Chapter 8 #2
The feeling of relief was so great, Angelia became incapable of speech. Something powerful had welled up inside her, and she found she could do no more than smile, although a laugh of sorts escaped her.
It sounded more like a cough to her own ears, however, and she pressed her lips together.
In a moment she was able to pull herself together, and she said, “I…I am so glad you have come back and that your decision is to help.” After a time, she forced herself to move, and she gestured to a spot across the fire.
“Here, please sit and join us. Have you had your supper? You are more than welcome to anything that we have.”
He shook his head. “I have returned from a hunt and have brought you some deer meat.” With his head, he gestured to his pony, which stood behind him, busily grazing. “I am not hungry.”
She nodded. “Have you had anything to drink? May I get you something? I have plenty of water and cold coffee—even tea and milk. Please, do sit.”
Throwing down his pony’s reins, he found a spot beside their fire and sat. “Water would be good.”
Again she nodded then hurried toward the back of their wagon, where she took up a cup and ladled out water from a large, wooden barrel.
Coming back toward him, she held the cup out to him. Carefully he took it from her. So slowly did he execute the maneuver she was reminded that he might be avoiding her touch.
She voiced, “When you left without a word, I was afraid you might not come back.”
He didn’t react, didn’t say a thing.
“And…and I am almost ashamed to admit it, but…” she sighed, “…I am afraid that I actually do need you.”
Snapping his head upward, he met her stare with one of his own, and even over the distance of the campfire, she understood the question in his midnight gaze.
“I…I mean…it’s that you know my fears…and you…well, I have nothing to hide from you, and I find that I can talk to you about things that are…that are important.” There, she’d said it. She paused momentarily, and then under her breath, she added, “I can’t talk to anyone else.”
Chin up, Swift Hawk jerked his head to the left. “It is good. This is good.”
“And I will help you too, now that you are back.”
He nodded. “I know.”
“We could start tonight. I could give you your first lesson here, right now. I mean…I’m not prepared, but I could—”
He held up his hand. “Do not busy yourself because of me.”
“It is no trouble. Please just remain where you are. I was already going over in my mind what lessons I might teach you, and I’ve made a few notes. I beg you to give me a moment to collect my thoughts.” She rushed to the back of their wagon, where she searched frantically for her books.
Finally she found them and returned to her spot next to the fire. Smiling at him, she said, “We could start with the English language, although you speak well already.” She glanced up at him. “Did Mr. Bent teach this to you privately?”
“William Bent? Did he teach me English?” he asked. “No, Bent did not give me lessons. I learned to speak the language from listening to the people at the fort. I was young at the time and am told that I picked up the language easily. But it is only recently that I have mastered it.”
“What do you mean that you have only recently mastered the English language?”
He nodded. “I knew the language from my youth, but it is only recently that I have spoken it so often.”
“I see. Still, you must be a fast learner.”
He shrugged. “So would you be, if the need was great.”
“So there was a need to learn English?” she asked.
Even though she gazed at him quizzically, after several moments of silence, it became apparent that he would not answer. Resignedly, she said, “Yes, well, perhaps we will not tackle English then, but maybe we could begin with…with…”
He held up a hand. “If you would like, I could tell you of the deer hunt. Would you like to hear of it?”
“The hunt? You were hunting deer?”
“It is one of the duties of the scout.”
“Is it?”
“Haa’he.”
“I would like to hear of it,” said Julian, who had come awake suddenly and sat up rubbing his eyes. “Angel, would you make us a fresh pot of coffee?”
“Get it your—” She paused, smiling. “Of course I will.”
She rose meekly and stepped lightly toward the back of the wagon, where she took out fresh coffee beans. Returning to her previous place next to the fire, she began the tedious process of roasting the beans over the fire, listening to the conversation flowing between her brother and Swift Hawk.
“How close do you come to the deer, then, when you make the kill?” It was Julian asking the question.
“If one is to get an arrow quickly to the heart of the animal in order to bring about a fast kill,” said Swift Hawk, “one must come in very close to the prey.” With his hands, Swift Hawk measured the distance.
“That close? How do you do that?”
“There are many ways to sneak up on your prey so that it does not detect you. One must cleanse oneself and disguise oneself; one must hunt with bow and arrow only, so that others are not alerted to one’s presence.”
“How many deer did you get this trip, then?”
“Only enough to carry back the meat and hides without burdening our ponies too greatly. I believe we killed five.”
“Wow. Five. May I go with you next time?”
“Haa’he. I fear that you must. It is expected that the scout will keep the wagon train supplied with fresh meat.”
“Yes, yes, of course that’s right. I knew that.”
With a smile, Swift Hawk glanced directly at Julian, but said nothing, until Julian, as though he could not stand Swift Hawk’s intense gaze, looked away.
At some length, Swift Hawk observed, “If we are to hunt tomorrow, you should get a good night’s sleep. We should be on our way by first light. I will meet you at the corner of the woods.”
“Yes,” said Julian. “Yes, that will be fine.”
Swift Hawk nodded and moved, starting to rise. However, he hesitated when Angelia spoke. “You’re not leaving, are you? I…I am making more coffee—perhaps you would like some, or if you desire, we could do a lesson yet tonight.”
Swift Hawk came fully to his feet. When he glanced down at her, there was a softness in his gaze. “Tomorrow I will have this coffee with you. For tonight, I will leave my pony here, that you may unload this meat. Tomorrow you may begin your lessons with me, if that is suitable for you.”
Angelia nodded. “All right. Tomorrow will be fine. And, Mr. Hawk?”
He had presented his back to her in preparation of leaving, but at her question, he stopped and looked back at her.
“Thank you for the meat…” she smiled, “…and for your help.”
He nodded and, spinning around, disappeared into the night.