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willow. No wonder the dad-blamed thing wouldn’t break. Furious, she snatched the feathers off of it and ripped them into shreds, sputtering when the bits of down flew back in her face. Then she knelt there, heaving for air, so exhausted all the fight in her was drained away.
    He had won.
    Willow leaves swayed before Hunter’s eyes, but his gaze held fast, riveted on the slender girl as she tried to break his lance. With each swing of her arms, he clenched his teeth, growing angrier. Then the absurdity of it hit him, and a reluctant smile tugged at his lips. She knew he was out here. Grown men quivered in fear at the sound of his name, but a frail girl dared to defy him? He recalled how she had looked when she walked out to face him, golden head held high, big blue eyes meeting his in defiance. How dare she spit at him, not once but twice ? He wavered somewhere between outrage, disbelief, and admiration. She might not look like much, but she had courage, he’d give her that.
    His brother, Warrior, hunkered beside him and snorted with laughter, clearly pleased with the situation. Above the roar of the river, he said, ‘‘If she knew who you were, she wouldn’t defy you like this.’’
    Hunter never shifted his gaze from the girl.
    ‘‘Once she knows who she’s up against, this nonsense will stop. If there’s anything I’m an expert on, Hunter, it’s women. They push only when they think they can get away with it. You shouldn’t have let her spit at you. Next time, slap her.’’
    Hunter arched an eyebrow. Given the fact that his brother’s wife was the most spoiled female in the village, he found this bit of advice amazing. He studied Warrior’s solemn expression. ‘‘Is that so?’’
    ‘‘Trust me. She’ll never try it again.’’
    ‘‘How many times have you slapped Maiden of the Tall Grass?’’
    ‘‘I haven’t. She knows who has the stronger arm.’’
    Hunter bit back a grin. ‘‘Yes, she certainly does.’’
    Returning his attention to the girl, he scowled. He would teach her some respect or kill her trying.
    At last the girl’s strength gave out, and she fell to her knees in defeat. A spray of feathers flew up around her. As the white plumes floated downward, her shoulders sank with them. Suvate, it was finished. She had to face her fate and learn to accept it, just as he must. Destiny knew no foe.
    ‘‘It isn’t too late!’’ Hunter’s cousin, Red Buffalo, rode into the small clearing. He leaped off his horse and trotted toward them, his bow and an arrow outstretched in one hand. ‘‘She’s the woman you’ve been seeking. Kill her, Hunter, while you still can. You know how your mother is about the prophecy. Once she sets eyes on her, it will be too late.’’
    Hunter eyed the proffered weapon, then shook his head. ‘‘No. I must remember my duty. It would be madness to kill her. The wrath of the Great Ones would rain down on us. I can’t think only of myself.’’
    ‘‘You despise her! If the prophecy comes to pass, you will one day leave the People.’’ Red Buffalo’s scarred face twisted with disgust. ‘‘How can you bear the thought of taking her back with you? After what the Blue Coats did to your woman? To mine. And my little boy? Has it been so long that you’ve forgotten?’’
    Hunter’s face hardened, and a cold glint crept into his eyes. ‘‘I will never forget.’’
    Loretta had no appetite for supper. She joined the others at the table, but the aroma of venison stew and blackberry-and-maize bread made her stomach roil. Amy’s eyes sought hers across the table. Henry was tipping the mescal jug, and he got ornery when he drank. Poor Amy usually took the brunt of it.
    Loretta sympathized, but tonight she was preoccupied. Plans of escape flitted through her mind, all of which she considered, then discarded. She pictured the plains that surrounded her, feeling as hemmed in by the endless space as she would have by a barred cell.
    Desperate to keep her