. Thank you. Thank you. I wasn’t sure if you’d come or not.”

She stared at him. “Why didn’t you shoot them?” She winced and rubbed her ribs. “God, my ribs feel like they are broken. It hurts to breathe.”

He looked at her as she rode beside him. “Try and bear the pain. I’ll wrap you when we can stop. In answer to yer question, if they killed me instead, no one would know what had happened to you.” He scowled at her. “Enough jabbering.”

He tapped his horse, increasing the pace.

She resisted rubbing her painful ribs and urged her horse to move faster.

Eventually, Tom called a halt and dismounted. “Okay, let’s wrap those ribs. Get off yer horse.”

She obeyed. “On yer horse, there’s a shirt in that there saddlebag and pants for ye to ride with. Get them fer me. We got to get a move on. Let’s speed this up.”

“Here.” With her arm close to her body, she held up the shirt by the collar.

“It’s an extra of mine.” He ripped it into strips.

“Wait. Stop. Why do I need this? It will be miserable and suffocating.”

“Stop bitchin’. Lift ye dress, got to wrap ya so ya can ride yer horse.”

“I am not lifting my dress.”

“Gads girl, how do ye expect me to fix ye?”

“I’ll do it myself. Give me those strips.”

“Suit yerself, but those Injuns are gonna catch up. Here you go.”

“Turn your back.”

She slipped on the pants. They were too large, but she made do with rope Tom kept around to tie up any bandits he caught. She then laid the strips on the ground and kneeled down. “I think I have to take off my dress. Ummm, maybe I can . . . this isn’t going to work, is it Tom?”

“Tell ye what Leila, turn around so ya back is facin’ me. Come on, get up.”

“Will it hurt?” She didn’t bother keeping the distrust out of her voice as he wrapped the strips around her.

“Oh my God, this is better, I can breathe, thank you.”

“Get on your horse.”

He ran to his horse and vaulted onto it. “Let’s go, gal.”

It seemed to take forever, but once the pain abated, Leila had tremendous relief. Leila glanced at Tom. “It really works. Thank you. Sorry I was such a ninny.”

He laughed. “Wouldn’t expect less from you, gal.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? I don’t find a compliment in there.”

“Nope, ya won’t.”

Chapter 37

Two weeks later, they arrived at Fort Hall. Once more dressed in boy clothes, Leila sat slumped in the saddle. The fort walls surrounded her, and she felt safe for the first time in weeks. Exhaustion overwhelmed her. In the long trek across country, they barely stopped. They ate as they rode and snatched sleep at brief intervals. Tom seemed tireless.

He glanced at her. “We won’t be here more than a few hours.”

Leila shook her head. “I cannot go on.”

“All right, we sleep and move out at first light.” He swung off the horse and helped Leila dismount. “I must speak to the person in charge.”

Nodding, Leila sank to the hard ground.

Soon, he returned and pulled her up. “Come on. I have a room for ya and a hot bath.”

“I am grateful.”

Tom grinned. “Yeah.” Half carrying her, he took her to a low log building. “Yer quarters.”

Leila stared at a tub of steaming water in the center of a tiny room. A dark blue dress lay on a narrow bed. She laughed and threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, but why a dress?”

“I’m leaving ya here.” His eyes crinkled. “I’m sure ye’re lookin’ forward to dressin’ like a woman again.”

She grinned. “Minus the stays, I loathe those instruments of torture.”

He guffawed. “I’m sure. Never did cotton onto why women like wearin’ all that crap.”

“We’re slaves to fashion.”

He lifted one eyebrow, his yellow eyes sparkling. “I didn’t peg ya for the sort of gal to follow stupid fashions.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. But I’m nothing like the girl I used to be.” She stared at her torn fingernails. “My life has changed.”

“I’d say ya changed for the better, but didn’t know ya back then, of course.”

She smiled, one corner of her mouth turned up. “You would have liked me even less.”

“For the record, I’ve grown quite fond o’ ya. There’s a platoon of soldiers here, and the commander said a group of travelers are moving out west in about three weeks. I’ve arranged for ya to travel with ‘em.”

She touched his rugged cheek. “I’d rather travel with you. I need to find Rork.”

He stepped back. “He can’t go further than the west, Leila. Ye’ll probably find him in San Francisco.” He walked to the door. “Besides, the commander asked me to help him track down the Dog Soldiers that took ya. They’ve been attacking and killing travelers for over a year.”

Her heart fell.
How do I survive in this wild country
? “I don’t feel safe without you.”

“Seems the people ye’ll be traveling with were ridin’ with a stagecoach that was attacked by them Dog Soldiers. One of the men saved their skins with an interestin’ tactic.” Tom chuckled and rubbed his cheek. “Instead of runnin’ from the Indians, he rushed ‘em and caused confusion, killin’ a few.” He touched his hat in a loose salute. “I’m sure ye’ll be in good hands.” Then he walked out.

Brief panic drained through her body, and Leila stared at the closed door. “Well, don’t say goodbye, you damn ornery trapper,” she bellowed. She clapped a hand to her mouth and giggled. “If Mother could hear me, she’d have a stroke.” She removed her filthy clothes and sighed, anticipating the delights of soaking in a hot bath.

Waking refreshed, but aching all over, Leila stretched. The smell of bacon tantalized her, and she smiled in anticipation of a hearty breakfast. She was so exhausted the night before that she’d gone to bed without dinner. She picked up the dress, and a blanket fell off the chair. Where did this come from?
God, did Tom creep in while I slept and put the blanket in here
? She held up the blanket and ran her hand over the woven cloth.
Oh my, this is beautiful, looks like it’s from the Arapahos.
She couldn’t remember the last time she received a gift, from anyone.
Tom is a gracious man with many talents.

When she went back to dressing and completing her toilet, Leila examined her reflection in a cracked mirror. She’d lost weight, and her face was golden brown with a sprinkling of freckles.
Mother would have a heart attack
. Brushing her hair, she smoothed the simple cotton dress and walked out, with the blanket draped over her arm, following the smell of food to another log building.

The door creaked open, and Leila adjusted her eyes to the dim interior. Light filtered in through small, grimy windows; lamps afforded more light. Five people sat at a trestle table in a far corner.

A rotund man with a bushy, red beard flipped pancakes on a hob. He turned as Leila approached. “Howdy, li’l lady. What can ol’ Red give ya to eat?” He swept a fat, hairy arm over the hob. “Got bacon, eggs, cornbread, and these here pancakes.”

“I’m starving.”

His eyes swept her from head to toe. “Aye, ya could do wi’ a bit o’ fattenin’, gal.” He tossed a thick slice of buttered cornbread onto a tin plate and scooped on scrambled eggs, followed by thick slices of crisp bacon.

Leila’s eyes widened as he added a huge pancake dripping with syrup.

“There ya’re, honey. That should fill ya good.” He pointed. “No cause to eat alone. Join those folk over there.” He wiped sweat from his face and turned back to cooking.

Leila picked up the plate and walked toward the group in the corner.
Maybe these are the people Tom arranged for me to travel with.

Light from a window fell on a huge man near the wall, catching gold highlights in his shoulder-length hair.

Leila caught her breath.

A hoarse cry crossed the divide between them. “Leila!”

Cornelia and the others looked around; their jaws dropped.

“Rork.” The plate slipped from her numb hands. Her senses swam, and her legs gave way.

In an instant, Rork was on his feet, and strong arms surrounded her. They sagged to their knees.

She leaned against him, sobbing. “I thought I’d never find you.”

“It’s all right.” He stroked wisps of hair from her face, her misting eyes set upon him. Brushing his fingers across her cheeks, he bent and kissed each falling teardrop. “Oh, my Leila, my Leila. I cannot describe how happy I am to see you.” He slipped his fingers into her hair, drawing her closer. He frowned and lifted the short hair. “You cut your hair!”

Leila pushed him back and surged to her feet. “And that’s important how?” She glared down at him, hands on her hips.

He jumped up and tried to take her in his arms. “I’m sorry. It isn’t important at all. I was just surprised.”

“Hair? Really? All you can say is my hair is short?” She slammed both fists into his chest. “What is important is that you just left, you damn coward!”

He grabbed her wrists. “Leila, I had to make you see some sense. I couldn’t be with you knowing you wanted Hank. You grieved for him incessantly.”

Suddenly everything was too much for her. She pulled free. “You’re a jerk!” Her arm came up, and her fist connected with his jaw.

His head snapped to the side. He stepped back, rubbing his chin. “Damn, Leila! Where the hell did you learn to punch like that?”

“I’ve learned a lot of things in my quest to find you, you cowardly bastard!” She lunged at him. Food scattered on the floor, rendering her footing treacherous. She squeaked as her feet slipped out from under her and she fell. Breath left her lungs in a whoosh as she landed on her back.

A slow smile spread on Rork’s face, and he bent to pick her up. “Let’s stop this nonsense.”

“Smug swine! You started this—this
nonsense
! Now look what you’ve done!” She plucked bacon and egg from her hair. “I’m a damn mess, and I’m sick of being a mess!” She kicked and caught him squarely between the legs.

His breath exploded, and his eyes widened. He sagged to his knees, clutching his crotch. “Was that really called for?” he croaked.

“Yes!” She scrambled up, slipping on the mangled remains of her breakfast. She stalked to the cook, brushing off bits of food. “I’d like another plate of the same please.”

Red chortled. “For that bit o’ entertainment, ya get a double portion.” He filled a plate and handed it to her. “Ya pack a mean punch, gal.”

“Thank you, it was a pleasure.” Without a glance in Rork’s direction, she walked to Cornelia and the others. Slamming her plate down, she sat and ladled food into her mouth.

Her friends stared at her. Slowly, a smile spread on Cornelia’s face. “Hungry by any chance?”

“Famished,” Leila said between mouthfuls. “Haven’t had a decent meal for God knows how long.”

Eyes twinkling, Cornelia leaned across the rough wooden table and touched Leila’s hand. “Joy to see you’re safe.” She giggled. “But your mother would have a fit of the vapors. You seem a little, ah, savage.”

Rork sat next to Leila. “I think that’s a rather mild description. First she attacks me, then she eats like a trapper. What happened to the genteel lady I’m betrothed to?”

A slice of bread was halfway to her mouth. She stopped. Her voice had a fast, focused, hunter-on-the move rhythm. “I seem to recall you being rather pleased that I’d changed.” She pointed the knife at him. “And just to be clear, I don’t recall us being betrothed.”

He arched his eyebrows. Rork was rather enjoying this. There was a light, playful tone to his voice. “Damn it, Leila. I asked you numerous times to marry me.” He raked his fingers through his hair.

She stared at the plate and bit her lip, just enough to alleviate her frustration, but not so much as to make it bleed. Her hand drifted to her belly.
Do I really want my baby born a bastard? Do I want to marry him? Or anyone, for that matter?
She rubbed throbbing temples. “And for your information, my ribs were cracked! And that’s not funny.”

Rork stroked her back gently. “What’s really the problem, Leila?”

Cornelia took her hand. “I’m guessing that you’ve had a hard time of it.” Stretching across the table, she touched Leila’s face. “What caused these?”

“My freckles or my cracked ribs?”

Rork took her shoulders and turned her to face him. “How did that happen?”

Leila pushed away her half-full plate.

“Tell us what happened.”

She related her adventures. “So, there you have it.”

He laughed. “Well, that’s quite a story. It eclipses ours.”

Joshua chuckled. “Except for your crazy attack on those Dog Soldiers.”

Leila turned to Rork. “You were the man who rushed the Indians instead of running?”

His lips slanted up at one corner. “Yes. Stupid, huh?”

Kate rolled up the serviette and threw it at him. “Also stupid that two pregnant women would be a burden.”

Red invaded his gaunt cheeks. “I was wrong, okay?”

“How do you feel about having a third pregnant woman on the trip?” Leila mumbled, praying her confession didn’t drive him away. He’d never mentioned wanting children.

“What? A baby? How is that? You are pregnant with my baby?”

Leila scowled. “Who the hell do you think the father is, if not you?”

“I’ll be damned.” He ran his fingers through his hair, a bemused expression on his face.

Mouth trembling, she stared at him. “You’ll be damned good, or damned bad?”

Laughing, he drew her close and held her against his heart. “Good—all good.” He held her at arm’s length, his eyes sweeping over her. “You’re so thin it’s hard to tell you’re pregnant.”

“I wouldn’t cast stones, Mr. Millburn. You are just as scrawny.”

“Well,” Cornelia said, rising briskly, “we have a wedding to plan.”

Within two days, Cornelia had arranged for a pastor to marry them. Kate altered one of her dresses to fit Leila and pilfered lace from other garments to enhance it.

Standing in front of a full-length mirror, Leila stared at her reflection. There were no hoop petticoats, but the cream-colored dress with its high neck and full sleeves fell from her shoulders to the floor and curved at the waist in layers of lace. Wild flowers were woven into her hair with ribbons.

“Oh,” Leila gasped. She ran her fingers down the bodice and held the lace in her hand. “It’s so beautiful. The flowers—where did you find them? In the meadow? My goodness.” Her eyes misted. “Thank you.”

Cornelia hugged her. “Every woman deserves an extraordinary wedding day.”

Kate giggled. “Come on, let’s get you wed.”

Alone with Rork, he cupped her face and kissed her. “Mine at last.” He pulled her close. “I love you, Mrs. Millburn.”

“I love you, too,” she said. “You will learn, in time, to trust my decisions. I don’t want to hide behind you when there’s danger.”

He kissed her forehead. Leila put her palm on his cheek. “Learn to trust me.”

“I’ll try.” He drew her into his arms. “Now where were we?” He captured her mouth in a searing kiss, relaxing as she melted into him. “I’ve dreamed of this every day for the past months.” With a sigh, he ran his hand over the slight bulge of her belly. He inhaled her unique fragrance. It felt like they had known each other for a hundred years. This was his time. His soul had awakened, and there was a fire in his heart. He was at peace and loving it. Loving Leila.

She cupped his face in her hands and smiled at him.

Her indigo eyes held him captive, and he smiled back.