Chapter 1

Badger Claw peered into the distance, at the cloud of dust coming toward his small band of braves. He could tell it was Yellow Water's band from the careless way they let everyone know where they were. They had been raiding again, even though the chief had told them to cease that activity. Yellow Water didn't listen to anybody, not even the chief. He wanted to be chief himself, but he was too cowardly to challenge Grey Cloud. Instead he complained that Grey Cloud gave in to the white man, that Grey Cloud was a weak leader, that the tribe had suffered since Grey Cloud became chief. He conveniently forgot to mention that the only reason the members of the tribe were still alive was because of Grey Cloud's skillful dealings with the white man.

Yellow Water hated the white man more than anything else in the world ... except perhaps Badger Claw. He hated Badger Claw the same as he hated the white man, because Badger Claw was white. Then he hated Badger Claw a little more than the white man because Badger Claw was a better Indian than Yellow Water was. Everyone said that ... and it made Yellow Water almost insane with jealousy.

Badger Claw had once been known as Ronald Throckmorton Jr, back when he was five years old. He had a couple of very dim memories of a white woman who made him feel warm and safe, and of some of the things the white people used in their lodges that never moved. But that was all. He knew he had been taken from the woman in a raid fifteen summers ago. He had been treated like a slave, which was how all captives were treated. But he had rebelled. He fought anyone who tried to make him do anything, earning many beatings until at last, when he was older, the elders of the tribe got tired of fighting with him and put him into training with the braves.

Then he had to fight them for a place of honor in their society. And when he fought he kicked, scratched, bit and used anything that came to hand to inflict as much damage as he possibly could. His policy was that if he had to fight, he wanted to fight a man only once. Regardless of the outcome of the fight, he wanted the opponent to go away thinking "I never want to fight that boy again." That was how he got his name.

Yellow Water was the first boy he beat in a fight. Yellow Water had hated him ever since. He used to make comments about Badger Claw and spread lies about him. But Badger Claw went to him and challenged him to another fight over a lie he had told. Yellow Water, who had been named for the fact that, as a young boy, when he was frightened, wet himself, could not refuse to fight.

For almost a week after that, Yellow Water peed red instead of yellow. Now he knew better than to say things about his enemy, but he dreamed about getting even. He didn't want to kill Badger Claw. He wanted to embarrass him ... make the other men laugh at him ... discredit him as a member of the tribe. He wanted to crush his hated foe's spirit.

Badger Claw knew there would be trouble as soon as he saw what Yellow Water had done. Yellow Water had taken captives. Two young males, a female a little older than them, and a woman. The soldiers would surely retaliate, and their vengeance would be terrible. Badger Claw had seen what the new weapon they had could do. By turning a crank many bullets spat out of the gun, like hail from a cloud. His people would have no chance.

The raiders rode up to his band, hooting and howling about their bravery. The captives had been tied and then beaten. Badger Claw could tell, because there were no marks on the tied hands. The captives had been unable to defend themselves. Badger Claw frowned. Yellow Water was spreading his cowardice to his friends.

"Let them go" he ordered Yellow Water when the braves had finally quieted.

Yellow River had found whiskey at the farm they had raided. No men had been present. The older woman had killed three braves with her rifle before one had snuck up behind her and knocked her unconscious. Yellow Water had plans for her. "I am no coward like some people I know" he boasted, knowing better than to name Badger Claw as one of those cowards. "I have taken captives, and they are mine to do with as I please."

Badger Claw looked at the captives again. The boys looked alike, as if they were two kernels of corn. They had seen perhaps thirteen summers. The girl had yellow hair, was perhaps sixteen summers old, and something deep inside Badger Claw stirred when he looked at her. She was frightened, and badly enough that she shook with her fear. The woman looked gray and there was blood soaking her left shoulder and back. She would die if that wound was not tended. The girl spoke to the woman.

"Mamma! That one's a white man! Look Mamma! We're saved!"

Yellow Water casually backhanded the girl hard enough to fling her to the ground where she lay, sobbing. There was nothing Badger Claw could do. He took his men and continued to hunt.

Later that night there was a meeting of the council. The elders were not pleased with Yellow Water. They, too, knew that the soldiers would come and many people would die. But Yellow Water was not sorry. He said they had just gone to the farm to ask for something to eat, and the woman had killed like a coward, from hiding. His friend had been killed by this woman.

Badger Claw looked at the others who had been with Yellow Water. All were worthless on a hunt, but they looked unhappy now, as if the truth were not being told. Badger claw's mouth dropped open as he heard Yellow Water boast that he would decorate his lodge with the woman's hair. Their tribe did not take the hair of their enemies, like some people. It was not a worthy or honorable thing to do.

There was murmuring among the council. Yellow Water knew he had gone too far. Badger Claw saw his chance. He stood. "You are a coward, who brings the soldiers down on our people. I say you lie."

There was silence. Such a thing must be challenged. If not Yellow Water would have no honor at all. Badger Claw didn't wait. "I will rid the tribe of this bringer of doom. I challenge him for the right to own the captives. When they are mine I will take them back and release them to the soldiers."

Mouths were open. Such a challenge was rare. To fight for ownership of captives meant a fight to the death. The one challenged chose what weapons could be used, which usually gave that person a distinct advantage.

Yellow Water stood as if frozen. He was almost as pale as Badger Claw. All eyes were on him. "Knives" he said, his voice almost a whisper. "Mine is in my lodge." He turned and left. Badger Claw started after, knowing, just as everyone else, that no person went anywhere without his fighting knife. Yellow Water began running and the whole camp erupted. Yellow Water reached his lodge and ducked inside. There were screams from the lodge. Badger Claw knew better than to use the entrance. He nodded to one of his friends and, together, they slit a tall triangle to one side and let it fall so that they could see inside.

Yellow Water had one of the twins between him and Badger Claw. He had jerked the boy's head back and his knife was laid at his throat. The other boy was tied to the yellow haired girl, who was screaming. The woman had been stripped and staked out inside the lodge, her arms and legs pointing the the four winds. There were unmistakable signs that she had been beaten and bred ... perhaps repeatedly.

Others saw this too, and a hush came over the tribe. No one acted like this! This was not what a real person did, even to captives. Yellow Water would be banished for doing this to the woman. He snarled. "I'll kill them all if you don't leave me alone. Then the soldiers will kill all of you!"

Badger Claw turned slightly away from Yellow Water and reversed his fighting knife. "Get Back!" he yelled loudly, as if he were doing what Yellow Water demanded. Then, fluidly, he turned and threw. His knife blossomed from Yellow water's forehead, just above and between his eyes. Yellow Water dropped like a stone.

There was a general exclamation by the watching tribesmen. By tribal law, the fight had been completed properly, if only technically. Yellow Water had said "knives" and Badger Claw had used a knife.

Gray Cloud stepped forward. "Badger Claw has won these captives with honor. Let no one say otherwise." He turned to Badger Claw. "Hasten away with these white people. I think they are nothing but trouble." He looked at the woman who had been brutalized. "She will want revenge. This could end badly for us all."

Badger Claw frowned. "I will take them to the soldiers. Perhaps they will listen to me, as I look like them. I will tell them that a criminal took them and was punished. I will tell them he is dead. These people will tell them as well." he pointed to the captives.

Gray Cloud nodded hopefully.

Badger Claw watched the last of his fellow tribesmen walk away from what had been Yellow Water's lodge. Then he turned to look at "his" captives. No one had touched them. Yellow Water lay sprawled, staring lifelessly up at the smoke hole. Badger Claw sighed. Weapons first. It would be difficult to get his knife out of that skull.

He knelt and there was a cracking sound as he worked the knife back and forth, widening the hole. He didn't dare move it sideways for fear of breaking the blade. The yellow haired girl cried out each time Yellow Water's bones broke a little more. Finally, with a yank, the knife came loose. He wiped it on Yellow Water's loincloth. He turned to the woman, still tied to stakes of wood driven into the earth. She had been straining to pull those stakes out and the rawhide binding her had cut into her wrists and ankles making her bleed. She was very pale and in bad shape, but the head wound had stopped bleeding. There was a mass of black, crusted blood in her hair. She was bruised and dirty. Yellow Water had beaten her as he raped her. He had also apparently thought it was fun to spill his seed on the outside of her body, as she was splattered with that too. On impulse Badger Claw inspected the dirt around her. None of the others had taken part. There was only one set of footprints around her.

It was too bad. She had been a pretty woman. Now she looked almost dead. He could deal with that later ... if she didn't die. He bent over her with the knife and saw her eyes widen in fear. She thought he was going to kill her. Some dim memory bubbled up and he said the word "No". Her eyes registered and he realized he had spoken her language. He cut her ankles free first, holding out his hand to her, as if soothing a wild horse as he approached it. Then her left wrist. Most people favored the other hand for most things, including using weapons. He paused and they looked at each other. She was breathing hard at the thought of being free. Again he held out his hand and, maintaining eye contact, he cut the last of her bonds. She rubbed her wrists and moaned in pain as the blood came back into lifeless fingers and toes. She had been tied tightly. She did not try to get up.

He turned to the others. The yellow haired girl began keening and he was surprised to hear the woman behind him say something forcefully and the girl went quiet. He cut her loose from the twin and took her arm, pulling her to where she could help the woman sit up. The twin that Yellow Water had threatened, still stood beside Yellow Water's body, staring at it. Badger Claw realized this twin was a girl, and not a boy after all. As he looked at her she rejoined her brother and they stared at him with big eyes. They looked remarkably alike and had pressed against each other, probably for comfort. They were frightened too, but better at controlling it than the older girl. He turned back to the woman. He heard the movement behind him and knew the boy was attacking. He suspected the boy would try for his throat, and so he ducked, letting the youth impact on his back. Then he bent forward and helped the boy fly through the air. He landed on his back in the dirt and air exploded from his lungs. Badger Claw moved and put his foot on the boy's chest as he gasped for air. "No!" he said again, staring down at the boy. His knife was still in his hand. He showed it to the boy and then pointed at the boy's empty hands. "No," he said a last time. He took his foot off and put his knife away.

The woman was sitting up now. She looked weak but determined. He glanced around. Her clothes had been cut off her body while she was tied. All he saw were a couple of ratty blankets, but he picked up one and offered it to the woman, to cover her nakedness. He knew white people thought about nakedness differently than his people. She looked at the blanket, and then at Yellow Water. Then she spoke the word "No", and spat toward the corpse. She would rather go naked than wear something that had belonged to her tormentor.

They made a miserable sight as he shepherded them across the camp to his lodge. The woman spoke to the others almost without stopping as they walked slowly along. They said nothing in return, but they didn't give him trouble. The woman tried to walk proudly, standing as tall as she could, but she shuffled. She was weak. He sighed. She would not be able to travel for a week or more, and the soldiers would come looking for her before that. He didn't own enough horses to take them all back at the same time.

Once he got them into his lodge he picked up his water bag and handed it to the boy. He pointed toward the stream. Surprise and then amazement flitted across the boy's face, but he accepted the bag and left. It was only a short distance to the water and the boy was back soon, holding out the dripping bag. Badger Claw pointed at the rest of them and at the bag, and the boy went to give them something to drink. Badger Claw rooted around in his things and came up with an old pot he had found near one of the houses on wheels the white men used to cross the prairie. The wagon had been burned and there were bones scattered about. He had taken several things he found interesting. The pot was good for heating water, and heated water was better for cleaning wounds. He started a fire, got water from the boy, who had to go for more, and put the pot on. He needed cloth. Thinking back to the rags of the woman's clothing, he motioned to the boy again. He went to the two girls, who were standing close to each other. He tugged on their dresses and pointed to the naked woman, who had lain down on his furs and was resting from her walk. Then he tugged their dresses and pointed at her again. He pointed back toward Yellow Water's lodge and pantomimed the boy going there and picking something up off the ground. A light went on in the boy's eyes and he left. Shortly he was back with the ruined dress, smiling.

Badger Claw smiled back at him.

The water was hot and Badger Claw had torn pieces from the woman's dress. It was getting late. It would take a long time to get the woman clean and make sure her wounds would not fester. He'd need more wood. He held up a piece of firewood to the boy and pointed to all three of the youths. The yellow haired girl didn't want to go and she resisted. She pointed at the woman and folded her arms across her chest, with a stubborn look on her face. Badger Claw didn't want to argue, and he wasn't sure she wouldn't try to run away anyway, so he nodded. The twins left together, holding hands.

He set the pot of water beside his furs. Then he rooted around in his things for his bag of medicine. It was made by an old woman in the tribe who knew plants and healing. All the people used it. He opened it and sniffed the pungent odor of the herbs. He held it to the woman's nose and she sniffed. The woman's eyes glittered in the light of the fire, but she lay relaxed. She knew what he was going to do, and she was going to let him. Her head wound worried him the most, but it would take the longest, so he worked on her wrists first. His pouch of salve was full, and he rubbed that into the raw flesh. He knew it would sting at first, but then the pain would vanish, so her moan didn't come as a surprise. Neither did the bloom of her smile as she looked at the wrist he had just done while he worked on the other one. She spoke to the yellow haired girl, but he ignored them while he treated the woman's ankles.

Then he began washing her body.

For the first time she reacted. As he washed Yellow Water's semen, and accumulated dirt off of the woman's legs and thighs, she jerked to a sitting position and her hands raised, as if to stop him. He looked at her and continued cleaning the leg he was holding. When one of her hands came down and covered the light brown hair between her legs, he got the idea and handed her another dampened cloth. She cleaned herself vigorously there, crying out with pain and then threw the cloth toward the opening of his lodge. He continued, working over her other leg and, as he took an arm and began cleaning it, she let him.

She leaned sideways, suddenly, and then fell backwards, but her eyes were still open. He continued with her other arm and then started on her stomach and chest. Her hands came up to cover the dark tips of her milk bags, but she didn't try to stop him from cleaning the rest of her. It took some time, as he swabbed away the dirt and crusted semen. Her breasts were large and soft as he rubbed them clean, working around her fingers, which she kept in place. These breasts did not fall down to her sides, like an old woman's.

She watched his face as he worked on her. The yellow haired girl said something, and the woman shook her head. Badger Claw cleaned her neck and face next, carefully applying the salve to the angry bruise on her cheek. When he was finished he sat back on his haunches and her arms fell to her sides. Her nipples were still dirty. He soaked another rag and handed it to her. At the question in her eyes he touched one nipple. She flinched, and he saw pain in her eyes, but she took the rag and began very lightly swabbing the tips of her breasts.

Then he understood the pain. As the dirt and scum came off he saw that Yellow Water had bitten the woman's nipples ... hard. The skin wasn't broken, but there was bruising in the half moon shape of a man's teeth. It must be very painful. He scooped out a fingerful of the salve and held it out, over her chest. He expected her to take it onto her own finger to apply it, but she gritted her teeth, closed her eyes and nodded fractionally. He was gentle as his finger swirled the salve onto one and then the other swollen tip. She cried out as the sting took effect, but then sagged back, limp as it took away the pain. Her eyes stayed closed. He leaned back and looked at the yellow haired girl. Her eyes were wide and white in the firelight, but the abject fear was gone. The woman's head wound needed cleansing, but it was too dark inside. He felt her forehead. It was cool. It could wait until morning.