Coyote Summer by W. Michael Gear

Author:W. Michael Gear
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates

Willow sat bolt upright in her robes. Beyond the protection of the rock overhang, the wind whistled through the rocks and whimpered in the branches of the trees. Over the deep breathing of the sleepers, she could hear the blowing snow patter on the leather shelter wall.

Richard? His image sifted through her thoughts, unsettling her even more than the dreams that had haunted her sleep.

Willing her souls to silence, she closed her eyes, stilling everything, seeking … and finding nothing.

He called to me. She settled into the soft bedding again, and listened to the gusting night wind. Where was he? At the mouth of the Big Horn? By now, Richard, Travis, and the rest should be building their post, perhaps with the Maria frozen into the ice. Or would they have drawn the boat up on shore?

She snuggled deeper into the warm hides, a smooth otter pelt against her cheek. In her imagination, his brown eyes softened, that faint quirk of a smile on his lips. She could imagine his hand, reaching out to her with such gentleness.

Oh, Willow, how did he charm you so? She tucked a fist under her chin, trying to understand. Everything about Richard was a contradiction. That incredible gentleness with which he looked at her; the terrible violence with which he’d fought Trudeau. A warrior who had taken trophies in battle, stolen horses, and fought with great courage; he had marveled at the colors in a sunset, or would mourn a wounded songbird. He had fearlessly looked into the eye of her soul and remained unaffected by her Power. But his desire to join with her under the robes had terrified him.

Richard, my Richard, you were always afraid of the wrong things, the inconsequential things. The terrible longing ached inside her chest.

She took a deep breath of the cold night air. A smart woman would take her time, find herself a good man, and resume her life. She would have children, raise them correctly, and praise her man for his hunting talent and all the other skills he excelled at. She would keep the fires warm and the food cooked, and finally smile with relief when her children turned into adults and moved off to start lodges and families of their own. Tam Apo had made the world that way. Such things were expected of a smart woman.

It’s not a bad life, she reminded herself sternly. I had started just such a life with my husband.

Why did she resist doing it again?

“Because if my husband was stupid enough to dull an ax on a rock, I’d break a club over his head,” she whispered.

The Whites had changed her opinions, showed her different strengths, and, at the same time, different weaknesses. She still couldn’t understand how they could put God into a building. And the way they thought of women disturbed her deeply.

The truth is, Willow, that you’ve stepped between peoples, and now, neither one satisfies you. And the final question remained: What do you really want?

She tossed and turned, gnawing at the answer, and finding none.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.