O'Neill Homestead(Late August 1842 - O'Neill, Nebraska Territory)

She was content with her life living on the farm her father had built from scratch and smiled as she remembered when the people of the growing town had taken a vote and gave the town her father’s name. Elizabeth, at 17, was happiest when working in the garden. She was one of only two children that her parents had had. Her brother, five years her senior, lived just down the road with his wife and children while she and her father lived in the house she was born in. She closed her eyes on a sigh, wishing she never had to leave the land she now stood on for someday she was going to have her own place and maybe start a ranch or farm of her one. Right now she was busy picking the weeds from the tomato patch that she had nursed back to health after her mother decided it was quite beneath her to be working in the soil. Oh well.  Then she looks up at the sound of approaching horses and stares at the band of warrior's that were riding towards the farm. Liz stood, dusted off her hands and waits without fear to see what they will do. Five of them break from the pack and cautiously approach her.

A tall good-looking warrior swung from his horse, looking straight through her then softly said, “May we have water?”

Elizabeth nodded her head and runs to the water trough to fill a bucket then goes back to offer it to them. Just as she was returning, she saw them lay their Chief on the ground and notices that he was badly injured. So she asks if she could help with anything else. The warrior who had asked for the water spoke again, "I am called Hunts with Wolves. What name are you?”

"I am called Elizabeth.” 

“You are brave woman to be alone.”

“I don't exactly live alone…my family is in town getting supplies for the winter".

After she helps with cleansing and bandaging the wounds, she watches as they gently place their Chief back on his horse and ride away. For the rest of the day her mind wondered back to Hunts with Wolves and thought of what a truly handsome man he was. She hoped to see him again even though her family would never approve of her even looking at such a man. She didn’t care…he was just as handsome as any other man she’s met in the past couple years, maybe even more than some of them.

Eight Days Later

Elizabeth had just told her parents that she was going to get some fresh air before going to bed, but she did not say why. She just wanted to walk around outside so that maybe she could catch a glimpse of the Warrior who’d caused her heart to gallop in her chest. If her father…or her mother for that fact, ever found out…well, she would definitely be sent off to a Nunnery for sure and there was no way she would go.

“Just make sure you don’t walk too far,” her father admonished.

“Yes papa,” she sighed as she headed out the door, wondering how the Chief was doing and of course thinking about the Warrior who’d caught her eye. While walking toward the garden she hears the soft sound of a small number of riders approaching from the west. Shielding her eyes from the bright fading sunset, she sees the riders and notices that Hunts with Wolves was one of them. 

"Good evening…how is your Chief today?" she asks when they near.

"My father does well, thank you," replied Hunts with Wolves. "He sends me to give a gift for helping him."

Then he dismounted from his horse and takes a necklace from around his neck, placing it around hers.

"Thank you," she whispered as she looks at the blue stone. Suddenly it starts to glow and her eyes widen in astonishment. "Why does it glow this way?"

Hunts with Wolves was just as astonished as she was…maybe more so, since the stone is only supposed to glow for the People. Then he takes her hands in his and tells her of the story of the stone. 

"It is said among our people that when a warrior gives the stone to a woman and if the stone glows, they will be promised to each other. This is the first stone to ever be given to a white woman. You must return with me to my village so that we may talk with my father and our Shaman."

"But I cannot leave my family”, Elizabeth replied quietly. “Father would be especially upset…he don't care none too much for Indians since some of our horses were stolen a few years ago and mother would never forgive me."

"Then I return to my village alone, but know this…I will come back for you with or without your family’s knowledge."

“But...”

He gently placed a finger across her lips and glanced quickly toward the house. The front door was opening so he hurriedly told her, “I will return,” then tucked the amulet beneath her blouse and said, “Keep this beneath your clothes at all times till I come back for you.”

Then he was gone.

The months seem to pass all too quickly and Elizabeth was feeling as if Wolf had forgotten all about her. She could not have known that his wife had been very sick when he had traveled all the way to her father’s farm to give her the blue stone that still hung between her breasts. She could not have known that his wife would be dead only two days after his return to the village and she could never had guessed that he would watch over her from a distance till he felt it was the right time to approach her again. And now, it was time.
 

Chapter 1

Hunts with Wolves sat astride the sleekest of all his horses, staring down upon the farm where the woman with hair of fire lived. She was hanging clothes to be dried by the afternoon breeze today. He smiled. She would make a fine mate and be a good mother to his young sons. His sons…they sat astride their own ponies on either side of him, making grumbling noises again.

“Quiet,” he scolded them softly. “I brought you here to show you the one who helped us with your grandfather many moons past.”

“Why?” Little Pup asked.

When he did not receive an answer, he glanced at his father and noticed that he had that silly grin plastered on his face again. He rolled his eyes then looked at his brother, who had also rolled his eyes. They knew their father’s heart had been “stolen” again. First by their own mother, now…this white woman who caused the blue stone to glow and they decided it would be ok for their father to take the woman as his wife.

"Father? Father!"

"Hmm? What is it my son?" he replied as he reluctantly looked away from his Elizabeth.

"Little Pup and I have come to an agreement," Coyote Eyes began. "We miss mother just as you do so…if you want her," he points towards Elizabeth, "then it's ok with us."

Smiling at his sons, Wolf responded, "Good, I intend to make her mine. Now…let's go meet your new mother." 

As they approach, Elizabeth looked up and upon seeing who it was she dropped the laundry and ran to greet them. Hunts with Wolves jumped from his horse and waited for her with open arms. 

"Oh Wolf, I have missed you so," she said as she flung herself into his embrace.

"And I too have missed you, Flaming Hair. I have come to take you to the village where we will be bonded."

She was stunned…to say the least as she looked up into his rich brown eyes. The she replied, "Are you asking me to be your wife…your mate?"

"Yes."

Hugging him tightly again, she whispers, "I would be honored to be yours."

They continue to see each other in secret for a couple more weeks till it is relatively safe for her to get away from her family. Their bonding ceremony took place several days after that under the glow of a full moon.

More content than she'd ever been at her father's farm, Elizabeth and Wolf love each other endlessly. Then one day while he is out with the other men, her father comes storming into the village with the Sheriff and his men to take her back to the farm.

“Elizabeth Margaret O’Neill,” he shouted from his horse as they came storming into the peaceful village. “You dare to run away and live with these heathens?”

"I am old enough to be on my own and can choose to live anywhere I want to live," she replied just as angrily.

"And you choose to live as a savage?" her father yells back at her. "How dare you! You will return with me at once!"

No, I will not!” she stated firmly, crossing her arms and standing stiffly in front of him.

He wasn’t listening. He vaulted from his horse, grabbed her roughly by the arm and started dragging her away all the while as she pleads with him not to make her go back. "Shut up Liz…no child of mine will shame this family by living in such a manner."

Elizabeth was livid. She clawed at her father’s arm, which only caused him to grip her tighter. Then as she is dragged past her mother-in-law, she cries out in the Pawnee tongue, "Tell Wolf I love him and…"

"I said SHUT UP!" her father responded with a slap to her face. “You will never see him again cause as soon as we get back to Kansas City, you will be entering a convent.”

A Week Later

A heartbroken and angry Elizabeth sat silently in the wagon as they journeyed back east again, back to her father's plantation home in Kansas City, Missouri. When the much too long trip ended, they are warmly welcomed home by the staff, but all she could think about was how much she missed her husband. She shook her head in answer to one of the maid’s questions and headed straight to her old room where she cried herself to sleep. Upon waking later, she heard someone softly puttering about in the room and looks up to see old Martha putting her things away. Fresh tears flowed from her eyes as she whispered, "Just leave everything where it is."

"But Mizz Liz, mas'er tol' me…"

"I don't give a two-bit damn what my father says! He's forced me to return to this.” She waved her hand at her massive room then continued, “A mausoleum of a house he calls a home, a place in which I can't stand to live in anymore."

Martha sat on the bed next to the trembling and sobbing woman, gently taking Liz into her loving arms. 

"Now, now child, you jus' tell ole Martha all 'bout what's aillin' you."

So Liz tells her about how happy she was out at the farm in the Nebraska Territory, how she had plans of having her own farm someday and of the day she met an Indian Warrior named Wolf.

"Wolf?"

"Yes, but his entire name is Hunts with Wolves, it's just easier to call him Wolf. Oh Martha, I miss him so…I just want to go back."

"We'll thin' of somethin' child, don' you worry…ole Martha will see what she can do. Now let me run your bath so's you can have a good soak before dinner, hmm."

Two Months Later

Sitting down for lunch with her mother on a particular stuffy day, Elizabeth finds herself just staring at her plate. The sight of what was there was making her stomach churn so she pushed the plate away.

"Elizabeth, why have you not touched your lunch?" her mother asks.

"Guess I'm not that hungry today."

"You've not been hungry a lot lately. Are you with child or are you sick?"

Liz kept her eyes averted. She shrugged her shoulders and barely whispers, "I'm not sure."

"Well, we'll just have to take you to see the doctor first thing in the morning and if you are with child…” her mother let the threat hang in the air.

Quickly getting up, Elizabeth runs to her room wanting…needing desperately to get away from this house. The next morning bright and early, she and her mother are on their way to see the doctor. Her mother's suspicion is confirmed when the doctor tells them that Elizabeth is about two months along into the pregnancy. On the way home, they do not speak to each other, but when they reach the gates, her mother finally says, "You go straight to your room while I speak with your father about this matter. He may not send you to a convent, but mark my words…he will take care of the situation."
 

Chapter 2

“She’s what?!” Mr. O’Neill bellowed when his wife told him of Elizabeth’s pregnancy.

“She’s…”

“I heard you Katrina. So, where is our ungrateful daughter now?”

“Her room.”

Meanwhile, waiting an eternity for her parents finally enter her room, Elizabeth paced from door to window. Then she stopped suddenly when she heard the doorknob on her door turning. She slowly turned to face her parents as they entered her room and could clearly see that her father was very livid. His arms were folded across his chest and he began to pace the floor while cursing under his breath. Then he stopped right in front of her, telling her how she has shamed the family name and that she will get rid of the child.

"Never,” she cried as she backed away from him. "You have already forced me to come back to this mausoleum…forced me from my husband and I will leave this house before you can make me get rid of any child of his!"

Mr. O’Neill was clearly outraged at his daughter's behavior and bellows, "We'll just see about that now won't we. You live under my roof, in MY home and I will not have some savage running about this house!!"

February 1843

After going through several hours of childbirth, Elizabeth finally gets to hold her daughter. "I shall name you Breanna Nicole. Your father would probably spoil you, but he would be proud. I miss him so much daughter of my heart…"

~ Knock, knock ~

"Who is it?"

"Jus' me Mizz Liz…wanted to see the baby."

Smiling, Elizabeth motions for her to come on in as Martha poked her head around the door.  Then as the old servant gathers Breanna in her arms, Liz softly cries, "Oh Martha, what am I supposed to do now that she’s here? Especially with daddy’s threat hanging over my head."

"Do not worry chil'. Listen to Martha when she say…the moon bright and full the way it is, is a good sign. You'll be seein' that husband of yours someday soon."

"You really think so?"

"Mhm, Martha knows so."

As they continue to converse, they are completely unaware that Mr. O’Neill is standing just outside the door listening to everything that's being said and getting angrier by the minute. Then a plan forms in his mind and he hurries down the hall and out to the stables to talk to the one man he knew he could trust inexplicitly.

7 Years Later

Liz and Breanna have lived in relative peace with the elder O'Neil's for the past seven years that Liz felt it was safe enough to go to town for a little shopping, leaving her daughter in Martha's capable hands. But after she leaves, her father goes looking for Martha and the child, putting his plan into action.

"Marrrthha…Maaarrrrthha!" he yells while taking two stairs at a time to the second landing.
"Yes mas'er."

"Where is that girl?"

A feeling of unease swept through Martha's soul, but she answered him anyway. "I'm not sure mas'er…she was in her room playin'."

"Just go fetch her and be quick about it."

Knowing not to disobey orders, Martha goes to get little Breanna and with a heavy heart, she brings her back to the master. Then she watches with tears in her eyes as some strangers, who were standing in the foyer, take Breanna away. Several hours later Elizabeth returns to the house. She passes the huge family room where her parents are sitting, enjoying their quiet time together, then with a sigh she heads for her own rooms only to find Martha bawling like a baby.

“Martha?” she began, a sense of dread squeezing at her heart. “Martha what is it? Where is my daughter?”

"He sent her away. Strangers came…and he sent our precious Bre away."

"No," Elizabeth whispers in anguish. After standing like a statue for a few moments, she took a deep breath and goes to confront her father.

"Just who the hell do you think you are? How dare you steal away my daughter!"

With his eyebrows raised, he replies; "How dare I? No daughter, how dare you!"

"I hate you! I damn you for everything for you have destroyed my life." Then she rushes back to her room in tears as a plan begins to take shape. She will head back west to find Wolf as soon as she found her precious little girl. 

A month goes by, then two…three…five. During the tenth month of being separated from her daughter and being unable to get enough funds for the trip west, Liz decides to take her daily walk to the park to clear her head. On the way she thought of the several plans she had laid out in her mind and came to the conclusion of which one was best to get back to her husband. Her father was going to New York again on business and that would be the time when she would leave. As she sat on her favorite bench and watched a few other Kansas City parents with their young children, she sighed deeply and wished she knew where Breanna had been sent. She knew her father had so-called connections with some of the private schools and had checked out all of them, but they were either not cooperating with her or…or they knew exactly where her daughter was.

"Oh, Bre…I miss you so," she cried softly. Then upon seeing a handsome gentleman approach the bench, she swiped her tears away just as he sat down.

"Beautiful morning, isn't it?"

"Mmhm," she replies, not trusting her voice.

"Would it be presumptuous of me to ask your name?"

Shaking her head, she whispered, "Elizabeth. And yours?"

The man leaned ever so slightly closer to her and answers; "Wolf."

"Wolf?" she replied with a gasp. Then upon taking a closer look at the man, she sees that he was telling the truth. She slowly raised her hand to the short length of his hair while whispering, "You’ve cut your hair."

"Had to,” he laughed. “We wouldn't want to scare anyone. Now that I've finally found you, we can head back to the village."

Elizabeth was excited to see her husband again, but without her daughter she could not leave with him. She wrapped her arms tightly around him and begins to cry…telling him what has happened since she was forced away from him and about his daughter.

"Daughter…we have a daughter?"

"Yes my love, but father sent her away some ten months ago. I’ve looked everywhere…at every school I know of and I…" she began sobbing again. “I can’t find her.”

"Do not worry Flaming Hair. I will have one of my men keep an eye out for her, but for now, I feel it is best that we leave as soon as possible. I feel danger in the air and if I stay too long people will get more suspicious."

Two nights later, her father at a town meeting and her mother somewhere off in another part of the house berating one of the servants again, Elizabeth picks up her bags and silently heads down the stairs and out of the house. She sees Wolf standing in the shadows of the trees that grew on the west side of the lawn and quickly made her way towards him.

“Hurry,” he softly spoke as she neared. “They wait just beyond the bend in the road.”

“Who?”

“Those who came with me.”
 

Chapter 3

February 1851

Finally being able to return to her mother after spending almost an entire year at the stupid boarding school, Breanna is told by her grandfather that her mother had run away.

"She would never leave me with the likes of you," she replies scathingly as she ran back outside towards the stables. When she reaches the stables, she collapses into a pile of hay and cries. Upon hearing footsteps a few moments later, thinking it might be the mean old man; she quickly searched for a good place to hide. Just as she was ducking out of sight, she heard a whispering soft voice call out her name.

"Breanna…Breanna?"

When she realized that it wasn’t the mean old man, Breanna slowly emerged from her hiding spot and replies, "Who are you?"

"I am friend to your father. My name is Man of many Smiles, but you can call me Uncle Tom. They tell me to wait for you…to bring you back to the village with me. And your mother wishes for you to have this," he said as he held out the blue stone necklace that belonged to her mother.

Bre’s eyes fill with tears as she hesitantly took the necklace from the strange man’s palm. Then she looked into eyes similar in color to hers saying, "They didn't desert me?”

“No. Your mother and father would never leave you behind, but the people here tend to be a suspicious group and you wouldn’t want us to be in danger would you?” 

The little girl shook her head, her single braid of dark auburn hair swinging from side to side. Then she asked, “When do we leave?"

"In two days time. I will come back for you saying that your school had let you return home by mistake."

"But the old man is smart…he will find out abo…"

"No…we will first travel in the direction of the school, but will turn around as soon as it’s safe and take the noisy horse…uhm…the train. Then when we reach last stop, we will join up with people who ride in covered wagons. Understand?" When Breanna nodded her head, he replied, "Good, now go back to the house and wait for my return. Do not speak of this to anyone."

Finally the longest two days of her young life come to pass and her uncle returns, posing as a member of the school. While Breanna stands quietly at the top of the stairs, she listens carefully as Uncle Tom talks with her grandmother. Then her grandmother turns around and upon seeing her standing there, she tells her to go get her bags packed.

"But…"

"No buts, young lady. Just get them and be quick about it."

Turning towards her room, Breanna hid a smile and does what her grandmother asked her to do. Quickly she rushes into her room, picked up her bags and starts to run back down the stairs, but stops when she remembers that she is supposed to be sad about leaving again. When she reaches her grandmother and uncle, she has the best of her sad, pouty faces in place.

“Keep that pout in place dear and your face will freeze that way,” her grandmother said as she reached to take the bags away. “You won’t be needing these.” When Bre’s eyes grew wide, her grandmother responded, “There are others who deserve them more than you. Besides, the school will provide your uniforms. Now be on your way and…” she turned to Uncle Tom, “Mr. Thom, please make sure to let the School Master know that we are displeased with this inconvenience.”

“Yes ma’am,” he replied as he gently took Breanna’s hand and led her to the awaiting carriage.

When they were far enough away from the house, Breanna leaned over to her uncle and whispers; "We fooled her didn't we?"

"Yes we did," he replies with a smile.

“But what am I to do about clothing? I cannot wear this thing all the way back to my family.”

“Don’t worry, we will find a few more outfits for you.” Then he smiled. “You wouldn’t mind wearing boy clothes as a disguise…just to be safer?”

Breanna smiled at the thought of wearing boy clothes and agreed with her Uncle.

As they reached Fort Scott and exit the stagecoach, they eat a quick lunch and buy some provisions for the long journey back to the village. Then her Uncle tells her that he will find out when the next westward wagon will be leaving and has Breanna wait just outside the stage office.

"Excuse me sir," he says to the clerk, "When is the next west bound wagon?"

"Hmm, lets see here…oh yeah. There are several families leaving day after tomorrow. Will that be ok?"

"Yes sir. Thank you." Then he exits the office and tells Breanna that they have to stay the night in town.

As the wagon train leaves Fort Scott behind the next day, they head west toward the town of Hays where relatives of several of their fellow travelers live and after that group are dropped off, the rest of the wagons will head north towards Kearney then onto O'Neill.

Several hours pass before Breanna begins to squirm in her seat. It was bad enough riding in a bumpy carriage out of Kansas City and then onto an equally bumpy train, but now her derrière was to the point that she wanted to stand up for a while…not that her Uncle would let her though.

"Uncle Tom?"

"Yes Breanna?"

"It smells so much better out here than in the city. There's soooo much land…no buildings being squashed together. Sure is much, much prettier than the city too.”

He laughed a big laugh and replied, “I agree with you my niece and you are just as pretty as the wildflowers growing on the land.”

Several Days Later

As they were taking a break during the long journey, they sat down to eat lunch with the rest of the people. She found most of them to be tolerant of herself and her Uncle, but she liked Miss Applebee most of all. Then Breanna leaned over to her uncle and whispers, “Know what today is?”

“What?”

“My birthday,” she replied with a smile.

“Your birthday huh…and how old are you now?”

“Eight.”

Man of Many Smiles gives her a hug and responded with his own smile, “You know, it won’t be too long before you have boys falling all over themselves at your feet, trying to get you to like them.”

“Ugh…boys are gross.”

When the wagon master says to finish up so that they could get some more traveling time behind them with what was left of daylight, they finish quickly and get back up into the wagon as they continue to banter back and forth about when boys will be liking her.

18 February 1851

She is startled awake, from the best sleep she’d had in a long time, at the sound of gunfire and screaming coming from the other wagons that were in the caravan. She peeked over at her uncle, notices a grim look on his face and carefully crawls over to be near him. 

“Uncle Tom what’s happening?” she cried.

“Keep down…cover yourself real good and don’t move or talk till I am sure that it’s safe…ok?”

Breanna nodded her head, ducks back under the covers and curls up into the smallest ball she could make herself into. Then she places her hands over her ears as tear’s pool in her eyes. 

After what seems to be forever, she uncovers her ears and listens…nothing, just an eerie silence greets her. Still she doesn’t move. A few moments later she decides it to be safe enough to poke her head out from the blankets. Not seeing her Uncle nearby, she begins to whisper for him. Then she hears a whispering voice of one of the other women and tentatively sticks her head out the back of the wagon. Seeing that it was Miss Applebee and that she seemed to be uninjured, Breanna stumbled out of the wagon and runs to her.

Chapter 4

Sarah held the terrified and trembling child, trying her best to keep the child calm then quietly asked if she was ok. When she feels the Breanna’s nod against her chest, she lets out a sigh of relief.

“It is good that they did not see you little one or they would’ve taken you too.”

“T-taken me? Where to?

“Their village.”

Breanna knew then that Miss Applebee was talking about Indians and wondered if the attacking group was enemy to her father’s people. But she wouldn’t voice her concerns out loud because, even though the people in the wagons suspected that she had some Indian blood in her, she would not give them any reason to dislike her more than necessary. Then she asked the schoolteacher if she’d seen her Uncle.

“I’m sorry Breanna…I don’t think he survived the attack.”

“NO! You’re lying,” she cried as she jerked away from the woman. “He can’t be dead. He promised my family…he promised.”

Then she takes off running back to the wagon to check again. Not finding him there, she climbs up onto the side to look around the field, thinking he might be lying somewhere among the weeds and grass, hurting and in pain.  Breanna’s eyes narrow as she tries to focus through the blinding tears then she notices sheets scattered about the field. She jumps from the ruined wagon that she shared with her Uncle and runs to the nearest sheet to take a closer look. As she got nearer, she suddenly stops realizing that the sheet is covering up one of the people. Slowly she lifts to see who is was and is greatly relieved that it wasn’t her Uncle. She does this to all the sheets she can find and then when she lifts up the fifth one - she stumbles backwards.

"No, oh no…noooo!"

Slowly lifting the sheet again and crumpling to the ground as her knees buckle, she begins to wail with the unfairness of it all as she pounds her uncle's chest. Breanna lowers her head to where her Uncle’s heart lay beneath his ribs. Upon hearing nothing except the echo of her sobs reverberating within chest, she cries harder as she shakes his lifeless body. “He’s not dead…he can’t be,” she thought to herself then she starts yelling at him.

“Wake up Uncle…please. You h-have t-to wake up…you pro-mis-ed to take me h-home. Please,” she continued to sob, “Pleeeaase wake up.”

Miss Applebee stood quietly nearby as Breanna cried uncontrollably for her Uncle then she stepped closer, gently wrapped her arms around the sad little girl and softly replied, “Breanna…come with me. We need to let Mr. Victor and his son begin the burials.”

“No, ple-ase no…I c-can’t leave him.” 

“You’ll make yourself sick if you continue to cry like this,” Sarah said. “Besides, we do need to bury them quickly so that we can get the injured to the nearest town as soon as possible and without the wagon master…we are on our own.”

“I don’t think so. If they were, they would be riding faster.”

As this second group of Indians got closer to the survivors, Mr. Victor and his son reach for the guns that were strapped to their hips and upon seeing this, Miss Applebee gives them one of her stern looks and shakes her head. The new Warriors stopped in front of Sarah and Breanna(who was standing defiantly next to the schoolmarm); the leader of the group nudged his horse closer.

“We saw smoke in the distance,” he said softly. “What has happened?” When Miss Applebee tells him about the attack and points towards the direction that the attackers went, he sends a few of his men to track them down. Then he asks, “What are you named?”

“Sarah Applebee,” she stated without fear. “And yours?”

“Red Bear. I am War Chief among my people, the Kiowa.” Then he noticed the little girl who stood next to the woman and asked, “Who is the child?”

Placing Breanna behind her, Sarah replied, “The child is mine.”

When Red Bear starts to shake his head Breanna comes out from behind Miss Applebee and responds to his negative answer by sticking her tongue at him and saying, ”You think she can’t be my mother? Well what if she ain’t my mother…then, maybe…you are?"

"Breanna Nicole! You do not speak to your elders that way!"

"He is not my elder," she replied haughtily as she continued to stare at the one named Red Bear.

Red Bear laughed at her, admiring the spirit that was in the child and replies as he dismounted from his horse, “You are brave little girl to speak that way to a War Chief.” Then he cups her chin and looks into her eyes; “We will call you Little Fire because of your fiery spirit and of the sun that shines in your hair.”

When he turned back towards his men, he tells them that they will help the survivors to their destination. The others nod in understanding, that is, all of them except for one young warrior…his brother.

"Running Buck, you will tend to the horses." When his brother did not immediately comply, Red Bear went over to him and whispered, "Why do you defy me?"

Running Buck just sat on his horse staring at the white men that stood before them and tells his brother that he will not help. 

“Because?”

His brother did not respond. He sat stiffly on the back of his horse with arms folded across his chest and an eyebrow arching toward the sky. Now Red Bear was starting to get a bit furious with his younger brother, so he yanks Buck off of his horse telling him that they will help these people.

"But you know what their kind did to our mother and…" he began to explain, but shut his mouth quickly when Red Bear shook him again. "All right, all right, but I still don't like it." Then he grabs the reigns of all the horses and storms off towards a clump of trees.
 

Chapter 5

With their unlikely escort, the survivors make their way towards Hays again two days later. Breanna, who was sitting in between Miss Applebee and a man named Mr. Jacobs, was keeping a close eye on the Indians that were flanking their wagons. Then she leaned over to the schoolteacher and whispered, "Miss Sarah…I think Mr. Red Bear is watching us."

Sarah’s eyes slanted toward the man that Breanna was worried about and had to smile. It wasn’t that he was not watching them, because he was, but it was Running Buck who was eyeing up Breanna. Sarah ‘put on’ a straight face and replied; "I don't think you need to concern yourself with him.”

“But he’s looking at us.”

“No more than his brother is,” she replied. “Besides, I think he's wondering why his brother is gawking at you.”

"Gawking…at me? What’s that? And why would Mr. Running Buck be doing it when he didn't even want to help us in the first place?"

"I don't know…maybe he likes you a bit."

"Yuck. Boys are…are…gross."

Shaking her head with a laugh, Sarah responded, "Boys aren't that gross once you get to know them, besides I think it'd be kind of sweet if he did like you. He is good to look at, don't you think?"

"No way. He…he…just no way."

While continuing their journey, they get to know Red Bear and his men as they ask questions about how the others lived. Even Running Buck was beginning to be cordial around everybody, especially Breanna and Miss Sarah. He was a little glad that there was at least one person near his age amongst the whole group. And with Breanna being that person, he began to tease her like a younger sister or cousin...not that he had any. He just couldn’t help himself. One day while taking a break from a long day of riding, he started teasing her as she threw small pebbles across a tiny creek.

"You throw like a girl,” he laughed at her. 

"That's because I am…you stupid boy,” she answers while tossing a handful of pebbles at him. When he continues to tease her, she runs after him yelling, "You'd better stop it or you'll be sorry!"

"Oh yeah," he replied over his shoulder. "Make me you sil…aarrrggg."

She watched him stumble over a good-sized rock and launched herself at him, pinning him to the ground. He made her so mad. “Just like a typical boy, teasing a girl, “ she thought. Then she started to pound on his bare chest.

"Just you wait till I get home and tell my father, you…you mean old bully,” she yelled in his face. “He'll show you not to tease me."

"Yeah? And what would he do to me…hang me by my toes till I said I was sorry?” he replied as he laughed while grabbing her flailing fists.

"He…he…well, uhm. He'll tie you down and let me beat you up," she answered sarcastically.

Running Buck shook his head; laughing so hard he could hardly catch his breath.

“Will so,” she argued.

He finally pushed her off of him and sat up as he gasped, "You…beat me up? No way. You are a puny little girl and I…I am Running Buck…Kiowa brave." 

“I am NOT a puny girl,” she spat, punching him as hard as she could. Then she stood, hands on hips and angrily retorted, “You are a puny brave and my father is Pawnee Chief. He will ha…"

"Pawnee? Is Hunts with Wolves your father?"

She nodded her head, unable to say anything because of the dangerous glint she saw gathering in Running Buck's eyes. Breanna started to back away from him, afraid of what he might do. And when he does, he grabs her tightly by the arm saying, "Your mother must be the white woman he took as a mate years ago. You do have the sun in your hair, eyes the color of sweet-grass and a sassy little mouth like I’ve heard that she does." He didn’t notice that he was causing her to tremble, that tears formed in her eyes as he shook his head and continued his tirade. "Stay away from me little girl. I do not like the white man…or your father." With that said he shoved her away and storms back to sit with his brother.

Her legs shook as she watched him walk away. She couldn’t understand why he was so angry with her…or her father and tried to figure out why he would hate them so much. Then deciding she wasn't about to let him treat her the way he just did, she stomped over and stood directly in front of him, demanding to know why he hated her family so much.

Red Bear and Miss Sarah exchanged glances then Miss Sarah asked Breanna what she was talking about. When Breanna finished explaining what had happened, Red Bear turned to his brother and said, "You will apologize to Little Fire. There is no reason for you to be angry with her…or her father for that matter. What happened between he and I happened a long time ago. We were young and stupid, not thinking of the consequences and both of us carry the scars of that stupidity. Now…apologize."

Running Buck looks up at Breanna and mumbles a swift apology then stalks off to be with the horses, not wanting to like her or her family. 

Hays, Nebraska Territory

After saying good-by to their new friends, they head into the town that was the original destination before the attack on their wagons and stop in front of the doctor's office. The surviving men carry most of the wounded into the office and set them on the cots that the doctor directed them to while he sent his assistant to fetch the Marshal. Upon retuning with the town’s Sheriff, the assistant went directly to one of the patients while Miss Applebee explained to the doctor and Marshal what had happened, but leaving out the part of the Kiowa who’d helped them to town.

Days later, Miss Applebee and Breanna are preparing to say good-by. They had had a wonderful three days of staying in town and had gone every day to check on their injured wagon-mates. But on their last night in Hays, Breanna begins to cry for the umpteenth time at the prospect of bidding her friend good-by.

"Breanna, please don't cry", Miss Sarah said softly as they finished packing their belongings. "You know I have to continue on to Sweet Water to teach at the new school…they're expecting me besides, you have to return to your family."

"I know,” she replied with a sniffle. "I just don't want you to leave cause I'll never see you again."

Sarah gave the small girl a gentle hug. "Yes you will…someday. Now come on and get some rest, your stage leaves in the morning and the Jacob's have said they would watch over you as you journey home."

The next morning, after a quiet breakfast in the Hotel’s dining hall, Breanna and Miss Sarah wait for the schoolteacher’s stage to arrive. Then Breanna starts to cry again. Sarah sighed and looked over the child’s head to where Mrs. Jacobs sat. They exchanged knowing looks of how upsetting the past several days had been for the girl. 

Mrs. Jacobs took a hold of the small trembling hand and whispered, "Don't worry none child…we'll get there safely. And Miss Sarah will arrive safely at her destination." 

“How…can we…be sure?” Breanna asked between sobs.

“We will say a few prayers.”

A few minutes later, Miss Sarah and another young couple board the stage to the town of Sweet Water in the middle of the Nebraska Territory. And as the stage pulls away, the woman who’d befriended Breanna turned in her seat, leaned her head out the window and waved good-by to the child she had grown to care for as she had her own lost little daughter. When the tears threatened to spill over their floodgates, Sarah faced forward and closed her eyes, trying to ease the ache in her heart once again.