Read Online Sarah's Playmates by Virginia Wade - Free Book Online Page A

how we should have all died. He seemed to sense my
discomfort, lessening his grip. We rode for another hour, until the
horses slowed, trotting side by side.
    The Indians spoke, the language sounding
bizarre and guttural. It seemed as if they were deciding on
something, and there was a slight disagreement. My rider tensed,
his anger evident in the clipped tones he uttered. The second rider
capitulated, slowing even more. We stopped a short while later. My
kidnapper dismounted, reaching for me. I glanced at Millie. Her
face was smudged with coal.
    “Glad you’re finally awake, Sarah.”
    “And what a wonderful thing to wake up to,” I
grumbled.
    “Oh, honey. You better brace yourself. If you
can get your soul to leave your body, I’d do it now.”
    What had she meant by that?
    I slid from the horse and straight into the
heathen’s arms, moaning in pain. “Ouch.” He held my arm, although I
tried to snatch it back. His fingers pressed into my wrist, working
their way to my elbow. It hurt where he touched me, but it wasn’t
unbearable. He seemed to be ascertaining the extent of my injury,
and, when he had assured himself it was nothing significant, he let
me go.
    “Don’t touch me!” Isabelle smacked her rider,
hitting him across the face. He seemed stunned by her behavior,
stepping back a foot.
    My rider laughed then, the sound deep and
rumbling. I glanced at him, glowering and wishing him dead. His
humor continued as he stared at me, taking in the unruly mess of
hair, my bloodstained face, and God only knows what. How was I
supposed to know what this Indian was thinking? Then he shocked
me.
    “You’re not hurt.”
    “W-what?” I could understand him!
    “Your arm. It’s not broken.”
    “You speak English?”
    There was something forbidden and mysterious
in that smile. “A little. It’s good to speak the language of your
enemy.” His accent was pronounced.
    “I’m not your enemy. I’m a traveler whose
train you’ve sabotaged. You killed so many people. Take me back
this instant!” Why was he smiling like that?
    “Do they all speak English?” asked
Millie.
    “No,” the Indian said. “Just me.”
    His tone was pleasing, and so were his
features, which bothered me immensely. That
chest…naked…hairless…contoured with muscles…but I wasn’t going to
think about that. I wasn’t even going to look at it anymore.
“What’s your name?”
    His smile revealed straight, ivory teeth.
“Laughing Hawk.”
    “The hell with this!” spat Isabelle. She’d
gotten on a horse, grimacing. “If you think I’m staying to be raped
and murdered, you got another thing coming. Her heels dug into the
mare’s flank. “Ha!” she shouted, sending the animal into an all out
gallop. The hooves flung dirt, as she thundered in the other
direction. I stared at her with my mouth open, amazed and in
awe.
    One of the Indians laughed, smirking at his
friend. Then he jumped on Millie’s horse and followed Isabelle, who
hadn’t looked back. I doubted her escape would last much longer,
yet I envied her spunk and courage. Distracted as we were with
their sudden departure, Millie took the opportunity to dash into
the field, quickly being swallowed by wild corn, which reached nine
feet into the air. Her captor, who grinned broadly at Laughing
Hawk, followed her leisurely, sauntering into the foliage, as if he
were on a Sunday stroll. My sister-in-law and my chaperone had
deserted me! Feeling useless and abandoned, I too darted into the
corn, but strong hands grabbed at my nightgown, the sound of fabric
ripping filling my ears.
    “No!”
    “You can fight, pretty woman. I don’t
mind.”
    “Ooh! Stop that!” I struggled to gain my
freedom, my arm suddenly aching. “Ouch!” I dropped to my knees,
hopelessness seeping into my bones, and began to cry. I rocked back
and forth, uttering, “I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t
believe this is happening.” I had just survived a horrific train
crash that had