Loretta! Get back in the yard," Rachel called.
Loretta turned, hugging her waist, her body bent slightly to contain the sobs that tried to escape her. "Aunt Rachel, he's leaving me. He's leaving me!"
Rachel came running. Wrapping both arms around Loretta, she cried, "Oh, honey…"
"He's leaving me!" Loretta once again threw back her head. "Hunter-rrr!"
The cry carried on the wind, shrill and mournful. Suddenly he crested the hill, a lone figure on horseback, etched in black against the sky. For a moment Loretta thought she was imagining him because she had wanted him to return so badly. Then he lifted his arm in a silent tribute, saluting her as one warrior would another. Loretta jerked from Rachel's grasp, staggering toward him, drinking in the sight of him. She wanted to be beside him. She had to make him understand that. He needn't choose between her and his people. She had been wrong, so horribly wrong.
"Hunter! Take me with you! I love you!" she called. "I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it!"
He remained there, his arm still lifted, for several heartbreaking seconds. Then he wheeled his stallion and disappeared from sight. Hollow-eyed, Loretta stared after him. She had asked him to choose, and she had lost. Her legs buckled under her weight, and she fell to her knees, the pain inside her so excruciating that she couldn't breathe.
"
"
The wind brushed her cheeks, catching his name and carrying it away from her. She crossed her arms over her breasts and sobbed, her gaze fixed on the rise. She would never again look at the horizon without seeing him outlined there.
Loretta turned, hugging her waist, her body bent slightly to contain the sobs that tried to escape her. "Aunt Rachel, he's leaving me. He's leaving me!"
Rachel came running. Wrapping both arms around Loretta, she cried, "Oh, honey…"
"He's leaving me!" Loretta once again threw back her head. "Hunter-rrr!"
The cry carried on the wind, shrill and mournful. Suddenly he crested the hill, a lone figure on horseback, etched in black against the sky. For a moment Loretta thought she was imagining him because she had wanted him to return so badly. Then he lifted his arm in a silent tribute, saluting her as one warrior would another. Loretta jerked from Rachel's grasp, staggering toward him, drinking in the sight of him. She wanted to be beside him. She had to make him understand that. He needn't choose between her and his people. She had been wrong, so horribly wrong.
"Hunter! Take me with you! I love you!" she called. "I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it!"
He remained there, his arm still lifted, for several heartbreaking seconds. Then he wheeled his stallion and disappeared from sight. Hollow-eyed, Loretta stared after him. She had asked him to choose, and she had lost. Her legs buckled under her weight, and she fell to her knees, the pain inside her so excruciating that she couldn't breathe.
"
"
The wind brushed her cheeks, catching his name and carrying it away from her. She crossed her arms over her breasts and sobbed, her gaze fixed on the rise. She would never again look at the horizon without seeing him outlined there.
( Catherine Anderson )
[ Comanche Moon ]
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