"Your grandmother?"
She nodded, but she didn't elaborate further. She was continuing to speak to him in sign, however, and said, "I know you have told me you are attracted to me, and I am glad of this, but we had only spoken to one another that once. And, within my memory are several times when I saw you in the trading room and you never spoke to me nor even looked at me."
He felt like grinning, but he didn't. Of course he had looked at her, though discreetly. Seeing and admiring her was the only reason he had come to the trading room, for he'd had no business there. He wondered, did she not know how beautiful she was and that a man might do most anything to simply have her smile favorably at him?
In sign, he asked, "How could I let you die when I knew I might find you and keep you safe?"
"But, why would you risk it simply because of an attraction?" she asked. "When you set out to find me, you did not even know me."
He had no inclination to try to explain why a man might do most anything to gain a pretty woman's attention. Instead, he said in sign, "A man must give something back to a woman who has shown him compassion; especially when the kindness she gave him was unnecessary and required courage from her."
"You are, of course, speaking of that one time in the trading room when I tried to help you, though you believed I might be disgraced for doing so?"
He nodded.
"Well, I disagree with what you say about this. What I did required little courage. Besides, did you not give me an eagle's feather in return for the favor?"
"The feather is not enough. When a beautiful woman shows bravery to a man, and she does it with understanding, a man must be ready to defend her, regardless of the danger to him. It is his duty."
She hesitated, but after a moment signed, "Did you just now call me ‘beautiful’?"
He grinned. He couldn't help himself; he was strangely moved by her question. And, though he would like to tell her there were some things a man might do for a woman simply because he had to do them, he would keep the knowledge to himself.
And so, he didn't answer her inquiry, for to do so might cause her to feel uncomfortable. Instead, he signed, "I will get you food and water, but, as I have said, I must leave you for a time to care for the horses and ensure our shelter will be strong enough against the Cold Maker. Do not think I have left you on your own."
"But, what if I fall asleep? Don't you need me to pound the rock on the wood to give you direction back here?"
"Do not fear I will lose my way. It is simply easier if you can give me direction. But, most likely I will not become lost. Sleep is good, so do it without worry."
Arising, he grabbed one of his buckskin blankets and wrapped it around him for warmth against the snow and wind. Putting a fur cap on his head, he glanced at her quickly before he bent over to exit their shelter.
Once outside, his view of the horses was blocked by the immense cover of sleet and snow that fell and blew around him in the wind's fury. Except for the wind, however, the world around him was silent and its stillness was spiritually comforting.
Looking back at the place where he'd built the shelter—up close to the coulee's wall—he was glad to see the snow was slightly less there and so was protected a little from the storm. Looking forward again, he took his bearings from here before he stepped out into the storm.
He'd not had time last night to bring the horses to a shelter next to the small grove of cottonwood trees. He would do so now. Besides the bark of the trees which would feed the animals, the little glade would allow the ponies to huddle together to keep each other warm.
He also had to find Steals-my-breath's quarter horse. Hopefully, it had survived its injuries and had found the other two horses.
Fighting against the snow, sleet and wind, he yet came in sight of the ponies and saw there were three, not two, beneath the cottonwood trees: his own two horses and her one.
This was good.
Treading forward, he stepped toward Steals-my-breath's horse. Squatting down, he examined the pony's legs, feeling all four of them up and down. It was good; only one leg was injured, but not broken.
Quickly, he stepped toward his own animals and spoke to them gently, asking, "Tsá kaanistáópííhpa?How are you?Istto't opii,stay together." Then he rubbed his hands all over the three of them, petting them and encouraging them to stay close to one another until the storm was gone from this land. His Appaloosa,Sisákkiikayi,Spotted Pony, answered him with a quiet neighing.
He smiled and said aloud, "You are a good friend."
Then, he untied the food he had packed—enough for three people, since he had thought he would have to rescue both Steals-my-breath and her man. There were a few tools he'd packed, also, since he'd known he would be required to cut up wood for the fire.
"Istto't opii,stay together," he reminded each horse before he stepped back toward the shelter, gathering as much wood as he could find without having to cut up any. He would need to make a large pile of wood next to the shelter for the fire. It was needed not only for warmth, but for water hot enough for her to bathe.
He sighed. Snowstorm or not, he had a great deal of chores yet before him.
***
SHE COULDN'T SLEEP, though she tried. But, soon she came to understand it was pointless. She felt helpless...helpless and guilty. Indeed, she couldn't stop remembering that if she had taken Eagle Heart's warning into account, she would now be safe and warm at the fort, as he would be, also. But, she hadn't given his advice the attention it deserved, nor had Thomas.
