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“Why?” he said, knowing that it was not time to tell her the true reason . . . that he was in love with her and wanted her forever as his. “Because I am a just man who will not tolerate injustice toward others, especially toward small, innocent children.”
She didn’t believe that he was telling her everything about his feelings, and she understood.
This was not the time. . . .
Suddenly Night Horse emitted a cry of pain.
Brave Wolf hurried to his brother and knelt, lifting his head onto his lap again. “Night Horse, it is I. It is your brother who holds you,” he said gently. “Night Horse, I have found you and will take you home to Ina. Do not die, my brother. Do not die.”
Night Horse’s eyes opened only momentarily. He smiled up at Brave Wolf, then fell into another deep sleep.
Mary Beth went to Brave Wolf. Wanting to repay him for his kindness, she decided to rip a portion of her dress off so that she could use it as a cloth for bathing the warrior’s face, but then remembered that she wasn’t wearing her dress.
She was in the clothes of a man.
She suddenly realized that she had forgotten her dress where she had taken it off. Now what was she to do?
If she ever did have the chance to return to the white world, she would not want to arrive in Indian attire, especially a man’s.
When Night Horse groaned in pain, Mary Beth cupped her hands and reached into the stream where the water was so clear she could see the white pebbles on the bottom. She filled her hands with water and brought them close to Night Wolf’s face. Slowly she let the water trickle over his brow. Mary Beth turned to Brave Wolf, smiled, then suddenly realized she had never even told him her name. “I know you are called Brave Wolf,” she said. “I am Mary Beth Wilson.”
Brave Wolf smiled, for it was good to know that this woman no longer saw him as a man she could not trust. Instead he heard in her voice a note that told him she cared as much for him as he had grown to care for her.
He was touched by what she was doing for Night Horse. He saw her gentleness, her kindness, her beauty.
He was suddenly overwhelmed by deep, wondrous feelings for this woman. Yes, he now knew that destiny had brought them together, and destiny would not allow them to part. Somehow he would find a way to convince her that she should n
ever return to the world of the white people again. Even her son, if he was found, would be accepted as a part of the Crow.
Mary Beth felt something mystically sweet flowing between herself and Brave Wolf and did not fight it. She was beginning to realize that events had unfurled as they had in order for them to meet.
Could it be that she’d had to travel this far to find true love?
Yes, it did seem so!
Chapter Ten
I feel again a spark of
that ancient flame.
—Virgil
Mary Beth was exhausted by the time they reached the Indian village that was Brave Wolf’s home. But despite her exhaustion she was alert and somewhat fearful as she rode beside him into the village.
Mary Beth brought her horse closer to Brave Wolf’s as she looked cautiously around her. She saw women busy cutting meat into thin strips and laying them on racks, as others cleaned skins that were stretched out on the ground.
She saw big-eyed children run over to Brave Wolf’s horse and reach up to touch their chief as he continued to thread his way through the settlement.
Mary Beth stiffened when she saw the women stop their work and stare at her, then hurry to their children and lead them away.
She noted how all of the people’s eyes went to the man who was being brought into their village on a travois behind Brave Wolf’s steed. Mary Beth was glad that the attention was focused on Night Wolf now, rather than herself.
And she knew why. This man was someone they had never expected to see again. He had walked away from them and allied himself with whites.
She knew this because she had heard a warrior discussing it with Brave Wolf during their journey. She had heard the warrior tell Brave Wolf that he still was not certain Night Horse should be taken home, where so many would resent his presence.
Brave Wolf had told the warrior that it no longer mattered who thought what, for it was his decision to bring Night Wolf home.
