Free Bound by Honor Bound by Love by Ruth Ann Nordin

it so. Some
question if it’s good for the tribe.”
    “ The chief?” she
whispered.
    He gave a slight nod, gulped and
looked at the river.
    Not knowing what else to say, she
faced the river and wondered why he would bother telling her all of
this. Maybe he needed someone to talk to, someone who wasn’t
involved in the situation? Whatever the reason, she knew it was
hard for him. He was questioning the chief, something they weren’t
supposed to do. But if he confided his misgivings to her, then
maybe his brother was wrong. Maybe she had a better place in
Citlali’s life than Ukiah would have her believe.
    She reached out and touched Citlali’s
hand. Though he didn’t say anything, he squeezed her hand. And for
now, that was enough. They remained there, sitting next to each
other in silence, and let the peace of the day settle their
souls.

 
     
    Chapter Seven
     
    It was early March when Penelope woke
with a start at the sound of her son’s crying. She bolted up from
the bed she and Cole shared in the small room that had at one time
belonged to Onawa and ran to the room next to it where Etu and Yepa
slept. The covering had been tied to the pole so the children
wouldn’t have to sleep in the dark since the fire in the middle of
the lodge lit it in a soothing light. Etu had slept well, so
Penelope assumed it was enough to banish the nightmares, but it
wasn’t.
    She gathered him from the bed and took
him in her arms. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face
in the nape of her neck. He sobbed quietly while she stroked his
back in circular motions that she knew would calm him down. Despite
her exhaustion, she went to the fire and sat in front of it,
immediately warmed.
    “ You and pa left me and
Yepa here,” he whimpered. “I kept crying for you to come back, but
you didn’t.”
    She kissed his cheek and whispered,
“It’s alright. I’m here. It was a bad dream. Your pa and I are
here. We’d never leave you and your sister. You’re
safe.”
    She gently rocked him from side to
side and hummed his favorite tune. After a couple of minutes, he
stopped crying. She sighed and closed her eyes. This was the first
time he’d had this type of nightmare. She wondered what made him
think she and Cole would ever leave him and his sister.
    The sound of footsteps broke her
all-too-familiar thoughts of how helpless she was to help her son.
She opened her eyes and smiled as Woape sat beside her.
    “ How is he?” Woape
whispered.
    Penelope glanced at Etu and realized
he’d drifted off to sleep, finally looking content. She breathed a
sigh of relief. “He’ll be fine for the rest of the night. When Cole
and I adopted him, we expected him to go through a period of
adjustment, and back then, he had nightmares once every couple of
months. It was only late last year that he started having them
every other night. It was always the same thing. A bad man was
coming after him and his sister. He had to hide with his sister and
keep her quiet. If they made any sounds, the bad man would find
them.” She took a shaky breath. “We thought if we brought him here,
he might find whatever it is he needs to find peace.”
    “ But he’s still having
nightmares?”
    Penelope wiped the tears from her
eyes. “I don’t know what to do. I mean, I’ve put the pieces
together. His parents were here when Hothlepoya attacked the tribe,
and his mother hid him and his sister and told them to be quiet.
Then his sister ran off and he went with her, and they got lost. I
don’t know the details. He was too young to remember
everything.”
    “ But he remembers
enough.”
    She nodded. “And tonight, he dreamt
that Cole and I abandoned him and his sister.” She released her
breath and hugged him tighter. “Why would he think that? Cole and I
have never given him a reason to think we’d desert
them.”
    Woape leaned forward and brushed a
stray lock from his eyes. With a heavy sigh, she shook her head.
“I’m sorry. It’s my fault his