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Kaylene looked quickly at Running Fawn, quite aware of the stench of tequila on the young woman’s breath. Running Fawn had not gotten close enough until now for her to smell it.
No one could fool Kaylene where the stench of alcohol of any kind was concerned. Her father had been drunk way too often these past several years.
“Do your people accept the practice of drinking alcohol?” Kaylene asked guardedly.
She wished she hadn’t said anything when she saw the instant fear leap into Running Fawn’s dark eyes.
“Why . . . do . . . you ask?” Running Fawn said, leaning slowly away from Kaylene, after securing the bow at the end of her braid.
“Oh, nothing,” Kaylene said, not want
ing to pursue this any further.
“You smell it on my breath, do you not?” Running Fawn said, covering her mouth with a hand.
“Well, yes,” Kaylene answered.
Running Fawn moved around in front of Kaylene. “Oh, I beg you not to tell,” she cried. Kneeling, she clutched at one of Kaylene’s hands. “It is not the practice of my people to drink freely of firewater. I . . . was . . . with friends last night. I . . . should not have followed their lead as they consumed way too much tequila. But I did. I may have even consumed more than they.”
“I won’t tell,” Kaylene said softly.
“It will be our secret as friends?” Running Fawn begged.
“Yes, our secret,” Kaylene said.
Running Fawn gently hugged her. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Anytime you wish to share a secret with me, I shall listen and not tell a soul.”
Little Sparrow came suddenly into the cabin, carrying a black pot.
She stopped, startled, when she found Running Fawn and Kaylene in an embrace. She was stunned to see that Kaylene made friends this easily, especially with someone like Running Fawn. That seemed to make the friendship Little Sparrow had found with Kaylene less important—perhaps less sincere.
Running Fawn rushed to her feet. Her eyes locked momentarily with Little Sparrow’s, then she brushed past her and left.
Little Sparrow went and placed the pot of food on the hearth close to Kaylene. She turned and stared at Kaylene, then bent to her knees and hugged her.
Kaylene felt a strange sort of desperation in Little Sparrow’s hug. She knew it had to do with her having seen Running Fawn hugging her.
Kaylene returned the hug. Then with her free hand, she eased Little Sparrow away from her. Slowly she spoke the word “friends” to Little Sparrow so that she could read her lips. She placed her hand over her heart and then placed the same hand over Little Sparrow’s heart.
Little Sparrow broke into a wide grin and nodded. She mouthed the word “friend.”
She then frowned toward the door, and looked at Kaylene once again. She mouthed the words “ugly person” to Kaylene, and Kaylene knew those words were meant to describe Running Fawn.
Kaylene was stunned to know that Little Sparrow felt such contempt toward Running Fawn, since Running Fawn was the daughter of Fire Thunder’s best friend.
The smell of the food wafted through the air, made Kaylene hungry. As Little Sparrow ladled some corn gruel into a bowl and handed it to her, Kaylene forgot Running Fawn and her wonder about what sort of person she truly was. Although the corn gruel was tasteless, even somewhat horrible, she ate ravenously.
Footsteps outside the lodge made Kaylene turn with a start. She almost dropped the empty bowl when she found Fire Thunder standing in the shadows, his eyes on her.
She felt the pit of her stomach grow warm with desire, when she realized that his gaze was raking over her, observing her clothes, her braided hair.
It was as though he were branding her as his.
Chapter 9
Alter? When the hills do.
Falter? When the sun
