Chapter Seven
James’ lifeless face flashed before Elaina the moment her eyes opened.
“James...” she whispered. Her eyes flitted around and through her tears she saw a brown face. She looked down as she held her belly protectively. Her baby! Her little one! She sobbed quietly.
“You are okay, your baby is okay,” the stranger said softly, leaning over her.
She drew away automatically, and he stepped back. Softly, he said, “I am not going to hurt you. Your baby is fine. I had someone check. She was also the same person who changed your clothes.”
Elaina’s eyes darted around the shed where she had found herself.
She drew her legs up under her as exhaustion washed over her.
The memories of the previous night flooded her all at once.
She shut her eyes tight, her hands cradling her belly.
James was gone, she could not believe it.
Grimsson, he killed her husband. She started breathing hard, as she panicked.
She felt a pair of warm hands on her shoulder,
“Easy, easy,” the same voice from earlier whispered.
Her eyes still closed, she leaned her head against the wall of the shed. More than anything, she wished she could rip out the heavy pain in her heart. Tears trickled down her cheeks, as she drifted off once again.
“So, she has been asleep since then?” a voice asked.
“She is obviously very exhausted. As we both know, she had a very long night,” the familiar voice from earlier said.
“So didn’t she say anything when she woke up, at least?
You need to know what her name is, who she is.
Come on, Running Wolf. All we know is that she is a pale face, who is pregnant.
That is not going to sit well with the elders and the village.
How long is she going to be here even? Till she gives birth?
When? Remember that men of our tribe are not supposed to assist in childbirth.
What are you going to do when that happens?
Yell for help? That will be getting her into trouble, and you know there is only so much she can do. ”
“Would you stop worrying about it so much, Chito. We will cross that bridge when we get there. For now, I have to ensure that she is okay.”
“You do not have to ensure anything. She is not your responsibility and you owe her nothing, Running Wolf. You only found her at the river. You owe her nothing, she is not Fala!”
“Let this go, Chito,” the stranger from earlier said.
Elaina’s eyes fluttered open and she finally got to see the owners of the voices well.
The one she believed was the owner of the new voice was facing her while the dark man from earlier had his back to her.
She swallowed hard as she straightened up.
She had slept off in a sitting position and now her neck hurt.
The man’s eyes widened when he saw that she was awake.
“Your guest is finally up, Running Wolf.”
Elaina winced as she tried to stand up. Running Wolf, what kind of name was that? Where exactly was she? The stranger from earlier turned around just then and he hurried to her side.
“You should not be standing up so quickly. You are still weak. You need to eat some food. When last did you have anything to eat?”
Elaina stared at him, dazed. When last had she eaten?
When last had she done anything? She was finding it hard to remember the events before last night, the events before she became a widow.
She had gone out with James, right? Where had they gone to?
Her head hurt and she placed her hand on her forehead as she tried to fight the pain that was stabbing through it.
“Here, you should sit down. It is understandable that your head hurts. You have been out of it for a while. I’ll get you something to eat.”
Gently, the stranger called Running Wolf led her to a small wood table.
She settled into it. Frankly, she had no choice.
The fact that she had no idea where she was one of the reasons she could not fight of these strangers.
And another reason was simply that she did not have the strength to fight anyone.
She was utterly exhausted, physically and mentally.
She and James had been on the run for so long and it had concluded in James dying.
She could not bear the pain, yet at the same time, she had to be strong for herself and the baby. It was enough to get exhausted.
She ran a hand through her face and brushed stray strands away from her hair.
All she really wanted to do was sleep. She felt the intense gaze of the stranger’s friend and she looked up to meet it.
His frown deepened and he opened his mouth to speak when Running Wolf returned with a wood platter of fruits.
“Go on, you need to eat them all.” He set the platter beside her and nodded at it.
Cautiously, Elaina reached for it and took a bite of the berries. A few bites in and she could not hold back the tears as they rolled down her cheeks. Her last memory of James feeding her fruit popped at her, reminding her of what she had lost. Those happy memories seemed so long ago.
“Do you need anything else?” Running Wolf asked, looking closely at her.
Elaina shook her head and quickly wiped her tears away.
She wanted to express her gratitude to him but she was lacking the strength to speak.
She turned to the fruit, giving it all her attention.
She had nothing else to do but feed herself and her child.
They had been lucky to survive the attack.
She could not take any more chances. This baby was all she had left of James.
If she lost the baby, she knew she would die. She would have nothing to live for.
As soon as she was done with the fruits, Elaina handed the platter to Running Wolf.
He accepted it and before he could protest, she walked outside of the shed.
She blinked hard, due to the brightness of the sun.
Where was she? She wondered once again. Running Wolf and his friend followed her and her eyes darted over them.
The bare chests, the breechcloths, their brown skin.
She looked around and finally saw a cone like structures.
The names she had heard. Her eyes widened. Was she in an Indian camp?
Running Wolf approached her slowly and he said softly, “I understand that you have been through a lot but you cannot go just anywhere, especially into the village over there. The villagers are not going to be pleased to see a pale face within our territory.”
“Exactly. It really won’t matter to them what your story is,” the other man added from behind Running Wolf.
Elaina ran a tired hand through her hair. How on earth did she end up in an Indian village? Alarm rose in her heart and she backed away suddenly. What were they going to do to her?
Chito rolled his eyes, “Can you believe her, Running Wolf? You just saved her life, yet she is scared you will hurt her. This is why I told you not to go around helping these pale faces, or anyone at all. They will only take your help for granted!”
“Would you relax, Chito? It is normal that she would be scared. She has been through a great deal in the past few hours. She not being cautious would actually be a cause for concern,” Running Wolf told his friend.
He turned to Elaina and said, “You can walk around this camp, but like I said, do not venture into the village. That is the only way you will return to your home in one piece.”
Elaina nodded slowly and backed away from them.
She could hear the sound of a stream. She needed to clear her head and that seemed like the best possible place in that moment.
As fast as her tired legs could carry her, she headed to it.
She needed to scream and she needed to cry.
She did not think it was possible to do all that in front of two strange Indian men.
As soon as she was at the stream, she fell to her knees and sobbed heavily, harder than she had after her grandmother’s death.
*
“What are you going to do with her? You know that you cannot keep her here, right?” Chito frowned.
“I know that. Look, I just need to ask her a few questions and when she tells me where she comes from, I will show her the way back.”
Chito threw his head back and laughed, “It seems like you don’t understand your current situation.
I sincerely doubt that this woman is going anywhere.
She does not even speak. How are you going to get the truth from her?
Besides, you said it yourself. Someone put her in this situation.
They were probably trying to kill her. Be honest with yourself.
Do you really intend to send her back out there when she still cannot protect herself?
We both know that as beautiful as a child is, it is still a weakness.
There is no way she can fend for herself or protect herself from her attackers while she is still pregnant. ”
Running Wolf sighed, “So what exactly is your point?”
“What do you think? In my opinion, you are stuck with her until she talks and tells you her story, then you can be sure of how much danger she is in or, till she gives birth. Then she will be able to take care of herself and her baby.”
“I am very surprised that you are proposing that she stays till she gives birth,” Running Wolf said thoughtfully.
Chito rolled his eyes, “That is the only way you can help her, right? And I know you are determined to help despite knowing who she is. Now, here is my advice for you. As soon as she has her baby, she should get out of here. By how big her bump is, she should be having the baby any day now.”
Running Wolf nodded slowly, “She can stay at the supply shack. That is enough distance for the tribe not to say too much.”
Chito sighed and he shook his head, “When are you going on your vision quest? It should be any day now, right?”
“Yes, that is true. I will be leaving soon.”
“That is good. The more you distance yourself from her, the less the tribe will speak of this. She can fend for herself out at the shack. That land is very fertile. Until it is time for your vision quest, you should have nothing to do with her, Running Wolf. Do you understand? She can take care of herself. And when the baby comes, she should be able to handle it by herself. You cannot get anyone else involved in this.”
It was Running Wolf’s turn to roll his eyes, “You have said that earlier, Chito. I heard you then and I hear you now. I will not do anything that will bring the tribe’s anger on me.
I will keep my distance and yes, the only assistance I will provide her is a roof over her head. Is there anything else?”
“No, not for now,” Chito frowned. “I am not in the least bit pleased about her being here, but I understand that she needs help, and this is the only reason I am keeping quiet about this. I hope you understand that.”
“Yes, I do. I will go and try talking to her now. Goodbye Chito?”
Chito shook his head, “I will leave alone. Get her off this land as soon as possible, Running Wolf.”
Running Wolf sighed as he watched his friend leave. Shaking his head, he turned around and headed in the direction he knew she had gone.
Running Wolf’s long strides weakened when he heard sobbing. He looked around the tree quietly and his eyes widened at the sight of her on her knees, crying. He felt the sharp pain in his chest, the one he had felt earlier. Running Wolf hit his chest with a fist gently as he approached her quietly.
She stiffened at his approach. He watched her wipe her tears, with her back to him.
She stood up and turned around. Seeing her red eyes, Running Wolf suddenly had the overwhelming feeling to pull her into a hug.
What?! Running Wolf shook his head as he realized the thought that had just run through his head.
Hug her? Was he crazy? He had to be going crazy.
There was no other reason for that thought.
She was a pale face and she was pregnant.
Yes, that was the only reason he wanted to help her, the baby.
Why did such a crazy thought pop into his head?
She was looking at him curiously and he cleared his throat, “I am here to offer a solution to your situation, a temporary one. It is left to you to agree or not. Whatever you decide, choosing what I offer or not, you will have to leave these parts. Either now or later, it is all up to you. The choice is yours to make in the long run.”
The red headed woman stared at him with new interest as she waited for what he had to say. Running Wolf cleared his throat once again and began.