Swift Horse

“I have much to do, so, no, I had best not delay any longer,” he said. He placed a hand on Swift Horse’s shoulder. “Your sister is fortunate. The arrow could have inflicted a mortal wound.”

“I know,” Swift Horse said, nodding, not seeing how Marsha’s color left her face at the news.

Bright Moon gave Swift Horse a quick embrace, then turned and walked away.

“It was that close?” Marsha asked, searching Swift Horse’s eyes. “She could have died?”

“Yes, it was that close,” Swift Horse said solemnly.

“I’m so sorry,” Marsha murmured, then walked inside with Swift Horse.

She went to Soft Wind’s bedroom, where a soft fire burned low on the grate of a stone fireplace. Seeing Soft Wind so pale and how the wound on her shoulder was covered with some sort of white, pasty medicine made Marsha’s heart go out to her. She knelt down beside Soft Wind’s thick pallet of furs and blankets and placed a soft hand on her brow.

“You will be all right,” she reassured.

“My shaman reassured me of that,” Soft Wind said softly.

“I’m sorry that you have to postpone the wedding,” Marsha said, reaching a hand for one of Soft Wind’s, and taking it. “Truly I am.”

“I know,” Soft Wind said, nodding. “It will not have to be too long a wait, but I would like for the wound to be healed before I spend the first night in my new husband’s bed.”

&nb

sp; Marsha blushed at those words, knowing the meaning behind them, then turned her eyes quickly to the door when Edward James came into the room with a young brave. Edward James carried the pot of stew and the child carried the pie.

“I shall get the eating utensils,” Swift Horse said, hurrying from the room.

Edward James sat the pot on the table and took the pie and placed it there, too, then thanked the young brave, who hurried from the cabin. He knelt on the other side of Soft Wind’s bed. “Do you feel like eating?” he asked softly, gently stroking her brow with a hand.

“How can I not when it all smells so good?” Soft Wind said, giggling.

Soon they were all eating. Edward James fed Soft Wind, who was propped up onto soft wrappings of doeskin. She ate only a few bites, then closed her eyes. “Enough,” she said, her voice failing. “Sleep. I . . . need . . . sleep.”

Edward James looked quickly at Swift Horse.

“Bright Moon fed her an elixir that would make her sleep,” he said. “We must leave her now.”

“Edward James, I know that you have work to do, as do you, my brother,” Soft Wind said as her eyes just barely opened. She looked from her brother to the man she loved. “Go. Marsha will sit with me as I sleep.” She turned slow eyes to Marsha. “Will you sit with me?”

“Yes, for as long as you want me to,” Marsha said, touched that the woman would ask this of her. She truly felt that she and Soft Wind were friends now. Perhaps they might even be best friends one day.

“We shall go then,” Swift Horse said, rising.

Edward James bent low and brushed a soft kiss across Soft Wind’s brow as Marsha stood and walked Swift Horse to the door in the living room.

“Again, I am so sorry about Soft Wind, that something like this happened,” she murmured.

“It is because of the foolishness of a young brave who now knows the meaning of being careless,” Swift Horse said.

He looked quickly over his shoulder and saw that Edward James was lingering a moment longer beside his sister’s bed. He took that opportunity to sweep his arms around Marsha’s waist and bring her up against him.

“My woman, thank you for caring,” he said, gazing into her eyes.

“It is not hard to care for your sister or you,” Marsha murmured.

Swift Horse glanced over his shoulder again, and seeing that Edward James was still lingering at Soft Wind’s bedside, he gazed again into Marsha’s violet eyes.

“Show me how much you care,” he said huskily.