Chapter 1

Buck, a handsome young Kiowa half-breed, of an Indian mother and a white father who had raped her, was out for a ride. Before the American Civil War he had worked for 18 months for the Pony Express, but when he had seen what had now become his family die or leave for the war and after realizing that no one would ever give him a job among the whites in the period of war, not wanting to take part in a conflict that he didn't feel his own, he had decided to reach the camp of his half-brother Red Bear and return to live among the Kiowa.

As a boy he had left his people because he didn't really feel like one of them, the other members of the tribe looked at him with suspicion and Buck hadn't been able to tolerate him for long. He had been taken in by the nuns of a mission where he had studied, but even there he was treated with contempt by the other white boys, so he had gone off with his friend and almost brother Ike and both had found jobs for the Pony Express.

When Red Bear saw his brother arriving at his camp, he was ready to attack him because Buck had refused to become his warrior and had made his choice, but when he saw him unarmed, he understood that his brother needed help . Buck had talked to him and confided in him and since that day he had returned to live in his brother's tribe.

Occasionally, however, he felt the need to undertake long rides in solitude, to try to appease his tormented spirit. On that early April afternoon, he was enjoying the pleasant spring breeze, when from afar he saw smoke rising across the prairie.

Fearing that a fire had broken out somewhere, he headed in that direction, but as he got close, he was horrified.

"What the hell happened here?"

In front of him caravans overturned and engulfed in flames and lifeless bodies scattered here and there.

Instinctively he turned over the bodies to see if there were any survivors, even though he feared it was already too late.

He was about to leave when he heard a moan coming from a group of people a little further away than the others. He approached carefully and saw that a young woman was still alive.

He tried to revive her, but failing, he decided to load her on his horse and take her to his tent. He first looked to see if she had any wounds and noticed that she was bleeding from her side. He tried to staunch the blood as best he could and galloped off, trying not to let her take too many blows.

"This poor girl must have seen hell. I have to get to my tent before she wakes up or I'm afraid she might be terribly frightened by riding with me."

Buck, looking around, understood that those caravans had been attacked by an Arapaho tribe and if the girl had woken up on a horse led by an Indian, she could have committed madness.

Luck was on his side and when he arrived at the camp the young woman was still unconscious.

His brother Red Bear, seeing him returning in such a hurry, went to meet him.

"What's going on brother? Who is this woman?", he asked seeing the girl passed out on his horse leaning against him.

"Let's go to my tent.". Red Bear followed him.

Buck dismounted and took the girl in his arms and carried her to his tepee followed by his brother.

"Will you tell me what happened?", Red Bear asked again, urging him.

Buck laid the young woman on the skins spread out on the ground, then got up and replied: "We have to treat her, she's injured. I was riding when I saw smoke. I reached the place and found caravans attacked by a group of Arapaho, I recognized them from the arrows they shot. I looked for any survivors and found her. We need to call the medicine man and women to help her."

"Your behavior was commendable, but you know that now you will have to take responsibility for her", the brother told him.

"What do you mean?"

"You know our laws. She is your booty and if you don't marry her I will have to give her to someone else when she recovers."

"But how can you think about this now, we don't even know if she's going to survive!"

"I know, but it is good that you are ready to make a decision: either you will marry her or you will leave her in the hands of some other warrior who will fight for her"

"But think what this poor woman must have gone through! We can't hold her even against her will and force her to marry a man she doesn't know."

"Are you still too tied to the white world, have you perhaps forgotten our laws?"

"I haven't forgotten them, but I thought you at least showed some humanity"

"It is precisely because I show humanity that I want you to marry her. I know you and I know you will do right by her. If she becomes your wife, no one will be able to judge your relationship, if you understand me..."

"Maybe you're right. Okay, but now the priority is to cure her and make her survive"

Buck knew his brother was right: if he hadn't taken her as his wife she might have been given to some warrior like Black Eagle or Eagle Feather, haughty and not very compliant with female prisoners. He had to protect her and then…. Once healed he would help her return to her people.

They went to call the women and the medicine man who took care of her and dressed her wound. They took off her filthy and bloody clothes and dressed her in a deerskin tunic, the typical dress of the women of the tribe. When she was ready, Buck was admitted to the tent.

"Hasn't she come to her senses yet?", he asked the medicine man.

"No, she has a high fever, the wound is infected. The next night will be decisive"

"Thank you", Buck replied and dismissed him.

He watched the girl all night, trying to get her to drink fresh water and wiping her forehead with a wet cloth.

The next morning Red Bear and the women came to him.

"How is she?", Red Bear asked Buck.

"She slept peacefully but still has a fever, even if it doesn't burn anymore. I'm waiting for the medicine man"

Red Bear nodded and left him with the women who took care of her. When the man arrived, he visited her and told him: "The fever is going down, if she regains her senses before evening she will be out of danger".

Buck thanked him and went back to the teepee. The women brought in some broth and Buck tried to make her swallow it. Suddenly, the woman shook herself and coughed, as if the broth had gone down the drain.

Buck tried to lift her a little by taking her in his arms and the young woman opened her eyes. At the moment she looked bewildered, but when she realized she was in a tepee in the arms of a man, she screamed in terror.

The women in turn became frightened and ran out of the tent, while Buck tried to calm her down.

"Be calm, I don't want to hurt you, I'm not one of them. I found you passed out near your caravan and I brought you here to heal yourself, you need not be afraid".

The girl, listen to his words, looked at his face and seemed to calm down. The man's deep dark eyes looked good and sincere.

"Where are we? And my relatives and friends?", she asked in a faint voice.

Buck helped her sit up and then said: "You are in my tent, in my brother Red Bear's Kiowa camp. My name is Buck Cross. Yesterday while out riding I saw smoke, followed the trail and found your caravans attacked and burned by a party of Arapaho Indians, our enemies. Unfortunately you are the only survivor. You had a wound on your side that got infected and you developed a high fever. Our medicine man and our women are taking care of you, you have to be calm."

Upon hearing those words, the girl burst into tears. Buck tried to hug her but he felt her stiffen, so he released her, but she decided to trust and clung to his chest. Buck let her vent and then took her face in his hands, looked into her bright green eyes reddened by tears and said: "It's going to be all right, you'll see. We will help you heal and recover"

Buck omitted to tell her that she had been entrusted to him as a wife, he didn't want to upset her for now.

"Thank you", she just said and lay back down.

"Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat? I could only give you a little broth"

"No, thanks, I'm fine like this"

"All right. Call me if you need anything. Can I just ask your name?"

She looked at him and replied: "Cristina. I am Italian"

"Nice to meet you Cristina. Now rest" and he went out of the tent.

Red Bear went to meet him and Buck told him about the awakening of the girl.

"I didn't tell her she's going to be my wife, I don't want to scare her and please do the same"

Red Bear nodded in sympathy.

Cristina sank into a deep but troubled sleep, and the women Buck had sent to her tent tried to keep her quiet.

Buck was sitting outside his brother's tent thoughtfully when he was joined by some Kiowa warriors who addressed Red Bear: "We heard about the woman Buck found, where is she now?"

"In my tent", Buck replied, getting defensive.

"The woman has been entrusted to him and will be his wife. He found her and he has the right to keep her", Red Bear pointed out.

The warriors glared at Buck, not trusting him. One of them, Light Pen, told him: "Try not to violate our laws or we will intervene"

"My brother knows our laws perfectly and will respect them, you need not fear" and dismissed them. Then he turned to Buck and said: "Do you see what I was referring to earlier? Taking her as a wife is the only way to really save her."

Buck nodded, got up, and went back to his tent.

Cristina was waking up at that moment. When she opened her eyes she was lost again, but then, seeing Buck, she remembered what he had told her.

"How are you?", he asked as he dismissed the women and touched her forehead: it was fresh.

"It seems that the fever has disappeared", he continued.

"Better thanks. I slept for a long time even though my sleep was very restless. I felt like I was reliving the assault and it was awful."

"I can imagine. Do you want to talk about it or is it still early?".

Cristina nodded: "Perhaps you could help me. As I told you, I'm Italian. I came here with my uncles to build our own ranch and try my luck, like many other families. We were traveling across the prairie with our caravans when we were attacked by an Indian tribe. It was terrible, they started screaming and shooting arrows and we saw our friends fall to the ground like grasshoppers. My uncles and I got off our caravan to try to escape, but we were joined by some warriors who hit us from behind. I felt a body overwhelm me and throw me to the ground and then I don't remember anything, I must have passed out". Tears welled up in her eyes.

Buck took her in his arms and she let him hold her. They stayed like that for a while, then she broke away and continued: "I still haven't thanked you for saving me. I owe you my life"

"Anyone in my place would have done it", he scoffed.

"I'm not convinced, but thank you. When can I leave?"

Buck was silent for a moment, he didn't think it was time yet to tell her the whole truth. He then replied: "You have to recover first. Your fever has just come down and the wound needs to be perfectly clean and healed before you can move and ride, assuming you know how to do it."

"I won't be able to race, but I can keep pace"

"Well, we'll talk about it when the time comes. For now, think about recovering. The women who were here will help you feel better and live this stay more serene"

"Will I have to stay in your tent?"

"It's best not to move for now, but don't worry, I'll sleep on the opposite side. I hope you don't mind at least sharing meals with me."

Cristina blushed because she thought she seemed ungrateful and hurried to answer: "No, no, it's just that you know, a woman and a man under the same tent, well... in our culture it's not allowed"

"Don't worry about prejudices now, we have different customs and no one will judge you, especially because you are hurt"

Cristina nodded and looked down. Buck did the same, sorry that he was deceiving her, but he certainly couldn't upset her now with the truth. He had to take a few days to make her feel better.

"And you? You don't have a typical Indian name…"

Buck scowled. Cristina noticed it and said sorry: "Sorry, I shouldn't have, I was intrusive"

"No do not worry. In fact I'm not totally Kiowa, my mother was but my father was a white man who took her by force and abandoned her "

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to bring back painful memories for you"

"Don't worry, I passed it. I lived with the Kiowa for a while but then I left them because they didn't accept me. I lived on a mission and then worked for the Pony Express. After the outbreak of the war I returned to my brother Red Bear, the tribal chief, because I understood that in the world of the whites there was no longer a place for me".

Buck looked down, and Cristina's heart sank at his story.

Silence fell between them, until the medicine man entered the tent. Buck went out to allow him to visit her. When he came out he said to him: "She's fine, she's out of danger. Now she has only to heal the wound and then she can devote herself to you and resume her activities as a wife, or rather learn them. In a few days she will already be able to get up a little.".

Buck didn't speak but just nodded, hoping Cristina hadn't heard them. He decided to wait until she was on her feet before being completely honest with her.

He came in and told her that she was getting better and that she might try to get up soon. Christine smiled at him.

"Are you hungry? I'll go get the women to bring us something. If you like, I can dine here with you, if you want to be alone, just tell me. We usually all gather outside to have dinner together, but you will have the privilege of having dinner delivered" and he smiled at her, trying to defuse the tension.

"I would like not to be completely alone and I would also feel safer. I don't know who I can trust..."

"I understand. I'm going to get something" and went out. He returned shortly after with some food which he placed on a freshly prepared wooden table to allow Cristina to put down what was necessary to eat.

Cristina thanked him and they ate dinner in silence. There was tension between them: Buck wasn't comfortable because he was lying to her and Cristina was confused, she didn't know how she felt about the half-breed who had saved her. She was fearful because he was still an Indian, but she felt that he was good and that she could trust him. She decided to rely on fate: if he had saved her, he certainly wouldn't have hurt her.

After a while, some women came in to take the remains and the two were left alone again. The embarrassment was growing and Buck decided to go out for some fresh air.

"I'm going to say hello to my brother before going to sleep, I'll be back shortly. You sleep even if you're sleepy"

"I would like to meet your brother first if it were possible"

"Oh, sure, I'll go get him" and went out.

As soon as he entered the tepee he felt lighter. He felt terribly guilty and hoped to be able to speak to her honestly as soon as possible.

"Brother, how is our convalescent?", Red Bear asked him when he saw him coming.

"Better, the fever has disappeared and the medicine man said that in a few days she will be able to start getting up. Then I'll talk to her. Now she would like to meet you"

"For real? Here we go! I'm glad she's better and I hope you can ease your conscience as soon as possible."

Buck nodded: he knew that his brother could read his heart and that he understood him.

They entered the teepee.

"Welcome sister, how are you?"

Cristina started to get up but was pervaded by a sharp pang.

"No, you mustn't!", exclaimed Buck rushing towards her.

"Sit down, don't get tired. Buck told me you can get up soon"

"Yes, thank you for your hospitality and I'm sorry to give you all this trouble"

"Think about recovering and enjoy some rest. Buck will take care of you. I'll let you rest. Good night, see you soon"

"Thanks again", she replied.

When Red Bear had gone out, Buck spread the blankets on the opposite side of the tepee and lay down after wishing Cristina good night: "Try to rest and sleep peacefully, you're in no danger here"

"Thanks Buck, I know. Good night"

The two lay down but both struggled to sleep: he wanted to take her in his arms and hug her tightly to comfort her; she didn't understand that strange sensation she felt in his company.