Usual disclaimers. bleedin' disclaimers!
***
Little Feather staggered into village for despite his bravado before Jack he had been hurt worse than he would admit. His shoulder had dislocated by the falling rocks and he was badly bruised - running through the thick trees had not helped. Slowing his breathing, he walked towards his father's house - a log cabin in the style of the frontiersmen. The Chickasaw happily absorbed ideas and materials from other tribes and the white men into their apparel and lifestyles.
He was spotted by some of the women of the tribe as they tended the maize fields. The women muttered between themselves at his return, and soon he found himself surrounded by the tribe. His father was Lofty Eagle, the Chief of the small village, or "Minko" as he was known in their native tongue. He waited on the porch silver armbands gleaming in the sunlight. "You have returned Little Feather," he declared. "Come, we would hear more!" They parted allowing him to ascend the steps. His father embraced him warmly, leading him inside.
He walked into the shade of the cabin but stopped suddenly. Before him stood his mother, her hair unwashed in mourning. She gasped, reaching out to touch him. "Little Feather!" He hugged his mother warmly, but a hand on his shoulder pulled him away.
"The Elders and I would hear your tale."
He nodded to his father and returned to the covered porch. The Elders were gathering in the shade and he sat cross-legged on the floor before them. He explained how he had been taken with a number of warriors by the French and forced to work in the coal mine. "It was Crazy Bird that helped me escape - a white man from the sea to the south."
"A white man?" His father frowned.
"He is an enemy of the older Lact who sails the same seas." He paused. "English."
His father nodded, understanding. The English had formed an alliance with the Chickasaw, providing them with arms in order to fight the French. "The mine will be watched to see if we can take it."
"Crazy Bird wanted us to watch for his wife. He said she would come."
"A woman?"
"Crazy Bird puts great faith in her father. He said she was short, had hair the colour of a sunset and fought like a man." His father pondered this information. "She is marked by a tattoo on her arm - a bird over the sea in front of the sun."
"I will order the scouts to watch for her."
***
Isaac escorted Catherine back to his office where he had ordered a lunch readied for them on their return and he was pleased to see it was ready. "Perhaps you would care for something to eat before returning Catherine..."
She smiled. "I would be delighted to Isaac, merci!"
"You seem quiet..."
"I was just thinking that better hygiene would improve the life of your workers..."
He realised that she was referring to the lower shaft. "They are just animals Catherine, and easily replaced..."
"Of course, I am sorry - forgive my feminine heart..."
"Catherine, I fear I would forgive you anything. Excuse me if I seem hasty, especially since you are only recently widowed, but I was wondering if I could court you... women are scarce on the frontier and beautiful ones even rarer!"
She looked at him, shocked. "Isaac, it has not yet been two weeks!"
"Forgive me Catherine... I had also hoped that it would give you some protection against Olivier..."
She nodded sadly. "He killed Oran - but you know that don't you? Even if he did not pull the trigger, his finger was on it!"
"Accept my offer and he will not touch you - I promise!"
A shadow crossed the doorway and she looked up, paling when she saw Besoe leaning on the doorpost. "I accept," she whispered.
"Accept what Madame Catherine?" Olivier Besoe frowned.
"She has accepted my offer of courtship Olivier," Isaac smiled, delighted by the flash of anger across the other man's face. "But what are you doing at the mine?"
"Monsieur Lact sent me to escort Mistress Catherine home when she is ready to return." He strode into the office, helping himself to a glass of wine. "But I can wait..."
"I had better go Isaac - thank you for the tour. Cécile will be needing help with the dinner..."
He nodded, rising and kissing her hand. "May I call on you?"
She smiled. "Of course."
Isaac walked out to her horse with her, cupping his hand so as to assist her to mount. Reaching into his waistband he handed her a pistol in a small leather holster. "Do you know how to use this?" She nodded. "It is loaded with one shot... beware of the savages." Somehow she suspected that his comment included her escort. She strapped the pistol to her saddle, having nowhere to wear it when in her dark golden dress.
"Merci Isaac," she smiled. Gathering her reins she followed Olivier out through the gate for the short ride back to the house. He forced the pace, a fast gallop along the rutted track. Catherine tried to steer her mount to the side of the road where the ground was less churned.
"Keep close," he ordered. "I thought I saw signs of the savages on my way out!"
Reluctantly she rode closer, then screamed in terror as her mount lurched, his leg catching in one of the ruts and breaking with a sickening crack. She hit the ground with a thud, thankful that it had been softened by rain the night before, rolling a short distance in the long grass.
Olivier Besoe reined his horse to a halt, stopping a short distance down the track. He rode back towards her. "Madame! Are you alright?" He reached down from his mount offering her his hand.
Groggily she rose, panicked to realise that her dress had torn, revealing her tattoo.
He looked at her, eyes wide with shock as he realised her true identity. "Sparrow!" he hissed, grabbing her wrist and hauling her towards him.
Punching him in the face she pulled away, running through the long grass, but he rode her down. Frantically she dived to one side, cursing the long dress she wore.
***
Silent Wolf held up his hand. "Wait!" he ordered, watching the woman fight the man on horseback. He had orders from Lofty Eagle to watch for a woman with sunset hair and he had found one. A swift series of hand gestures sent his warriors circling the combatants.
***
Catherine ran to where her horse lay, ducking and rolling twice as Olivier Besoe tried to catch her. Diving through the mud her hand drew the pistol, aiming and firing it as he rode towards her again. Her shot took him through the heart - clean, quick and deadly. His horse panicked, galloping back towards the house with his body trailing behind, caught by his heel in the stirrups.
She looked sadly at the gelding, stroking it's forelock from his eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I cannot ease your passing..." She pulled her dress straight, turning away from the track... and screamed! An Indian was standing immediately before her.
***
Shall I leave it there... am I feeling evil... nah! Just three chapters being posted today though as I have tons of housework to do!
***
Little Feather staggered into village for despite his bravado before Jack he had been hurt worse than he would admit. His shoulder had dislocated by the falling rocks and he was badly bruised - running through the thick trees had not helped. Slowing his breathing, he walked towards his father's house - a log cabin in the style of the frontiersmen. The Chickasaw happily absorbed ideas and materials from other tribes and the white men into their apparel and lifestyles.
He was spotted by some of the women of the tribe as they tended the maize fields. The women muttered between themselves at his return, and soon he found himself surrounded by the tribe. His father was Lofty Eagle, the Chief of the small village, or "Minko" as he was known in their native tongue. He waited on the porch silver armbands gleaming in the sunlight. "You have returned Little Feather," he declared. "Come, we would hear more!" They parted allowing him to ascend the steps. His father embraced him warmly, leading him inside.
He walked into the shade of the cabin but stopped suddenly. Before him stood his mother, her hair unwashed in mourning. She gasped, reaching out to touch him. "Little Feather!" He hugged his mother warmly, but a hand on his shoulder pulled him away.
"The Elders and I would hear your tale."
He nodded to his father and returned to the covered porch. The Elders were gathering in the shade and he sat cross-legged on the floor before them. He explained how he had been taken with a number of warriors by the French and forced to work in the coal mine. "It was Crazy Bird that helped me escape - a white man from the sea to the south."
"A white man?" His father frowned.
"He is an enemy of the older Lact who sails the same seas." He paused. "English."
His father nodded, understanding. The English had formed an alliance with the Chickasaw, providing them with arms in order to fight the French. "The mine will be watched to see if we can take it."
"Crazy Bird wanted us to watch for his wife. He said she would come."
"A woman?"
"Crazy Bird puts great faith in her father. He said she was short, had hair the colour of a sunset and fought like a man." His father pondered this information. "She is marked by a tattoo on her arm - a bird over the sea in front of the sun."
"I will order the scouts to watch for her."
***
Isaac escorted Catherine back to his office where he had ordered a lunch readied for them on their return and he was pleased to see it was ready. "Perhaps you would care for something to eat before returning Catherine..."
She smiled. "I would be delighted to Isaac, merci!"
"You seem quiet..."
"I was just thinking that better hygiene would improve the life of your workers..."
He realised that she was referring to the lower shaft. "They are just animals Catherine, and easily replaced..."
"Of course, I am sorry - forgive my feminine heart..."
"Catherine, I fear I would forgive you anything. Excuse me if I seem hasty, especially since you are only recently widowed, but I was wondering if I could court you... women are scarce on the frontier and beautiful ones even rarer!"
She looked at him, shocked. "Isaac, it has not yet been two weeks!"
"Forgive me Catherine... I had also hoped that it would give you some protection against Olivier..."
She nodded sadly. "He killed Oran - but you know that don't you? Even if he did not pull the trigger, his finger was on it!"
"Accept my offer and he will not touch you - I promise!"
A shadow crossed the doorway and she looked up, paling when she saw Besoe leaning on the doorpost. "I accept," she whispered.
"Accept what Madame Catherine?" Olivier Besoe frowned.
"She has accepted my offer of courtship Olivier," Isaac smiled, delighted by the flash of anger across the other man's face. "But what are you doing at the mine?"
"Monsieur Lact sent me to escort Mistress Catherine home when she is ready to return." He strode into the office, helping himself to a glass of wine. "But I can wait..."
"I had better go Isaac - thank you for the tour. Cécile will be needing help with the dinner..."
He nodded, rising and kissing her hand. "May I call on you?"
She smiled. "Of course."
Isaac walked out to her horse with her, cupping his hand so as to assist her to mount. Reaching into his waistband he handed her a pistol in a small leather holster. "Do you know how to use this?" She nodded. "It is loaded with one shot... beware of the savages." Somehow she suspected that his comment included her escort. She strapped the pistol to her saddle, having nowhere to wear it when in her dark golden dress.
"Merci Isaac," she smiled. Gathering her reins she followed Olivier out through the gate for the short ride back to the house. He forced the pace, a fast gallop along the rutted track. Catherine tried to steer her mount to the side of the road where the ground was less churned.
"Keep close," he ordered. "I thought I saw signs of the savages on my way out!"
Reluctantly she rode closer, then screamed in terror as her mount lurched, his leg catching in one of the ruts and breaking with a sickening crack. She hit the ground with a thud, thankful that it had been softened by rain the night before, rolling a short distance in the long grass.
Olivier Besoe reined his horse to a halt, stopping a short distance down the track. He rode back towards her. "Madame! Are you alright?" He reached down from his mount offering her his hand.
Groggily she rose, panicked to realise that her dress had torn, revealing her tattoo.
He looked at her, eyes wide with shock as he realised her true identity. "Sparrow!" he hissed, grabbing her wrist and hauling her towards him.
Punching him in the face she pulled away, running through the long grass, but he rode her down. Frantically she dived to one side, cursing the long dress she wore.
***
Silent Wolf held up his hand. "Wait!" he ordered, watching the woman fight the man on horseback. He had orders from Lofty Eagle to watch for a woman with sunset hair and he had found one. A swift series of hand gestures sent his warriors circling the combatants.
***
Catherine ran to where her horse lay, ducking and rolling twice as Olivier Besoe tried to catch her. Diving through the mud her hand drew the pistol, aiming and firing it as he rode towards her again. Her shot took him through the heart - clean, quick and deadly. His horse panicked, galloping back towards the house with his body trailing behind, caught by his heel in the stirrups.
She looked sadly at the gelding, stroking it's forelock from his eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I cannot ease your passing..." She pulled her dress straight, turning away from the track... and screamed! An Indian was standing immediately before her.
***
Shall I leave it there... am I feeling evil... nah! Just three chapters being posted today though as I have tons of housework to do!