Memories of those first few days washed over her. Of his arm around her while she slept, the heat of his chest against her back, how terrified she had been. Suddenly the stars above her blurred, and she realized she was gazing at them through tears. She squeezed her eyes closed, and hot streams ran down her cheeks into her ears. She crying, she wasn't. Couldn't be. It didn't make sense.
A sob snagged in her throat and made a catching sound. She clamped a hand over her mouth, furious with herself. How could she have come to a Comanche? Could she forget her parents so easily? It was unthinkable. Unforgivable.
"
"
Loretta leaped and opened her eyes. Hunter knelt beside her, a dark shadow against the blue-black, starlit sky.
"You weep?"
"No--yes." Her voice came out in a squeak. "I'm just feeling sad, that's all."
He sat down beside her and hugged his knees, gazing off into the endless darkness. "You will stay beside me?"
"No." The thought was so preposterous that a wet laugh erupted from her. "I was just thinking. Once I get home, we'll be enemies again. My people would shoot you if you ever came around. And that--" She sniffed and swiped at her eyes. "That makes me sad. And sort of scared. What if there was an Indian attack? What if I--" She turned her head to study him. "I might look down the barrel of a rifle someday, and it might be at the other end."
"I will not lift my blade against you."
"But what if you didn't know? What if you went on a raid and I was there, fighting to protect my family and friends? What if I sighted in on some murdering savage, itchin' to blow him off his horse, and it was you?"
His eyes were dark pits in his face when he turned to regard her. After a long silence he said, "You would pull the trigger?"
Loretta stared up at him, her chest knotted around a huge ball of pain. "Oh, Hunter, no, I don't think I could."
"Then let your sadness go the way of the wind, eh?" His teeth gleamed white in the moonlight. "If we meet in battle, I will know the song your heart sings, eh? And you will know mine.
A sob snagged in her throat and made a catching sound. She clamped a hand over her mouth, furious with herself. How could she have come to a Comanche? Could she forget her parents so easily? It was unthinkable. Unforgivable.
"
"
Loretta leaped and opened her eyes. Hunter knelt beside her, a dark shadow against the blue-black, starlit sky.
"You weep?"
"No--yes." Her voice came out in a squeak. "I'm just feeling sad, that's all."
He sat down beside her and hugged his knees, gazing off into the endless darkness. "You will stay beside me?"
"No." The thought was so preposterous that a wet laugh erupted from her. "I was just thinking. Once I get home, we'll be enemies again. My people would shoot you if you ever came around. And that--" She sniffed and swiped at her eyes. "That makes me sad. And sort of scared. What if there was an Indian attack? What if I--" She turned her head to study him. "I might look down the barrel of a rifle someday, and it might be at the other end."
"I will not lift my blade against you."
"But what if you didn't know? What if you went on a raid and I was there, fighting to protect my family and friends? What if I sighted in on some murdering savage, itchin' to blow him off his horse, and it was you?"
His eyes were dark pits in his face when he turned to regard her. After a long silence he said, "You would pull the trigger?"
Loretta stared up at him, her chest knotted around a huge ball of pain. "Oh, Hunter, no, I don't think I could."
"Then let your sadness go the way of the wind, eh?" His teeth gleamed white in the moonlight. "If we meet in battle, I will know the song your heart sings, eh? And you will know mine.
( Catherine Anderson )
[ Comanche Moon ]
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