Chapter 14
Chapter
Fourteen
The shadows of evening were closing in around them, as Grey Coyote carefully covered her body with mud, clay, grass and guck.
Already, the air around them was awash with the sounds of insects and the steady howl of the wind.
It was scented, too, with the sweetness of sage and roses, and was so fragrant it almost covered up the more balmy smell of dirt and clay, the one which seemed to have permanently lodged inside Marietta’s nostrils.
Grey Coyote had been at his task for a while now, his care obvious. After a time, it caused her to ask, “My husband, does disguising oneself always take this long to do?”
“Hiya, no. It is only because I am being extremely careful as I do this, for there should be light and shadow on your body, and my work must match the earth exactly. It is also required for there to be tufts of grass placed on you at intermittent spots, so your disguise alone will keep you invisible. I know it is not easy to stand still for a long period of time, for you are unaccustomed to it, but these details are vitally important.”
“But why are they important?”
“It is because I have not yet taught you how to travel like a scout. Nor do I have the time to do so. So understand, if I do not paint you well, others might see you. And if this were to happen, it would not be your fault. It would be mine. It would also be an error I would regret always. But come, I am almost done. I have left your face and hair for last.”
Rising onto his feet, he came to his full height and stared down into her eyes. Bringing up a hand, he ran his fingers gently through her hair, causing her to sway slightly toward him.
“Hmm...feels so good,” she said.
“Hau, hau, it does. But alas, we have not the leisure to do more.”
She turned her face into his touch, sighing.
“I have observed,” he said, “the scars you have on one of your arms, and your leg. How did you come about them?”
“Do you think they are ugly?”
“Not at all. Such beautiful perfection should have a little fault.” He smiled. “But it appears to me as though you were at some point in your past hurt in a bad way.”
“And so I was. I was thrown from a carriage…it was long ago, and for a while, I couldn’t walk. But I recovered.”
He bobbed his head. “But it has also left a scar on your spirit, as well as your body, has it not?”
She bit down hard on her lip. Darn the man. He was so observant. Indeed, she could not even hide her body or soul from him.
She said, “My uncle sold me into the service of another.”
“Like a slave?”
“Hmmm, somewhat, but not quite a slave. However, I have wondered why he would do this to me, and the only reason I could imagine is that my uncle feared I would be a difficulty to him all my life.”
Again, Grey Coyote nodded. “Is this one of the reasons why you are so intent to rush to England?”
She didn’t even ask how he had put this all together. The man was perceptive, indeed.
“It is,” she said. “Among others.”
He shook his head. “I understand. I do understand. But come, we have work to do.”
“Yes,” she said. “Let us rescue Yellow Swan from a similar fate.”
He grinned. “And so we shall. Now, I have only your face and hair left to paint, and while I do this, let us discuss what will take place tonight, and the rules you must follow, the rules which guide the scout. They are few, but are themselves important, so much so, I must obtain your promise you will obey them.”
“Yes, very well. What are they?”
“The first is this: You must not let others see you; you must do all in your power to avoid this. Next, at all times while we are scouting, you must do exactly as I say. There will be no allowance for argument, and in truth, a disagreement might cause us to be discovered by the enemy. Do you grasp this?”
“Yes.”
“You must also say nothing. Scouts communicate through the use of signals and the gestures of sign. Since you do not know these, you must resign yourself to the fact that you will have to keep quiet, unless you are giving me a warning. But we will say more about how you are to alert me in a moment. But most of all, once I have placed you into position, you are not to move. As long as you stay still, it will be almost impossible to see you or detect you because you will look exactly like the landscape.”
She nodded.
“Wa?té, good. Now, the last rule of the scout is that, unless absolutely necessary, we kill no one. We can embarrass the enemy, we can cause them to look silly and stupid, but a scout does not harm those people on whom he spies.”
“Really?” This seemed odd to her, and at variance with rumor. “But I thought Indians—”
He cut her off. “You will be acting as a scout. Unless directly attacked, a scout harms no one.”
So firm was his tone, she knew she dare not dispute him.
“Now,” he went on to say, “we will practice what your signal to me will be. Let us start with the cry of the coyote, as you suggested, for it is almost the time of evening when they begin to howl. Here is what they sound like.”
He gave several yips, ending in a wail. “Now you try it.”
She did, imitating him almost exactly.
He nodded at her, his look pleased. “You are very good.”
She beamed. “I have been told I sing well. Perhaps this is why.”
“Hau, hau. Now do it again, only this time bark four times before the longer howl.” He demonstrated.
Again, she duplicated it, causing him to smile at her. “It is good,” he said. “It is very good. I am impressed. Now, listen well. Once we are in the enemy camp, if you see someone coming toward me and you fear I am unaware of him, you are to give me this signal. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Once I have freed your friend and have her within my grasp, we will leave, but we must not flee their camp in a rush. To do so would be as to put ourselves at a disadvantage. It is another dictate of the scout: He should be even more careful in departing than he is in coming.”
“Very well,” she said. “I understand.”
“Good. There is one more matter I must caution you about.”
“Yes?”
“Even if I leave you for a moment, you are not to stir until I come for you. I have told you before that you are not to move, but there is more. I must obtain your complete word of honor about this. You are not to budge or try to find me, for I may have to hide your friend and then come back for you. There may be other plans I might make instantly. And I cannot worry about you taking an action I have not envisioned.”
“I understand.”
His eyes narrowed at her. “Ensure that you do. If there is anything that gives you uncertainty, you should ask me now. For once we are in the enemy camp, there is no leeway for error. Even if their warriors begin to spill out of the camp and they are seeking me, you are not to move. Your inaction in this will be your salvation, for they will not see you unless they step on you, which is unlikely.”
“All right.”
“Even if I am attacked. Do you agree?”
She hesitated. “Actually, I think that’s expecting a lot. I mean, even if you’re attacked? What kind of friend am I if I don’t do something?”
“A very good friend, for I am compelled to ask you, how could you alone fight off twenty warriors?”
“That’s not the point. If you’re in danger, I might want to—”
“It is the point. I am a scout. I know how to hide, I have been trained to slip in and out of hostile territory, and get away. Rest assured about my being able to do this. But I cannot worry about you or have my attention on you or what you might try to do. Therefore, I require your promise that you will obey me in all these things.”
She exhaled forcefully. “Very well.”
“And you promise? I must hear you promise.”
“Very well, if I must. I promise.”
He nodded. “Then as soon as I complete the painting of your face, we are ready to go. Almost.”
“Almost?”
He nodded. “There is one more thing I am obliged to do.”
“Oh? And what is that?”
He kissed her.
She grinned. “Is this what you had to do?”
“Hau, plus I am going to make a doll out of grass and buckskin.”
“A doll?”
“Hau. But I will need to borrow some of your clothing. Will you let me?”
“Of course. But what are you going to do with it?”
“You will see,” he said. “You will see.”
Her smile at him widened. To her surprise, the danger of what they were about to do seemed…thrilling. In truth, excitement coursed through her.
As though he sensed it, he smiled back at her.
Crawling, slithering across the dim moonlight, they traversed over the prairie toward the enemy’s camp, moving guardedly, fluidly, making no sound. But it was slow going.
Dear Lord. Did all scouts possess the patience of a saint? It would seem to her as though they must.
With every motion taken forward, Grey Coyote dropped back to cover their footprints. Because he was also leading their small party, and because he carried a large grass doll on his back, as well as his own and another bow, the continual need to backtrack soon became tedious and tiresome.
Marietta was not used to being crouched into a rolled-up position for any length of time, nor was she accustomed to squatting, for that matter. She soon found her calf muscles spasming.
But she refused to give in to the impulse to stop, or to turn around and go back the way she had come. She had said she would help; she meant to help.
They had probably crawled over a mile or more when at last they came to a ridge.
Grey Coyote turned to her, brought her hand to his lips and formed the words, “The enemy is over that crest. I will put you in a position so you can see into their camp. Scan it, keep alert, but also train your eyes on me.”
She gave him one brief nod.
“Over there…” he pointed to the west of the hostile encampment, “…is where your friend is tied and guarded. When you look for me, watch for earth that moves—it will most likely be me.”
Again, she inclined her head.
Carefully, he guided her into a place slightly lower than the crest of the ridge, taking much pain with the exact position. Only her eyes and the upper portion of her head were above it.