Chapter 5Winter bird required three days to regain his strength. Stressful days for both of us. He kept a close eye on the southern horizon, anxious over raising a column of cavalry on its way to arrest him. We did, indeed, see troopers, but they remained south of Turtle Crick. I assured him it was merely a routine patrol.
My distress came at night. My house had but one sleeping room, and we shared the bed. The first night he was still addled from the blow on his head, but on the next I stared through the moonlight at the rise and fall of his bare brown belly as he slept. How easy it would have been to take him in hand. But he wasn’t my mate, so I resolutely turned away from him.
I made certain he knew of Raven’s perfidy in betraying Matthew—Shambling Bear—to the white soldiers and asked
