Misguided

by Mme Curie

Connor seeks to strike a balance between managing the battle against the Templars and making room for love. Contains adult themes including violence and sexual interactions between characters. Takes place some two years after the events of ACIII.

13. Chapter 13

Awakening

Anika contemplates the distance they must travel and rues the monotony of the forest around them. It is only their second full day of riding, yet the pattern of the hours that pass mimic the day before. Sonehso:wa left her to go hunt and she is continuing on with the horse. The trees are farther apart in this portion of the woods and the snow is slightly deeper. If not for her skirts always wanting to tangle in the few inches of snow, she would have walked beside the horse just for a break. Her body is sore from so much riding and her heart aches to see Cat. Anxiety wells up in her stomach. It still does not seem possible that Cat is actually alive. She had finally accepted that she was gone and had done her best to move on without the best friend she had ever had. She had overcome the loss of her family all those years ago but she had still been practically a child then. Losing Cat had been almost worse because it was so senseless. Her family had died from illness, a few lost souls among countless others. Cat was targeted. And under her own husband and father in law's orders. She is sickened anew to know that they had both been living in a house together with those men. Would she, too have been taken if she had been with Cat that day? She could not have borne seeing Cat brutalized before her eyes. She would certainly have been given the same mistreatment but seeing it done to someone she loves so dearly would have broken her completely.

Sonehso:wa returns to her side bearing a collection of squirrels. He holds them up proudly with a grin, causing her to set aside her anxiety and laugh at his exaggerated glee. He secures them to the horse and then hops up behind her.

"You really know how to spoil a lady, don't you?" She giggles again.

"Anything for the yellow-haired Elder Sister."

"Who is that?"

"The Elder Sister? She is one of the sacred Three Sisters. They are the diohe'ko, our most important crops; beans, squash and corn. Together they are the life sustainers for the Haudenosaunee. The youngest sister is bean. She can only stand with the help of the eldest sister. The middle sister is squash and she loves to dance in the summer wind. The eldest sister is corn. She is the strongest and has yellow hair." His tone had taken on the quality of an experienced story teller, serious yet full of expression.

"Does this make me a powerful corn-goddess, then?" Anika lifts her long hair from where it hangs down the front of her body almost to her hips and tosses it backwards toward Sonehso:wa where it slips over his arm and shoulder with the wind and settles between them. He laughs heartily, returning to his characteristic jocular manner.

"No, Jitkwa:'e, but I think you are blessed by her spirit." He takes a section of her hair and runs it through his fingers.

"Oh. I was hoping I could be an almighty goddess and all mankind would worship my magnificent golden hair." Anika brings her arms out to the sides, turning her head as if she is looking down upon bowing masses at her feet.

"Hmmm." Is all Sonehso:wa says in reply, letting the evidence of his amusement shine through in the sound. Anika leans back against Sonehso:wa's chest with a low chuckle and he loosely wraps one arm around her waist and takes the reins from her with the other. She finds it endearing that he has given her a nickname simply for the color of her hair. His easy sense of humor makes what could be an arduous experience so much more agreeable. When he shamelessly flirts with her she often catches herself flirting back.

Plenty of men had made advances toward her in New York recently, most of them using crass words and vulgar gestures, making it clear they wanted only one thing. She and Catherine always turned heads when they were together but once Anika was alone and dressed in servant's garb, the looks became lewd and inappropriate. No longer seen as a woman of class, she became the target of every lusty drunk and seedy vagrant who passed by. She took to hiding her face and form, grateful for the cold winds of winter giving her a reason to cover up with her shawl. In contrast to all that repellant behavior, Sonehso:wa seems determined to keep her laughing from sunup to sundown. What a refreshing change! For once, she doesn't need to hide her face, afraid her features will draw unwanted attention. Who cares if he flirts? At least he isn't a disgusting rogue trying to grope her in an alleyway or offering her some small coin or another to lift her skirts and let him have a poke.

They come across a small stream and follow its path until evening when they camp near a cliff wall. At the campfire, Sonehso:wa skins and starts to cook the squirrels, so Anika follows the river around a bend and does her best to wash herself in the frigid water. She takes off her dress and kneels in her corset and shift on the bank. All she manages is a cursory splash of icy water on her arms and face before she becomes too cold to care about cleanliness anymore. She aggressively scrubs her exposed skin and pulls her dress back on in a hurry, buttoning it up the front as she walks back to the fire in the quickly fading light.

Sonehso:wa sees her fastening her dress as she approaches, struggling to get the last buttons in their places with numb fingers. When she drops down on the mat in front of the fire next to him, shivering, he reaches behind her, pulls the blanket free from under the corner of the mat and drapes it over her shoulders as she stretches her hands toward the flames with a sigh. Her cheeks are pink from the cold and a few damp tendrils of hair are stuck to her face.

"Thank you. I would give anything for a warm bath instead of that river water! That was awful!" Anika carefully covers every inch of her body with the blanket, making sure there are no sneaky gaps to let in the cold air. She raises her hands up inside the blanket and covers the bottom half of her face with the thick material.

"You should try jumping in sometime. It is invigorating."

"Are you crazy? That water is freezing! I would die!" All Sonehso:wa can see are her eyes but they are wide and expressive, matching her somewhat muffled exclamation. He smiles into the fire and turns the roasting squirrels.

"I jump off a cliff into a deep part of the river every winter with the other men at the village. It is a tradition of ours that we do for fun. Sometimes some of the women join us." Anika drops the blanket slightly and shakes her head at him, her mouth partly open and her eyes narrowed. Sonehso:wa laughs quietly at her expression.

"I could never do that!" Anika's voice is filled with shock.

"I think you could."

"Oh? And what makes you think that?" Anika raises an eyebrow at him challengingly.

"Cat said both of you were so drunk that night you ripped your skirt that you were bumping into things and laughing about it even though you were trying to conceal your behavior. That tells me you enjoy taking risks." Anika sniffs at his speculation.

"That only happened once… but I admit we did have a lot of fun. The next day was not good, though. Cat's father scolded us for sleeping late and being lazy but we were both terribly sick from too much rum and cider." Sonehso:wa is grinning widely at her admission and when he raises an eyebrow back at her smugly she can't help but laugh sheepishly.

"You still won't find me jumping into a river in the middle of March."

"There is a waterfall at the cabin. I might be able to convince you. It will probably be closer to the end of March by then…" Anika shakes her head and crosses her arms at his cheekiness, the blanket rolling between her arms and body. Sonehso:wa just looks at her from the sides of his eyes and smirks. A twitch crosses Anika's lips and she turns her head away, letting her hair fall down to hide her face but Sonehso:wa sees her shoulders shaking in silent laughter.

Anika wakes up shivering in the night. She pulls the blanket close around her neck and tries to settle more of her body against Sonehso:wa's, turning her head to warm her freezing nose against him. Her restless movements disturb him and he opens his eyes as she is pulling her shawl up over her head further. He reaches up to touch her hand.

"You are cold." His hand is warm against her skin and she nods. Sonehso:wa moves his hand to her cheek and neck under her shawl, slowly caressing her skin to warm it. The skin on his palm is hardened by calluses, likely from years of hard work and weapon use, yet his gentle and intimate touch against her neck sends a thrill down her body. A shuddering feeling of heat radiates through her, making her grip his shirt under his wrap. Closing her eyes, she breathes deeply, trying to control her racing heart. Anika feels Sonehso:wa's muscles tense and he rolls up on his side to face her, moving his right hand from her cheek to her upper arm and tipping her body back. For a brief moment when she opens her eyes, their faces are so close she thinks he is going to try to kiss her. She grips his shirt tighter, not sure if she wants to push him away or pull him closer. He moves his hand over hers on his shirt and runs his thumb over her knuckles and the back of her hand before lightly taking her wrist in his grasp. He gently pulls at her arm.

"If you let go and lie on your other side, I will keep you warm." Anika notices how tightly she is clutching Soneshso:wa's shirt and releases it immediately, moving her hand out of his fingers to the mat behind her. She turns her body and Sonehso:wa moves over enough for her to settle her back against him with her knees bent. Her neck aches as she keeps her head raised up uncomfortably, clutching her hands together close to her chest until Sonehso:wa slides his left arm under her head, giving her something to rest it on. With his right hand, he covers them both with the blanket, pulling it up high as Anika unclasps her hands and positions her shawl around her face. Once the blanket is in place, Sonehso:wa brings his right arm over Anika's side and takes her hand where it rests near her chin. He situates his body against hers and matches the bend in her legs with his.

Anika takes a shuddering breath as Sonehso:wa tightens his arm around her. The full length of her body is in contact with him and it is disturbingly good. His arm is touching her breast and every breath she takes increases the pressure. Some of his warm exhalations pass through her shawl to the skin of her neck, making tingles of sensation travel down her spine. He caresses her hand with his thumb and Anika closes her eyes and tries to ignore the way her body has begun to ache wonderfully in her most sensitive places. Moving only deepens the sensations inside her, making her more restless. In an attempt to keep calm, she concentrates on slowing her breathing but Sonehso:wa's arm is still against her breast, undermining her efforts.

The pulse in Anika's wrist flutters rapidly where Sonehso:wa's smallest finger rests against her skin and it is obvious she is working hard to keep her breathing even. The heat between their bodies is almost too much for him but at least she is no longer cold. Anika's reaction to his touch is unlike any other woman's he had been intimate with before. Never had a woman tensed up and acted so uneasily while in every other way her body responded predictably to his touch. Anika comes from a different world and based on her reaction to him, intimacy is not something as widely celebrated as it is with his people. That saddens him, for Anika is a beautiful woman and she should be enjoying what men can give her, not recoiling from it. He knows he is talented in pleasuring women and he eagerly wants to demonstrate his skill to Anika. That could be cruel and confusing to her, though, and his sensibility reminds him that if she is so tense now, she will probably grab his knife and stab him if he tries to caress her openly. Determined to eventually show her she has no reason to fear his touch, he resolves to be as patient as she needs and not to rush things. His eyes open suddenly and he lifts his head to look at Anika's face. She is stiffly staring straight ahead so he lies down again quickly. What if she finds him unattractive and her reaction to his touching her is due to total disgust? He hadn't thought of that as a possibility. It worries him and he slows his thumb stroking her hand until he is completely motionless.

Anika has been turned inside out. Somehow it seems she is more aware of her body than ever before, as if she has grown a thousand more nerves everywhere Sonehso:wa's body is in contact with hers. His hand burns against her skin and she imagines his arms around her without the barrier of clothing between them. How would it feel? The thought makes her want to gasp but she schools herself to stillness. She cannot deny being drawn to him. From the moment she first saw him she found him to be a handsome man, if a little imposing. His extraordinarily long hair was strange to her in the beginning, but his facial features were always dark, exotic and appealing. Their days and nights together, spending hours in each other's company, has proven him to be a friendly and charming companion in addition to being easy on the eyes. He makes her laugh and doesn't like seeing her sad or upset, especially in regard to Cat. His gestures have always been kind and comforting. Now, though, every touch from him takes on new life.

In the moonlight, she stares at the way his long fingers curl around her hand. Anika closes her eyes and focuses on the feel of his arm against hers, following it with her mind as it crosses over her waist and up her side to her shoulder. She feels protected by him and cared for, this man who is so completely different from any other she had ever been acquainted with. His way of life is unlike hers; his culture and religion are foreign and his people far from here. Even the way he wears clothing and jewelry is unfamiliar. She moves her hand out from his and touches the bracelets on his wrist. He stirs behind her. Maybe he is already asleep, for his thumb is no longer stroking her hand. Anika listens to his breathing, allowing the even rise and fall of his chest to lull her back to sleep.

Anika wakes with the early sunrise. Her body hurts less this morning and she wonders if she is starting to get used to sleeping on the ground in the freezing cold. She moves Sonehso:wa's arm lower so she can sit up. Her shawl is under the arm he is resting his head on and it slides off her shoulders as she sits up. She takes his right hand in both of hers and carefully lifts it while she moves away and turns to kneel facing him. Placing his hand on the mat and pulling the blanket back up, Anika watches his face as he sleeps. His eyebrows are full and dark and she notices his eyelashes for the first time. They are long, slightly curled and contrast deeply with his skin, just as his hair does where it partially covers his right cheek. With one finger of her left hand she moves his hair down toward his neck, exposing his jawline. He really is a striking man. Reacting to some inexplicable impulse, she leans forward and kisses his cheekbone, barely brushing his skin with her lips. He smells of smoky, dry earth and warm spice, an agreeable combination of scents that Anika finds pleasing. Perturbed by her impulsive act, she sits back and touches her lips with her fingers. Getting up, she walks away from where Sonehso:wa lies, her stomach knotted in uncertainty.

Sonehso:wa opens his eyes when he hears Anika move away from him. Her shawl is in a pile in front of him and he moves his hand up, gathers the soft fabric in his fingers and brings it to his face. The material holds her scent and Sonehso:wa breathes it in, remembering the feel of her fingers as she touched his hair and face. He had almost reached to take her hand as she had but changed his mind. His pretence had rewarded him with her kiss and he had overturned his temptation at that moment to reveal his awareness of her actions, choosing to let her think he was asleep. Over by the cliff wall, Anika uses the toe of her boot to push a rock into the fast moving water at her feet. She has her arms wrapped around herself and the breeze blows her dark skirt around her legs and twists her golden hair about. Despite her reaction to him last night, she kissed him and he is unsure what to make of that. At least that means she does not consider him to be hideously unattractive. Hopefully. He sits up and looks at the dead ashes of the fire. Movement catches his eyes and he returns his attention to Anika and watches as she walks away along the bank. She looks over her shoulder at their campsite and Sonehso:wa raises his head to acknowledge her. The wind gusts, blowing her hair over her face and she scoops it away idly with her fingers as she redirects her wandering path. Can she possibly be more beautiful than she is right now? Sonehso:wa stands as she nears and lets her shawl fall open from his hand. She takes it from him and drapes it over her shoulders with a surprisingly shy smile. He says nothing of her kiss.

After eating a cold breakfast, they pack up their few things but instead of riding, they walk together beside the horse. Sonehso:wa carries the reins loosely in his left hand and Anika holds two handfuls of her skirts against her hips to keep them raised up enough for walking. Sonehso:wa turns his head slightly toward Anika to speak as they travel, keeping an eye both on where he is walking and on her.

"We are closer to Albany now. We may reach it by afternoon tomorrow. I saw more farms when I was hunting yesterday."

"Do you plan to stop in the city?"

"Yes. We are on the wrong side of the river though. We will have to be cautious when we cross. It could draw attention if we are seen together."

"It could draw attention if I am by myself." Anika watches as Sonehso:wa considers her words, nodding.

"We will wait until darkness to enter the city. It will be safer. We will be less noticeable together and we can go to the man Ratonhnhake:ton sent me to before. He and his wife will allow us to stay in their house."

"It would be nice to sleep in a warm place for a night." She looks up at Sonehso:wa quickly, an apology in her expression.

"I assure you, I do appreciate your efforts to keep me warm." Sonehso:wa smiles down at her.

"I understand. I grew up sleeping out in the open when hunting and traveling so I am used to it."

"What about when you are not travelling?"

"We live in longhouses. They are not houses like you are used to. Not made of bricks or logs. Our longhouses hold many families together and are made of wooden poles, bark and hides."

"What was it like growing up in your village?"

"I had a normal childhood. Normal for my people, at least. I played in the woods with the other children, learned to hunt with a bow, fish in the river, typical things. When I was a little older, my mother was killed while she was planting one of the fields. When she had not returned by evening some of the men, including my father went looking for her. They found her and a white man who must have attacked her, both of them dead in the field."

"Oh, Sonehso:wa, that's awful! I'm so sorry that happened to her!"

"It was hard for me then. It changed me. I became angry at the colonists and considered them all to be a threat. I know now that the man that killed my mother did not represent all of the colonists. But it took a long time for me to accept it."

"I can understand that. I admit that the idea of leaving with you that night in New York terrified me. I was so afraid of you at first but now I know that I'm safe with you and you aren't a barbarian at all, just different."

"You hid your fear well. I knew you did not trust me but not that you were that frightened of me."

"At first I was more afraid of the men who wanted to attack me. Once we were away from the city, I became afraid of being alone with you. You killed two men!"

"I had to kill them. I promised to keep you safe."

"I know. I just have never seen anyone kill a man before. Had you ever killed before that night?"

"Yes. We have had to defend ourselves, our village, at times. We all train in warfare. Ratonhnhake:ton taught me how to fight better with my hands and with weapons."

"Is he a warrior in your village?"

"Yes… Almost all the men are. Does that frighten you?"

"Only if he intends to harm Cat." Sonehso:wa gapes at her, shaking his head.

"Ratonhnhake:ton would never harm a woman. Especially not a woman he cares for."

"A woman… he cares for?" Anika looks up wide-eyed at Sonehso:wa.

"Yes. He finds Cat very attractive and I think she likes him too."

"Oh… my!" Anika places her hand on her chest.

"Does that upset you, Jitkwa:'e?"

"No, I… It's unexpected, is all."

"Is it because he is a barbarian?" Sonehso:wa tries to keep his face serious when Anika looks up at him sharply but he fails and smiles instead.

"What? Heavens, no! That's the least of my concerns. This is not something to joke about, Sonehso:wa. Cat has been though all that abuse and she's letting him… she is not of sound mind!" Anika stops and lets her skirts fall to the ground. Sonehso:wa halts the grey as he faces her with his hand out.

"You do not have to fear for Cat or her mind. Ratonhnhake:ton sleeps on the floor and she sleeps alone in the bed. He has a very strong sense of honor and he would not touch her unless she wants him to."

"Oh…." Anika's face is hot with embarrassment from the direction their discussion had taken. Not knowing what Ratonhnhake:ton looks like, all she can picture is Sonehso:wa in a bed with Cat, touching her naked body.

"Does the idea of her being with him concern you?"

"I don't know. She was officially declared dead, ending her marriage to Francisco. He has legal documents. So I suppose she's free to choose whomever she wants now…"

"Even a Haudenosaunee man?"

"Well, yes, if she wants him."

"Would you ever consider a Haudenosaunee man?" Anika stares at him and then drops her eyes to the ground, unsure of how to answer his question. Sonehso:wa had a half smile on his face yet somehow managed to give off an air of total innocence despite his question. What is he aiming for? In her mind, the image of Cat sharing a bed with Sonehso:wa becomes her instead. She fell right into a trap, it seems. Was he aware of the kiss she gave him? Are his flirtations more serious than she gives him credit for and have her reciprocations led him to believe she is interested in him? It wouldn't be entirely inaccurate. Her heart beats faster at the possibility. How can she even think such a thing? She hardly knows him. Yet there's something about him…

Sonehso:wa watches a myriad of tiny changes cross Anika's face, altering her expression from startled confusion, to skepticism, anxiety and finally consideration. She does not answer his question and he tries to lighten the strange atmosphere they have found themselves in.

"I do not frighten you with how I look, do I?" He circles his palm in front of his face and Anika looks up at him and shakes her head. He raises his arms up slightly and makes a small, sudden lunging move toward her with a wide grin splitting his expression. Anika turns away, pulling her shawl up from her shoulder to cover the lower half of her face. He steps closer and she pushes him away with her hand against his chest, dropping the edge of the shawl and revealing a beaming smile. Sonehso:wa brings both hands to his chest and stumbles backwards, leaning against the belly of the horse as if she struck him a heavy blow.

"Aaah! The courageous woman defeats the ugly, barbarian savage!"

"Stop it, Sonehso:wa! You're not an ugly, barbarian savage!" Anika's laugh betrays her even as she crosses her arms under her breasts and huffs. When she glances back up at Sonehso:wa, he is watching her with an affectionate smile so she adds to her comment.

"You are, however, a buffoon!" Sonehso:wa raises his eyebrows at her as he continues to chuckle.

"I do not know that word but I hope it means something good."

"It means you make jokes and play tricks and don't take anything seriously."

"A fitting description!"

"It may get you into trouble some day."

"It already has…" he states proudly and Anika shakes her head and laughs again, throwing her hands up in exaggerated despair before turning him around by one arm and pushing him to walk again. His laughter echoes in the quiet forest.

They skirt along the edge of a farm and Sonehso:wa lifts Anika onto the horse as the snow becomes deeper among the thinner trees. When they reenter the thicker cover of more woods, he leaves her side to hunt. Anika feels a real sense of loss when he leaves this time and she wonders if she's completely crazy to let herself fall for him. Anika smiles as she thinks about their earlier conversation and how he trapped her with his surprising question. She mocks his voice under her breath.

"Would you consider a Haudenosaunee man, Anika?" She looks up at the sky between the bare branches of the trees and laughs, shaking her head. Would she? Isn't she right now? She is startled when a man steps out from behind a tree. He moves quickly towards her and takes the bridle of the horse in his hand, stopping Anika. Dressed in worn clothing and carrying a short sword on his hip, he looks like a rough sort. His hair is pulled back under a close fitting hat into a loose ponytail and it's hard to tell what color it is for its greasiness. He is unshaven and unkempt, as if he had spent the past several months living in a pig sty.

"Hello there, pretty thing. What are you doing out here all by yourself?" His dirty fingers tighten on the bridle as the grey horse shifts, sensing his rider's fear.

"I'm not by myself. You had best release my horse, sir."

"I don't see no one else. 'Cept my good friend, John here." A second man approaches her side. He takes off his hat and bows grandly, smiling widely and exposing a blackened grin. He is just as filthy as the first man.

"Your 'orse, eh? You 'ave the look of a runaway serving girl about you, all dressed in blue. I'm guessing you stole this 'ere 'orse from your master. You must've been 'is favorite." He curls his lip and lewdly waggles his tongue at her with a slobbering sound and then laughs with a wheezy quality that sends chills into Anika's blood. Looking over at his friend, he informs him of his grand revelation.

"We've got ourselves a 'orse thief, Sammy!" He reaches for her leg.

"Stay away! Don't you dare touch me!" The man called John laughs as he dodges her kick and grabs her ankle. Anika cries out loudly and swings at his head. He snatches her fist from the air and drags her off the horse, plucking the reins from her hand. Is this how it happened for Cat? Anika panics and thrashes in his grip.

"Sonehso:wa!" Anika screams as loudly as she can but any additional cries are cut off when she lands in the snow. The man who hauled her off the horse pushes her face down into the snow. It is painfully cold on her skin, and the icy crust below the shallow dusting on the surface scratches against her skin. The man straddles her and pulls her arms behind her back, wrenching her wrists up between her shoulder blades. Anika screams in pain as he pushes down on her wrists. Her shoulders feel like they are both on fire at the pressure. He pulls her backwards and up against his chest so she is kneeling with her hands painfully high behind her shoulders. The man who originally stopped her, Sammy, crouches before her. Anika struggles against her captor, trying to bend forward to ease the pain in her arms. She screams for Sonehso:wa twice more before Sammy wraps his left hand around her throat, pushing her back against John and increasing her pain exponentially. His grip reduces the volume of her cries to strangled gurgles. He brandishes a knife in his other hand, shushing at her.

"Shhh. If you stop fighting, this will go so much faster and easier." He releases her neck and takes the front of her dress in his hands. With a sudden movement, he rips the buttons open, leering at her exposed cleavage.

"No! Take your hands off me! Let me go!" Anika's struggles again and her cries turn into screams of pain as John raises her wrists higher behind her. Sammy leans in close and takes a handful of her hair at the right side of her face, tipping her head up. She arches backwards, trying to ease the burning in her shoulders and John takes advantage of her nearness to loudly smell her hair and express his approval, making her body quake uncontrollably in terror. Sammy's breath is hot and foul on her when he speaks.

"I told you it would go easier if you just stop fighting. Do you want me to hurt you? It would be a shame to mar these, though, wouldn't it?" He brings the hand holding the knife down and extends two fingers, dragging them roughly over her left breast before pressing the flat part of the blade down against the top of it. Anika holds herself still, breathing hard. Sammy grins and breathily moves his face toward her cleavage but then stops with a grunt and lowers the knife, loosening his grip on the side of her head. He falls to the side, his fingers tearing out some of her hair. An arrow fletched with black feathers is buried deep in the side of his chest. John dives forward, pushing Anika down into the snow, his weight pressing on her back and trapped arms. Anika screams as an excruciating pop in her left shoulder sends a bloom of agony over her body and her face is forced into the icy snow once again. The man's weight is completely on her back, crushing the air out of her lungs and pinning her down. She is enveloped in a dark mist and her mouth and nose are blocked with snow. Lack of air causes a ringing in her ears that almost deafens her and her body starts to feel light, as if she is floating. Even the pain seems to fade into the encroaching blackness.

Distantly, a man is shouting but the sounds make no sense. The weight on top of her is suddenly lifted and dragged over her legs. Her left shoulder is agonizing and it is everything she can do to bring her right arm around and roll onto her right side, spitting out snow and gulping air. She moans in pain between every gasp for breath while her hearing clarifies and the floating feeling recedes. Snow melts on her chest and face and the water runs into her eyes when she opens them. Sammy is almost right beside her and Anika watches him as if in a dream as he writhes on the ground. His hand holds the bloody shaft of the arrow and more blood spatters from his mouth as he breathes. Anika touches her painful shoulder and slowly manages to turn her head towards her feet, only to see Sonehso:wa straddling John. His back is towards her and he is punching the man and parrying his attempts to return blows. John shouts sporadically and his feet scrabble uselessly for purchase in the snow, his boots digging tracks through to the wet, leafy earth below. Sonehso:wa's knuckles are bloody by the time he pauses long enough to draw his knife and Anika squeezes her eyes shut as John's shouting turns to begging and then is abruptly silenced and replaced with a sickening gurgling.

Sonehso:wa wipes the blade on the dead man's clothes and stands, reeling around to Anika. She is lying on her right side and her eyes are squeezed shut, her face contorted in a grimace of pain as she holds her left shoulder with her right hand. Her arm hangs limply at a disturbing angle behind her back and there are reddened abrasions on her left cheek and chin. Sonehso:wa sheathes his knife as he kneels behind her, reaching toward her. She flinches with a loud gasp as he touches her side, her eyes opening suddenly. "Jitkwa:'e, it is just me."

"Those men…" She can barely speak the words through her clenched teeth.

"They are gone."

"I can't move my arm."

"I know. Let me lay you back." Sonehso:wa takes her left arm in his right hand and Anika grits her teeth and holds in a scream as he slowly moves it out to the side and rolls her with his left hand on her hip. In agony, she tries not to weep but the outward movement of her arm is too much and she cries out, flinging her right hand out to the ground as if she could grab onto something. The pain is exquisite, worse than anything she has ever felt in her life.

Anika is screaming by the time her shoulder touches the snow. Once she is on her back, Sonehso:wa rests her forearm against the inside of his right leg, letting her wrist and hand lie against his stomach while still holding her upper arm near her elbow. Her eyes are glassy and she is panting openmouthed, shaking with pain and shock. Bending her knees up, she raises her right hand out of the snow and twists it in her skirt, whimpering with every exhalation. Sonehso:wa gives her time to recover from being moved, looking her over for any other injuries. Her dress is open partly down the front, every button gone from the neck to just below her breasts. A cream colored brocade corset is laced up over a white shift with a much lower neckline than her dress had, revealing the rounded upper portion of her breasts above rows of narrow lace ruffles accented by blue thread. On the top of her left breast is a very thin cut beaded with tiny drops of blood that merge with the melting snow on her skin and trickle away. Two distinct patches of bleeding, abraded skin mar her left cheek and chin.

When Anika's breathing slows and she appears to have recovered some lucidity, he turns his attention to her shoulder. Doing his best to not be distracted by her pain and fear, with her screams still echoing in his head, Sonehso:wa moves his left hand to her shoulder and slides it under her damaged dress to feel her injury. The knob of her shoulder is displaced behind her and Sonehso:wa's fingers follow the shape of the deformity. Anika squeezes a handful of her skirt against her thigh and gasps at his prodding, rubbing her feet together frantically.

"It is out of place. I need to put it back."

"How? Oh God, it hurts so much!"

"I will have to pull on your arm." Anika's expression mirrors the terror in her stomach at the thought. She shakes her head in the snow.

"No! Please, Sonehso:wa, no!" Her voice quavers and she reaches her right hand toward him but Sonehso:wa pointedly nods his head while looking seriously into her eyes.

"It will only hurt for a short time. It will feel better when it is back in place." Tears pool in her eyes and the shining reflection of his face is mirrored over both of her green irises. She blinks and a tear slides down her face into her hair. Sonehso:wa withdraws his hand from her shoulder to touch her right cheek. He rubs his thumb over her damp cheekbone and she lowers her hand to his. Despite the sickness in his heart at her agonized horror, he keeps his voice calm.

"I am going to do it now." Anika whimpers and Sonehso:wa slides his hand lower on her face to touch her trembling lips lightly with his thumb before moving his hand away. He takes her wrist in his left hand and tightens his grip on her elbow with his right. He leans his weight on his right knee and moves his left to just below her shoulder, bracing against her chest just above her left breast. Anika grabs the upper edge of his legging on his thigh in her right fist and he pauses as she meets his eyes. Her hand shakes and Sonehso:wa looks into her gaze, finally letting the concern in his heart affect his expression. Her eyes shine with tears and her lips are parted as she takes rapid, shaky breaths. Fear lends a heartbreaking quality to her beautiful features and Sonehso:wa's stomach churns at the necessity of what he needs to do.

"I would not do this to you if it would not help you. We cannot wait or it will become impossible to put back." She nods and Sonehso:wa rises up, pressing his left knee down on her while pulling her arm out to the side and then up towards his chest. Anika cries out at the movement but before it can turn into a full scream of agony, a loud click comes from her joint and her pain almost vanishes.

Sonehso:wa hears her arm pop back into place, the jolt from the joint relocating communicating through her arm to his hands. He quickly takes his knee off of her chest, lays her arm down on her stomach and leans over her to touch her cheek again.

"It is done." Anika nods and moves her right hand to his arm, taking smoother breaths.

"Try to sit up," Anika grasps his sleeve and he helps her to a seated position. Sonehso:wa takes the open edge of her dress's neckline in his right hand and slips his left hand under and onto her shoulder again. It seems normal to his touch.

"How does it feel now?" She moves her shoulder tentatively and is surprised to feel very little pain until she shifts her arm backwards.

"It's much better."

"Good. I do not think anything is broken." He takes his hand away and directs his attention to the scratches on Anika's face, turning it with his left hand on her chin.

Anika had forgotten about Sammy until a wheezing laugh comes from him. He is partially up on his elbow and still holding the arrow buried in his chest with one hand.

"A German whore and a fuckin' savage. I never thought I would see a pair like you." He coughs and blood spatters from his mouth, adding to the trickles that are running down his chin into his beard. Sonehso:wa's face darkens and he lunges over and punches him, sending him back down into the snow. Sammy groans and weakly tries to push Sonehso:wa away. The hairs ripped from Anika's head catch the light where they are trapped in his fingers, the golden strands moving in the breeze. The sight of them enrages Sonehso:wa. He considers scalping the man just for that, but decides against it for Anika's sake.

"Do not further dishonor yourself with your words." Sonehso:wa looms over him, gripping the hilt of his knife. Sammy rasps a response anyway.

"Kill me, then, and go fuck your little whore." He spits bloody saliva, the projectile barely missing Sonehso:wa's face. Muttering in his language with his mouth twisted in fury, Sonehso:wa grabs the arrow in the man's side, rips it from his body and tosses it aside. Dark blood pours from the wound and the man writhes in pain. Sonehso:wa takes a handful of Sammy's stringy hair and pushes his head back into the snow, unsheathing his knife and placing the blade against the skin of his neck. Before he can slit his throat, the light leaves the man's eyes and his body jerks once before slumping in death. Resheathing the knife, Sonehso:wa returns to Anika only to find her clutching her gaping dress closed and shivering. He picks up her shawl from the snow and shakes it out. Kneeling down in front of her, he drapes it around her shoulders. Anika jumps at his touch and turns away, her face filled with fear once again only this time it is for him. Sonehso:wa gently turns her face so he can wipe some blood from her cheek. Slowly moving his arms around her, he eases her toward him and hugs her. Anika's right hand is pressed against his chest and she rigidly resists his embrace.

"I am sorry, Jitkwa:'e. I am sorry you had to see that." Sonehso:wa strokes her hair softly in an attempt to soothe her. After what seems like an eternity, Anika shakily takes her arm out from between them and moves it around Sonehso:wa's waist, her body quivering against him.

"I will not allow anyone to harm you. You are safe with me." His voice is gruff and he pulls her tighter, stroking her hair with a firmer hand. He wants to tell her he would kill a thousand men if it would keep her safe but he knows she is in no condition to hear something like that. Anika sobs briefly into him and then is still.

"If you had not come when you did..." Anika leaves the rest of her thoughts unspoken but knows he understands her, for he grips her even harder. Sonehso:wa is tense and almost crushing her to him, taking deep, angry breaths.

"We must leave this place," Sonehso:wa finally says. Anika nods against his chest and he lowers his hand to her right elbow and assists her to her feet. Keeping his body between her and the sight of the two dead men, he guides her away from the scene of her attack. The grey horse is not far and Sonehso:wa is careful when he lifts Anika up onto him. She grabs the horse's mane with her right hand to steady herself and leans down, resting her body on the animal's neck, not bothering to pull her skirts down as she always does. Sonehso:wa does it for her on the side he is standing, turns the horse to face away and returns to the dead men, frisking their bodies for any sign of a connection to Sergio. He finds nothing other than a few coins, some weevil-filled crusts of bread and their weapons. It is what he is expecting, but he had to be sure. Taking the sword and belt from Sammy and picking up his discarded arrow, Sonehso:wa returns to the horse. The shortsword and coins go in his bag and he cleans his arrow of the stringy, half-congealed blood coating it in the snow before returning it to his quiver. Back on the horse, Sonehso:wa places his left hand on Anika's back.

"We are going now." He says. Anika sits up, pressing her left arm to her stomach and holding her shawl tightly in her right fist. Sonehso:wa wraps his left arm around her waist, partially cradling her injured arm and when she tentatively leans back against him he kicks the horse into a canter. The memory of the two men attacking Anika as he ran towards her fills him with anger, revulsion and a deep, sickening anxiety at the thought of what they would have done to her if he had not arrived in time. It recalls the hatred he had once had for all colonists, knowing his mother was the victim of a similar attack. He will never forget the sight of his father carrying her naked corpse into the village, her stomach and chest punctured by several stab wounds. He found out later she had dragged herself away from her attacker after successfully killing him, only to die where she lay several feet away.

Grateful he was close enough when he heard her screams to reach her before they could take her from him, he presses his hand against her stomach, holding her tightly to his body as they ride. There is no way he could have had any mercy for those men. They had to die but because of it Anika is fearful of him and it makes him sick. He wants spur the horse to a gallop but is afraid of jarring her shoulder and harming her further.

Sonehso:wa still seethes with anger and Anika respects his silence as they ride, clutching her shawl closed and keeping her head bowed. His transition between extreme violence towards her attackers and gentle tenderness for her was as rapid as the snuffing of a candle. His aggressive protection of her is shocking and he seems willing to go to any length to ensure her safety. Sonehso:wa pulls her closer every now and then and clenches the reins in his right hand. Anika stares at the broken skin of his knuckles and the blood that has dried on the back of his hand and between his fingers. Her heart pounds in her chest when she thinks about him hitting the man who held her hard enough to break his skin and the violent rage he had flown into when the other man had insulted them. He was ready to slit his throat! Who is this man she is with? His capacity for violence is frightening yet he holds her as carefully as if she is a fragile thing. The dichotomy has thrown her into confusion. Where is the man who laughs, jokes and flirts? He has turned into a rabid beast with bared teeth and claws, ready to kill.

Eventually, Sonehso:wa lets the horse slow to a steady walk and eases his grip on her waist with a quiet sigh. The tension leaves his muscles and his body moves easier with the motion of the horse. Anika is relieved at the change. He feels more familiar behind her, no longer the frightening stranger of earlier. She lets go of her shawl and rests her hand on his right wrist, curling her fingers over his bracelets. The blood on his split knuckles is dried and almost black and she moves her fingers up towards them. Sonehso:wa does not react when she touches his injuries one by one.

"Where did you go back there? You were not Sonehso:wa anymore. You were someone else." He lowers his face next to hers but she remains impassive, staring at their hands.

"Jitkwa:'e…" he breathes deeply and Anika waits for him to answer her, her fingers still touching his knuckles.

"That was me. That was me when I was ten and my mother was murdered. That was me as a teenager and still angry at everyone. I hated my father for leaving our tribe to join the Kanien'keha:ka. I hated the woman he married because she was not my mother. I hated their language that I had to learn. That was me when I was twenty three and I hated Ratonhnhake:ton for being half white and an outsider yet accepted fully by the tribe. I was angry for years and I distanced myself from everyone. Even though I have changed how I am since then, that fire is still in me." He sighs and releases the reins, turning his hand and taking Anika's.

"Anika." She inhales when he says her name.

"All I could think of is what they were going to do to you. I could not let that happen and I could not let them live to do it to someone else. Those men were criminals. They deserved death. Anything less would have been agreeing with them." Anika trembles against him and he squeezes her hand.

"Do you understand? Anika?" Anika nods her head and Sonehso:wa watches a tear make its way down her cheek and drip from her chin. Releasing her hand, he traces its path with his fingers.

"I will never hurt you," he whispers in her ear, his warm breath stirring the hairs around her lobe. His lips find her skin just in front of her ear and he lightly kisses her in the wake of his fingers. Anika's body shudders. She is torn between her attraction to him and his rage. The same warm pleasure she felt before from his touch floods her body even as her mind is still in turmoil. His kiss is not a simple consoling gesture. Was his anger worsened because she is not just someone he vowed to protect, but a woman he feels affection for? Sonehso:wa keeps his face near hers and runs his fingers through a section of her hair before taking up the reins again, speaking quiet words to the horse in his language and clicking his tongue at him. His behavior, even if it is tinged with a possessive quality, is familiar and comforting, reminding her that the man she had spent so much time with in only a few days is still here with her.

Anika does not push him away or turn from his face and Sonehso:wa takes that as a good sign. He knows no other way to accurately express how he feels to her other than physical contact. He could say it in Ogwehoweh or Kanien'keha but she would not understand. The words he comes up with in English sound unrefined and base. She would be more likely to misunderstand him and think he is shallow or asking her to marry him. Instead, what he feels falls somewhere in between, a longing to give her pleasure, make her feel safe and share something on a deeper level as well. To make a connection that has meaning and substance, yet does not snare or restrain. She would be free to accept or reject him with no consequences. Unable to speak, he is stifled by inaction and forced to withhold the attentions that for so many of his people, bring comfort, relief and satisfaction in times of stress.

Ratonhnhake:ton understands the ways of white people better then he. He had been in a relationship with a white woman before and more than likely he will be in a better one with Cat before long. How does he handle their strange views on sex? Even Ratonhnhake:ton admitted he had not freely shared in it until he had been with his first woman shortly after the war ended. Sonehso:wa sighs. If Anika only knew the many things he could tell her in the languages that are familiar to him. He is startled when she puts her hand over his forearm. Her fingers curl into his sleeve and she rests her head back against his shoulder. Kissing her cheek again, Sonehso:wa loops the fingers of their left hands together on her stomach. They ride on unmoving and silent, both of them lost in separate ruminations.

"How did you know what to do for my arm?" Anika asks from where she sits by the camp fire. Sonehso:wa sits closer to her side than usual and he turns his face down to look at her. They had spoken little during their travels leading up to stopping for the night.

"When I was very young, I had fallen out of a tree while playing and landed almost on my head. One of the women in my village found me crying on the ground and carried me back. My father looked at me and did just what I did to you. Then he scolded me for being foolish and falling from a tree. When I ran to the longhouse and told my mother what happened, she scolded me as well and then kissed me and sent me out to play again."

"And you remember from that long ago?"

"I am not an old man…" He speaks as if insulted and Anika sucks in her breath at his tone. He looks down at her again and smiles when he sees her face.

"I am only a year older than Cat," he continues. Anika shakes her head.

"I suppose one would not soon forget the pain."

"No." Sonehso:wa considers her words. She did not react the way he had expected to his attempt at humor. Is she still afraid of him? Her mention of pain makes him reconsider.

"Are you in pain now, Jitkwa:'e?"

"Some." Her vague answer smacks of deception. He leans over and turns her face toward him with his right hand. As he does, his swollen and reddened knuckles remind him of his own discomfort. She must be feeling much worse than he is. Her face is smooth except for a tiny line between her eyebrows. Her lips are looking less full, probably because she is clenching her teeth.

"You are hurting more than you admit." Sonehso:wa holds his hand out to her.

"Give me your shawl." Anika slowly pulls it off of her shoulders with her right hand and gives it to him. He takes it and leans to the side, laying it out flat. He scoops handfuls of snow into it and when he has amassed a good amount, he folds the four corners of the shawl up and ties them in a looped knot.

"Lie down on your back." Anika does as he bids wordlessly, wincing when she drops her left arm down from her stomach. Sonehso:wa pulls the blanket up over her and then folds the corner covering her left shoulder down over her chest. He lowers the snow filled shawl onto her shoulder and uses his hands to encourage it to settle around the top of her shoulder and under her arm. When he is satisfied with the arrangement, he lightly touches her cheek before leaning back to his seated position near her knees. Anika is too uncomfortable in this new position to speak and has directed all her energy to holding in tears of pain. Sonehso:wa watches her for some time, occasionally turning back to the fire. Her shoulder grows cold and then starts to get numb, relieving her discomfort considerably.

She must have drifted off, because when Anika opens her eyes, Sonehso:wa is at her feet, sitting on the very end of the mat with his back against a tree. There is a large pile of branches and fallen wood gathered nearby and the fire is burning high. The heat of it is warm on her face. When she returns her gaze to where Sonehso:wa is sitting, she realizes he's actually asleep. His knees are bent up, his head is propped on the tree and his arms are crossed over his chest and tucked under his wrap. A stab of guilt makes Anika want to call out to him but when she tries to move over on the mat, the protestation from her shoulder silences her voice before it can escape. Her clothes are soaked through to her skin everywhere under the shawl, which appears considerably emptier than before. Anika watches the fire and Sonehso:wa alternately until her eyes grow heavy and she drifts off.

Sonehso:wa feeds the fire throughout the night, napping until the flames sink low and the cold wakes him. Anika murmurs in her sleep, twitching and flinching, crying out once and startling him from his slumber. When the colors of dawn start to lighten the forest, he rises to his feet once again and gathers his bow, quiver and bag from next to Anika. He had taken her wet shawl from her shoulder during the night when it appeared to have exhausted its purpose and laid it out near the fire to dry. She now lies fully covered by the blanket, still sleeping. They had eaten some of the dried provisions left from his first trip through Albany for dinner but after the restless night he had had, Sonehso:wa wants a more substantial breakfast. He tosses a large piece of wood onto the fire and glances back at Anika before leaving the camp site in search of game.

Anika is alone when she wakes but not for long. The sun has fully risen and with the brightening light comes Sonehso:wa. He carries a basket with him. Anika struggles to a seated position and gasps as the pain in her shoulder sends starbursts lancing over her vision.

"Where did you get that?" Anika's voice is thick with sleep.

"I met a farmer and his wife when I was hunting. They accepted a trade for some food. I promised to return the basket and other things when we are done." As he comes close, the smell of fresh bread drifts from the basket enticingly.

"Oh! It smells like heaven!" Anika breathes, her eyes closed. They sit side by side and share the contents of the basket. Inside is a loaf of bread, a wedge of soft, yellow cheese, some boiled eggs and a lidded pot of black tea. All of the food is accompanied by some tin plates and cups and a generous helping of maple syrup in a glass jar.

"What did you trade for this?" Anika asks as she holds a steaming cup of tea in her hand and inhales the steam greedily.

"The sword I took from one of your attackers. It is useless to me but they wanted it for the leather and the steel." Anika sighs.

"Well, at least something good and useful resulted from what happened. I'm glad you took it." Her voice is bitter and Sonehso:wa looks down at her, his right arm resting on his bent knee. He holds his cup by the top edge with his fingertips. Moving some of her hair off her shoulder, he follows it down her back with his left hand. Anika looks up at him as he does, her anger fading and her frown softening when he leans close and kisses the top of her head.

At the edge of the forest Sonehso:wa stops the grey and dismounts. He unties his blanket from the back of the horse and opens it, tossing it up to Anika.

"Put this over your body and cover as much of your clothing as possible. If you hide your yellow hair and keep your head down, you could pass as an Onondowaga woman." Anika does as he asks, pulling her shawl well forward over her hair and wrapping herself completely in the blanket with his help, draping its fringed edges down over her boots. Sonehso:wa walks around the horse to inspect her and reaches up to tug once on the blanket to more fully cover an exposed boot heel. Anika lowers her face and Sonehso:wa nods his approval.

Leading the horse by the reins and carrying the basket, Sonehso:wa brings Anika out of the cover of the forest and along the edge of a field. At the far edge, across from a small log cabin, he stops the horse and leaves her side to walk to the door. He knocks and an elderly woman opens it. From where Anika sits on the horse, shrouded in the blanket, she can see their interaction clearly but can't hear them. The woman takes the basket from Sonehso:wa's extended hand. They talk for a short time and the woman points in Anika's direction. After more conversation, Sonehso:wa steps backward and the woman waves to him and then to Anika. Not wanting to expose her pale skin, Anika lowers her head and pretends to be shy, though inside, she longs to greet the kind woman and thank her personally. When Sonehso:wa reaches her and takes the reins to lead the horse again, Anika risks turning her head to look at the cabin again. The woman is still standing in the doorway, one hand pressed to her chest, watching them.

"What did you say to her?" Anika asks.

"I told her we were on a journey to the north to meet with another tribe. She thinks you are my wife and that you are afraid of white people." For the first time in almost a full day, Anika laughs.

They ride past sunset, deciding it best to just press on to Albany instead of stopping to camp or eat. Sonehso:wa's decision to enter the city under cover of darkness would necessitate the wasting of an entire day if they were to stop almost within sight of it. No longer able to stay among trees, they cross snow covered fields in a direct path toward Albany. There are lights in the distance and the silvery, moonlit strip of the large river that has allowed it to become a bustling port city. Their path eventually brings them closer to the roads and the few people still travelling on them as the hours grow late. Anika rubs her sore shoulder. It has remained stiffened up and achy since the evening before. The skin and muscles feel swollen and bruised.

At last they reach a river crossing. A few people waiting for the ferry barely glance their way and Sonehso:wa pays the fee for them both and the horse without any protest from the tired looking ferry driver. One man tries to look under the shawl concealing Anika's face and Sonehso:wa steps between them defensively. He speaks over his shoulder to Anika in his language sharply and though she does not know what he says, she turns her head away slightly to hide her face, drawing the blanket up to her chin.

Sonehso:wa winds through the emptying streets to the house where Isaac and Bethany live. At their fenced back yard, he opens the gate to let the horse in. He gestures silently to Anika to stay on the horse and wait before rounding the corner of the house to knock on the door. At first he hears nothing but after a second, louder knock, footsteps come from inside. A curtain is pulled aside upstairs and Sonehso:wa sees the shape of Bethany's head looking down at him. Isaac opens the door a crack and then pulls it wide when he recognizes his visitor. He is dressed in night clothes.

"You are back! What brings you so late?"

"I need to stay here again."

"Of course! I told you you were always welcome here."

"I have another with me. A woman in danger who must not be recognized."

"Hmm. Well, bring her in then. That explains the lateness, I suppose." He waits as Sonehso:wa disappears around the side of the house. Anika sits hunched on the horse but she looks up when she sees him. He reaches up to her and she painfully dismounts from the horse, wincing when her feet land on the ground and the impact jostles her shoulder. Sonehso:wa unties his bag and bedroll and removes the bridle from the horse. He loosens the straps holding the blanket but leaves it on the horse.

Anika follows him around to the front of the house and squints in the light from the lantern Isaac is now holding. Isaac reaches out a hand to help her up the stairs and Sonehso:wa checks to see if anyone is paying attention before entering the house and closing the door after them all. Bethany is coming down the stairs.

"And who is this all wrapped up?" Anika pushes her shawl back and both Bethany and Isaac stare at her in shock. Anika's brow furrows in confusion and she glances at Sonehso:wa for an explanation. He shakes his head, not understanding either. Isaac recovers first.

"I am sorry to stare, my dear, but you could be the sister of our deceased daughter."

"Oh… I'm terribly sorry for your loss, Sir. Madam." Anika lowers her head and makes a small curtsy to them. Bethany approaches her and touches her scratched cheek, her compassionate expression filling Anika's heart with warmth and gladness.

"Yes, it was a bit of shock to see your face. You are the very vision of our Sarah, though now I can see that you have different features. And you are not a bit English. But how rude of us! You must be cold and hungry! Let me take your things so you can go warm up by the fire." Anika shrugs off the blanket and shawl with Bethany's help. Bethany sucks in her breath at the sight of her damaged dress and the way Anika is holding her left arm against her body.

"What happened?" She glances over at Sonehso:wa accusingly. Anika sees her and quickly speaks up in his defense.

"Madam, I was accosted by two bandits in the woods yesterday. If not for Sonehso:wa, I would be dead. He stopped them before they could harm me... more." Bethany gasps and flutters her hands.

"Come then, child, I will get you fixed up." She leads Anika away into another room and shuts the door behind them. Isaac raises his eyebrow at Sonehso:wa and then walks into the kitchen, waving his hand for him to follow.

"I suppose I can get us something to eat. Bethany can't stand an injured creature. She will make sure the girl is well taken care of. What is her story?"

"It may be safer for you not to know."

"Son, Connor trusts me for a reason. We are not mere business acquaintances. I am well aware of who he is and what he does." Sonehso:wa silently wishes he knew the same.

"Very well. This woman, Anika, is running from men who wish her harm. Her companion is currently under Connor's protection and we travel to join them."

"Interesting. I had wondered why Connor sent someone in his name. It's not like him. How long will you stay here?"

"Not long. I want to get her to safety as quickly as possible. But Anika could probably use a rest after what happened yesterday."

"What did happen?"

"I had left her side to hunt and while I was gone two men attacked her. They were attempting to rape her when I found them. I shot one but the second one dislocated her shoulder before I could get him off of her. He died by my blade after I fought with him," He gestures with his injured hand carelessly.

"Her shoulder went back in place easily but not without a great deal of pain for her. She could move it at first but since yesterday afternoon she has been very uncomfortable." Isaac nods his head.

"I am happy to hear that you prevented further injury to her. She is in good hands with us. You may stay as long as you need to." He turns to rummage in the pantry, producing some bread and cold meat. Bethany emerges from the living room through a second door attached to the kitchen, shutting the door behind her. In the kitchen she pats Sonehso:wa on the arm, frowning momentarily at his lacerated knuckles.

"I must apologize for the look I gave you, dear. It's not every day you see a woman in such a state." She turns to her husband.

"Would you be a dear and fill the big pot with water and set it by the fire to heat? I would help Anika get cleaned up. I think some of Sarah's old clothes will fit her until we can fix her dress. She may as well use them." Bethany takes a plate and places some of the bread and meat on it for Anika. She fills a mug with cider and disappears into the living room again. Isaac shrugs his shoulders and retrieves a large pot from the pantry and carries it to the fireplace. He adds several logs to the fire and Sonehso:wa helps him fill the pot with buckets of water from the small well out behind the house, filling the trough for the horse while he is outside.

The men are fairly quiet while the water heats. Sonehso:wa is worn out from lack of sleep the night before and the long day of travel. He eats the food Isaac gives him and they both have a mug of cider. In the other room, sounds of the women conversing filter through the closed door but the sounds are muffled and he cannot make out what they are talking about. Anika's laugh comes from the closed door and he relaxes, feeling the effects of the fermented cider adding to his exhaustion. Isaac tests the water and knocks on the door to the living room. Bethany comes out and goes to the pantry to find a smaller pot to fill. Inside, Anika is sitting in a chair by the fire, his striped blanket wrapped around her. He walks to the door of the room and leans against the frame. Anika smiles at him and lifts her hand out from under the blanket to crook a finger at him. Smiling, he goes to her and crouches down next to her chair on her left. Her dress is draped over the back of the chair and Anika's small, bare feet are tucked underneath. Sonehso:wa is quietly amused that even that descriptor provided by Catherine is accurate.

"Mrs. Young is very kind."

"They are good people. How is your shoulder?" Anika lets the blanket slip onto her arm, revealing her sleeveless shift and purple and blue discolorations on her skin. Sonehso:wa sighs at the sight of it.

"Is it very painful?" Anika smiles ruefully at his concern.

"Somewhat. But it'll heal, thanks to you." She pulls the blanket back up and reaches her right hand to the side of Sonehso:wa's face. He covers her hand with his and turns his head to kiss her fingers.

From the kitchen, Isaac and Bethany watch Anika and Sonehso:wa. Bethany is clasping her hands to her chest and Isaac puts his arm around his wife. They share a smile, remembering their own history together. Bethany leaves the kitchen to get clothes for Anika and Isaac clears his throat before entering the room with the pot. Sonehso:wa stands up and takes the pot from Isaac, placing it near the fireplace. Isaac looks down at Anika.

"We have not been properly introduced. I am Isaac Young. You are very welcome here, Anika. I have told Sonehso:wa that you can both stay as long as you need to, though I understand you have someplace you would like to be urgently."

"Thank you, Mr. Young. I appreciate your and your wife's hospitality under such unexpected circumstances and late hour. You are very generous." Sonehso:wa returns to Anika's side and rests his hand on the back of the chair.

"Nonsense, young lady. We are happy to have you both. Is there anything I can get you that you need?"

"Not at the moment, thank you." Isaac smiles at her as Bethany returns with some folded clothes and towels.

"Alright, you men get on out now and give the girl some privacy. These are for you." She hands a towel and a cloth to Sonehso:wa, along with a bar of soap and a set of clothes. Isaac will show you where you can sleep." Anika looks up at Sonehso:wa and he smiles at her before leaving. Bethany bustles her husband out and shuts the door.

"My, you have yourself quite an unconventional catch!" She smiles knowingly at Anika and she blushes and looks down at her lap.

"To be honest, I only recently feel this way and it rather took me by surprise, Mrs. Young."

"Well, I can't say your future together will always be easy, with the way his kind is viewed, but love is love and there's no use denying it once it arrives." Bethany places the clothes and towel for Anika down near the fire to stay warm. Anika hesitates to use the word 'love' but refrains from correcting the woman.

"Let's see about getting you cleaned up then?"

"That will be wonderful." Bethany helps Anika painfully get out of her corset and shift, tsking at her scratches and bruises and the cut on her breast. By the time Anika is bathed and dressed in one of Sarah's shifts, smelling of the rose petal soap Bethany had provided, she is exhausted. It is well past midnight when Bethany has Anika settled with blankets and pillows on the couch. She leaves, shutting the door behind her and Anika closes her eyes and sighs deeply. She finally feels clean, her hair still damp from her bath. The couch is reasonably comfortable and Anika pulls Sonehso:wa's striped blanket off the floor and spreads it on top of the other blankets. Her shoulder is aching from moving it so much while bathing and changing and she is grateful to just keep it in one place. Anika thinks about where Sonehso:wa must be, so close in the same house but seeming so far away. She misses his warm presence now despite her original aversion to his arms around her only days ago when they first started out. How things have changed! She wishes she could hear his steady heartbeat under her cheek. Closing her eyes, she breathes deeply, pulling the striped blanket up over her face. His scent is almost discernable but it just is not enough to comfort her as she drifts off.

Sammy takes the bridle of her horse as John pulls her off. Once again, her arms are pulled up behind her, Sammy's fetid breath filling her nose and making her gag. This time, he cuts her dress open, tearing through with his knife and slashing roughly at the laces of her corset, gouging her skin with the knife. Her shoulder aches as she struggles and screams silently, unable to call out to Sonehso:wa, who she knows is only a short distance away. Sammy reaches for her, his black teeth showing as he grins at his prize. Anika struggles again, fighting to scream, her shoulder burning in pain as the man roughly pulls her clothes aside, exposing her breasts. She turns her head away and Sonehso:wa is lying face down in the snow, covered in blood with the knife he keeps sheathed on his chest buried to the hilt in his back. Anika finally manages to scream, knowing her fate is sealed and no one will help her now.

Sonehso:wa listens to Anika's distress through the door of her room, his hand on the handle. He had been lying sleeplessly despite his fatigue when he started to hear her and had risen and walked to the closed door of the living room. Her noises are typical of a nightmare and he wants to wake her from her torment. A creak on the stairs makes him turn to look behind him and Mrs. Young approaches, holding her shawl around her shoulders.

"What are you doing? I heard noises." She whispers.

"Anika is dreaming something bad. I wish to awaken her." Bethany furrows her brow and looks sternly up at Sonehso:wa. He is not wearing a shirt, only the soft fabric pants she had given him earlier in the evening. His earrings, necklace and bracelets still adorn him, appearing bright in the moonlight against his dark skin. She cannot make out his facial expression but she knows he cares deeply for the young woman. Anika cries out loudly and Sonehso:wa faces the door and turns the handle.

"I must go to her," Bethany sighs with resignation and does not protest the inappropriateness of him entering the sleeping place of her guest. After all, they had spent several days with only each other for company and must have shared the one sleeping roll and blanket. She would be fool to think that they were not in each other's arms before now. Inside the living room, Sonehso:wa kneels by Anika's side next to the couch and places his hand on her. Bethany sighs again and turns away, leaving them alone. She hears them quietly talking as she makes her way back upstairs.

In the bedroom, Sonehso:wa kneels by Anika, watching as she twitches on the couch, her left shoulder trapped against the cushion and under his blanket. The blanket is under her shoulder and looped over her left arm but then trapped under the weight of her body. She has pushed it down from her right side and her right arm is gripping the blanket near her left elbow. She cries out again and he strokes her face lightly, whispering to her in Ogwehoweh to wake her. Her eyes open wide as she startles awake, wincing in pain.

"Jitkwa:'e, it was just a dream. You are safe."

"Sonehso:wa! They killed you and I had no one to help me." She takes his elbow with her right hand and tries to reach for him with her left arm but the pain and blanket stop her. Sonehso:wa tugs the blanket out from under her side, freeing her left arm.

"Who killed me?"

"Those men from yesterday. It was so real. The blood… your own knife in your back!" His eyes narrow for a brief moment at her description, but then he smoothes his face of worry. Sonehso:wa extricates Anika from where she is trapped against the couch cushion by sliding his left hand behind her neck and easing her toward him slightly with his right hand on her left side. She smells of wild roses.

"Put it out of your mind. It cannot happen." Anika sits up on the couch and pulls the blanket up as she shivers. Sonehso:wa sits down on her left. The small amount of moonlight shining into the room highlights the muscles on Sonehso:wa's torso and shoulders as he reaches for her, taking her in his arms. She leans against him and he caresses her hair. Defying the pain, she raises her left arm and places her palm on his stomach, feeling his warm, bare skin against her hand and cheek. Anika closes her eyes and turns her face in to his chest, breathing deeply of his clean, warm, earthy scent that she could not get from the blanket. He breathes slowly and Anika reaches high with her right arm and runs her hand down his back, stopping where the knife had been in her dream. She moves his hair aside with her fingers and presses her palm to his back, assuring herself that his skin is smooth and unbroken, warm with life and breath. Sonehso:wa touches the fingertips of his right hand to her cheek, kisses her head and then cups her face in his palm. Anika has never felt so cared for in this way by anyone.

"You should sleep if you can, Jitkwa:'e. We have much to do tomorrow." Anika tilts her face up to him and he lightly grazes his thumb over her bottom lip. She cannot bear the thought of him getting up and leaving her now.

"Stay with me." He stares at her upturned face. She asks him to do the very thing he wishes for as if he might refuse her. He slides his fingers into her hair, sweeping it off of her face and tilting her head farther back as he lowers his face to hers to kiss her slowly in answer. Her mouth is soft as their lips touch. Sonehso:wa brushes his lips lightly over hers and then presses against them, pushing his bottom lip between hers. She opens her mouth to him and he flicks his tongue just inside as he kisses her, making her clutch at his back. Taking her bottom lip in his mouth, he holds it enough to let it slide from his lips only when he draws back slowly. He lingers near her lips, considering kissing her further but as night is passing by quickly, he refrains. Kissing her has strengthened his desire for her so much he has to fight to lean away from her face. He returns his hand to her face and sits straighter, bringing her head to his chest, knowing she will hear how fast his heart is beating. Anika sighs and trails her fingers through the bottom half of his hair until he moves his hand to the corner of her neck and shoulder, lightly pressing his fingers against her, causing her to lean back from him and rest her hand on his arm.

"We should sleep," he says softly. Anika nods and curls her fingers against his bicep. He lies against Anika's pillow and she stands up so he can bring his left leg up onto the couch. Too tall to fit, he bends his knee and slides down until his head is resting on the pillow. Raising his left arm, he motions to Anika to come to him and she sits between his legs and tucks the end of the blanket over Sonehso:wa's leg. He takes her lightly in his arms as she leans over him, her position giving him an entrancing view of her cleavage, the fullness of her breasts free of the constricting corset and the dark line of her cut visible against her pale skin. She lowers herself down on his stomach, curling her legs up and tucking her right arm down beside Sonehso:wa with her hand under his shoulder. She rests her cheek on his chest and carefully puts her left arm over his stomach and her hand on his side. He pulls the blanket up and lifts his right leg over her bent legs, tucking his calf into the bend of her knees. They both settle themselves comfortably and Sonehso:wa drapes his left arm over Anika's back. He reaches up and strokes her face with his right hand, tucking her silky hair behind her ear and tracing her jaw with a finger.

Anika closes her eyes and is overcome by her emotions. How can she feel this way about a man she met days ago? She wants nothing more than to be with him forever. She doesn't care if no one accepts their relationship, as long as they are together. Nothing feels as right as when his arms are around her. He continues to lightly trace her jaw with his fingers and she sighs in contentment, hugging him as much as she can without hurting her shoulder excessively. Sonehso:wa tightens his arm across her back and bends slightly to kiss the top of her head, the muscles in his abdomen bunching under her arm as he does. With the lightest touch, he moves his hand from her face to her upper arm and then to her elbow. He shifts his body slightly under her, breathing deeply and Anika wants this moment to last forever; each sensation, every heartbeat, the smell of his skin and the warmth of their bodies together.