Wind Warrior by Vella Munn

Author:Vella Munn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ePublishing Works!
Published: 2015-04-27T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

It was nearly dawn by the time Sebastian and his men met up with the soldiers he'd sent ahead to find the merchant. After introductions were completed, Sebastian explained that he had immediate need for his men to quell a potential Indian uprising, but instead of taking off, he accepted Senor Portola's offer of a simple meal. In truth, Sebastian was all too happy to oblige since he didn't know when he might have another opportunity to take his measure of the man.

"So it's true, is it?" Pablo said as he cut a slab of black bread for Sebastian. "There have been problems at La Purisima."

More than the rumormongers have yet gotten hold of. "Some, but not for much longer."

"You have a plan to end it?"

"Indeed." As he'd expected, Pablo was well armed and accompanied by a couple of men who were responsible for the half-dozen pack mules. Beyond that, the merchant's musket and sword were of the finest quality, his clothing expensive, his personal horse a powerful-looking creature. Pablo himself was a handsome man with an alert bearing.

"Do you mind telling me what you intend to do?" Senor Portola asked. "I promise I won't tell the savages."

Sebastian made a show of laughing at the joke. "I'm certain you won't, since that would hardly be to your advantage. There wouldn't be a problem if they hadn't been allowed to carry out their miserable lives unchallenged. They have grown bold; one of their warriors has become a killer."

"No!"

"I am afraid so," he said and described the latest assault, dividing blame between Mundo for shirking his duties and Black Wolf for his savagery.

"What an appalling incident. What are—"

Not giving the merchant time to finish his sentence, Sebastian launched into an explanation of his commitment to finding where the wild Indians lived and then attacking their village. If it took wiping out the entire population, so be it, but he would prefer to return to the mission with a large number of new neophytes in tow. He said nothing about the hard reality that nothing about his present post had gone the way he'd anticipated, about his growing anger and the sleepless nights.

"I'm certain the padres will be delighted," Pablo said, his expression grave. "A mission can always use more hands to do the work."

"True—not that that is my primary concern."

"No, I daresay yours is of a military nature."

"That and safeguarding my family."

"Your family?"

Smiling to himself at how easily he'd worked the conversation around, Sebastian explained that he'd brought his wife and young unmarried daughter here as a courtesy to the Church. He briefly described his wife's religious duties, then began talking about Lucita.

As he went on about her healing skills, her quick intellect, and the fact that she'd recently broken off a financially advantageous engagement, he was certain Pablo's interest was growing.

"What can I say?" He trusted his sigh would be taken as that of an indulgent father. "Lucita can have her pick of men, so if she insists one suitor doesn't live up to her expectations I can hardly argue that she'll never have another opportunity.

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