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He had begun to think that it never would change.
If not—he had drawn his No-din into a life of continued miseries.
Wheeling his horse around, he rode off beside Proud Thunder. They rode and searched with their eyes for what seemed hours; then suddenly before them were many horsemen riding toward them across a vast snow-covered meadow.
“Silver Wing!” Echohawk said beneath his breath, recognizing the elder chief from the others by the slight slouch of his shoulders—a chief who had once ridden so tall and straight in the saddle, now bent with age and years of disappointment and sadness.
He urged his horse into a strong gallop, then came to a halt beside Silver Wing’s steed.
“I have heard!” Echohawk said, placing a hand on Silver Wing’s shoulder. “I am saddened.”
Silver Wing’s eyes lowered and he shook his head slowly back and forth. “It is with much regret that I have to return to my village without my Nee-kah,” he said glumly. “But we have searched, it seems, to the ends of the earth, and she is nowhere to be found. I fear she is dead, somewhere in the snow, the snow her grave.”
“Chief Silver Wing, you are weary from the search,” Echohawk said, his voice thin. “Return to your village. I shall search awhile longer. When you go to your bed alone tonight, you will then know that everything has been done to find Nee-kah.”
“She is gee-mah-gah, gone,” Silver Wing said, lifting weeping eyes to the heaven. “My wife! My unborn child! They are gone! Why, Great Spirit, why? What have I done to deserve such sadness as this?”
“Silver Wing? My husband?”
Echohawk and Silver Wing gave each other a sudden quizzical look.
“Did you hear a voice?” Echohawk said, his eyes wide as he stared over at Silver Wing.
“Did you hear the voice also?” Silver Wing said, his jaw tightening, having thought that wanting it to be so, so badly, he had imagined hearing Nee-kah’s voice calling his name.
Suddenly in view, only a few yards ahead, where they now could distinguish the small figure of a woman from the brightness of the snow, Echohawk and Silver Wing saw Nee-kah stumbling through the snow, one hand clutching a blanket around her shoulders, her other hand outstretched toward them.
“My husband, it is I, Nee-kah!” she cried, suddenly clutching her hand to her abdomen, sharp pains gripping her there. “Silver Wing, come to me. Silver Wing!”
Silver Wing sank his moccasined heels into the flanks of his horse and rode off in a hard gallop toward Nee-kah, and when he reached her, dismounted in one leap. He grabbed her into his arms and hugged her tightly.
“My wife. My sweet Nee-kah. You are safe!” he whispered, his heart pounding with joy. He held her away from him and looked her up and down. “And are you all right? The baby?”
“Nee-kah is fine,” she said, then grabbed at her abdomen when the pains assaulted her again. She did not want to tell him that she was concerned about the child—that perhaps she was going to have the child early. She knew her husband well enough to know that he would want to go and settle things with the Sioux himself, instead of sending warriors to battle them for him. She would have to pretend that she and the child were fine.
Later, she decided. Much later she would tell him of her concerns.
Perhaps by then he would already be a father!
Silver Wing clasped his fingers to Nee-kah’s shoulders. “I looked everywhere,” he said softly. “How is it that I did not find you?”
“The Sioux camp is not far,” Nee-kah said, giving Echohawk a soft smile as he rode up and dismounted. “Beyond the meadow, just inside the forest, there is a cave. The horses and the Sioux are well hidden there. I . . . I escaped when they slept. Being heavy with child, they did not think I would chance escape.” She laughed softly. “But they do not know Nee-kah, do they?”
“You are a different sort of woman, that is true,” Silver Wing said, his shoulders relaxing in a heavy sigh.
“Nee-kah is so sorry to cause you such worry,” she said, moving into Silve
r Wing’s arms. “I did not listen to you. I went to the river for water. Because of that, because of my stubbornness, I was abducted.”
“That you are here now, safe, is all that is important,” Silver Wing said, easing her out of his arms. “You go now. Rest beside a warm fire until my return. We go and take many scalps today!”
“The Sioux who is responsible for Nee-kah’s abduction is called White Wolf,” she murmured.
Echohawk and Silver Wing exchanged knowing glances, fire quickly lighting their eyes.
Then Silver Wing looked down at Nee-kah. “Your abduction will be avenged,” he growled. “White Wolf’s scalp will decorate my scalp pole tonight!”
Nee-kah bit her lower lip with worry, then let Proud Thunder help her onto another brave’s horse, and smiled weakly at Silver Wing as she clung to the brave as he rode gently away.
