Indian Interlude

Part 7

He wished he'd stayed out of it, but he pretty much came to his senses the moment he hit the ground, which he decided was a real shame, because he hurt even more. But other than that, he wished he could close his ears to the ranting in his ear as Little Step, who had it seemed appeared from nowhere, now accompanied three men who were carrying him back to her lodge.

There was again no applause for a job well done, no cheers in recognition of his outstanding efforts, instead he was subjected to a torrent of anger which, from the expressions of the guys carrying him, was fairly explicit in describing the lack of any intellect on his part. Trying hard to swallow any moans of pain his body was tempted to make, Jack attempted to put Little Step in her place.

Wasn't he a free man, he demanded? Had not Swooping Eagle, not bestowed on him great honor and given him his own Indian spirit name? He was Guardian of Small Children and didn't that warrant respect she was miserably lacking?

Sadly, being stripped to the buff and put to bed like a naughty toddler wasn't exactly conducive to giving him the manly standing he was aiming for, but Jack had never known when to quit, and he was still arguing his case when Little Step, her mouth tight with disapproval, uncovered his spear wound. He paled at the stab of pain that felt worse than when the original blow had been dealt. It was enough to halt the old woman's invective mid flow. The bleeding was profuse and just before Jack felt himself lapsing into darkness he saw her anger wither under his own wavering concentration, replaced with open unease.

--

His fever returned, but not to the extent that he lost himself in delirium and so he was wretchedly aware when he was carried out by ever gentle hands and laid in the snow. Struggling to escape the frozen embrace, he tried to fight the hands that insisted on covering him with the ice, but to no avail and no amount of pleading or verbal abuse could persuade those to desist in their care for the sick man.

When at last the village healer was satisfied, Jack was taken up and returned to Little Step's lodge. Extra care was taken in cleaning and redressing his wounds though to the palsied man it seemed little attention was given to his violent shivering.

In his misery Jack closed his eyes to the attention he was receiving, even in his sickness frustrated that those caring for him were seemingly oblivious to his needs. He wanted to reach out for Rat Face, to pull him close to warm his chilled body, but the hound had been banished to the far side of the lodge, well away from Jack and those treating him. He called for the dog, but a hard glare from Little Step kept the dog still, the soft, golden eyes fixed on the man he had grown so attached to.

--

/Who is Catter?/

Dark eyes that had been lazy with weariness abruptly widened, surprise revealed in their depths and Colored Sky saw something there before Jack blinked away all feeling.

/Why?/

Lethargy had fast disappeared.

/You called out many times in your fever for this person./

/She belongs on--./

/She?/

Colored Sky could not hide her surprise as she massaged a healing ointment into his skin, her gentle hand movements stilling on his arms and shoulders.

/She is one of three others. We are a team, close. If one is missing the others will not rest in their search. It is what we do./

/Do they still search for you?/

Jack closed his eyes against the overwhelming pain which surged through his vitals, stealing his breath away.

/They won't give up until they find my body; it is their way./

Colored Sky observed him beneath her dark lashes, well aware that Jack was hiding something.

/Do you lie with this Catter?/

Jack shook his head weakly.

/Our friendship is not as a man with a woman./

/Why is this?/

He was tired of the questioning, but at the same time found comfort in talking of Sam.

/She is a warrior and it is forbidden for me to lie with her./

Piercing him with a knowing look, the young woman demanded softly,

/If it were not forbidden, would you lie with her?/

It was almost a relief when Little Step appeared with heated water that would be used to wash Jack. And at any other time, he would have protested this uncomfortable reminder of his total lack of independence, but for once, he was glad of the excuse not to answer the younger woman's probing queries, allowing his mind to drift to his team, wondering what they were doing and if they were continuing to search for him.

--

He yelled himself into wakefulness, his heart beating fit to burst as he screamed to Ta-mat-eo to get out of the way, and as his trembling hands moved to cover his haunted eyes, he felt the soft touch of Colored Sky soothing his fears at bay, but not before he'd called out for Carter. For the icy chill of death had penetrated to his inner bones and he shivered as if from palsy, furiously blinking back the bitter tears which threatened to spill from his burning eyelids.

He groaned miserably as the furs were drawn away from his quailing body, attempting in vain to hold onto the covers even though from experience he knew it meant that heated stones wrapped in skins would be placed around his body to fend off the bitter cold. He stilled as he felt not the heat of the warmed stones, but the comforting touch of another warm naked body slide down behind him, drawing him close before the skins were once again wrapped round him. And as his mind struggled to accept what his body knew for certain, the warmth lulled him in enveloping peace and he relaxed with the knowledge that Colored Sky was wrapped around him, crooning soothing words to his aching soul.

And in the morning when he awoke, there was no one sharing his bed. And when Colored Sky appeared to help Little Step clean his wounds nothing was said by word or look to show that the young woman had spent the night with him. But he knew it had been no fevered dreams that had made him think such thoughts for his skin was awash with the scent of the woman's herbal scent.

--

He could tell she was almightily pissed, but his weakness so far had prevented her from voicing her opinion on his short walkabout and ride. But he knew it wouldn't be long before he endured a lecture from hell and her grim face and disagreeable manner were indications that it wouldn't be long in coming.

Never one to put off the inevitable, Jack's mounting frustration at his continued weakness urged him to encourage the showdown, after all, he'd faced down Janet Frasier and survived. Little Step couldn't be worse than the CMO of Cheyenne Mountain. Could she?

When Colored Sky entered the lodge, it was his opportunity to instigate the showdown that was inevitable from the tension that emanated from the grey-haired older woman.

/Can you tell her to just get it over and done with, so that we can all feel better!/

Both women stopped what they were doing and stared at Jack as he pushed himself up onto his good elbow and pushed back the furs of his bed.

Huffing in irritation, he motioned to the wounds on his body.

/I seem to have messed up things when I decided to go out./

He could tell Little Step's scowl had deepened. Things should get interesting pretty soon he surmised, undeterred by the raised tension in the atmosphere.

/Can you just explain to her that I'm sorry to have been a burden, but I needed to do that? I'd had enough of.../

His eyes narrowed, his words trailing off as he heard the dry snort of Little Step, but she kept silent other than her obvious open indictment of Jack's explanation.

Almond eyes flashing with their own inner fire, Colored Sky dropped to her knees and started to mix in a clay bowl an evil looking concoction that Jack eyed nervously. He hoped to high heaven he wasn't expected to eat that stuff.

/When Snow Wolf bestowed on you the name of Eagle Guardian of Small Souls, he made you a son of our tribe./

Speaking slowly, Colored Sky watched to ensure the recipient of her words had understood. His widening eyes assured her that he had.

/As a son of our tribe, you also gained a mother./

/Mother?/

His tone conveyed his stunned surprise and he turned to Little Step, hesitation now apparent in his gaze.

Colored Sky nodded sagely.

/You, Eagle Guardian of Small Souls, disobeyed, you--./

/Wha-at? Wait a damn minute. I--./

Head canted to one side, Colored Sky watched Jack closely.

/You deny you disobeyed Little Step?/

/Yes!... No! I mean, I...I didn't.../

His words trailed away as his lack of fluency in the language made him squirm in his bed. He was most definitely at a disadvantage under the pinning glares of these two women and it made him even more irritated.

Growling her displeasure, Little Step pointed an accusing finger at him.

/You could have died and all because you were foolish enough to want to return to your people before you were healed./

/That's not true!/

Jack protested hotly, the color rising in his face.

/You say you don't want to return to your people?/ she demanded coldly.

/Yes, of course./

And frustrated at the disadvantage of being in a reclining position, Jack attempted to raise himself up even further, ignoring the warning twitch in his wounds as he fought to sit up even more.

Quick as a striking cobra, Little Step pulled back his covers and brought a stinging hand down on his uninjured thigh, accompanying it with a stern admonition to

/Lie down!/ causing Jack to yell and jerk back in unmitigated shock.

"Ow, dammit, that hurt!"

He knew from the self-satisfied look on the lined face that he didn't need to translate his accusing words.

The old woman didn't even blink as she stared the injured man down, challenging him to make another such colossally stupid move.

Still glaring darkly at his newly acquired mother, Jack spoke to Colored Sky, his tone aggrieved.

/You told me once that mothers didn't believe in hitting their offspring. Seems you got it wrong/ he ground out resentfully.

Raising her eyes in the standard 'please God-give-me-strength-with-idiots such-as-this-one', Colored Sky explained softly,

/A mother has many years to steer her child in the right direction. Little Step does not have that advantage./

And at last, the magma started to flow as Little Step could hold herself in no longer and began to berate Jack with her verbal flood of reproof. Bewildered, Jack could only imagine what was being said and he looked to the younger woman to enlighten him, especially when Little Step suddenly stomped from the lodge in a clear fit of pique. But Jack's relief was short lived as she almost instantly returned, a wicked looking switch gripped tightly in one gnarled hand.

/I did not take advantage of the opportunity to beat you when first asked./

Little Step skewered him with her penetrating gaze.

/I will not make the same mistake twice!/

And making a great show, she took the weapon and attached it to a place on the lodge's hide wall, eyeing it in open admiration and then turning to give Jack a knowing glare that sent a message as clear as any words that might have been spoken.

Making sure her own amusement was well hidden, Colored Sky schooled her features into a stern mask to complement the older woman's.

/You are a trial and put Little Step's patience to the test. You are disobedient and.../

She searched for simple words that would ensure Jack continued to understand.

/...and the fact that you have not felt her anger before now reflects her great endurance. But endurance can only last so long./

Little Step made a great show of now looking meaningfully at the switch which hung in all its glory and seemed to have taken on an aura of its own. With a jerk of her wrist, she indicated her wish to take the bowl that her young companion had been so assiduously mixing.

Jack stared at it suspiciously as she approached him and knelt at his side, utensil already proffered towards him.

"Crap." He swallowed hard.

It seemed his punishment was by no means over.

--

TBC