The Savage

Twelve

"Mamma?" I tugged gently at the hem of her sleeve, watching her lashes flutter as she woke. My baby sister was snuggled in her arms, softly gurgling as she slept.

"Jaynie..." blinking, Mamma looked around. "Its still dark...are you alright?"

"Yes." Leaning closer so I did not disturb Frank, I lowered my voice. "What did you name the baby?"

"Is that what you wanted?" she smiled, her whisper matching mine. Tenderly she used one hand to pull me close, pressing a kiss against my brow.

"Frank likes Elizabeth, I was thinking Sarah. What-?" she saw my frown. "You don't like them?"

"Well," looking down at the infants sleeping features, I shook my head. "If I had to choose, I would call her ue-zjee-zjee'dkah."

"Jaynie," I saw her instant protest, the slight confusion in her eyes. "I'm not sure."

"You can call her Rose," I interjected hurriedly. "Look at her lips and cheeks, aren't they the color of the wild ones that grow behind the house?"

"Oh, sweetheart," she held me close, repeatedly kissing my temple and cheek. "I think Rose is perfect, just perfect."

"What will Frank say?"

"He'd say you girls are talkin' enough to wake the baby." He rolled over, yawning. "Now get back to bed before Rose wakes up and sees you, there'll be no getting her back to sleep then."

"Yessir," I giggled, letting a finger trace along the edge of her blanket. "Goodnight."

Easing the bedroom door closed behind me, I took a moment to look outside, the moonlight gleaming off the flat snow covered land. It looked like crystal glass, perfect and unbroken. Moving to the window, my breath fogged up the pane, obscuring the view. My reflection was distorted now, showing only my dark hair and brown skin. For a fleeting moment I saw the face of my papa, then it was gone.

"I won't forget," I breathed softly in promise. "I won't forget."

That night I dreamed again, the same dream as before, my sister Rose grown and beautiful. We were walking arm in arm, smiling, happy, and I heard my name called, a wonderful sound in my Papa's tongue. I turned, startled. Wind Runner was at the end of the street, stretching his hand out toward me, beyond him the wild open space of the prairie. Converging like a sea of hungry wolves, white men swarmed around the brave warrior, rifle barrels gleaming in the sunlight. I screamed warning, but my voice was gone. I move to run to him but I felt my arm jerk back, held fast in a tight grip.

"No, Jaynie," my sister's voice was sweet, persuasive, but her eyes were utterly flat, emotionless. "Let the savage die. You don't need him."

I fought against her, struggling to get free but her fingers dug into my arm, blood dripping from beneath her nails. Thunder cracked wretchedly loud in the stillness. I watched in horror as Wind Runner fell, his body shuddering wildly with each impact of rifle bullets. His expressive black eyes found mine, clinging to me as life faded from them, his body sagging to the ground. I started screaming.

"Let the savage die, Jaynie," Rose's voice was a whisper in my ear. "Let the savage die."

"He'ya (no)!" I shrieked the word, feeling the loud wail rip from me as if pulled by an evil spirit. It echoed loudly, banging against my eardrums, pounding like endless drums. The sound would not stop, would not cease rippling through my soul like a lost banshee. I didn't realize I was still screaming until Frank's hand clamped over my mouth, stifling the high pitched howling.

"Hush girl!" his low voice was next to my ear. "It's alright now, it's alright!"

"Shee-chah ee-hahn'blay (evil spirits)!" I fought free of him, cramming my hands tight over my ears. "Ay-pee ee-yue'day ee-hahn gyea (they try to destroy me)!"