It's been too long since I've last written and I hate not finishing a story. My mental health these days has been anything but wonderful. I am hoping to finish this story and I hope that I do you all proud. I love Gunsmoke and Kitty and Matt and all the rest, but I haven't been able to climb out of this dark hole of late. So here we go, let's see how this works.
Kitty placed Shay on the horse and without any help, she climbed onto her horse behind her child. Yellow Wolf watched her with such hatred but she did not care. She didn't expect to get out of this nor did she even know why they had killed White Eagle and tried to kill an innocent 3 year old child. But she knew she would understand what was happening soon enough.
Matt and the posse made their way to the Raspberry patch in the north pasture. Festus got off his horse and began to slowly observe the surroundings looking for prints, grass or weeds bent and broken. Then he saw it, it was very small and shiney and it was on the ground. Festus knelt down to pick it up and notices the horses prints heading towards the Old Willings farm. "Mathew." He said and Matt dismounted his horse and walked over to him, keeping hold of the reigns of his horse, as he knelt down next to Festus. "There'd be 'bout 4 ponies with braves, and two with lighter weight, I reckon Miss Kitty and Miss Linda." He said moving grass to see which direction they were headed. "They're headed east." Festus said as he stood and he and Matt both mounted their ponies and headed in the direction of the ponies.
Kitty held tightly to Shay who lay cradled in her mother's arms. She was asleep. Kitty was grateful for that. She didn't think she would be seeing Dodge or Matt again. This was a one way trip and she knew it. She felt bad for Linda, she had no clue what Yellow Wolf was capable of but Kitty did, having survived one of his severe beatings. She knew before this was over, she would receive such a beating or worse. Kitty's hair had managed to fall down and she had pulled it into a long braid which hung past her waist and was held in Shayona's hand. In her sleep, she was gently playing with her Mama's silky braid. Kitty just sighed, "I will love you forever Little Fish." She said as she leaned over and kissed Shay's forehead. She would have to let her go again and her heart was already breaking.
Little Dove and Blossom stood at the entrance of their teepee. (I believe Navajo/First People/Indigenous people lived in hogans, but once again, I'm too lazy to do anymore research. Besides, I need to finish a chapter before my depression overtakes me.) They saw Kitty on the horse holding Shayona, and Little Dove rushed to her side. She reached up and pulled Shayona into her arms as Blossom came to her side. She then handed Shayona to Blossom. Kitty dismounted her horse and turned to face Little Dove, waiting for her wrath. "They say you and my son, killed my husband." She said to Kitty who was truly shocked at the news.
"No, that's not true." Kitty said.
"Liar!" She said angrily as she slapped Kitty in the face. She then leaned into Kitty and whispered in her ear. "I'm sorry, I know you did not, but too many eyes." She said then stepped back and slapped her again. Yellow Wolf watched the exchange and he smiled at the discord he had created. He wanted her to have no support in the tribe, she had to be alone and then she would be his.
He nodded to one of his men and the brave walked over to Linda and gently pulled her from the horse. Kitty was shoved brutally to the ground of the teepee and Linda was pushed inside as well. She leaned down to help Kitty up, but Kitty pushed her away. "Don't help me, Linda, you've done enough." She said slowly getting to her feet and moving to bedding of animal fur and sat down, Pulling her knees up against her breast. Kitty rocked slightly and hid her face in her knees. She was tired and ready to sleep for a long time but she knew this was only the beginning. Blossom came into the teepee with food for the women. She looked at both women and sat the bowl on the ground before Kitty. She gently touched Kitty's arm to wake her. "You must eat something my sister." She said in quiet voice. Kitty looked up with tears streaming down her face. She felt a little bit of comfort with Blossom calling her sister. She smiles slightly at Kitty and Kitty returns the smile, but it was forced and Blossom knew it. There was nothing she could do without giving herself away as loyal to Kitty. The elders would decide her fate. Blossom looked at Linda, "Come, you must eat too." She said and she got up and left the women to eat.
"She, she called you sister?" Linda asked Kitty.
"Yes." Kitty said simply.
"Why?" Linda asked her as she sat down and picked up the bowl.
"I was raised as one of them. Chief Walking Bear and his wife, Little Dove took me under their wings and protected me." Kitty said.
"So, their like family to you?" Linda said as she took one of the wooden spoons and scooped some food that resembled a stew into it.
Kitty suddenly slapped her hand making her drop the spoon. "Don't eat that. It's not poison, but it will make you violently ill." Kitty told her.
"Is that their way, to make us sick?" Linda aske3d.
"No, but it is Yellow Wolf's way. He is cruel and vicious." Kitty said as Linda moved away from the food and looked at Kitty. "And with the exception of Yellow Wolf, they are my family
"Do you think they will protect you from him?" Linda Asked her.
"There are only women and his braves here. The women can not fight against the men." Kitty said as she laid down on the bedding. "I suggest you get some rest. They rise quite early in the morning."
Matt and the posse had to set up camp, the horses needed watering and a rest. Matt sat restlessly against the rock. He could not sleep. Festus looks over at him. "Mathew, you need to get some sleep, we ride before dawn." Festus said.
"I know, I'm just, I can't help but worry." Matt said to him.
"I know you can't, Mathew, but worrying ain't gonna do Miss Kitty no good. We need to be well rested and ready for anything." He scolded Matt.
"I'll try." Matt said as he laid down in the sleeping bag and attempted to get some rest. He didn't sleep, but come morning he was energized with fear of losing the two people that mattered more to him in this entire world, Kitty and Shayona.
Kitty woke with a start as Yellow Wolf grabbed her by the hair and dragged her out of the teepee. She cried out in pain, and Linda quickly woke and attempted to get up and help Kitty. Yellow Wolf struck her across the face and she fell to the ground. He then grabbed Kitty by the hair again and dragged her over to the center of the village. He took a branch from a tree and began to beat her with it, on her hips, back, her legs, and she cried out. Little Dove and Blossom along with most of the women came rushing to the center of the village where Kitty lay on the ground curled in a ball trying to shield herself from his beating. Linda was desperately trying to get away from the braves and help Kitty.
"Stop it!" Little Dove yelled as she shoved Yellow Wolf away from Kitty. Then she and Blossom stood in front of Kitty in a protective stance.
"You dare to interfere?" Yellow Wolf glared at her. "She murdered your husband, or do you think she is innocent?" He asked her.
"I do not think she is innocent, but you have no right to judge her guilty or innocent. Only the elders have that right." She said angrily.
"The Elders are in the lodges, they are two weeks travel from here." Yellow Wolf said smiling.
"I sent word to them when you and your braves left camp. They will be here in two days time and they know what has occurred and they will judge Koi asdaan (means Fire Woman, but it is partially made up unable to put in proper accents and such) She said using the name Fire Woman which Chief Walking Bear had given Kitty when she was still a child.
"No, I say we judge her NOW!" He said angrily.
"As the wife of Chief Walking Bear, I demand respect." She said. "I will not have you destroy my husband's memory by taking revenge on her. This must be done properly in order to exact revenge on the person guilty of killing MY husband. No Gods will be offended if justice is acquired here. Two days will make no difference, Yellow Wolf and you will keep your distance from her and her…" She looks at Kitty, "her evil medicine." She said standing toe to toe with him. He was a good foot taller, but as he looked around he saw that the women of the tribe, the mothers and sisters of his own braves, had picked up rocks. They would perhaps fail in saving her and fail in hurting him, but his braves, these were their family and they would not raise a hand to any of these women.
Angrily Yellow Wolf pushed Little Dove aside and he grabbed Kitty by the throat and pulled her to her feet. "You belong to me!" He said angrily and Shay, who had sneaked out of the teepee bit him hard on the leg. So hard that he dropped Kitty and Kicked the child whose head struck a rock.
"Noooo!" Kitty screamed as she got up and rushed to her daughter. She desperately tried to check her, but her hands were shaking and the tears would not stop. "Please." She said gently touching the blood on her forehead. "Shay, wake up for mommy, please." She begged but she did not wake. Blossom knelt down across from Kitty and leaned her ear to Shay's chest.
"She is alive, sister." Blossom said softly. "Mother and I will take her and we will take care of her." She told Kitty as she very gently lifted the baby in her arms and her and her mother carried her to their teepee. Linda pulled Kitty to her feet and quickly ushered her back into the teepee out of Yellow Wolf's line of sight. He would not be stopped. He would wait for the elders, but he was Chief Walking Bear's son, they would believe him regardless.
Kitty fell to the mat and began to cry. She pulled her knees against her chest and curled into herself. Her heart was breaking, what would she do without Shay? She couldn't lose her, not to the Navajo, not to death. She felt such grief and she understood why Linda had hated her so much. She hated Linda for putting them in this situation. If she had just….just what, she thought to herself. Just gotten over her daughter's drowning? How could anyone get over the death of their child. A parent is supposed to die first, not the child. She began to cry harder with that thought. Linda sat down beside her and gently rubbed her shoulder as she cried. She felt so helpless. She now understood how Kitty must have felt being blamed for her daughter's death. Cause she felt guilt for Shay's injury even though she had not hurt the child, she felt the guilt of responsibility from this.
Matt sat upon his horse as he waited for Festus who had dismounted to study the tracks. They were still headed East. "Still heading East Mathew and still four braves and two women." He said as he mounted Ruth and they continued to head in the direction of the trail. Matt knew they would have to stop and camp and rest the horses soon. He wanted nothing more than to just continue riding but then he'd end up with an exhausted horse and possibly even a dead horse. Kitty was his life, his entire world and he needed to get to her and bring her, Shay and Linda home safely. If they harmed her or the child, he'd kill every last one of those braves, with his bare hands.
For two days Kitty has sat in the teepee, she did not eat, knowing that if Yellow Wolf had anything to do with it, it would make her sick. Blossom came into the room with a big bowl of what looked like oatmeal and berries. She took the spoon and she took a spoonful of food, and ate it, showing Kitty that Yellow Wolf did not even get a chance to poison her food. Linda and Kitty had to use the same bowl and two wooden spoons. They ate slowly, as Blossom told them to do so because they hadn't eaten in two days, so they took their time eating the oatmeal. Before they had completely emptied the bowl, two braves entered the teepee.
"Koi, come." The one Brave said to her and she stood to follow. Linda stood to follow but the second brave blocked her way. He shook his head no and she sat back down.