"And if you lose, I will have her before she dies from the cold or the fire. I will have her many times if I like her."
"You'll never have her…" Lone Wolf spat.
But the big Indian had a knife, and Lone Wolf had none.
Hannah shook her head, her eyes pleading with Lone Wolf not to fight him. Yet she did not cry out, instead she shivered from the cold. Already her limbs were numbing from the cold. She knew if she went to sleep it would all be over.
The Indian swiped at him and Lone Wolf squared himself, facing him. He managed to dodge the first few blows, but the big Indian got him once on the arm. Blood trickled down Lone Wolf's arm and Hannah even though gagged let out a muffled cry, as tears fell down her cheek.
Her tears froze in mid-air, it was so cold.
She closed her eyes, she could not watch Lone Wolf die.
The fight continued, and one false move from the big one and Lone Wolf struggled with him to the ground. They fought to control the knife and af
ter an arm wrestle with his good arm, Lone Wolf managed to knock the knife from his hand.
Then he hit him several times in the face, the last time the big Indian fell back in defeat as Lone Wolf rushed for the knife and held it at his throat.
"Get up," Lone Wolf instructed.
The big Indian stood, groggy.
Lone Wolf looked at the other two, "Turn her lose, now!" he ordered.
The two untied her and Hannah ran toward him. "Get inside…" he told her.
"But your hurt."
"You can tend me later, get inside and warm yourself."
She did as he asked.
"Now, I know your village was attacked. Slaughtered, and I am sorry for you. But if you don't leave us now, I'll kill you where you stand. Now go!" He shouted at them.
They took the big Indian between them and left the camp.
Hannah and Black Feather cut the ropes that held Deer Runner.
Lone Wolf came inside.
Hannah ran to him and Black Feather helped her with warm water and bandages for his arm.
"You should not have fought him." Hannah cried, not realizing the tear that floated down her cheek.
"I had to. In another couple of hours, you would have been dead, and they certainly wouldn't leave us unharmed. They were angry and grieving for their losses. But they would have killed us all." Lone Wolf told her.
"Will they come back?"
"No, the one I fought was full of shame. They won't return."
Black Feather ran to Deer Runner to hug him.
Lone Wolf reached to catch the tear on Hannah's cheek. Their eyes met. He took her hands, they were like ice. Then without thinking he pulled her into his arms and cuddled her. "You're are freezing. I will warm you. The fire will only hurt you until you thaw some."
He got a blanket and wrapped them in it.
She hugged him closely and smiled as she laid her head on his chest, unmindful that her lips kissed him there.