Journey's End Read online

  The brave handed him a makeshift crutch.

  “Thank you.” He used the crutch to support himself as he stood.

  The little guy nodded a welcome and motioned for Jared to follow.

  “My name is Jared. What’s yours?”

  Instead of answering, the brave walked away. Assuming he didn’t understand, Jared followed in hopes to meet up with someone who spoke English. It took them an hour to walk the mile to a damp, dark cave. After lighting a lantern, the brave pointed to a pallet at the back of the cave.

  Totally worn out, Jared limped across the cave and warily sank onto the pallet. “I know you don’t understand me, but I want to thank you anyway. Thank you.” His leg and arm were killing him, but he thanked God for the cover of the cave, especially with the storm he heard approaching.

  When Jared first stood, Joy had been taken aback. Enormous. Broad shoulders. Tapered waist. Strong hands. Compared to her five-foot-five, he was a giant. An unnerving attraction for him crept into her thoughts. She attempted ignoring it in hopes it would disappear. Instead of giving him her name, she had turned away from the attraction and walked through the woods. Near the end of their journey, the only thing running through her mind was he was an evil, green-eyed devil who would kill her as soon as he looked at her. But then he’d thanked her.

  Joy liked his low, slow drawl. She’d never heard an accent like it before, making her wonder what country he came from. His gratitude sounded genuine. This went against everything Lucas said about white men. She wanted to touch his deeply tanned skin again. He was almost as dark as she was. He must be mixed with something.

  She woke him early the next morning. The rain had stopped a few hours earlier, and she wanted to return home before the rains started again.

  Jared tried to rise, but he moved so stiffly that she knew his injuries and cold had taken their toll on him. He gingerly stat up. “My name is Jared.” He tapped his chest. “Jared.” He pointed at her. “What’s your name?”

  Joy wasn’t sure if she should answer or not.

  “I know my people have lied to and cheated your people, but I’m not like that,” he said in a softer tone. He held his hand out to her. “Hello, my name is Jared.” He placed his hand on his chest. “Jared.”

  He sounded so sincere, but Joy knew better. She cleared her mind of the demons and Lucas’s words, stepped forward and stuck out her gloved hand. She wouldn’t allow fear to rule her. She was a warrior, and he could be different. And if he crossed her, she’d just kill him.

  “Brave Heart.” Joy couldn’t believe the low, husky voice that escaped her mouth. She hadn’t spoken in days, so she decided the cool, dry air must have affected it.

  Jared smiled with a polite nod as he took Brave Heart’s hand. “So you do speak English?”

  “We must leave, but first I must change your bandage.” She took off the gloves and stuffed them in the waist of her buckskin britches, then knelt beside him and carefully unwrapped a few of the ties that secured the splint on his leg.

  He winced a few times, but said nothing. She gently washed the wound and did her best to keep from causing him undue pain. Some of the swelling had gone down. Hopefully, his wounds would heal properly. She glanced up a few times and saw him watching her intently. She wanted to know what he thought. Why was he on her mountain? She put fresh wrapping over his wound and secured it to the splint.

  A wolf ran into the cave. Joy turned to see who approached and went stiff. Finger to her lips, she whispered, “You must be quiet. My brother is near.” She rose and left the cave to find her brother.

  Jared was grateful the young brave knew how to mend his leg properly and infection hadn’t set in. He admired how the tiny brave tried to look and sound big and strong. The little fella couldn’t be but fourteen maybe fifteen, he thought.

  After a few minutes, Jared heard arguing. They weren’t speaking in English, so he couldn’t understand what they were saying. He could barely hear Brave Heart, but the brother was quite loud.

  A brave who looked to be in his lower twenties entered the cave and stalked right up to Jared. “Take off your shirt,” he barked.

  Filled with apprehension, Jared began removing his shirt. It was cold, he was in pain, he had no weapons and this Indian looked none to happy to see him.

  Apparently moving too slow for the brave’s liking, the man knelt beside Jared and helped him undress. “Are you a half-breed?” the brave asked.

  Jared thought about lying. With his dark hair and complexion, he might be able to pass. “No. Where I come from it’s awfully hot. My coloring is from working in the fields with my shirt off.” The Indian seemed disappointed. “I think this is my natural color now,” he joked. The man didn’t even crack a half smile. “I’m Jared. Thank you for helping me.”

  “I’m Wolf.” He touched the left side of Jared’s ribcage. “I don’t feel any broken bones and you don’t have any wounds that need additional cleaning, only bruises. Will someone be searching for you?”

  “No. I’m traveling alone.”

  Wolf rolled his eyes. “What are you doing out here alone? You’re not from around here.” He slowly lifted Jared’s left arm.

  Jared cringed a few times as Wolf tested his arm for range of motion. He took in a deep breath and answered, “My cousin lives in southern California.”

  Wolf lowered Jared’s arm. “It isn’t broken, but will be sore a few days.” He gazed deeply into Jared’s eyes, as if searching his soul. “Are you running away or running to?”

  Jared cocked his head to the side. He’d known this man for fewer than five minutes, yet Wolf had already figured him out. “I’m running away from the pain back home.”

  “If your cousin lives in southern California, what are you doing here?” He helped Jared put his shirt back on.

  Unable to find a reasonable explanation, Jared shrugged. “I don’t know. I’d seen the mountains from afar. Something drew me. I was running away.” He’d been sitting at his campfire preparing his lunch when the urge to go further up the mountain overwhelmed him. He quickly put out the fire, rushed to his horse and rode, only stopping to grab his light coat. “I don’t know what else to say.”

  “You were called by the mountains to heal.” He reached for Jared’s coat and helped him put it on.

  “You might be right.”

  Chapter Two

  Joy made the final touches on her travois. She’d made them before to drag items about the woods, but never one this size. With Jared being such a large man, she hoped wood poles and the additional cross straps were strong enough to hold the majority of the way home.

  Wolf exited the cave. “His arm isn’t broken. Are you sure you want to take him home?”

  “He can’t hurt me. I’ll take him to the main road once the rains stop.”

  He checked the straps of the travois. “You’re getting good at this. The rains could last for days. I’ll leave one of the wild boars in the smoke house for you.”

  “You know I don’t eat boar. Take it to the village with you.”

  Pulling off her hood, he grinned. “This thing is ridiculous, and that’s a grown man in there, Brave Heart. Look at him. He’ll eat you out of house and home in a week. He needs real meat to heal properly.”

  “You’re right. Thank you.”

  “Come to the village for more supplies after he leaves. You’ll be sorry if you run out halfway through the snow.”

  “Where is Roaring Thunder?”

  “Stop avoiding him. He can come for you whenever he wants. It’s not like he doesn’t know where you live.”

  She snatched her hood back. “I know, I know. It’s just…” She just couldn’t lead the life he wanted for her. “Please, Wolf. You know he’ll make me stay if I go to the village.” He didn’t answer immediately, which she was used to. She waited patiently.

  “He’ll be leaving in two, maybe three weeks,” he said. “The mountain called to Jared. He’s healing from more than physical wounds. I can’t
explain it, but I think you two need each other.”

  “I don’t need a man, especially a white one.”

  “You saved his life. He’s your responsibility.”

  “I know. I’m caring for him.”

  He softened, saying, “I know how you fear those like him, but you’ve been a true Brave. Our father would be proud of you.” He motioned toward the cave. “Both of your wounds run deep. I sense you are what the other needs. It is good he has come. It’s time for you to heal.” He pulled her into his embrace. “I expect to see you in two, maybe three weeks.” He walked away.

  He sounded more and more like her Miwok father every day. She donned her hood and re-entered the cave. Her brothers teased her mercilessly about the hood, but she would show them it was a good idea. It just needed a few adjustments.

  She handed Jared his crutch and helped him stand. Taking him into her home filled her with unease. But what choice did she have? She definitely didn’t want to stay in the cave any longer. The rains were freezing, and so was she.

  Jared limped to the outside of the cave and saw a travois hitched to an ox. The thing looked shaky at best. He hoped to God Brave Heart didn’t intend on moving him with that contraption.

  “Don’t worry.” Brave Heart stroked the ox’s neck. “He is strong and can pull your weight.”

  Though Brave Heart’s voice was thick and deep as if he hadn’t spoken in a while, something in the way he moved was completely feminine. Not one to judge, Jared clumsily lowered himself. “I’m not too sure about this.” He pressed the cross straps.

  “The rains come. We must leave.” Brave Heart went into the cave and returned with a wool blanket. He folded the blanket and lay it over the cross straps.

  An hour into the bumpy ride, Jared’s back ached almost as much as his leg. “Where are we headed?”

  “Home.”

  “What will your father say?”

  Brave Heart glared over his shoulder at him. “He’d kill you if he saw you.” He increased his pace.

  Jared wasn’t a coward, but he’d much rather stay in the cave than deal with a tribe of paleface hating Indians. At the top of the rough, pathless mountain stood a plateau that was surrounded by huge evergreens. No one would ever see this place until on it. He laughed to himself, thinking who in their right mind would come this far into the woods. It was a small utopia with a magnificent log and rock cabin as its centerpiece. He’d never seen anything like it in his life. This time he felt he had a grip on things. Brave Heart knew his father would kill him, so he brought him to these people’s cabin.

  The young brave handed Jared his crutch. “Stay here while I care for the ox.”

  Now even the voice had begun sounding feminine. Tired from more than the journey from the cave to the cabin, Jared waited on the stairs and continued soaking in the tranquility of the mountain.

  “If you wish to sleep out here, you may want to move to the rocking chair.”

  Jared jerked awake. “I’m sorry.” He hobbled into the cabin. Dumbstruck for words, he stared in awe. The woodwork was exquisite from the oak floors to the furniture and window frames. The large living area opened into the kitchen. He continued into the kitchen, set his crutch aside and pulled out one of the four ladder backed chairs from the table.

  There were two rooms on either side of the kitchen and one room to the back of the kitchen. He would enjoy a full tour of this lovely home. “I have never seen such beautiful work.” Eyes closed, he slowly inhaled the rich aroma of the wood and calmness of the atmosphere.

  “Thank you.” Brave Heart took off his gloves, ladled out a bowl of stew and placed it in front of Jared. “It’s cooled off, but should still be good. I will take you to the main road when the rains stop. Someone will see you there and take you into town.”

  “Thank you.”

  Brave Heart stood there for a while, as if he wanted to say something, but wasn’t sure if he should. To keep from intimidating the little fella, Jared concentrated on the soup. “This is delicious.”

  “You said you aren’t like other white men. Do you speak the truth?”

  So that was it! They might as well get this over now, Jared thought. He would explain his views, and they could move along with life. “Not all white men are bad. Most of us are good.” He sized Brave Heart up. He was a small man, not a boy. And the sun had tanned his skin a golden brown.

  “Then why do they kill the Indians and enslave the Negroes?”

  He flushed with the shame of what white men had done. He didn’t have a good answer for Brave Heart. He didn’t agree with slavery, yet his family had owned slaves. He thought it was wrong to steal the land from the Indians, but what could he do about it?

  “Do white men feel it is their God-given right to rule over everyone and treat those they feel beneath them worse than animals?”

  That stung. He couldn’t defend a whole race of people. “Most do not. I am not like that.” Jared wanted to make Brave Heart understand, but he didn’t understand himself. He’d just have to convince him he was different.

  “I’m sorry. I’m not angry with you. You’ve done nothing wrong.” Brave Heart turned and went in to one of the rooms off the kitchen.

  Joy thought she’d gotten over her parents’ deaths, but she was wrong. Being so close to someone like Jared brought the memories to the forefront of her mind. The embarrassment she saw in his reddened face had stopped her. Wolf had said the mountain had called to him and that it was time for both of them to heal. In her heart she knew separating Jared from the memories would put her on the road to the healing she longed for, but she still held doubts about allowing him to stay in her home.

  Wolf is right. It’s time to heal.

  Happily ridding herself of her disgusting clothes, Joy stripped. She smelled bad and needed to change. She cleaned herself in the washbasin, then changed to baggy denims and a red and green, checkered, flannel shirt she had taken from her godfather. The shirt had to be at least five sizes too big, but she loved it. Missing Lucas, wearing his clothes made her feel closer to him.

  Pushing away the loneliness, Joy cleaned her mess and returned to the kitchen. Jared had fallen asleep at the table, so she took the opportunity to change the linen in her extra room. She had walked him hard, but he never complained, and she knew his body wanted to cry out from being drug so far, but again, he didn’t complain.

  She checked his splint and stitches. The bandages had dry blood on them, so she changed them. Just as she put the finishing touch on his splint, Jared woke. Again, she saw the eyes of the devil.

  Before she could move, he pushed her away. “Get away from me, you filthy…”

  Joy fell back and bumped her head on the stove. She rose, immediately grabbing a poker. He was just like the rest. She had warned him, yet he still acted like an animal. He wouldn’t disrespect her in her home.

  “Go to bed!” She pointed to his room with the poker.

  Unable to believe he’d pushed the young woman, Jared sat on the edge of the bed. He’d never struck a woman in his life, not even their slaves. He’d been coming out of an all too familiar nightmare. Jared had trudged though the smoky, murky battlefield as he had many times before. The smell of gunpowder and death were thick in the air. Somewhere in the mayhem, his brother lay dying. Men pulled Jared in all directions, but he couldn’t help them. He felt his brother calling to him, needing him.

  He came out of the nightmare in a panic and lashed out at what he thought was another man keeping him from reaching his brother. He hoped he hadn’t hurt her too badly. He lay back on the bed and placed his right hand behind his head. Bringing forth her image to the front of his mind, he smiled. She was a truly beautiful young woman. He’d never cared about race before when he took a woman to bed, so why start now?

  Guilty feelings stopped his train of thoughts. It had been a while since his last rendezvous, and he missed a woman’s touch. He vowed not to pursue her out of respect for Brave Heart. He’d take care of his needs when h
e returned to town.

  After Jared fell into a deep sleep, Joy retrieved and loaded her father’s rifle. She convinced herself that putting him down would be the same as putting down a horse. She tipped into his room and pointed the gun at his head.

  Jared fought through the smoke to reach his brother. He could hear his cry ahead. He’d been shot and was calling for Jared. He lifted his fatally wounded brother under the arms and drug him off the battlefield crying, “Don’t you die on me, Roger. Don’t Die.” Twin brother dying in his arms, he released a blood-curdling cry.

  Jared’s mournful howl flung Joy back to the last time she heard such a cry. Pa…She understood tormenting dreams. She’d lived with them off and on for years.

  Her heart recognized his loss. Now she understood why he’d been called to the mountain. They both suffered from the same pain, and it was time to heal. She lowered the rifle and sat on the edge of his bed. She held a little fear that he’d wake and attack her again, but he needed comforting, and she couldn’t do it from across the room. She took his hand into hers, caressing the rough edges while softly singing until he calmed, just as her second mother had done to chase away her bad dreams.

  Tears of loss and mourning fell from Jared’s eyes, drenching his lifeless twin. He glanced around the battlefield. Everyone he knew and loved was dead. Ready to give in, he heard the voice of an angel singing. Her sweet melody surrounded his broken heart and lifted his spirits. A calming peace slowly soothed his pain.

  In the morning, Joy dressed in her hunting gear and donned her hood. Her brothers could laugh all they wanted about her hood; she was determined to make it work. The cold had arrived early this year, and she didn’t wish to become ill. She left a bowl of nuts and berries on the nightstand next to Jared’s bed.

  She could feel the chill in the air from the drop in temperature. All she needed was for him to become sick, then she’d never be rid of him. To avoid waking Jared, Joy crept across the room to the fireplace.