The next morning shortly after breakfast Ton-a heard the sound of a horse riding in fast. She looked over at Emma who was mending a shirt and said *Is something wrong?* Emma looked a bit confused and then she heard the familiar shout from Jimmy of "Rider Comin'"
"I think Buck is back." Emma said and signed *Buck* and *here*. She was surprised that Ton-a looked more afraid than anything else, nervous would have made sense to her but afraid she simply didn't understand. Ton-a swallowed and then nodded and the two women stepped out onto the front porch and watched as Buck rode the last few feet into the yard, tossed the mochila to Cody and swung off his horse. Ike nodded to Buck from the bunkhouse porch and walked over to get his horse.
*Good ride?*
*Nothing unexpected.* Buck said with a shrug.
Ike looked past Buck to Emma's porch and then said, *you've got a visitor.*
Buck turned and saw Ton-a standing on the porch her black silken hair hanging lose around her buffalo hide robes over her deerskin dress decorated with yellow and green beadwork. Buck walked steadily over to Emma's porch as he did he listened to the distantly familiar sound of moccasins rustling across the leaves as the woman walked toward him.
"Aho" Buck said using the language of his childhood.
"Aho" Ton-a said standing straight and looking him in the eye. Feeling comfortable now that she could speak in her first language she began to speak easily. "I am Ton-a, the sister of Tosahnha." Ton-a paused looking for understanding.
"Red Bear's wife." Buck said thinking of the strong, proud woman he had met briefly when he had entered the village to trade his life for Ike's.
Ton-a nodded and then reached her closed hand out to Buck and when he looked down she opened it and revealed the necklace from Red Bear. "Walk with me." Buck said taking the necklace and putting it on reverently.
Quietly the two walked away from the station until they got to a clearing. "Why has Red Bear sent you?" Buck asked fearing the words that would come next.
"Because of my child."
Buck touched the necklace and then looked down at Ton-a. "I think we better sit." Buck said softly knowing what he was about to hear would be painful for both of them. Taking a steadying breath Buck asked, "Your child, is like me?"
"I think so. My husband certainly does." Ton-a unconsciously touched the bruise that was now slowly turning green on the left side of her face.
"He did this?" Buck reached up and touched her cheek lightly. Ton-a stiffened at the touch and Buck dropped his hand.
"Yes. He's different now." Ton-a said trying to explain his behavior, "Before, he was good. A fierce warrior, one of your brother's best, but he was injured and after he was not…his spirit changed. It became stuck in the battle where he was injured and we can't get him back."
Buck nodded, "I've seen this in old men sometimes. They get lost."
Ton-a looked away, "After it happened, he thought of me as the enemy. He said my child was evil and would destroy the Kiowa." Tears began to fall freely. "He has said he will kill her and I awoke the other morning to him kneeling above me with his knife…."
"Little sister" Buck said and wrapped his arms around Ton-a pulling her close. "You and your child are protected here. Red Bear sent you here because he knew that. Do not fear. You have my protection."
Swallowing a deep breath Ton-a pulled back from Buck and looked up, "There is more."
"I would assume so." Buck said, "You started by saying the child is like me but your husband is my brothers warrior."
Ton-a nodded. "Two soldiers came upon me while I was collecting plants. They…"She looked up at Buck not wanting to explain.
"I understand."
"I went to my sister right away. She helped me. Red Bear went and talked with my husband. He explained how his father helped your mother. How he would need to be patient. He understood and things were ok but then the battle happened and he became different. Your brother tried, the elders tried, the mothers tried but he could not hear them. He became certain that my child would destroy us, that I went to the soldiers to destroy the Kiowa." Ton-a lowered her head remembering all the words he had hurled at her, the hate he had poisoned her with. "That last night I ran to my sister and your brother. I begged to be allowed to leave the village. To be able to have my child where she could grow up away from my husband to not have her life in danger. I didn't know what else to do."
"You did what you had to. You did right by your child." Buck said and silently rubbed her back as he thought through everything she had said.
"Running Buck, I promise you as I promised Red Bear. I know my child's heart. She lives underneath mine and no mother could hold her child this close and not know who her child is. She is not evil. She is good and pure. I promise you she will not destroy the Kiowa." Tears began anew at these words and her hands clasped protectively around her unborn child.
Buck fingered the necklace and now the true reason Red Bear had sent it became clear to him. "My mother said those same words when it was found she was carrying me. Red Bear's father put this necklace on her as a sign of his protection over her and to some extent me so that she would not worry. Our mother never took it off." Buck gently laid his hand over hers, " You and your child have the protection of my whole family Ton-a, Kiowa and white. You will stay with me here, little sister, as long as you want."
"and her?" Ton-a asked almost afraid to look up.
"and her. She is also a part of our family. You are not alone."
"Thank you Running Buck."
Buck smiled and said softly, "Out here it is just Buck." Then with a slight nod of his head "Buck Cross," he said in English. "White people have a family name so they know where you come from. You will have my name" Buck explained then in English said," Cross."
"Ton-a Cross." she said in English
Buck nodded but looked at her a bit oddly. "I don't know if that's gonna keep. We might have to translate it into English like I did with Running Buck."
Ton-a nodded but said nothing more.