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"Because you know her, it's that simple. She's causing all kinds of trouble. I want her captured and brought back. If we can get her cooperation, this whole movement will be easy. Now is the perfect time to catch her Aiden, they are settling in those mountains for winter, they won't come down until it thaws, I'm sure of it. What I need is someone who knows the territory to go in there and get her before spring. We catch her then our problems with the Cheyenne are over. Some of the settlers have petitioned to cut down timber up there and float down the river to the settlements below."
Aiden shook his head, got up and paced the room.
"Every time you give them land, you turn around and try to push them off it. It isn't right and you know it. You gonna let settlers go in there and possibly get killed doing it. It's almost as though you want war with them."
"Aiden, I need you to bring her here, let me talk to her, see if we can't settle some of the differences. I can't keep those settlers off the land forever. They'll go there, against my wishes and do what they want and start another war. I've got to have some cooperation."
"The White Silver Fox?" Aiden's brows furrowed deeply now, his frown marring the atmosphere in the starkly unfurnished room. "What are you going to do with her?"
"Just talk."
"That's all?" Aiden twisted his head. "What if she doesn't cooperate?"
"Then naturally, we'll have to seek other measures."
"Lucy was raised with the Cheyenne."
"Lucy?"
"That's her white name, yes."
"How well do you know her?" The Major looked at bit shocked.
"Well enough to know she won't like coming here, alone. Why me?"
"Because you know her territory, and you know the Indians in this area pretty well. You know how to talk to them without them getting riled. We've been up there too and did little good as you know. They got a wintering camp up high in those hills, and they move so much we can't find them, and I want you to find her and bring her back. I suspect the Sioux are there too. So, you can do both jobs at once."
Aiden sat down then scooted back in his chair now, totally ill at ease with this.
"I want to make an example of her, so they will quit fighting us and try to get along."
"First off, what makes you think she's influencing them?" Aiden asked.
The Colonel offered him a cigar, but Aiden waved it away.
"One of my other scouts, Haywood, he came back with the story about her. He said she's the reason they have gone to war. It seems she was raised by them and married one of them. Then…" He paused, blowing his smoke away from him. "Her husband was killed. Since then she's been rallying them to war against the whites. We stop her, we might stop a whole uprising. We've got to get them to the reservations. She's white, Aiden, it's possible we could reason with her."
"Just how far up in those mountains?" Aiden asked with curiosity.
"About as far as a man can go. You know as well as I it isn't how high those mountains are, it's how long they reach and the snow you have to plough through to get to them. It's a maze for people who don't know that country. That's why I picked you. They'll hide up there all winter. Now, granted it is the wrong time of year to be going after her, but she might be easier to capture in the winter. They won't be looking for anyone coming after them in the middle of winter in their own territory. I mean that high up, the snow is gonna be one of your biggest enemies. Those mountains are hard to deal with, but I figure you can handle it. I don't want it to escalate into a full-blown war, Aiden. I just want her, that's all."
The one thing Aiden disliked most about commanding officers was their ability to make everything sound so easy. Naturally they seldom even joined in a fight much less something like this. The man had no idea how hard it would be up in those mountains this time of year.
"In the first place if they are that high in the mountains, then I'd be all winter up there."
"True, you would. But since it's already began to snow up there, they won't be coming down for any more raids for a while. I want you to get her before any more are killed. I want her here. If I can persuade her, I'm sure she can do the rest for her people's sake."
"They think she has spiritual power." Aiden frowned. "Firs I want your word that you just want to talk to her. You're not going to harm her. I won't allow that."
"Aiden, she's deadly. If things turned out badly, I'd have to take proper precautions."
"Your word?" Aiden frowned.
"Alright Aiden, you have it."
"Major, you cross me on this and I won't scout for you again, understand?"
"Understood!"
