Mingo stood frozen and speechless at Daniel's words. "It's her sister Susannah." He watched Daniel kneel beside the body of the red-haired woman trying to imagine what he must be thinking. Mingo had reeled back in shock when they had discovered the bodies of the women. He watched Daniel faint and then gone closer, unable to believe his eyes. She'd looked astonishingly like Rebecca, and now he understood why. The truth pained him greatly - Rebecca would be devastated.
"It was meant as a surprise." Daniel said as Mingo approached. "For Becky's birthday, last month. They wrote they were coming and asked me not to say anything." He was suddenly overcome with rage. "Why did they kill the women? Why didn't they take them hostage? What's the point of all this." His voice was hard and clipped.
"The raids have all been like this. The ones up North too. They are angry and filled with hate. They believe this will scare people and they will stop coming." Mingo replied.
"It didn't scare them. I wrote them three times! I told them not to come - that it was too dangerous right now. I told them to stay in Philadelphia, and that I'd bring Becky there. They wouldn't listen. What am I going to say to her, Mingo?" Mingo shook his head and looked around.
"Where's the child?" he asked suddenly.
"What?" Daniel said.
"The message said seven men, three women, and one child. Was there a child?"
"Yes," Daniel said beginning to look around. "A girl. Five or six years old. Katie. They called her Katie Grace."
They began to search the area. "Dear God," he prayed. "Let there not be another body. Let me bring her just this one small piece of her family. Please, for her sake. She asks for so little."
"Maybe they took her." Mingo said.
They heard soft footsteps and then they saw her. She was tiny, smaller than Israel, and although they heard her footsteps and saw tears running down her cheeks, she was absolutely silent. She saw Daniel first and began to walk toward him. Then she saw Mingo. Even then, she made no sound. Her mouth opened wide as though to scream, but no sound came out. She ran and dove behind a rock, and finding it not enough cover, began to claw into the earth as though to crawl through to other side.
"You better stay back," Daniel said. He ran after her, and lifting her as she still clawed, he pulled her close into his arms.
"My name's Daniel Boone," He told her softly. "You were coming to see me. I'm your uncle. Your Mama is my wife's sister." She stared at him with terrified green eyes. Her red-blond hair was covered in dirt and leaves. He gently picked a broken twig from her hair, tossing it aside. "Your name is Katie Grace." She nodded her head softly.
"Pa said to hide." She whispered.
"Your Pa was right." He answered.
"My Pa's dead." She responded.
"I know honey. I'm real sorry about that. But I'm gonna take you away from here. You are safe now. But you're gonna have to brave a bit longer. You see, I've got my good friend here with me, but he isn't a white man. He's a Cherokee, an Indian." She stiffened in his arms. "He's like family to us, and he won't harm you. He's a different kind of Indian than the ones you saw before. I know it frightens you, but you have to trust me. You are safe. He's a good man. He's my brother, really."
He carried her towards Mingo. She trembled as they neared the tall Cherokee. "Mingo," he said, "This is my niece, Katie Grace."
"Hello, Katie, " Mingo said softly. She buried her face in Daniel's shoulder.
They left things as they were. Getting Katie Grace safe inside the walls of Boonesborough was their priority. They would send out a burial party later. They made good time and arrived at the fort a few hours before sunset. After delivering the grim news, a party of a dozen men agreed to go back out at sunrise and lay the bodies to rest.
They had fed Katie upon reaching the fort. Cincinatus handed her slice after slice of good fresh bread. Grace Bradley had brought over a soft blue nightgown, and Daniel himself had tucked her in as she drifted exhausted to sleep.
"How long do you think the little thing was out there?" Grace asked.
"Three, maybe four days." Daniel said pulling the covers up around her tiny chin. "At least that's what it seems, from the look of the bodies." He sighed.
"Poor thing." She said softly. "I can sit with her 'til you bring Becky." Daniel met her eyes at the sound of her name.
"She didn't know." He said. "It was to be a surprise. They hadn't seen each other since they'd been bonded. After Becky's father found her, he sent word to her sister, and she and Susannah began writing letters. Susannah, wanted to surprise her." He rubbed his face with his hands, and slowly rose. "I best get home."
"I'm sorry, Daniel." She said with a sigh. "Send the children here. Between Cincinnatus and I, we can watch them."
He sighed heavily and left.