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The Sergeant let that last remark alone for a moment, knowing Aiden has some strong feelings he was sharing with him.
"Well, let me think. She usually rides a buckskin."
"I haven't seen her in a long while. She was about sixteen last time I saw her."
"I saw her a couple of times myself. She's little but heard tell she's deadly with a knife."
"I wouldn’t doubt that. Tell you what, why don't I stay here and sleep a while and you go after her. You're about the only other person I'd trust to."
"Not me. I wouldn't want to travel all over those mountains looking for her. Like trying to find a needle in a haystack. What's her story, though?" The Sergeant asked washing himself as he listened.
"Not much different than any other captive. She was captured by the Blackfeet from a wagon train, she was six years old. No one knows if her parents were killed in the raid or not. I expect they were. But when the Cheyenne raided their village, they took her, something about the color of her hair had them thinking she was a strong spirit. She was raised by the Cheyenne. She married some buck, he got killed but I don't know how. That's about all I know. She's Indian alright, but she's also white. She's got two sides to her and they battle all the time, worse than a breed. I don't think she's ever figured out where she belongs."
"Aiden," O'Riley shook his head and frowned. "She can't help it, that she was raised by Indians. And it's natural she'd marry a buck when she grew up. She can't help nothin' the way I see it. She was raised by them, probably forgot most of her white ways. Maybe it's best you just kill her and be done with it. She won't survive long anyway if you bring her back. No white people would respect her. And that's sad when you think about it, Aiden. It wasn't her fault, but it's the life she's been given."
Aiden thought about that. "Even if what you say is true, I got a job to do O'Riley. And I'm going to do it right."
"I know it. I know that much well. But you're going to catch a little cougar and she's wild as she can be, untamed. You're going to bring her back to civilization to be ridiculed and spat on. Then they are going to badger her with questions and try to persuade her to go against the only people that were ever good to her. That's no life for her to live."
"Well what the hell can I do about it, O'Riley? It could save her people's life. Besides, there is no way I could kill her."
"You sweet on her?"
Aiden seemed to pause, "I don't know. I get along with here well. Always have. Let's just call it a soft spot."
"Maybe this will give you a chance to find out just how soft a spot you got."
"Maybe." Aiden tossed him a smile.
"I wondered what kind of woman would tame you."
O'Riley shook his head and started scrubbing away. "You got feelings for her, don't you boy?"
Aiden smiled, his mind going back to the sixteen-year-old girl, "I don't know. I've wrestled with that question many times. Hell, I guess I do, but don't spread it around."
"She's the only one I ever heard you talk about for more than five minutes." O'Riley smiled, "Maybe it's time you found out?"
"Maybe you're right." He smiled in reflection.
Chapter Two
The higher he climbed, the cooler the air, Aiden put his long coat on and adjusted his hat as he wound slowly around the forested area of the Black Hills. There were steep inclines to manage and dense forests that had to be maneuvered through. He took his time, he had all winter to accomplish his goal. He could do this.
The problem was, he wasn't sure he should be doing this. Yes, he'd try to find the little girl, but finding Lucy and bringing her back still left a niggling in the back of his mind.
He glanced over his shoulder at the Winters. They were struggling through the snow and he knew Mrs. Winters was quite an impatient person. He told the Winters to take it slowly and not force their horses and the horses would adapt, whereas they might not if they tried to travel too quickly. Some parts of this country were more than a little treacherous. In places the climb was steep, in other places the forest was so thick it had to be maneuvered, even cut through at times. The struggles to climb, the forest, and then the huge amount of snowfall made this trip miserable for the best of scouts. It was the wrong time of the year to go traipsing about the countryside. All combined it was hard on the horses and on man. Aiden didn't know why they insisted on coming in this kind of weather, but if they could stand it, fine. There were few trails, but he'd been up here a few years before and he knew better ways of getting around the hills now.
His first night they camped near a clear stream and he caught several good-sized fish for their supper. The water was already starting to freeze so he knew it would be an early winter. He enjoyed this part of the trip as the temperature hadn't dropped so drastically yet.
Mr. Winters was no more help than his wife, expecting him to do all the work of taking care of the horses and building a fire.
Aiden wasn't enjoying the nasty temperament of Mrs. Winters though. She complained about everything and Aiden was tired of it. Her husband rarely got in a word edgewise.
She was constantly asking Aiden questions and prodding him onward.
Despite the company though, Aiden found himself in his own elements here. He enjoyed the out of doors. He didn't like the weather, but he knew he could do nothing about it except be prepared for it.
He passed a few pronghorns, a couple of mule deer. Wildlife was abundant here in the summer, but harder to find in the winter months. It was the middle of November and he knew before long he was going to feel the chill to his bones, especially when the wind kicked up.
