Cheyenne Moon Read Online Free PDF Page B

walked away, her hopes deflated. She again stood by the door flap, and watched as Shadow Spirit embraced his mother. He came to where Abby stood and looked down at her.
    “Are you leaving me here alone?”
    “You will not be alone. My parents will watch over you,” he said.
    “You said that I was to be your captive.
    “That has changed. My mother needs you, but I will be close by. My lodge is only a few steps away. Do not be afraid, my mother is not a hard woman she will treat you well. Now I must go, there is much for me to do.” He touched her cheek briefly with his fingertips and was gone.
    Abby stood waiting for instructions from Shadow Spirit’s mother; she gazed at the older woman as she attended to her husband. She was extremely beautiful. She had glorious red hair and clear caring eyes the color of new grass in the springtime, an exact match for her sons. Her skin had been darkened from years of constant battles with the wind and the sun. The older woman looked up, caught Abby staring at her, and smiled.
    “My husband sleeps now. Come, we will go outside, we can get to know each other while I prepare our noon meal.”
    Abby followed her outside the lodge to where a fire burned with a large pot hanging over it.
    “My son neglected to introduce me. My name is Judith Macintosh, but here I am known as Green Eyes. This has been my home for over twenty-five years now.”
    “I am Abby Anderson. Do you ever get homesick?”
    “The Crow killed my parents when I was taken captive. I was down at the stream fishing when I heard my father scream for everybody to hide. Strong arms grabbed me from behind and I was pulled onto a horse. I saw our cabin burning in the distance as I was taken away, so you see I had no one to be homesick for. I was only held a few hours by the Crow before White Feather and his warriors came upon us and killed the raiding party, taking me with them,” she explained.
    “Weren’t you just as afraid of them as you were the Crow?”
    “You know, I do not think that I was. There was something about the way that White Feather looked at me that made me feel safe.”
    They talked about life with the Cheyenne as Green Eyes put tiny potatoes and turnips in the boiling stock along with bits of venison. She hung another smaller pot beside the stew pot; she cooked the tops of the turnips in the small pot, adding a hunk of suet.  Shadow Spirit came back as the food was being served to his father.
    “Would you like some stew and greens, my son?”
    “Yes Mother. It has been many suns since I last tasted your stew,” he said.
    “Thank you, I will serve you when I am finished helping your father.”
    “I’ll serve Shadow Spirit for you,” Abby said.  She dished a large portion of stew and greens and handed it to him.
    “Thank you Abby. You should also eat, trail food cannot compare to my mother’s cooking. She has incorporated the better of two worlds into her cooking.”
    They ate their meal in a relaxed silence. The food was delicious. Abby ate two bowls of stew and a helping of greens. She had never eaten that much at one time before in her entire life. 
    She walked outside as Shadow Spirit was leaving. Green Eyes had gone to visit a sick friend while the Chief slept. Abby longed to take a long bath, and to have something decent to put on.
    “Shadow Spirit,” she said timidly.  “Do you think it would be possible for me to have a bath and something clean to wear?”
    “I will show you where you can bathe.  The dress might be a problem.  You are taller and a bit fuller than my mother or sister,” he answered.
    Abby colored at his reference to her body.  Was he meaning to say she was fat?
    “I am sorry. I did not mean to embarrass you.”
    “It’s okay it just sounded like you were saying I am fat.” She said with a smile.
    “I do not think of you as fat. I just meant that you are bigger in the…, “
    “I know what you mean. Please don’t say