CHAPTER 29

Anoki laughs awkwardly. Like Kiowa, she wants to follow tradition and obey her father. So she only translates, "You have a good name," to Kiowa in his language and then signs everything her father said in Hopi so that she won't get in trouble.

Makes Trouble understands all of her Hopi signs and shouts, "My name is Bluffing Owl. We are Kiowa." He speaks in a harsh tone that makes Anoki wince. "We take what we need and trade for the rest. If you were not a tribe of worthless, peaceful Hopi, you would have great warriors like us and you would not have to give your pretty daughter's flesh to anyone but the warriors in your own tribe."

"Like me?" Kiowa says, still not understanding that Kikmongwi is offering Anoki to be his bride.

"Yes, like you!" Makes Trouble answers sternly and folds his arms in front of him. His bottom lip pokes out in a proud pout.

Paw chuckles. "His name was Makes Trouble last night, and he is doing that now, so I think that will still be his name." He studies Anoki intently.

Kiowa can't take his eyes off of the Hopi princess.

Anoki tilts her head, and then graciously looks up at Kiowa with the most loving brown eyes he's ever seen. "I am very grateful for your sacrifice. The Navajo would have killed us if you had not intervened. I will hold you in high esteem as a great chief." She unties her turquoise bracelet and hands it to him.

"For me?" He looks all around, then back at her. "You pick me to have this treasure?"

Anoki covers her smile with her hand and looks down.

"We will make the best deals when you return to us," Chief Kikmongwi promises.

"Kiowa would have no pretty Hopi girls to stare at and detain us if it weren't for you. Now let us ride!" Two Moons shouts.

Kiowa swats at his brother. "Shut up, you old fool!"

Anoki gathers herself and calmly says, "We are…ah…" She loses her thoughts and starts again. "We are very grateful for you, Kiowa, the great warrior."

Makes Trouble can't help but laugh.

Two Moons pats his scalps and says, "Stay in the forest, Hopi Princess. The Navajo will finish what they have started if they ever catch you."

The Kiowa rebels mount their horses and wave good-bye, taking a heap of trophy horses with them.

Kiowa points to the village. "When the smoke has cleared from the sky, Night Wind will take you home."

"He is a good and intelligent horse. He brought us here without us even knowing where we were going. How will I return him to you?" Anoki inquires, wanting to refuse the offer but knowing that would make her look like a foolish girl. Whereas right now she can see that Kiowa thinks her to be a woman.

Kiowa smiles. "When you are done with him, turn him loose. He will know where to find me."

Kiowa breaks his trance by handing Anoki his horse's reins.

"Thank you," is all Anoki can muster as her fingers brush against his.

He slowly turns away, then sprints from her and leaps onto a pinto mustang. The beast startles, stands up, and cycles its hooves as it bellows in protest to its new master.

"'Twas love at first sight, it was!" the scoutmaster says, resting his bearded chin on his locked fingers. He bats his eyelashes and sighs.

"You're still telling us a love story? YUCK! I think I'm going to puke!" Luther gags.

"I thought you were going to teach us how to be brave like Lone Wolf and Kiowa. Instead you're just trying to make mashed potatoes out of us!" John shouts, folding his arms and wrinkling his face.

"Mashed potato, mashed potato," Kevin sings.

"Why didn't he just fight all them Navajo? Lone Wolf would have!" Zack asks.

"Was Anoki pretty?" Kevin asks, pushing dirt up with the tip of his boot.

"She was beautiful, and Kiowa was very handsome as well. Although it was love at first sight, you have to understand, the Kiowa tribe didn't want their leader marrying no dang Hopi. That was absolutely out of the question! They wanted him to marry Kida, the mighty huntress. Could you imagine being told who you had to marry?"

"Noooooo," the boys say in unison.

The inside is much different from the outside. All around his tepee are strewn bones of beaver, elk, bear, and buffalo. It is as though Kiowa wants us to think he is some wild animal, rather than a beautiful, handsome man, Kida thinks as she looks around the outside of Kiowa's tepee.

The painted symbols on his tepee tell his life's story. A young boy buries his face in his hands and cries for his father. Pa teaches the boy how to hunt. A shadow hurls a golden spear at a bear falling off a horse.

"Hello, Kiowa. I have come with gifts," Kida yells.

"Go away!"

"I have nowhere to go. Everyone has had enough to eat, and you cannot refuse a woman with a gift. That is the law."

"Ugh…" Kiowa grumbles, flipping the flap of his tepee and waving her in.

When Kida enters the tepee, she gasps. "You make darkness when it is light?"

"Darkness? It is not dark enough. If you let the light in, you are going to see much pain." Kiowa sighs. He heaves a thousandth huff to the gloomy lingering cloud of sorrow.

Kida senses it, but of course cannot touch it. But if she could, she would cut it into pieces, sweep it up, and toss it out.

"I have brought you meats, that you may gain back your strength." Kida coyly displays the food, sitting down by a fire in Kiowa's tepee.

"I am not hungry." Somberly, he lifts a brow with love-hurt eyes. He stares at the dull rolling amber flames, closes his eyes, and sees Anoki riding a white horse. Those powerful feelings shift to a sense of betrayal when he opens his eyes and sees Kida in his tepee. Alone. With just him.

"You must be sick, Kiowa. You are very quiet and you keep your thoughts to yourself," Kida purrs, obeying her mother's counsel and speaking in sweet seductive tones. She makes soft gestures instead of obeying her brutal, blunt nature.

Kiowa wants to cry an ocean of lovesick tears. Instead, he observes Kida's slow gestures and accentuated curves. She reminds him of a coiling snake. This woman has long, pretty hair and wild, savage eyes. Her eyes are saying something, but I do not care. Her eyes are nothing like Anoki's. Sweet Anoki, who braids her hair neatly and has gentle eyes. He smiles. Anoki who is perfect in every way, like a white swan. He frowns, looking directly at Kida. Or these angry-faced Kiowa women who are like black crows to me.

Kida feels his eyes on her. Her giddiness can hardly be contained. She pounces, seizing the moment. "I am so happy to be here with you." She beams and offers him a delightful smile.

Kiowa doesn't say anything. He plays with the bracelet Anoki gave him.

By refusing to engage or acknowledge her existence, he says a lot. The lack of attention drives Kida crazy. In complete dissatisfaction, and to Kida's utter dismay, he holds a limp bent arm out, looks away, and waves her off.

Kida takes the insult on the chin. She lifts up a log and thinks, Surely if I cannot sweep away his gloom, I can burn it out with this fire or my flame.

When the flames grow, Kiowa gives the tiniest comfort. "It is very good of you to come here, Kida—"

She cuts him off. "I'm glad to be here! Your tepee is the biggest in the tribe." She drags her fingers on the padded fur floor. "You have many fine furs to rest on. Magic symbols to protect you. Plenty of food. It seems all you need is…" She looks up, expecting some sort of reciprocation.

He offers a fleeting glance. "A woman?"

She bursts to life in animated excitement. "YES!" She drags the s out so long, Kiowa thinks he can see her forked tongue.

Despite his best intentions, Kida has found the grain of hope she sought. In one final burst, Kida goes too far and reveals her true intention. With a quick shift of her hips, she lies flat on her stomach and stretches herself out like a cat, showing all her enticing female curves. When he doesn't respond to her seductive advances, she seizes ground and closes the distance, now on all fours. She leans close enough to kiss him. And more than any woman ever has, she invites his kiss by tilting her head up, closing her eyes, and pushing her lips out. She doesn't know why she's supposed to close her eyes. All she knows is that her sister, who is married, told her to do this. Oh, and don't forget to part your pretty lips! No man can refuse your lips, was the trusted sister's council.

Kiowa shuffles around the fire. "And should I take any woman?"

Kida follows him.

Though Kiowa doesn't offer much affection, Kida clings to every word that slips through his alluring lips. She lowers her guard and answers truthfully. "No. You would betray all women if you did not pick a woman out of love. She may have children, she may cook, clean, sew, make clothes for you, but without love, she will teach her children to hate you."

"So a woman must have love from her man or his children will hate him?"

"She will die without it."

Kida feels the mood shift. She scoots closer to Kiowa and compensates by resuming her seductive game. She sits up and pulls the string to her blouse. She slides her sleeves over her shoulders and loosens her buckskin so that he can practically see her breasts.

"Touch me."

A word from the author: Ever wanted someone so bad you couldn't have them? Were you willing to do anything to get them? Offer your flesh, hoping to have your heart stolen away? Were you rejected? How did it feel? Write a review and let the tribe know.