Anna Randall was riding out to see her father and brother. Anna was thinking about the party they were having in three days. It was her coming out party on her sixteenth birthday. Anna could imagine what the party was going to be like. All her family and friends would be there. Plus all the neighbors would be coming. She guessed the hands would be coming too.
Suddenly, Anna’s horse reared and plunged. Anna was startled out of her pleasant daydreams and into terror as her horse started running away. Anna held on to the saddle horn as familiar land flew by. She didn’t know where she was anymore. Her horse kept running and finally slowed to a walk. Hours later, Anna lost her hold and fell.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
About sunset, Anna heard a horse approaching. She was scared and lost. Her leg hurt and had been bleeding from a long cut she’d gotten as she fell from her horse.
Summer Breeze Rider slowed her horse. His ears had pricked up and she sensed that someone else was near. She started searching the area. Summer Breeze Rider may not have many years, but she could track as well as anyone else in her village. She’d been taught by the elders and her father, the chief, since she could crawl.
Anna whimpered with pain.
Summer Breeze Rider heard the sound. Looking at the ground, she saw hoof prints from a shod horse along the old walking path. She walked her paint to the path and saw a white girl about her age lying in the grass.
Anna watched the Indian get off the paint horse. She wasn’t sure if the Indian was a boy or a girl, but guessed that the youth was about her age.
Summer Breeze Rider noticed the white girl’s hair – red as fire. So, she decided to call her “Fire Girl”. She also saw that Fire Girl was bleeding from a long cut on her left leg. “Hurt much, Fire Girl?” she asked.
“Yes. Hurts very much,” Anna said. “You speak English?”
“My mother taught me white man’s words. Can you stand up?”
“No. It hurts too much.”
Summer Breeze Rider went to her paint and got a bag of medicine from the bags she always carried when she went out of the village.
“What’s in there?” Anna asked.
“Medicine, Fire Girl. Late. Need to get to village soon. Eat this. I look at leg,” Summer Breeze Rider said while handing the white girl a peyote button.
Anna chewed the button-looking thing as the Indian looked at her leg.
“Needs sewn, Fire Girl. Me sew or wait ‘til village?”
“You sew. I can’t go to village. I need to get home – my parent’s ranch.”
“Can’t, too far…my village tonight. Not far from here. Not safe to travel by night with only one horse and blood smell. Take home when better.”
Summer Breeze Rider stitched up Fire Girl and helped her get on the paint. Getting up behind the white girl, she told the horse, “home.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Anna Randall watched the faces as they entered the Indian village. None looked friendly and she began to wonder if she was going home like she’d been told.
“Storm Awakening, come help me,” the Indian girl said.
A tall, teenage boy came over to the girls. The only surprise for Anna was his blue eyes. She realized he was a white boy that was well tanned.
“Brother, Fire Girl is hurt. She wanted to go home – her parents’ ranch. Help to Mom’s teepee.”
“Sure, little chief.”
“Bring the girl here Son. She looks like she need to rest,” Delane Summers said as she look at Anna Randall. “You’ll be fine, young lady. You’re safe.”
“Thanks,” Anna replied to the blue-eyed, blonde, white woman.
“My name is Delane Summers. You are?”
“I am Anna Randall of the Double R.”
Anna was still sick in the morning and her leg was starting to infect. Delane sent a message with Storm Awakening to the Double R.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Roger Randall saw the Indian boy riding up to the Ranch House. He hoped that the boy brought word of his sister.
“Is this the Double R?” asked the Indian boy.
“Yes, it is the Double R. Why?”
“Message about Fire Girl,” Storm Awakening said as he handed the boy his mother’s note.
“Mom, message about Anna!” Roger yelled into the house.
“Thank heavens,” Mrs. Randall said coming out of the house. “Where is it?”
“Here, Mom,” Roger said handing the note to her.
The note read: Your daughter fell off her horse and hurt her left leg. My daughter sewed it up. She is safe. Her leg is starting to infect. Send doctor or someone to come get her.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Roger Randall rode out with his father to the Indian village to get his sister. Anna came back with no hopes of dancing at her party, but at least she could make it to the dance.
Summer Breeze Rider watched Fire Girl ride out with her father and brother. Summer Breeze Rider wondered if she would ever see the visitors to her village again. In two summers, she would be eighteen and take over the tribe from her father, Winter Breeze Rider.
© Megan Delia Ratcliff, 31 March 2003
