December 16, 1869

Kansas. 

This morning I walked into the Cheyenne village and played with the dogs at the campfire. I met a girl named Tiponi and talked with her while we played with the animals. She said the dogs saved her from a trap that got her leg. She said that the man hurt her with a metal trap over the river. I shook my head and through a rock across the snow. She said it just hurt a lot but she didn’t know much about the man who did it. 

Sasha came into the village with Hawk and we talked about the weddings in the villages. I introduced Spirit, the wolf who had determined she was my new bodyguard. I spent the morning playing with the dogs and talking with the tribe. We talked about Harley and how frustrating he was becoming. Little Sky said that she shot him down and I was glad to hear it.

“How are you Trin? Things well with you?” Little Sky asked me. 

“Well enough, Sky. Things are busy in Georgetown. My job is about to get dangerous I think. Is a good thing I’ll have Spirit by my side.”

“Dangerous? Palefaces fighting again?” she asked. 

“A couple of specific ones...” I nodded. “I’ve had to hide from one, and the other has threatened me already.”

“Paleface men are trouble, had one shoot us yesterday for entertainment,” she sighed.

“Trin, I wonder sometimes how you always seem to find such trouble,” Hawk chuckled. 

“I think it finds me, my friend,” I laughed. 

“Me too, Miss Trin,” Tiponi agreed and I smiled at her. 

“How is your mother today?” Sasha asked the woman. 

“Mother is still sleeping, think she needed a long sleep after her wound. She was lucky and so was dad,” Sky said. 

“Your parents were not well?” I looked at her with curiosity. 

“I hope they recover soon,” Sasha said. 

“They were shot by paleface, I helped heal them,” Sky looked at me. 

“Recently?” I gasped and looked over at Hawk with concern. 

“Yes yesterday, and I was shot in the arm,” Sky nodded. 

“Harley?” I asked.

“Not Harley, dad says he was law man - he saw the badge.” 

“Which lawman?” I raised an eyebrow. “Was it a badge like mine?”

She looked over at mine and with some confusion finally nodded. I sighed, dizzy with so many attacks going on. Hawk chuckled at me and said, “Sometimes I wonder about it finding you. I am not sure you do not seek it.” He laughed and looked at Sky. “Yes we were attacked last sun, was a man I do not know of though.” 

“So you’re telling me that a lawman is now attacking your tribes?” I held my hand against Spirit’s neck, breathing deeply. “Damn it Woody,” I wore under my breath. 

“Well only happened once with this man, we will see,” Hawk said. 

“He rode in on his horse and cause it was first day here we didn’t know if friend or foe . .. he then got off showed gun and shot mother,” Sky explained. 

“If he attacked your tribe, as well as Little Sky and her parents... That’s not one time,” I looked at Hawk. 

“It was all in one attack,” Hawk said. 

“One attack, with three people shot... That’s not something to be taken lightly, Hawk.”

“Who said he did?” Sasha asked. “Take it lightly, I mean?” 

“More than three shot,” Little Sky said. 

“It was the way he said that ‘it only happened once’.”

“Hmm it is not?” Hawk chuckled. “I take no attack on our people lightly Trin. I was saying it was only once attack because you was thinking it was different times.” 

“He shot another brave and Tiponi’s dad but Thunder downed the paleface”.” 

“Oh,” I nodded, understanding but not relaxing. “So this lawman came and attacked on his own? Or did he have help?”

“On his own... for ‘entertainment’.” 

“He was alone,” Hawk nodded, listening to Sky.

I shook my head and looked over at Hawk. “This man is supposed to be my partner. He’s supposed to...”

“That is what he told them,” Hawk said. “He was doing it for entertaiment.” Hawk raised a brow at me and said, “Well this partner had better not return or he will not be as fortunate the next time to get away,” Hawk grinned. “If he continues we will have to find him for entertainment.” 

I shook my head, anger in my heart against Woody for attacking my friends. 

“Husband would enjoy that!” Sky grinned. 

“I need to get home. I want to see if Woody’s around,” I looked around and stood. 

“I am sure many of our people would like this as well sister,” Hawk told Sky. 

“He’s going to get a talking to from me if he thinks he can mess around with my friends for entertainment,” I said with determination. 

“Safe paths to you,” Hawk nodded to me. “You be watchful. Maybe not the man you think he is.” 

“Stay safe all of you as well. I will return soon,” I said and waved goodbye as I headed home with Manipi and Spirit close on my heels. 

Georgetown. 

We walked down the street and I found Nile. “Nile, we need to talk.”

“You a herd mother now?” Nile looked down at the two dogs. “Ah bout what if I may ask?”

“Spirit here is my bodyguard and I think Manipi is joining the role occasionally,” I shook my head. “Could we come inside? If it’s okay to bring them in?”

“They house trained?”

“They’re well behaved,” I chuckled.

“Sure till ya wake up in the morning and you get a surprise in your slippers.” 

I walked inside with Nile and sat down at the desk across from him. “Nile... There’s nothing you can do about it because it didn’t happen here in town but... Have you seen Woody lately?”

“No not at all.” 

“He’s attacked Hawk’s tribe... yesterday...” I sighed. “Several shot down.’

“Where do they live?”

“Apparently was just for entertainment they said. In Kansas, which is why you can’t do anything about it sadly. I just needed to know what you know of Woody... If you’d seen him lately... If you know him to be... shady...”

“Don’t know anything really I met him the other day.” 

“I’ve known him a long time... Since Amiville...” I sighed. “He was always a good guy but.. Now I’m not so sure.” 

“Ah well I can’t be of much help to ya, I would speak to Sam.” 

“Sam’s not around is he?” I nodded. 

“Haven’t seen him yet today.” 

“I don’t like this, Nile. He’s attacking my friends for no reason.”

“Yeah I understand.” 

“I’m trying to show them that we are peaceful and will help them against the outlaws... And now one of my own partners is the one attacking them for sport.”

“Yeah I understand your concern. We still have to do that thing you didn’t want to do the other day,” Nile reminded me. 

“So what was that thing you wanted to do?”

“Not today. I’m not feeling it actually.” 

“Fine...” I nodded. 

“Well I’m gonna go lay down, I’ve got a bad cold coming on.” 

Nile headed home and then I took the dogs to the house on the hill. They explored and got to know the area an we relaxed on the couch while the dogs argued over the bed. I let the dogs out when they wanted to run around and lay down for a while. 

This afternoon I went to the saloon and talked with TJ and Melany. We talked about current events and then I headed out for a ride to Kansas. 

Kansas. 

I returned to the village and exhaled deeply seeing people there. The Cherokee had moved to a village closer to the Cheyenne village, which made it easier for me to visit them all.   “I assume you were here when one of my partners decided to have a gunshot party here for entertainment... I believe he was wearing a badge.. Like mine,” I said with exhaustion. 

“Yes, and I have the wounds to show for it,” Howling’s wife growled. 

“Is that what he called it...” Howling said. 

“For months... I have been trying to show the Natives that I am a friend... That I come in peace with my only motive being to help them against the outlaws. And now this. I hope that you don’t color me with the same brush...”

“I believe he had a few of my arrowhead in him though, Trin,” she told me. 

“Am not sure you’re at fault there, Trin...” Howling assured. 

“No one person is the same. We have learnt that.” 

“He is giving the agency that I work for a bad name. I won’t stand for it.”

“Seems he arrived at a very strange time as it was just the six of us here and none of the old tribe. 

“And then just now I hear of our ‘judge’ going to shoot someone down in the clinic in Amiville,” I mentioned the conversation with TJ in the saloon that had irritated me. “I feel like I’m fighting on my own.”

“Why do you pale faces fight battles of many sides then just the one?” 

“It has gotten very violent in the towns,” Howling agreed. 

“I fight for you. I fight to keep the outlaws behind bars so that they don’t come here. That is my side. It has been my side since I met Hawk many months ago. Chief Standing Bear no longer wanted my help, even when they attacked him. He wanted to fight with his own kind of violence.”

“But when our nations fight we don’t fight more then one at a time. I look at the pale faces and you fight many at the same time.” 

I noticed Howling Bear looking at my gun and said, “It is for protection of you all more than for myself, Howling Bear.”

More people came into the village and we continued to talk. 

“Palefaces killed many of my family and tribe,” Howling’s wife told me. “I am not going to let them kill the rest of us. Next time that male comes he wont be walking out.” 

“Well believe me the next time I see him he ain’t gettin a hug from me either,” I muttered. 

“Patrick is very mad as well and went hunting him last moon and returned very angry when he found out where he was from,” Howling said and I looked into the fire, speechless.

I said that I wanted to go home and they welcomed me to stay. “I’m upset, feeling betrayed... angry that my people are attacking you and others,” I told them. “And there’s not a damn thing I can do about it,” I kicked a stone across the snow. 

“Can’t make the moon rise when the sun is already out Trin,” Howling’s wife told me. “Things take there own course. He will get what’s due to him.” 

“Great Spirit will find way to teach the paleface lesson,” Sky said. 

“It just makes me so...” I said, getting emotional. 

“You are a woman of honor and pride Trin and a good friend,” Howling said. 

Little Sky stood up then and walked over to give me a hug. I hugged her tightly, unable to even reply. 

Dances with Fire came into the village and ran over to me to hug me. 

“Oh Fire I think Trin needs some happy news. Can you think of any to tell her?” 

“Happy news would be good...” I nodded. 

“See Trin, we love you,” Howling laughed. 

I chuckled, overwhelmed by their friendliness. “Thank you all... I know I didn’t need to be worried about your reaction I just... I hate that it happened. And I intend to fix it. If I can...” I sat back down. 

Fire took a bow from her back and squealed, “I GOTTED A BOOOOOOW AN ME ALMOST WACKED SELF IN HEAD TRYINA MAKE ITS!”

I laughed and we continued to talk about how things were. Hawk and Sasha came over to join us and we talked for a while and then I headed home, thanking them for their support and friendship.