Sarah nodded. She came forward, taking Skylar’s arm. The dead Indian remained on the ground. Hawk remained kneeling by his side.
Skylar was hurt and humiliated. She’d never seen Hawk so cold, and she didn’t begin to understand him. But she went along with Sarah, awkwardly smiling a thank-you to their impromptu guard. “I think you just saved my life,” Skylar told Sarah. “Thank you.so much.”
Sarah nodded in simple acknowledgment, not terribly impressed with herself. “I saw what happened—I was amazed. I sent David to Willow and went for Hawk. Come on, let’s get Willow ourselves now and go back to camp.”
“Willow is?—”
“Hurt with a terrible headache and a gash against his temple. His pride is wounded to the core. Let’s go.”
“Oh, God, I’m afraid to leave!” Skylar said, turning back. Hawk was gone—the dead man was gone. The Indians were still shouting, moving about on their horses in a menacing way.
A Sioux was dead. A man who had attacked her.
“The men are still in danger?—”
“The men will do their jobs. Our job is to let them do theirs.”
And to worry, Skylar thought. Worry sick…
Yet as Sarah urged her away, it seemed…seemed…that the situation was coming under control. Young-Man-Afraid was speaking again. He was surrounded by his police, Hawk, Sloan, and others who were desperately urging peace.
“Why would a Sioux have attacked me?” Skylar whispered.
Sarah sighed. “Dressing up in buckskin doesn’t make you Sioux. Please, Skylar, please come on.”
Skylar remounted Nutmeg and rode with Sarah.
She was in her own tent, curled up in the camp bed when Hawk finally came back. She’d waited and waited and half dozed. When he came in, she forgot how cold he had been to her before. She leaped up and threw herself into his arms.
“My God, you’re back! I was so frightened?—”
“What the hell is going on?”
He was shaking, she realized. His voice was harsh, furious.
She pulled back from him. “I was worried?—”
“You were attacked again! Willow was struck, injured. And you were nearly throttled.”
“Perhaps I shouldn’t have been where I was.”
“Skylar, what the hell is going on?”
“I don’t know what you mean!”
“What have you done? What were you running from when you met my father?”
She pulled away from him completely. “Not the Crows, I can assure you!”
“That man was Sioux!”
“I did nothing to any Indians. You attacked me, as a matter of fact. Add that to the number of attacks I’ve suffered in the Dakota territory!”
He was suddenly on top of her, shaking her. “You could have been killed.”
“You could have been killed!” she retorted. “We could all have been killed. It was an explosive situation!”
“And it’s still a damned explosive situation!” he assured her.
