T'on Ma
By Magnolia Belle
Smashwords
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What
others have to say:
This
latest offering in Ms. Belle's repertoire is a highly enjoyable read.
You will find yourself easily transported back to the days when
families were risking their lives on the prairies of our vast,
unclaimed lands to lay claim to it for themselves with promises of a
new life. You will easily be swept up into the emotional and physical
struggles of these characters. You will feel their heartaches, and
trumpet their joys. Ms. Belle has reclaimed the American West for her
readers. Bravo!
Ruth Simard, Nebraska
T'on Ma. "Water Woman". One woman. Two loves. Once again, Magnolia Belle delivers another trademark, old-fashioned love story. Full of twists and turns, T'on Ma is comprised of a Kiowa warrior entranced by the beautiful blue eyed Lana Cooper and their cautious families. Two Hawks is convinced the young creature is of the Spirit World until he sees her bleed.
Lana Cooper is protected and loved by her parents and brothers. Her first encounter with Two Hawks leaves her unnerved, but curious. Their brief meeting sets off a chain of events that neither Lana nor Two Hawks can control... nor do they want to as their choices bring them closer together and into an undeniable attraction and unrelenting love.
This novel takes a deeper twist when Lieutenant Liam O'Connell arrives and places himself in Lana's life. He's willing to help Lana drown out her heart's voice as it calls for Two Hawks.
Take a journey with two people who are bound to stay true to their beliefs and their hearts. T'on Ma is a bittersweet tale with painful choices and a surprising twist at the end.
Christina Ulmer, Florida
T'on Ma is a compelling novel set during the early 1850's and delves into cultures and a period in American history rarely addressed in romance literature. The story is primarily built around the triangle of Lana Cooper (Water Woman, T'on Ma), Two Hawks (Yi Centas) and Liam O'Connell. This is the first book in a trilogy that will span from the 1850's through the 1880's and follow the families introduced in the first book. This story focuses on Lana, and the choices she must make as these two men enter her life.
Lana Cooper is the seventeen year old daughter of Joshua and May Cooper who have decided to become homesteaders and settle their family in North Texas following the Mexican-American War. We see her close relationship with both parents and her three brothers, and we also get a sense of how difficult life must have been for pioneers at that time. We follow her journey and growth as she meets and develops relationships with two very different men. Her choices are complicated by cultural differences, which the author deftly delineates.
Two Hawks is a Kiowa brave, and his tribe is near the location where the Coopers have settled. When Two Hawks and Lana meet, the connection is instantaneous. However, their relationship is hampered by the understandable concerns of their respective families, as relationships between the Kiowa and homesteaders were not always friendly. Their love is deep; however, it is not what either Lana's family or Two Hawk's tribe want for them. Lana also eventually meets Liam O'Connell, who is a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and is stationed in Ft. Worth. One of his scouting missions brings him in contact with the Cooper family. We learn that he is well educated and is from a wealthy Georgia family. He is enamored with Lana, and is a support to her and her family.
Overall, this book was a joy to read. At times this reviewer was frustrated that the style of writing for this novel is simplistic, however, the simple writing fits the story in the sense that Lana and Two Hawks must learn to communicate with each other. The character development is superb, the plot moves at just the right speed, and the reader is treated to seeing the characters make very human choices. With a classic story of a woman torn between two men, this story could have easier fallen prey to all sorts of clichés, cop-outs, or unrealistic decisions. Magnolia Belle allows for the development of both love interests and makes room for the analysis of different types of love. It is refreshing that Liam, as the "antihero" is not portrayed as a villain. Lana is faced with the choice of the known versus the unknown. Should she follow what she has been brought up to believe or should she take a chance? Should she follow her "head" or her "heart"? This novel is special because we see our heroine struggle with these choices and their consequences, and this novel does not follow a typical romance formula. We see our heroine's growth as a person as she makes difficult decisions and lives with her choices. As the ultimate triumph of true love is never assured, it is all the more satisfying.
Reviewed by Erin
Erato Rating — 4 ½
Romance Reader's Connection
From the very first page of this novel, you will be transported back to 1850s Texas. Magnolia Belle does a wonderful job in this book, and you feel like you are getting to know the characters, you feel their pain, you share in their joy. And after a while, you almost don't want to return from 1850s Texas. This book follows Lana Cooper and her adventures on the frontier, and her struggles of choosing between two men. The surprising ending of T'on Ma will leave you eager for the next book in the series.
Stephanie Crail, Pennsylvania
From the dizzying pace of the music industry in her first book, Lakota Man, to the isolated Texas prairie in her new book, T'on Ma, Magnolia Belle makes the transition in amazing style. The story not only encompasses the social situations found in the early settler years in the west, it opens the door to the traditions and life styles of the Native Americans who also lived in the area. The characters are well defined and story moves with enough twists and turns to keep your interest. I can't decide which I'm looking forward to more, a sequel to her first book or her newest endeavor. The characters are more like friends, neighbors, and family; you are left wondering where their futures take them.
Denise G. Hinds, Texas
Discover other
titles in the T'on Ma series by Magnolia Belle at
Smashwords.com:
"Kuy Syan Joshua" — Book 2
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/4274
"Little Wolf
Ranch" — Book 3 https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/4276
The team:
Editor:
Connie Webb
prairiewhispers@gmail.com
Web Design: Kirk
Osburne
Web Graphics
Source
webgraphicssource@gmail.com
http://www.webgraphicssource.com
Illustrator:
Ken Faulks
http://kenfaulksillustration.com
kfaulks@islandnet.com
©
2006, 2008 Magnolia Belle
2nd edition
ISBN:
978-0-9799624-9-3
Library of Congress Control Number:
2008905724
Smashwords Edition
Published By Black Wolf Books,
Inc.
info@blackwolfbooks.com
http://www.blackwolfbooks.com
All
rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by
any means, electronic,
mechanical, photo-copying, recording, or
otherwise, without prior permission
of the author.
Dedication
This
book is dedicated to my Native American ancestors.
I don't know
your names or your faces,
but I feel your heartbeat
and hear
your voices in my dreams.
Seventeen-year-old Lana sat beside the slow-running river and pulled off her shoes and socks, her toes wiggling in delight at their newfound freedom. Late August afternoons in Texas brought the hottest part of the day, of the year — too hot to do chores or to stay inside the airless sod house. This presented a perfect time to swim and maybe to wash her hair.
Lana stood, removed her dress and underthings, and arranged them across a bush. On tiptoes, she picked her way across rocks and around grass burrs, and walked into the river until the water came to just under her navel. As she undid her braid, she let her long, brown hair fall loose down her back and shoulders. She leaned forward into the water, its coolness a delight against her hot, sweaty skin. This felt like heaven!
The young woman swam and floated for a few moments but, wanting her soap, she stopped and took a few steps in the waist-deep water toward the riverbank. A noise behind her made her whirl around.
Several yards away, a Kiowa brave sat on a magnificent black horse, his piercing eyes staring at the nude woman. Lana froze, not sure what to do. She hadn't brought a gun with her. The house stood so close, she hadn't thought she needed to.
Don't show him you're afraid, she thought to herself. Stare him down and he'll leave. Facing her uninvited visitor, she tried to slow her breathing.
He looked young, maybe a few years older than Lana — wild, fierce, haughty. No paint adorned his face, so she decided he must be hunting or traveling, rather than looking for a fight.
The brave continued staring at her with fearless, piercing brown eyes. Then they flicked away, searching for the men he knew must be near. When his gaze returned to her blue eyes, she read her death in his face, but something stopped him; his expression softened. She didn't know her beauty caused a debate in his mind — kill her or take her captive? Before Lana knew her fate, a man's voice called from behind the rise on the other side of the river, causing the brave's head to jerk at the sound.
"Lana? Girl, where are you?" Joshua Cooper yelled.
"I'm right here, Pa," Lana answered, not turning away from the Kiowa. "At the river."
"Well, hurry up! Your ma needs you in the kitchen."
"Pa? I'm in trouble."
As the words left her mouth, the brave reined his horse away and trotted across the prairie. Lana sank to her knees while she tried to quit shaking.
"What kind of trouble?" Her father's voice sounded much closer as he neared the small rise. Lana hurried out of the river and grabbed her dress, holding it against her.
"Kiowa. But he's gone now."
Her scowling father walked past her and forded the river, where he made a close inspection of the area.
"Just one of 'em?" he asked as she scrambled into her clothes.
"Yes, just one."
Making his way back, Joshua shook his head at her. "Come on to the house. I reckon he's gone."
* * *
Two Hawks made his way to the summer camp of his village as he thought of what he had just seen. Homesteaders had come to the plains and had driven his people out, killing game, grabbing the land as if they owned it, making Kiowa life difficult, bringing tension and hostility across their land. The whites' Great Father kept making and breaking promises. Two Hawks didn't know what to believe. The whites had more than one Great Father; it must be confusing for them, he decided. No wonder they seemed so strange.
And the woman in the river? He shook his head. Rumors of people with blue eyes had reached his village, but he didn't believe them. No one had blue eyes unless they came from the spirit world. Yet, hadn't he just stared into crystal blue eyes? And hadn't they stared back, unafraid? What if she was a spirit woman? Maybe it was a good thing he hadn't killed her. Nodding his head once, he decided he would call her T'on Ma (Water Woman).
* * *
Joshua Cooper had survived the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848, but it left him exhausted in body and in mind. There had been too much hatred, too much death, too much turmoil, and he was done. Moving with his wife and family of three sons and one daughter, he made his way to north Texas. A farmer by trade, he thought perhaps he could raise cattle as well.
They reached their land in June of 1850. It sat just south of where the Salt Fork and the Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos River met. Kiowa Peak rose in the distance.
With the help of his three sons, Nathan, nineteen, Paul, sixteen, and Jake, thirteen, Joshua soon had a sod house constructed. Being scarce, they used timber only for a door and for framing the windows. Perhaps one day there would be enough to cover the dirt floor. The Coopers had no money for glass windows, so sheets of waxy paper stretched across the window openings to let in a dim, muted light. Wooden shutters had been made to keep out rain and arrows. Netting hung across the ceiling to prevent mice from falling through the sod roof onto unsuspecting sleepers below.
The rectangular house had three rooms. Joshua and his wife, May, slept in the one bedroom on the left. Their three sons slept in the bedroom on the right.
The last and largest room sat between the two bedrooms. It featured a fireplace on the left, and a long wooden table and several chairs in the middle. A kitchen counter ran along the front wall, underneath a window. The only family luxury, an oak hutch, had come straight from England with May's grandmother many decades before. The blue and white pattern of the Delft dishes that sat on the hutch lent the rare splash of color to the otherwise dark room. Lana had a cot against the far right corner where she would pull across a blanket hung from the ceiling for privacy.
With the house built, the next projects were building a barn, smoke house, and root cellar. Through careful planning, Joshua had enough provisions to keep his family going through the winter until next spring.
While the men were building, Lana and her mother were expected to collect as many buffalo chips as they could find. These would be used as fuel. The women would also forage for roots, berries, and herbs and would cut and dry as much prairie grass as they could to keep the horses fed through the winter. They spent every spare minute of each day providing for their survival so far away from civilization, from stores, from medicine.
* * *
Once back at his village, Two Hawks tethered his horse outside his mother's tipi and went to find his father. "I've seen a white woman today," he announced as he sat beside his father, busy making arrows.
"What?" Many Deer looked up at his son. "Where?"
"About two spans¹ from here. She wasn't alone, either. I heard a man's voice calling to her."
Many Deer scowled. When would these people go away and leave them in peace?
"Should we go back tomorrow and kill them?" Two Hawks asked.
"Perhaps. Let me talk to some of the Dog Soldiers² first." He picked up an arrow shaft and inspected it for straightness. "Do you know how many there are?"
"No. I didn't see. They were behind a hill." His father nodded. That didn't give much information to plan a raid on, though Kiowa held a reputation throughout the area for their fearless attacks.
"The woman was different," Two Hawks said after a moment. "Her eyes were blue like the sky."
"Blue?" Many Deer studied his son. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. Even from a distance, I could see they were blue."
Many Deer pursed his mouth. This could be a sign, an omen. Like his son, like everyone in the village, they had all heard the story of people with blue eyes, but to have seen one…
"Perhaps we shouldn't kill them without learning more. I'll ask the others and see," his father decided. Many Deer continued with his arrow making, waiting until the fires were lit, supper cooked, and everyone's stomachs full before bringing this discussion to the Dog Soldiers.
Later that evening, after much debate and counsel, the Dog Soldiers decided three of them should go on a trading mission. While there, they could look around and see how many settlers lived there, how many guns they had, and if there were any horses worth stealing. Two Hawks would be one of the trading party, to show them the way. Broken Man, as the eldest, would lead them, and Crying Fox would go along as added protection and an extra pair of eyes.
* * *
Two days after the river incident, Lana gathered eggs from the hens that had survived their journey to this new place. The fourth egg had been set in the bottom of the basket when she heard horses. Looking up, she saw three mounted Kiowa, their horses walking toward the house.
"PA! — PA! Come quick!"
Joshua and his sons stepped from behind the sod wall of the partially-finished barn, each bearing a rifle. Nathan stood behind his father. Paul kept his hand on Jake's shoulder.
Keeping a steady eye on his visitors, Joshua approached the Kiowa, his rifle barrel pointed toward the ground. They didn't look like they'd come to start trouble.
"Get in the house, girl!" Joshua ordered.
Lana scurried across the yard and ducked into the house with her mother. Peering through the crack in the door, she looked at the braves and recognized the one from the river. Two older men accompanied him. All three had their braids wrapped in fur, their ears adorned with Mexican silver. The man in the middle raised his hand toward Joshua in a sign of peace. Joshua returned the gesture and invited the braves to step down.
The men dismounted, Two Hawks throwing his right leg over his horse's neck and jumping to his feet with a dancer's grace. They took a few steps toward Joshua and then sat on the ground. The oldest brave produced a pipe and tobacco.
"Paul," Joshua said to his middle son, "get coffee enough to go around. Put lots of sugar in theirs. Nathan, you help him."
The two young men went into the house and returned a few minutes later carrying the hot, sweetened beverage in tin cups. Nathan had a folded blanket under one arm. Joshua reached for it and spread it in front of the Kiowa. Then, taking the coffee from his sons, he set a cup in front of each brave. The four homesteaders joined the Kiowa on the ground, sitting on the opposite side of the blanket.
After observing the amenities, Two Hawks rose and walked to his horse, where he untied a large bundle. He threw it into the middle of the blanket and then repeated the same process twice more.
Nathan spread the three bundles out for a quick inspection.
"They've got rabbit and coyote pelts in here, Pa. It's all prime, too." The Cooper family needed those pelts to make clothing against the bitter, subzero winter weather common on the high plains.
"I guess they want to trade." Joshua then turned to shout over his shoulder. "Ma, bring the trading sugar and molasses out."
In a few minutes, the door opened and May and Lana stepped through, carrying their trade goods. May set a small sack of hard sugar on the blanket in front of Broken Man. Lana placed two jugs of molasses beside it and stepped back. As she did so, she risked a glance at Two Hawks, who had watched her since she came out of the house. Opening one of the jugs, he poked his finger in and then pulled it out, covered in rich, sticky sweetness. As he stuck his finger in his mouth, he looked at Broken Man and grinned, nodding.
Crying Fox said something to Two Hawks, then rose and mounted his horse. Two Hawks picked up the two jugs and handed them to Crying Fox. The Coopers stood when Broken Man also mounted his horse. Two Hawks returned to the blanket and stepped over to Lana. Holding her chin in his right hand, he stared into her eyes. Yes, they were really blue.
Lana quit breathing, afraid to move or to blink. She tried to remove the fear from her eyes, but if she could hear her heart pounding this loudly, she felt sure he could, too.
"T'on Ma," he said, pointing to her chest. "T'on Ma."
"Let her go!" Joshua ordered, his rifle pointing straight at the young Kiowa. With disdained-filled eyes, Two Hawks looked over his shoulder at Joshua, dropped his hand from Lana's face, and grunted. Swooping down, he picked up the sugar sack and then jumped on his horse, his long braid swinging behind him.
The three braves turned their horses and rode away without any concern for the rifles at their backs. The trade had been a good one. There would be feasting tonight.
The trading party rode back to the village, announcing their arrival with triumphant shouts and song. Small children ran around them like so many clucking hens pecking grain. Two Hawks slid off his horse and held the sugar sack above his head.
"Sweet!" he proclaimed. Crying Fox stood beside him and lifted the two molasses jugs as well, his chest swelling. This presented a rare treat, indeed, for his village. Two Hawks gave his mother the sugar in an honorary gesture, just as Crying Fox gave the molasses to his wife. The two women were in charge of these luxuries until the feast that night. Their men had made them proud, had given them esteem in the eyes of the village.
The three braves then met with the elders to give their report.
"It's only one small family," Broken Man said. "One man and three sons, his wife and daughter."
"But the men all had rifles," Crying Fox added.
"What of horses?" someone asked.
"I only saw two of them. Even our poorest are better than those."
"Hmmm." The men looked at each other and at the ground as they considered this information. How much trouble would one family with two poor horses be? Or, for that matter, how much trouble would they be to get rid of?
"What of the blue eyes?"
"I saw them," Broken Man said. "It's just like Two Hawks told us. The girl has blue eyes."
"Hmmm."
This was the tricky part. What did those blue eyes mean, exactly? Was she a spirit woman? Was she a medicine woman? Would harming her bring a curse to their village? These questions needed time in order to be answered.
"I touched her," Two Hawks said. "She felt real. Also, I've given her a name. I told her what it is, but I don't think she understood."
"What name?"
"Water Woman."
* * *
"Pa, that was the Kiowa from the river," Lana said once they all gathered inside.
"The one who grabbed you just now?" May asked.
"Yes'm." Lana walked over to the fireplace and poked at the fire. "Pa, why was he staring at me like that?"
"I have no idea, child."
"I don't think he would have hurt me. He just wanted to stare," she added.
"You need to stay close to the house from now on," Nathan ordered in his position as her oldest brother. "Unless you're with one of us." Nathan was as tall as his father, but more muscular. He wore his dark brown hair to his shoulders; his light brown eyes and handsome face much like his mother's.
"Paaaa," Lana whined.
"No. He's right. You stay close. And from now on, you take a gun with you. You hear me?"
"Yes, sir."
That night, after supper and chores, Lana climbed into bed after wiping her hot forehead and aching arms with a cool, damp rag. It had been another exhausting day, but this time, her mind wouldn't get quiet and let her sleep. She thought of Two Hawks standing so close, staring so hard at her. What was he looking at, anyway? Hadn't he ever seen a girl before? And then she blushed, covering her face with her blanket. He had seen much more of her at the river than she ever intended.
* * *
That evening, in preparation for the feast, Two Hawks put on his best leggings and the moccasins with the intricate beadwork his mother and sisters had labored over. No one surpassed their beading skill in the village. In Kiowa high fashion, skunk tails trailed behind each of his heels. He re-braided his hair and put red vermilion down the center part. Two Hawks felt as handsome as he looked.
When he joined the others at the feast, he sat close to a young woman he liked, the shy Corn Flower. In the past, whenever he tried to catch her eye, she would only look down, never at him. Once he threw a plum stone at her, trying to get her attention, but she acted as if nothing happened, as if nothing stung her cheek. Other young men also showed interested in her, but she treated them all the same way.
That night, however, in the flickering light of the fire, Two Hawks caught her looking sideways under her long lashes at him. He sat up straighter and ignored her. He had brought the sugar; let her work for his attention this time. Other young women smiled at him across the fire. He winked at one of them, aware Corn Flower could see, her scowling face amusing him.
Strips of buffalo hung from green sticks over the fire, where the fat melted and dropped, sizzling and hissing, into the flames. The enticing aroma sharpened everyone's hunger. People chatted and gossiped among themselves, all the while keeping one eye on the meal. All who had contributed pelts for the trade that day would get to taste the sugar and molasses first. The others could squabble over any that remained.
After the meal, the people grew quiet when Broken Man rose and stood close to the center. He recounted the day's events in great detail. They all shook their heads at the description of so many guns. Laughter filled the camp when he imitated a hen with its ungainly walk and funny sound. A hush fell over them as he told of the woman with blue eyes. So the rumors were true then.
When he told of Two Hawks touching T'on Ma's face, several of them looked at Two Hawks, their wonder clear. Had some of her power gone into him now? Or perhaps he would fall ill. They would have to wait and see, but he had done a very brave thing. On that, they all agreed.
* * *
Several days later, Lana and her mother picked rosehips not too far on the other side of the river. Rosehips were good for medicine and tea and, dried, they would last all winter. Each woman had her basket as well as a rifle. They spent almost an hour picking their way through the bushes when May stood up, holding her head.
"I've got the fiercest headache," she told Lana. "Too much sun, I reckon."
"Maybe you better get back to the house."
"Probably should."
"Give me your basket," Lana offered, "and I'll finish filling both of them. It won't take too much longer and then I'll come back."
"All right. Keep your gun handy, though."
"Yes'm."
Lana watched her mother walk away and then turned to continue her work. She labored for twenty minutes, stopping to wipe her forehead with her apron from time to time. One basket was full and the other almost. As she straightened up to stretch her back, she saw huge blackberry vines a few yards away. Picking up both baskets and her gun, she struggled to make her way to it for closer inspection. Though late in the season, lush, juicy berries covered the vines.
"Oh, what a pie these will make," she murmured as she popped one into her mouth, closing her eyes in ecstasy at the burst of rich, sweet flavor. When she opened them, she reached for more berries and caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she saw Two Hawks standing on the other side of the vines, watching her.
She had seen him three times now. This couldn't be a coincidence, and she determined to find out if he came as friend or foe.
"Hello," she said. When he didn't move, she picked three berries and held them out in her open palm toward him.
"Here. Try these. They're good."
Two Hawks watched Lana take a few steps closer to him. When he still didn't move, she picked up one of the berries and held it to his lips. Staring at her, he tried to decide what to do. If he refused the food, she might bewitch him and turn him into a rock or a bird. Thinking it for the best, he opened his mouth and let her push the berry in, all the while never taking his eyes off her.
For the first time, he saw her smile at him, watched her eyes light up. Picking up a second berry, she ate it herself. "Mmmmm," she continued smiling. "Good." When she offered him the last one, he took it from her hand and, to her surprise, held it to her mouth. In the custom of his people, it didn't do to accept a gift and not give something in return. Cautious, she let him feed it to her, and then stepped back toward her baskets.
Two Hawks followed and waited for her to face him. When she did, he touched her shoulder. "You are Water Woman," he informed her, "because I saw you first in the river. And I am Two Hawks."
She shook her head, not understanding. He touched her shoulder again and, to her ears, said, "T'on Ma. T'on Ma." Then he touched his chest and told her his name, "Yi Centas³."
"T'on Ma," Lana repeated, pointing to herself. When he nodded, she repeated his name, "Yi Centas," and touched his chest. He nodded again.
"Oh. All right. Nice to meet you, Yi Centas." Tilting her head, she asked, "What does T'on Ma mean?" Once he understood her question, he pantomimed the words for water and woman.
"Water Woman?" Lana's puzzled expression faded as she realized why he named her that. The first time he'd seen her, she had stood in the river.
"And your name? What does it mean?" she asked in pantomime again.
He held up two fingers. "Yi."
"Two?" She copied his gesture.
He searched the sky. An eagle flew low on the horizon. Pointing to that bird, he shook his head 'no'. Waiting for a moment, he pointed again, higher in the sky, to a hawk, and nodded. "Centas."
"Oh, your name is Two Hawks." Lana smiled, proud of this breakthrough in communication. At least now she knew her name as well as his. "I'm Lana. Lana," she repeated.
"La-nah," he echoed. When she nodded her approval, a light of satisfaction filled his eyes.
She turned to pick more berries, scratching her hands on the thorns as she did so. Two Hawks saw the light traces of blood on her skin and realized she wasn't a spirit woman. He nodded. At least he'd solved one mystery.
Two Hawks relaxed now that he knew she wouldn't whisk him away to a cloud or turn him into rain or anything. Spending time together gave him more information to take back to the elders. Besides, he enjoyed looking at the pretty woman. He lay down on his side, stretched out his long legs, and leaned on one elbow as he watched her. It never occurred to him to help. Picking berries was woman's work.
* * *
After a short while, Lana decided she had enough berries for a pie. Besides, it grew late and her family would worry about her if she didn't hurry home. She tried to get the two large baskets and the rifle gathered up for the long walk back, but it proved cumbersome. To her surprise, Two Hawks picked up one of the baskets and began walking in the direction of her house. She fell into step beside him.
When they waded through the river, he set the basket on the ground, held up his hand, and turned to go back.
Smiling, Lana touched his elbow, stopping him. "Yi Centas, thank you."
He studied her face for a moment and then the corners of his mouth turned up a little. With that, he walked away.
* * *
"Well, she's not a spirit woman," Two Hawks told his father that evening. "Her hands were bleeding from thorns."
Many Deer nodded. The elders hadn't yet come to a decision on what to do with them. This bit of information would help.
"Wait. How do you know her hands were bleeding?" Many Deer asked
.
"I was with her when she picked berries."
The elder shot a look of concern at his rash son. "And her father, her brothers?"
"I didn't see them."
"You need to be more careful than that. They could have been close. She could have screamed and you would be dead now."
"I don't think she'll scream. As a matter of fact, she smiled at me today."
"What?" His father's face scrunched up in a frown. "Why was she smiling?"
Two Hawks knew if he told his father they fed each other blackberries, it would only cause more confusion, more consternation. "I'm not sure," he said after a moment. "Perhaps because I helped carry her baskets."
Many Deer rose to his feet, agitated. "Have you lost your mind? Leave her alone. She'll get you killed!" He bent over to leave the tipi, muttering to his wife as he left. He needed air — air and time to think about his crazy son!
Lana made her way to the house, lumbering with her burden of baskets. That night at dinner, she showed her family the blackberries.
"And there's more. A lot more," she informed them. "If you can spare Jake tomorrow, Pa, maybe we can go pick them."
Jake's eyes lit up. He hated working on the barn. Picking berries sounded like a wonderful reprieve.
"I don't know," Joshua frowned. "Do you think we can get along without him for one day, Nathan?" He winked at his eldest to let him know he was teasing Jake.
"Well, Pa." Nathan scratched his head like this required a lot of thought.
"Oh, pleeaassseee," Jake begged, making his face look as pathetic as possible.
After waiting a long, silent moment, Nathan said, "I reckon we could."
"Well, then, I guess you're going berry picking with your ma and sister tomorrow."
Jake wanted to jump up and down in his excitement, but felt too old for such behavior now. Instead, he sat in his chair, beaming.
That night, two in the Cooper family had trouble falling asleep — Jake, over the excitement of the next day's adventure, and Lana, over that day's.
Once she had relaxed around Two Hawks, she studied him, and her thoughts went back to that. He moved like a panther, with his muscles rippling through his bare chest and arms. He had surprised her when he let her feed him the berry. Whatever had possessed her to do that? Maybe it was a gesture of friendship, or perhaps a gesture of trust. Whatever it represented, it worked.
And when he fed her, it surprised her even more. Not just his gesture, but the way she felt when he did. She didn't expect the gentleness in his hand. Thinking back on his smile, how his whole face softened, how he became handsome to her when they said goodbye at the river, she felt herself blushing again. This isn't right. I shouldn't think this way. Pa would skin me alive if he knew! Turning over — again — she tried to calm her thoughts so she could sleep.
* * *
August sped by with a velocity that only came from being too busy. There was too much to do if the Cooper family were to survive the winter. With the barn finished, the horses now had shelter, but that was one part of the larger picture. The Cooper family rolled out of their beds each day before the sun came up, ate a cold breakfast and hurried to their respective tasks. They met again for a big lunch and then quit work through the hottest part of the afternoon. There would be a few hours of work before sundown, at which time they ate a light supper cooked during the cooler, early morning hours. Many times it consisted of nothing more than heavy cornbread with molasses drizzled on the top. Falling exhausted into bed, they slept until time to get up and start all over again.
* * *
The Kiowa band worked just as hard. During the summer, they hunted buffalo and dried meat, tanned hides for tipis and winter clothes. Scouring the land, the women looked for anything edible that could be saved for the long, barren months ahead.
A few days after Two Hawks met Lana at the blackberry vines, the men of his village planned a buffalo hunt and sent scouts out to locate the herd. When the scouts returned, telling of their find, the village moved to the location. The next morning, the scouts led the hunters out.
After making a final survey from a hill, one of the scouts returned, crawling backward down the slope, until safe to stand up. He walked over to the hunters and nodded. Hundreds of buffalo grazed beyond the ridge. It would be a good day.
Horses and men alike bore painted symbols of the animal they hunted, and symbols of strength and power. Spears and lances, bow and arrows were honed and ready. Only the best horse, the best hunter, would come away unscathed from this dangerous game.
Two Hawks' horse pranced underneath him, sensing the tension in the men. Many Deer sat not too far away on his own mount. Nineteen of the twenty in the party had been on hunts before. One novitiate rode with them, Corn Flower's younger brother, Laughing Turtle. Sitting on his pinto, he did his best not to show his nervousness. It would be too shameful, especially in front of some of the best hunters in the entire Kiowa nation.
Broken Man lifted his feathered lance high in the air, as all eyes watched in anticipation. The lance dropped, signaling the hunters to begin their slow ride down the ridge. They approached as close as they could without spooking their prey. Some made their way into the midst of the large animals when one of the bull buffalo lifted his massive head and snorted his warning. The charge began as a melee of thousands of pounding hooves raised dust almost too thick to see through. Horse and buffalo began the dangerous death dance at breakneck speed.
Riding beside one of the massive beasts, a hunter looked for the spot just above or beside the animal's heart to plunge the long lance deep and stop the buffalo's charge. It took a steady, fearless horse, a steady, fearless rider to do this. Many a warrior had been trampled to death, or gored, leaving them maimed for life. This type of hunting was not for the faint of heart, but the lives of their band depended on their success that day. What was the life of one hunter weighed against the hunger of an entire village?
Laughing Turtle chose a small cow for his first kill. He rode beside it, looking for the best spot for his lance. The animal's movement made it difficult for him to aim. With gritted teeth, he lifted his arm as high as he could and plunged the lance into the running buffalo, but, after a few of the animal's lurching steps, the lance's tip came loose and the weapon fell out. When the animal turned in mid-step and charged toward him, his horse reared. Laughing Turtle fell backward to the ground, in imminent danger of being trampled. He sprang to his feet, grabbed the buffalo's mane, and jumped on its back while he pulled out his knife. Stabbing the animal's neck repeatedly, he only made it angrier.
Two Hawks saw Laughing Turtle's dilemma and made his way to the young man. Pulling an arrow out of his quiver, he held his breath to aim and sent the arrow deep into the buffalo's left eye and brain. The animal dropped underneath Laughing Turtle, who tumbled head-over-heels at the momentum. He jumped to his feet and ran back to the cow to make sure it was dead. Then he lifted his arm above his head and 'ki-yied' above the tumult to Two Hawks. With a wave of his hand, Two Hawks turned his horse around to make his third kill of the day.
After what seemed like hours of intense activity, the herd disappeared over the horizon, and the hunt ended. Warriors stood beside their prey while a call went out to the women who waited not too far away. The women cut through the tough hides, going straight for the livers, which were passed to the hunters' eager hands and eaten raw on the spot. Then the hard, bloody work of butchering began. That night, there would be a feast and a dance to honor the buffalo.
* * *
Two Hawks proudly joined the festivities, but not as proudly as Laughing Turtle or his parents. Making his first kill, even with Two Hawks' help, marked a big achievement. Hadn't he faced the danger, ridden into the herd, and used his lance? The women in his family sang his praises as Laughing Turtle sat there, beaming.
Corn Flower had heard the entire story of the rescue by Two Hawks from her brother. When she could, she made her way over and knelt beside him.
"Thank you for helping my brother." She spoke to the ground.
"He didn't need much help. He was very brave today."
Corn Flower looked into Two Hawks' eyes and smiled her gratitude. She knew without his help, her mother, her sisters, and she would be singing a dirge rather than a victory song that night. Reaching out, she touched the back of his hand and then stood.
With a full heart, he watched her cross the ground toward her friends. Perhaps tonight he would ask her to walk with him by the cottonwood trees. Perhaps tonight he would tell her how he felt about her. Perhaps tonight...
But, as his mind filled with these wishful, love-filled thoughts, another young brave, Iron Crow, walked over to Corn Flower and held his hand out. She took it as she rose to her feet, and the two walked out of the circle of firelight. Scowling, Two Hawks also stood and stomped back to his mother's tipi. He hadn't seen that coming.
* * *
The Kiowa elders decided to live in peace with the Coopers as long as the Coopers lived in peace with them. They based part of their decision on the possibility that Lana was a medicine woman.
Broken Man, Crying Fox and Two Hawks went to trade with the Coopers again a few weeks later. This time, they took fresh venison to barter for coffee, beads and two axe handles. Joshua hadn't had time to do much hunting, so he welcomed the fresh meat. Also, he wanted to try out his new smokehouse, and this gave him the perfect opportunity.
Throughout the trade, Two Hawks and Lana exchanged several glances, though neither spoke to the other. As the Kiowa rode away, he glanced over his shoulder. When Lana saw him looking, she held her hand up in a gesture of goodbye. The young man raised his in return, nodding once to her, and then turned back.
"What are you doing, Two Hawks?" Crying Fox asked after they had been riding for a few minutes.
"What do you mean?"
"Waving to Water Woman."
"Nothing. Just waving."
"Are you sure it's nothing?"
"Of course I'm sure."
"So, if someone like, say, Corn Flower were here, you'd still wave to Water Woman?"
Two Hawks scowled.
"That's what I thought." Crying Fox laughed, his point made.
Late September found the weather cooling down. No hint of fall tinged the air — not yet — but it was coming. Lana could feel it in her bones as she walked alone, carrying a basket and her rifle, far away from the house, through rain-starved prairie grass and brush. That day, she hunted for chicory, sage, wild onions, and anything else edible her family could use. Cherubic, contented clouds filled the azure sky. The weather suited her mood. She hummed to herself when, from behind, a stag ran past her, unafraid of her presence.
That's odd, she thought as she watched the white tail disappear into the brush. A few minutes later, two coyotes loped past her. Curiosity made her stop and turn around. Her eyes filled with horror at what she saw. One huge, roiling cloud of bitter, furious smoke filled the entire sky. The blackness raced closer at an alarming rate. She continued to stare, motionless, while she struggled to understand. Then, on the horizon, wicked yellow, orange and red flames shot skyward.
"Prairie fire!" she exclaimed as she twisted around in indecision. What should she do? The fire lay between her and home. Could she outrun it? But run where? The river!
She hoped she could make it to the river in time. Dropping the basket, but still clutching the gun, she hiked up her skirt and ran as fast as she could through the brush and tall grass. The brambles tore at her dress, scratched her legs, but she ran on. Soon, she could hear the crackling flames behind her. A light wind fanned them higher, faster. Her side began to ache, but she could feel the heat on her back now, so she kept running. At last — at long last — she saw the twisting
river a short distance away. Almost there, she tripped — on what, she wasn't sure — but she fell hard, hitting her head on a rock, and passed out.
* * *
Hunting alone, Two Hawks saw the fire. He knew to go to the river and hurried toward it. Walking his horse chest-deep into the water, he sat there to wait out the fire while he tried to calm the nervous animal. To his amazement, he saw Lana running toward him, and he wondered why she roamed so far away from her house. When he saw her fall and not get back up, he jumped into the water and, holding the reins, hurried to her. Grabbing her by her shoulders, he pulled her down the small embankment into the river. He could see blood on her left temple. Letting her body float, he took her and his horse to the deepest part and held Lana steady while he waited for her to regain consciousness. After a moment, she moaned.
"Be careful," he told her. "You're hurt."
Confused and dazed, Lana thrashed against the water and against whoever held her. Her efforts made her choke as her head plunged beneath the surface. While she struggled to stand on the riverbed, she steadied herself by holding Two Hawks' arm with one hand and her head with the other.
Looking back from where she had just fled, she could see the prairie engulfed in flames and smoke. Animals of all types crossed the river, running for their lives. Realizing what had happened, she looked up at Two Hawks with wide, fearful eyes.
"Yi Centas?"
"T'on Ma." He gestured she needed to lower herself into the river until only her head showed. The fierce heat from the fire made the air hard to breathe. Pieces of grass floated on the wind, some soot-blackened and some still burning, sticking in their hair. It looked like hell had come to earth.
Glancing over her shoulder, Lana saw that the fire, picked up by the wind, had jumped the river and had been carried across the narrowest part, where it continued on its path of destruction. After what felt like an eternity, the flames died down around them with no more grass to burn. Only a charred, twisted nightmare remained.
When it seemed safe, they both stood up. Lana couldn't stop shaking from the shock and injury. She turned toward Two Hawks and saw the same look in his eyes she knew filled her own.
"Oh, Yi Centas," she cried as she threw her arms around his neck. "You saved me! We're alive!"
The astonished, young Kiowa stood still for a second and then, feeling her trembling against his chest, put his arms around her, glad to have someone to hold at that moment, as well. When she raised her head up to look at him, he touched her wounded temple. It didn't look too bad, he decided.
As he held her, he looked into her eyes, her beautiful, blue, bewitching eyes. His expression changed; his arms inched away from her and he took one step back. He wasn't supposed to feel like this. He wanted Corn Flower. Didn't he?
"I ought to get home," Lana said after a moment, and then began slogging her way through the river, weighed down by her wet skirt and petticoat. She walked over to the river's edge where she had tripped, and searched for the rifle. Most of it remained, though the stock was charred and still too hot to pick up.
Two Hawks realized she meant to go home at once and followed her to the riverbank. Touching her shoulder, he pointed in the direction of her house and shook his head 'no'. "The earth is still too hot to walk on."
She frowned, not understanding. He took her hand and put it, palm down, on the ground for a second. She jerked it back. "Ouch. That's hot!"
Making the motion with his index and middle finger for walking, he shook his head 'no' again and, this time, he saw understanding in her eyes.
"Oh, I see. We need to wait." Her shoulders slumped in frustration. "Ma and Pa are going to be worried sick about me."
Two Hawks gathered up his horse's reins, got on, and then motioned for her to do the same. Her heavy, wet clothes made it difficult, but, with his help, she managed. They began working their way down the meandering river, letting the horse find its footing as it went.
Lana slid her hands around the brave's waist, hanging onto him. She had never ridden bareback before and had trouble keeping her balance. Every time the horse stumbled on a submerged rock, she grasped Two Hawks even tighter. He began to enjoy himself. Fifteen minutes passed when he felt her lay her head on the back of his shoulder and heard her sigh. Maybe she was enjoying herself, too. He wondered.
It was dark when the two young people arrived at her home. On one side of the river lay scorched earth. On the other, the homestead remained untouched by flames. Lana knew her family had had a narrow escape.
Stopping at the riverbank, not willing to go close to her house, Two Hawks slid off the horse and helped her down. She took his hand and started to lead him up the slope when he stopped her, shaking his head. Her family wasn't the only one worried that night. He needed to get home, too, but he didn't know how to tell her. She only knew he wouldn't come in to be thanked by her parents.
"All right, Yi Centas," she sighed. "I can't make you come in." She looked over her shoulder in the direction of the house and then turned back to him. "I wish we could understand each other. I want you to know how much I owe you. Thank you for saving me back there."
As he stood in the dim light, he watched her while she talked. He liked her voice, even though he had no idea what she said.
"At least let me do this," she continued talking. To his surprise, she reached up and kissed him on his cheek.
"That was a kiss," she explained. "Kiss." She pointed to her lips and then to him.
"Kiss?" he repeated and then shook his head 'no'. If Lana had been a Kiowa maiden, he wouldn't have done this so soon after meeting her, but she wasn't, and he felt intrigued. Taking her in his arms, he leaned down and kissed her long and sweet, taking his time, enjoying himself.
Lana had never been kissed before and wasn't quite sure what to do. After a moment, she relaxed and put her hands on his arms. Without a conscious decision, she slid her hands across his chest and around his neck as she molded her body to his.
Two Hawks felt the change in her, and what had started out as a lark to the young man now became something different, something hungry. Holding her tighter, he kissed her again, but now with real emotion. When he let her go, he stepped back, watching her.
"Kiss," he murmured as he touched the curls lying against her cheek. Looking up at him, she took his hand and kissed his palm, overwhelmed by what she felt. He leaned down and kissed her once more, then grinned and jumped back on his horse, hurrying home.
Lana stood there for a few moments, watching him ride away while she composed herself. Then, sighing once, she turned toward the house.
"Ma, I'm here," Lana announced as she opened the door.
"Lord be praised!" May exclaimed as she jumped up from her chair.
"Girl, we thought you were dead! Your brothers and I went looking for you until it got too dark." Her father walked over and hugged her. Even her youngest brother, Jake, hugged her. Lana sat at the table and recounted the day.
When she got to the part about being rescued by Two Hawks, her father stopped her. "Who's Yi Centas?"
"He's the one who grabbed my face the first time they came to trade. He calls me T'on Ma, which means Water Woman. And his name in English means Two Hawks."
"You didn't leave him outside, did you?" Joshua looked toward the door.
"No. He wouldn't stay." Her mother inspected her head and began to dab it with iodine. "And, Pa, I'm sorry about the rifle. I tried to save it. I really did!"
"That's all right," he reassured her, trying not to think about losing the expensive weapon.
"I can show you where it is and maybe you can get another stock for it later," she offered.
"Maybe we'll do that," he agreed. "But, for now, I'm just grateful you're alive."
Two Hawks made it back to his village a few hours after dark. Turning his horse loose with the herd, he trotted toward his mother's tipi, knowing his family would be worried about him. He found his mother sitting outside by the supper fire when he approached.
"I'm here."
"Where have you been?" Gray Dove looked up from her cooking, relief clear in her eyes.
"I was caught in the prairie fire."
"We saw the smoke. Are you all right?" she asked as she handed him a bowl of venison stew.
"Yes. I'm fine. The fire didn't reach here, I see."
"No."
Hearing his son's voice, Many Deer stepped outside and sat beside him. He watched Two Hawks eat for a minute and then commented, "The fire was some time ago, son."
Two Hawks nodded as he swallowed. "I had to rescue Water Woman from the fire. I saw her running, but she fell and was knocked out, so I dragged her to the river." He took another bite before he continued. "Since she was hurt, I took her home. Then I came back."
"Did you speak to her people?"
"No. I didn't go into their house. I didn't see anyone."
"So there's no trouble with them?" Many Deer wanted to be clear on this point.
"No. No trouble at all. Water Woman seemed very grateful for my help."
Corn Flower walked by their fire for the fifth time that evening, worried about Two Hawks, wanting to know if he was home yet. Seeing him, she smiled. He nodded once at her, and then resumed eating.
His lack of interest bothered her. Usually, he would have done or said something to tease her, but not this time. She might as well have been one of the camp dogs for all of the attention he paid her. Turning on her heel, she tossed her head and flounced away. Two Hawks didn't notice, but his mother watched the whole thing with great interest.
"She likes you, you know," Gray Dove teased her son.
"She likes Iron Crow," he retorted as he handed his empty bowl back to her.
"That's not what her mother tells me." Expecting to get an eager response, Gray Dove felt surprised when Two Hawks shrugged and announced he was turning in for the night.
When he left, she turned to her husband, looking worried. "That's not right. He's been pining for Corn Flower for a long time. Why would he suddenly lose interest?"
Many Deer shook his head. He wished he had no idea, but a suggestion of a reason nagged the back of his mind. It seemed so preposterous, though, he dismissed it before it ever became a full thought.
* * *
As he lay on his buffalo robes, Two Hawks looked up through the smokehole, where the moon had gotten snagged on top of the lodge poles. He put his hands behind his head and let his thoughts drift back to the fire, back to the river. Closing his eyes, he could feel T'on Ma's hands around his waist, holding on for dear life as she rode behind him.
He smiled at that, but the smile faded as he recalled her — what had she called it? Oh, yes, her kiss. And then his kiss. And then their kiss. He rolled on his side, trying to shake the memory of her body pressed against his, of how she felt in his arms, but it didn't work. Sleep eluded him until the dark, early morning hours.
* * *
The next day, a small group of young men went hunting, Two Hawks and Laughing Turtle among them. The hours went by with some success. They killed several rabbits and one stag. On their way back home, Laughing Turtle rode beside Two Hawks so they could talk.
"My sister is mad at you," Laughing Turtle grinned, his eyes twinkling.
"Why?"
"Because you didn't talk to her last night."
"If I had, she wouldn't have said anything, anyway. She never does."
"I know, but this time, you didn't even try. And now she's mad." He laughed.
"Why is that so funny?"
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