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He hoped in time she would realize that not all people with red skin were bad!
If he could find her child, would that not convince her to trust him?
And although he did believe she had a husband out there somewhere, and although he knew he should fight his feelings for her, he could not help wanting to know more about her. She had spoken to his heart.
When he looked past the mistrust in her eyes, he saw someone who could be very loving and caring. First, though, he must gain her trust.
What better way to gain that trust than to find her daughter?
His decision made, he leaped to his feet, went to his entranceway and threw the skin door aside.
With determined steps he went from lodge to lodge, announcing a council with all of his warriors.
Soon they had gathered in the council house, their eyes questioning Blue Thunder as the morning sun filtered through the smoke that rose from the central fire. The men seated themselves around it, while their chief stood before them.
“My friends, it has come to my attention that the white woman who has been brought into our midst may have a micinski, a small child around the same age as my own, and that little girl has been separated from her ina, her mother,” Blue Thunder said. “And why do I believe this might be so?”
He explained what Speckled Fawn had observed, and her belief that the woman who had escaped rape and death at the hands of the renegades had somehow become separated from her daughter.
His jaw tightened.
“The child might even now be with Big Nose,” he said thickly. “I would not want to even think what his plans might be for the girl, for he is evil, through and through.”
Black Wing, the troublemaker of the village, suddenly stood and placed his fists on his hips as he glared at his chief. “We should not get any more involved in the lives of white people than we already are,” he growled out. “We already have two white women in our village. That is two too many. I say rid our lives of those two instead of bringing another one into our midst.”
Blue Thunder gave Black Wing a scolding stare, causing the warrior to wince and quickly sit down again.
Blue Thunder then gazed slowly around him, making eye contact with each of his warriors before speaking again.
In their eyes was the trust that was lacking in Black Wing, and Blue Thunder knew they were always ready to do his bidding, no matter whom it concerned, or whether that person’s skin was red or white. They trusted their chief in every way, and admired him deeply.
“It is my decision to search for this white child, who is probably around four winters of age. It is wrong for a child of this age, or any age, to be unprotected from men such as Big Nose and his renegades,” Blue Thunder said. “Those of you who will ride with me on a mission of kindness, stand. Those who wish to stay behind in the village for any reason, leave the council house.”
The only one who left was Black Wing, and he did it with his head down and shoulders bent, looking like a coward.
Disappointed that even one of his warriors would oppose him, Blue Thunder felt betrayed by Black Wing. He would not forget this day.
He said nothing until Black Wing was gone. Then he looked at the warriors standing before him, dutiful as always.
“Here is my plan,” he said firmly. “Separate yourselves into four groups. One group will stay behind to protect our village. You in the other three groups, leave the council house and mount your horses. Each group will ride from the village, then separate and travel in three directions. Search. You will look for two different things. One will be a child wandering alone, possibly even hurt, the other is Big Nose’s hideout. If none of you are successful in finding the lost child, or Big Nose’s hideout, return home at sunset.”
He motioned toward the entrance flap with a hand. “Go,” he said. “Mount your steeds. I will follow and mount my own. Once we have left the village, I will choose which group I shall ride with. But we must use all our skills today to find the child.”
He stood aside as his warriors left in a flurry, then went outside himself.
He strode to his tepee and chose two weapons to take with him. One was a knife
sheathed at his waist, the other a rifle.
When he left his lodge, a young brave was there with his saddled horse. He patted the boy lovingly on the head, slid his rifle into the gun boot at the right side of his white steed, then mounted and started to ride off with his waiting warriors.
But the feeling that eyes were on him made him pause for a moment.
He turned and found Shirleen peeking from the corner of the entrance flap of her assigned lodge.
Their eyes momentarily met, and then she dropped the flap closed.
Not certain why she was looking at him, wondering if he should take the time to tell her what he was doing, he paused a moment longer.
