CHAPTER 1
The moon and the stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.
PSALM 136:9
June 25, 1782
Raccoon Springs, Kentucky
Jacob stared into the black abyss above, speckled by a multitude of tiny white dots. The full moon off to the right cut through the dark, illuminating the leaves on the trees at the periphery of his vision as they danced in the breeze. As he laid on the hard ground, their rustle filled his ears, along with the chirp of crickets and the croak of a bullfrog. It was an enchanting cacophony…but one that set his nerves on edge. His brain would not quiet on this night.
Over a month on the trail with fifteen other families making the move west, and every day seemed to be the same—breaking camp in the morning and remaking it come afternoon, riding all day in the saddle with only his brothers and mother to converse with and the same few meals over and over. It was growing mundane. And he still had no idea what lay at the end of the trail for him, besides helping his brothers as usual.
It seemed all he was born for. As the youngest male in the family, Jacob constantly followed in the footsteps of his three elder brothers. As a child, it had provided great excitement to tag along on tasks he might not have been allowed to do otherwise. But as they grew older, the choices they made were larger—life-changing, even. First, they all went off to fight in the Revolution. Now, they ventured westward into the wilderness of Kentucky.
While both held their own thrills and challenges, at some point, he had to break free and become a man of his own. Jacob frowned at the dappled sky. There was a time when he had thought to strike off and pursue the life of his dreams with the most enchanting woman he had ever known.
But he was young and naïve. Neither had been old enough to start a life together. Still, that had not stopped him from dreaming of someday. But someday never came. Only the day when she disappeared from his life forever.
Now, Jacob could only pray that when they reached the land granted them for their service, he would finally find a path and purpose. He rolled over onto his side with a huff.
A movement near the trees caught his attention. Jacob rose onto his elbow. Was that a person? The moonlight caught on light-blond hair and slid down the back of a long black garment. The caped woman…
She disappeared into the trees. Jacob’s brows pulled together. Why would she go into the woods at night? Perhaps to relieve herself. But after several moments, the woman still had not returned.
Jacob glanced around, but no others stirred. Could she be attempting to run away? It was peculiar that she bore the black cloak at all times, despite the growing heat of summer. The woman kept to herself, never associating with anyone but the family she journeyed with. And the only indication that she was a woman were the navy petticoats that peeked out from under the outer garment and the straw hat with purple ribbon that hid her features. But no matter her circumstances, the forest could not hold the solution. Far too many dangers lurked in waiting.
Jacob slipped from under his cover. He could not leave her to her potential demise, no matter how curious her situation.
After quickly strapping on his pistol and collecting his shot pouch, Jacob strode toward the place where he had lost sight of the woman. A few steps into the underbrush, he paused to allow his eyes time to adjust to the darker surroundings. He examined the ground, but it was nearly impossible to tell which direction she had gone. Still, he searched for each broken twig and ripped leaf, following them into the void while keeping his own direction in mind.
As slowly as he moved, gaining ground on the woman would prove difficult. Jacob stood up straight and closed his eyes. The night chorus continued, but now it was accompanied by the hushed tones of the spring for which the area was so aptly named. Based on the direction he had already traveled, that was where the caped woman was likely headed. Without looking for more tracks, Jacob moved through the trees to Raccoon Spring.
There, in the soft dirt at the water’s edge, was a faint set of tracks. Jacob quickened his stride. The trail led back the way the travel party had come from, and he followed it like a hound locked onto a scent.
A shrill squeal split the night air. Jacob stopped in his tracks.
When no other noise followed, he took off in the direction of the sound. His hand went to his side. Jacob released his flintlock pistol from its holster while his mind ran through the potential reasons for such a cry. Besides multiple tribes of Indians, bears and mountain lions roamed the area.
Jacob slowed. That had been a woman’s cry, had it not? Not the scream of one of the massive cats that stalked the area? He took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest as he ran the sound through his mind again. It most definitely belonged to a woman, one who had been surprised.
Still, Jacob moved ahead at a slower pace. He had best keep his wits about him.
In front of him, the shadows moved. Jacob froze. Slowly, a furry creature took shape as it lumbered through the trees. Moonlight caught on its eyes—flashing green circles on a pointed face. The animal, a raccoon with its ringed tail, meandered by, completely unaware of Jacob’s presence. A smile tugged at his mouth. Until he remembered the woman. Had the raccoon been what surprised her so? It had certainly caught him off guard until he could see it better. Still, he had better investigate.
He cut through the next layer of trees and stepped into an open meadow, his shoe breaking a twig. Despite the night noises, it might as well have been a gunshot for how well it rent the air.
Several yards away from Jacob, the woman spun to face him. Moonlight revealed eyes widened with fear, set in a pale face, but he could distinguish no other features before she was moving, running. Into the trees to their right.
“Wait,” Jacob called, but she was gone. Leaves danced in her wake, but their sway was the only indication that a person had stood before him. She was not a figment of imagination, though. She was real. With eyes wide like a scared doe. And something…something so familiar. Was it her hair, which had shone as golden as sunshine even in the pale moonlight? Or a particularity of her expression? Jacob’s mouth twisted as he tried to force his mind back, to recall the details of that brief encounter.
With more questions than answers, he followed the woman back into the dark woods.
Dawn’s heart pounded as she broke through the tree line into the meadow where camp was set up. She stopped and took a deep breath, willing her heart to slow from its deafening pace. First, the raccoon, then the man. Was she not permitted to forage in peace?
She listened, but no sounds came from behind her. She needed to return to her stepparents’ location at the far edge of camp before that man found her. Dawn glanced behind her, into the dark forest as she stepped forward. The timbre of the man’s voice had seemed so familiar, yet she could not place it. After spending more than a month around the same fifty or so people, though, most everyone’s voice sounded vaguely familiar. Still, whomever he was, she could not risk him raising a fuss. Not only would his alert bring attention to her, but her stepfather would see to it that she received extra chores, even on the trail. And, at least for a time, he would keep a closer eye on her, making her foraging more difficult.
But Dawn would not let Mary starve. She could not.
