“Does you hip hurt?”
“I’m stiff, but it’llheal.”
Michio sat up. “We’ve got newclothes.” He glanced at Jake and Erling. Reassured they were stillasleep, he drew her against him and kissed her, then lowered her backdown. “You’re even more beautiful in the firelight,” he said.Her face was softly lit in the flickering golden-red light and shelooked vibrant and alive. Her smooth skin glowed and her dark eyeswere soft and luminous.
“How is it you smell so freshand clean?” Toemeka asked.
“I went for an early morningswim in a stream near here.”
“I’d like to bathe.”
“I don’t think that’s agood idea with a camp full of men nearby.”
She wrinkled her nose at him.“I’m not going to swim in camp. I wonder what they have to eat.I’m starving.”
Michio sat up and handed her theclothes the native gave him. Toemeka’s face lit with delight as sheexamined them; her enthusiasm pleased him. She slid on her still dampblouse, then put on the clothes Michio gave her—a leather skirt andjacket and pair of fur-lined moccasins. “Finally! Some decentshoes. There’s hardly anything left of my slippers.” She rose andwent over to Jake, checking his wound. “Who put the poultice onJake?”
“The medicine man. Jake wasrunning a fever last night. I brought in a jug of water and a clothto wipe it off, but I thought I’d wait until the water heated upand he’s awake.” Michio slid on a leather shirt and pants.
“I’ll take care of Jake. Thewater should be warm enough by now and you need some sleep.” Sheplaced her hand on Jake’s forehead and he opened his eyes. “Yourfever’s gone,” she said.
Jake smiled at her. “You’re apretty sight to wake up to.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Like I might live, after all.”
Michio watched them,uncomfortable that Toemeka was so intimate with her former lover. Herface was soft with concern and compassion for Jake.
“I’ll wash off the poulticethe medicine man applied while you slept.” She pulled the water jugaway from the fire, splashed warm water onto the cloth and used it towipe the clay off his shoulder wound. “Your wound looks better.”
“It feels better, but I doubtI’ll be able to travel for several days.”
“We’ll stay long enough foryou to heal.”
“It’s too dangerous for youto stay with Commander Rochambeau and his men hunting you. You andMichio should leave. Erling and I can follow when I’m better.”
“We’re safe for the moment,”Michio said. “The medicine man put a shield of protection over thecamp.”
“I don’t want to bring deathto the camp,” Toemeka said.
23
Misunderstandings
After tending Jake’s wounds,Toemeka left the teepee. Michio grabbed his jacket and followed her,annoyed she hadn’t waited for him. When he stepped outside, he sawToemeka talking to a warrior by the center fire. Kumaroo stood nextto the warrior, watching her every move. Michio immediately realizedhe’d have to tell her what Jake told him about the Owayan culture.
The warrior handed her a rifleand she walked toward Michio, smiling triumphantly. “Look, we havea weapon.”
“How did you convince him togive it to you when you don’t speak a word of Owayan?”
“I pointed to the rifle, thento the woods and he handed it to me.”
Michio took the heavy rifle fromher. “Good idea, but don’t you have a blaster? “
“The battery’s dead and yourswas lost in the river.”
On the way to the stream, Michiosaid, “Jake told me a married Owayan woman doesn’t interact withany man beside her husband — unless she’s unhappy with him andwants to attract a new one.”
Toemeka looked at him with raisedeyebrows. “And you’re just mentioning this to me now?”
“There’s more. Kumaroo’s apowerful man in the tribe and he’s taken an interest in you.”
“This just keeps gettingbetter. Anything else I should know?”
“Women aren’t normally in awarrior camp and they never ride axterdons, so you’re somewhat of anovelty, especially with your white skin. You’ve gained some of theother men’s interest as well.”
“I see. Why didn’t you tellme this last night?”
“You were already afraid ofKumaroo and I didn’t want to upset you even more. I was planning totell you today. Should we leave the tribe and set off on our own?”
“It might be for the best.”
The woods consisted of huge,old-growth trees and they followed a narrow animal trail to thestream. Toemeka knelt beside it and took a drink, then looked up atMichio, squinting through the bright sunlight. “Let’s walkdownstream, so I can clean off this dirt.”
She went around the bend, thentook off her moccasins and jacket, before wading into the waterwearing her blouse and leather skirt. “Brrr-r-r, it’s cold.”She splashed her face and arms with water, scrubbing off dirt as bestshe could. When she came out of the stream, Michio notice her thinblouse looked nearly transparent where it had gotten wet.
She smiled seductively. “You’resupposed to be keeping guard.”
“So I am.” He reluctantlylooked away from her and scanned the woods, suddenly feeling likethey were being watched.
Nearby, Toemeka turned melancholyas she pulled on her jacket and moccasins. “I miss Baymond,” shesaid. “It’s a terrible, constant ache in my heart. I feel likeI’m missing all these precious moments of the early months of hislife.”
“I miss him, too.”
Her eyes filled with love as shespoke again. “I’m sorry for all the distress I’ve caused you.You’ve got a right to be angry with me for leaving on the rescuemission without telling you and then taking off on my own. Insteadyou’re been patient and understanding. I’ve made a mess ofthings.”
“I feel some of the fault mustlie with me since you don’t feel you can confide in me and have tosneak off on your own.” He leaned down and kissed her.
A stick snapped and Michio lookedup to see Kumaroo step onto the bank. The warrior began speaking inOwayan; his words were accompanied by hand movements.
Unable to understand thelanguage, Michio clasped Toemeka’s hand and led her back towardcamp, annoyed with himself for being so careless. Owayan warriorswere nothing to fool around
