Savage Tempest

She continued to watch him as he smoothed his thick, raven-black hair back from his face with deer marrow, then slid a beaded headband in place.

She drew in a quick breath, giving herself away. Her eyes met and held High Hawk’s as he turned and found her there, obviously watching him.

But he didn’t have a chance to say anything, for a woman’s voice outside the tepee distracted him. “I have brought food for you and your captive.”

He opened the entrance flap and thanked the woman as he took the platter of food from her. Bringing it inside, he set it down on blankets spread out before the fire.

High Hawk turned toward Joylynn, who was still watching him. He smiled and beckoned with a hand. “Come. Sit and eat with me,” he invited.

Dressed in the same clothes she had put on immediately after her bath in the river, and very aware of the wrinkles in her dress, Joylynn rose and sat down beside the platter of food, while High Hawk sat on the other side.

She eyed it all hungrily, seeing an assortment of vegetables, small flat cakes and fruit.

As High Hawk dished out the food on separate wooden plates, Joylynn hurriedly ran her long, slender fingers through her hair in an effort to remove the tangles from it.

High Hawk glanced quickly at her as he prepared their plates, wishing it were his fingers moving through her hair. He recalled how soft it was last night when he had taken the liberty to touch it while she slept.

He had ached to do more than that. He had wanted to kiss her!

But he was an honorable man and he would not take advantage of a woman as she slept, even if she was his captive. He knew most of his warriors would feel they could do as they pleased with a captive. But he wasn’t just anyone. He was a man who would one day be a proud Pawnee chief. And he wanted the respect that was due an honorable, proud chief.

He wanted her respect!

Joylynn had not noticed High Hawk’s longing glances. She was oblivious to everything but getting food into her stomach.

She took a plate from him and ate. As soon as her hunger abated, Joylynn eyed him cautiously.

“Has your father returned from the buffalo hunt yet?” she blurted out, bringing his eyes quickly to her. “I know that your mother was worried. I’m sure you were, too.”

Surprised by her sudden question, and her apparent concern about whether

or not his father had returned, High Hawk paused in his meal and gazed into her beautiful green eyes.

Then he shook his head slowly back and forth. “No, Ahte has not arrived home yet,” he said. He set his plate aside without finishing all the food on it.

He glanced over his shoulder at his closed entrance flap, and then into Joylynn’s eyes. “I am worried,” he admitted. “Yet I have known my father to be gone for seven sleeps when hunting the buffalo. Surely he is all right now, as he has always been before.”

“I hope he is all right,” Joylynn murmured. She popped a blackberry into her mouth and enjoyed the tantalizing juices as she chewed.

Then she pushed her plate aside and gazed at High Hawk again. “Your mother and you have talked of your one brother,” she murmured. “Are there any other brothers or sisters?”

“Our family numbers four,” High Hawk said. “Only two sons were born to my ahte and ina. My brother, the older, has taken much time from my ina, because he was born with a twisted back. It is sad that he cannot do as others his age do. But I have tried to make up for it by taking him with me whenever possible.”

“I’m sure he appreciates it,” Joylynn said, finding it odd to be sitting there discussing such things with the man who was her captor.

But the longer she was with him, the less she felt like a captive.

It was as though she were just there as a friend, discussing things and enjoying his company.

But it was foolish to think that way, for she knew that soon he would be giving commands about the things he wanted her to do.

Yesterday it was helping to dig the cache pit.

Today? She hated thinking what the chores might be!

“I will always remember how my brother watched as I learned the skills of a warrior,” High Hawk said softly. “Before I was twelve winters of age, I was assigned to stalk a deer. My brother tried to join me, but found it too hard and had to return home.”

“What were you doing that was so hard for him?” Joylynn asked, leaning forward so that she could look more directly into his eyes.