Wild Whispers

When he saw that it was no one of importance, he returned and sat down again before the fire. “We Kickapoo use the name Colonia de los Kickapoo to designate our village. That is how you are to refer to it when you speak of it from now on.”

Feeling as though she had been reprimanded, Kaylene said nothing for a moment. Then, wishing to get on the good side of Fire Thunder so that she might be allowed to leave as soon as she was well, and not have to devise an escape, she tried to find something favorable to say about his way of life.

“Your cabin is quite nice,” she murmured. “It is so nicely furnished.”

“Our lodges are constructed well,” Fire Thunder said. He looked slowly from the roof to the log walls. “Our houses must be made of virgin material. No nails or hardware are used. Every coupling is made of virgin material. Every coupling is made fast with pita.”

“As I arrived, I noticed the fields filled with crops,” Kaylene said. “I also saw horses and longhorn cattle. You appear to be a wealthy tribe of Indians.”

“The fields are filled with food eaten by my people,” Fire Thunder said. “And, yes, we are wealthy in many ways. But nothing was gained easily. It has been a struggle since the beginning of time for my people.”

Black Hair came into the lodge without knocking. “Good Bear’s parents are suffering deep inside their hearts for their son,” he said thickly. He glowered at Kaylene. “If not for her people luring innocent people into the tents of the carnival, Good Bear would be here today.”

Black Hair knelt before Kaylene. He glared at her. “Good Bear’s mother can bear no more children,” he growled. “To lose her son is the same as losing her life, her reason to live.”

“You can’t blame me for—” Kaylene began, but Black Hair interrupted her as he rose to his feet and stood over Fire Thunder and spoke.

“I have readied your horse,” he said. “You will ride with us tonight to go for horses, will you not? The warriors who are not still searching for Good Bear await you, my chief.”

Fire Thunder rose. He placed a gentle hand on Black Hair’s shoulder. “Yes, I will ride with you tonight,” he said softly. “I need the time . . . the fresh air . . . to think.” He glanced down at Kaylene. “I have decisions to make about many things.”

“I know that I am such a bother to you,” Kaylene said. She tried to stand up, but fell back down to her knees. Oh, how her shoulder pained her! And she was so weak.

“Just let me go,” she said, pleadingly. “You will then have only the concerns and welfare of your people to see to. Please take me to my mother. I promise the carnival will never return to these parts, ever again.”

Fire Thunder bent over Kaylene and swept her up into his arms. “Accept your fate just as my sister was forced to accept hers when she was abducted and placed in a cage,” he said.

“What . . . fate . . . ?” Kaylene murmured, her heart hammering inside her chest. “What are you going to do with me? Please let me go.”

Fire Thunder gazed into her eyes for a moment longer, then looked over his shoulder at his sister, whom he knew would not readily accept what he was about to do. He then carried Kaylene outside, where the sun was bronzing the sky as it sank.

Kaylene’s face paled as Fire Thunder carried her toward a cage that sat not that far from his lodge. It was not the same sort of cage that her father had used at the carnival. This was much shorter—so small a person could not stand in it, only huddle or sit.

“No, you’re not going to put me in there!” Kaylene cried, struggling to free herself. She went limp when the pain shot through her shoulder. She grew cold inside when Fire Thunder sat her in the cage and locked it.

Kaylene cowered at the back of the cage as the Kickapoos came and stared at her through the bars.

“You can’t do this to me!” Kaylene cried as Fire Thunder stalked toward his waiting horse. “How can you? I thought you said you weren’t going to harm me. Lord, Fire Thunder, don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me!”

Fire Thunder stopped in midstep. He turned and gave Kaylene a steady gaze, his insides aching to see her humiliation, her hurting gaze as she stared back at him. “How does it feel to be treated like an animal?” he said, his voice steady. “My people own such a cage only to cage wild cats after they have become a threat to us. We take them faraway and set them free again, on the other side of our mountain. Perhaps that is where I shall also set you free when I return.”

“No,” Kaylene cried. “I don’t want to be set free all alone, where only wild animals roam. Please take me out of here now, Fire Thunder. Take me to my mother!”

When Fire Thunder saw Little Sparrow moving slowly toward Kaylene, he went to her and placed his hands on her waist and turned her back toward their cabin.

He gave Running Fawn a frown, discouraging her interference. Running

Fawn shied away from him and ran to her own lodge.

Fire Thunder ran to his horse and swung himself into his saddle. Tonight he was going to steal horses from another Texan who had given his people problems when they lived in Texas. It was good to finally be able to avenge those long years of degradation at the hands of whites.

But he sorely regretted having to cage Kaylene.

And as for taking her to the wild side of his mountain—no, never. He would never let her out of his sight, not now that he had her there, solely his.

Kaylene was in a state of shock as Fire Thunder rode away. She now knew that she was doomed to be in this cage for as long as he was gone. She gazed at the darkening sky. She shivered at the thought of him possibly being gone the whole night.

She huddled upon the cold floor of the cage. Slowly her eyes went from bar to bar, truly knowing now how Little Sparrow must have felt when she had been forced inside her cage.