Usual disclaimers. blah!
***
Unarmed she could do little, so she stood her ground. He did not speak, but tore the sleeve from her dress further revealing her tattoo. He nodded to another Indian who reached to grab her, not ducking in time to avoid her fists, but a third grabbed her. She twisted, shouting, kicking and screaming as he restrained her, forcing her hands behind her back and tying them tightly. A gag stifled her screams and she found herself thrown face down across a horse. She could not understand their language, but found herself bouncing painfully as they galloped eastwards. Only when they were well away from the ambush did they pause, letting her slide gratefully to the ground.
Her legs gave way, causing her to fall to the ground again and she lay there quietly, eyes shut as she tried to get her breath. Her ribs hurt from the fall and then the undignified ride but at least they were not broken. Catherine opened her eyes as strong hands hauled her to her feet, surprised to find she was in a small village, many faces looking curiously at her as she was pushed towards a log cabin. A tall young Indian stood there, with a younger man by his side. The man looked as if he had recently been injured - his shoulder was bandaged.
Forcing her to halt, her captor held her arm firmly so that they could see the tattoo. Frightened, she kicked out at him, struggling as he restrained her. The younger Indian suddenly looked very angry and started shouting at the man that held her. He approached, reaching out to touch her hair. "Crazy Bird?" Drawing his knife he cut her bonds, pulling the gag from her mouth. "You are Crazy Bird's woman?"
Catherine was surprised to hear him speak English. She stared at him defiantly. "I don't know what you are speaking about - my husband is Jack Sparrow!"
He grabbed her arm, pointing to her tattoo. "Crazy Bird has the same! He said to watch for you!"
She looked at him, noticing for the first time the pallor of his skin. "You've been in the mine!" she gasped. "You know Jack!"
He nodded. "Yes, I am Little Feather." The Indian that brought her to the village handed him the pistol, again speaking in their native tongue. He looked at her, surprised. "Why did you kill him?"
She shrugged. "Besoe? He saw my tattoo - he knew who I was. It was him or me..."
"Crazy Bird said you fought like a warrior - I didn't believe him."
She looked around, eyes measuring the warriors. "You're going in... aren't you?" She looked up at him. "You're going to attack the mine!"
He nodded. "My father and the Elders are working out a plan - how to get in..."
She smiled, a lazy smile that reminded him of Crazy Bird. "Getting in is no problem, mate... getting out is!" He frowned. "You already have the perfect way of getting in... me! They will suspect that you killed Besoe and snatched me... the troops and guards are probably already scouring the countryside searching..."
"And..."
"Let's just say that they think I am on their side, the mine manager is sweet on me... and they still don't know who I am... savvy?"
"I will take your plan to the Elders..." Her use of the word "savvy" banished any doubts from his mind - she was Crazy Bird's woman. He turned to the warrior that had brought her to the village. "Take her to the women and see she is cared for," he ordered. He placed a restraining hand on the man's arm. "And she is a guest!" he stressed. He nodded, leading her away.
***
Louis Lact looked in disbelief as Olivier Besoe was brought before him - dead. He had been dragged by his panicking horse for two miles and his face was a bloody pulp where he had bounced along behind, trapped by his boot in the stirrup. The bullet-hole in his chest gave an obvious answer to his death.
"Madame Duras?"
"She has not returned Monsieur!" Nicolas admitted sadly.
"Send men to the mine - perhaps she has not left..."
***
Little Feather approached the meeting of the Elders. Although it was not forbidden to intrude, it was unusual. His father noticed him approach. "Little Feather?"
"The scouts have brought in the wife of Crazy Bird. She has offered us a way into the mine..." His father nodded for him to continue. "They will search for her, not realising she is in no danger. If a warrior were to ride up to the gates with her then those inside would be distracted, possibly rushing to save her. This would allow the others to go around the back to free those in the mine with little opposition."
"How do we know we can trust her?" Black Hawk, eldest of the Elders wheezed. "She could be a spy!"
"Crazy Bird helped me escape - she bears the same tattoo as he does! Plus she is as he described her..."
Lofty Eagle frowned. "Bring her - we would judge ourselves!"
Little Feather nodded. He guessed that Grey Owl would have taken her to Flying Dove, his mother, and headed towards her cabin. He found the place in uproar as Crazy Bird's woman refused to wash or change her torn clothes. She looked relieved at his approach. "Will you please explain that if I go with you I cannot change!" she pleaded. "All I need is a bandage to cover my arm before we leave!"
Little Feather smiled. Crazy Bird had been right about his wife thinking tactically - few people stood up to or argued with Flying Dove and here she was doing exactly that within five minutes of arrival. "She is right... the French will be suspicious if she has changed her clothes." He nodded to her. "The Elders wish to see you..."
"She cannot go to the Elders like that!" Flying Dove exploded. "Look at her!"
"They want to see her like this!" He turned to Catherine. "Come!"
Eager to escape the elderly woman she followed him closely. "Thanks," she smiled.
"You may not thank me when you meet the Elders."
She shrugged and continued to follow him, having to run slightly to keep up. He looked back at her, slowing his pace. He smiled as he remembered Crazy Bird telling him how short his wife was. "How has Jack been?" she asked. "I didn't get much privacy with Isaac and ten guards around me..."
He stopped, looking at her. She was biting her lip - another thing that Crazy Bird had mentioned about his wife.
"Please?"
"He's survived... like all must in that hell pit!" His face softened a little. "But he was always speaking of you.." He could see tears welling in her eyes, although she did not cry. "Come, we must not keep the Elders waiting!"
He led her to a quiet corner of the village, shaded by a number of large gnarled trees. Seven elderly men sat in a circle with a slightly younger one who wore a mantle of white swan feathers. "Father - this is Crazy Bird's woman."
The younger of the eight men approached, studying her carefully. He walked closer, touching her hair and examining her tattoo. "What is your name?"
"Catherine Sparrow." She paused. "Although Jack and the crew call me Kitty."
Seeming satisfied he nodded, turning to Little Feather. "I will assemble the warriors - you are responsible for the woman. We attack at dusk!"
Little Feather placed his hand on her arm, guiding her away from the Elders. "Come, let us see to hiding that tattoo..."
"You're not taking me back to..."
He smiled. "No, I will take you to my mother."
***
***
Unarmed she could do little, so she stood her ground. He did not speak, but tore the sleeve from her dress further revealing her tattoo. He nodded to another Indian who reached to grab her, not ducking in time to avoid her fists, but a third grabbed her. She twisted, shouting, kicking and screaming as he restrained her, forcing her hands behind her back and tying them tightly. A gag stifled her screams and she found herself thrown face down across a horse. She could not understand their language, but found herself bouncing painfully as they galloped eastwards. Only when they were well away from the ambush did they pause, letting her slide gratefully to the ground.
Her legs gave way, causing her to fall to the ground again and she lay there quietly, eyes shut as she tried to get her breath. Her ribs hurt from the fall and then the undignified ride but at least they were not broken. Catherine opened her eyes as strong hands hauled her to her feet, surprised to find she was in a small village, many faces looking curiously at her as she was pushed towards a log cabin. A tall young Indian stood there, with a younger man by his side. The man looked as if he had recently been injured - his shoulder was bandaged.
Forcing her to halt, her captor held her arm firmly so that they could see the tattoo. Frightened, she kicked out at him, struggling as he restrained her. The younger Indian suddenly looked very angry and started shouting at the man that held her. He approached, reaching out to touch her hair. "Crazy Bird?" Drawing his knife he cut her bonds, pulling the gag from her mouth. "You are Crazy Bird's woman?"
Catherine was surprised to hear him speak English. She stared at him defiantly. "I don't know what you are speaking about - my husband is Jack Sparrow!"
He grabbed her arm, pointing to her tattoo. "Crazy Bird has the same! He said to watch for you!"
She looked at him, noticing for the first time the pallor of his skin. "You've been in the mine!" she gasped. "You know Jack!"
He nodded. "Yes, I am Little Feather." The Indian that brought her to the village handed him the pistol, again speaking in their native tongue. He looked at her, surprised. "Why did you kill him?"
She shrugged. "Besoe? He saw my tattoo - he knew who I was. It was him or me..."
"Crazy Bird said you fought like a warrior - I didn't believe him."
She looked around, eyes measuring the warriors. "You're going in... aren't you?" She looked up at him. "You're going to attack the mine!"
He nodded. "My father and the Elders are working out a plan - how to get in..."
She smiled, a lazy smile that reminded him of Crazy Bird. "Getting in is no problem, mate... getting out is!" He frowned. "You already have the perfect way of getting in... me! They will suspect that you killed Besoe and snatched me... the troops and guards are probably already scouring the countryside searching..."
"And..."
"Let's just say that they think I am on their side, the mine manager is sweet on me... and they still don't know who I am... savvy?"
"I will take your plan to the Elders..." Her use of the word "savvy" banished any doubts from his mind - she was Crazy Bird's woman. He turned to the warrior that had brought her to the village. "Take her to the women and see she is cared for," he ordered. He placed a restraining hand on the man's arm. "And she is a guest!" he stressed. He nodded, leading her away.
***
Louis Lact looked in disbelief as Olivier Besoe was brought before him - dead. He had been dragged by his panicking horse for two miles and his face was a bloody pulp where he had bounced along behind, trapped by his boot in the stirrup. The bullet-hole in his chest gave an obvious answer to his death.
"Madame Duras?"
"She has not returned Monsieur!" Nicolas admitted sadly.
"Send men to the mine - perhaps she has not left..."
***
Little Feather approached the meeting of the Elders. Although it was not forbidden to intrude, it was unusual. His father noticed him approach. "Little Feather?"
"The scouts have brought in the wife of Crazy Bird. She has offered us a way into the mine..." His father nodded for him to continue. "They will search for her, not realising she is in no danger. If a warrior were to ride up to the gates with her then those inside would be distracted, possibly rushing to save her. This would allow the others to go around the back to free those in the mine with little opposition."
"How do we know we can trust her?" Black Hawk, eldest of the Elders wheezed. "She could be a spy!"
"Crazy Bird helped me escape - she bears the same tattoo as he does! Plus she is as he described her..."
Lofty Eagle frowned. "Bring her - we would judge ourselves!"
Little Feather nodded. He guessed that Grey Owl would have taken her to Flying Dove, his mother, and headed towards her cabin. He found the place in uproar as Crazy Bird's woman refused to wash or change her torn clothes. She looked relieved at his approach. "Will you please explain that if I go with you I cannot change!" she pleaded. "All I need is a bandage to cover my arm before we leave!"
Little Feather smiled. Crazy Bird had been right about his wife thinking tactically - few people stood up to or argued with Flying Dove and here she was doing exactly that within five minutes of arrival. "She is right... the French will be suspicious if she has changed her clothes." He nodded to her. "The Elders wish to see you..."
"She cannot go to the Elders like that!" Flying Dove exploded. "Look at her!"
"They want to see her like this!" He turned to Catherine. "Come!"
Eager to escape the elderly woman she followed him closely. "Thanks," she smiled.
"You may not thank me when you meet the Elders."
She shrugged and continued to follow him, having to run slightly to keep up. He looked back at her, slowing his pace. He smiled as he remembered Crazy Bird telling him how short his wife was. "How has Jack been?" she asked. "I didn't get much privacy with Isaac and ten guards around me..."
He stopped, looking at her. She was biting her lip - another thing that Crazy Bird had mentioned about his wife.
"Please?"
"He's survived... like all must in that hell pit!" His face softened a little. "But he was always speaking of you.." He could see tears welling in her eyes, although she did not cry. "Come, we must not keep the Elders waiting!"
He led her to a quiet corner of the village, shaded by a number of large gnarled trees. Seven elderly men sat in a circle with a slightly younger one who wore a mantle of white swan feathers. "Father - this is Crazy Bird's woman."
The younger of the eight men approached, studying her carefully. He walked closer, touching her hair and examining her tattoo. "What is your name?"
"Catherine Sparrow." She paused. "Although Jack and the crew call me Kitty."
Seeming satisfied he nodded, turning to Little Feather. "I will assemble the warriors - you are responsible for the woman. We attack at dusk!"
Little Feather placed his hand on her arm, guiding her away from the Elders. "Come, let us see to hiding that tattoo..."
"You're not taking me back to..."
He smiled. "No, I will take you to my mother."
***