She had whispered this time, but her breathless voice carried the depth of her fears to his ears. He raised his left hand to caress her fair curls. "No, I will never harm you, but in a war many innocent people die, and I did not want you to be one of them."
Erica had the eerie feeling a mystical force had been put into motion at the moment she and Viper had met, or perhaps long before, to insure that their fateful meeting took place. The attraction between them had always been strong, far too intense to deny, but she feared if she were to give in to it again, it would become an obsession that could destroy them both. "Oh Viper, I am so frightened. I am frightened for us both."
Viper leaned down to silence her fears with a soft, lingering kiss, caressing her bruised lips tenderly, until she raised her arms to encircle his neck. She clung to him then with a fierce desperation born of terror rather than passion. It was not fear he craved, however, but loving acceptance, and he did not take advantage of her sorrow and make love to her. Instead, he continued to kiss her lightly and hold her wrapF>ed in his arms until at last she grew calm and fell asleep still cuddled in his embrace. He did not count the evening as wasted, though, for he felt at last he had earned her trust, and knew surely that was the beginning of love.
When Erica awoke she was alone on the blanket. She sat up slowly, expecting to see Viper seated nearby as he had
been the previous morning, but except for the stallion who stood grazing in the tall grass at the tar side of the clearing, the area was deserted. There was no sign of the Indian, nor of any of his possessions. Erica wasted no time wondering where he might be. She leaped up, and in a soothing voice called to the stallion as she grabbed his bridle from the low limb where Vip)er had tossed it.
As she approached, the bi^ horse eyed the blond woman with an annoyed swipe of his long tail, for he had no wish to be ridden on that day or any other. He laid his ears flat against his head and backed away, but, undaunted by his obvious bad temper, Erica came straight toward him.
"I have no time to argue with you. We are leaving here right now," she commanded sharply. She grabbed a handful of his thick mane and deftly shoved the bit in his mouth, forced the leather straps over his ears, and quickly secured the buckles on the bridle. It was stamped with army insignia, and she realized Viper must have stolen the horse. She would not be stealing the animal, then, but rather returning him to his rightful owners. Not that her conscience would have bothered her for taking the horse. It wouldn't have, because she knew she had to get away from Viper while she still had an ounce of sense left. Whenever the man kissed her she could think of nothing but how wonderful it felt to be in his arms, but under the cool light of dawn she was determined to leave him while she could still see what an impossible choice remaining with him would be.
She untied the thong that had hobbled the stallion, then led him over to a stump, stepped on it, and climbed upon his back. She had ridden astride a horse upon occasion, and even if it had not been recently, she had not forgotten how to handle a mount, even a difficult one. The stallion recognized the confidence in her manner and touch, and ceasing to balk, resigned himself to being ridden. When Erica nudged him in the flanks with her heels, he turned in the direction she wished to go and carried her toward the stream.
Erica had not dreamed getting away from Viper would be so easy. She directed the stallion into the water to be certain the Indian could not track them. She prayed the first people she met would be white, but she had traveled
no more than five minutes when she rounded a wide curve and came upon Viper. He was seated at the edge of the stream fishing for their breakfast. When he saw her he leaped to his feet, his grin a delighted one until he realized by her horrified expression that she had been running away rather than coming to find him.
Desperate to flee, Erica jabbed her heels into the stallion's hide, urging him to plunge past the Indian before he could wade out into the stream and stop them, but Viper was too swift to be eluded so easily as mat. He lunged across the water, grabbed the huge black horse's bridle, and with a savage jerk brought the animal to a halt. Seething with rage, he then reached up for Erica's arm and yanked her off the animal's back. She slipped as her feet reached the moss-covered rocks of the streambed and fell forward into the water. As she struggled to get to her feet Viper laughed at her foolish attempt to escape him.
'Tou will not have to wash your dress today, nor take a bath, but I am afraid you have lightened away all the fishl" he snarled crossly. Leaving her standing in the stream, water dripping from her drenched hair and clothes, he led the horse a good distance from the water and tied his reins to a low fimb. He then returned to his fishing line, and to his surprise found that during the commotion with Erica he had caught a good-size trout.
"We will have breakfast, after all, no thanks to you. Now stop playing in the water and come dean this fish. I am hungry."
Erica flipped her sopping tresses out of her eyes and came fcnrward. This time when Viper held out his knife she took it and then made a lunge for him, but he easily sidestepped the blow and Inrought his hand down upon her wnst with a punishing fcHrce that sent the knife sailing into the air. It landed in the mud at the edge of the water, and he picked it up before she could make a dive iar iL
He had not broken her wrist, but he had come so dose her arm ached from fingertip to shoulder. "I hate youl" she screamed, but the words were a lie, and he knew it as well as she did. He returned her angry glare with an arrogant lift of his chin and again held out the knife.
"Clean the fish," he ordered a second time, "Or I will not share it with you."
The trout was flipping about in the mud, trying to reach the water, and with a quick kick Erica booted it back out into the stream. "I'd rather starvel" she screamed defiantly.
Viper drew back his hand, ready to slap some sense into her, but when Erica did not even flinch, he realized trying to break her spirit was pointless. It was the fire in her soul that kindled the flames of his own. Taming her would be like taming himself, and he found that thought as abhorrent as she obviously did. He was not above tricking her, however. He shoved his knife back into its sheath and spoke in a convincing tone. "Since you have talked of nothing but your desire to return to New Ulm, I will take you back as soon as we have cleaned up our campsite."
"What?" Erica's expression first mirrored her disbelief, then, seeing he was serious, she had to restrain herself from throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him to show her gratitude. "You mean it? You will take me home? You really will?"
Her innocent enthusiasm tore Viper's heart in two, but he nodded. "Yes. I will take you to New Ulm and tell you good-bye, if I must. As you say, there are many pretty Indian girls, and I will take one of them for my wife." He saw something new in her glance then, a li^ht that might have been only a tiny spark of jealousy, but it was jealousy all the same, and that pleased him enormously. "Come, we must hurry." He turned away, knowing she would follow, but he had to hide his smile when she scampered after him like a frisky puppy. The happier she was now, the more she would need him later, if what he expected to find at New Ulm proved to be true.
Without arguing, Erica helped Viper sweep the clearing of all sign of their presence, even though she did not understand why they had to leave no trace of the time they had spent there. She was too excited about returning home to care if some work had to be done first. When Viper folded the blanket and laid it upon the stallion's back, she went to his side. "Do you want me to ride in front of you or behind?" She cared little what his preference was, she was so anxious to leave.
ViF>er had his few belongings slung over his back. He mounted the horse and then looked down at her. "I should make you walk," he stated matter-of-factly, but the
teasing gleam in his eyes let her know he would not make such a demand
"If I ride with you, you will be rid of me all the sooner," Erica encouraged playfully.
Viper extended his hand and pulled her up in front of him. "Why should I wish to be rid of you when we get alon^ so well?"
Erica again made herself comfortable astride the horse and took hold of its flowing mane so she would feel secure. When Viper wrapped his left arm around her waist, she realized she should have insisted upon being seated behind him where he could not touch her. She would know better next time, she thought, but she hoped this would be the last time they ever rode together. They did get along well, but only when she was in his arms. "Just take me home, Viper, as quickly as you can."
Her dress and hair were still damp, and he was reminded of the way she had looked when they had arrived at the clearing. They had spent only two days together, and for him, that was not nearly enough. "It will take all day," he replied. "There is no need to run the horse as I did on the way here."
Erica turned slighdy to glance over her shoulder at Viper, but he did not smile as she had hoped he would, so she faced forward again. "You have been very kind to me. I would still like to provide a reward."
The handsome brave intended to have one, but again not the one she would have chosen. "You are not home yet," he pointed out as they left the clearing. "Be quiet, unless you have something more interesting to say."
Too happy to complain about that remark. Erica lost herself in her own thoughts as she prayed that somehow the men defending New Ulm had been successful. She wanted to find the peaceful community as she had first seen it, but she had no intenuon of remaining there. She
Clanned to start back for Delaware on the first available oat. She would then put the horror of the uprising far behind her. She reached up to grasp the claw that lay upon her breast and knew she would not show it to her friends as she had once planned. Viper's memory would be a secret she would keep for all time. Viper had not really expected Erica to keep still, and he
regretted telling her to be quiet when she remained silent. The day was another warm one. It was Monday, August 25, one week to the day from the attack at the Lower Agency. The Sioux had thrown the whole valley into chaos, and Viper made certain the route he chose back to New Ulm took them near no settlements where men might be stationed on lookout and shoot him in the back. They crossed the river, then continued west, skirting Swan Lake on the south befcwe again crossing the river just below New Ulm where the Cottonwood River joined the Minnesota.
"We cannot enter the town on the main road," he warned sofdy. "I will circle around the bluff so we can see what has happened."
"I understand," Erica replied, breathless with anticipation. They had stopp)ed several times to allow the horse to drink water and rest, but she had not complained when Viper had made no effort to provideany food for them. She was sorry they had not had the trout for breakfast, but reminded herself that had she not been so hostile, the Indian might not have agreed to take her home. Her stomach had been growling in protest for hours, but j hunger seemed a slight discomfort to her when New Ulm lay so close.
Viper dismounted at the base of the bluff and then carefully set Erica down on her feet. Keeping her hand in his, he led her to the top where, hidden by trees, they could look down on the town, or rather, what was left of it. All the houses located outside the barricaded central p>ortion had been burned to the ground. All that remained of the nearly two hundred homes that had once dotted the landscape were the chimneys and rectangular piles of smoldering ashes that showed where the structures had once been. The desolate scene gripped the lively blonde with a tormenting fascination. Even from their position on the bluff, she could tell the city was deserted. Everyone was gone. Had they all been taken captive, or worse yet, were they all dead? She scanned the streets with a fierce intensity then, but there were no bodies to be seen anywhere, not even one.
Viper wanted to shout with glee, for surely Erica would realize now that there was no turning back. She would
belong to him without argument now. He was sure of it but when he saw the confusion in her expression, he was careful not to eloat. "Everyone is gone. I cannot leave you here alone.'
Nor did Erica wish to be left on her own in the deserted remains of the once prosperous city. "Where have they all gone. Viper? Where are the Sioux taking their captives?"
Her deep blue eyes peered into his widi so helpl^s a stare that Viper was not even tempted to tell her what she wished to know. He merely shook his head. "I will not take you there," he insisted firmly.
With the speed of lightning hpping through rain-clouded skies, Erica suddenly realized he had never meant to leave her in New Ulm, either. She did not accuse him of that treachery, however, since it was to her advantage not to reveal that she had discovered how clever his lies had been. He mistook the mist of tears that filled her eyes for evidence of her sorrow, but they were, in fact, tears of frustration and rage. "I need so many things," she announced suddenly, forcing her attenuon away from him to more practical matters. "If the town has not been looted, perhaps I can find another dress, a comb for my hair, a—"
Viper's deep chuckle interrupted her list. "You are goin^ to loot the town if the Sioux did not?"
Erica frowned impatiently. "I will keep track of what I take and pay for it later. If there is anything left to take, which I doubL" With one last, anxious glance at the devastated town, she turned away, and after squaring her shoulders proucUy, she started back down the bluff. When she saw five Sioux braves examining Viper's stallion, she halted abruptly, fearing her consistently bad luck had just taken a disastrous turn iar the worse.
Viper was no more than two paces behind the blonde, and he had already seen the braves by the time she did. Unfortunately, they had also seen her. "Get behind me," he ordered quickly, "and do not ar^^ with anything I say!" He strode on by her then, his nfle in his hand and a look of immense pride and determination on his face.