Chapter Eight
Just as she'd said, at dawn the next morning, Blue Fire escorted her mother to the edge of the Apache camp. They talked idly along the way, Robyn telling her mother of all the things she had done and learned since meeting Alicia, and Feather in the Wind listening with a smile.
"I am glad you have found her, Blue Fire," said the woman, and Robyn agreed.
"As am I," she said. "It is hard for me, now, to think of what I will do when the time comes for me to leave her."
"And why must you leave her?"
"The white law knows I killed two men, and they will find me eventually," she sighed. "What is more, Ndoitcho will search for me. I do not know who will find me first, but both are angry, and will want my blood. I will not allow Alicia to see that," the tall woman decided.
Feather in the Wind was quiet for some time, contemplating what her daughter had said. "You love her very much, don't you, daughter?" she asked, at last.
"More than I thought one heart could," Blue Fire confirmed, with a nod.
"And you worry about your punishments at the hands of our own people, or hers?"
"Yes. I fear the anger of the white man, for I have learned that they will kill those who have committed a crime such as murder," she admitted.
The older woman stopped, as they were nearing the camp, and said, "My child, I know you love your Alicia, and you do not want to lose her, yet that is what may happen if you are captured by the law of the White Eyes. Remember this: Love is stronger than death," she said, quietly.
Robyn bit her lip, and looked down. "Shi ma, I did not tell you this, but Alicia had a dream that I was taken away by the white man and the Apache. It frightened her, but I did not know how to tell her…" her voice trailed off.
"That dreams are more powerful than facts," finished Feather in the Wind, and Blue Fire nodded, silently. "Dreams have their own power, it is true, but none has the strength of love. Be safe, my daughter," she finished, and Robyn gave her mother a strong hug, before watching her enter the camp once more.
With a sigh, Blue Fire began the trek back to the ranch, thinking about what her mother had told her.
When she returned, there was a note from Alicia, saying that she had gone to town to pick up some supplies, and she'd be back soon. Deciding it was almost too late to work with Swift River, the Indian took her bag into the barn, and sat down on a bale of hay. Pulling out a few materials, she got to work, talking to the horses as she explained to them what she was doing and why.
"I just hope she likes it," the woman sighed, as she cut the string with her teeth. Tying on a few feathers and beads, she smiled to herself, and placed the new dream catcher in her bag, planning on giving it to Alicia later.
Walking outside when she heard hoof beats, she smiled when she saw the blonde coming up the road, Thunder pulling the wagon. Her smiled faded, however, when she saw the young rancher was not alone. Brian rode beside her on his own horse, chatting with her.
The tall Indian felt a strange pang in her heart as the soft laughter of the woman she loved floated against her ears. Shaking it off, she ran into the house, and quickly changed from her leathers into the blue jeans and shirt that Alicia provided, knowing that the woman didn't want anyone finding out she was allowing an Indian to stay in her home.
As she stepped outside, fully clothed in the late Bill's outfit, Alicia and Brian were just pulling up. Brian dismounted, and went to help Alicia from the cart, before realizing with a snarl that Robyn had beaten him to it. The tall Indian concentrated on not letting her hands linger on the small waist longer than was appropriate, and stepped back a little once the blonde was safely on the ground, so as not to forget herself and do something she'd probably end up regretting later.
"I'll take this stuff into the barn," said Brian, hefting the bags on his shoulder, when Alicia nodded. When everything was unloaded, which wasn't much, Brian bid both women goodbye, telling Alicia he'd be back when he could to check on her.
"Brian helped me carry some of the bags out to the wagon," Alicia explained, as she and Blue Fire unhitched Thunder, and led him into the barn. "Hi, guys," the rancher greeted, patting each horse on the nose as she walked by. "I guess it's time to feed you, isn't it?"
They whinnied their response, and the woman was about to place the hay in their buckets, when Blue Fire cried out, and stopped her.
"What is it?" asked Alicia, startled.
"Hay is not good," she replied, smelling the faintest trace of… what, she wasn't sure, but she knew the horses wouldn't like it. The toxin had a bitter smell to it, and there was no doubt in her mind that Brian had put the poison in there.
Searching the bales, she found one near the bottom that did not have the same feel as the previous three, and fed the horses from that bundle, while she tossed the others out.
"Robyn, that's a lot of money you just threw out," said Alicia, her voice low. She knew the Indian was only helping, and if losing money meant saving her horses, she'd do it in an instant, but still… now she only had a few bales left. She'd have to go back into town again soon.
"Yes," acknowledged the tall woman, "I know. I will buy more."
"Oh, Blue Fire, that wasn't what I meant!" exclaimed the blonde, surprised. "No, I don't want you to pay for them!"
The Indian sighed. "If you will not allow me to pay, then I will at least pick them up for you," she compromised. "I will go in the morning, to let Thunder rest, and will return with the hay."
With a sigh, Alicia agreed, and suggested they head into the house for dinner, which Blue Fire made in a flash. After the dishes had been gathered, Alicia bid the tall woman good night, and entered her bedroom.
Moments later, she felt a presence, and glanced up to find Robyn standing awkwardly in the doorway.
"Robyn?" prompted the blonde, a little concerned by the Indian's strange behavior. It wasn't like the woman to just show up, and especially to look so nervous.
"I have… something for you," said the tall woman, quietly, and Alicia noticed for the first time that Blue Fire was holding something behind her back.
"What is it?"
The tall Indian showed the gift to the blonde, handing her the dream catcher, hoping the rancher would like it. "It is a dream catcher," she explained. "You can put it over your bed or above the door to your room, and it will let the good dreams slip through the holes, while the bad dreams get caught on the strings, and are taken away by the morning sun."
"Did you make this?" asked Alicia, an unreadable look on her face, which agitated the apprehensive woman standing beside her.
"Yes," acknowledged Blue Fire. "It is not very good, but…"
"It's wonderful," interrupted the small blonde, giving the surprised woman a strong hug, which was returned, just as tightly. "Thank you, Blue Fire. Will you help me hang it over my door?"
Pounding a small nail into the wood, Blue Fire did just that, and the small blue circle, with dark string, a leather edge, feathers, and beads, hung above the doorway to Alicia's bedroom, almost seeming to float in the air.
With a soft good night, Robyn exited to the living room, and Alicia fell into her own bed with a smile. It's the color of her eyes, she thought, happily, as she closed her eyes and saw the very same sapphire eyes before her once more in her dreams.
After the problem with the bad hay, Alicia and Robyn were both very cautious, and kept a close watch on the feed. Blue Fire knew she had nothing to worry about unless Brian had been around, but Alicia checked the hay and oats every morning and every night before she gave it to her horses.
And the amount of equines kept in the barn was getting larger and larger. Alicia had trained one mustang on her own, under the supervision and instruction of her Indian friend, and Icicle, as Alicia chose to call her, was a gorgeous sorrel colored mare. She wasn't very tall, and Blue Fire was glad the small horse had become very attached to the blonde rancher.
The horses in the barn were finishing their breakfast, as Robyn worked with yet another mustang. The horse had been captured not long before, and was steadily progressing; the tall Indian was pleased.
Blue Fire smiled to herself as the horse's head lowered, indicating the stallion was giving in. The chestnut stallion with black mane was gorgeous, and the third horse the Indian was taming for Alicia since she'd arrived at the woman's house almost three months before; the small blonde had done only Icicle on her own, and realized that while she loved the connection it gave her with the horse, she'd allow Blue Fire to do a few again.
The herd of wild horses was roaming across her land, and while Robyn was sure there was more than enough to keep the animals thriving, the young blonde insisted that five or six was her limit for a while, and Blue Fire obeyed.
The equine was just beginning to approach her, when a shot rang out, and the horse reared. Blue Fire crouched to the ground - both to escape the striking hooves and the chance of more gunfire - as she whirled around, spying a white man with a rifle aimed in her direction, shouting something about "Damn injun!"
Rolling under the wooden corral, the tall woman scrambled to her feet, taking her chance as the man readied his weapon once more. Skirting into the house, Blue Fire called for Alicia when she noticed the man was following her.
"What is it?" asked the blonde, hurrying towards the Indian.
"There is a man with a rifle," she said, standing in front of her. "Stay behind me." She was going to get her bow and arrow, when there was a pressure against her back, and Wolf growled as he got to his feet. He'd been staying in the house with Alicia, since Blue Fire told him to, but he didn't know this intruder and the way he was shouting had the wolf on edge.
"Don't move," said a voice. "Step away from her slowly, or I'll blow a hole through your chest."
In a flash, the tall woman spun around, grabbing the rifle from the man before he had a chance to pull the trigger, and brought it back around to hit him in the jaw. "Don't threaten me," she snarled, throwing the weapon to the ground.
Alicia's eyes widened as she peered around the woman, who was still standing protectively in front of her. "Brian?" she exclaimed.
"This savage was trying to steal your horses," he spat, and made a move to take Alicia's arm and pull her to safety. Blue Fire interrupted him, and twisted his arm, roughly bringing it behind his back.
"Do not touch her," she growled, and Wolf echoed the sentiment with a sharp bark at the man.
"Robyn, this is Brian. You remember him, don't you?"
The Indian nodded, but didn't release him. "He was shooting at the horses," she said. She chose to say nothing about the words he had shouted at her.
"This is Robyn?" questioned Brian, wrenching his arm free, sneering when he noticed that the tall Indian kept her place between him and Alicia, guarding the small blonde, it would seem. The damned wolf seemed to be doing the same thing. "What are you thinking, Alicia, letting an Indian stay in your home?"
Alicia sighed; she knew there would come a time when she'd have to defend her decision of letting Robyn stay with her, but didn't think it would come so soon. She wasn't ready for the problems it was sure to cause.
"She's helping me with the horses," she said. "She wouldn't steal them, and she wouldn't hurt them."
"How do you know that?" he demanded. "What if she's allied with that damned Apache Cochise? How do you know she's not gonna poison your food, or scalp you while you're sleeping? Or sic her goddamned wolf on you?"
Alicia winced at the harsh words, Wolf growled at him, and Blue Fire stepped closer to the man. "Because if I felt like it, she'd be dead already," she stated.
And in a moment, so would you… the Indian mused.
"She's Apache, Alicia!" cried Brian.
"And?" demanded the blonde. She picked up the man's gun and shoved it into his arms. "I think you'd better leave, Brian."
"This is a mistake, Alicia," he said, as Blue Fire drug him out the door. "You wait and see - you'll regret the day you let her in!" The Indian slammed the door in his face, and watched him ride away, going in the direction of the town.
"Robyn?" asked Alicia, softly, concerned when the woman didn't turn around right away. "I'm sorry about those things he said."
The Indian sighed, and turned to face the blonde. "So am I," she said. "But he's right, Alicia. I am an Apache warrior, and killing is what I do best. But since I met you, I don't feel that way anymore.
"I no longer belong with my Apache brothers; I belong here. You have given me a home, and for that, I will always be in your debt," she finished.
"Blue Fire," frowned the rancher, "why are you telling me this?"
"I must go." Green eyes widened. "They will look for me, now. It will be safer for you if I do not stay."
"I told you when you first got here that I wouldn't let them take you, and I won't!" responded a fiery young blonde.
Blue Fire smiled. "I know that," she said. "I am not leaving because I am afraid for me. I am leaving because I do not want something to happen to you because of me. You have become... one of my closest friends."
You're leaving and you still can't tell her how you feel? Some warrior you are, her mind scoffed.
How do I tell her that I don't want to go, I don't want to leave her, but I could never forgive myself if she got hurt because of someone who was after me? Great Spirit, please, watch over my beloved while I am away...
"I will pack and leave at dusk," she concluded. "That way they should not see me go. I do not expect them to come looking until morning," she added. "I will be gone by then."
"Will you be back?" asked Alicia, willing herself not to cry.
It won't do to tell her how you feel and just have her leave even quicker, the sad blonde thought.
"I don't know. I will try," said the Indian. "You know how to train the horses, and you will do fine without me." But will I be fine without you? "The ranch is yours, Alicia. I will leave Winter Escape and Wolf." She held up her hand, quelling the woman's protests. "I cannot take them, anyway; they are too easy to track. Horses and wolves cannot climb trees," she grinned.
Dusk came much too quickly for both women. Blue Fire gave in and allowed Alicia to pack some food for her, chuckling when she reminded the woman that she had to pack light so she could travel quickly.
"Oh, right," muttered the woman, removing a few items, flustered.
The tall Indian put a hand on the smaller woman's shoulder. "I will be okay," she said, quietly. Alicia walked closer to the Indian, and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug, which Robyn returned, just as tightly. Alicia attributed the soft kiss she felt on the top of her head to wishful thinking, while Blue Fire mentally kicked herself.
"Where will you go?" mumbled Alicia, still gripping the tall Indian.
"I am not sure," sighed the woman. She knew she wouldn't stray too far from the ranch, because Blue Fire felt protective of Alicia, and would watch over her when she could. "But it is time for me to go. Alicia, turn around," requested the woman, softly.
The blonde did as she was told, trusting Blue Fire completely. The woman gasped when she felt the Indian tie something around her neck. She didn't even have to touch it to know what it was - the woman's warrior necklace.
"Robyn, I can't accept this," she said, turning back around to face the glowing Indian.
"Please, take it," insisted the tall Indian. "I want you to have it."
"But, your grandfather gave it to you."
The woman nodded. "Yes, when I became a warrior. Now, I give it to you, when you are an Indian," she explained. Or at least, when you manage to smile your way into an Indian's heart...
"Blue Fire, I'm not an Indian," smiled Alicia, gently.
"Indian is not a... nationality," the tall woman said, taking a moment to find the right word. "It is when you understand that we must not take what we have been given for granted, when you understand that it is possible to live in harmony with the earth. When you respect our Mother Earth, and the Giver of Life… and each other. It is a state of mind," she finished, a small smile portraying just how proud she was of the blonde in front of her, who had managed to learn numerous skills from the Indian during her stay, and put them to good use.
"Thank you," voiced the young rancher, softly.
"Shil nzhoo," said Blue Fire, more to herself, but loud enough for Alicia to hear.
"What does that mean?" the woman asked, picking up on the strange words. That was a phrase she hadn't heard Robyn use before…
Blue eyes widened, startled that the blonde had heard her, and the Indian cleared her throat. "I must go, now," said Robyn, avoiding the translation, taking her pack and her weapons. "Be safe, Alicia. Perhaps we will see one another again." With that, the Indian quietly left the house, traveling into the woods.
Her first stop was to the clearing. She waited patiently for the arrival of both men, failing to get a good look at the Shadow Man, but having no trouble seeing Brian, who came traipsing into the woods, rifle still in his hand.
A deaf man could have heard that boy approaching, thought Blue Fire.
"I think I got rid of the Indian," he said, proudly. "I shot at her, and the posse's on their way to search for her in the morning. If she's anywhere around here, inside or out of Alicia's house, they'll catch her. And then, we'll have ourselves a nice execution!" he exclaimed, gleefully.
"I doubt they'll find her that easily, but at least she's out of the picture as far as Alicia is concerned," said the man. "I told you we only needed an excuse to fire, but I take it you didn't hit her." The young man shook his head, looking away. "Figures; that damned Indian has more lives than a porcupine has quills.
"Now comes the second part of our plan…"
Blue Fire listened carefully for the next three-quarters of an hour, as the man explained the next phase of their scheme, and she doubted it would work. Alicia was on the lookout for poisoned horse feed, and Robyn doubted very much she'd ever allow anyone to talk her into selling the ranch, so that part was a bust.
The only thing that had her a little worried was their discussion of getting her to stop training the mustangs, and capturing them for breeding. Alicia wasn't sure about that from the beginning, and if she didn't have the impregnable mares available, she'd be in trouble, financial wise.
Hoping the blonde would know enough to keep up the breeding, Blue Fire watched the men depart, and began searching for a place to spend her first night in nearly a moon without Alicia nearby.