The Cry of the Wolf Chapter 66

Flames licked the sky as Adelaide was yanked into a standing position by the hair. The glimmer of moonlight off the metal tomahawk blade raised above her head was Adelaide's undoing, a scream escaping her throat.

"She's with me," a younger warrior stepped forward, pulling her against his firm chest with one smooth motion.

With a sneer, the older of the two men stepped backward. "I didn't know you liked pale-faced women. There are plenty more where we are going…"

The young warrior laughed, but mirth did not reach his steely brown eyes. "She is not my woman. The child is the son of our chief, Long Knife."

The older man blanched beneath his deep bronzed complexion. "I didn't know. Please tell your chief it was a simple mistake. I would not have expected his wife and child to be alone and so far away from the tribe. I meant no harm…" he stammered, aware of the consequences of hurting the wife and child of the Mohawk chief.

Adelaide shivered in the arms of the man who held her close, breathing in the scent of sweat and testosterone - an earthy, woodsy scent. Like her husband, Chief Long Knife, he smelled of the wild and yet... No, she quickly distracted herself.

"Your chief does not wish to join us and has led the tribe south. We did not expect to come across our allies tonight," the older warrior fingered his tomahawk. No further explanation was necessary.

Suddenly uncertain, the younger stammered, "I thought we were headed south for the winter months. With the young ones, our chief needs to see they are well provided for over the winter...I didn't know he was avoiding a raid…"

They had accepted Chief Long Knife in blind obedience to their dying chief yet if the other warriors learned of this - if the chief was indeed a coward....

"It is his new religion," the older man scoffed, "He will not commit murder."

So that was it. The secret was out.

The scouts looked from one to the other, Adelaide aware of the warrior's arm tightening around her waist.

"We will join you…" his comrade answered for them both. "Our chief sent us on a fool's mission. We should have known there was more to our leaving the valley so abruptly. You have our loyalty."

"And what of the woman? The child?"

Ah yes, they posed a problem, although, truth be told, it was hardly their concern. They couldn't trust their own chief now that they knew the truth.

"You must return her and the child. Chief Long Knife does not carry our blood. He could turn on us if anything should befall his family."

"You speak the truth and yet, we do not need to return immediately. He will never know it did not take long for us to find his runaway wife. We will join your raid and then bring them back as though nothing is amiss. He will be none the wiser."

The wizened warrior grinned before turning to join his comrades who stood in silence listening to the exchange.

"Let us bring the woman and child back to camp, then we will leave once more. Tonight we will return with many scalps, unless, of course, you are like your chief - a coward."

Challenge accepted.

****

Adelaide followed the scouts into unfamiliar territory, keeping her head down and eyes averted. This wasn't part of her plan, yet at the moment, as long as she remained by their side, she was as safe as possible. In fact, if she had a moment alone with them, she might be able to convince them to escort her back to the place where her husband had kidnapped her. It would be much safer to go together than alone.

"Dark Star."

Adelaide had been so lost in thought she hadn't realized she had been brought before the Iroquois chief - the same man her husband had shared the secret of his first wife and unborn child. Her cheeks grew warm at the memory as she instinctively looked away.

"So we meet at last," Chief Red Hawk's eyes bore into hers.

Adelaide's throat constricted as she tried to formulate an answer, unsure if the towering chief expected one or not.

Seemingly unaware of her hesitation or discomfort, he continued, "What are you doing here, away from your husband? And with his child? I will pursue this further at another time. We are preparing for another raid and you will join us. I will not be diverted. When we return victorious, then I will see about sending you back to your husband. Until then, you are safe with us."

Women approached, wordlessly applying warpaint to the men who had gathered. Adelaide shivered at their terrifying appearance, thankful they were on the same side.

"What happens now?" She breathed as Chief Red Hawk, her husband's scouts and the other men assembled and filed out of the longhouse entrance.

The women followed behind, accompanied by the men who were too old to fight in the raid. Content to reminisce of past glory days, they surrounded the women and children as they moved eastward, each step taking them farther from Chief Long Knife and the Mohawk tribe.

They moved at a similar pace to her own tribe, the elders keenly aware the mothers and their young babies needed to pace themselves and rest often. Along with the other young mothers, Adelaide sat beneath a gnarled Weeping Willow tree, finding as much privacy as she could to feed her infant. In the distance, the sounds of howling and screaming reached their ears. Adelaide's eyes widened, her heart beating rapidly against the buckskin fabric.

"There is no need to worry," an elderly woman patted her shoulder as she hobbled past. "The pale-faced men do not know the forest as well as us. They will not be able to get past our warriors and live to tell about it." Her face erupted in a nearly toothless grin as she assured Adelaide. Addy grimaced as the wailing grew closer. "It sounds as though we have already met with success," the woman grinned before scurrying away.

Adelaide shielded her baby's face from the ghastly scene as the warriors and chief returned, fresh scalps held high. Blood trickled down their bronzed arms, the haunting screaming, at last, silenced.