Read Lakota Honor for Free Online Page B

good. She was determined to visit with him over a card game and not let Elwood intimidate her.
    Lush moss blanketed the forest floor. She untied her boots and slipped them off. A squirrel ran along a branch above her, hesitated and then jumped to another. She giggled. Animals always had a way of calming her. Life never seemed awful in the thick of the forest.
    Roots burst from the ground mangled and barbaric, and she stepped over them. She inhaled and her mind filled with the fresh, balsamic scent of pinecones. She skimmed the prickly pine leaf.  She always loved the spruce trees. They never lost their glorious greenery in the winter like the others. Tall and magnificent, they stood like proud soldiers within the dense forest. They looked beautiful at Christmas time decorated with ribbons and candles, too.
    A branch broke to her left, and a hand clamped over her mouth. She tried to scream, but nothing came out. Her heart hammered inside her chest. She struggled for air. She squirmed, trying to wiggle loose, but her arms were held tight to her sides. Cold steel pushed into her throat, and she froze.
    "Quiet wasicun winyan—white woman," a low voice said from behind her.
    She could see from the corner of her eyes, a dark hand across her mouth. Indian! She was going to be taken captive. She would be a slave for the rest of her life. Visions of wild Indians tearing at her clothes invaded her mind. Their filthy hands pawed at her virginal skin, taking from her what she fought to keep. She tried again to move, but his hand tightened around her mouth and he pushed the blade closer.
    The forest floor swayed before her as the truth of what her future would be slammed into her chest. She pushed forward vomiting into his hand and all over her cheeks and chin.
    A loud growl erupted from behind her, and she was thrown to the ground.
    "Ahh, shit." His back was to her as he knelt down and washed his hand in the river.
    She saw the glint of the knife in the shallow water. She needed to run, to scream, to get the hell out of there. She tried to move her legs, but the limbs proved useless.
    "Clean your face." He stood over her now.
    Afraid to make eye contact, she examined his moccasins. She'd never seen a pair this beautiful and wondered if his wife had made them. She'd heard of Indians taking more than one wife, and she drew back. Oh, God. Please don't let that be his plan.
    "Go!"
    She crawled to the river, cupped her hand in the cold water and splashed her face. She swished water in her mouth and spat it onto the ground.
    "Get up."
    She struggled to her feet, and her stomach rolled. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
    Nora's eyes met his. Her breath caught, and she took an unconscious step back. It was him. The stranger she'd seen the other day. Long, black hair framed his face. Dark stubble covered a strong jaw and high cheekbones. He wore black pants and a shirt opened halfway down his chest. She could see the muscles bunched there.
    A scar peeked out of his collar and ran up his neck disappearing behind his hair. He stood at least a foot and half taller than her. Almond shaped charcoal eyes bore down upon her. If he meant to intimidate her, he had succeeded. He resembled evil, hatred and death all rolled into one. She shivered. The urge to run consumed her.
    She tried to speak, but a lump had lodged inside her throat and nothing came out.
    He stepped toward her.
    She squeezed her eyes shut and waited.
    He grabbed her braid and pulled her head back, exposing her throat. This was it, she was going to die. A tear slid down her cheek. Her heart hammered inside her chest. She had to calm down. She felt the Indians chest rub against her shoulder as he exhaled beside her. Leaves scrunched under his moccasins. The frigid blade bit into her flesh.
    He pushed her away and growled, "Go home, little girl."
    She almost tripped and fell, but grabbed onto a tree to catch herself. She stared at him. Had he told her to go home? He wasn't