His hands strung his bow without conscious willing. The arrow leaped to the string almost by itself. His hands and arms worked methodically together.
He drew the arrow to the head and released. The twang of the bow echoed and the arrow soared through the air. Pride seized Sage when he saw the arrow pierce the back of a Kiowa warrior, and he strung his bow again as he raced onward, another Kiowa warrior in sight.
Leonida pulled herself up against the rock, steadying her back against it, panic racing through her as she saw Sage and his warriors rush on past her without having seen her.
“Sage!” she screamed, stumbling after the rush of the mounted warriors.
To her, the world seemed a roar of hooves, the Navaho leaning forward over their horse’s necks, their mouths wide, shouting. “E-e-e-e.”
Again Leonida screamed Sage’s name, her arms outstretched before her. “Please, Sage,” she cried. “Oh, darling, it is I, Leonida. Please hear me.”
Above the staccato of the horse’s hooves, Sage heard his name being called. And then he recognized the voice.
He whipped his head to the side and saw Leonida stumbling along in the path of the swirling dust.
Swinging his bow back in place across his shoulder, he wheeled his horse around. He raised his fist in the air, stopping his warriors. There was no longer any need to follow the Kiowa. Now that he had found his woman safe and sound, he must make haste to hide in the folds of his mountain again.
After his warriors had drawn their steeds to a halt, Sage rode on past them. When he reached Leonida he stopped and dismounted, quickly drawing her into his arms.
“Sage, oh, Sage,” Leonida whispered, clinging to him and sobbing. “I feared I would never see you again. Thank the Lord you found me.”
He held her close, yet he had seen the disarray of her clothes. He ran his fingers through her tangled hair. “They did not touch you wrongly, did they?” he asked, his voice breaking.
“No,” she murmured, almost choking on another sob at the thought that he had arrived just in time. She did not tell him that, not wanting to kindle his rage any more. It was enough now that he was there and she was safe again in his arms.
“I will take you home,” Sage said, whisking her up into his arms, carrying her toward his horse.
She looked adoringly up at him, so grateful that he was hers—her husband.
Chapter 20
I break all slighter bonds, nor feel
A shadow of regret.
—ADELAIDE ANNE PROCTER
Having dozed comfortably snuggled in Sage’s arms on his stallion on the return home, Leonida did not even awaken when Sage drew his horse to a halt, then dismounted, lifting her into his arms again, and carried her into their hogan.
The fire had gone out in the fire pit, and daylight had turned to night again. Sage felt his way through the hogan until he reached their bedroom. He then gently laid Leonida on their sleeping platform. He bent low over her and kissed her brow, then drew a blanket up over her.
Sage reluctantly left her side to go to the outer room to build a fire. Bending on one knee, he began laying twigs on the cold ashes of the fire pit, and once he had them lit, he placed thicker logs across the flames. Settling back on a soft mat, he stared at the fire, broodingly. His jaw tightened at the thought of having allowed Four Fingers to escape.
Stealing a man’s wife was a crime punishable by death. One day Sage would see that this punishment was carried out.
“Sage? Darling?”
Leonida’s voice behind him drew Sage from his troubled thoughts. Pushing himself up from the floor to go to her, Sage was suddenly startled when Leonida emitted an ear-splitting scream. His eyes were wild as he rushed toward Runner’s bedroom.
He was moved deeply by what he found. Leonida was on her knees, her arms stretched across Runner’s bed, her fingers clawing at his blankets.
“He’s gone,” she wailed. She turned woefully toward Sage. “Why didn’t you tell me that he also was abducted?”
Sage went to her and knelt down beside her. Placing his hands on her waist, he drew her to her feet before him, then eased her into his arms, gently hugging her. “Darling, our son was not taken captive,” he said as he ran his fingers through her golden hair. “He is with Sally. She offered to watch over him while I was gone searching for you.”
He could feel her muscles relax, yet she still clung to him. “Darling,” he murmured, “you have nothing to fear now. You are safe. Runner is safe. Put all fears from your heart. Do you not feel the protection of my arms? Never will I allow another man near you. You must trust this promise.”
Leonida swallowed hard. She forced a smile, not wanting Sage to know that it would take some time for her to get over the trauma of the near rape. It was wonderful to be back in Sage’s arms, yet she knew that even his promises could not totally protect her. She had thought that she was safe from all harm earlier, and hadn’t the Kiowa warriors taken her so easily?