Chapter Seventeen

She is most fair, and thereunto,
Her life doth rightly harmonize.

—Lowell

Always missing his daughter when he was separated from her, Blue Thunder was with Little Bee at his Aunt Bright Sun’s lodge. Bright Sun was down at the river, getting fresh water.

Ever so lovingly, Blue Thunder was holding Little Bee on his lap beside the slow-burning lodge fire while she was proudly showing him a new doll made by a friend’s mother.

Blue Thunder smiled at all the questions that came from his daughter’s mouth today; he enjoyed her inquisitive side. When she was a grown woman, her curiosity would cause her to question many things before allowing a man into her life as her husband.

“Who is the white lady who is new to our village?” Little Bee asked, gazing intently into her father’s midnight-dark eyes. “Why is she still here in our village? Is she going to marry our shaman like the other white woman married Dancing Shadow?”

“No, the woman is not going to marry Morning Thunder,” Blue Thunder said, his eyes gleaming with pride and love for this wonderful child of his. “And who is she? I am only finding out myself who she truly is and what her life was before I saved her from the renegades.”

He paused, then said, “And where did she come from? She had her own family before she was stolen away by the renegades.”

That last statement, that last truth, was hard for Blue Thunder to say. If this woman had no husband, he would have already kissed her and held her to his heart as he asked her to be his wife.

But as it was, he had much to sort through before they could act on their feelings for one another.

He would never forget that she had told him she was ready to leave her husband before the renegades had arrived and changed her life forever. He wondered what the man had done to make her want to turn her back on him.

He understood how much courage it must have taken to actually plan to set out from home, alone with her child.

He hoped to get all the answers soon, for he wanted to make Shirleen part of his life.

Ho, he was going to marry her.

He would find a way to help her straighten

out her life, for she deserved far more than what life had brought her until now.

“Ahte, I know that you have searched for the woman’s little girl more than once. Have you finally found her?” Little Bee asked, her eyes wide as she thought about the doll she had given to the mother for that other little girl.

“No, she has not been found,” Blue Thunder said thickly, feeling a pang of regret that he could not give his daughter a more positive answer.

He drew Little Bee gently into his arms. “Little Bee, my micinski, I am so proud of you,” he said as she dropped her doll so that she could fling her arms around his neck, returning his loving embrace. “I know I have told you more than once that I am in awe of you. You are only four winters of age, yet you have the intelligence of someone much, much older.”

“That is because my ahte is gauche, chief,” Little Bee said proudly. She leaned a little away from him so that she could give him a wide smile as she gazed into his eyes.

Blue Thunder laughed softly as he returned her loving gaze.

A voice speaking his name from beyond the entrance flap drew Blue Thunder’s attention from this special moment with his daughter. He regretted that it had been brought to an end all too soon.

He recognized the voice.

It was Two Moons, one of his most favored warriors.

“Little Bee, I must go and see what brings Two Moons in search of me,” Blue Thunder said, gently placing her on her feet.

He bent low and kissed her cheek. “Play with your new doll while I am gone,” he encouraged as he stepped away from her. “She needs a big hug, do you not think so?”

Little Bee giggled and nodded her head, then hurriedly picked the doll up and gave it a hug.

Blue Thunder stepped outside. “Two Moons, what brings you to my aunt’s lodge?” he asked, concerned when he saw his warrior’s serious expression.

“One of our scouts has come to have council with you, my chief,” Two Moons said. “He says that he might have news of the child. He is waiting for you in the council house.”

Blue Thunder’s pulse raced at the thought of possibly hearing something that might lead him to Shirleen’s daughter.

He would enjoy seeing Shirleen’s reaction when he put the child into her loving arms.

“Pila-maye, thank you, Two Moons,” Blue Thunder said, walking away from him. He could not arrive quickly enough at the council house, where the scout awaited his arrival.

When he stepped inside, he hurried over to where his scout Proud Horse stood beside the lodge fire. Proud Horse turned quickly to receive Blue Thunder’s manly embrace.

Blue Thunder stepped away from Proud Horse and gestured with a hand toward the pelts beside the fire. “Sit,” he said, sitting down himself as Proud Horse made himself comfortable. “Now tell me what news you have brought to me about the child.”

“My chief, when I was at Fort Dennison this morning, questioning the people there, I saw a white man with his daughter, who is four winters of age, the same age the white woman said her daughter was,” he explained. “He was bragging about how he had duped his wife by stealing the child from her. He said that he was now waiting for the next riverboat so that he could take his daughter far away from her mother. That riverboat should arrive after one more sunrise.”

“Was the name of the child spoken?” Blue Thunder asked, trying to hold down his eagerness to leave and see if the child truly was Shirleen’s daughter. If so, he would not return to this village without her!

“Ho, the ahte spoke the name Megan to his white friends,” Proud Horse said, drawing a quiet gasp and then a broad smile from Blue Thunder.

He knew now that everything was going to happen as he had prayed it would.

He would rescue the micinski.

He would then pursue a way to make Shirleen his mitawin, his wife!

He would not allow the husband to stand in the way of his need for this woman. He wanted her so badly, his heart ached for her to be in his arms, their lips touching tenderly as they shared that first, wondrous kiss.

Ho, he would find a way, for when he wanted something as much as he wanted this woman, nothing would stand in his way!

Up until now he had been a patient man.

Well, his patience had just left him!