“The smoke,” Jessie said. “Do you think it is from a campfire inside the cave?”
“I believe that’s what my brother thinks,” Sweet Willow said, nodding.
The color drained from Jessie’s face, for she supposed that Reginald had decided to ignore all the Sioux’s warnings and had returned to take more silver from the cave, regardless of the nightmares he had been experiencing. Wouldn’t it be the best way for him to get back at Thunder Horse and his people?
Jessie raised her eyes heavenward and prayed that what she was thinking wasn’t so.
Suddenly everything was quiet.
There was no birdsong in the trees any longer.
The eagles had flown away.
A strange sort of eerie thunder rumbled in the distance, where dark clouds had suddenly appeared and lightning could now be seen, sending its lurid streaks downward into the land. To Jessie, it was as if the gates of hell might be ready to open.
“Reggie, oh, Reggie, what have you done?” she whispered to herself. “May the good Lord be with you if you are the one who is found inside that cave.”
Chapter Twenty-seven
Jessie’s throat was tight and dry as she waited for Thunder Horse and his warriors to come out of the cave. She hated to think that Reginald would be daft enough to return there.
She grimaced when she heard Thunder Horse shouting from inside, asking if anyone was there.
“Your life will be spared,” he called. “Just come out with your hands over your heads.”
There was a moment of total silence, and then Jessie gasped and her eyes widened when she saw two warriors come out of the cave followed by Jade.
And surely the young woman behind her was Lee-Lee!
They were walking with Thunder Horse, their eyes filled with fear, their hands trembling as they held them up in the air.
Thunder Horse stepped around them as they all came into the sunshine. He gazed from one to the other.
It was apparent that they hadn’t yet spoken their names to Thunder Horse, or he would have looked at Jessie and smiled. He knew how concerned she had been about them.
Since it was evident that Jade and Lee-Lee were too afraid to speak, Jessie ran to them and flung herself into Jade’s arms, hugging her.
“Jade, you are alright,” she cried. “How did you manage to break away from my cousin?”
She stepped away and gazed at Lee-Lee, then smiled slowly as she took one of the young woman’s hands in hers. “And you must be Lee-Lee,” she murmured.
Thunder Horse stepped up next to Jessie. “These are the women you were concerned about?” he asked, seeing now that the fear had left Jade’s eyes, as well as Lee-Lee’s.
He smiled at Jade. “You must be the one who is named Jade and the other is your daughter Lee-Lee,” he said.
Suddenly someone else stepped up with excitement shining in his eyes. Lone Wing smiled at Lee-Lee and then up at Thunder Horse. “Ho, this is Lee-Lee,” he said, grinning broadly.
He wanted to embrace her but knew that it would not be appropriate. “Lee-Lee, I am so happy that you are no longer in that crib, and that you are safe,” he said, turning to her. “When I went to the crib today, you . . . were . . . gone. I feared what might have happened to you.”
“Mother came for me,” Lee-Lee said, her eyes shining as she gazed into Lone Wing’s. “We came to live in the cave until we felt it was safe to come to you at your village. If we had come, would your uncle have welcomed us?”
Lone Wing cast Thunder Horse a quick glance, then turned back to Lee-Lee. “Ho, he would have, just as he will welcome you and your mother now,” he said, nodding.
He turned and faced Thunder Horse again. “Can they come with us as we make our journey to our new home?” he asked, searching his uncle’s eyes. “They would not be safe to stay in this area. Reginald would find them and . . . and . . . probably kill them.”
Thunder Horse placed a gentle hand on Lone Wing’s shoulder. “Nephew, ho, they are welcome among us for as long as they want to be with us,” he said.
He felt other eyes on him.