chapter 27

White Swan had finished packing and saying her goodbyes to Crow Flies and his family before stepping out of their home into the bright sunshine. Halting in her steps, she looked around for a moment before closing her eyes as she took a deep breath.

“Bells?”

Her breath caught for a moment as she opened her eyes to see Black Wolf hesitantly approaching her. She stared at him as her lips began to tremble.

“Jake!” she cried as she ran to him.

He held his arms open, allowing her to run into them before he hugged her close, burying his face in her hair. She laid her cheek against his chest, listening to his heart beat for a few moments as her tears began to fall.

“Oh Jake, how could he do this to me? Is there nothing you can do?”

Black Wolf swallowed, trying to keep his voice steady as he answered her. “I tried talking to the council some more after you two left, but they cannot do anything. I’m sorry Bells, I tried everything I could think of to change their minds.”

She pulled her head back to look into his eyes. “It’s not fair! Maybe I could just run away!”

“Emmett would go after you, wouldn’t he? I know I would.”

White Swan ground her teeth in frustration. “I should have known he’d do this! The signs were all there, but I…I trusted him!”

Black Wolf caressed her cheek. “I know. I regret that I told my friends my intentions as we rode to the Danasga village. I think that is when he overheard me and decided on this course.”

A soft sob escaped White Swan as she lifted her hands to take Black Wolf’s shirt in her fists. “I can’t leave you, Jake! You promised me that we would be together and…and now the council wants you to be with…with…”

White Swan couldn’t finish the sentence, but Black Wolf knew what she was talking about.

He leaned his forehead against hers as he whispered, “I will think of something, ko’nali. Somehow I will find a way to be with you. The council will not force me to be with Brown Skunk, no matter what her or her father tries to do.”

White Swan smiled through her tears. “I love you, Jake.”

Black Wolf closed his eyes at the heartbreak he could hear in her voice. “I love you too, Bells.”

He cupped her face in his hands and took her lips for a deep kiss. White Swan clung to him as he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding through her mouth as if he were trying to memorize her taste.

Black Wolf knew there was the chance he might never see her again, so he wanted that kiss burned into him. He wanted to always remember what she tasted like, smelled like and felt like in his arms. As the realization that he might never hear her voice again or feel her next to him began to sink in, the tears he had been holding back began to escape.

Moving his lips from hers, he kissed his way from the corner of her mouth down to her neck before burying his face there to inhale her fresh scent.

“I’ll always remember you Bella…and I’ll always love you.” he whispered against her skin.

“I’ll love you forever, Black Wolf.”

He gave her one last crushing hug before reluctantly letting her go. Turning his face away from her quickly, he knew he couldn’t look at her tears or let her see his. It would only hurt more.

“Goodbye White Swan,” he whispered in Quedeyona as he slowly walked away from her.

White Swan heard his whispered words as she held on to his hand for as long as she could. Then she watched as he walked away from her until he disappeared around the side of a building.

“Goodbye Black Wolf,” she choked out past the lump in her throat.

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Emmett glanced at his sister as she rode silently on the horse besides the one he was on. She had not spoken a word to him since she had met him near the horse corral where he had been waiting for her. He had already spoken to the two heathens that had been chosen to escort them out of the village, asking them if they knew the way to Weasel Track’s cabin since that was their destination.

One of them knew the way since he had gone with the group who had once helped to put the cabin back together after the Gineduli had raided it. With that assurance, Emmett and the two heathens finished packing the horses as they waited for Bella to arrive.

When she had, she simply put her stuff on the horse, then mounted it and waited for them to be off. Emmett had tried to talk to her, but she refused to say anything to him, even to the point of moving her horse to the other side of one of the savages. Emmett tried not to get upset when she began to have a quiet conversation with that heathen while ignoring him for the rest of the ride.

When Bella realized they were stopping, she looked up and widened her eyes in surprise. She glanced first at the heathen, then at her brother as he dismounted and walked up to the door leading his horse behind him.

Emmett knocked on the door and waited for Jasper to answer, silently praying he was home. However, after a few moments when there was no answer Emmett sighed, then turned to look around the clearing as he tried to figure out what to do next. He avoided looking at Bella who sat on her horse with a frown on her face.

He even ignored the quiet words she spoke to the savage next to her, not that he could understand what she was saying anyway. However, by this time he was beginning to wonder if this heathen was a friend of Black Wolf’s judging by the way Bella seemed to be friendly with him. It made him wish he’d paid a little more attention to the savages that often surrounded Black Wolf.

Finally, he decided to tell Bella that maybe they should just try to camp out near the cabin until Jasper came home. As he made his way to the horses, however, Jasper came walking around the side of the cabin with his rifle in one hand and a couple of rabbits in the other.

“White Swan!” called Jasper as he caught sight of her. Then, “White Coyote? What are ya doin’ here?”

Jasper reversed course, walking to Emmett’s side. “Hello Jasper, I know this is kind of sudden, but I was hoping we could impose on your hospitality.”

Jasper set his rifle against the wall then held his hand out to Emmett who shook it. “Sure, tho’ I don’ know if all four of….”

Emmett shook his head. “Just me and Bella.” At Jasper’s surprised expression he added, “I was able to buy our freedom.”

Jasper grinned, “Really? Well come in, come in! Ya ken tell me all ‘bout it once you’re settled.”

Emmett nodded before he went to gather his things from the horse as Bella dismounted to do the same. The two heathens helped unburden the horses before waving goodbye to them so that they could return to their village. The one heathen spoke quietly to Bella, giving her arm a gentle squeeze as he smiled encouragingly at her.

She gave him a little nod as she said, “Thanks Hawk Soars.”

As the heathens left, they took the two horses that Bella and Emmett had ridden, as well as the pack horse that had carried the rest of the siblings’ belongings.

Jasper smiled at them as he showed them into his cabin. “Sorry it’s messy. I wasn’ ‘pectin’ company an’ been treatin’ some pelts I mean ta trade soon. But ya ken put your things in tha corner for tha time being an’ I’ll tidy up tha bedroom for ya, Bella.” Jasper said, acknowledging the fact that since they were no longer a part of the Quedeyona tribe, they would be using their birth names again.

“Oh no Jasper, I couldn’t put you out in your own house!”

“Bah! It’s not a problem. I got a couple o’ cots I ken pull out o’ tha shed. Me pap got ‘em from tha army few years ago.”

They stowed their things where Jasper had indicated, then Emmett went to get the cots from the little shed behind the cabin while Jasper tidied up the bedroom and Bella tidied up the area where the fireplace was. Jasper was going to do all of it, but Bella and Emmett had insisted on helping him around the house since they were going to impose on him.

Later, the three of them spent the rest of the afternoon in the cabin working on the pelts, as well as cooking the rabbits Jasper had caught. While they all worked, Emmett and Bella filled Jasper in on how they had been freed, then Jasper told Emmett he could help him with the trapping and trading he did since he wanted to earn more goods to free Alice and Rosalie.

Once Emmett and Bella had explained about Alice’s timid personality, plus the way she had reacted to the news that they were leaving, Emmett asked Jasper if he would visit the village to let her know they were okay since they were staying with him. Emmett told Jasper that he had told Alice that once she got to know who Jasper was, she could give him messages to bring back to Emmett and Bella if she wanted since they would send her messages too.

Jasper agreed to be the messenger for the three of them, saying he would be glad to go to the Quedeyona village in the morning to introduce himself to Alice. So, after they had their meal of rabbit stew that evening, they cleaned up then retreated to their beds for the night. Emmett and Jasper had set up the cots near the fireplace for them to sleep in while Bella took the bedroom upon Jasper’s insistence.

Emmett and Jasper were asleep as soon as they lay down, but Bella lay awake in her bed for a while. Alone in the room, she let her thoughts wander to Black Wolf and the times they’d shared together. As tears leaked out of her eyes, she tried to figure out some way to convince Emmett to let her go back to Black Wolf. Just before she fell asleep, she wondered if Black Wolf had managed to come up with a way for them to be together yet.

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Earlier that afternoon while Emmett and Bella were arriving at Jasper’s cabin, there was a caller to Black Wolf’s home. Alice flinched when she heard the scratching at the front door. She didn’t move from her spot, afraid of which Quedeyona stranger it would be trying to visit Black Wolf who wasn’t home. However, her fears dissipated when she heard the feminine voice call out in English.

“Emmett? It’s Rose. Are you there?”

Remembering that Emmett had told her about Rosalie, she got up to push the flap aside. Timidly smiling through the dried tears on her face, she held out her hand to the startled Rosalie.

“Hi, Rose? I’m Alice….E-Emmett’s younger sister.”

Recognition bloomed in Rosalie’s eyes as she returned a full smile while shaking Alice’s hand. “Hello! Nice to meet you! Emmett and Bella have told me so much about you!”

Alice’s smile widened at the girl’s friendly banter. “That’s r-right, you and my sister grew up here t-together…. Oh! Come in, Emmett wanted me to f-fill you in on what’s going on.”

Rosalie nodded as she followed Alice inside to where they sat down so Alice could fill her in. She told Rosalie all about Emmett getting himself and Bella free, but he didn’t have enough for the two of them. However, he already had plans for freeing the two of them, so Rosalie didn’t have to worry since he would be back for them.

Rosalie was a little upset that Emmett had left without so much as a goodbye, but she understood that he had done it to prevent his sister from marrying a savage. She couldn’t fault him for making such a rash decision since she would have done the same thing if she had the means too. So, she simply set that aside and clung to the hope that he wouldn’t take too long to come free her from that place, then take her back home where she could be happy again.

While the two girls talked the rest of the afternoon away, things were finally being settled within the council building. All accounts of the raid had been given, the Danasga that had left their tribe to join the Quedeyona were welcomed and paired with various villagers to help them settle in, plus the goods and slaves were sorted through, then sent off to where they were needed the most.

Once all things with the raid were officially settled. The council dismissed everyone except for a few elder tribe members, plus Black Wolf and a few other important villagers. It was then that they went to the smoking lodge where they could sit in a circle to smoke the pipe that was handed around. This was their way of acknowledging the ascension of the new chief of the tribe since Black Wolf was the one who started, then ended the passing of the pipe.

Once the quick ceremony was done, the council went back to the council building with their newly appointed chief to finish handling a few more important matters. It was then that they addressed the last empty council seat which Little Pelican had petitioned for. There were a few other elders in the tribe, but the council decided to look at someone a little younger so as to have more diversity. To that end, Black Wolf suggested Mountain Lion Guides since he was one of the more respected young warriors of his time.

Needless to say, the majority of the council readily agreed that Mountain Lion Guides was the best choice of the younger generation. They liked the way he kept a cool head no matter what the situation was, plus he was a very good listener and judge of character. He could also seem intimidating when needed and he spoke English very well. With all those things and a few others, he made the perfect choice for the last council seat.

Once that decision was made, Mountain Lion Guides was summoned to the building where he was asked if he would accept the seat. He did so immediately, knowing just how much it would help Black Wolf if he was a member of the council. Now that the council was complete again, Horse Dances brought up the subject of Little Pelican’s request to hand-fast his daughter to Black Wolf.

However, Mountain Lion Guides stepped in and suggested that they wait a little longer to discuss whether Black Wolf should be hand-fasted yet, especially with all of the new tribe members they now had from the Danasga. He hinted that maybe there was some maiden within those newcomers who could also be a match for Black Wolf, plus it could help with the diplomacy between the tribes.

The council finally agreed to wait for at least nine suns before discussing Black Wolf’s marital status, thus giving him time to meet the new members of the tribe, in the hopes that he would be interested in a match with one of them. This concluded the council’s business for the day, so the meeting was adjourned allowing them all to return to their homes for the evening meals.

Mountain Lion Guides motioned to Black Wolf, indicating that he wanted to talk to him alone, so the two of them made their way out of the building then took a path that meandered through the village. It was then that Mountain Lion Guides began to tell Black Wolf all that he had managed to overhear that morning outside of his home, plus the extra information that Whale Sings had told him too. The two warriors spoke in English knowing there were not many people around who would understand their conversation.

“You heard Emmett tell this to Alice?” asked Black Wolf.

Mountain Lion Guides nodded. “Yes. He told her that they would be staying with Jasper. You and I both know Jasper will be kind enough to let them stay there. You did tell Fighting Dog and I that Jasper likes White Swan.”

Black Wolf grinned. “Yes, he does. You’re right, he will let them stay.”

Now that Black Wolf knew that Bella and Emmett were staying nearby at Jasper’s, his hopes for seeing her again were beginning to rise once more.

“That’s not all that I have to tell you,” said Mountain Lion Guides, interrupting Black Wolf’s daydreams.

“Oh, what else is there?”

Mountain Lion Guides sighed. “It involves the raid. I think he heard you when you told us that you were going to ask the council for the right to ask for White Swan once we returned. That is why he was so quick to buy his freedom and that of White Swan’s.”

Black Wolf nodded. “Yes, I think you’re right.”

“But Black Wolf, he did some things during the raid that I believe you should know about too.”

Black Wolf came to a stop, turning to stare at his friend. “What do you mean?”

“During the raid, he did not protect your back as he should have.”

Black Wolf shook his head, “What? But he…”

“No. The enemy you finished off, you thought he brought him down? It was me. I noticed how much distance he was putting between you and saw that enemy come at your back. He was too far away, so I threw a tomahawk that took him to his knees, then you turned and finished him off.”

Black Wolf couldn’t say anything, so stunned over what he was hearing.

Mountain Lion Guides went on. “That is why Fighting Dog went to you to inform you that he was now your fighting partner. I told him what the trickster was doing, then took him to help me translate for the slaves. He was not happy to be separated from you, but it was the only way to keep you safe. Believe me Black Wolf, the whole time we were at the Danasga village, I watched him. All he did was watch you, like he was waiting for the right time to attack.”

Black Wolf closed his eyes, this was not something he would want White Swan to know. It would only cause more strife between her and her brother. Still, he knew Mountain Lion Guides would never lie to him, what he was saying was what Mountain Lion Guides believed to be true.

Finally nodding, Black Wolf answered his friend. “I believe that you saw what you saw, Mountain Lion Guides. And I thank you for watching my back, but as much as this shows how much Emmett does not want me to be with his sister, I do not want to tell her what her brother did. I will just have to find another way to get Emmett to let us be together.”

Mountain Lion Guides nodded. “I understand that you do not want to put brother against sister, but there is more, my friend. Whale Sings came to me today when you were busy with the council. She tried to find White Swan, but she had already left the village, then when she couldn’t find you, she came to me.”

Black Wolf ran an agitated hand through his hair. “What did she have to say then?”

“She overheard Brown Skunk talking to Spotted Bat, and from what they said, it appears Brown Skunk not only helped out the trickster, but so did some of her friends. She even tried to get Badger Snaps to help her out.”

“What?” snapped Black Wolf.

Mountain Lion Guides went on to tell Black Wolf all that Whale Sings had told him. Now he knew that not only had Emmett tried to indirectly have him harmed, but he had gotten help from Brown Skunk and her cronies to raise the amount of bounty he needed to free both him and White Swan before she could unite with Black Wolf.

Then, to make matters worse, Brown Skunk had tried to somehow get Badger Snaps to help take White Swan away from him, in a way that made him see red. If she had managed to convince Badger Snaps to do what it sounded like she wanted him to do, there would have been nothing on earth that would have saved either one of them from the pain Black Wolf would have rained down on them. Black Wolf silently thanked the Great Spirit for whatever reason Badger Snaps had for not going along with Brown Skunk’s plans.

Still, with all that Mountain Lion Guides had witnessed, as well as what Whale Sings had heard, Black Wolf knew he could use that to try to convince the council to drop Little Pelican’s request. All that remained after that, was finding a way to get White Swan back into his life.

With a sigh, Black Wolf thanked Mountain Lion Guides. “I’m grateful to you and Whale Sings, Mountain Lion Guides. I think I can use this to convince the council to drop Brown Skunk as a possible woman for me. Still, I don’t want to have to tell White Swan what her brother was up to. There has to be another way to get her back.”

Mountain Lion Guides nodded. “I’ve been thinking about that too. What if the only thing standing in the way of what the trickster wants, is you? If that was so, he would have no other choice but to give you what you want. A trade for a trade.”

“Hm, interesting. What exactly do you have in mind?”

Mountain Lion Guides grinned as he slung an arm over Black Wolf’s shoulder. “Walk with me, my friend. I think we should pay a visit to my home first. I am certain that my wife will want to hear this too.”

As they made their way towards Mountain Lion Guides home, the two of them continued to plan how they were going to not only convince the council to give up the idea of Brown Skunk with Black Wolf, but also how they would get White Swan back to Black Wolf’s side. They knew whatever plan they came up with had to be done in a way that would make Emmett see the truth of Black Wolf and White Swan so that a rift wouldn’t form between the siblings.