Loretta snuggled deeply into silken furs, trying to escape the persistent hand that shook her shoulder and the voice that called to her. Not her name, anyway. What kind of name was that?
"Blue Eyes, you will be awake now. Home…you wish for home?" Amy and Aunt Rachel. The gray down quilt. Pork slab and eggs for breakfast. Coffee on the porch when the sun peeked over the horizon and streaked the sky with crimson. To laughter and love and safety. Oh, yes, she wished for home.
"Be awake, little one. This Comanche will take you back. Loh-rhett-ah? Wake up, Hoos-cho Soh-nips, Bird Bones, you must eat and grow strong so you can go home. To your people and your wooden walls."
Loretta opened her eyes. She rolled onto her back and blinked. A dark face swam above her. Funny, but blinking didn't bring him into focus. She reached out, curious, then thought better of it.
"You will make the honey talk with me? We will make a treaty between us, one with no , writing. You will eat and grow strong, and I will take you to your people."
Honey talk. All lies, according to Hunter. Loretta peered up. She ran her tongue across her lips and tried to swallow. "H-home?" she croaked.
"
, yes, Blue Eyes. Home. But you must eat so you can live to go back. And drink. For three days. Until you are strong again." His fingertips grazed her cheek and trailed lightly into her hair. "Then this Comanche will take you."
"You will?" she rasped.
"It is a promise I make. You will eat and drink?"
Loretta closed her eyes. She had to be dreaming. But oh, what a lovely dream it was. To go home. To have Hunter volunteer to take her there. No need to worry that his wrath would rain upon her family. "No tricks. You swear it?"
"No tricks."
His voice echoed and reechoed inside her head, loud, then like a whisper. She fought to open her eyes. The darkness was surrounding her again. "Then I will eat.
"Blue Eyes, you will be awake now. Home…you wish for home?" Amy and Aunt Rachel. The gray down quilt. Pork slab and eggs for breakfast. Coffee on the porch when the sun peeked over the horizon and streaked the sky with crimson. To laughter and love and safety. Oh, yes, she wished for home.
"Be awake, little one. This Comanche will take you back. Loh-rhett-ah? Wake up, Hoos-cho Soh-nips, Bird Bones, you must eat and grow strong so you can go home. To your people and your wooden walls."
Loretta opened her eyes. She rolled onto her back and blinked. A dark face swam above her. Funny, but blinking didn't bring him into focus. She reached out, curious, then thought better of it.
"You will make the honey talk with me? We will make a treaty between us, one with no , writing. You will eat and grow strong, and I will take you to your people."
Honey talk. All lies, according to Hunter. Loretta peered up. She ran her tongue across her lips and tried to swallow. "H-home?" she croaked.
"
, yes, Blue Eyes. Home. But you must eat so you can live to go back. And drink. For three days. Until you are strong again." His fingertips grazed her cheek and trailed lightly into her hair. "Then this Comanche will take you."
"You will?" she rasped.
"It is a promise I make. You will eat and drink?"
Loretta closed her eyes. She had to be dreaming. But oh, what a lovely dream it was. To go home. To have Hunter volunteer to take her there. No need to worry that his wrath would rain upon her family. "No tricks. You swear it?"
"No tricks."
His voice echoed and reechoed inside her head, loud, then like a whisper. She fought to open her eyes. The darkness was surrounding her again. "Then I will eat.
( Catherine Anderson )
[ Comanche Moon ]
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