Captive Travelers by Candace Smith Page B

were too many like him, lined up to block the door.
    Tocho gripped Clara’s chin, forcing her tearing eyes to look up at him. “We were told they were to head south. You did well, to keep them here,” he said in a low voice. Clara was quivering, and she had to force herself not to disrespect him and anger him further by looking away.
    She had been both surprised and terrified when the chief’s son walked in. Even though Tocho and Nashoba were good friends, Clara had never known Nashoba to join him to collect travelers. At first, she was afraid he was sent to punish Henry and her. Silently, she watched him study the captives. When Aubrey walked in, it was obvious why Nashoba had made the journey with Tocho.
    “They don’t know… all of it. Please, Tocho.” Clara’s voice was a trembling whisper. Pleading with him was her only option. He knew that she had attempted to lie to them to protect the travelers.
    “I would not have traded you to someone like the farmer if not for your weakness, Sahkyo.” Tocho put his hand over the breast with his lion claw. His other hand pushed back her bonnet, and he sifted strands of her hair between his fingers. Silver mixed with the chestnut, but she was still pretty and would always belong to him. “Not so much the Mink any more,” he said quietly. “But, you will always be my Sahkyo, and I knew you would try to hide them. You will always try to hide them, even though you know that you can’t.”
    Henry had not been as observant as Clara, and it had not occurred to him why Nashoba had come for the travelers. “Tocho, it is obvious you want Clara back. I will trade you for the one with green eyes. She did nothing against the Indians, and Clara disrespected the tribe. It should be a fair trade.”
    Tocho smiled and ran his thumb down Clara’s cheek. He turned to Henry. “You will have to trade with the chief’s son. The woman belongs to him.”
    Tocho could see the sadness in Sahkyo’s eyes. He knew that she had never liked living with the farmer, but he still fought a jealous rage when he thought of Henry sleeping next to his Mink while his own sleeping furs were empty.
    Cici was terrified. The whole time, a part of her did not believe that Indians would really come for them. They were big and frighteningly primal… savage. And, they were men . The panic built as she thought about the Indians taking them away to their village. No… no… I can’t do this. I might be able to make it at the farm, but not with savages. “It’s Kayla,” she gasped. Cici pointed across the table. “Kayla is the one you want, not us.”
    “Cici, oh god.” Aubrey moved to stand in front of Kayla, still holding the basket. She was shaking. The girls had made a pact not to say which one of them was the cause. They hoped the Indians would only want the one they felt had wronged the tribe, and it would screw up whatever plans the savages had for them.
    Nashoba straightened. His white woman had pride and bravery. Her breasts were straining against the dress while she breathed. They were swelled, nicely firm, with large nipples poking against her apron. Nashoba stroked his thumb over the pads of his fingers, imagining how it would feel to be rolling the taut protuberances and pinching them. How frightened she was, and yet she tried to protect the raven. Nashoba would teach her how the girl had deceived her, and she would learn to despise her.
    Aubrey felt Kayla’s fingers grip the back of her skirt, and she could hear her beginning to cry. Aubrey put the basket on the table and curled her hand when she scooped up the knife. She pulled her hand to the back as if she were calming Kayla, and tucked the knife into the tie of her apron.
    Aubrey licked her lips and looked around the room. There was not an inch of fat on any of them, and as all had their bronzed chests and arms visible this was quite noticeable. A crazy thought that she was glad they did not have Mohawks went through her head. They all