Free Bride of the Wild by Carré White Page A

happened on your trip?”
    I needed another sip of brandy for this. I had begun to feel warm and languid, the strain easing from my shoulders. “We weren’t far out of Fort Kearny when we spotted the first burnt wagon. Several miles later, we found the bodies. A family going it alone had been set upon by Indians. They’d all been scalped and the women … ” I shuddered, “were, well. You know what happened to them.”
    “I’ve heard about things like that.”
    Needing more brandy, I took another sip, handing the bottle to him. “There were maybe thirty wagons in our train. The wagon master warned us to expect trouble, and we kept our weapons handy. It rained that afternoon, making the road a muddy, disgusting mess. The thunder upset the horses, and they were difficult to manage, but the oxen took it in stride. They’re remarkably hardy animals.”
    “They are.” He’d settled in next to me, cradling his head in the palm of his hand. It being dark in the room, I could barely see his face, but I sensed his undivided attention.
    “Our wagon was towards the end of the line, and we had fallen behind because someone had gotten stuck in the mud. We didn’t think much of it, until we heard shouting. Pa told us to hide in the back, and we did so. We were younger then. Tom was only eight. Amelia was ten. I had just turned twelve. We waited patiently, expecting to be on our way shortly. It wasn’t long before the first shot rang out.”
    “You must’ve been terrified.”
    “We had been warned about the Indians. They’d been attacking wagon trains all summer. We’d seen burned out wagons for miles. We knew trouble would find us, but we thought our group was too large for them to bother. Everyone was armed to the teeth as well. I had my own rifle. I wasn’t as good a shot as I am now, but I could manage.”
    “You’re very brave, Saffron.”
    “I was utterly terrified. Everything about that trip frightened me. I wasn’t used to seeing open spaces for miles and miles without a hint of civilization. We had left everything familiar behind, including our families and friends. If something had happened, I’d never have seen any of them again. I suppose it didn’t matter anyhow, because my grandparents had disowned us.” I took a sip of brandy, feeling warm and tingly.
    “I’ll take that.” He reached for the bottle. “You’ve had enough to see you to sleep.”
    “I suppose. I could drink every last drop, though.”
    “That worries me,” he chortled. “You’ve had a dreadful day. We’ve gone through trauma. It’ll be better in the morning.”
    I settled in, snuggling into the blanket. “Do you want to hear what happened still?”
    “I do.”
    “I’ll never forget their war whoops and screeches. It curdled the blood. I remember arrows piercing the tarp on our wagon. Tom and Amelia and I huddled together behind a wooden crate, praying with all our might they’d leave us be. Women screamed and babies cried. Ma screamed too. Then she crawled to where we were, putting her arms over us. It sounded like they were everywhere, the war whoops coming from all directions. I remember looking out the back at one point and seeing an Indian being shot on his horse. He fell to the ground. It gladdened me that he’d died, but then I felt guilty, because it’s wrong to wish someone dead.”
    “Not if they mean to harm you.”
    “They did mean to harm us and worse. I knew what they’d do to the women, if we didn’t stop them. That worried me the most, Micah. I couldn’t bear to think of being hurt like that.” He stared at me, because I could feel his attention. “The wagon master must have realized our predicament, because men came bounding over from the front. They shot at the Indians, and the skirmish ended shortly after.” I shivered then, remembering what had happened next. “But, it was too late for some of the settlers; the family in the wagon before us died. They … ” I swallowed the lump in my