CHAPTER THREE
"Sharon! Oh my goodness! It is you! Sharon! You are here! I can't believe it! How did you come to be here?"
Sharon's good friend, Amelia, and Amelia's husband, Gray Falcon, had been standing across the small Pikuni camp from her. But, upon seeing Sharon, Amelia sprinted across the distance between them, and, without slowing down even a little, she flung herself into Sharon's embrace.
"Amelia!" exclaimed Sharon joyfully. "Oh, Amelia, how happy I am to see you!"
"And, I am just as glad to see you!" said Amelia.
The two women stepped a little apart, but still held hands as though either one of them might disappear if they were to let go. Together they shared a smile until at length Amelia said, "I was so afraid I would never see you again. I have been worried. After all, it is I who convinced you to come with me into Indian country. But, tell me, how have you come to be here this morning, looking as calm and as beautiful as if you had simply gone away from camp for little more than a restful walk?"
"I…it's a long story," answered Sharon. "But, first let me thank you for complimenting me when I feel so dirty and ugly. As far as my rescue, I fear it is this warrior"—Sharon dropped her hands to her sides before gesturing toward Strikes Fast—"I don't even know his name, but I believe he is a friend of your husband's. I have often seen them together."
"His name is Strikes Fast," Amelia supplied.
"Yes, well, he came into the camp of the evil one yesterday," explained Sharon, "and, I still don't quite know what happened, but I watched as my captor and this man, Strikes Fast, waged a battle of…of… It must have been a battle of magic. It's the only way I can describe what happened. Strikes Fast won this fight of…I call it the battle between a tiny man and a spider. But, a battle it was, and the evil magician who had captured me became so afraid of losing his magical spider, he gave this warrior, Strikes Fast, anything he wished to have. All Strikes Fast took from the man, however, was me and two beautiful ponies. Then we walked out of the camp of my captor. We have not stopped to do anything except three times: twice to allow our ponies and us, too, to refresh ourselves with a drink of water. The third time we stopped was to allow Strikes Fast to bathe before coming into this camp."
"Did you bathe, too?" asked Amelia.
"I did not. I could not bring myself to do so, even fully dressed. After all, what would David say if he knew I had bathed in front of another man? But, even though we stopped three times, we did not tarry. Indeed, we have traveled the night through so we might arrive here this morning. But, I see this is not the Pikuni encampment where I have lived for the past month. What kind of camp is this?"
"It is a war camp. These men are tracking the Crow warriors who stole their ponies."
"A war camp? We are in a war camp?"
"Yes," answered Amelia, "but we will not be with the other warriors for very long. My husband and Strikes Fast have joined this camp not to go to war, but to try to rescue you. Soon the warriors will leave to trail after their enemy while we will return to Fort McKenzie and the Pikuni encampment there. My husband had plans to rescue you, but his friend Strikes Fast accomplished this on his own."
"Yes, he did," said Sharon. "And, I am indebted once again to…you say his name is Strikes Fast?"
Amelia nodded.
"This is the second time this man has literally saved my life."
Sharon watched as Amelia glanced at Strikes Fast and whispered the words, "Thank you," though she followed the words with the Plains sign language. Turning back toward Sharon, Amelia asked, "Have you had anything to eat?"
"I shared a brief meal of pemmican with Mr. Strikes Fast only hours ago."
"Good," acknowledged Amelia. "Are you still hungry?"
"A little."
"Then let us find Gray Falcon's sister, Itsiiy-Aakíí, or Sweet Woman in English, and together we will prepare a meal for you."
"Could we also fix some food for Mr. Strikes Fast? I owe him so much because of what he has done for me. And, he hasn't once asked me for anything. If you don't mind, I would like to help you prepare breakfast for him."
"Indeed, we shall make a meal for us all." Amelia grinned. "Yes, we shall cook a very grand breakfast for him and for the other warriors, too."
Sharon smiled. At least she could do this: she could help cook her hero a nourishing breakfast. Though it wasn't much, still it was a way to say thank you.
However, she had a few questions as yet unanswered, and Sharon asked, "But, if this is a war camp, why are you and Gray Falcon's sister here?"
Amelia sighed. "It is complicated, but perhaps all I need to say is that I didn't wish Gray Falcon to be out of my sight."
Sharon laughed, but only said, "Of course." Then, after a moment, she questioned, "Do you know if David is all right? He wasn't with me when I was captured and I've been afraid he might not have escaped the war party's attack."
Amelia looked away before saying softly, "He wasn't yet back in camp before I left it. But, the Pikuni scouts reported they saw the place where he had hidden from the enemy and signs that he had survived."
"Signs? What signs?"
