Hello my friends, I want to apologize for being gone so long, but life has a way of getting in the way of writing. I know that some think I shouldn't post until I've finished the story and yes I understand why but that's not going to happen. I need to post when I've finished each chapter for my own sanity's sake. So please I beg you to bare with me. I've had too many losses in such a short period that my heart isn't healing fast enough. But I will comeback to this story again as I do not like things left unsaid. So, once again, I do not speak any of the First American's languages, so I've kind of created my own so I do not wish to offend, and I love writing my Gunsmoke stories. I think I had made a mistake earlier by saying that Kathleen was named after Kitty, but she was about 7 or 8 when she drowned, and Kitty hadn't been in Dodge too long since Shay is a little over three. I really need to keep better notes. So, without further ado, let us continue.
Linda lifted her eyes to the late morning sun. She smiled as she saw her little girl, Kathleen playing in the wildflowers with Kitty chasing right behind her. She couldn't help but smile at the memory. Kitty loved Kathleen and often played with her and kept her busy. As she shielded her eyes from the sun, she wiped a single tear from her cheek. And then the sun was gone. It took her a minute to realize that there was a man, an Indian, standing before her. Before she could let out a scream, he struck her hard and she fell to the ground unconscious. One of his braves, sat on the horse, holding Shay in front of him on the pony. Shay did not cry. She was quiet as they headed away from Dodge with the "mean woman" in tow.
John came into town that evening, not realizing all the commotion that had occurred that day. He saw the crowd of people mostly women gathered at the Long Branch entrance and feared that Linda was there causing problems. He prayed that she was not there causing problems for Kitty again. He stepped up onto the side walk and heard Matt talking to his deputized men. Kitty sat at the back table with Ma Smalley beside her holding her hand. Kitty saw John entering the saloon. Matt saw the look of surprise on Kitty's face. Matt went over to John.
"John, I don't think you should be here right now." Matt said.
"I'm looking for Linda, she went out to pick raspberries this afternoon, a little after one and she never came back." He said as Kitty walked up to them.
"What's going on?" She said.
Matt looks at Kitty, "It's Linda, she's gone missing as well." He told her and she looked at John.
"I found this leather badge in the dirt where her basket lay." He said handing Matt the scrap of leather with a wolf engraved on it.
"Yellow Wolf." Kitty said.
"Why would he take Linda?" Matt asked her.
"I don't know, he has a mean streak, he's vicious." Kitty said leaning against Matt.
"What did you mean, by 'She's missing as well?'" John asked Matt.
"Shay was taken this morning." Matt said ask Kitty leaned against him. "These men have been deputized for the search party." Matt said.
"I'm going with you Marshal. That's my wife out there." John said. Matt looked at him and Festus walked over and deputized him. The men leave the Long Branch with hunting on their mind.
Yellow Wolf watched as the white woman sat with her back to the rock, holding Shayona. He could not understand why she would give comfort to the little girl, when Shayona seemed to dislike her to begin with. It didn't matter to him, he wanted the Fire-haired woman who caused that scar on his cheek that his half-brother gave him when he attempted to claim the fired-haired woman.
Kitty sat in her rocking chair holding the little doll that Ma Smalley had made for Shay. She had finally stopped crying, but she was hurting. Doc knocked on her door and Kitty called to him to enter. "Come on in, Doc." She said and he opened the door poking his head into the room.
"How is it you always know it's me?" He asked her. She just smiled at him and got up to greet him with a hug. Behind Doc is Sally with a tray of food and coffee pot with fresh hot coffee.
"And you've brought the calvary as well." She said smiling at Sally who tried desperately to smile. Sally sat the tray down on the little table and attempted to slip past Kitty but Kitty took her arm and pulled her into a hug. "You are not responsible for that man taking our girl, do you hear me?"
"Yes Ma'am." She said and smiled slightly again at Kitty. She then turned and walked out door. Kitty sat down in the chair beside the table and poured two cups of coffee for her and Doc.
"I don't want you just drinking this coffee and not eating. I want you to put some food in that belly." He commanded
Kitty just smiled and sipped the coffee. Then she picked up a slice of toast and took a bite to satisfy him.
"I want you to eat a little bit then maybe we can take a walk later." Doc said as he pulled up a chair and sat down to drink his coffee. Kitty lifted the silver cover and found a plate of eggs and sliced oranges on the plate. Something Ma Smalley and she would enjoy at Del Monicos. She smiled and began to nibble on the food put before her.
She had managed to consume about a third of the food as Doc sat and read his paper. When she had had enough, she set the fork down and Doc looked at her over the rim of his glasses. "That's it Doc. I don't want anymore." She said smiling at him.
"Well that's a good start." He said folding up his paper and placing it on the edge of the table. Kitty was tired of the waiting to know what happened to her daughter. She stood up and walked over towards the window.
"How about we take a walk?" He asked her and she shook her head no. When she looked down into the street, she could see a figure standing in the alley. The figure moved ever so slowly forward and Kitty say Linda. Linda looked about and placed her finger on her lips for Kitty not say a word. She then signaled her to come down to see her. "So what do you say? A little walk around the park, M' Lady?" He asked.
"Doc, if you don't mind, I think I'm going to take a rest. I'm tired." She said as he seemed disappointed. But he knew she was terrified of losing Shay again.
"Okay. I'm going let you get some rest. I'll check on you later." He said grabbing his hat and heading out the door.
"Thanks Doc." She said as he closed the door behind him.
Kitty waited long enough for Doc to be downstairs with Sam and she quickly and quietly slipped out her door and headed for the back stairs. She took the back alley and headed for where she knew Linda was hiding. She slipped down the alley and saw Linda waiting for her. Kitty quickly walked up to her and Linda started to say something when Kitty salpped her across the face. "I'm sorry Kitty, I was wrong." She said looking pleadingly at her. "I've been such a fool." She said pleading with her.
"Where is my daughter?" Kitty said not wanting to hear her apologies.
"He's waiting at the old Willings, place." She said as Kitty turned and started to head away from Linda.
"Wait a minute, I'm going with you." She said to Kitty.
"I don't need your help, Linda." Kitty said, but Linda grabbed her am.
"I had nothing to do with her being taken Kitty, but I'm glad that I was there with her. She made me realize how very wrong and how mean I've been to you. And I'm afraid if I don't go back with you, he may kill you both." Linda said.
"Do you think it would be better if he killed all three of us." Kitty said to her.
"I want to help you, Kitty, it's the least I can do. I'm so sorry for everything I've said. I was wrong." Linda pleaded.
"You've already apologize, but you don't have to forfeit your life as well." Kitty said.
"I'm going with you, dammit." Linda said and Kitty nodded and they headed for the end of town along the back alleys.
Yellow Wolf sat with his braves. Shay sat on a log. She was cold because he did not dare to use a fire. One of the braves took a blanket from his horse and gently wrapped it around her. He then received a stern look from Yellow Wolf, but he did not take the blanket away from her. She was a child and the grand child of their chief. If their chief were to survive, it wouldn't do him any good to treat the child poorly. He didn't want to be there as it was, but he knew he would protect the child if need be. Kitty and Linda slowly rode onto the farm. It was dark except for the full moon. They could barely make out the people sitting or on their ponies. But Shay saw her Mama and she got up to run to her. Kitty quickly dismounted the horse and ran to her daughter. She fell to her knees and wrapped her arm around her little girl. "Mama." She said as she hugged her mother's neck tightly. Kitty stood with her daughter in her arms and she looked at Yellow Wolf.
"Nena kae un namay." He said to the braves, but Kitty tightened her grip on her daughter.
"No. She will ride with me." She said. He just stared at her for a moment then relented. Allowing her this comfort, for now.
TBC
Thank you for reading and sticking with me. I've been having a hard time of late, but I promise to finish this story soon. I apologize that this is a short chapter. But please don't stop reading. Thank you, KR
