Lakota Flower Read Free

here,” he told her. “Soon, we ride for my camp.”
    “No, I die here or you let me ride back to the fort.” She spoke with false bravado before she could stop the demand from leaving her lips. She watched his body stiffen and his gaze narrow and darken at her words. That was stupid and reckless; now you’ve provoked him to anger!
    War Eagle placed his hands on his hips, glared at her, and warned in a stern tone, “You come easy way or hard way; choice yours, woman.”
    Caroline studied him for a few minutes, then realized it was foolish to defy him. If she did so, he could become riled and violent, and he could turn her over to his men to be … “I will come with you, War Eagle, but if you try to harm me, I will fight you to the death.”
    War Eagle grasped her true meaning—forcing her to hismat—which was not something he would do. “Your choice wise, woman.”
    Forcing herself to use a polite and soft tone, she corrected him. “My name is Caroline, not ‘woman,’ War Eagle.”
    He touched her shoulder with one hand and said, “You woman.” He touched his chest and said, “I man. Why bad to call you woman?”
    With his men working quietly, and with her back pressed against the wagon, his body filling her view, and her mind on matching wits with his, she briefly forgot about the gruesome sight encompassing them. “It’s the bad way you said it, War Eagle.” She lowered her voice and said gruffly, “Woman, like an insult. My name is Caroline.”
    He knew the word insult, for he and his people had been ridiculed many times by whites and enemy tribes, and he hated being mocked and belittled even by a foe. For a reason he did not understand, and while being drawn unwillingly to her blue gaze and gentleness, he complied with her softly spoken request. “Ca-ro-line. It hard word to speak.”
    “Speak it faster, as one word, not three. Caroline,” she said again with a half smile. Perhaps she could trick him with southern charm!
    “Caroline,” he echoed, and watched a full smile capture her mouth and a sparkle like sunshine dancing on water fill her eyes.
    “That’s good. Thank you, War Eagle.”
    As she smiled again, he surmised she was impressed by him. He scolded himself for being even slightly tempted by her beauty and favorable manner, and for standing there talking with her as if they were friends. He must not allow her to touch his heart and mind in a forbidden way. He summoned a stoic expression and firm tone as he commanded, “No more talk. It wise to be silent; woman not speak orders to man. If you speak or do bad and shame me before others, I punish you; that our way.”
    Caroline grasped the sudden change in his mood and thewarning tone of his voice. Perhaps, she reasoned in haste, he was embarrassed and alarmed—even vexed—by his brief softening toward her, the “enemy.” Perhaps Indian women were viewed and treated as lowly and servile beings, as in the Arab countries. For certain, something repellent had assailed him. Minutes ago, he was being genial and kind; he had almost grinned and shown a sense of humor during the amusing name incident. Now, he was acting distant, brusque, and intimidating. She cautioned herself to silence, feigned respect and obedience. For now, that behavior seemed wisest, unless he attempted to ravish her; then, she would fight him to the death with her bare hands! She had not lived to the age of nineteen and guarded her chastity so strongly to come there and be ravished and humiliated and permanently entrapped by what the soldiers had called “savages.” Until a moment ago, she had not believed that word described him; now, she wasn’t certain. She hoped that all he wanted was a slave to serve him and his family, just as unfortunate blacks did for their white masters. For now, she must bide her time until she could escape or be rescued…
    War Eagle stepped to the rear of the wagon and looked inside. Just as he had expected, the cloud-colored blanket