Chapter Four
"Alicia, are you okay?" came a worried voice.
"Blue Fire!" exclaimed the frightened blonde, looking harder at the Indian's face. The bronzed cheeks, the proud chin, the beautiful eyes... It was her Indian!
My Indian? Where'd that come from? she thought, briefly, giving the woman a fierce hug before she had time to talk herself out of it. A fleeting thought entered her head, about how nice the smell of deerskin mixed with Blue Fire was, but she pushed it away.
The tall woman started at the sudden gesture, and slowly wrapped her arms around the smaller woman, returning the hug, uncertainly. "What is wrong?" the woman asked, still worried.
Alicia pulled back, a little embarrassed. "I just scared myself, that's all. I heard the Apache warriors nearby, and then I saw you at the door. I didn't recognize you!" she said.
Robyn raised an eyebrow at her. "So I see," she smirked. "These are more comfortable. Do you mind?"
The blonde shook her head. "No, it's okay," she said. "They definitely make you look Indian. I'm afraid you can't wear them to town," Alicia pointed out, gently, and Blue Fire nodded.
"I know," she said, sitting on the couch. "I will wear brother's clothes, if I go."
"You said you'd be back by dusk. I was getting worried," she admitted.
Blue Fire smiled a little. I knew it, she thought. "I am sorry to worry you," she said, honestly, "but Apache were looking for me, and had to hide in the trees for a little while. Did not find me," she added, grinning.
"Are you okay?"
The Indian nodded. "I am fine," she said. "They did not see me, and I made it back here safe. They will not track me here."
"It's getting late, I think we'd better get some sleep," suggested the rancher, and Blue Fire agreed, lying down on the couch. "Good night, Robyn."
"Good night," replied the Indian, her eyes already closed. Carefully listening for any sounds that might mean the Apache were approaching, the woman fell asleep only when she was sure the small woman a few rooms away would be safe for the night.
The next morning, Alicia woke to find that she was the only one in the house - Blue Fire was gone! Worried, the blonde noticed that the Indian's things were also gone, their place at the end of the sofa bare, and she rushed out the door, calling the woman's name as loud as she could.
In an instant, Robyn sped into view, running full speed from the forest. Alicia started for a moment, not used to seeing the woman in her native deerskin garb, but found it only served to enhance her appearance.
"Alicia!" she cried, concerned, ready for anything. Had an Apache made their way into the house? Was she hurt? What had frightened the woman badly enough to call her name in a panic? "What is wrong?"
"You're here?" questioned the blonde, hopefully, and Robyn frowned a little.
"Yes," the Indian confirmed. "I only went into the forest to be with Winter Escape." As if on cue, the Palomino wandered out of the forest, nudging the tall woman's hand when she got close enough.
"I… I didn't see your things, and I thought you left," admitted the woman, suddenly feeling foolish. "What are you doing up so early?" she asked, quickly changing the subject. It was dawn, and judging by the sweat on the woman's brow, she'd been outside for a while.
"Could not sleep, and is good to be with horse often," she explained. "And I was also getting izee… medicine."
Alicia was immediately alert. "Are you sick?" she asked, earnestly.
Blue Fire shook her head. "No," she assured the blonde, "but new horse is not healthy. Is coughing." Green eyes widened, and Alicia raced to the barn, only to find Mystic's young foal lying down on the hay, harsh coughs wracking its small body. A concerned mother stood over her filly, nuzzling it, urgently trying to get her to stand.
"No," whispered the blonde, going to the fallen horse's side, stroking the sweat-soaked neck. "No, you can't get sick. Please get better," she pleaded, knowing the future of the Ranch was on the shoulders of every foal that was born, tears streaming down her face as she held the filly.
Blue Fire gently pulled her to her feet, and motioned for her to leave. "Go," she said, withdrawing her knife as she spoke. "I will help horse. You do not need to see."
"I want to stay!" protested the blonde, and Robyn used her height to her advantage, towering over the smaller woman.
"Your worry will do no good here!" she said, ordering the woman out once more. "Dinyaa! Go, now! Do not return until I say," the Indian added, firmly. Reluctantly, the blonde left the barn, closing the door behind her.
While the rancher mended another broken length of fence, Blue Fire never exited the barn, spending the entire day in with the sick horse. Alicia never once saw her come out to eat, or drink.
She only saw the Indian once that day, when she was washing her clothes, and the woman retrieved a bucket of water, but refused to even look at the blonde. Alicia had a feeling anything she said would be ignored, so she didn't ask any questions, but wondered what was going on.
When nightfall came, and Alicia was too tired to stay awake any longer, she collapsed into bed, praying that Blue Fire would be able to heal the young colt. Two mares were pregnant, and due soon, but Alicia needed all the foals she could get. Losing even one could be devastating to the upholding of the Ranch.
Just before dawn, not long after Alicia had finally fallen asleep, she awoke to a hand on her shoulder.
"Alicia," called Blue Fire, softly. "Alicia, wake up. You must come with me." Instantly awake at the thought of a dying colt, the blonde sprang to her feet, not caring in the slightest that all she wore was her nightgown.
"Come," beckoned the Indian, leading Alicia out to the barn. "Look." Pointing to a small bundle in the hay, the blonde broke out into a happy grin when she realized she was looking at a newborn foal, a proud Belle still cleaning the colt.
"And the other one?" asked Alicia, biting her lip.
The smile remained on Robyn's face, much to Alicia's delight. "Needs rest, but will be fine," she said, a little startled when the blonde gave her a strong hug. The Indian returned the gesture awkwardly, but tightly nonetheless.
"You must be exhausted," said Alicia, taking the tall woman's arm, and tugging her out of the barn, towards the house. "You need to sleep."
Blue Fire grinned. "Day is new," she said, pointing to the rising sun. "Cannot sleep now."
"You haven't slept in over a day," the blonde pointed out, "and you need your rest so you don't get sick. Please, humor me. Just rest for a while, and we'll go into town later today to pick up more feed for the horses."
The Indian sighed. She didn't want to go into the white man's town, because it meant she had to be Robyn, not Blue Fire, and couldn't wear her own clothes, or speak her own language. But, the small blonde seemed to be looking forward to it, so the tall woman nodded.
"Very well," she conceded, sitting down on the couch. "I will rest, and then retrieve my things from the forest. After that, I will change, and we can go to town." Alicia agreed, and prepared breakfast after she changed clothes, not surprised at all when the Indian was asleep before it was ready to eat.
She really is kind, thought the blonde. How can anyone want to kill her people? Well, let anyone in town just try to lay a finger on her! she thought, hotly. I'll give them a piece of my mind, up one side and down the other!
Waking the Indian a while later to eat breakfast, the two ate in silence, Alicia thinking of how good it was, now that she had two healthy colts, and Blue Fire secretly dreading the upcoming trip to town.
"Well, I'll make sure the wagon's ready while you get your things and change, if you want," offered Alicia, and Blue Fire agreed, heading out into the forest at a slow jog. A few minutes later, clothed in jeans and a shirt, looking very much like a rugged outlaw, the tall woman climbed into the wagon beside the blonde.
Alicia bit her lip as she looked at the woman, and a frown creased her forehead.
"What?" asked Robyn, aware of the scrutiny.
The blonde sighed. "Robyn, you're barefoot," she pointed out. "You have to wear shoes around town, or people will suspect something. And you can't wear your moccasins."
She thought for a moment. "I don't think I have anything that would fit you… we'll just have to get you some boots in town," she decided, finally.
Blue Fire eyed her for a time. She didn't like the idea of the woman spending money on her, since she assumed by the blonde's reaction to the sick horse that she needed the income.
"Will your man trade?" she asked, and Alicia nodded. "I will trade for shoes, you will not buy."
"I don't mind, Blue Fire," insisted the kind blonde. "You don't have to trade anything you have, just for shoes. Please, let me do this for you - consider it your payment for helping me with the horses, since I don't give you a weekly rate."
The Indian didn't like it, but reluctantly agreed, deciding that when the deep verdant eyes locked with her own, there was nothing she wouldn't do for this woman.
What? What am I thinking? she asked herself. This is a white woman! How is it that I feel like helping her, just by the look in her eyes?
"Very well," she sighed, keeping in mind that she still had some furs along to trade with if she found anything else she needed.
With that settled, Alicia clicked her tongue, and gently snapped the reins, and Thunder started down the road, towing the two occupants and small wagon behind him, a slow trail of dust following after them.
Arriving at the edge of the small town, Blue Fire was aware of the numerous small stores that lined either side of the street. Her sensitive hearing picked up on the sounds of a fight from one of the few saloons, many hoof beats as dozens of people moved through the path, and even more voices chatting idly with one another.
Although she was unable to read the names of any of the buildings, she could tell there was a bank, a hotel, numerous saloons, barber shops - places where white people paid to, of all things, have their hair cut - and even a general store.
Which was where Alicia decided to stop. Pulling Thunder to a halt, she tied the reins to a weathered hitching post just outside the store, and then walked inside, Blue Fire not far behind.
"Alicia!" greeted the man behind the counter, as he waved goodbye to a previous customer, and the blonde smiled at him. Lauren Mills was a kind old man, with wrinkles lining his smiling face, gray hairs beginning to pepper his otherwise black crop of hair, dark green eyes dancing as his favorite rancher walked in the door.
"Hello, Lauren," she said, giving the man a quick hug over the counter.
"How are you doing?"
"Fine," she replied. "Mystic just birthed a filly, and so did Belle. Sugar's due anytime now. Oh, this is Robyn, she's helping me around the Ranch, training the mustang, and so on. Robyn, this is Lauren - he owns this store," she introduced, and the Indian shook the man's hand.
"Nice to meet you, Robyn," he said. "Any friend of Alicia's is a friend of mine." The woman just smiled a little, and nodded, before glancing down at Alicia, as if to ask what she was supposed to do.
"Lauren, I need some feed for the horses," said the blonde, and the man nodded, pointing to the back of the store.
"Help yourself," he said. "If you need any help, just holler. I've got Brian helping me out today. He's in the back, doing inventory and checking the new shipments, but I can bring him out if you need anything," he offered.
"Finally got his Ma to let him have a job, hm?" asked Alicia, and Lauren chuckled.
"Yep," he agreed. "Youngster's got a good back, and strong legs. He does most of the heavy stuff, so if you need something carried out, just let me know."
Alicia smiled, and made her way to the back of the store, Robyn close behind. They walked past the shelves of various candies, canned and bagged foods, and small toys for the kids. Dinnerware was next, followed by a sparse amount of books, paper, and writing charcoal. Quills and ink were nearby, as well as lanterns, matches, and the like.
Finally, all the way in the back, was a barrel of oats, empty bags to fill, full bags to take, and fruits and vegetables. Most ran along the lines of carrots and apples, the fresher variety being out front, available to the passersby for inspection and purchase.
"Alicia!" came a voice, and a young man approached the two. He had shaggy blonde hair, and deep brown eyes. He was a little taller than Alicia, with a stocky build, and Blue Fire had no doubt he indeed did the leg work for the owner of the store, if this was Brian.
"Daniel, is that you?" exclaimed the woman, enveloping the young boy in a quick hug. "My, you've grown so much since the last time I saw you! How's your mother?"
"Good," smiled the boy. "She's busy with my baby sister, though - she just turned two, so she's a real handful." Blue Fire noted the fluctuation of his voice, and realized he was just entering puberty - a mother with a two-year-old and a teenager. She'd pray for her.
Alicia smiled. "I remember you when you were that age," she said, and he blushed. "You were quite the troublemaker, too. How old are you, now?"
"Thirteen," he said, proudly. "I just came to get some cloth for my mother, and to check up on Brian, when I noticed you were here, so I figured I'd see if you needed anything," he said, politely. "Either of you," he said, turning towards Robyn, subtly asking to be introduced to the tall woman.
"Danny, this is my friend, Robyn, she's helping me with the Ranch. Robyn, this is Danny, Brian's younger brother," she introduced, and the Indian shook the boy's hand, frowning when he gripped her wrist tightly, and turned her hand so he could get a better look at her tattoo.
Eyeing her carefully, he released her hand, and spat at her, missing her face by inches. "Injun trash," he hissed, balling his hands into fists, preparing to fight her. "You killed my father, and stole our horses."
The Indian didn't move, not even when the lad took the first swing, and connected hard with her jaw. She refused to defend herself, when the accusations upon her people were true, especially when the boy was Alicia's friend.
The blow caused her to take a step back, but she quickly regained her balance, and stood tall again, her hands down by her sides. Alicia noticed the way they were slowly clenching and unclenching, a sign of her growing anger, but had to be impressed by the self-control the tall woman was demonstrating.
Alicia knew the young boy was distraught over the loss of his father, just a few months before, to an Apache hunting party, but didn't think he'd act upon it. Of course, she didn't think he'd run into them, much less realize that Robyn was an Indian.
"Daniel, stop this!" cried the blonde, stepping in between them before the fight could escalate any further.
The young boy had tears in his eyes. "She killed my Pa! He was only tending to the horses! You should be dead, not my Pa!" he shouted at the Indian, who gave no outward sign that she heard, although her heart took the blunt of the blow.
"Stay here," Alicia told Robyn, and then took hold of the young man's arm, dragging him aside, glad there didn't seem to be anyone else in the store. "Daniel, I know you're upset, and I know you miss your father, but Robyn didn't kill him. Listen, Danny, please - you can't tell anyone that she's Apache, because they'll hurt her."
"She deserves it!" he said, wiping at his eyes.
"No, Daniel!" insisted the blonde woman, looking deeply into the boy's eyes, trying to get him to understand. "She's not Apache, not really. I don't know why, but her people have turned her away. She said that she's no longer welcome there," admitted Alicia. "Please, Daniel, she's my friend. She's welcome at my house - please don't take that away from her."
Daniel looked away, frowning as he thought about his friend's request. "Only if you can promise me she won't come around my ma's house. 'Cause if she does, I'll kill her," he snapped, before storming away, snatching the bought cloth from the counter as he passed, angrily.
Alicia sighed, and returned to where Blue Fire was waiting for her. "I'm sorry about that," she said, and the Indian just nodded.
"He is right," was all she said, but Alicia could see it in her blue eyes that she had been hurt by the accusations. "Still must shop?" she asked, with a sigh, and the blonde woman nodded.
"We need to get you some shoes, but then we can go." Agreeing, Blue Fire followed Alicia as she called Lauren to help them find the right fit, and the Indian sat still, allowing the man to place numerous choices before her.
She was trying on one pair, which were similar to her own moccasins, when she happened to notice Alicia eyeing a set of jade earrings with interest.
Lauren, sensing a sale, approached her with, "Lovely, aren't they?"
"Very," confirmed the blonde.
"You know, they're the only ones I have like that," the man continued. "Hand-crafted, just came in from Denver. Ten dollars."
"Oh, no, thank you," smiled the woman, swallowing hard as she replaced the jewelry on its stand. "Only looking. I'll load the feed onto the wagon, and meet you outside, okay?" she asked, and Blue Fire nodded.
"This should cover the shoes," she said, handing the man a few bills, before heading for the door. Finding the pair she wanted, Blue Fire slipped them on, and Lauren asked her if that was all.
The Indian shook her head. "One more thing," she said, motioning the shopkeeper closer, glad she'd decided to bring her pack in with her.
"Get what you wanted?" asked Alicia, as Blue Fire climbed up beside her.
"Yes," replied the tall woman, and they were on their way home, the blonde completely unaware of the small box in Robyn's bag, and the two furs now in the General Store