Page 64 of The Spirit of the Wolf

Grey Coyote nodded.

“Is she in danger?”

Again, Grey Coyote inclined his head, but slightly. “I understand the words of these people,” he said with lips alone. “The woman has been captured, and they are arguing over who will lie with her first.”

Marietta’s eyes rounded. “They mean to rape her?” she whispered, but she did so without making any noise.

“Hau,” he answered in the same way. “Unless one of them claims her as his future wife, they will each have a turn with her. But even then, her fate may be sealed.”

“That’s horrible.”

He shrugged minutely. “It is the way of some warriors and warring parties. Men are killed, women are mated, but if they survive and do not take their own lives, they are later adopted into the tribe.”

“You sound as though you approve.”

“I do not approve. But, I also know some warriors will do this.”

“Perhaps you may excuse this,” mouthed Marietta indignantly, “but I cannot lie here and let this happen to her.”

“I understand,” Grey Coyote lipped. “I will rescue her.”

“No,” Marietta uttered softly, making no sound. “We will rescue her. After all, she is my friend.”

Grey Coyote didn’t respond. At least not at first. After a brief pause, he mouthed, “It will be dangerous work. We would be required to go into the enemy camp.”

“That’s why we must do it together,” she said, though her words still possessed no sound. “Because it will be perilous, I must try to help. I would be of some assistance to you. Wouldn’t I?”

“You could be, if you do exactly as I say.”

She nodded very slightly. “I feel responsible for her. I brought her here. It is possible she wouldn’t even be in this situation now if I hadn’t hired her to accompany me.”

He acknowledged her with a minute movement of his head, then they spoke no more. Marietta, though perhaps her ideas might be considered naïve, began to envision different rescue strategies.

At the sound of a high-pitched scream, Marietta jumped. Grey Coyote held her close, soothing her. He murmured in her ear, “We must wait until it is dark, and then we will rescue your friend. Until then, we must do nothing, unless we, too, desire to become victims. And then I fear we would be of little use to your friend.”

Marietta bobbed her head imperceptibly. She did understand, but she didn’t like it.

They waited until evening. Sometime during the late hours of the day, Marietta must have drifted off to sleep. She awoke to find herself alone.

For a moment she panicked.

But then, resolving to remain calm, she strove to listen to the environment. Surely there would be a clue as to what might be happening and as to where Grey Coyote might have gone.

It was useless. All she could discern was the noise of the babbling brook, which she knew to be no more than a few feet away from her.

Without warning, something grazed her feet and startled her.

Marietta almost let out a scream, but she caught herself at the last minute. Then came a dear voice, Grey Coyote murmuring, “It is I.”

She sighed deeply and whispered, “You scared me.”

“I am sorry. Ito, come. I am going to pull you out of there. The war party is now at a good distance from us, and it is again safe for us to talk. I have located their scouts, who because of their success, I would assume, have been careless and have left traces of themselves. But none of them are close to us. Now, are you ready to leave your refuge?”

“Yes.”

With one quick jerk, it was done. She was free. She sat up, looked behind her at the rose bush, then threw open the wrap and came up onto her knees. Her focus was on the buffalo robe, however, and without giving her attention to Grey Coyote, she said, “We will have to wash this covering of yours because of those warriors who⁠—”

She glanced up and gasped.