Free Savage Spirit by Cassie Edwards Page A

clothing, and firearms. It is the Apache's way to blackmail the evil Englishman."

    "If what you say is true, then you are no better than Sandy Whiskers if you allow him to wreak havoc on the countryside," she accused him.

    "What this Apache chief does, he does for the survival of his people," he said, placing a hand over his heart. "Much has been taken from the Apache. Cloud Eagle is taking back what he can, one item at a time."

    Fueled by anger and what she felt was deceit, Alicia tried to stand in an effort to leave. She fell back down onto the pallet of furs. Wincing with pain, she felt tears flooding her eyes. She grabbed her leg.

    "You are still in pain?" Cloud Eagle said. Seeing her discomfort erased from his mind all of the anger and frustration that he had felt moments ago. "The herbal mixture did not altogether work. I will go for Moon Shadow, the stronghold's shaman. Besides the chief, he is the most powerful and most influential member of our tribe."

    "No!" Alicia screamed at him. "I don't want any shaman near me. A shaman is good for nothing but to feed on your people's fear of witchcraft."

    Cloud Eagle took a shaky step away from her, his eyes filled with horror. "Do not say such things," he said, his voice wary. "Yes, our shaman has an ever-present consciousness of the supernatural. But it is because the Apache have a dread of witchesthose malevolent beings that work their evil spells through certain animals and natural forces. The bear, the owl, the snake. The   shaman protects us from these things we fear. He does not play upon those fears, as you suggest.''

    "I don't care what you say, or what you think about this shaman. I do not wish to be in his company," Alicia said stiffly.

    "I go for Moon Shadow now, and not only for his healing powers over wounds, but over souls that need mending," Cloud Eagle said, then left her alone with her dread.

    "I've got to get out of here," Alicia whispered.

    Sweat pearled her brow as she again tried to stand on the leg. She struggled and groaned, then fell again to the pallet of furs.

    Breathing hard, Alicia felt helpless. She watched the entrance flap, waiting for it to rise.

    She then looked desperately around her. She needed something to throw at the shaman as soon as he entered the tepee. That would certainly discourage him from practicing his voodoo over her.

    The platter of half-eaten food caught her eye. Smiling devilishly, she lifted it into her hand and watched again, and waited.  

Chapter Seven

    When Cloud Eagle still did not return with the shaman, Alicia set the platter of food aside.

    Moments later, strange chanting and praying from somewhere outside the tepee caused her spine to stiffen. She swallowed hard. Moon Shadow had surely arrived.

    The shaman's chants became higher in pitch, mystical and frightening. Alicia had not told Cloud Eagle that she was also superstitious, perhaps as much as the Apache.

    And she had heard people talk about hoddentin a powder made from the tule plantwhich a shaman sometimes used while performing his duties. She hoped that Moon Shadow would not use it around her. Although for the most part people saw it as harmless, because of her superstitions, she feared it.

    She recalled having read about hoddentin . The Apache sprinkled it on the body of the dead,   and anything pertaining to death was morbid to Alicia. She had not yet totally gotten over the death of her parents.

    The entrance flap was quickly drawn aside and Cloud Eagle entered, then moved to one side to allow Moon Shadow's entrance.

    Alicia stared at the medicine man. She had never seen anyone quite like him before. His hair was as white as snow and so long that it dragged on the floor as he slowly entered the tepee.

    He wore an ornamented buckskin medicine shirt. The decorations were symbolic of the sun, moon, stars, rain, lightning, rainbow, and clouds. Also she could make out other designs of snakes, centipedes, and tarantulas.

    Her eyes narrowed