Savage Conquest (46 page)

When he recalled how one of the most awesome
and grisly massacres of an Indian village had taken
place under a white flag of truce and an American
flag of submission, he grieved for what this despicable war was costing him. He would rather give up his
life than his love! But memories and warnings could
not be denied or forgotten. He had been an
impressionable eighteen winters on that frosty day at
Sand Creek. He would never forget the white butcher
named Chivington, that white killer who did not
care what Indians he slew, friendly or hostile, armed
or weaponless. Blazing Star could not understand the
hatred behind a man who could instigate and plan
the slaughter of babies and women, declaring, "Nits
make lice!" It had not mattered that the Cheyenne
Indians at Sand Creek had been friendly, had been
camped there under orders of the soldiers at Fort
Lyon! It had not mattered that they had surrendered
immediately! It had not mattered that the truce and
American flags had been raised to reveal their
friendship! It had not mattered to the other whites
that the soldiers at the Sand Creek Massacre had slaughtered innocent women and children, nor that
they had mutilated the slain males, nor that they had
scalped any Indian of any age and sex!

Yet, the whites accused the Indians of being
savages! They claimed the Indians started the wars
and refused to cease the conflicts! Refused? he
mentally scoffed. All they refused were defeat, death,
reservations, and annihilation!

Chief Black Kettle and his wife survived and
escaped the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864, only to be
slaughtered by a yellow-haired man called Custer
four winters later, in 1868, at the Washita bloodbath!
It was between those two bloodlettings, in 1866, that
the white-eyes called Sherman said on paper to the
Great White Father in Washington that the Sioux
"must be exterminated." Sherman-said to have
tried to destroy half of the white lands in a war not
long past-told the white leader that the soldiers
would act quickly and harshly to complete the
"extermination of men, women, and children" of the
Sioux! Now, here in the Indian ancestral grounds
and nearby hunting grounds, there were three
powerful white warriors with hatred burning in their
hearts: Sherman, Custer, and Sheridan. They had
joined once before to battle an enemy larger and more
powerful than the Sioux Nation, defeating what they
called the Confederacy, the South, the Rebels. Now
they were joining forces against the Indians, mainly
the Sioux. He could not place his beloved in such
danger, danger which even a flag of truce or surrender could not halt!

He reached for the locket with her mother's
picture, placing it in his medicine pouch. It was
Tamaha's image he saw in the picture, an image he
would forever hold. Taking one look at his beloved,
he turned and left, using a string to close the latch
behind him. "Waste cedake, Tamaha." He murmured his love for her, then vanished into the
shadows.

The moment her tawny eyes opened, Miranda
sensed he was gone, and pangs of loneliness and loss
filled her along with a twinge of anger. She did not
have to turn over to look around the cabin. She felt an
emotional chill in the air. Blazing Star's warmth and
vitality had been taken away, and his special scent
had vanished. His spiritual aura was missing. She
suddenly felt very alone and sad. Why was he
determined to prevent their love?

She could not go after him; she could not even visit
the camp under the guise of seeing her grandfather.
She had promised to part after one night with him.
How rashly that vow had been spoken! But she
prayed he would miss her, miss her enough to send
for her or to sneak back to see her. If not, perhaps she
would be compelled to find him once more.

It thrilled her heart when she discovered her locket
gone and found the wanapin on her pillow. She smiled, then danced around the table. Her heart
surged with life and joy, for they had touched in
many ways. How could he deny or ignore what had
passed between them?

She recalled his warnings: "Once you have known
me and our union, the fires would burn brighter and
higher ... You do not know the powers of passion ... I have wanted no female since my eyes
touched upon you." Were those warnings as painful
for him as for her, and as truthful?

In the throes of ecstasy, he had said, "Ni-ye
mitawa, Tamaha," which meant "you are mine,
Tamaha." Had he forgotten she could speak Sioux
and had understood those words?

She bathed and dressed, then prepared a small
meal for herself. Around three, there was a knock at
her door. Her heart did not lurch with excitement;
she knew her love would not return in the daylight.
She opened the door and gaped at the two grinning
people standing there: Amanda and Reis. Miranda
squealed with surprise and hugged both as she
bubbled with delight, spilling forth countless questions.

"Slow down, Randy," Reis teased her. "It's been a
long trip and Mandy is tired. Let's catch our breath,
and we'll tell you everything. Where's Luke?" he
inquired, having much to tell his friend.

When Miranda answered, Amanda could not
believe their cousin had been so careless with her
sister. "He left you here alone?" she blurted incredulously. "Just wait until I get my hands on Lucas Reardon! He promised he would take care of
you and protect you, yet he ran off and left you at the
mercy and lust of these crude soldiers!"

Miranda giggled, then replied mirthfully, "I've
been perfectly safe, Mandy. Surely you know I can
take care of myself. Remember how many times I had
you or Luke pinned helpless to the floor or ground?
Remember how many suitors I sent scurrying in fear?
I'm so glad you're here; I've so much to tell you," she
murmured, mystery and joy shining brightly in her
dark eyes. "I'll prepare some coffee and shortbread,
then we'll talk for hours."

Reis noticed the same mysterious lights which
Amanda observed, sensually dreamy lights which
matched the softened tone of her voice, all of
which hinted at a change in Miranda's life, a masculine change. Reis grinned and winked at his adoring
wife. He excused himself under the guise of looking
around the fort, leaving the two sisters to talk
privately. Evidently both females had plenty to
relate.

Miranda insisted her sister give her news first. She
was stunned to learn of the danger they had faced in
Alexandria but was relieved it was over. She could
not grieve for Weber Richardson, for he had brought
about his own fate. She smiled at Amanda, thrilled by
her sister's happiness. Clearly her sister loved Reis
Harrison deeply.

Miranda did think it slightly odd that her sister
knew so little of her husband's current mission. Then
again, men could be such mysterious, complex, and mercurial creatures) But Amanda would be safe with
him and surely more happy at his side. Miranda was
glad to discover this was Reis's last duty and they
would be establishing a home afterward. It was easy
to picture them with children, herself as a loving
aunt. Her heart warmed at such pleasing thoughts.
Amanda had found her destiny and followed it.

When Miranda heard they would be traveling
around the territory while Reis did whatever it was he
had come to do, she warned her sister about the
continual hostilities and perils in this rugged area.
She revealed all she had learned about the whites and
Indians nearby. She told about her episodes with
Lieutenant Brody Sheen and Lucas's subsequent
journey with him and Custer's regiment. It was
evident to Amanda that her sister disliked Brody; she
had even compared him to Weberl Miranda talked
about Calamity Jane and Tom Two-feathers Fletcher and related how Lucas had found and rented
this cabin. When she halted briefly, Miranda had told
about everything except her visit to the Sioux camp
and her love for an Oglala warrior.

Amanda watched her sister closely, knowing
something vital was about to spill forth from those
parted lips. Amanda sat rigid and silent as Miranda
divulged her exciting trek to see their grandfather,
describing him and the camp and her adventures.
Amanda was so staggered by this unimaginable and
frightening tale that she could not speak. Having
heard horrifying tales about certain warriors and
events, she could not believe her sister would calmly ride into an enemy camp! Yet, she also could not
deny that her sister had returned safe and happy.

Again, Miranda hesitated noticeably, for there was
only one drama left to unfold. She realized Amanda
was shocked by her conduct, and she could not
envision Amanda's reaction to her imminent con•
fession. She waited for her sister to regain her clear
head and tongue.

"How could you do such a reckless and dangerous
thing, Randy? You could have been killed! Or taken
prisoner! Or worse! I should never have allowed you
to come here with Luke. Whatever were you two
thinking? You just told me both sides are preparing
for war."

"I was never in any danger, Mandy. What white
would harm a woman with a letter of protection from
President Grant? And what Indian would harm the
granddaughter of Chief Sun Cloud?" she asserted.

Amanda threw her hands into the air and shrieked
in exasperation, "I don't believe what I'm hearing!
After all we've been through lately, you think you're
safe from all evil? There are Webers everywhere,
Randy! If you were captured and slain out in the
wilderness, who would know who did it or why?
Don't you realize how few females live out here?
Haven't you noticed how crude and rough these men
are?" she rebutted.

"No one has tried to attack me, Mandy. I carry a
gun, and I can fight like Ling taught me. You worry
too much," she teased.

"It seems I didn't worry enough. If we leave before Luke returns, you're coming with us. But if he does
show his roguish face, he'll have to promise not to
leave you alone again. I doubt he will after I finish
with him," Amanda determined aloud.

"I'm not leaving here just yet," Miranda announced defiantly.

"If Luke isn't back when Reis and I depart, you're
going with us, young lady," Amanda argued just as
stubbornly and firmly. "I mean it, Randy; we're not
leaving you in this hellish place alone."

. Miranda stared her straight in the eye and stated,
"I'm in love with someone who lives nearby. I'm not
leaving until I learn if he feels the same. Now that
you have Reis, can't you understand my feelings? I
love him. I need him and I want him," she vowed
earnestly. .

"Who?" Amanda probed. "You haven't mentioned anyone to me."

"Yes, I have. He's the Indian warrior I wrote you
about, the one I met on the way here by steamer,"
Miranda informed her softly.

"The Indian warrior? He lives around here? Have
you seen him again?" she pressed, a curious qualm
chewing at her racing heart.

Slowly and carefully, Miranda related much of
what she knew about the warrior, except their
intimate night together here in this cabin. She told
her sister about their meetings and how she felt. "I
can't help it, Mandy; I'm in love with Blazing Star."

Amanda went white and trembled. "Who... did
you say?" she stammered, that name terrifyingly familiar to her.

"I see you've heard of him," Miranda scoffed as she
witnessed her sister's alarm. "He isn't like that,
Mandy," she protested, then revealed more facts
about him and this racial conflict.

"How could you fall in love with a barbarian, an
enemy? Oh, Randy, what's gotten into you? What
have you done?" Amanda fretted in a near whisper,
recognizing a vast change in her gentle sister.

"During the war, Yankees were considered bloody
barbarians, our fiercest enemies. Have you forgotten
the horrible atrocities they committed against the
South? Even so, you fell in love with one and married
him," she retorted cleverly.

"That's different!" Amanda shouted at her.

"How so?" Miranda debated. "If we make peace
with the Sioux, our differences will be the same as
yours and your Yankee husband's."

"From the way things appear, there will never be
peace," Amanda remarked, her opinions colored by
false information. -

"I believe that same statement was made about the
North and South only a few years ago," Miranda
reminded her astonished sister.

"But Reis's life isn't vastly different from mine,
Randy. You and Blazing Star have nothing in
common," she contended.

"Love," Miranda slyly announced, smiling
dreamily.

"I doubt even powerful love is sufficient to
overcome such complicated differences, Randy." Her sister softened her argument.

"Until I know beyond a single doubt that I can't
have him, I'm not leaving here."

"You don't know him, Randy. You've only spenta
few days with him. Love takes time; it takes working
and being together. You can't love at a distance. You
can't love through war."