Tykota's Woman(29)

He nodded slightly but did not respond.

She looked into his dark eyes, touched by the torment she saw in their shimmering depths. There was danger for her, too. Not that Tykota would harm her. The danger was that she was losing her heart to him, and he would not welcome her affection.

"I have decided we should remain here for a time," Tykota said. "We have food and water in abundance, the Apache do not know of this place, and you need the rest. It will give your skin and your feet time to heal."

She frowned. "I can go on if you must get to your destination to be safe."

His eyes glistened. "I knew you would say that. But I want you to rest, Makinna."

"I don't want you to stay here and be in danger because of me."

He smiled. "You have known hunger, thirst, and pain, and it did not break your spirit. I wonder if anything could."

She smiled. "Just think of the adventures I can tell my grandchildren."

"You will tell them how one time an Indian suddenly crossed through your life and left it, just as quickly, Makinna Hillyard."

She felt saddened by his words. That was what would happen. He would soon pass out of her life. But she would never forget him. She sighed deeply. "I would welcome a rest." What she wanted to say was that she would treasure every moment she spent with him. "Perhaps the Apache will give up when they can't find you."

"No. They will not give up. I want you to understand that there is still danger. They could even have tracked us here." He turned away. "Get some rest, Makinna. It is still hours until daylight. I am tired now."

She wanted to stay with him, but he had clearly dismissed her. Already his mind was on other things, and she doubted that he even heard her leave.

Tykota turned his face up to the stars and whisered, "Why did this woman come into my life at this time? Why does my heart want to bind with hers, to live out my days with her at my side?

"Why at this time in my life, when I shall surely die?"

Five days passed, and in that time Tykota hunted and dried meat for the last leg of their journey. Makinna rested, soaking in the healing powers of the inner cavern and its pool, dipping her feet into the cooling water. Sometimes, she simply lay on her back gazing up through the opening in the domed ceiling at the blue sky and wishing they never had to leave. She had never known life could be so magical.

This was her paradise, here in this beautiful place with Tykota.





Tykota had been gone for hours, and Makinna was beginning to worry. He'd left early that morning, and it was now almost sundown. He'd never stayed away this long. A wave of despair hit her as she imagined the Apache finding him, or any number of other hazards he might have fallen prey to. Danger lurked everywhere in this scorching, hostile land.

Moving out of the cave, she stood atop the ledge that gave her a wide view of the countryside. She shaded her eyes against the glaring sun and looked for any movement.

A dust devil danced in the distance, and the ever-present vultures circled in the sky, but beyond that there was nothing-no sign of life, just the brittle heat and the never-ceasing wind.

Where could Tykota be? she wondered. Why had he been gone so long?

She couldn't just stay in the cave waiting for him to return. If he was in some kind of danger, she needed to find him.

She discovered that climbing down the mountain was more difficult than climbing up. Once she lost her footing and slid toward the edge, her feet dangling over the side. She was able to save herself only by grabbing hold of a plant that clung to life in the rock surface. Inch by inch she eased herself away from the edge, then collapsed, trembling. After she'd caught her breath and gathered her courage, she continued her descent.

It took her the better part of an hour to reach the bottom. When she stood on level ground, she still saw no sign of Tykota. Of course, he'd leave no tracks behind, nothing that would attract attention. He was much too intelligent for that. She ripped a scrub bush up by the roots and brushed her own tracks away as she'd seen him do, thinking he'd be proud of her for being so cautious.

Makinna tried to decide which direction he would have taken. She reasoned that he wouldn't head into the desert but might have gone hunting in the foothills to the west. She settled on exploring those. As she, walked along, she paused often to search for any sign of his presence.

She felt every stone under her still tender feet, and she soon grew thirsty and wondered why she hadn't brought the canteen with her. Weary, she tripped and fell.

She rose slowly, glancing toward the west. The sun was low on the horizon. She would never be able to make her way up the mountain in the dark, but she couldn't return without finding Tykota. She studied the ground but saw nothing to indicate that he'd come this way.