"We have three muskets, two bows, and plenty of arrows," Alanna planned aloud. "If we keep moving as we fire at them, they might mistake the two of us for part of a much larger number, and flee."
Hunter's eyes widened in dismay. "You want to attack them?"
Alanna made a fast tally of the Abenaki braves. "There are fifteen of them, and only two of us. Attacking them would be suicidal, but if they attack us, we'll have to confuse them long enough to get away. Can you reach our clothes?"
Hunter looked up to gauge the angle of the setting sun before shaking his head. Two of the Abenaki, holding their muskets aloft, had waded out into the lake. Their companions were now laughing at them, and he hoped sufficiently distracted for him to grab his weapons, if not the clothes they had left scattered about. Staying low, he left the trees only long enough to fetch his bow and quiver, along with the quiver belonging to the slain Abenaki.
When he returned to Alanna's side, he fit the nock of one of the Abenaki's arrows in his bowstring. "If they come more than halfway, I'm going to kill them," he vowed. "The others won't risk staying out in the open long enough to cross the lake."
"Perhaps not, but they can fire on us from the other side."
"That doesn't mean they'll hit us! Now hush."
Crouched beside the naked Indian, Alanna knew their lack of clothes was the least of their worries, but while she had been flattered to be described as a wood sprite, she didn't want to have to run through the forest looking like one. She too judged the angle of the sun, and feared it was not going to set soon enough to save them. "Oh, no, now another brave's coming across!"
Hunter gripped his bow more tightly. He could tell from the carelessness of the brave's actions that they did not perceive a pair of lovers as a threat. He intended to take every advantage of that mistake, and waited for them to reach the middle of the river. "When they fall," he whispered, "gather up our clothes as quickly as you can. You bring them, and I'll carry the other things, until it's safe to stop and dress."
Alanna nodded. Her chemise and drawers were within easy reach of his breechclout, leggings, and moccasins, but her dress would take another few steps to retrieve. She'd not been wearing the belt and knife, nor her stockings and boots, but the few articles she would have to pick up looked dreadfully far away. "I'll do it," she promised, but she was now shaking so badly she didn't really see how.
Hunter kept his eyes on the Abenaki wading across the lake. Their friends on the shore were shouting encouragement, but the three braves were having difficulty battling the current. One turned back, but the other two kept on coming. Their arms raised, their chests presented perfect targets, and Hunter took careful aim. A few more steps and they would either be defeated by the depth and current, or the distinctive arrows of their own tribe.
Alanna held her breath as the two braves fought their way across the southern tip of Lake Sacandaga. Swollen by melting snow, the water swirled around them, but they were strong young men who apparently relished a challenge. She felt Hunter grab for a second arrow almost in the same instant his first pierced the che
st of the closest brave. The wounded man's companion was hit a split second later. From where Alanna was watching, they appeared to have merely stumbled and been caught by the current, for at one moment they were standing upright, and in the next they were swept away.
Fooled by Hunter's silent assault, the Abenaki observing from the shore believed their friends had merely lost their footing. Unaware of the braves' true peril, most again burst into laughter, while only a couple waded out into the lake to help them. Eager to get away, Alanna dashed out to fetch their clothes, while Hunter gathered up everything else. He threw her shawl on the ground, tossed on all it would hold, then grabbed the ends of the woolen square to form a bundle. With the muskets slung over his shoulder, he then led the way into the woods.
While she did not recall falling, Alanna had favored her bruised knee all day, and she was soon not only out of breath, but linking badly. When Hunter finally stopped, she sank to the ground with the armful of clothing still in her grasp. Hunter quickly donned his clothes, and then helped her on with hers. He brushed the pine needles from her feet, before slipping on her stockings and boots.
"Here, take Elliott's knife. You know how to use it. By the time the Abenaki discover what really happened to the pair in the lake, it will be too dark for them to come after us. We're going to have to walk all night, though. Try and keep up with me. I don't want you to get lost."
While he helped her to her feet, Alanna swayed slightly, but then caught herself. "Let me carry something, the bag of jerky and my shawl at least."
"No, you'll need all your strength just to keep moving." He brushed her lips with a light kiss, turned away, and started off at an easy lope.
Alanna knew Hunter could run for hours, days perhaps, but she had an increasingly difficult time keeping up with him. She soon had to stop and grab hold of a tree trunk for support while she caught her breath, but she thought she could push off again before Hunter was lost from sight. The light was fading so rapidly, however, that before she realized what had happened, he was gone. She called to him, but still breathless, her voice echoed faintly off the trees surrounding her. The peaceful silence of the forest at twilight remained unbroken.
Bent on leading his bride to safety, Hunter did not turn back to look for Alanna until the darkness made it impossible for him to see her in a quick glance over his shoulder. He came to a halt, and waited a moment for her to catch up with him, then realized that she had fallen more than a few paces behind. He couldn't call out to her without revealing his position, and thereby also jeopardizing hers.
He had attempted to sound convincing when he had told her they would not be followed, but he was not at all certain that the thirteen surviving Abenaki braves weren't trailing them at that very moment. In the gathering dusk, the terrain he had just crossed took on a menacing gloom, and memories of the nightmares he'd suffered while feverish came cascading back in heady waves of fear. There were no evil demons lurking in this forest, but there could easily be Abenaki braves, whose deeds would be doubly cruel. He had been eager to put as much distance between them and the Abenaki as he could, but he had not meant to run off and leave his bride to fend for herself.
Forcing himself to be calm, he retraced his steps. When he had traveled fifty feet or so, he began to call to Alanna in a hushed whisper, but there was no reply. Stealth was an important consideration, but finding her was imperative. Unable to think of a better idea, Hunter took out his flint and, after searching in the dark for dry branches, lit a small fire. Hoping that Alanna would see the glow, he waited a few minutes and then added more wood.
Once Hunter had disappeared, Alanna had been afraid to move, for fear she would stray off the path he had been following. Her knee was aching badly now and, frightened as well as hurting, she began to sob. She heard a small animal shuffling by, a raccoon perhaps, and rested her hand lightly on the hilt of Elliott's knife. Hunter had told her to travel south should they become separated, but she would be unable to set that course until dawn, when the sun would guide her way.
Feeling utterly defeated, she sank to the ground and prayed that Hunter would soon come for her. She knew she was an awful nuisance to him, but she had tried to match his pace, and simply hadn't been able to do so. Staring off into the forest, she saw a glimmer of light and, intrigued, stumbled to her feet. She doubted Hunter would have lit a fire, but praying whoever had would prove friendly, she started toward it.
Hunter heard only a soft rustling of leaves and, not daring to again call Alanna's name, he stepped out of the circle of light thrown by the fire, and waited to see who was approaching. Half-expecting one of the snarling demons from his nightmare, he had to suppress a loud whoop of joy when he caught sight of his bride. He came forward to greet her. She looked so forlorn that it broke his heart.
"I'm sorry," Alanna began. "I tried to keep up, but—"
Hunter stilled her apology with a kiss. "The fault is mine, not yours," he assured her. "Do you need to rest awhile?"
"No, I'm afraid if I stop, I won't be able to get up again."
Hunter turned away to throw dirt on the fire and extinguished it. "This day has been too long for us both. We'll just walk from here, and when you need to stop for the night, we will."
"But we can't stop."