“You sad. Brother hurt you?”
Hannah smiled at the fierce look on her face. She imagined the small woman taking up a fight against the giant of a man. Bear Claw might have the body of an ox, but she suspected the sister was not one to be played with.
“No,” she said. The woman looked relieved and Hannah smiled. It was good to have someone look out for her.
The woman placed a hand on her then stood up. Hannah stared at a spot. She had overstayed her welcome here. Bear Claw's scheming ways was the reminder she needed that she needed to be out of here. She needed to figure out and execute her escape plan with more enthusiasm than before. She had to leave Bear Claw and his people before she was broken, not just physically but also emotionally.
She had been watching. The rotation of the guards happened at a certain time when the sun was down. For a brief moment, while the men exchanged shifts, there was a lapse of time where they seemed to exchange jokes and share what they had seen. In that moment, she could slip through the gates. But she needed a disguise. Something that would let her go unseen. A horse would gain her speed, but it was too conspicuous. Getting a horse out of the camp ahead of time was way too risky, not only would it lead to questions. Where would she keep the horse? How would she feed it? It would escape, perhaps back to the camp. Or worse, be devoured by the wild. She would have to find her way back home on foot, hoping that a good Samaritan would find her. A good Samaritan that wasn’t an Indian, she'd had enough of their scoundrel ways to last a lifetime.
There was more to her silence, Bear Claw noticed as the night rolled into another day. He could feel her fuming with anger as she laid next to him on the fur all through the night. Was she that angry with him over what had happened? But he had done no wrong to her. He had respected her virtues despite his desire.
Her anger and ignoring of him put him in a foul mood. With how loud he barked at everyone, his patience running thin, they scrambled out of his way. He decided that if he wasn’t going to have a great day, no one would.
He glared at Nari who wore a similar scowl. The man handed him a gourd which he took a generous drink from.
“Arghhh!” he glared at him. He had drank bitter roots which had a bitter taste that lingered for hours.
“You deserve it,” Juh said, a smile creeping. “What has you angry? The white devil?”
He responded with slamming his axe into the wood.
“It has to be her,” Juh said.
“Get out!” he growled. He did not want company.
“She refused to lay with you?” Juh inquired.
He glared at his friend. He was getting angrier. He wanted to be alone to vent his frustration onto the wood.
“Did you lay with Anika?”
The axe hovered mid air. Then it fell to his side. “What did you say?”
“There’s a rumor. That you laid with Anika two nights ago. She claims you took her and promised her more.”
His fists clenched. Juh took a step back as he vibrated with anger, a rare sight for the chief.
He never hurt women. He treated them like the weaker sex that they were. The keeper of nature. The keeper of the home. The only woman he had relatively used force on was Hannah when he was bringing her home. In that moment, he wanted to hurt Anika. He knew she was the one to have started the spread of the rumor. It was payback for his rejection of her two nights ago. She had spun the story, making it seem like he desired her. Making it seem that he had been... It fell into place now. Her attitude towards him. Somehow Hannah had heard the news. Now, she thought little of him. She must think him a scoundrel. She must despise him.
“Sachem!” Juh called after him as he returned to the camp.
Everyone gave way for him, sensing his anger. There was one person he sought. And he found Anika, laughing and talking in the midst of her peers.
The laughter ceased as he hovered above her. She looked up to him and he almost smiled at the fear in her eyes. She knew she was in trouble. But the fear disappeared, quickly replaced by mischief.
She stood, thrusting her chest at him as she reached for him in a familiarity. He grabbed her arm, earning a gasp.
“What did you say? What have you done?” he growled.
“I... I...” Gone was the confidence she danced around with. The reality of what he could do to her had now become clear to her.
“You claimed I laid with you!” he said angrily.
“No! No! I said no such thing!” There was a hush behind her that said she lied. Many would come forward to admit her lies. But it was childish to even demand for such. For many, it was a feeble lie that made her seem desperate. It was not a lie that deserved to be punished. Her action would be blamed on infatuation. In the real sense she had done nothing wrong. Men lied they laid with women. Women lied they laid with men. It was a conquest and nothing more.
He let go of her. There was an apology at the tip of his tongue for rough handling her, but she did not deserve it. He turned around and stormed off, in search of one person.
His enquires led him to the trees, where he knew she hid. He saw her seated, staring into the distance. She looked so lost. So alone, that it made him ache. Had he done a bad thing bringing her here? All this time he had been selfish, holding on to the knowledge that she was his mate. But what if she remained unhappy? What if she didn’t fit amongst his people. He did not want to lose her. But at the same time, he would not be able to handle her unhappiness.
