A brisk breeze rattled what was left of the dry, crackled leaves on the big maple tree that shadowed the front porch of the Duke farm. Bo sat at his sister's wicker patio table, which was covered with newspaper. He held a carving knife in one hand, and the top of the large pumpkin he'd just cut in the other. Min sat on the other side of the table, and Daniel stood next to her, his dark blue eyes wide with curiosity.
"Look, Daniel, its easy!" Bo smiled, and carved a wicked-looking, scowling face into the side of his pumpkin. Then he gestured to Min, who also had a pumpkin in front of her. "Show him, Min."
Min smiled, seeing the look on Daniel's face. He had the awe and wonder of a child. She picked up the knife and turned the front of her pumpkin so he could see it. "Bo's right Daniel, watch." She took the knife and began to cut two triangles for the eyes. "See? Then you just stick your hand inside the pumpkin and pop the shapes out." The two triangle eyes popped out of the front. "Then when you put the candle inside, the light comes out of the holes, it looks really neat!"
Daniel's eyes traveled over the shape of the pumpkin, and then fell on the pile of stringy vegetable guts and seeds on the newspaper next to it. He reached out, and touched the pile gingerly with one long finger. "May I have these?" He asked, and Bo rolled his eyes. "Daniel, that's the part we throw away! It's the pumpkin we put on the porch come Halloween night!"
"I understand that, Bo." He looked down at Min. "May I have them, love?"
Min smiled, nodding her head. "Sure, are you going to try and grow some pumpkins for next year?"
Daniel shook his head. "No. The Cheyenne are a nomadic people, we know little of planting." He wrapped up the seeds in the paper, and set them aside. "However, the seeds will taste good once I let them dry, and roast them in hot coals."
"Roasted pumpkin seeds, we haven't had any of those since..." Her face grew a little sad. "Since the last Halloween we spent with Uncle Jesse." She looked at her brother. "Right Bo?"
"Right." He answered quietly, then forced a smile as he picked up another pumpkin. "So! Ready to try it, Daniel?" He asked, and got up so the tall Cheyenne could sit down.
The day was brisk, and Bo wore an Atlanta Falcons sweatshirt with his blue jeans. Min wore a light blue sweater and matching sweat pants, while Daniel wore the deerskin breeches and shirt he'd made himself a few months earlier. The breeches were decorated with brightly colored beads Min had gotten him at Rhuebottom's, and Daniel had dyed the shirt a wash of different shades of red using only red clay and berry juices. His talents never failed to amaze Bo, although of course he took every opportunity to tease his sister about having to live in a tipi come the winter.
"What kind of face should I put on this pumpkin, Min?" He asked as he picked up the carving knife.
"Oh I don't know something in the spirit of Halloween." She moved close to him and smoothed his long hair away from his face, running her hand down the long thick blond locks.
Daniel thought for a moment, and then began to carve. His strokes were quick and sure, and watching him made Bo wonder what else he was used to cutting into like that. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought, and he rubbed his arms briskly to chase the feeling away.
Min gave him a curious look, and he shook his head slightly to tell her it was nothing. Another few moments passed, and Daniel spun the pumpkin around to show Min and Bo his handiwork.
"There. Is that . . .'in the spirit,' like you said?" He asked, and Bo raised his eyebrows. The face on the pumpkin was twisted in a hideous expression that was either a shrieking laugh or a scream of pain. The eyes were awful slits, the teeth inside the mouth pointed and jagged. Bo nodded a little. "Uh . . . yeah, I reckon you've got the idea."
Min's eyes widened a little as she turned her head to look at Daniel. "Who is this face based on Love?" She asked him in Cheyenne.
"It is the Wendigo, the Cheyenne god of evil. He has the power to make a man insane, and his touch will turn you cannibal, giving you the craving for human flesh. He roams the plains at night, looking for victims . . . and it is said he also sends a giant cannibal owl down from the mountains after dark to pluck men from their furs, so that he may summon the owl back with its victims, and eat them." Daniel explained.
This time it was Min that got a cold chill. She could feel the goose bumps break out all over her despite the thick clothes she wore. She was staring into the grimace carved on Daniel's pumpkin, it was truly frightening. "I think we'll give this pumpkin a red glow stick to put inside, seems more fitting then just a candle."
Bo raised an eyebrow. "If that doesn't scare the trick or treaters away, I don't know what will." He said with a chuckle, and Daniel got up from his chair. He gathered up the pumpkin seeds, and turned to Min. "I have made a fine fire-pit down by the creek behind the house. Would you like to come with me now, and I will show you how we should prepare these seeds?" He asked softly, and his free hand reached out to touch hers gently.
"Yeah, I'd love to see it." She finally looked away from the pumpkin." Min took Daniel's hand in hers, giving it a squeeze.
"Bo, do me a favor and take a look around in the bedroom closets, okay? I know I have a pack of those red glow sticks leftover from last year. Help yourself to a beer if you want, there's plenty in the fridge." She said as she and Daniel walked down the porch steps. Bo smiled knowingly. "Sure, thanks. Oh, and Sis . . . "
"What?" Min asked over her shoulder, and he gave her a grin. "Don't get burned starting that fire!" He teased, and ducked as Min bent down and came up with a handful of leaves, which she hurled at him. Bo chuckled as he shook them away, and went into the house.
Daniel knelt down and stoked the fire in the fire pit, manipulating it until he had nothing but hot glowing coals. The pumpkin seeds hung in a hollow gourd from a nearby tree branch, suspended some five feet above the fire. Daniel turned to Min and smiled a little. "The heat from the coals will dry the seeds nicely, and then I will wrap them in a dried vegetable skin and bury them under the coals. After a few hours, they will be roasted and good to eat."
Min was standing near the fire, the heat of it finally warding off the chill Daniel's hideous pumpkin had inspired. She crouched down, stretching out her hands to the coals. "You know Love its traditional to dress up in a costume, what are you doing to dress up as?"
Daniel thought briefly of the many animal skins his father had owned, and how he had worn them during ceremonial dances. The one that stood out most in his memory, however, was from a tawny gold mountain lion that his father, Two Wolves, had killed himself. He'd left the head attached when he'd dressed the skin so that the lion's huge head fit on top of his, creating the fierce image that the two beings were one. The tail had hung down his father's back, and had been decorated with hawk feathers. Besides his father's war shield, it Two Wolves' most powerful totem.
"Perhaps I will wear an animal costume." Daniel said as he thought of the lion skin, and sat down by the fire. The memory of his father had created a small ache in his heart.
Min moved closer to him, reaching out to once again stroke that gorgeous golden hair of his. She could never get enough of it. "What's wrong?" The sad pensive look on his face was hard to miss.
"I was thinking of my father." Daniel said softly, reaching back to take her hand. He tugged her forward, then motioned for her to sit beside him. When she did, he moved close to her, so that their legs were touching. "He was a fine chief . . . a man who deserved a strong son to sit in his place after he walked the Spirit Road."
"He does have a strong son." She touched his cheek with the back of her hand. "Whether you believe it or not Daniel you are much stronger than you think."
"I would never have become chief." Daniel said, staring into the glowing coals of the fire. "Were I still in camp upon the death of my father . . . my life would be forfeit as well."
"Then I'm glad you got out of there." Min leaned her head against his shoulder. The thought of him being killed simply because of who he was upset her. She put her arms around him and held him to her.
"I might have been spared, only to be Little Horse's property." Daniel replied, and his fists clenched. The mere mention of the warrior's name made him feel ill.
Those words and the image it painted only made the young woman hold him tighter to her. "You don't belong to that..." She held her tongue trying not to let a nasty word come out. "You belong to me now."
"I hope one day to give you that part of me which would bind us together as man and wife in the eyes of Maiyun." Daniel said, feeling heat rise to his cheeks. Sometimes he feared that day would never come at all, thanks to the abuse he'd suffered at the hands of Little Horse.
Min lifted her head to look at him. "That day will come and I hope it's soon." She turned his face towards her. "I want to give you the one thing that I can never give to another man." The look on her face was serious; she meant the words she spoke.
Daniel swallowed hard. "And . . . and if I can never share that thing with you . . . will you take another mate?" He asked, and the hand in hers began to tremble.
Min's heart sunk down to her stomach, she tried to keep her face passive but the idea of him not sharing something that special with her was upsetting. "No." She stood up, feeling the emotions threatening to come out.
Daniel hung his head, sensing the change in her. It was as tangible as a block of ice in his hand. "I know that I am not the kind of man you long for, Min, one that can give you pleasures and perhaps children. My spirit has been wounded by the things that have happened to me." He sighed softly. "Know, though, that I do love you with all my heart."
Min shook her head. "No, I don't believe that, not for a second. You are the man that I long for and I know that you can give me those things and many more. I'm not going to give up on that."
"As you say." Daniel replied, knowing there was no arguing with her. He stood up and tilted the gourd with a forked stick and saw that the seeds were drying nicely. "Perhaps another half an hour, and they will be ready for roasting." He said, looking down at the fire. It had been a fire that had freed him from Little Horse . . . and although he'd told Min the story of how he'd escaped that night, he'd never spoken of the many nights before that. The memories of those nights were still buried deep inside him, and only came out to haunt him as he slept.
Min was close to Daniel; she reached out and took his hand, pulling him to her. She kissed him hard, feeling the hunger in his lips as he returned it. She pulled back from the kiss breathing hard and put both hands on his stunned face. "You don't believe you can make love to me Daniel but your kisses say otherwise. I know there are some things you've never told me about your life back in the village but know this. I do have ears for them, don't be afraid to use them, do you understand?"
Daniel nodded, and touched her forehead with his. "Aee, I understand. Perhaps someday I can speak of those things to you . . . but not today." He reached into his parafleche and withdrew a dried squash skin, then motioned to Min. "Now come, and I will show you how to make the best roasted seeds you ever ate!"
"Sheets, pillowcases, tablecloths . . ." Bo mumbled as he looked through the spare bedroom closet. He'd gotten to the top shelf, but the red glow sticks were nowhere to be found.
"Sewing kit, Ace Bandage, a box of-" Bo blushed and put the small, square blue and white box back where he'd found it, and ran a hand through his hair. "Okay Min . . . I'm running out of closet here!" He grumbled to himself, and grabbed a stepladder. He opened it, and climbed up the first two steps to see into the space up behind the door where he knew Min sometimes tucked things away. What he found there made him hesitate.
"What the hell?" He asked himself, and picked up the small leather bag. It was unadorned, and knotted tightly at the top with rawhide. The bag itself was handmade, and Bo knew it must belong to Daniel. He tested the weight of it in his hand, and it felt empty.
"Weird." Bo laughed, and glanced up at the shelf. It was empty otherwise, and he looked down at the bag again. He tested the rawhide with two fingers, and the knots were tight. They'd been soaked in water and shrunken down. Bo raised an eyebrow, wondering what a soft spoken, gentle man like Daniel could possibly have to hide.
"Hmmph." Bo mused, and turned the bag over in his fingers. Of course he should put it back. It was none of his business, after all . . . and then he found his fingers working at the rawhide knot. Of course I won't be able to get it open, Bo thought, I should just put the stupid thing back and look for those sticks, maybe have another beer- And then the top of the bag came open, the stiff rawhide string popping up. Bo's eyes widened in surprise as he turned the bag over, and a small braided leather bracelet tumbled into his palm.
"That's it?" Bo laughed to himself, and held the bracelet up to the closet light. It was plain braided leather, dyed red, and looked as though it had been sawed through with a dull knife. The ends were frayed and beginning to unravel.
"Maybe he's going to fix it up and give it to Min." Bo said to himself, and laid the leather across his wrist. He brought the frayed ends of the leather together, then gasped and nearly fell off the stepladder as the skin underneath the bracelet burned fiercely and a wave of nausea swept over him. He grabbed the shelf supports to keep from falling and took a deep breath. The nausea passed, and suddenly he felt very foolish, standing in a closet, trying on a piece of jewelry that he had no business even touching. He stuffed the bracelet back into the leather bag and pulled the rawhide string tightly, knotting it the way it had been. As he stepped off the ladder and turned out the light, he wondered what kind of dye Daniel had used on the bracelet.
"Whatever it is, it burns like hell." Bo mumbled, and rubbed his wrist as he left the room. Behind him in the bag on the shelf, the bracelet sat limp drained of its color, for the dye that had been made from the blood of Daniel's tormentor, Little Horse, was now flowing like a fast moving river through Bo's veins.
Daniel held the door open for Min when they returned to the house, and Min gave him a smile over her shoulder as he shut it tightly after him. The day was growing colder, and Min rubbed her arms as she noticed that some of that cold seemed to have gotten into the house while they were gone. Daniel set the teakettle to boiling, and reached up for the jar where Min kept an assortment of dried jerky. As he tore into several pieces of venison jerky, Bo strolled into the kitchen. He glanced at Min in a sort of offhanded way, then his gaze fell on Daniel. He took four quick, purposeful steps and reached into the jar for a piece of jerky. "Enough to go around?" He asked, and Daniel nodded. "Of course, brother."
Min creased her brow as she stood over the stove, reaching out towards the heat. "Since when do you eat jerky Bo? You said it was like chewing on shoe leather."
Bo shrugged, and reached into the jar for another piece just as Daniel did the same. Their hands touched, and Min saw her brother smile. "Tastes change, Min." He replied, and withdrew his hand from the jar. He tore into the piece of dried meat, his eyes never leaving Daniel as the young Cheyenne turned to the stove in order to shut off the whistling teakettle.
Min couldn't help but notice how interested her brother suddenly seemed in her love. "Did you find the glow sticks Bo?"
"What?" Bo asked sharply, his expression distracted and mildly annoyed as he turned to his sister. "The . . . oh. The glow sticks. No, and speaking of that, you couldn't find an elephant in that upstairs closet! When was the last time you cleaned it?"
"I never have, a lot of that junk up there is from you and Luke's old bedroom. You two are the ones that need to clean it out."
"Women's work." He scoffed, and Daniel chuckled softly as he poured himself a cup of tea. "You sound like many of the men in my father's camp, Bo."
"Do I?" Bo asked as he sat down at the table across from Daniel, and the other man nodded. "Among the Cheyenne, a man who butchers meat, cooks or cleans is considered womanly." He explained, and a smile curved across Bo's face as he looked Daniel's clothing over. "Really? And what about a man who can sew, or bead?" He asked softly. Daniel flinched, and sipped his tea in order to hide the rising blush of shame that heated his cheeks.
Min saw that her brother had hit a nerve. She set her cup down and stood over him. "Hey that's not very nice Bo!" She narrowed her eyes at her brother. "What kind of thing is that to say?"
"It is all right, Min. Bo knows very little about the Cheyenne culture, he meant no insult. After all, how can one learn things if one does not ask questions?" Daniel asked, and Bo nodded. "Yeah Min, I was just asking! You don't need to get your back up about it."
The scowl was still prominent on Min's face. "You weren't asking Bo, your tone was not a questioning one."
"Oh for the love of . . ." Bo rolled his eyes and stood up. "I didn't mean anything about anything!" He sighed, and glanced at his watch. "I gotta go, anyway. I'm meeting Luke for dinner at the cafe. See you later." He said abruptly, and let the door slam behind him as he left.
Daniel watched him go, then turned to Min. "Love, what got into you? I am sure that Bo did not mean any insult."
Min turned and watched the General Lee pull out from the yard. "He meant it to be insulting Daniel and he grinned when he saw you squirm." She turned her head to look at him. "He wanted to shame you."
Daniel took another sip of his tea. "Perhaps he simply wanted to tease me, Min. It would not be the first time I have heard such jokes about my ability to sew or bead."
The young woman shook her head. "No, he didn't mean it as a joke." She sighed as she walked up to Daniel and hugged him. As Daniel slipped an arm around her, Min noticed that the house had grown warmer . . . almost as if the cold chill she'd felt before had left with her brother.
Two days went by with no word from Bo, and one morning Min went to do the shopping with a heavy heart. As she walked into the market, a voice full of good humor called to her from the nearest aisle. "Well as I live and breathe! If it isn't my boyfriend's evil twin!"
Min raised an eyebrow as she slowly turned around and saw the bright blonde hair of her brother's girlfriend. "Oh! It's you!" She laughed. "You had me worried there for a second."
"Oh Lord!" Michelle rolled her eyes. "Worried about what? That you weren't sure which girlfriend of your brother's was addressing you?" She teased, and laughed delightedly.
"No, because some of the local girls and I don't exactly get along. I can name a few that would gladly call me that and worse." Min sighed heavily. "How is Bo? I haven't heard from him in two days."
"Oh he's the same!" Michelle smiled as she put a jar of mustard into her basket. "Working hard, trying to keep out of trouble." She glanced at Min and frowned a little. "He did mention that you haven't come to the shop lately. Did you two have a fight or something?"
Min shrugged. "Well yeah we sort of had a few words. He said something to Daniel that I really didn't like."
"Really? What did he say?"
"He said something about Daniel knowing how to bead and sew." Min wiped her hand down her face. "He meant to be cruel."
"Are you sure, Min? Sometimes Bo likes to tease the people he likes, and I know he's very fond of Daniel. He's always telling people what a great guy his sister is dating." Michelle said with a smile. "I like him, too."
"I know that Michelle, I know how much he likes Daniel, that's why I couldn't understand why he said that."
"Well . . . maybe this has gotten all blown out of proportion. Bo's over at the shop right now, why don't you stop in and say hi to him? Maybe he thinks you're still mad at him."
Min nodded, she did miss her brother and the fact that they were fighting didn't set well with her. "Okay, maybe I should."
"I'm sure he didn't mean anything by what he said, Min. You know Bo, he's a terrible tease, and sometimes he goes too far." Michelle said as they took their purchases to the register. "Go see him, he misses you."
"I miss him too." Min admitted, and paid for her things. As she headed for the door, she called to Michelle over her shoulder. "Daniel is over at the feed store picking up some hay, I'll have time to stop at the shop before he's done. See you later!" She waved, and stepped outside. She looked across the street, and what she saw made her stop dead in her tracks. Bo was standing in the shadows of the small side door of the auto shop, his eyes riveted on Daniel as the tall Cheyenne threw bales of hay into the back of the old used pickup they'd bought. The feed store was directly across from Bo and Luke's shop, and there was no mistaking the object of Bo's gaze. Min swallowed hard, and stepped off the porch of the mercantile. She started to cross the street, then froze as Bo did the same. She slipped back into the shadows, deciding to wait and watch.
Daniel secured the bales of hay that he'd neatly stacked into the pickup and tossed a stray strand of hair from his face. The weather had grown warm again today, and Daniel longed for his light clout and moccasins. He had long since learned, however, that it wasn't acceptable to dress in such a way while in town. He wiped his brow and pushed the strand of hair away again, then started as a voice spoke from behind him. "Maybe I could help you with that."
He turned to see Bo standing there, and smiled a little. "Bo! Greetings! I thank you for the offer, but I have finished with the hay." He explained, and then flinched a little as Bo reached out and touched the strand of bright gold hair that had escaped Daniel's braid.
Min crossed the street in three seconds, practically dropping her groceries. "Daniel!" She was out of breath as she ran up to him, her gaze stern as she focused it on her brother. "Taking a break from the grease Bo?"
Bo turned, and for a moment Daniel saw such a fury in his eyes that it made him back up a step. Then it was gone, and he wasn't sure it had been there at all. "Hey, Min . . . yeah, I was on a break, and then I saw Daniel wrestling with the hay bales. Thought he could use a hand."
The young woman continued to stare at him, trying to determine what she was picking up from her brother. "Well he doesn't, does he?"
"As I just told your brother, I am finished with the hay." Daniel said softly, and his tone made Min glance over at him. He had the look of a horse that scents a grass fire, but could not yet see the flames. She took his hand.
"See Bo, he's done." She gave Daniel's hand a squeeze. "Aren't there some parts you have to be lubing back in the shop?"
That darkness flickered in Bo's eyes again, and he frowned. "I also came over to say I was sorry about the other day. Didn't mean to bother you." He said softly, and turned to walk away.
"Bo?" Min walked over to him and turned him around. "I'm sorry too, okay?" She gave him a hug.
Bo returned the hug, and for a moment Min thought she felt him tremble. When he pulled away, though, all she saw was her brother, and nothing else. He smiled. "I didn't mean anything by what I said, Min. I guess it's true what Michelle tells me, sometimes I just tease too much. Look, I have to get back, but maybe y'all can come over to the apartment this week and have dinner with us."
"Of course." Daniel nodded, and picked up the grocery bags that Min had set down on the ground. He put them in the truck, and opened the driver's side door for her.
Min nodded, giving Bo a small smile and a kiss on the cheek. "We'd like that." She took her brother's hands and squeezed them briefly. "You better go back and play with your tools."
"Still haven't learned to drive, huh Daniel?" Bo grinned, and shook his head. "Come to me when you're ready, I'd be happy to teach you."
Min shook her head. "No thanks Bo, I'll teach him. If you do it he won't live long enough to get his license."
"Yeah, right! See you!" Bo laughed as the truck pulled away from the curb, then his smile vanished as if someone had flipped a switch inside him. "It is you who will not live much longer, white bitch." He whispered in a voice that was not his own. "Then I will once again own what is rightfully mine." A terrible grin surfaced on Bo's face, and he turned and headed back for the garage.
The drive from town back to the Duke farm was a long one, and Daniel sat in silence as he listened to Min talk about how she'd ran into Michelle in the market, what she'd bought, and how Mr. Rhuebottom's prices had gone up again. He only half-listened, his mind going back again and again to how Bo had reached out and touched his hair. It was so unlike Min's brother, yet it was an act that had been so familiar that it sent shivers of fear and disgust through Daniel's body every time he thought about it.
Min turned and looked at the Cheyenne sitting beside her. "Daniel? Are you okay?"
Daniel started at the sound of his name and turned to his woman. "Yes . . . forgive me, I was thinking about something."
Her focus turned back on the road, she too had something on her mind. She felt many strange things from her brother but she wasn't exactly sure what it was. She let go of the steering wheel and reached down beside her, gently touching his hand.
"Love, I must tell you something." Daniel said suddenly, squeezing her hand gently.
Min nodded, glancing at him briefly. "All right, tell me."
"Today in town, when Bo first approached me . . ." Daniel began, then pressed his lips together and shook his head. "Never mind. I am being foolish."
Min suddenly jerked the wheel hard, pulling the truck over. She put it in park and faced him. "It was like he was someone else?"
Daniel's dark blue eyes widened. "Yes!" He exclaimed, then hesitated, not knowing how to put into words how he'd felt when Bo had touched his hair. "He felt . . ." Daniel gestured for a moment, then signed as he spoke. "He felt as if he were carrying a bad medicine."
Min sighed, shaking her head. "I know Daniel, he felt like a stranger to me but then it was gone."
"Perhaps he is ill." Daniel suggested, although his tone told Min that he didn't believe his own words.
"That's just it, I don't know what it is, but something is going on with him."
Daniel opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. Even if Bo was ill, what Daniel had felt from him in town had probably been nothing but the vapors of old memories and his own imagination. If he voiced these things to Min, she would surely react with anger.
Min could sense his turmoil; she reached out and gently touched his face. "Don't be afraid to tell me what you feel Daniel."
"When your brother first approached me and asked me if I needed his help, he . . . he reached out and touched my hair." Daniel's big right hand went to his braid as he spoke, and he felt that the stray strand Bo had touched was still loose. He tucked it back into place. "I cannot imagine why he did this thing; he has never touched me like that before."
Min nodded, she swallowed hard and reached out with a gentle hand, touching the braid in the exact same way her brother had. "Like this?" Her touch spoke of love and affection.
"Yes." He took that hand and squeezed it gently. "But love . . . you are my woman, he is your brother." Daniel shook his head, clearly puzzled. "Was it a joke, perhaps?"
"No, just like the harsh words he spoke to you when he was at our house. He meant what he did."
Daniel nodded as Min put the truck into drive and pulled back out onto the road. His stomach felt queasy and unsettled in a way that it hadn't been since the day he'd awoken in Min's house . . . .since his escape from Little Horse.
Bo stood in front of his bathroom mirror, staring at his pale and strained reflection. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his skin had a waxy look that spoke of a lack of sleep and appetite. He brushed his hair back listlessly with one hand, then reached down to scratch at his right wrist. The skin was irritated and rashy, and Bo wondered if he hadn't caught something from the dye on that bracelet he'd found at Min's.
It's more than that and you know it, His mind whispered, and a small groan escaped his throat. His hands gripped the rim of the sink as a sudden wave of nausea washed over him, and when it passed, the reflection in the mirror was no longer his own. Instead Bo saw the face of a young, muscular Indian man. He hitched in a breath to scream, then realized his power of speech was gone. He couldn't utter a sound. The man in the mirror smiled grimly.
"Greetings Pale One... surprised?" The young Indian smiled, he saw the astonishment on the blond man's face. "What's wrong, do you not know the face of the one that has been brewing inside of you ever since you put that bracelet on?"
Bo tried to reply, failed, then tried again, his voice coming back to him in a near whisper. "Who . . . who are you?"
The Indian raised an eyebrow. "Surely you have heard of me? Has Daniel not told you of the time he and I spent together?"
"Daniel . . ." Bo whispered, then his eyes widened. The reflection in the mirror didn't change; it merely stared at him expectantly.
"I am Little Horse, and I will make sure Daniel pays dearly for not telling others about me!" The man in the mirror raised his head slightly, his face reflecting deep pride.
"Please . . . what do you want with me?" Bo asked softly, wondering briefly if this man had anything to do with Daniel's obviously painful past.
The grim smile was back. "You are going to help me get back what is rightfully mine."
"I won't help you do anything!" Bo whispered fiercely, his hands gripping the rim of the sink until his knuckles turned white. "Go away!"
Little Horse's ugly smile grew wider. "Ah... such spirit you have. I like that, you remind me so much of Daniel. The yellow hair, the twilight sky color of your eyes…" He narrowed his eyes. "But if you refuse those you love will be killed, most horribly! You will see their deaths through your own eyes! Especially the death of your dear little sister... I can make that one especially slow and painful for her."
"If you hurt her, I'll kill you, whatever you are!" Bo hissed, but even as he spoke he felt the strength bleeding from him. The image in the mirror chuckled.
"You can do nothing to stop me little one, I am already taking over your mind...my blood is flowing through you as we speak." Little Horse sighed. "And whether you like it or not you are going to help me get Daniel back."
"Daniel? What do you want with Daniel?" Bo asked, and glanced down at his wrist. The rashy bumps seemed almost to be pulsating now, and he swallowed hard. "The bracelet . . . that's how you got into me, isn't it?"
"Yes...the red in that bracelet was my blood. And as for Daniel...he is my pale whore." Little Horse's eyes glazed over as a memory started to flow through his mind. "We would spend many a night together, his smooth strong body wiggling helplessly under mine. How I long to taste him and touch him again."
Bo blinked, thinking that he misheard the apparition in the mirror, then several things Min had told him became perfectly clear. The way Daniel slept on the floor instead of with his sister; his soft way of speaking despite his size . . . Bo frowned and shook his head. "You bastard!" He said in a low voice, his stomach clenching in sympathy for his friend.
Little Horse laughed loudly. "Call me all the names you wish it will not change anything. Nor will it stop me from once again tasting that young Cheyenne between my lips." He scowled at the blond man. "And if you try and stop me not only will I gut that white bitch but I will make sure that she is impaled on my lance before I do it!"
Another moan escaped Bo's throat, and suddenly there was a knock at the bathroom door. "Bo? You okay in there?" Luke called, and Little Horse's reflection made a noise like an angry snake. "Remember, pale one . . . I once owned Daniel, now I own you. Breathe one word of my presence, and you will breathe no more!" The image shimmered and vanished, leaving Bo's own pale reflection. Luke knocked again. "Bo, answer me!"
"I'm fine!" Bo called, staring at himself in the mirror. The image of Little Horse had gone, but as Bo struggled with what he'd seen, the bumps on his wrist continued to pulsate . . . and to grow.
Daniel bucked and struggled under Little Horse's muscular frame, taking several hard blows to his chin as the bigger brave sought to overpower him. Rain pelted down onto the tipi's thick hides, drowning out Daniel's cries for help to the outside world. The bigger man hit him again, and Daniel cried out in panic and fear as he was rolled onto his belly. Little Horse's voice hissed in his ear. "Shut up, pale whore! Shut up!" Daniel moaned, and the words changed slowly as gentle hands fell on his shoulders.
"Wake up, wake up, Daniel . . ."
Daniel cried out once more and opened his eyes to see Min kneeling over him, her expression frightened. Her hands rested on his shoulders, and rain was falling in a steady patter outside.
"Are you okay?" She asked as she gently touched his sweating face.
Daniel sat up in his pile of furs, blinking away the remnants of Little Horse's touch. "Aee, I am all right. It was just a dream."
Min nodded, turning around to glance at her bed. She knew that Daniel wouldn't join her in it. "I know you won't sleep with me Daniel so is it okay if I sleep here with you?"
Daniel glanced out the window, and his body-clock told him it was still several hours until sunrise. "I know you mean well, my love." He said softly, hating himself for pushing her away.
"Good." Min curled up next to him, resting her head on his chest. She put her arm across his waist as she settled down. The feel of him so close to her was warm and comforting.
Daniel lay still for several moments, then the feeling of skin against skin was too much for him to bear. He sat up and turned away, gathering up a trade blanket to wrap around his body as he did so. He heard Min sigh, and hung his head.
Min sat up, her heart aching as she got up from the floor. She had only tried to help him and as usual he didn't want it. "Good night Daniel." She climbed back into her bed and laid down.
Daniel's throat swelled with tears, and suddenly he was furious. He stood up and threw the blanket aside, revealing his naked body. "Here! Is this what you desire?" He shouted.
Min sat up, looking him up and down. Her face blushed at the sight of his well formed and muscular body. She swallowed hard as she saw the tears in his eyes. She got off of the bed, pulling a folded up blanket from the end of it. She unfolded it and draped it over his shoulders, her eyes never leaving his face. "What I want... is this." Min touched the center of his chest. "This..." She picked up one of his hands and touched it to the center of her chest. "Not what is between your legs Daniel."
The tears spilled over Daniel's lashes and down his cheeks as he put a hand over hers. "I do not mean to push you away, Min, I swear it."
"I know." Min ran her hand up his chest to around his neck, pulling him to her. She hugged him, sighing as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "It's so hard Daniel, I know there are many things you can't tell me and sometimes I feel so damn helpless."
"You deserve better than this, Min." Daniel replied, and looked down at her. "Send me away! Love someone who can give you the things you want! Someone who will not hurt you as I do!"
Min was looking into his face. She shook her head. "No...I don't want anyone else. I don't care how long I have to wait for you."
"Send me away!" Daniel repeated, his big hands falling on her shoulders. A sense of sudden terror had stolen over him shortly after waking, and it was growing stronger. "I feel bad medicine coming, and I am afraid for both of us!"
"I know, I feel it too but I will not send you away." Min touched a hand on her shoulder. "Whatever it is we'll face it together."
After a long moment, Daniel nodded his agreement. "Perhaps it would be better if we fought together." He replied, and looked down at her again. She wore a simple blue cotton nightgown that came down to mid-thigh, and the blanket around his shoulders did little to cover his front. He cleared his throat and backed away slightly, readjusting the blanket. "Forgive me, Min, I did not mean to shout at you."
Min couldn't help but notice how his eyes traced over her briefly before he moved away from her. She took a step closer, her hands touching the blanket around him. She slipped it off his shoulders, pushing it down to about mid upper arms. She smiled as her small hands gently moved across his shoulders. "You are truly the most handsome man I have ever seen Daniel."
Daniel's muscles tightened under her touch, but his spirit soared at the love in her voice. "I do not understand." He replied. "How can you love someone who treats you this way?"
"I don't know, but I do." Min touched his face and gave him a tiny kiss on his lips. "And one day very soon I will gladly show you how much I truly love you."
A shadow of self doubt moved across Daniel's face like a cloud over a sunlit field. "Perhaps." He said with a nod, and glanced down at his furs. "My dreams are of Little Horse, love, and what he used to do with me. They are stronger than they have ever been, and they frighten me. That is why I cannot lie with you. Do you understand?" He asked.
"Yes I understand. But I promise you that when you and I finally give yourselves to one another Little Horse's hold over you will be gone forever."
"I can only hope you are right." Daniel replied, and lay back down on his furs, wrapping himself tightly in the blanket. After a moment, he spoke into the darkness. "Min . . . perhaps if you lied beside me so that I could see you, I would not be so afraid."
Min smiled as she joined him in the soft furs, lying down so she was curled up beside him. She wanted to touch him but she knew that would most likely frighten him. The warmth of his body was mixing with her own and she sighed at the comfort it gave her. "Like this?"
Daniel turned slightly so they were lying face to face. After a moment, he smiled. "Yes. Like that." He nodded, and closed his eyes. He could feel Min's warmth and smell the scent of the soap she used, and suddenly his dreams seemed less real, less dangerous. He sighed deeply, and dared to let himself think that he was capable of letting Min love him.
The rain continued on into the next day, and by mid-morning turned into a drizzle so fine that it was almost a mist. Min went off to work against her better judgment and despite Daniel's assurances that he would be fine by himself. After she drove off in her red Mustang, Daniel locked up the house and went into the barn, where the presence of his buckskin horse, Swift, gave him comfort. It was warm in the barn despite the rain, and Daniel stripped down to his clout and moccasins before picking up a tined lightweight pitchfork. He opened the empty stall where Swift had slept the night before, and began to pitch the manure out into the barn aisle. Swift munched hay in the stall next to him, occasionally stopping to raise his head and giving Daniel a friendly nudge now and then.
Daniel finished cleaning out the stall, and dumped the manure into a wheelbarrow before rolling it out back to add it to the large pile behind the barn. He returned, and began to shovel fresh sawdust into the stall. He was scooping up his third shovel full when Swift raised his head sharply. Daniel glanced up at him, and the little buckskin's black-tipped ears went flat as he snorted and tossed his head. Daniel set the shovel aside and gave the horse his full attention.
"Easy, sweet runner." He said softly, and reached a hand out. Swift tossed his head again and backed away, one front hoof pawing the floor of his stall. Daniel reached for him again, and suddenly a voice spoke from behind him.
"Frightens easily, doesn't he."
Daniel turned, startled, and saw Bo standing in the barn doorway. He wore blue jeans and a gray hooded sweatshirt, and was regarding Daniel with a sharp expression that the young Cheyenne didn't care for at all. "Bo . . . greetings, brother, I did not hear you come in."
Bo shrugged his shoulders as he walked into the barn, looking around. "Something I learned a long time ago, moonshiners have to be quiet and sneaky. A noisy moonshiner isn't in business very long." He was casually making his way towards Daniel, each step slow and purposeful.
"Min has told me many stories about when you and Luke used to make whiskey with your Uncle Jesse." Daniel nodded, and turned around to pick up the shovel again. "I wish I could have met him." He threw a few more shovels full of sawdust into the stall, his nerves crawling with an unexplained anxiety. "If you came looking for Min, she has already left for work."
"I came looking for you...pale one..." Bo's voice was somehow deeper now. The gentle words he spoke sent a shiver down Daniel's spine as he slowly turned to face him.
"What . . . what did you say?" Daniel asked, and Bo took another step that put them nearly face to face.
Bo leaned forward, closing his eyes as he sniffed the air near the Cheyenne. "I can still smell you Daniel...the sage you use on your body." He opened his eyes and to Daniel's horror they were brown.
"Sage?" Daniel questioned numbly, his mind trying to comprehend Bo's words as well as his sudden physical changes.
Bo leaned down and snaked out his tongue to lick across Daniel's chest. He sighed as he raised his head once more. "You still taste the same too."
For a moment Daniel was shocked into paralysis. Then, as he looked into the strange darkness of Bo's eyes, a terrible realization struck him. His blood ran cold, and his arms came up to try and cover his bare chest. "No . . . no, it cannot be!" He shouted.
"Oh but it is." Bo reached out and gently stroked Daniel's hair. His fingers curled around the golden locks jerking his head back. "My pale whore grows even more beautiful than the last time I had him on his belly."
"No! It is not possible!" Daniel cried as he struggled against the hand that was locked into his hair. There was no mistaking it, though . . . only Little Horse had ever called him by that name. He was here, somehow, in Bo's body, and had taken his woman's brother apparently by force.
"It's possible thanks to you and your bracelet." Bo grabbed Daniel by the back of his neck and threw him down on the ground. He stuck his knees on top of his back as he took a leather thong out of his pocket and tied his hands together. "We have much time to make up for Daniel."
Daniel's heart slammed against his ribs as he felt the familiar weight on his back, and prayed that Bo, although obviously buried beneath the spirit of his nemesis, still had the strength to resist. Outside, the rain picked up again as thunder growled in the distance. As Bo rolled Daniel over onto his back again, the younger man pistoned out one long leg and caught Min's brother square in the stomach.
Bo grunted as he doubled over, the pain faded quickly as he began to laugh. "Ah Daniel, still you have the fight in you I see." He recovered quickly and grabbed Daniel by the shoulder pulling him up to lean against the wall of the stall. "Just remember this pale one...you fight me and I will see to it that the white bitch you now share your furs with dies slowly and painfully before your eyes and those of her brother."
Daniel's eyes flashed despite his fear. "If you touch her, you yellow dog, I will kill you!" He shouted, and then that bravado left him as lightning flashed through the windows of the rapidly darkening barn. In the brief light, the face that Daniel saw belonged to Little Horse, not Bo. Mocking laughter filled the stall, and Daniel whimpered in fear and despair as he felt a pair of hot, wet lips close over his left nipple.
I am truly up against it! He thought wildly, and tried to squirm away. "Bo! Brother, if you can hear me, fight him!" Daniel shouted.
Bo pulled away, tilting his head back. "Oh God Daniel... I'm sorry...he's so strong!" He grabbed his stomach, feeling the threat of Little Horse rising again. "I can't stop him!"
"Fight him!" Daniel shouted over the thunder, pulling at the rawhide thong that bound his wrists. "He is a cowardly dog who deserves little less than a bullet in his brain! I know you are the stronger one, brother, so fight!"
The blond man dropped to his knees, doubling over as a wave of pain washed over him. "He's coming back Daniel you have to get away!"
Daniel's instincts to flee were strong, but he made it no further than the stall door before he was jerked back by his hair again. A strong arm locked around his windpipe, and he gasped for air as Bo dragged him over to the large wooden saddle block in the corner. He was thrown over it roughly; belly down, and then his legs were kicked apart and secured to the block's wooden legs with baling twine. Daniel screamed in terror, and he heard that mocking laughter again. "I will have you, my pale whore, make no mistake." A voice said in his ear, and Daniel closed his eyes in despair as he felt an eager hand push his clout aside.
Min was in Cooter's office leaning over the County Commissioner's shoulder. They were going over the county budget when a strong pain ripped through the young woman's stomach like a knife. She gasped her eyes growing wide as she heard her beloved's screams.
"Daniel…." She whispered.
Cooter looked over her shoulder at his assistant's suddenly pale face. "Min? Are you okay?"
The young woman shook her head. "I'm sorry Cooter I don't have time to explain! I have to go!"
The commissioner nodded, he could tell that something bad was happening. "No, its okay, go ahead."
Min had her hand on her stomach, she couldn't straighten up the pain was too great. She stumbled around the desk and ran as fast as she could out of the room.
"Let me go, you bastard!" Daniel shouted as he felt a pair of strong hands settle at his hips and skin met skin. The barn was totally dark now, illuminated only by the occasional flash of lightning.
"You should have destroyed the mark of my ownership when you had the chance, Daniel." Little Horse whispered, all traces of Bo's personality gone now. "The young white man was lost to me the moment he put it against his skin, and my blood passed into his body. Now I will have you as I used to . . . and perhaps your woman as well."
"No!" Daniel cried, and the saddle block's thick frame shook with his struggles.
Min came racing into the barn, grabbing her brother by his shoulders and tossing him to once side. "Don't you touch him!"
"Min, no!" Daniel shouted, unable to turn his body around to look at her, as Little Horse had very effectively pinned him to the saddle block. "Min that man is not your brother! Run! Run away from here!"
Min was breathing hard, her work clothes consisted of a white ribbed shirt and a long blue skirt. She reached down and tore off the long skirt, revealing a pair of blue cotton shorts she often wore around the house. She knew she would have to fight Little Horse in order to get her brother back.
"No Love, I won't leave you here." She was staring into her brother's face, seeing Little Horse looking back at her. "You're not touching him."
"Min he means to kill you!" Daniel shouted as struggled to get free.
Little Horse grinned at her with an expression of lust and thinly veiled hatred. "My pale whore speaks straight, white woman, but perhaps I will spare you if you agree to lie with me . . . after I take back what is mine, of course." He said, motioning to Daniel.
Min shook her head slowly. "What I have to give is for Daniel only...you'll have to kill me first or come and take it from me."
Little Horse chuckled. "I almost feel for you, white woman, for you will lose both your man and your brother this night." Little Horse held up Bo's lightly tanned arm to show her the pulsating pustules on her brother's wrist. "He is inside me now, screaming like a frightened child." He took a step towards her. "There will much screaming in this place tonight, I think . . . and it will begin with you!" His hand shot out and grabbed her hair, pulling her roughly up against him.
Min was pressed against Little Horse's chest; she put her hand on it, feeling her brother calling out to her from inside. She struggled against him, trying to break free of his grasp.
Little Horse chuckled. "Such spirit!" He mocked, and reached back with one hand to close his fingers around the curve of Daniel's bare buttocks. He pulled Min's head back and made her watch as he squeezed Daniel's flesh hard enough to leave nail marks. "See this, you white bitch? It's mine! I was the one who first took him; I was the one who put my blooded mark of ownership on him! You will never take that away!"
"No! He's mine now! You are dead!" Min swallowed hard, she got an idea and grabbed the arm that was groping the man she loved. She saw the rash around his wrist and the pulsating blisters on it. She dug her fingernails into it as hard as she could dragging them over it. She split his wrist open causing it to bleed.
Little Horse threw his head back and screamed in pain and fury. His right hand lashed out, catching Min across the chin and sending her flying. He crossed the aisle and stood over her, and his insane gaze traveled over her head to the wall, where a scythe hung on two rusty nails. He grinned. "Perhaps I will take your whole head for a trophy, bitch, not just your scalp!" He heaved the huge weapon off the wall, and raised it up.
Min touched her chin, it throbbed and she was certain a bruise was going to be there soon. She tilted her head down, seeing the long blade that her uncle often used to help harvest, looming over her. She was not about to let the monster inside her brother win that easily. Her temper began to grow; she raised her leg kicking up between his legs as hard as she could.
Little Horse gasped loudly in wordless pain, the scythe clattering harmlessly to the floor. He recovered quickly, however, grabbing a curved metal cutting tool from the wall. He strode over to Daniel, and jerked the young Cheyenne upright by the hair. He bent, cut the ropes biding Daniel's ankles, and spun him around. He used the tool to sever a long lock of Daniel's hair, and held it up mockingly at Min. "Come stop me." He challenged, and lifted up another piece. Daniel stayed still, his face a mask of grave dignity. Another lock went, then another, and fluttered to the floor like discarded silk.
Min's eyes flashed with fury, and Daniel looked up at her. "Kill him, love! It is the only way!" He said in a soft, desperate tone. The curved tool moved around with deadly intent, and settled against his throat.
Min got on her feet fast, her fingers curling around the handle of the scythe. She raised it high as she stood facing both her brother and the man she loved. The long blade shining in the constant flash of the storm raging outside. She closed her eyes briefly, praying hard that somehow she would have the strength to use it. Daniel's pleading fearful voice reaching her ears, the voice of her brother mixing in with it to stop Little Horse no matter the cost.
"You do not have courage to use that!" Little Horse laughed, and in the flashing light Min now saw his transformation was complete. Her brother was gone, and a big, muscular Indian dressed in dyed leggings stood in his place. His hair was long and blacker than a crow's wing, the sneer on his face ugly and mocking.
Min's dark eyes narrowed; a deep scowl on her face. She saw fear in the eyes of the man she loved. It was his worse nightmare coming true, the tormentor of his sleep was back to once again keep him face down and under his control. "I have more courage than the baby raping bastard I see before me." She held her head high, her grip on the wooden handle tightening. "I am not about to let the man I love be your play toy for a moment longer, I'd rather see him dead." She drew her arm back, her gaze softening as it met Daniel's face. "Forgive me Love, I love you more than life itself but I cannot bear to see you suffer anymore... you've suffered enough."
"Nemehotatse, sweet one." Daniel whispered, hoping he'd have the courage to look her in the eye as he died.
The blade was high in the air and started to swing it down. "Daniel! Duck!"
Daniel did as she said; he dropped down barely as the blade swung towards his face. It swished through the air catching Little Horse by the wrist, his severed hand going flying as a gush of blood erupted from the severed veins.
Daniel dropped to the barn floor as he watched the severed hand hit the wall opposite him, then flop to the floor like a large dead spider. It convulsed briefly, then the fingers went still and stiff. Little Horse roared in pain and disbelief, and suddenly blood began to flow from his mouth like a river. As it poured out of him, his hair went white and seemed to shrink, then the white turned to blond. His skin went from brown to pale and his face seemed to melt, revealing Bo's face underneath. Then the rest of him simply puddled away, dripping to the floor and leaving only Bo, looking dazed and drenched in blood.
Min tossed the scythe aside, looking her brother over carefully. She grabbed his arm a huge sigh of relief coming out of her mouth when she saw his hand was still there. "Oh thank God." She touched his stunned face gently. "Bo?"
"What . . . Min? What am I doing here?" He asked softly, blinking at her.
His little sister smiled, shaking her head. "It's a long story Baby, and you probably aren't going to believe it..."
"I'm all bloody! What did I . . . " Bo turned as Daniel shuffled to his feet, his clout partially askew and several locks of hair missing from the right side of his head. What was left of those locks stood up in short, stiff spikes.
"Don't worry about it Bo, we'll explain when we get back to the house." Min stood beside Daniel, she reached around him and untied his hands, touching his face gently. "Are you all right Love?"
"Well enough." Daniel replied, glancing at Bo. In his heart he knew that it had been Little Horse, not Min's brother, who had tried to rape him, but he wasn't quite ready to look the other man in the eye.
Min took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She hugged him around the neck. "He's gone Love and he won't be coming back."
Daniel glanced out the barn window and up at the house, his expression growing stern and angry. "No love . . . not if I do something I should have done when I first came here."
Later that evening, Min found Daniel at the same fire pit where they had dried the pumpkin seeds together. The young Cheyenne was sitting cross-legged by the fire in the near darkness, a cup of tea untouched beside him. He was staring into the flames, as if hypnotized.
"Daniel?" She wanted to announce herself first before approaching him, not wanting her unexpected presence to frighten him. She reached out and gently touched his shoulder.
The muscles tightened under Daniel's buckskin shirt at her touch, but his tone was gentle enough when he spoke. "Sit down if you wish, Min."
Min crouched down, sitting beside him, her legs tucking under her. "Are you okay?"
The memories that fill my head right now are not good ones, but I suppose they will fade in time." Daniel reached into his shirt and withdrew a small tanned bag that was knotted at the top. "I came out here to destroy this." He undid the knotted rawhide, pulled the bag open, and turned it upside down. The braided bracelet fell onto the ground, and Daniel picked it up with a long stick.
Min craned her neck, looking down at it. "What is that?"
Daniel sighed deeply, the flames of fire streaking his high cheekbones with shades of yellow and orange. "Among my people, those who wear these braided circles of rawhide are slaves. Little Horse made it himself, dying it red with a mixture of buffalo grease and his own blood. He put it on my wrist after . . . after that first night. He said that having his blood against my skin would give him power over me, and all that saw the bracelet would know that I was his property." Daniel explained softly, remembering how Little Horse had told him these things in a gentle tone as he'd tied the braided circle tightly to his wrist.
Min narrowed her eyes at the flash she got from Daniel of Little Horse putting the bracelet on him. She swore softly in Cheyenne, cursing the dead warrior's name. "Burn it Daniel..."
"It was how Little Horse got into your brother." Daniel explained, lifting the branch up slightly to show her. "When I cut it off my wrist soon after I arrived here, it was dyed red. See how pale it is now? Its medicine has been destroyed." He said, and tossed the thing into the fire with a small flip of his wrist. It landed in the hot coals, where it burned and curled up until there was nothing left.
Daniel flung the branch aside, his eyes burning with the same angry expression that he'd had in Min's bedroom a few nights before.
Min sighed as she watched it burn. "His hold over you now is gone Daniel; it burned up with that bracelet. Little Horse is dead and he won't be back."
Daniel closed his eyes and reached up to push his hair back in an irritated gesture. The short spikes where Little Horse had cut off several locks of his hair stood up like cockleburs. "Min, you do not understand! It is because of Little Horse that I cannot lie with you!"
"You're right! I don't understand! And that's because you won't tell me!" Min wiped her hands down her face in frustration. "I love you Daniel, I only wish you understood how much!" She stood up. "I can't make you talk to me but I want you to understand something, that..." She sighed heavily. "That kitchi-mokan is dead and you're not! You have a right to your own life now, which is something I know you want! But if you don't start trusting me than Little Horse has truly won. As long as you keep silent he is your master still."
Daniel's eyes widened, his expression distressed. "You are angry with me." He stated, and looked away from her. "I cannot help my past, Min, anymore than I can help the color of my hair or my blue eyes." He raised his head. "You say that I keep my feelings locked away, yet when I try and explain, you only become angry." He sighed. "What can I say that will make you understand the way I am?"
"You have said nothing to me Daniel except that you cannot lie with me. That's all you have ever said...." The young woman spoke in a gentle voice, she felt terrible that her temper had gotten away from her.
"What else would you have me say?" Daniel asked, hanging his head again. "Would you have me admit to you that I am frightened of the thought of sharing my furs with anyone, to admit that the things Little Horse did to me have made me a coward?" He nodded as if agreeing with his own words. "Ipewa! Good! Then let's say it is so! I cannot lie with you because I am a coward!" He turned away from her and shouted. "Let it be known to everyone who can hear me that Daniel Painted Horse is a coward!" He turned back to her, breathing heavily. "There. I have said it."
Min shook her head slowly, tears brewing in her eyes as she put both hands on his shoulders. "No, you're not a coward Daniel. What are you is scarred and frightened of anyone that you think might do you harm." She cleared her throat. "I don't want to harm you all I want to do is love you. I want to lay you down and worship every tiny little morsel of you with my mouth and with my body." She touched his face gently, stroking it. "That's all, no harm will come to you and you won't feel any pain only pleasure. That I can promise you, my loving you won't hurt."
"I want to love you too, Min. I do." He whispered, and hesitated. He seemed to wrestle with something, then took one of her hands. "Come. There is something I must show you." He said, and started for the house.
Min took his hand, letting the Cheyenne lead her back to the house. "Where are we going?"
"Upstairs, where I will show you something that may explain some things about me, and why it is so hard for me to trust anyone." He said, and they went into the house and up the stairs. Once in Min's bedroom, Daniel turned on the small bedside light and sat her down on the bed. His hands went to the ties on his leggings as he began to loosen them and strip them off.
The young woman's dark eyes widened a little. "Uhh..." She swallowed hard. "Daniel, you don't have to...I mean I don't expect you to... I'm sorry I got angry but that doesn't mean I want you to do something before you're ready to."
Daniel hesitated, then to Min's surprise he flashed her a grin, something she'd never seen him do before. "I am not preparing for pleasures, Min! I only mean to show you something." His leggings dropped to the floor, then he hesitated as he reached for the ties that held his clout on. "Will it frighten you to see me like this?" He asked softly.
Min shook her head, swallowing hard. "No, it won't frighten me but that doesn't mean that my face isn't going to turn red."
"You will not be the only one." Daniel admitted, and let his clout drop to the floor. He stood there for a moment, then took a deep breath. "I wish to tell you about the first night Little Horse took me into his tipi. I was fifteen winters old, and for most of my life he had bullied and teased me. He had a different look that night, though . . . and when he made me lie down on his furs . . . " Daniel hesitated again and tears came to his eyes. "He told me that if I did not fight him, all I would feel was pleasure." He swallowed hard. "He was bigger than me, Min, bigger and older, and I was afraid to fight back. So I did as he asked, but then-" The tears spilled over onto Daniel's cheeks and he wiped them away furiously. "He lied to me, Min! He said I would feel no pain, but once I laid still for him, he . . ." Daniel leaned down and spread the skin of his right inner thigh.
Min got over her embarrassment fast, her face calming down to only a slight shade of pink. She swallowed hard as she looked at his thigh. What she saw there made her gasp; there was what looked like a brand. It was a line with three notches on both ends of it. "Is that a….a brand?"
Daniel nodded a little. "It is the mark of Little Horse's clan, Min." He bent down and fetched his clout, tying it around his thighs again. "So perhaps you can see why it is hard for me to trust anyone, or why I fought him every night afterwards. I trusted him not to hurt me because I could not do otherwise, and he lied to me." Daniel sighed deeply. "I know what you feel for me is different from what he felt, but . . . " He sat down on the bed. "I am sorry, Min. I love you and I wish to be with you, but I cannot risk the pain again. Do you understand?"
"Yes I understand, but I want you to try to put your trust in me...Daniel." She stood up and faced him. "Close your eyes."
"I wish I had the courage." Daniel said in a near whisper, and touched her face gently. His hand was trembling.
Min nodded. "Okay, you don't have to close your eyes." She put both her hands on his shoulders and moved him towards the bed. A flash of panic went across his face, brewing in his blue eyes. "Do you love me Daniel?"
"I . . . I do not know if I am sure what it means to love someone, Min, because no one has ever loved me." He admitted, then nodded a little. "However, if what I feel in my heart when I look at you is love, then yes. Yes, I do."
"Good, try and remember that." She sat him down on the bed and climbed up on to it. She gently pushed him back and laid down beside him. "Does this frighten you?"
"No . . . we lay this way the other night, only you were facing me." Daniel said softly.
Min nodded as she rolled over and leaned over him. "What if I were to do this?" She pressed her head against his chest; she gently placed a hand across his waist.
Daniel stiffened, then after a moment willed himself to relax. It felt right, more natural than it ever had with Little Horse, yet the fear of being hurt was still there.
Min closed her eyes, sighing softly. Daniel felt so warm and comforting she wanted to go to sleep. She reached down and picked up his left hand, kissing it gently as she held it against his chest. "I like this Daniel; you make me feel so safe."
"I am glad it makes you happy." Daniel replied, and after a moment put his other arm around her, his hand on top of hers. He lay quiet for a time, waiting for his foolishness to bring him to a bad place . . . then realized that Min's breathing had grown deep and steady. She had fallen asleep. He turned his head to look at her, blinking in amazement. There had been no pain, no false promises . . . she had simply wanted to be with him, as she'd said.
I think that perhaps she risks just as much as I. Daniel thought as he looked at her sweet expression. Even though she does not say it, perhaps it is just as hard for her to trust me. He sighed and started to slip out from under her, then lay back down with a smile. She had just shown him what was in her heart . . . now it was time for him to do the same. He reached out, turned off the light, and then sleep took him moments later.
The following evening brought a clear, crisp Halloween. The Dukes gathered at the farm to prepare themselves for the big costume party that was held in Hazzard Square every year. Bo, unable to remember any of the events that had transpired since he'd put on the bracelet, was once again his old self. Knowing the truth would only mortify her brother, Min had simply explained that he'd caught some sort of aggressive virus, and had run a high fever the past few days. Daniel wasn't eager to back up this bit of fiction, but in the end Min convinced him it was better for everyone.
The mood at the farm was festive as the Dukes donned their costumes, and Luke smiled at his cousin as Min poured out some cider to drink while they waited for the others to finish getting dressed. Min was dressed like an Egyptian princess, Luke a doctor. "You want to go see what's taking Bo and Daniel so long, or should I just bust the bathroom door down?"
Min raised an eyebrow, her dark straight wig and fancy eye makeup making her look very royal. "We would not like it Lukas if you destroyed our bathroom door." She gave him a wink. "We shall go see what is taking them so long." The young woman laughed as her cousin's threatening raised eyebrow as she left the kitchen and climbed the stairs. "Bo? Daniel?" She knocked loudly "Everyone is waiting for you! What are you two doing in there?"
Bo opened the door a crack and slipped out, dressed in a Superman costume. His blond hair was slicked back, all except for a perfect curl on his forehead. "We're ready, we're ready! I just wanted you to see Daniel's costume before anyone else." He turned back to the door. "Ready, Daniel?"
"Aee, I am ready." Daniel replied, and opened the door. He stepped out, and Min's jaw dropped.
Daniel was dressed from head to toe in a magnificent tawny lion's costume. The fur was long and silky, the hood coming up over his head in a pair of perfect rounded ears. Bo had painted whiskers on his face, and had pulled long sections of his hair forward to make a natural mane. He smiled at Min shyly, and Bo grinned. "Well? What do you think?"
The young woman closed her mouth and shook her head a large smile coming to her face. "I think Cleopatra has found her guardian, a fierce young lion to watch over her." She stepped closer to Daniel, hugging him around his neck. "You look amazing Love, your father would be proud to see you like this." She whispered to him in Cheyenne.
"Perhaps." He nodded, and touched her head with one gloved paw. "I asked the man at the costume shop what animal costume might suit me, and this is the one he chose. It is a character from an old story that Bo says is one of your favorites."
"The Wizard of Oz." Min pulled back and touched his painted face gently, giving him a tiny kiss, mindful of his whiskers. "I say it does suit you Beloved, you have the heart and spirit of a lion."
"Bo tells me that in the story, the lion seeks out a shaman to give him courage, only to discover that he had it all along." Daniel said with a smile. "I think that maybe this lion and I have much in common." He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Perhaps one day soon I will find my own courage."
"You do have more courage then you know." Min reached down and took his furry hand in hers. "Come on, everyone is waiting for you downstairs."
"Look, up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane! No . . . it's Superman!" Bo shouted, and mounted the banister like a rodeo king. He slid down it, one arm out before him is if he were flying. As his feet hit the floor, however, they slipped out from under him and he landed on his backside with a loud thump. The room exploded into laughter, and Bo looked up to see Michelle standing over him, dressed in a she-devil's costume. "Nice landing, Man of Steel." She drawled, and Bo got to his feet, rubbing his backside.
"Yeah well . . . I know one thing on Superman that ain't made of steel." He groaned.
Michelle sighed, shaking her head. "Aww, poor Baby." She reached around him and began to rub his behind with her hand. "Ooo I can get used to this!"
"Oh brother." Luke rolled his eyes and opened the front door. "Come on, there's plenty of time for that later! Let's go before the kegs in the square run dry!" He called, and everyone began filing out the door, one by one. As they got into their cars and headed for town, Min paused on the front porch. She turned to Daniel, and gave him a long, lingering kiss. He responded a little easier this time, then pulled away to smile at her. "What was that for?" He asked, and Min stroked his cheek.
"To help you find that courage you were looking for." She answered, and flicked off the porch light. Moments later they were flying down the dirt road in Darlin', leaving only the ghostly glow of their pumpkins to stand watch in the chilly night.