Savage Splendor (Savage Lagonda 2) (14 page)

Sasha lowered her head hearing the pain in his voice. He was hurting, and he must be half out of his mind over Mara's disappearance; yet he had come to see her new son.

Tajarez handed the baby back to Sasha and turned to Jeffery. "He will be a companion for my son. I will declare that they both receive their training together."

Sasha tried to feel pleasure at the great honor that had just been bestowed upon her son. To be raised as companion to the prince royal was a very high honor indeed, but her happiness was overshadowed by her fear for Mara. She wondered at Tajarez's strength, when she knew what he was feeling on the inside.

"My king, you will find Mara, I know you will."

He touched her face softly. "Pray that it is so, little cousin," he said as he left the room to be alone.

Palomas watched as Tajarez knelt down and examined the ground. "You are sure this was where you and Matio were shot?"

"Yes, there can be no doubt. I was standing here, and when I was wounded, I fell backwards into the water."

Tajarez stood up and looked at Palomas. "I can see now that you could have done no more than you did to help Mara."

Palomas lowered his eyes. He knew it was Tajarez's way of saying he was sorry for the harsh words he had spoken to him. It was as close to an apology as the king would ever come, but it did not lessen the guilt Palomas felt about Mara.

Tajarez turned his back to Palomas, realizing he still resented him for not taking better care of Mara. But knowing how impulsive Mara was, it was not hard for him to visualize her thinking it an adventure to plunge into the river, although Palomas had asked her to wait.

Jeffery swung his body down the overhanging cliff and stood beside Tajarez. "There are no signs, no footprints, nothing. I believe it would be wise for us to split up and comb each side of the river."

"No. To search the river would be a waste of time." Tajarez glanced at Palomas. "You did search this area thoroughly, did you not?"

"It is so, my king."

Tajarez climbed up the embankment and when Jeffery and Palomas joined him, he made a sweeping gaze of the countryside. "We will separate here, and make a wide swing. Look for any clues. An old camp, tracks, perhaps even a cabin. I do not want anything overlooked," Tajarez told them.

"I think that is the wise thing to do," Jeffery agreed. "I will take Palomas with me, since he is better at tracking than I am."

Tajarez raised his eyebrow, knowing Jeffery wanted to keep Palomas away from him, since he blamed Palomas for Mara's disappearance.

"As you wish, Jeffery. Leave a trail that will be easy to follow . . . Carve three notches on a tree and I shall do the same. If either of us finds anything we can easily find the other."

"How far do you want the search to go?" Jeffery asked.

Tajarez placed his hands on his hips and glanced down at the river below him. "We shall not give up until we have found her alive, or I have proof that she is . . . dead."

10

The end of the summer is now drawing nigh.

I seek who I am as the first snowflakes fly.

The passing of time did not have any great significance for Mara. The summer had gone quickly as August gave way to September, and an early frost had turned the trees to a rainbow of autumn colors. It was a breathtaking sight against the backdrop of the bright blue sky.

Mara shaded her eyes and watched the wild geese that flew overhead, their vee formation stretched as far as the eye could see as they winged their way south. Something kept nagging at the back of her mind, as if she remembered that she was supposed to be somewhere at this time. She pushed her thoughts aside and entered the cabin, thinking she would never remember who she was, or where she belonged.

The child she carried within her body was very active, and her stomach was well rounded, but she chose to ignore her condition, as if not thinking about it would make it go away.

For several days now her mind had been troubled.

Jake and Zeke had told her they were going to take her to the doctor at the trading post to have her baby, but she had decided that she did not want to have her child among strangers.

Mara frowned as she heard Jake enter. She looked up from the pie crust she was rolling out and watched him dump an armload of wood in the woodbin.

Jake glanced up at Mara and saw that there was a white streak of flour on her cheek. He could not help smiling at her.

"You attack that dough as if you are mad at it, little princess. You got something on your mind?" he said leaning against the cupboard and folding his arms over his chest.

Mara looked at him from beneath half-closed eyelashes. "I have made a decision, and you and Zeke are not going to like it."

Jake silently watched her shape the pie dough to a pan, and waited for her to speak.

"There is no way you can change my mind, Jake, so do not even make the attempt," she said stubbornly, and had he known her longer, he would have known by the set of her chin that she meant just what she said.

He wiped a streak of flour from her cheek with his finger and gave her a crooked smile. "Care to tell me what you are so all-fired set on?"

Mara began slicing apples into the piecrust, as she avoided looking at Jake. "I was going to tell you and Zeke when you were together, but I will tell you and you can tell him," she told him as she sprinkled sugar over the apple mixture.

"Sure, go ahead, can't think what you are so skittish about though."

She placed her hands on her hips and turned to face him, a look of defiance on her beautiful face. "I am not going to the trading post to have this baby, and nothing you or Zeke can say will cause me to change my mind. I have no intentions of allowing you and Zeke to push me off on strangers. You are the only family I have, and if you abandon me, I will have no one."

"You know me and Zeke would never desert you. After the child is born me and Zeke will fetch you home, if that's what you want."

"Jake, I thought friends stood by one another. I want to have the baby here," she said, knowing she was being unreasonable and taking unfair advantage of his love for her. Tears glistened in her eyes, and she watched as all of Jake's resistance crumbled.

Jake was feeling very distressed by her tears, as well as by her attitude. If he had his way she would stay with him for the rest of his life. She had become very important to him and Zeke. Since she had been with them, this old cabin had turned into a home. This was the first time the princess had asked for anything, and he could not find it within him to deny her. But what about the baby? Should she not be with a doctor when her time came to give birth?

"Princess, me and Zeke don't know nothing about bringing a baby into the world, and we can't ask the doctor to come out here. The doctor's wife is a nice lady, and I spect you will need a woman with you when the time comes," he said, using the only excuses he could think of. For, in truth, he did not want her to leave.

Seeing that Jake was weakening, Mara placed her hand on his. "Have you thought how I will be treated if this baby turns out to be . . . fathered by an Indian? Would you want me to be shunned by the good doctor and his wife?" she said, knowing how to reach him and feeling a twinge of guilt for her method. She was playing on his sympathy, and on his love for her.

Mara's tiny hand was dwarfed by Jake's huge one when his fingers closed about hers. He could not stand the thought of anyone's hurting the little princess. His mind was made up. He would not take her to the trading post, even if he had to do battle with his brother when he came home. If the princess wanted to stay at the cabin to have her baby, then be damned, she would remain. Patting her hand awkwardly, he released it and turned his back to her with the pretense of stoking the fire.

"Seeing as how you are so set on having your baby here, I will speak to Zeke about it. I warn you he ain't going to like it none. He thinks you need a doctor when the time comes."

Mara walked around him and smiled up into his face, knowing she had won her point. "Oh, Jake, I just knew you would not abandon me to strangers."

He was startled for a moment when she stood on tiptoes and planted a kiss on his rough cheek.

"I truly love you and Zeke. I know at times I must be a burden to you, but you are my family and I want to stay with you."

"You ain't never been a burden, princess," he said earnestly, in a gruff voice, knowing at that moment that he would give her anything she asked for.

Jake paced back and forth practicing what he would say to his brother when he returned. Every so often his eyes would wander to the loft where the princess slept. In his mind he envisioned the argument that would ensue when he told Zeke that Mara was not going to the trading post to have her baby.

When Zeke arrived, Jake had worked himself into such a state, he hardly gave his brother time to get through the door before he started in on him. Jake's voice boomed out and he slammed his fist into his open palm.

"My mind is made up and you ain't about to change it, Zeke. Being the oldest counts for something, and I want you to reckon with that."

Zeke sat down on his bed and began unlacing his boot. "I reckon age counts for something."

"I'm glad you see it my way, 'cause that's the way it is, and if you got anything else to say, say it now, cause I'm going to bed," Jake said, lying down on his bed and folding his hands behind his head.

"Jake, I only got one thing to say," Zeke said, removing his boots and looking at his brother.

Jake raised up on his elbow. "What is it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the princess. She don't want to have her baby at the trading post, and I don't want her to go neither. She is afraid folks will treat her bad if the little one turns out to be an Injun."

"But Jake, you and me can't bring no baby into the world!" Zeke said in a disbelieving voice.

"You want her to be shunned when the baby comes and it's an Injun? You know as well as I do that this baby will be a breed."

"But Jake, you said yourself that she had a husband. I remember that clearly."

"I said that so the princess wouldn't be upset. Don't tell me you believed me?"

"Well, if you really believe that, we can't let her go. I swear, Jake, if anyone were to hurt the princess, I would be ready to fight," Zeke said as he crawled under the covers. "What will we do when it's her time? We don't know nothing about babies."

"I spect we'll let nature be our teacher, Zeke. I recollect when we was having with Ma and Pa, I sometimes helped Pa birth the farm animals."

"Good Lord, Jake. The princess ain't no farm animal!"

"No, but having babies can't be too different, can it?"

"I don't know, Jake, but as sure as bears hibernate, we are gonna find out."

The next morning when Jake told Mara she would not be going to the trading post to have her baby, she was ecstatic.   .

After the two brothers had left the cabin, Mara went outside to enjoy the bright sunshine, knowing it would soon be cold and she would have to spend most of her time inside. She dreaded the time when the child she was carrying would be born. For now

she was living in a state of limbo, waiting and not knowing what would happen from one day to the next. Each morning when she awoke, she hoped to remember who she was, but so far the past had kept its secrets from her.

Mara often wondered if she had a family who missed her, and if so, were they searching for her? Was it possible for one to disappear, never to be heard of again? Did she have a husband who loved her? Was this his child she carried? As the days passed and the roundness of her stomach proclaimed her condition, she had half convinced herself that she did indeed have a husband, and when the baby was born, it would be white.

Autumn was short-lived as winter descended upon the land. The red and gold leaves still clung to the trees when the first snow began to fall.

Zeke had lined the walls of the loft with many furs to keep out the cold that had seeped through the cracks in the logs. The room was warm and cozy, and Mara felt quite comfortable now.

Jake had been absent from the cabin for a week, and Mara again could not help feeling guilty knowing that one of the brothers always remained with her because they did not want to leave her alone. By now her doeskin gown fit snugly across her stomach, and Mara was grateful she did not have a mirror to see her reflection. When the weather had been warmer she had gone daily to bathe in the creek that was a short distance from the cabin. She had stared at her reflection in the water, looking at the face of a stranger. She had been surprised to find the girl, or woman, was not bad to look at, in fact she might be considered to be pretty by some. She could not judge very well, since she could not really see clearly in the water.

Cleaning the doeskin gown had proved a bit of a problem. She was finding she liked to be clean, and the gown had been washed many times, which made it stiff. She had to wear it for awhile, then it would become soft again.

Mara entered the cabin after dusting the light snow from her hair. It was early afternoon and Zeke had gone into the woods to hunt for game. She checked the position of the sun through the window and hoped Jake would return before dark. Glancing about the spotlessly clean cabin she saw there was not much for her to do. Jake and Zeke now insisted on helping her with the housework. She smiled, thinking how much neater the two brothers were now, compared to when she had first come to live with them. They picked up after themselves, took care to wipe their feet before entering the cabin, and bathed often. Mara adored the two men who made up her whole world.

Going over to the fireplace she turned the duck that was roasting over the hot coals, so it would brown evenly. Humming to herself, she wondered why Zeke had gone hunting, since the lean-to was filled with meat. Much of the meat had been dried over a slow fire to preserve it. The pork—as she called it, but which was in fact wild boar—had been soaked in brine to keep it fresh. There were wild turkeys salted down and several small game animals that had been cured for future use.

Mara added a bit of flour to the corn chowder to thicken it. She thought how contented she was. She would be happy if her life continued on with the same safe, day-to-day existence. She had no wish to leave this cabin. This was her world and anything that threatened her haven frightened her. The only thing that ever encroached on her peace of mind was the baby she did not want, and the vision of the dark Indian she had seen, and she tried not to think of either of them.

The door opened and a blast of frigid air circulated around the room. She smiled a greeting when she saw Jake, who was loaded down with parcels, kick the door shut with his foot.

"I am glad you made it home for dinner, Jake. What have you got there? I thought you were tending your traps."

"Nope, I ain't been trapping. I been buying presents for a princess," he told her dumping the parcels on the bed.

"For me, Jake? You bought something for me?"

"I surely did. Seeing as how you ain't got no clothes but the ones on your back, me and Zeke wanted to get you some nice things."

The door burst open a second time, and Zeke entered the cabin, puffing as if he were out of breath. "Did you get what you went for, Jake?" he said excitedly.

"Yep, that's them there on the bed," his brother answered.

"You sure took your time," he said, eyeing the bounty on the bed.

"You wouldn't say that if you knew what a fix I been in. I ran into heavy snow that slowed me down, then the horse went lame and I had to walk him slow, the last five miles."

Jake crossed the room and took Mara's arm and led her over to the bed where the packages were scattered. "Go on, princess, open them. They are all for you."

Mara hesitated for a moment. "All of them?"

"Every last one of them," Zeke spoke up.

Mara noticed both brothers were watching her expectantly, waiting for her reaction.

"You should not have spent money on me. I know how hard you work, and I do not want you to feel you must buy me anything," she said, teary-eyed.