This is it, folks... Are you ready for Dimitri?

(And maybe one or two other 'eek'-worthy characters as well!)

11. Family

Rose stared at the Coo'-tsa chief across the fire - the situation so bizarre it felt like a dream.

'I am honoured that you would welcome me into your tribe...,' the deputy paused, wondering how to refuse the invitation without causing offence.

'She doesn't want to stay, I-wi'-nit'-uh,' a soft voice interrupted, and Rose saw that the Indian woman seated next to the chief was studying her with unmasked interest. 'See how her spirit is restless. She would not be happy here.'

Chief I-wi'-nit'-uh glanced at the woman beside him then shifted his gaze back to their guest, viewing her with new eyes.

'You are right, Wee-ut-sa-ya-tih,' he decided. 'I would have liked another warrior to help defend our boarders, but we cannot have this one bringing discord to our people. What is your name, girl?'

'Rose... Rose Belikov,' she answered, beginning to feel nervous.

Just because they didn't want her to stay, it didn't necessarily mean that she was free to leave.

'Greetings, Rose Belikov,' the chief said her name slowly, as though it felt strange and foreign on his tongue. 'You will stay with us for two days. On the third day you will leave and you will not come back. My people built this village as a refuge from the outside world, and you are of that world. You must return to where you belong or you will bring trouble to us all... Cah-dus'-cah-t'i-ti?' he beckoned for the young man who had delivered Rose and Nic to the refuge.

'Yes, father,' Joshua stepped forward, waiting for orders.

'Take our guest with you and see to her horse. When you are done, bring her back here and the women will take care of her until she leaves.'

Rose didn't want to remain in the Coo'-tsa village for another two days, but the look on Chief I-wi'-nit'-uh's grave, tattooed face made it clear that arguing was futile. Getting up from her chair, Deputy Belikov thanked the chief for his hospitality then followed Joshua out of the cone-shaped hut and fell into step beside him.

'So... your dad is the chief?' Rose asked the young Indian brave, keeping pace with him as he led her horse towards the lake at the far end of the village. 'Does that make you a prince or something?'

Joshua shook his head sternly, answering in a quiet, silken voice that sometimes tripped in rhythm as he was searching for the right word.

'We have no name for prince in our language. As the son of the chief it is my birthright to become the leader of the Coo'-tsa, but others may challenge my claim if they can prove they are stronger and more fit to rule than me.'

Rose glanced at the young warrior beside her. He wasn't especially tall, but his physique was impeccable; strong, supple limbs filling out his fringed buckskin jacket and trousers very nicely, while the the bone, hairpipe breastplate that hung from his neck accentuated the breadth of his chest and shoulders. He carried himself with a certain regal confidence - though there was no trace of arrogance or cockiness in his manner - and Rose had already seen how effective his calm, commanding presence had been at diffusing the situation between herself and Angeline.

'I think you'll make a good chief,' she observed, smiling in encouragement.

A strange look flickered behind Joshua's brown-black eyes and he seemed to puff his chest out a little at her words.

'I will do whatever is required to be a good leader to my people,' he declared proudly. 'My father has worked all his life to build this village for our tribe, and each new member that joins us becomes a part of our family. I will not let them down.'

Arriving at the lake, they followed the bank around to the right until they came to a fenced off corral. Joshua opened the gate and led the horse inside, followed by Rose and, finally, one of the camp dogs. The animal had been tailing them for some time, it's nose glued suspiciously to the hemline of Rose's dress, and now it circled around to stand in front of the stranger - growling in warning when she reached out to pat it.

'Dit'-tih! Da'-a-wi-nah!' Joshua called crisply, and the dog ran to its master; sitting obediently at his feet and leaning its head into the the familiar hand that smoothed over its fur.

'Well, it looks like you've got one loyal subject already,' Rose quipped.

The chief's son allowed himself a wry smile.

'I've always had a way with animals,' he explained. 'My mother's people have bred hunting dogs for generations, and my father's people are horsemen. I could ride a horse before I could run. My father even named me Cah-dus'-cah-t'i-ti because he said I reminded him of a little buckskin horse, playing in the long grass with my dark mane chasing behind me.'

He clicked his tongue and a horse with a beautiful golden-tan coat cantered up to them; tossing its black mane playfully before nuzzling at the Indian's shoulder.

Rose smiled, the resembalence between the pair unmistakable.

'So if you're named after a horse then I guess Angeline is some kind of wild-cat?' she asked innocently, her smile widening to a grin when she saw Joshua's serious face spark with mischief.

'Not a wild-cat, no,' he chuckled. 'She is called Ja-ca-do'-ah-ha-e-may - our word for the chaparral bird.'

The deputy hadn't heard of it.

'Roadrunner, I think you call it,' Joshua clarified. 'She always wants to get from one place to another as fast as possible. If it wasn't for our family and this tribe keeping her feet on the ground she would fly away from here and probably never return.'

Rose smiled instinctively - thinking that the name suited Angeline perfectly - but her companion frowned.

'You understand why it's important that she stays, don't you?' he asked gravely. 'All around us, tribes like ours are being uprooted from their lands and forced together in this place they call 'Indian Territory'. It is our fear that one day, even this land will be taken from us, and all our traditions and our languages will fade away and be lost forever. We cannot allow that to happen. We must stay together as a family and a tribe - to preserve the memories of our ancestors and secure a future for our people.'

'I understand,' Rose answered seriously, and neither of them talked for a while as they set about freeing Rose's horse from the saddle and the various bags and equipment that were weighing it down.

Once the tack was stored away, Joshua saw that the horse was fed and watered then returned to Rose.

'You look tired,' he observed. 'It's time I returned you to my mother and she will find a place for you to sleep. Here... Let me help you.'

He took the saddlebags and hoisted them over his shoulder, leaving her to carry the bedroll and medical satchel.

'I want to see how Nic is going first,' Rose amended, setting back towards the main part of camp. 'Where have they taken him?'

Joshua looked at her strangely.

'I'm sorry, but you are female. Bah-te-nah'-win's tent is a sacred place and you are not permitted to enter.'

Deputy Belikov bristled with annoyance - a fact that didn't escape Joshua's notice.

'There is no need to worry,' he assured her. 'I will check on Nic and let you know if there is any change. All you need to do is relax. Our medicine man is wise and skilled. Your friend is in safe hands.'

They arrived back at the chief's hut and Rose was passed into the hands of Joshua's mother. Shooing her son out of the tent, Wee-ut-sa-ya-tih took her guest by the arm and led her past a woven-grass partition that screened the general living area from the sleeping quarters.

'Sleep here,' she pointed to a low bed on one side of the hut, which was covered with a thick buffalo-hide blanket.

'It's okay,' Rose shook her head, holding up her bedroll. 'I have my own things. I don't want to impose...'

The woman waved her hand and tutted.

'You are our guest. The bed is yours. Angeline will take the floor.'

Rose suspected Angeline wouldn't take very kindly to that idea, but the bed did look comfortable and warm, and it would probably be considered impolite to argue with the wife of the chief.

'Thank you,' she accepted the offer graciously, then waited for the woman to leave so she could get ready for bed.

When Joshua's mother didn't leave, Rose faced the wall of the hut to strip down to her underclothes; laying the dress she'd been wearing on the end of the bed. She was searching in her bag for some nightclothes when the black woman she'd seen by the fire earlier entered the room carrying a pair of buckskin leggings and a simple hide dress that fell to mid-thigh like a tunic.

The newcomer introduced herself as Paulette - Chief I-wi'-nit'-uh's second wife - then held the clothing out for Rose to inspect.

'For you,' she smiled, then both women helped her dress, stepping back to admire their work when they were done.

'Now you are Coo'-tsa,' Wee-ut-sa-ya-tih announced proudly, urging the weary traveller into bed and drawing the buffalo-hide blanket up over her legs.

Paulette disappeared briefly then returned with a cup of something warm and bitter.

'To help you sleep, darlin',' she pressed it into Rose's cold-nipped hands, and when the drink had been drained to the last drop, the chief's wives left to go about their daily business.

Rose watched them go - briefly wondering about the logistics of two women being married to the same man and living under the same roof - but seconds later her eyelids grew heavy and she left all her questions and troubles behind her.

Deputy Belikov awoke to the smell of food cooking.

'Is it lunch time?' she mumbled, blinking around groggily to see Angeline standing by the foot of her bed.

'Hardly,' the girl shot her a scornful look. 'You've slept a whole day and night. It's Monday morning and it's breakfast time. Come and eat. A group of us are riding off-camp today, and thanks to my brother inviting you, you're coming too. Don't be late or we'll leave you behind.'

Angeline took off with a toss of her dark, loose hair and Rose scrambled out of bed.

If she'd already slept away her first day at the Coo'-tsa settlement, that meant she would be able to leave camp tomorrow to resume her hunt for Dimitri. (And, as kind as Chief's I-wi'-nit'-uh's wives had been yesterday, Rose knew she'd much rather spend her last day in Indian Territory out riding with Joshua and Angeline than stuck in a hut with a couple of middle-aged women.)

'Can we stop past the medicine man's hut on the way to the horses?' Rose asked Joshua when breakfast was over. 'I want to see how Nic is going.'

'He's fine,' Angeline cut in rudely as she walked past them, flouncing out of the hut and heading for the corral.

Somebody was clearly still upset about being bested by an outsider - and a white woman at that!

'You must be worried for your friend,' her brother answered more diplomatically. 'He's been moved to my tent. We can stop in for a short visit now if you like?'

The deputy nodded gratefully and a minute later, the pair were approaching a small ti-pi that was pitched close in the shadow of the larger grass-clad dwelling.

'My mother's people stayed in tents like this,' Joshua said as they stood outside the entrance. 'Coo'-tsa boys live in the big hut with their family, but when I became a man I wanted a place for myself. I made this when I was sixteen,' he announced proudly, his dark eyes glittering when he saw that his guest was impressed. 'When I take a wife I will build her a proper hut with a good floor and so many buffalo hides she will never feel the cold.'

'Sounds like she'll be one lucky girl,' Rose smiled warmly.

The young brave's chest swelled at the compliment and he darted forward to hold the tent-flap open so she could to enter.

'Rose!' Nic's voice was a little strained but he sounded so much better than the day before.

'Nic!' Deputy Belikov hurried to his bedside, stepping over the furs on the ground where Joshua must have slept last night. 'How are you feeling?'

'I think I'm going to pull through,' he grinned, apparently amused by the sight of Rose in full tribal costume. 'The medicine man says my arm should heal enough to use in a few weeks!'

'That's amazing,' Rose beamed. 'I'm so happy for you. When I make it to Fort Smith I'll get word to Denis and let him know you're alright.'

'You can do better than that,' Nic's eyes danced with excitement. 'Tamara's here!' he blurted out, grinning from ear to ear. 'She made it too... and the women say she is with child! Denis is going to be a father... and I'm going to be an uncle!'

There were no words to express her joy, so the deputy threw her arms around Nic instead; remembering at the last second that he was badly wounded and she shouldn't squeeze him too tightly.

'We should go now,' Joshua stood by the doorway, looking uncomfortable, and perhaps a little jealous.

'Of course,' Rose glanced over to him and stood back from the bed. 'Well, rest up today, Nic, and I'll see you when we return. Joshua is taking me for a ride out to the Coo'-tsa boarders. We should be back... before dark?' she double-checked with her guide, and the Indian brave nodded, pleased that she had turned to him for advice.

'We'll see you at dinner, Nic,' he confirmed, then ushered Rose out of the tent and walked her to the horses.

Including the deputy, eight riders left the Coo'-tsa settlement that morning and headed north-west; back to the lake that Rose and Nic had passed the day before. Everybody dismounted when they reached a wooded spot along the water's edge and Joshua issued a series of commands to his tribesmen in their native tongue.

Fanning out on foot, the others arranged themselves into a wide semi circle along the tree line and Rose watched in surprise and alarm as each of them knelt down to press a cone shaped object against the ground; causing a ring of fire to blaze up from the long grass at their feet.

'Are you crazy?' Rose demanded, as Joshua lit a small fire only a foot away from where she was standing. 'You'll have us all burnt to cinders!'

The chief's son bit back a smile.

'We're downwind. The fire cannot harm us,' he reassured her, pointing out how the flames moved slowly against the wind. 'We clear this line first so the fire doesn't jump into the woods along the water. When the ground is scorched and the flames are beaten out, we will start another line of fire upwind that will blow towards the treeline and clear this whole area.'

'But why?' the deputy gazed forlornly at the lakeside oasis. 'It's so beautiful.'

Joshua must have lost concentration, because one moment he was looking at Rose, and the next moment he was stamping out a patch of flame that had crept a little too close to his moccasins for comfort.

'For hunting,' he explained, grateful that she hadn't noticed his slip in focus. 'When all this is cleared, new grass will sprout. Wild ducks like eating the fresh shoots, and bigger game will come to graze and drink from the water. We will eat well when the spring comes, without needing to range too far from our borders and risk the safety of our warriors crossing into hostile lands.'

'How clever!' Rose was genuinely impressed.

'What can I say?' Joshua tried not to look too pleased with himself. 'My people are pretty smart.'

The group moved upwind to light the main fire and Rose found herself smiling as the flames picked up and raced towards the water.

'Christian will be so jealous when I tell him about this!' she explained, when the chief's son come over to see what she was grinning about.

The young man narrowed his eyes a fraction.

'Christian? Is that your sweetheart?' he asked with forced casualness.

Rose laughed out loud.

'Not on your life! Christian is my best friend's husband. He has a thing about lighting fires.'

'A... pyromaniac?' Joshua pronounced the word hesitantly.

'You know the word pyromaniac?' the woman's eyebrows shot upwards. 'Where did you learn to speak English so well?'

He was going to answer but changed his mind - jogging off instead to have a brief word with his sister. Angeline shot a look of disdain at Rose then shouted an order to the rest of the group, who all fanned out a little wider apart.

'Want a water break?' Joshua returned promptly, beckoning Rose away from the fire and leading her around to the next curve of the lake so they could refill their waterskins.

Sitting on a flat rock by the lakeside, they were both sipping at the drinks when Joshua finally remembered to answer Rose's question.

'Bah-te-nah'-win was the one who taught me English,' he informed her. 'Our medicine man... He is my father's uncle.'

That came as a surprise to Rose. Bah-ten-nah-win was so pale compared to Joshua she never even considered that they might be related.

'When my great-grandmother was young, a white man came to her tribe. He didn't want to fight or trade. He said his people believed that Indians were savage animals and he'd been sent to find out if we could be made to be civilized like them. Instead of staying with us and learning our ways, he put a baby in my great-grandmother's belly, and when the child was born, he took him away to train him to dress and speak and think like a white man. They called him Robert Dashley - after his father - and my family didn't see him again for many years.'

Rose stiffened. Dashley? The chances of him being any relation to Victor and Natalie were minute, but the thought still made her uneasy.

'Robert returned to our people when he was a young man - angry and confused because of the way he'd been treated by his white family. Even my great-grandmother could not ease the darkness in his spirit, but her tribe had a wise medicine man who saw the hidden strength in him. After many years learning the stories and wisdom of our tribe, Robert took over as medicine man and chose a new name for himself; Bah-te-nah'-win. It means whirlwind. Just like the story of our ancestor who could capture the lost spirits of the dead in a whirlwind and bring them back to life, Bah-te-nah'-win was returned to our people as if from the grave.'

The deputy pondered over the story, her eyes stinging from the smoke that drifted over the water.

'I wish a whirlwind would come right now and help me find the one I lost,' she admitted quietly. 'My husband has been missing for two months. I've travelled nearly two-thousand miles to find him but no matter how close I get it's still too far away.'

Joshua flinched, his waterskin halfway to his mouth.

'Your husband?'

'Dimitri,' Rose said the name reverently, unaware of the crestfallen look in her companion's eyes. 'He was attacked and taken by Confederate rebels. As soon as I leave here tomorrow, I'll be heading north to Fort Smith to ask if they have any news of him.'

The young Indian stoppered his water-bottle and turned to Rose with a frown.

'If your husband was taken by Confederates, then why are you going to a Union outpost? Why not head east for Memphis? It's a big city, held by the Confederate Army. If you ask at their fort, they might have information about your husband.'

Rose nodded slowly, a stern, hopeful expression spreading across her face.

'Well, I did have some other business to attend to at Fort Smith, but I can always send a few telegrams from Memphis,' she thought aloud. 'Yes. I'll do it. Thanks for the idea!'

For the second time that morning, Deputy Belikov flung her arms around an unsuspecting man, and Joshua stiffened awkwardly; secretly wishing the embrace had been under different circumstances.

'Come on then,' he freed himself from Rose's arms and stood up; taking her hand to help her down from the rock they'd been sitting on, but not letting go right away. 'We should get back to the others or my sister will start spreading stories about why we took so long to fill our waterskins.'

Rose laughed good-naturedly then her eyes widened in understanding. Being so far from town, she hadn't even considered the usual rules of propriety, and now she came to think of it, her friendliness could probably be misconstrued as something more.

'I'm sorry,' she stammered, pulling her hand away quickly. 'I should never have hugged you, Joshua. And I was just telling you about Dimitri,' her cheeks flamed in embarrassment. 'You must think so poorly of me...'

Joshua shook his head, gazing at her in admiration.

'I think you are an incredible woman, and your husband is very lucky to have you,' he paused, reaching out to brush his fingertips against hers, and when he spoke again his silken voice had dropped to a husky whisper. 'But if you don't find him, there will always be a place for you here. With us... With me.'

Rose took a step backwards, her hand flying to the sheriff's badge pinned beneath her furs - just above her heart.

'I'm going to find Dimitri - I just know it,' she declared passionately. 'But even if I don't, there is no man on this earth for me but him.'

Joshua didn't appear to be upset by her reaction. If anything, he admired Rose even more for her loyalty and faithfulness.

'You love him. I understand,' he shrugged, holding her gaze with his soulful brown eyes so she couldn't look away. '...But if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me,' he graced the white woman with a soft, fleeting smile then turned away, calling back over his shoulder for her to follow him. 'Come, Dimitri's wife. The fire is still burning. We should go and help the others.'

Rose had planned to leave at first light the next day, but something happened that delayed her departure until mid-morning.

'Wait another hour. Please?' Nic begged, when the deputy stopped in to say goodbye. 'Chief I-wi'-nit'-uh has invited me to join the Coo'-tsa and I have decided to stay. There will be a full welcome ceremony later tonight, but this morning Bah-te-nah'-win is going to perform a small ceremony to give me my first tribal tattoo. It would mean a lot to me if you could be there.'

Deputy Belikov was chafing at the bit to leave for Memphis - and hopefully fresh news of Dimitri - but Nic had such a pleading look on his face she couldn't bring herself to turn him down.

'I wouldn't miss it for the world,' she nodded in support, and a short time later a messenger arrived; announcing that it was time for the ritual to began.

There was nothing 'small' about the ceremony. The whole community gathered to see their newest member receive his first mark, and as Rose looked around at the many faces, ages and colours represented, she felt such a strong a sense of family among them that it brought tears to her eyes.

When it was over, Nic came up to her, proudly pulling the neck of his jacket open to show off the small, circular symbol that was tattooed on his chest; with four lines intersecting it and a heavy dot at its centre.

'It means home,' he whispered, his face a picture a disbelief and gratitude.

'Well, you deserve one,' Rose smiled in encouragement then left him to be with his people - noticing somebody across the crowd of well-wishers that she had been meaning to speak with.

'Bah-te-nah'-win?'

Deputy Belikov approached the medicine man cautiously, and the old man turned to look at her a moment before she spoke - as if he'd known she was coming.

'Can you mark me as well? I need two crosses,' she pushed her hair aside to show him the back of her neck. 'They're for...'

'I know what they're for,' his watery-brown eyes looked into her soul, and Rose got the uncomfortable feeling that he knew everything about her.

'Sit,' he told her, and she obeyed; calming her breathing in preparation for what was to come.

Bah-te-nah'-win worked slowly, and Rose felt every tap of the needle that pierced her skin, but she didn't once move or make a sound. She closed her eyes; thinking of the Indian she'd shot in her fight to save Pavel, and the Confederate soldier who'd attacked her only a few days ago. As she remembered their faces, there was no hatred or vengeance in her heart; only gratefulness that she had survived and still had the chance to see Dimitri again.

'Lost spirits can be brought back.'

The deputy's eyes flew open and she sat very still, wondering if she'd imagined him speaking.

'What do you mean?' she prompted.

The old man put down his tools and dipped the pad of his thumb into a dish of dark plant dye; smearing it over the reddening flesh on Rose's neck.

'You know what I mean,' he said in a voice older than time. 'And if you don't already know, you will soon.'

With her tattoos completed, Rose stood quickly; feeling suddenly anxious to leave.

'Thank you, Bah-te-nah'-win,' she dipped her head in respect and a little fear, and began to back away from him.

'Ask Wee-ut-sa-ya-tih for the carrot flower and chasteberry.'

'Pardon?' she paused, not understanding his meaning.

The medicine man looked across to where Joshua's mother was talking with a group Coo'-tsa women and refused to say another word.

'Wee-ut-sa-ya-tih?' Rose approached the older woman hesitantly, aware that all the ladies had stopped their conversation to look at her.

'Yes, child?'

'Um... Bah-te-nah'-win said I should ask you for the carrot flower and chasteberry before I go... I'm not hungry though, so if you don't have any it's fine,' she finished lamely, hoping it didn't sound like she was begging for food.

A few of the women exchanged meaningful glances, but Wee-ut-sa-ya-tih moved into action at once; taking Rose by the hand and pulling her towards her hut.

'Paulette? Come with us?' she called softly over her shoulder, and as soon as the three women were alone together, the chief's first wife took charge.

'I will wait with Rose. Paulette, our guest needs the k'-ah-yu'-tsi mix. Please make up a pouch for her to take with her.'

Rose stood by the low-burning fire to one side of the hut; watching impatiently as Paulette disappeared into the sleeping area and returned a few minutes later carrying a leather drawstring pouch.

'What is it?' the deputy sniffed gingerly at the contents of the bag; a roughly-ground powder that smelled faintly of peppermint.

'For the baby,' Wee-ut-sa-ya-tih smiled, pulling the drawstring tight and closing Rose's fingers around the pouch.

Her words were met by shocked silence.

'But I don't have a baby,' Rose finally managed, her breathing so shallow she thought she might faint. 'I can't...'

Paulette laid a reassuring hand on the younger woman's arm.

'Mix this with hot water and drink it every day for a month, and you will have a baby,' she instructed gently. 'I should know. It's how I had my little ones.'

Rose shook her head vigorously, afraid to allow herself to hope.

'But there's no point,' she argued. 'I don't even know where my husband is. Last I heard he was heading for the Confederate frontlines. What if he's gotten caught up in the fighting? What if he's killed before I see him again?

Wee-ut-sa-ya-tih took Rose firmly by the shoulders and turned her towards the door.

'Well, you'd better find him quickly, then,' she advised. 'What are you waiting for, child? Go!'

Deputy Belikov didn't waste another second.

Rose rode out of camp shortly afterwards, with Joshua guiding the way ahead of her and Angeline bringing up the rear. Chief I-wi'-nit'-uh had insisted that their guest be granted the protection of the tribe until she reached the edge of Coo'-tsa territory, and for the rest of that day the three riders pressed eastward through the wooded ridges of the Ouachita forest until the dwindling light required them to stop.

The group talked quietly over their dinner - Angeline even loosening up enough to ask if she could have a hold of the deputy's pistol - and when Rose finally snuggled down under her blanket, she felt her heart leap in her chest. Tonight was a new moon - the thirty-first of December. Tomorrow would be first day of a new year and she decided it was going to be a much better year than the last one.

The three riders took off again at first light and it wasn't long before they reached the edge of the forest.

'This is as far as we can take you,' Joshua eased his horse to a stop and swung down to the ground, waiting for Rose to do the same. 'See the river in the distance? The town of Little Rock sits just to the north of that bend. Memphis is a three day's ride from Little Rock, but there is a faster way. Look beyond the river...'

Rose squinted and saw two dark lines disappearing towards the horizon.

'What is that?' she asked.

'Railroad,' Angeline's face was a strange mixture of wistfulness and disdain. 'You've never seen something go so fast. If you take the train you should be in Memphis by tomorrow.'

Tomorrow? After so many delays and setbacks, it was as if time had suddenly sped up.

'I should be on my way then. Thank you - for everything,' Rose looked from Angeline to Joshua. 'I wish there was something I could do for you in return.'

'You could let me keep your gun?' Angeline suggested, but Joshua glared at her and she took the hint that she wasn't wanted; wandering away to collect some mushrooms she'd spied growing on a nearby tree.

'You owe us nothing,' the chief's son shook his head gravely. 'It has been a privilege meeting you, Rose Belikov. I know my father said you weren't to return, but if you ever need help, or if, one day, you wish to come and live with me, I will make certain that you are welcomed by the whole tribe. Here... take this.'

He removed a leather bracelet from his wrist and fastened it around Rose's arm.

'The markings underneath are for me, my family and my tribe,' he flipped the leather band over and pointed out three symbols; a horse, a fan of eagle feathers and a segmented circle that looked a lot like Nic's tattoo. 'Show these marks to anyone in this forest and they will bring you to me...'

Rose was about to remind him that her place was with Dimitri, but Joshua shook his head.

'Even if we never meet again, I want you to keep it. To remember me... as your friend, and ally.'

'As if I could ever forget you, Cah-dus'-cah-t'i-ti,' Rose clutched his hand briefly, and they parted without any other words - neither looking back as they each set out towards their own true purpose.

One stage coach, two trains, and three river crossings later, Deputy Belikov stepped foot on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River late the next afternoon - feeling naked without her horse and gear.

With her savings dwindling, Rose had sold her horse and rifle back in Little Rock to pay for the train ticket to Memphis, and to cover any food and accommodation expenses for the next few weeks. Her tent and saddlebags had been traded for a new pair of button-up boots and a sturdy travel case that contained her coat and trousers (a dress was more appropriate for the city, but perhaps they would come in handy again later); her spare knife and pistol; the pouch of herbs from Paulette and Wee-ut-sa-ya-tih; and Adrian's blank check (to be used only in case of emergency).

Rose scanned the dockside, considering her next move.

Given the late hour, she knew it was important to find suitable lodgings before night fell, but instead of joining the stream of pedestrians, carts and carriages headed towards the city centre, the deputy saw a knot of grey-coated soldiers leaving the riverside and decided to follow them. If the Confederate fort was close-by, she intended to make enquiries about Dimitri right away.

'No civilians admitted, ma'am - not without written approval from the commanding officer,' the soldier at the gates refused her entry without even hearing her request.

'But I'm not a civilian,' Rose argued boldly, unpinning the sheriff's badge from the underside of her dress's collar to show him. 'I'm the deputy of Saint's Town in Nevada Territory and I'm here on official business. My sheriff has gone missing and I have reason to believe he is in the company of a Sergeant Forrest. I require access to your personnel records so I can find out where the sergeant is currently stationed.'

The guard wasn't interested.

'Nice try lady. If you're after a free feed, we've got nothing to spare. If you're whoring, try somewhere else. Only Lady Scarlett's girls are allowed in, and you're too plain to be one of hers.'

The deputy's eyes flashed with indignation at the double-barreled insult but she managed to control her temper.

'I'm telling you the truth,' she said through gritted teeth. 'My husband, Dimitri Belikov, went missing in November last year. I've tracked him this far and my next step is locating Sergeant Forrest. If you can just let me in, I'll...'

'So it's your husband that's missing now, is it?' the soldier was instantly suspicious and his hand moved to the sword at his hip. 'Last time you said it was your sheriff. Why change your story? Are you a Yankee spy?'

The harsh tone to his voice alerted a nearby guard that trouble was brewing. Breaking away from his conversation with a wealthy-looking woman who was just leaving the fort, the second soldier stood opposite his comrade to block Rose's way if she tried to escape.

On the inside Deputy Belikov let out of bitter scream of frustration, but on the outside she forced herself to smile.

'If I was I spy, I wouldn't be a very good one, would I?' she challenged. 'Do spies often come knocking at the front gates of your fort simply asking to be let inside so they can steal vital military intelligence?'

'You think treason is something to joke about?' the first man scowled at her. 'Well, how about I arrest you on suspicion of being a traitor and a spy, and then we'll see who's laughing.'

'Easy, boys. She's one of mine,' the well-dressed lady had been listening to their conversation and decided that now was a good time to intervene.

She didn't seem a likely match for two fully-armed Confederate soldiers, but this woman possessed a very different arsenal of weapons and was clearly an expert at wielding them. Her body swayed teasingly as she approached, making her modest jacket and skirt seem almost vulgar. Her lips and cheeks were far rosier than they deserved to be for a woman of her age, and the tower of red hair that was artfully piled on top of her head gave her an air of elegance and authority that made up for her deficiency in height. Positioning herself so that her hip brushed against the first soldier's uniform, the prostitute ran her hand over his arm and he immediately lost grip of his sword; placing himself at her mercy.

'Poor girl lost her husband in the Battle of Belmont a few months back,' the woman explained, with a sad shake of her head towards Rose. 'She's taking a little time to adjust, sweet dove, but I'll soon have her as good as new - you'll see... Come on, pet. Bring your things,' she cooed, stepping away from the soldier to wrap a protective arm around Rose's shoulders. 'We're going home now, dear. That's it. Into the carriage. There you go. Driver - take us home.'

Deputy Belikov watched through the carriage window as the soldiers and the fort grew smaller in the distance, then turned on her rescuer with a frown.

'I didn't need any help. I was doing fine on my own.'

'Oh, really?'

The woman's knowing expression only irritated Rose further.

'Who are you and where are you taking me?' she demanded. 'I had important business at the fort so you'd better have a good reason for interfering.'

The woman tilted her head to the side, intrigued by the stray she'd just collected.

'Belikov... That's a Russian name, isn't it?' she asked.

The deputy forgot her tiredness and frustration in an instant; sitting forward in her seat and searching the stranger's face for answers.

'Yes, it's Russian. You've heard that name before, haven't you? You've heard of Dimitri?'

'Maybe. Maybe not...,' the lady held up a hand for Rose to wait. 'I'll tell you what I know, pet, but first things first. You are...?'

'Rose. Rosemarie Belikov,' she answered hastily. 'Everything I told the soldiers was true. I just want to find my husband. He's injured and I need to get him back home safely to Saint's Town... Now it's your turn. Who are you, and what have you heard about Dimitri?'

The older woman's lashes flared with recognition at Rose's name and hometown, but she quickly masked her suspicions by assuming the practiced, easy manner she'd mastered in the course of her trade.

'Who am I?' she laughed lightly. 'I am known by many names. Most people simply call me Madam. The gentlemen with whom I share an... intimate acquaintance call me Lady Scarlett - not that my name is Scarlett, of course, but I have a certain reputation as a natural redhead and men come from far and wide to experience it for themselves.'

Her eyes dipped meaningfully to her lap then back up again as if nothing untoward had happened.

'To my closest companions I'm Scarlett Jane, which is closer to the truth, I suppose. I even had a husband once who called me Jenny, but that was a long time ago.'

'I've heard of you...,' the deputy's forehead wrinkled. 'The madam who runs the brothel in Argenta told me about you. Aunt Rhonda. She said I should look you up if I needed someplace to stay.'

'Aah. Rhonda,' Jane reminisced. 'A dear friend. We worked together back in the forties, and still write one-another from time to time. Is she well?'

'She's fine,' Rose was growing impatient. 'Look, can we talk about Rhonda later? You said you knew something about Dimitri...'

The madam sighed, repositioning herself on the carriage seat and adjusting the fur stole around her shoulders.

'The Confederate States Army has regiments stationed all over Tennessee. I can't say I care much for the fighting,' she added confidentially, 'but let me tell you this; war is good for business. I've got girls working round the clock here in Memphis, and I've even had to lend doves to other establishments that can't keep up with the demand.'

'What's that got to do with Dimitri?' Deputy Belikov scowled.

'If you'll just let me finish, I'll tell you,' Jane reminded her to be patient. 'About a fortnight ago, I sent some fresh girls up to Paris to service a cavalry regiment camped along the Tennessee River. Their commanding officer - a Sergeant James Forrest - requested a special dove as a gift for one of his most valued soldiers... the one they call the Russian Devil, or Forrest's Mad Dog. The sergeant said she had to be cuvatious, with long, dark hair, sparkling brown eyes and answer to the name of Roza. One of my new girls was a reasonable pass for the description, so I sent Miss Kelly Hayes to take care of the man's needs.'

Bile soured the back of Rose's throat.

'And did she?' she asked thickly.

Jane shrugged.

'I couldn't rightly say. Miss Kelly never came back to the carriage when it was due to return to Paris. They found her a few days later, washed up on the banks of the Tennessee. Her throat was cut. That's all I know.'

'Stop the carriage,' Rose hissed urgently.

She felt trapped. She had to get out or she was going to...

'No,' Lady Scarlett refused calmly.

'No?' Deputy Belikov looked like she was about to explode.

'Look at me, Rosemarie,' the madam reached forward to touch the deputy's knee, snapping her out of her rising panic. 'Think with your head, not your heart. I can see that you want to go after your husband and prove me wrong, but sleep on it tonight. If you still want to go to the Paris encampment in the morning, I know a way to get you past the guards. I've got a fresh batch of doves heading up there tomorrow. You can go as one of them - if you're not too proud to be seen as working girl, that is.'

Dimitri. Tomorrow. For better or for worse, Rose knew she had to face him and find out for herself what he had truly become.

'Of course I'll go,' she whispered roughly. 'But just so we're clear... why are you helping me? What's in it for you?'

Lady Scarlett pursed her lips.

'I don't know what happened between Kelly Hayes and the Russian Devil, but I know how it ended and I want to make certain that that man never harms one of my girls again. They're the only family I have now, and it is my duty to protect them. I want him stopped, Rosemarie - before anyone else gets hurt. Can you do it?'

That night, Deputy Belikov slept in a whore's bed, and after breakfast the next morning, an excited group of soiled doves crowded into Rose's room to help her dress.

The deputy blushed furiously as the girls stripped her down and scrubbed her from head to toe, then dabbed a strongly scented perfume on her neck, wrists and between her breasts. Next, she was decked out in a set of lacy undergarments, and her corset pulled so tight she could barely breathe. With her black stockings secured by ruffled silk garters, and her boots buttoned, Rose was threading her wedding ring onto her necklace for safekeeping when the madam entered the room carrying a dress for her newest dove; the material a shade of crimson that was guaranteed to draw attention, and the neckline low enough to reveal the top of the wearer's lace covered breasts.

The girls all looked up curiously as Scarlett Jane halted inside the doorway, unable to tear her gaze away from the blue bead on the deputy's necklace.

'Everybody out,' she ordered sharply, and the doves scattered - leaving Rose alone with the madam.

'Where did you get that?' Jane crossed the room swiftly; casting Rose's dress onto the bed and snatching the necklace out of her hands.

'My father gave it to me,' Rose watched with alarm as the woman walked towards the window - worried she might be intending to throw the necklace out into the street. 'Can I have that back please?... It's mine. I need it.'

Lady Scarlett grasped the trinket a few moments longer then turned to the deputy with an expression of defeat.

'I tried so hard to keep you away from him,' she muttered, dropping the necklace into Rose's open palm and looking away again.

'You tried to...?' Rose baulked, her mind and heart suddenly racing. 'You... Are you my mother?'

The madam turned to meet her gaze; her painted eyes haunted with regret.

'Don't call me that, Rosemarie. I haven't been a mother to you in a long, long time.'

'What should I call you then?' Rose whispered, wanting to scream accusations at the woman who'd abandoned her, but also wanting to throw her arms around her and try to make up for the years they'd lost.

'Janine will be fine,' the madam instructed matter-of-factly, already starting to regain her own sense of control. 'Come now, child. There's no need to get emotional. It's a shock for the both of us, but I'm sure each of us has made it through far worse things than this. Here. Let me help you on with your dress.'

When the garment was on, Janine urged Rose to sit, and there was a lengthy silence as the mother began running a brush through her daughter's dark, wavy hair.

'Why did you leave Abe?' Rose asked, when she could finally bring herself to speak.

The brushing stopped, then started again.

'Because the life he led was not safe or suitable for me to raise a child. He wouldn't change his life, so you and I couldn't be a part of it anymore.'

Rose was quiet for a long time and when her hair had been piled up into a loose bun, Janine moved away; dragging a second chair across to sit in front of her daughter so she could apply some colour to her face. Using an array of pots and paintbrushes, the madam powdered and rouged Rose's cheeks, darkened her lashes with the crushed remnants of burnt hairpins, and painted her lips a sinful cherry-red.

'Why did you leave me?' Rose asked quietly, when her mother paused to check her work.

Janine set her paintbrush down with a sigh.

'I couldn't find work to support you. When I did find work, well...,' she gestured around at the brothel room they were seated in. 'I didn't want you involved in this life. I knew Alberta would make a better mother to you than I ever would, so I left you with her.'

The madam packed away her box of cosmetics then helped Rose on with her travelling coat. It would take the girls a day and a half to get to the Paris encampment in Lady Scarlett's carriage, and the cold winter weather meant there would be few comforts along the way.

'Time to go, pet,' Janine ushered her towards the door.

'Not yet,' Rose stopped in the doorway, grabbing her mother's hands and holding on tight.

'I... I understand that you left me with Alberta to protect me, but I don't need protecting anymore. I'm a grown woman now. I have a job, a home and family of my own. Come back with me. You don't have live this life anymore. Nobody has to know where you've been. You can start again. You can be my mother if you want to.'

'No I can't,' the madam's eyes shone brightly but the set of her lips was determined. 'Like you said, Rosemarie. You don't need protecting anymore, but my doves do. What happened to Kelly Hayes isn't the only tragedy like that I've seen in my time. There are plenty of bad men in this world who want to hurt my girls and I need to be here to give them what little safety I can. You'll be fine on your own. You're strong. You get that from me,' she smiled bravely, and pushed her daughter towards the door.

'Now go on, child. You've got a job to do. Keep yourself safe... and whatever happens, know that I'm glad to have met you.'

'I'm glad I met you too, Janine,' Rose nodded in farewell - knowing that if she hugged her mother she'd never want to let her go - then she picked up her bags and headed downstairs to the carriage.

Janine had already chosen her family. Now Rose had to go and find hers.

All the way to Paris, Lady Scarlett's girls chatted lightly, but Rose couldn't bring herself to join their conversation; her mind too wound up in thoughts of the past, and the future. After what felt like a lifetime, they passed through the township of Paris then came to the military camp by the river. With her heart hammering in her chest, Rose stepped foot out of the carriage and looked around her. She'd reached the end of her journey. But what would she find waiting for her now she was here?

Within a minute of the doves' arrival, the ladies were swamped by soldiers - each honing in on the girl of his choice and vying for the attention.

'Fresh meat!' one of them joked, pinching the arm of the girl beside Rose, while another man slapped her rump.

'Me first!' another jostled in front of his comrades to squeeze her ample breast.

She giggled, fluttering her eyelashes at them.

'Officers first, remember,' she said coquettishly, 'but I promise I'll save a nibble for you fine gentlemen as well!'

A few paces away, Rose was suffering a similar treatment, and it took all she had not to knee one private in his privates when he sidled up behind her and clapped a hand on each of her buttocks, rubbing himself up against her in a lewd manner.

Pasting on a sneer that might have been mistaken for a smile under all her makeup, Rose looked over her shoulder and tilted her head on a teasing angle.

'Wait until you've paid for it, soldier,' she reprimanded lightly, but her words were lost as a deep, harsh voice cut over the clamour of the jostling crowd.

'If you like having your hands attached to your wrists, soldier, get them off her. Now.'

That voice! Rose knew that voice!

'Dimitri?' her heart leapt into her mouth as she whipped her head around - desperate to lay eyes on him.

With every nerve ending in her body screaming at her to run to him, Rose took an eager step forward than faltered and stopped.

The man standing before her looked a lot like Dimitri, but he wasn't her Dimitri.

The leather duster had been replaced by a cavalryman's greatcoat that fell to mid-calf, which had two long, puckered scars on the sleeve and chest where the material appeared to have been slashed with a bladed weapon and later re-sewn. The soldier's hair was tied back - nearly invisible beneath his cowboy hat - and a dark, scraggly beard had overtaken his usually clean-shaven chin, giving him a wild and rugged appearance. A purple bruise on his right cheekbone shadowed the silver line where James Nathan's bullet had grazed him a year and a half earlier, and a row of matching abrasions on the knuckles of both hands suggested that he'd dealt out as much trouble as he'd received.

What Rose found most unnerving, though, were Dimitri's eyes. They bored right through her in a stare devoid of recognition or goodwill.

The man who looked like Dimitri stalked forwards, causing Rose's admirer to flee in fear, and everybody watched on in morbid fascination as the Russian turned his anger on the dark-haired prostitute.

'Dimitri?' Rose said his name again, her heart hammering as he closed the final step between them and grabbed her shoulders roughly. 'It's me. It's your Roza.'

'Don't lie to me, whore,' he growled, his gaze sweeping from her painted face to the low-cut dress she was wearing. 'The woman who owns that name is far, far away from here.'

A sick feeling churned through Rose's stomach. It was the bullet wound - it had addled his mind. He didn't know her anymore. He didn't remember her.

'I'm not lying, cowboy,' she persisted, reaching up to stroke his face.

He flinched at the familiar name.

'It's me. I came here to find you. I came to bring you home.'

'I don't believe you. This is just another trick,' one hand slid up from her shoulder to curl his fingers around her throat. 'Now, tell me who you are, imposter, or I'll snap your pretty neck.'

'My neck...' Rose choked, scrabbling against his hold with one hand and trying to tug at the back of her collar with the other. 'The marks... Natalie.'

Dimitri frowned at the name then released his grip, spinning her roughly away from him and yanking on the back of her dress to see the five small crosses that stood in memory of Rose's kills in battle.

'But you only had three,' he jostled her back around to face him, accusation and something more intense and primal darkening his features. 'You're not my Roza.'

Rose flinched as he dug his fingers into the tops of her arms and shook her like a naughty puppy.

'I did have three crosses,' she explained hurriedly, 'but I took another two lives on the journey here. An Indian who killed my friend Pavel, and a Confederate soldier who refused to keep his hands to himself... I killed them because I needed to live - so I could get to you... It's me, cowboy,' she pleaded with him to remember, trying desperately not to cry. 'It's your Roza... It's me...'

Shock, disbelief, anger, pride and desire warred across Dimitri's face and his hands reached for her; cupping her cheeks and dragging her closer - his breathing harsh and uneven.

'It is you,' Dimitri whispered roughly, his eyes drinking her in like he wanted to consume her. 'Roza. You're really here.'

She nodded, overwhelmed with relief but still afraid of him.

Dimitri gripped her tightly by the hand and turned to address the nervous crowd.

'This one is mine, you all hear? Mine,' his voice was soft and sinister. 'Touch her once, and you lose a hand. Touch her again and your life is forfeit. Now move!'

The crowd parted hastily as Dimitri tugged on his wife's hand to drag her away from the carriage, and Rose found herself stumbling after him - desperate to follow, yet afraid of what he might do in this agitated state.

'Move, Roza,' he hissed, his eyes fierce and possessive. 'If you're not out of that dress in the next five minutes I swear I will kill the next man who looks at you. My tent. Now.'

Author's Note:

Over 9000 words of crazy reveals. Joshua, Indian herbal baby remedy, Robert Dashley, Janine, Dimitri. The whole story has been building to this point & now we're here!

The Keepers - I've based the Coo'-tsa tribal names on the Caddo language. This is a tonal language - so if you see an apostrophe after a syllable, it indicates that it should be pronounced with a 'high' tone. The word Coo'-tsa means 'to have or own' (i.e. to keep) - and it just happens to sound a bit like 'Keeper'.

Bah-te-nah'-win - Robert Dashley?! What does this mean?! Check out my Pinterest page (Llaria6) to see what he looks like. (Based on real life historical figure John Wilson)

Janine - Surprise - I've cast her as a guardian & a blood whore at the same time.

Dimitri - Holy Cow. What comes next? Remember, we're sticking to canon plotline (even if it is wildly out of order) so plenty of drama and Romitri sexy times to come.

Lisa/The Belikovas - I haven't forgotten them, I promise. Now Rose has found Dimitri she's going to be stuck in one place for a while so that will be the perfect opportunity to catch up with what's going on back at the ranch :)

Chapter 12 - I'll be writing my heart out at every possible moment, but heads up - I put my house on the market this week so real life might get a little crazy. Wish me luck for a quick sale & lots of cashola! Remember you can always send me a PM or connect with me on my Facebook page (Llaria6) to check how the next chapter is progressing :)

As always, your predictions/ideas/feedback are very welcome in the reviews!