Chapter Seven
The blonde was watching the sunset, keeping a close eye out for the tall woman she worried about, and a smile rose to the surface when she saw the unmistakable form of her Apache friend on the horizon. Alicia raised an eyebrow at the woman as she walked into the house, very clearly holding something under her jacket.
"What is it?" she asked, and the tall Indian met her gaze.
"His mother was killed by traps," Robyn explained, not withdrawing the small bundle. She was going to make sure Alicia would keep him, at least for the night, before she let her know what it was. "Found him alone by her side. He is young, and would stay with her body until he starved to death."
The fair eyebrow did not lower. "What is it?" repeated Alicia.
The Indian sighed, and opened her jacket, revealing a small white ball of fur. Alicia guessed the young pup to be about three or four months old, his oversized paws an indication of how large he was going to grow up to be, his most defining feature being the almost clear blue eyes that stared at her.
His fur was dirty, but he didn't seem to be hurt, and he wriggled happily in the Indian's arms. Carefully reaching her arm out, Alicia petted the pup's head, and smiled when he licked her hand veraciously.
"Cute little dog," she said, and the Indian looked at her.
"Is not a dog," Robyn clarified. "Is all wolf. Brothers were taken, he is only one. Alicia," she continued, her voice heavy enough to cause green eyes to meet her own, "I do not mean to keep him if you will not have him, but I could not leave him."
"How is it that he just let you pick him up?" questioned the blonde, saying nothing of Robyn's subtle query at the moment. "Most wolfs don't like humans."
The Indian shrugged. "Wolf is my Spirit Guide," was all she said, and Alicia knew right then that she'd be adopting the young wolf, if it meant something to Blue Fire.
"What will he eat?"
"Scraps," replied Blue Fire, hoping Alicia's questions would mean she was going to let him stay. "Will be good for protection of horses."
And you, if I am away, added the Indian, silently.
Alicia sighed, and pretended to be deeply considering the idea, although she'd already fallen in love with the little wolf, and wouldn't turn him away if Blue Fire asked her to. Besides, she secretly thought the look of expectation that covered the Indian's face was just too cute to resist. She looked like a little child who'd just asked to have a cookie before supper, and was eagerly awaiting a response.
"I suppose," she said, at last, and a huge grin lit the bronzed face.
"Thank you," said Blue Fire, sincerely. "He will be no trouble, and I will take care of him. Hold him?" she offered, and the blonde readily agreed, taking the wolf into her arms, laughing heartily when she received a wet tongue across her face.
"Here," she smiled, handing the pup back to the Indian. "You take him, and I'll make dinner for us all." Robyn nodded, and hefted the wolf into her arms, sitting down on the couch with him. Removing a strap of spare leather from her bag, she and her new friend played tug-of-war with the toy, until Alicia called them to the table.
With two bowls on the table, and one on the floor, the three ate the thick stew with relish. Wolf, as Blue Fire had decided to call him, seemed to enjoy the meat and gravy the best, and she wondered how long it had been since he'd eaten.
As the tall woman was clearing the table, she was startled when Alicia came up next to her, and gave her a strong hug.
"Thank you," the blonde murmured, and Blue Fire returned the hug.
"For what?" she asked.
"For the earrings," answered Alicia. "They're beautiful. How did you know?"
"Saw you looking at them in the store," replied Robyn. "Traded for them. You like them?" the Indian asked, hopefully, and Alicia grinned.
"Very much," she agreed, happily. "It's a wonderful birthday gift, even if it is a little early."
"When is the day?"
"The day after tomorrow," smiled the blonde. "But, that's all right. Why don't we get some rest? I'm sure Wolf is tired, too," she said, and Robyn nodded, bidding Alicia good night as she left the kitchen.
Alicia made sure the white wolf had a bowl of water before she went to bed, and smiled when she saw Blue Fire brushing out his fur before she slept. Stretching out on the couch, she grinned when Wolf lay down on her chest, and soon both were sound asleep.
The next day, Blue Fire spent every free moment with Wolf, working with him. Alicia noticed with amusement that the pup followed her everywhere. If she was looking for the Indian, all she had to do was find Wolf.
"Robyn, what does it mean, that Wolf is your Spirit Guide?" she asked, as the animal in question sat on Blue Fire's lap, just after their daily reading time.
"Everyone has a Spirit Guide," she began. "Sometimes they are even named for them, if the animal appears at their birth. When I was only a girl, I became very sick with a fever. The medicine man did everything he could, and everyone prayed to the Great Giver of Life, but nothing worked. They believed I became ill when I stepped in the trail left by a snake, and even the sand picture did no good.
"Then, one day, as my mother sat with me, sure it would be my last day, a white wolf was spotted in the camp. It is said he went directly up to our kowa, and lay down in front of it, not leaving until the sun went to sleep.
"The next morning, I was much better, and told my mother how I had dreamt of a medicine man coming to me in the form of a wolf, and healing my sickness. Since then, the Great Wolf has been my Spirit Guide. To find a pure white wolf, as when I was a child… I am very grateful," she finished, softly.
Alicia smiled, and patted Wolf on the head, grinning when his pink tongue snaked between her fingers. "That means you're pretty special, huh, Wolf?" asked the blonde, and the pup yipped his agreement, as Blue Fire laughed.
"I will start with mustangs tomorrow," Robyn said, and Alicia agreed. "I wear my deerskin clothes, because it is more comfortable for me to move in." The woman didn't seem to mind, and Robyn felt relieved - she'd been afraid of angering the young blonde by saying she wasn't going to wear her brother's clothes.
"Do you mind if I watch you?" asked the blonde, timidly.
The tall woman shook her head. "I would like to teach you to train them as I do," she said. "It is not hard, and will bring you closer to them. That way, you will be able to keep getting the horses, and training them, if I leave."
Green eyes lowered. "You're leaving?" asked Alicia, before she could stop herself. She couldn't help it - she had to know! Perhaps the woman was tired of being cooped up with a white woman…
"No," said Blue Fire, a little too quickly, mentally kicking herself for slipping. "But, I am Indian," she pointed out. "Some day, I may have to leave here, if your people wish."
"Even if they tell you, you don't have to go!" protested the blonde.
Blue Fire smiled, sadly. "Alicia, you do not understand," she said. "I am an Indian. To the whites, I am a savage - I raid villages and kill. It is true. My people have done many things that are not right," she admitted.
"If your people tell me to leave, I must go," stated the Indian. If it is only to protect you, I must go. "It would be better for me to leave, than to make trouble by staying."
"It doesn't matter to me what they think!"
"And if it matters to me?" countered Blue Fire, softly. She sighed. "Alicia, you are my friend - I would not want to distance you from your people. Now, please, enough of this talk," she said, forcing a smile. "It is time to rest - we will greet the sun tomorrow."
Alicia nodded, and made her way to the bedroom, her heart heavy with the thought that the Indian might one day leave her.
I did not want to tell you that I might have to leave, thought Robyn. And not after your dream. So help me, Alicia, I swear, if there is any way, I will not leave you. If there is any way…
"So, now what do we do?" asked Alicia, as she sat astride Thunder. Blue Fire was next to her, riding Winter Escape, a wild mustang trailing behind them, with a rope around his neck. The large bay stallion was following the palomino well, and Robyn was pleased.
"We take him back to the ranch, and I will train him in the same pen I did Winter Escape," said Robyn, patting the said horse on the neck, who whinnied at her, softly. The mustang had been a chore to capture, but once Robyn had set her sights on him, Alicia realized the horse was as good as caught… even if it did take the better part of an hour to actually do it.
"And how are you going to train him?" questioned the intrigued blonde.
"I will speak to him in his own language, so he understands what I am doing," explained Robyn, patiently. "Everything has their own language - it is only a matter of learning to speak it."
Arriving at the ranch, Blue Fire loosed the new stallion into the pen, and asked Alicia to stand next to the barn.
"I will tell you what I am doing as I do it, but it would be best if you are not easily seen. Do not want to distract him," added the Indian, and Alicia readily complied. Green eyes watching her every move, Blue Fire entered the pen with a long, soft, cotton rope coiled in her hand.
The horse snorted at her, and attempted to charge her, but the tall Indian was ready. Squaring her shoulders, she looked the horse in the eye, and took a quick step towards him. The horse skirted away to the edge of the pen, and started cantering around the corral, as far away from the woman in the center as he could be.
"I am telling him I want him to go away," explained Blue Fire. She occasionally tossed the rope in his direction to keep him going, but was careful never to let the cotton line touch him. "A mare will do this when a colt has done something wrong; it is a form of casting him out, and also telling him I know his language."
Alicia watched, wide-eyed.
After the horse had made about six revolutions, the Indian called Alicia's attention to another point. "Horses know every move you make," she said. "Now, as he trots around, near a gallop, I am staring at his eyes, and keeping my shoulders right at him. That tells him I'm still angry.
"Watch; I'm looking at his shoulder." As she said this, Blue Fire shifted her gaze, and the horse slowed a little. "Now I watch his flank." The stallion slowed almost to a brisk jog. "Back to his eyes." Immediately, the horse broke into a gallop, flying around the pen again.
"When he is ready to listen, and finally wants to know what's going on, and how he can get back on my good side, he will turn his ear towards me," predicted Blue Fire, from years of experience. Sure enough, within two more times around the pen, the stallion's inside ear (the one closest to Blue Fire) turned towards her, and stayed locked on her position as he ran.
"Now, I will make sure he is ready," she said, releasing the line in front of him, turning him the other direction. His inside ear once again tuned into the Indian, while his outside ear kept flickering, to-and-fro, registering all else that was going on around him.
"He is ready to talk, so I will stop using the rope," said the Indian, although she had steadily began cutting back on the number of times she tossed it towards the stallion. "And I will not go towards him; only a small step forward, and then I will move back.
"Plus, I will move my eyes away from his - I will watch his shoulders. It is my way of telling him I'm thinking about talking to him, but he has to prove to me he really wants to fix this," explained Robyn. "He will start chewing with his mouth, and may even stick his tongue out, and then will lower his head. When he does that, we can talk."
Just as she'd said, the stallion's head lowered to within six inches of the dirt, and his tongue could be seen as his jaw worked. He'd had enough of this running around the pen, and realized there was no way out, so now he began looking towards Blue Fire for help - that was just what she wanted.
"I will stop chasing him, and turn so I am not facing him square on," said the tall woman, and did just that. She moved so she was showing him, more or less, her right side and back. She looked down at the ground, in front of the horse, and stood completely still. The rope had been dropped, and her hands were rolled into loose fists.
The stallion took a step forward, away from the outer rim of the pen, and Blue Fire hunched over a little, showing the animal she was not a threat. With more confidence, the brown horse moved closer to her, not stopping until his nose was touching her shoulder. As Robyn walked in a small circle, the horse followed her, first one way, and then the other, never losing contact with her.
Reaching out, Blue Fire rubbed the stallion's nose, between his eyes, and grinned. "He is trusting me," she told Alicia, "by letting me touch where he cannot see. Now is the time when I will touch him all over, and get him used to me. I will lift his feet, another sign of trust, and touch under his belly.
"Alicia, will you get the halter, saddle, blanket, and bridle for me while I do this?" she requested, and the blonde was off in a flash. By the time she returned, the Indian was finishing up feeling the horse, and she was in time to watch her lift his right front hoof. The once wild horse now seemed to have no problem allowing Blue Fire to lift his foot, thus taking away his ability to run, should something happen.
"Amazing," she whispered, setting the tack down by the pen, as Robyn asked.
"Thanks," smiled the Indian, bringing the tack into the pen, and placing it in the center. The horse snorted, and eyed the new object with caution, backing up a ways. Blue Fire walked in between the saddle and the horse, until his attention was drawn back to her, and he chose to follow her, rather than stare at the frighteningly foreign thing in the middle.
First, the tall woman fastened the bridle, and made sure it was not too tight, but would not fall off, either. Rubbing the leather headpiece on his nose, then around his ears, and on to the rest of his body, Robyn sent him away each time he shied from the object. When he'd lower his head, she'd turn to the side again, and allow him back by her side. It didn't take long for the horse to become accustomed to the bridle, though Robyn did not fasten it yet.
The blanket was next, and Robyn did the same as she had with the bridle, taking time to rub it all over the horse. The stallion took the new feeling without a movement, and stood strong when the Indian placed the blanket on his back.
The saddle was a heavy and unfamiliar weight, but other than shifting his feet to proportion the extra weight, the stallion didn't move. Robyn was careful not to swing the saddle up, and drop it onto his back, as that would hurt him, and he would associate the saddle with pain in the future. Instead, she settled it gently on his back, making sure it was centered.
Once the saddle was secure, and everything was adjusted correctly, Blue Fire once more squared her shoulders to the horse, sending him away. He bucked as the saddle moved with him, but eventually, he calmed down, and lowered his head again, ready to go back to the woman.
"He must understand that I will only talk to him again once he is used to the saddle, and takes it with ease," explained Blue Fire, as the horse approached her still form again, and touched her shoulder.
She slipped the bridle on with no problem, and the horse even allowed the strange feeling bit to be put into his mouth. Patting his neck, and rubbing his ears to make sure he wouldn't cause trouble with future bridling, Blue Fire placed her left foot in the left stirrup, but did not step up. She simply put a bit of her weight on the leather, asking the horse if he was able to support her.
When the stallion stood still, and strong, the woman lifted herself up, and simply laid across the saddle. She was allowing the horse to get used to her weight, before actually sitting in the seat. After a few minutes like that, she carefully moved her left foot back into the stirrup, took her right leg over, and settled herself in the saddle.
Normally, she would not have used a saddle, because she never rode with one, but if there was a chance Alicia would ride the horse, she didn't want him to spook the first time he was saddled and ridden.
"I will let him go where he wants for the first little while," said the woman. "Then, I will begin teaching him how to listen to what I tell him, and go where I want him to go. You know how to do that, yes?" she questioned, and Alicia nodded.
"Yeah," she confirmed. "That was terrific, Robyn," she complimented. The woman had taken a completely green horse, captured him, broken him, and put a rider and saddle on his back - all in less than three hours! The men she had seen attempt to break a wild horse had been busy for weeks, using much more brutal methods, no less.
"One more thing," added Robyn, as the horse wandered around, as if having a hunk of leather and Apache Indian on his back were the most natural thing in all the world, "I did not tell him to do anything - I asked. Never say to a horse, "You will do this". Say, "I would like for you to do this"."
The blonde smiled. "Okay," she agreed. "How long are you going to stay up there?" she asked.
The Indian shrugged. "Not long," she stated. "I will ride him for a little while every day, until he knows what to do when I ask, and then will take for a real ride. I usually spend much time with them when I first work with them," she added. "You understand now how to talk with the horse?"
Alicia grinned. "Yeah, I think I do," she said. "I just can't get over that - he walked right up to you and touched your shoulder! It was amazing!"
The tall woman smiled inwardly as the blonde chattered non-stop about how great Blue Fire had been, and how remarkable it had been for her to watch her work, and the Indian was sure their supper would be cold before the rancher was done talking.
"Alicia, your words are good for my heart, but my stomach is wanting food. We will talk while we eat, yes?" she offered, and the blonde blushed, but nodded.
"Sorry," she murmured, sipping the warm broth in silence.
Suddenly, as the blonde was about to speak, a low growl was heard. Glancing around, Alicia saw Wolf, standing next to the front door, his fur standing on end as he let out a snarl worthy of any grown dog.
"What's wrong?" asked Alicia, and Blue Fire shrugged, approaching the wolf. Listening carefully, she tried to figure out what the animal heard that had him so spooked, but didn't hear anything unusual. Opening the door to look outside, she watched with a frown as the pup raced out into the night.
"Wolf!" called Blue Fire, heading out after him. Without a second thought, the blonde followed the tall Indian into the darkness, as she called for the young wolf.
"I wonder what he was chasing," mused Alicia, as she stayed close to Robyn's side, searching for Wolf, and so far finding no sign.
"Could be anything," shrugged the Indian, not too worried about the wolf, but more concerned about where they were heading. She had been following the small trail she was able to find, and it was leading them closer and closer to the Apache land.
Blue Fire sighed, and became more agitated as they neared the Apache tribe. She knew the men often hunted in this part, and the women gathered berries, nuts, and wild fruits. It would be very bad if they were caught near the land.
"Alicia, go," she said, stopping in her tracks to face the woman. "I will find Wolf, you go home."
Alicia glared at her. "I'm not going anywhere," she stated. "I want to help you look for Wolf, too! Now, come on, he's got to be out here somewhere," she said, walking past the tall Indian to continue their search.
"Alicia, please," tried the tall woman. "It is late, and it can get cold at night. Return home, and I will come back later, with Wolf." The blonde shook her head. "You are not used to being out here when it is cold!" persisted the Indian.
Alicia put her hands on her hips, icily. "Robyn, I know exactly how cold it gets, and it's not a problem. I've lived here for most of my life… What's this really about?" she asked, and the blue gaze faltered.
"We are nearing the Apache," she admitted.
"And you don't want me to see them?"
"I don't want them to see you," corrected Robyn. The smaller woman just shook her head, and kept walking, calling for Wolf, until she felt hands grab her shoulders. Blue eyes wide, the Indian spun Alicia around to face her, and pleaded with her to listen.
"Alicia, please! If they see you they will hurt you," she said. Please, Alicia, listen to me! If you stay with me, they will find you, and I don't want you to see me hurt my own people, but I will if it means protecting you.
"You said when I first met you I could tell you to do something if it was in your best interest. I do not like having to do this, but I will, because I know what will happen if you stay out here!" The tall woman was frantic, and the blonde was silent for a moment, thinking about the danger.
"What about you?" she asked, gently. "What will they do if they find you? You said you're not welcome anymore," Alicia pointed out, concerned.
"I can take care of myself," she assured the woman. And you, if I have to… "It is not that I do not want your help, but I will be able to search for Wolf better if I know you are safe. Please, go," she persisted. "I will return with Wolf when I find him."
Alicia couldn't help it. "Promise?"
"I promise," said the tall Indian, realizing the woman was afraid she wouldn't come back. "Go, and I will be back before long." Reluctantly, the blonde made her way back to the Ranch, leaving the tall Indian on her own.
Feeling a little better, Blue Fire called for Wolf, and her sensitive hearing picked up on his small bark. Following the soft sound, she was surprised by what the moon was showing her - the small white wolf was yipping at a coiled rattlesnake, dancing around as the serpent struck at him, but missed.
"Wolf!" called Robyn, but the pup was having too much fun. He'd gone out after he'd heard a wolf howl, and had found the little noisemaker curled up under a rock. He didn't know what it was, but it sure was fun to play with! The thing hadn't caught him yet, although he'd come awful close.
Trying to figure out how to draw the pup away from the poisonous snake, Blue Fire stepped back a few feet, and whistled, softly. Wolf's ears perked up, and he cocked his head at her, as the snake readied himself for the final strike. Sliding her foot out, the Indian nudged the rattler and grabbed Wolf by the scruff of the neck at the same time, barely escaping the sharp fangs herself.
"Are you okay?" she asked the young pup, once they were safely out of the range of the still very angry rattlesnake. Wolf barked, and licked her face, bathing her in a layer of slobber when she scratched his ears.
"You had me scared, Spirit Guide," she admitted. "You are the one I turn to, as I do now. What am I to do about Alicia? I am in love with her, as Mother said, but how can I expect her to love me in return? I am an Indian who killed two of her people - she will hate me!"
The tall woman sighed as they approached the ranch, and she saw the glow of the light from inside the house.
"She is so kind, waiting up to make sure I am safe," she said. "I am sure she has not eaten yet, although she is hungry often, because she waits for me. But, she is polite; that is the way she is. There is no reason for it to be anything more," the tall woman grieved.
Alicia was glad to see the two return, and while she tried to scold Wolf for running off, she ended up laughing, and hugging him tightly.
"We all need some rest," she said, after they'd finally eaten their dinner.
Blue Fire agreed. "Will wake early, to be with horse," Robyn said, as she cleared the table, and made sure Wolf had his meal ready and fresh water. "Good night, Alicia. I hope you enjoyed this birthday," she added, remembering that today was the actual date of the woman's birth.
"I did," she assured her, smiling. "The new mustang is going to be a great horse, thanks to you, and this day has been terrific. Thank you. Good night, Robyn," replied the blonde, walking into her room, as Blue Fire stretched out on the couch, sighing. It had been a good day with the mustang, but she was tired, and was soon asleep, her Spirit Guide by her side.
The next day, Robyn spent every waking moment with the newly broken mustang, and made sure Alicia did too, so the equine would get used to both women. By the time Wolf, Blue Fire, and Alicia returned to the house at nightfall, Swift River, as he was called, was eating calmly out of Alicia's hand, and even let her groom his coat.
"I will make supper," offered the Indian, and the blonde had no objections, as she stretched out on the couch, resting a moment. A soft knock on the door drew her out of her thoughts, and she opened the door, her green eyes widening at the sight before her.
"Robyn, can you come here, please?" she called, and the Indian walked up next to her, her own deep blue eyes registering disbelief.
"Shi ma? Mother?" exclaimed the tall woman, shocked. "Come, you have traveled far. Rest," she urged, and Alicia nodded her permission, as the older woman made her way into the house.
"Nzhoo o'i'aa," said the blonde, the Apache phrase she'd learned for "Good evening".
Feather in the Wind smiled, and returned the greeting. "You are right, my daughter," she told Blue Fire, when the small rancher entered the kitchen to finish the meal so Blue Fire could talk with her mother. "She is pretty, and speaks our tongue well."
"What brings you to this place, mother?" asked Robyn, sitting on the couch next to her mother. "Surely you did not travel on your own, and at night!"
The woman nodded. "Yes," she said, "I did. At first, I was frightened, but then I heard the brave mba', the coyote, call to me, and I knew I would be safe. You are looking well, Blue Fire," she added, and the Indian smiled.
"Thank you," she said. Mother and daughter talked for a few minutes more, until Alicia carried two bowls over to them, handing one to each woman, filled with a thick stew. That done, she retrieved one for herself, and ate silently in the chair she'd brought out from the kitchen.
"Ash… thank… you," said Feather in the Wind, slowly, and Alicia smiled.
"Ha'anakah," she said, easily. "You're welcome. Blue Fire, can you ask her if she will stay the night?" requested the rancher, and Robyn obeyed, telling her that her mother accepted the offer.
"She will sleep in my bed, then," decided the woman, "and I will take the floor."
The tall Indian shook her head. "You are kind, Alicia, but my mother will not drive you out of your bed," she said. "Is not right for her to inconvenience you. I will sleep on the floor, and allow her to rest on the couch," she explained, and the blonde sighed.
"As long as you're sure," said Alicia, finishing her stew and collecting the bowls, before bidding the two Indians goodnight, and heading off to bed.
"You have found your Spirit Guide," commented the older woman, patting Wolf's head when the animal came up to lick her hand.
"Yes," nodded Blue Fire. "He does well with Alicia, and I trust he will keep her safe when I am not here. Has Chief Ndoitcho said when he will come for me, for returning to the tribe in my banishment?" she asked, and her mother shook her head.
"I do not know," she admitted. "He has said nothing, as far as I know, but I know he is angry."
Blue Fire nodded. "I did not expect him to be pleased," she agreed, wryly. "But I was exiled for something I did not do!"
"I know, daughter," said Feather in the Wind, softly, "I know. As you said, I have traveled long, and would like to sleep."
"Rest on the couch, mother," said Robyn. "I will bed on the floor, and see you in the morning. Then, I will walk with you as far as I can." Feather in the Wind agreed, found a comfortable position on the soft sofa, and was soon asleep.