Chapter 6

Mapiya sat up all night with her husband working with Nathan to get the fever down.

Vin and Kovaahe both stood near the cradle, almost as if they were guarding the sleeping bundle that slept there.

Vin had got the cradle from Miss Potter’s store. He figured it would be a better place for the baby instead of being on the floor on the blanket that Mapiya had laid out in the small room.

Of course, when he did request the cradle, Mrs. Potter eyed him suspiciously, but Vin ignored it, paid her for the cradle at the same time he took it and walked out the door and back to the boarding house while the woman looked on in surprise.

Chris’ fever had worn all of them to a frazzle. Even with Mapiya’s herbs the fever held on for longer than it should have. It had finally broken, late in the night and now Mapiya and Nathan were making the man comfortable while he slept.

“Seems he looks a might better, Nate,” commented Vin watching their work.

“Fever’s broke and he’s resting which is good,” answered Nathan standing up from kneeling over the sick man to stretch his tired muscles.

“Nathan, you sleep. I watch,” suggested Mapiya.

“Ya ain’t go no sleep either, girl,” said Nathan.

“I am well. Go. Sleep,” commanded Mapiya.

Nathan smiled gently at the woman and he considered Chris a very lucky man to have such a wife.

“Alright. Vin, you staying here?”

“Yeah. Figured I stay with Mapiya and Kovaahe. Plus I think the little tike needs lookin’ after,” answered Vin, his eyes gazing on the babe in the crib and a grin plaster on his face from ear to ear.

For Nathan it was a great sight to see. Vin had been so down with Chris wallowing in guilt and anger that Nathan thought if Chris died, Vin would not be far behind. He was glad to see that famous smile was back.

Just then there came a frantic knock on the door. Nathan walked over and quickly opened it and as he did, Buck came bursting into the room.

“Vin, five riders just came into town and I think they’re lookin’ for that one Chris killed,” he said.

“How do ya know?”

“They was handin’ out these around town and askin’ questions about a missing friend,” said Buck handing Vin a piece of paper.

Vin opened it and found the face of Chris Larabee plastered on it with the words “Reward” and “$2,000” over it.

“$2,000? That’s a lot of money, Buck. Who would someone put a $2,000 reward out for Chris?”

“I don’t know, Pard, but it ain’t good. This will bring every bounty hunter here from miles around if they see this. Chris is in trouble.”

“Yeah. You’re right.”

Mapiya did not understand everything that was going on, but she knew something was wrong and it involved her husband.

“What is wrong, Netse Ôhvo'komaestse?” she asked worriedly.

Vin walked over to her and pulled her up from her knees to stand in front of him. He then took her hand into his and said, “Ya ain’t go nothin’ to worry about, ya hear?”

Mapiya saw the sincerity in those eyes and nodded. “I trust you, Netse Ôhvo'komaestse. So does Emo'ôhtavo vo'e.”

Vin then turned to Buck and said, “Let’s go get the others. I left JD with ó'kôhóme and the other Cheyenne warriors back at Chris’ place. We need to send Josiah to go and get them. Nathan, you stay here with Kovaahe and Mapiya.”

“What ya plannin’ on doin’, Vin?” asked Nathan.

“Gettin’ us some back up to protect Chris. But first, I wan’na take a look at these men,” said Vin walking out the door. Buck quickly followed behind.

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Josiah had ridden out immediately after Vin explained to him what he wanted him to do. They also saw Judge Travis and explained to him the situation. The Judge had told them he would look into the wanted posters and try to find out who issued them. After their talk with the Judge, he and Buck went in search of Ezra and the new strangers that had came to town.

Vin and Buck had got about half way to the saloon when they saw Ezra approaching them fast.

“Mr. Tanner, Mr. Wilmington, there seems to be some gentlemen looking for that deceased fellow and Mr. Larabee.”

“We know, Ezra. They’ve been plasterin’ wanted posters on Chris all over town,” said Buck.

“Did you speak with Judge Travis?”

“Yeah,” replied Vin. “He’s gon’na wire the governor and find out if he knows where the bounty came from and why. In the meantime, I think we need to see this fellas that are after Chris.”

“What have you determine to tell them about their deceased friend?” asked Ezra, looking back at the saloon.

“The truth,” answered Vin determinedly.

“Do you think that wise, Mr. Tanner?” asked Ezra doubtfully.

Vin did not answer him. He continued walking over to the saloon with Buck and Ezra both trailing behind him knowing that today was not going to a be peaceful one.

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Josiah had reached Larabee’s little shack outside of town in record time. When he came up to the house, JD came out, his gun bearing down on him.

“Whoa, JD. Just me,” said Josiah jumping off his horse and crossing the distance between.

“I thought it might be some of those angry town folks we saw earlier,” said JD, placing his gun back into its holster.

“Vin wants you and the Cheyenne warriors to come back to town. By the way,” said Josiah looking around. “Where are they?”

“Behind the house near the corral. They wouldn’t stay inside. Mapiya’s brother just kept saying it was no good.”

“Okay. I’ll talk to them. We need to get back to town right away,” said Josiah walking towards the back of the house.

“Why?” asked JD following.

“Some riders rode in looking for that dead man and they were passing around wanted posters of Chris back in town.”

“I’ll go get my horse ready,” said JD walking towards the corral itself while Josiah turned to walk over to the Cheyenne warriors sitting on the ground on the other side.

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Mary Travis walked quickly down the boardwalk to where the boarding house was. She needed to see how Chris was doing. She had heard about the shooting and his illness, but since his return from the Cheyenne village, she had not spent an overly amount of time with him.

When they had came riding into the town that day, Mary watched from a distance how he listlessly rode on his horse, his green eyes empty with life. She knew he was sick, but she knew it was from more than a physical sickness. She had found out that during his stay with the Cheyenne that he had basically become Cheyenne and had married a Cheyenne maiden who was pregnant with his child.

But fate had struck the man a terrible blow when his wife and unborn child had been swept away by a torrent river, never to be found. It seemed the man would never find the happiness he sort. Two wives and two children dead seemed to signify a curse of misfortune on the man and the man that had returned was no longer the man she had come to care about.

Mary had tried to cheer him up and bring him out of his stupor, but she failed each time, the man refusing to give up his pain and anguish. She did not know if she really loved Chris Larabee. Since the time of the Ella Gaines incident, she had her doubts. But he was still a good friend and had helped her and her family many a times and she was determine to be by his side through his sorrows.

Mary had finally arrived at the room that held the sick man and she knocked tentatively on the door.

The door was pulled open a piece with Nathan Jackson holding it as he peered out to see who it was.

“Oh, Miss Travis,” he said opening the door wider. “Come on in.”

Mary walked through the door and looked at the sight before her.

As Nathan closed the door behind her, she found herself watching as a young Cheyenne woman was crouched down besides Chris’ bedside, holding his hand. Mary turned questioning eyes to Nathan, confused by the scene before her.

“Ah, Miss Travis, this is Mapiya. Mapiya this is Mary Travis.”

Mapiya turned to face the white woman who stood before her in long dark blue dress. She smiled gently at her and nodded.

Mary nodded hesitantly back and then turned to Nathan. “Who is she? I saw them riding in with Vin yesterday,” said Mary.

Mapiya had understood her question and stood up from the bed and approached the blond woman. “I am wife to Emo'ôhtavo vo'e,” answered Mapiya proudly.

“Emo…who?” asked Mary befuddled by this statement.

“Emo'ôhtavo vo'e,” said Mapiya again this time insistently.

Mary turned confused eyes to Nathan. “Chris,” replied Nathan simply.

“You’re…you’re the Cheyenne wife?”

“Yes,” said Mapiya softly, not understanding why the woman seemed surprised. “And this is our son, Heoveaenohe.” Mapiya pointed to the cradle on the other side of the room.

Mary slowly walked over to the cradle, glancing at Mapiya first to see if she would object, but Mapiya only nodded.

Mary leaned over the cradle and saw the sleeping baby. The blond haired babe slept on his back, his mouth slightly open, and an arm thrown precariously on to his tanned forehead. Mary sighed with relief and jealousy at first, but then the jealousy dissipated and all that was left was relief. Chris had found his happiness and Mary would not deny him that or make it into something that would bring a wedge between their friendship.

She turned to Mapiya and said, “He is beautiful. I am happy for you both.”

“Thank you…Mmm,”

“Mary.”

“Mary. Yes.”

“How is he?” asked Mary nodding towards the man on the bed.

“He gets well. Fever gone. He sleeps.”

“Good, good,” said Mary walking towards her and taking her hands. “He really needs you, you know.”

“I know. I am here now and things will be well,” said Mapiya.

Mary then walked towards the door, taking one last glance at the man on the bed and the babe in the cradle, as she walked out of the door.

Once Nathan had closed the door and he walked over to Mapiya to see concern on her face. He asked, “What’s wrong?”

“No wrong, Nathan. You no worry. Go rest.”

“I can’t until Vin and the others get back. Then I’ll rest. In the meantime, you can help me change his bandage.”

Mapiya nodded as she and Nathan then proceeded to work on changes the bandages on Chris.

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Chapter 7

Chris awoke to the sound of voices talking softly and wondered where they were coming from. He opened his eyes and turned his head to the side of the bed to see Mapiya and Nathan leaning over his son.

His son. He still could not believe it that he had a son. His name was Yellow Hawk and Chris felt his heart beat with pride. He smiled inwardly as he realized that he had his family back and now once he was well enough, things would turn back to normal.

But little did Chris know that in the town of Four Corners there were five men who about to destroy the serenity that Chris was now feeling.

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When Vin, Ezra and Buck arrived at the saloon, they had found the five men they were looking for at the bar. The men had their backs to them and had not seen them when they entered through the batwing doors.

Vin noticed that Inez was motioning towards the men, as she served her patrons on the other side of the room. Vin nodded that he understood and motioned Buck to look at the bar.

Buck saw them, the five men that were looking for his friend. One of them was dressed in buckskins and he looked to be part Indian. The others looked mostly like vagrants, men who had not seen a decent bath or had a decent haircut in ages. But the one thing that stood out to Buck was the way they wore their guns. They were definitely carrying some heavy hardware and it appeared that they could probably use them.

Vin walked over to the bar and took a position on the end, Buck and Ezra next to him, not far from the five men. Inez was back behind the bar and placed their usually drinks in front of them.

Vin then drank his drink down in one swift movement and then turned to face the five men. “I hear ya lookin’ for someone,” he said loud enough for everyone to hear.

The five men turned to face him. One of them, a tall man with redhead moved a little closer to Vin. Vin knew he was the leader.

“Yeah, we’re lookin’ for a friend of ours. He should of arrived here not more than a couple of days ago. Average height, medium built, brown hair, brown eyes, wore a brown duster,” said the man.

“Well, that sounds like a few men here,” injected Buck.

“He would have been showin’ these around town,” said the man passing Buck. “He was lookin’ for this murderer, Chris Larabee.”

Inez eyed Vin in shock, but Vin shook his head letting her know he did not think it was true.

“Chris Larabee? Hmmm. I think I heard of him,” said Buck grinning at the man.

“Yeah?” said the man with piqued interest. “When was this?”

“Oh, yesterday when I went to visit him.”

Man stood there for a few minutes, waiting for what Buck said to sink in. He then squinted at Buck, eyeing him cautiously. “And who are you?”

“Well, I happen to be one of the lawmen in this town. Just like Chris Larabee.”

“Nah, ain’t possible. Must be ‘nother Chris Larabee. He ain’t no lawman. The man we’re lookin’ for is a murderer.”

“Could be ya got the wrong town,” piped in Vin.

“Well, have ya seen my friend then?”

“Ya know, Buck,” said Vin playing along. “There was a fella who came here a couple of days back,” said Vin.

“Oh, yeah,” said Buck agreeing with Vin. “I remember now.”

“Where is he?” asked the red-haired man.

“He’s currently residing at the jail,” piped in Ezra.

“What? He got arrested? For what?”

“Well, he ain’t a prisoner, exactly,” said Buck smirking.

“Well, what the hell is he then?” the man asked now annoyed at the run around he was getting from them.

“I believe he is deceased,” replied Ezra.

“Deceased? Ya mean he’s dead? How?”

“Well, it seems your companion had a run with a very dangerous individual and let’s just say he tried to stop a bullet with his body,” explained Ezra.

The red-haired man stared at them. He could not believe what he was hearing and how easy these men were talking about it. He did not like it. Not one bit.

“Frank’s dead?” He then turned back to his men. “Frank’s dead, boys. And these gents here seem to know a lot about it.” He turned back to the three lawmen.

Vin and the others noticed that his face had become menacing.

“You boys don’t seem to get it,” said Buck, his smile gone.

“Get what? Ya ain’t told us anythin’!” exclaimed the leader.

“Ya friend’s dead,” said Vin stepping up to the man. “And Chris Larabee is a member of the law in this town. What ya’ll need to do right now is just get the hell out of here.”

“And if we don’t,” said the man in the buckskins.

“Then ya just might be joinin’ ya friend,” said Vin threatening. His hand moved to caress his mare leg.

Buck and Ezra stepped back, separating themselves, readying for a fight.

“We ain’t here to kill no lawmen, mister,” said the blond haired man standing next to the buckskin man. “We just came here to get a murderer.”

“And Chris Larabee ain’t it,” said Buck. “So I suggest that ya just get on ya horses and ride out of here, nice and peaceful like.”

“We got the law on our side, mister,” said the man dressed in buckskin.

“And what law is that, if I may inquire?” asked Ezra. Buck and Vin glanced at him angrily. They did not care about whether it was legal or not. They would not turn Chris over no matter what. Ezra looked back at them and an arched an eyebrow. He knew he was the only reasonable one of them and they needed to find out whether it was a legal bounty or not.

“That would be Judge Williams,” replied the leader.

“And where would Judge Williams preside?” questioned Ezra.

The five strangers looked at Ezra perplexed.

“What town is he judge of?” asked Buck.

“Oh. He’s from Broken Bow. Broken Bow, Nebraska,” answered the leader.

“Well, we have our own Circuit Judge here, Judge Orrin Travis. Maybe we should have him contact this Judge Williams and find out what’s this all about?” suggested Ezra.

“Don’t make any difference to us. We just want Larabee.”

“Well, until this Judge Williams can verify the information you have presented to us, we cannot, no, we will not hand Mr. Larabee over to you gentlemen. If he is guilty as this Judge says, then we will escort Mr. Larabee to Broken Bow ourselves.”

“To be hanged?” exclaimed Vin looking at Ezra as if he lost his mind.

“Mr. Tanner, please. I think we need to settle this once and for all,” Ezra proclaimed loudly for the five strangers to hear.

He then moved closer to Vin and whispered, “We need to find out why this Judge is has issued a warrant on Mr. Larabee or it will follow him for the rest of his life. And now with his wife and child, I don’t think that he can afford to have this black mark against his already less than stellar reputation. What do you think will happen to them?”

Vin understood what Ezra was doing. It was no kind of life, living on the run, with a wife and child. They would sooner or later find him and Mapiya and her son would probably have to watch him die. He just could not see that happening.

But he also did not want to see Chris hung like some mangy dog. He knew Chris understood how he felt about hanging. He rather be shot than hung and he knew Chris felt the same way.

At first, it looked liked that leader was about to argue the point, but then his face changed to something unreadable by the lawmen.

“Okay, lawman. We’ll wait until ya contact Judge Williams. But we ain’t goin’ far from town until then and if it holds up, Mr. Larabee is now not only going away for one murder but two. Do ya get me?”

“Perfectly clear, Mr…?”

“The name’s Crandall. Mark Crandall. Now before we go, we’d like to see our friend. We want make sure he gets a proper burial.”

Buck nodded and motioned for them to follow him over to the jail. He would let me see their friend. Hell. He even let them take the body. But no way in hell, was he going to let them take his friend.

Buck and the five men walked out of the saloon to the jail.

Once they were gone, Ezra blew out a sigh of relief. Vin then promptly slapped his hard on the shoulder.

“Just what the hell ya were thinkin’, Ezra?” he exclaimed.

“Ow! Why have you attacked my person, Mr. Tanner?”

“Ya tryin’ to get Chris strung up?”

“No, Mr. Tanner. Just the opposite. Mr. Larabee does not need this hanging over his head right now. And although it may seem that I care nothing for the man that is very far from the truth. I have come to admire the man’s tenacity and as you say, grit. I will succumb to hell, fire and damnation before I let anyone harm that man,” said Ezra determined.

Vin saw the truth of it in Ezra’s green eyes. Erza really cared about Chris. It surprised the ex-bounty hunter since he could not remember a time when Chris and Ezra were not at each other’s throats. But then again, there was not a lot they really knew about Ezra.

“I’m sorry I didn’t trust ya, Ezra. Come on. Let’s go talk to Travis while those coyotes are visitin’ their friend.” He then grabbed Ezra by the arm, pulling him towards the exit. The stepped through the batwing doors and then proceeded to walk to Mrs. Travis’ house.

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Chris lay on the bed, his eyes following Mapiya’s every move. Every time his eyes closed, he was afraid that when he opened them, she would be gone and he would be back into that pit of hell he was in before she came. But when he finally opened them, she was still there, bathing his face, seeing to his needs or taking care of their child.

When he finally came completely awake, Mapiya had brought the baby to him again. Chris could not get enough of holding his son. Chris chest swelled with love at thought of having a child to call his own again. The babe looked into Chris’ green eyes and smiled. Chris heart felt so much warmth at that smile that his face finally gave way to a huge smile himself.

He touched the baby’s head, gently brushing the blond hair that stuck up on the child’s head. “Son, your pa’s gon’na teach ya how to take care of that problem,” said Chris laughing, brushing the baby’s small hand with his thumb.

Mapiya heard her husband talking to their son. From what she gathered, it seemed he wanted to teach his son something. She did not know what, but it was good for a father to take responsibility in teaching his son. She enjoyed hearing her husband laugh again and she hoped that this would not be the last time.

She walked over to the bed where the child and her husband lay and knelt down next to the bed.

“How…is my husband?” asked Mapiya, her brown eyes laughingly at him softly.

Chris turned his face from the babe in his arms to take in the face of his wife. “My love. How I have missed you,” he said in Cheyenne.

“And I you, husband,” she replied in Cheyenne and kissing him gently on the lips.

Their kiss lasted long, but not as long as they each wanted. They were interrupted by the squeal of the little babe in Chris’ arms.

Chris and Mapiya both turned their eyes to their child and their eyes gazed on what they both considered the most important thing in the world.

“He is much like his father,” said Mapiya in Cheyenne.

“And why would ya say that?” asked Chris in English.

“He know not how to keep still, to be silent,” said Mapiya in Cheyenne.

“Come, wife,” said Chris in Cheyenne. “Lay beside me. Let me remember how I felt with you lying next to me.”

Mapiya blushed and her eyes lit up like twin candles at the comment. She then cautiously and carefully crept into the small bed, as Chris moved over to give her room, still holding their son in his arms.

Mapiya and Chris both sighed in unison as she settled in next to him, her arms wrapping around her husband and her child.

Chris was facing her, and turned towards her to place a kiss upon her forehead. “This is what a good life feels like,” said Chris to her in Cheyenne.

Mapiya then kissed him gently on the cheek and said in Cheyenne, “Emo'ôhtavo vo'e, I prayed that I would find you and I have.”

“And I have found you and our son, my wife. But tell me, how is your family, my father Chief Aenohe, my friend Kovaahe?” asked Chris.

As Mapiya and Chris talked of the Cheyenne people Chris considered family and friends, Nathan stood by the window as the two spoke rapidly in the Cheyenne language. It always astounded him to see Chris speak the language so fluently. He knew Chris spoke Spanish, but now, he spoke Cheyenne too.

Sometimes Nathan wondered if they had left Chris there if things would have taken a different turn. Especially now with bounty hunters after his friend, it might have been better if they had left him and he would now probably be living a life with his wife and son in peace. As it was, things were about to become very risky.

Nathan saw movement below and noticed that Vin and Ezra were on their way to the boarding house. He knew Josiah and JD should be coming back in the next hour or so with the Cheyenne warriors and Mapiya’s brother. Where Buck was, Nathan knew not, but he assumed that Vin and Ezra would know. He just hoped that things would not get any worst than they already were.

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Chapter 8

Chris was sitting up and looking better on the bed with Mapiya close by his side, talking in Cheyenne when Vin and Ezra walked through the door.

Nathan was busily seeing to the Larabee baby, placing a light blanket over him in the cradle, as he slept.

Chris raised his head from his conversation with Mapiya and turned to see Vin and Ezra standing by the door. They did not look like they had happy news.

Vin appraised his friend as he sat upright in the bed. Although he looked better than yesterday, he knew he was far from it. His face was still pale and his green eyes were glazed with a touch of the fever. As far as Vin was concerned, a light wind could blow him over.

Even though he could not hear what Vin was thinking, Ezra knew they were probably thinking the same thing. Chris did not look at all well, but he did look better, happier than he had in some many months. And now, here they were about to wreck that happiness.

Chris noticed that Vin and Ezra did not look as if they had good news and his chest constricted with apprehension. He had a feeling that whatever news they brought was going to interfere with his family’s happiness and he feared it.

Vin stepped quickly over to the bed, with Ezra following. Nathan looked at the two men, knowing trouble was on the horizon and walked over to join them.

“Chris, we gotta talk,” said Vin tersely eyeing Mapiya.

Chris knew that Vin did not want to alarm Mapiya with his news and was advising Chris of what he thought was best for his family. Chris nodded, understanding his motives and said to Mapiya in Cheyenne, “See to our child, Mapiya. I have much talk with my friends.”

Mapiya knew her husband well and knew something was wrong. She wanted to ask him what it was, but since she did know her husband so well, she knew he would not tell her, at least not yet. Mapiya nodded and walked away to see to their child to let Emo'ôhtavo vo'e converse with his friends.

Chris motioned Nathan to help him sit up more. He needed to be alert. Of course, Nathan fussed at him thoroughly, telling him he was too weak and he might open his wound, but then he resigned to the fact that Chris was stubborn and would not listen to him. So he helped the man to sit up more.

Chris felt the sharp tug the stitches made on his side, but he ignored them and wiped the sweat from his brow as he was finally sitting straight on the bed.

“Tell me,” he croaked out, trying to keep the pain hidden from his friends.

They knew the man was hurting, but they knew they could not hold off on telling the man any longer.

“That man ya shot the other day,” started Vin.

“Yeah. What about ‘im?”

“He’s a bounty hunter.”

“A bounty hunter?” questioned Chris quietly, his eyes widening in bewilderment.

“Yeah. They had this with them,” said Vin handing Chris the paper they found on the dead man.

Chris looked at the wanted poster, his eyes rising in confusion. “For murder?”

“And his acquaintance are here in our principality searching for their friend and you, Mr. Larabee,” added Ezra.

Chris eyed him in disbelief. “Did they say what I was suppose to have done?”

“Nope. They just said the warrant was put out by a Judge Williams.”

“A Judge Williams? Never heard of him,” said Chris confused.

“Claims he judge of a place up in Nebraska called Broken Bow,” said Vin.

At the mention of the town, Chris eyes turned angry, his body started to tremble with rage and his hands started to clench tightly. “Shit!” was all he said.

Vin, Ezra and Nathan stared at him. They did not understand what was going on.

Suddenly without a word, Chris started to try to get out of the bed. Vin and Nathan worked quickly to keep the blond from rising off of the bed.

“Chris!” yelled Nathan. “Calm down now!”

Mapiya put Yellow Hawk back into the cradle and ran over to where her husband and his friends were struggling.

“What…is wrong?” asked Mapiya frightened by what she was seeing. “Husband?”

Chris stopped struggling with his friends and saw the fear in the eyes of his wife. He pulled Mapiya to him and hugged her hard, not wishing for what he knew to be true.

“Nothing,” he whispered into her hair as he held her tightly to him. “It’s nothing, wife. It is just something that I have to take care. Don’t be scared.” He then gently pushed Mapiya away and started to try to get up again and again his friends, along with Mapiya stopped him from rising.

“Stop it, Chris!” exclaimed Vin. “Just what the hell do ya think ya doin’?”

“He’s right, Mr. Larabee. You are in no condition to confront those miscreants. We can handle it,” said Ezra.

Chris fell back again against the pillows, his face showing anger. But it was not anger at his friends, but at his past. It was his past coming back to haunt him and rain stones on his happiness with his family and all he knew was he had to handle it himself. He would be damned it would destroy what he had been searching for these past four years since the death of his first wife and son. Now, that he had found it, something was trying to take it away.

Chris turned to his wife and said in Cheyenne, “Mapiya, you do not understand. I have to see these men.”

“You are right, husband. I do not understand. But I do understand you are not well and you must rest if you are to take care of your wife and your son,” admonished Mapiya in Cheyenne.

They argued in Cheyenne, Chris trying to make Mapiya acquiesce and Mapiya determinedly digging in for the long haul. She would not budge. She had not come all this way just to loose her husband to a sickness.

Ezra and Nathan did not know what was going on, only that Chris and Mapiya seemed to be having their first argument.

Vin was the only one who understood the conversation between Chris and Mapiya and he was definitely siding with Mapiya, but he would not interfere. This was an argument between a husband and a wife. Vin knew better than to get into the middle of it, especially when it was a hardheaded ornery gunslinger and his Cheyenne wife.

Finally, as the conversation slowed down, Vin could see that Chris was reluctantly conceding the argument to his wife. Damn! The woman was a perfect example of a woman Chris Larabee. It seemed that Mapiya could be just as mule-headed as her husband. He smiled inwardly at this revelation and realized how good she was for his friend.

Vin knew it was time for him to interrupt. “Chris, me and others can take care of those men. I think Mapiya’s right.”

Chris looked up at Vin and gave him his best “mine your own damn business” glare. But Vin ignored it, as did the others. They considered Larabee and his family one of their own. They would die before they let anyone or anything destroy that.

“Emo'ôhtavo vo'e, please…let friends help,” came Mapiya’s plea.

Chris looked at his wife and saw the fear in her eyes. He knew he was the one that put it there and it tore his heart asunder to see it. “Oh, Mapiya, my beautiful wife, I am so sorry,” said Chris repentantly. He then pulled her to him and kissed her on the forehead. Mapiya started weeping as her fears and worries for her husband consumed her.

As he held her in his arms, he looked at his friends and silently nodded that he would do as they ask.

Vin, Ezra and Nathan all sighed in relief at this.

Just then the door opened and Kovaahe walked into the room. He had left early to go downstairs and await the arrival of ó'kôhóme and the other warriors. He was coming up the stairs when he heard Chris’ and Mapiya’s shouting match and had come to see what was had happened.

When he got inside, he found Mapiya crying in his friend’s arms and the white men that Emo'ôhtavo vo'e called brothers, gathered around his sick bed.

Kovaahe walked quickly over to them and said to Chris in Cheyenne, “It is good to see my brother awake.”

“It is good to be awake and good to seen by my brother Kovaahe again,” replied Chris.

“The people have missed their brother. We have lost something when you left.” He then stared at Mapiya, still in Chris’ hold, as her sobs became less. “I hope that my brother’s wife is weeping for happiness.” The last sentence was more of a question than a statement and Chris knew it.

“She…She is crying because there is trouble that is coming,” said Chris angrily.

Kovaahe knew Emo'ôhtavo vo'e was not angry at him, but at the trouble itself.

“What is this trouble, brother? We are here and we are many. We will help you.”

“No, no, Kovaahe. You cannot. It is white man trouble and it must be dealt with in the white man way.”

“It does not matter. White or Cheyenne, trouble is trouble and you have your people here ready to fight for you. We are not afraid to die,” said Kovaahe defiantly.

“I thank you and my people, but this is a white man’s war and it must be fought a white man’s way,” said Chris adamantly.

“You are not white, my brother!” exclaimed Kovaahe. “You are Cheyenne! Cheyenne protect Cheyenne.”

“Brother, please,” said Chris. He then sighed despondently. “You are right. I am Cheyenne, but I am white too and this trouble comes from my past,” said Chris sorrowfully. He did not want his Cheyenne people involved in something that came about from his past as a white man.

“I think it would have been better if Emo'ôhtavo vo'e had never remembered his white blood. You are Cheyenne. We have cleansed the white blood from you and we will cleanse your white past too!” he said determinedly.

Kovaahe then looked at Chris one last time and stormed out of the room, slamming the door on his way out.

Chris started swearing in English and in Cheyenne under his breath. Vin eyed him in apprehension, while Mapiya had stopped crying and looked at Chris in concern.

Nathan and Ezra did not understand what was said, but they knew from the looks and tones of the blond and the Cheyenne warrior that they had some type of disagreement.

“What was that?” asked Nathan.

Vin started swearing in Comanche himself. He reamed himself with guilt at the fact that he should have known that Kovaahe and the Cheyenne would not stay out of this. He wished that Chris had not told him about the trouble. But it was too late now and he could not blame the man for not considering how the Cheyenne would react to the news.

“We got trouble, Nate. More trouble than those bounty hunters,” said Vin. He eyed Chris and saw the gunslinger was biting his lip in deep thought. He hoped that the man would listen to reason and stay in his sick bed. But Chris was like trying to stop a rattler from biting, totally unpredictable.

Without permission from Chris, Vin explained what the conversation was about.

“So, what do you suggest we do, Mr. Tanner?” asked Ezra. He knew they were asking for trouble, but he knew if Kovaahe and his men found out about the bounty hunters and decided to take action into their own hands, then they were looking at full scale war between the town and the Cheyenne. He did not want to take bets against the odds of it happening if they did not stop them.

“Ya need to check to see if JD and Josiah are back with the Cheyenne warriors. I’m goin’ after Kovaahe and see if I can convince ‘im that this is not the way to do things.”

“I’ll come with you,” said Chris pushing Mapiya gently away from him as he started to get out of the bed.

“Damn it, Larabee! Can’t ya get it through that thick skull of yaurs!” yelled Vin as he laid his hands on the man’s shoulders. “Ya need to stay where ya are.”

Chris grunted as he pushed his friend away and got part way up on the bed to his side. He was now raised up on his elbows on the bed, glaring at Vin with eyes of daggers. “Vin…listen…” said Chris, his breathing coming hard. It took a lot out of him just to get his body to move this far. “He ain’t gon’na listen to ya. I gotta talk to him. I’m the one who started this mess and I’m the one who has to finish it.”

“Chris, what ain’t ya tellin’ us?” came Vin’s demanding question. He knew his friend was keeping something from them.

Vin’s question hit him hard and Chris dipped his head in resignation. He could not let his friends confront this problem without them knowing the full truth.

He turned anguish eyes up to Vin and said, “The bounty is true, Vin. All of it.”

Vin stood looking at him in shock, so did Ezra and Nathan. They were all flabbergasted at Chris’ confession.

“Chris, ya…”

“I did, Vin! Don’t you understand! I did it all! All of it!” Chris shouted as he struggled to get to his feet.

Mapiya stood to the side, her eyes wide in exasperation, but she laid her hands on her husband’s shoulder, which stopped him from rising further off the bed.

She did not understand what was going on. The white man’s world was so confusing, not like her own.

She wished none of what had happened, had happened. She wished that things could return to the way it was and that Emo'ôhtavo vo'e would return to their Cheyenne village.

She did not like this town with its hard houses of wood that were stifling, unyielding and unbending. She felt as if she was trapped, like an animal with nowhere to run. This white town was killing her husband and she could not stand for that.

She did not think that she could survive here. But the thought of leaving her husband was far from her mind. She would try, if for nothing but her husband’s love. It would have to be enough. She pushed her doubts away and tried to help his friends subdue her husband.

“Emo'ôhtavo vo'e! Please, do not fight. They…only try to help,” she beseeched Chris.

The babe Yellow Hawk started crying from hearing the commotion. Vin nodded silently to Mapiya while she still struggled to get Chris back on the bed. Vin with the help of Ezra and Nathan finally managed to get the blond the rest back on the pillows. Mapiya knew that she had no choice but to see to her son. She left the men to handle her husband, while she went to take care of her child.

“Chris, ya gon’na tear them stitches open if ya keep this up!” exclaimed Nathan tiredly.

“I don’t give a shit!” shouted Chris at him. “Just let me up from here!”

“No, Larabee! Ya ain’t goin’ nowhere until we can sort this out,” said Vin not budging an inch.

Chris knew he could not win this fight. They were stronger than him at the moment. He fell back dejectedly onto the pillows, breathing hard and feeling the helplessness that had gripped his heart.

“Shit!” cursed Chris disgusted.

“What…is this sheit?” came Mapiya soft query from the other side of the room.

Vin, Ezra and Nathan smiled softly, although right now there was nothing funny about the situation. Chris just eyed them hoping they would disappear. Chris then turned to Mapiya and said, “It…It means...” It was the first time Chris was a lost for words, although most of the time he found he did not have to say much to make himself understood.

“It means when somethin’s bad,” interjected Vin smiling teasingly at Chris.

Chris knew the lanky tracker was trying to lighten the mood, but Chris was having none of it. It was the first time in a long time that Chris was really scared. He was scared of losing his family, his friends and his good life. Maybe Kovaahe was right. Maybe he should have stayed with the Cheyenne. It would have been better for all if he had disappeared.

Mapiya did not like the look on her husband’s face. She had seen it once before when they lived with the Cheyenne and it tore her apart to see her husband so sad.

Vin could also see what was going on with his friend and he was determined not let Larabee wallow in guilt and anger.

“Chris, we need to talk,” said Vin curtly, barring no compromise, but wanting an answer to all that was happening.

Chris raised hooded eyes up to him and nodded. “Mapiya, I need to talk to Vin and the others alone,” he said to her in Cheyenne.

Mapiya hesitated, but she knew it was something her husband had to do. She nodded. She would not approach them until her husband told her he was done. She then picked up Yellow Hawk and walked to the chair closest to the window and sat down preparing to feed the babe.

Vin stood staring down at Chris, his blue eyes full of questions, as were Erza’s and Nathan’s.

“It…It happened a long time ago. I had just finished a job in the Colorado Territories. I was passing through Broken Bow, Nebraska, looking for my next job.”

“Where was Buck?”

“Me and Buck had split up a while back, right after…right after I lost Sarah and Adam. This was during the time I was making a name for myself as a gunslinger. It was then that I met him,” said Chris looking at them with a faraway look.

“Him?” asked Nathan quietly.

“Yeah. Him. He was a green, uppity kid who seemed to love all the bull that dime novels print about West. He heard about gunslingers and the like. Wanted to be one. Scrawny looking kid with brown hair and deepest blue eyes ya ever seen. When he spoke about the West and adventure he knew was in it, ya should of seen ‘im. His eyes lit up like two firecrackers, bright and bushy. He was real good with a gun too; at least he could beat about anybody in the little backwater town of Broken Bow. His father was a real pillar of society. Didn’t want no son of his becomin’ a gunhawk.”

“So what happened, Mr. Larabee?” asked Ezra curious as to where the story was leading.

“Well, this kid, he…he was determined to be a gunslinger and nothin’ his father would say would change his mind. He and I met one day at the saloon where he was gettin’ on a real good binge over a fight with his father. He kinda already knew who I was, although I still can’t say for the likes of me how. But he came right up to me and said, ‘You Chris Larabee, ain’t cha?’. Of course, I told ‘im he was right and he grabbed my hand and shook it. He told me about his dream of becomin’ a gunslinger and seein’ all that the West had to offer. He was a lot like JD. We became real good friends over the next three weeks while I was waitin’ for another job to come up. So much good friends that his father started doggin’ me around.”

“How did he do that, Chris?” asked Nathan.

“Every where I went in town, people started refusin’ to serve me or do business with me. From the general store, to the barbershop, to the saloon; it even came to the point that I lost my room at the boarding house, had to start beddin’ down in the meadows outside of town.”

“Why did you not vacate the principality and move on?” commented Ezra.

Chris, Vin and Nathan all turned eyes in surprise at the comment.

“Well, I am just wondering Mr. Larabee, why would a man in your profession, waste time-consuming efforts in staying where he is not wanted. After all, I am sure there were other prospects waiting for you in other locality.”

“Yeah. Ya right, Ez. There were. But like I said, I really liked the kid and there was the fact that back then, I wouldn’t let anyone try to push me around. If they did, I would push back. I was too damn arrogant back then. Finally, one day the boy’s father pulled all the stops out. He sent the sheriff to ask me to leave.”

“What did you do?” asked Nathan.

“ Like I said, during those times, when a sheriff asked me to leave, I would have stayed just to piss ‘em off. But this was about the kid and I knew if I stuck around there was goin’ to be trouble, not just for me, but for him also. He was a good kid, just didn’t have the right people to look up to. I kept thinking that if Adam had grown up, he be something like him. He was the first person in a long time that made feel that there was some good people still left in the world and made me forget about gettin’ my revenge, at least for a little while. So, I decided to do him a favor. I left, but…not…not without consequences,” said Chris his voice almost breaking at the remembrance.

“What consequences, Mr. Larabee?”

“Yeah, what happened, Chris?” asked Vin dreading the answer.

“I left town and that scrawny looking kid followed me. Damned if I knew why. What I also didn’t know was the sheriff had sent a couple of his deputies to kinda like insure that I wasn’t coming back anytime soon at the request of the kid’s father. Well, I got about a mile outside of town when I knew someone was followin’ me. I saw the kid and tried to get ‘im to go back home. He was about to go, when that stupid asshole of sheriff’s men came barging at us, shootin’ away, determined to make good on the request of the father. I took two of them out, unfortunately one got away. After I watched that one ride away back towards Broken Bow, it was then that I heard it.”

“Heard what Chris?” came Vin’s question.

“A gurgling sound. I turned and saw that that scrawny looking kid with the curly brown hair and deepest set of blue eyes took a stray bullet to the neck,” said Chris not looking at them. They all stood there in comparable silence waiting for Chris to finish his tale.

When Chris finally raised his eyes to them, they saw anguish and sadness at what he was about to tell them next. “He died in my arms, Vin. Don’t ya understand? I killed that boy and that bounty is true.”

“How old was he, Chris?” asked Ezra.

“He was fifteen years old, Ezra. Only fifteen.”

“Chris, ya didn’t kill ‘em. The sheriff’s deputies’ bullets did that.”

“They were after me, Vin. Not him. If I hadn’t befriended him, if I had just walked away from that town in the beginning…”

“Yeah, and if ya had taken another trail from town, or if ya had knew about those men or if ya had never went to Broken Bow or killed them first. If, if, if! There’s too many ifs, Chris! There ain’t nothing ya coulda done about. Ya can’t change what happened,” raged Vin.

“No, but maybe I can make it right. Don’t make a difference, Vin. I did kill that boy, as sure as I pulled the trigger myself.”

“Chris, did this infantile have a name?” asked Ezra bewildered.

“Yeah. His name was Lawrence Terrence Williams. Called himself L.T. for short.”

“Williams? As in Judge Williams?” exclaimed Ezra.

“The one and only. His father. Although back then he weren’t a judge yet. He was just some local lawyer named Franklin Williams,” clarified Chris.

“Damn!” exclaimed Vin. “No wonder. The Judge is the one who put the $2,000 bounty on ya.”

“For the life of his only son,” said Chris tiredly. “It’s…it’s my fault, Vin. All of it.”

“What about your son? Ya willin’ to leave ‘im without a father? Who gon’na help that boy as he grow up in this cruel world? What do ya think gon’na happen to ‘im being a tsêhésevé'ho'e, huh?” said Vin angrily.

Chris eyes burned with rage, glaring at Vin. Vin had used a word that he did not ever think would ever leave friend’s mouth. “Ya callin’ my son a half-breed?” said Chris, the timber in his voice rising as he heard Vin speak that disparaging title.

“That’s what he’ll be called by white and red alike! Without someone to teach ‘im who he is and where he comes from, do you realize how hard that’s goin’ to be for ‘im. Yeah, the Cheyenne are a little better than the white man, but there will always be Cheyenne who will hate his white half. Every boy needs a father Chris and I can tell ya from experience, it ain’t great to be raised without one.”

“But you didn’t turn out so bad, Vin.”

“No, I didn’t, but I don’t know how many times I was close to that path until the right person turned me around. But are ya willin’ to take that chance with your own son?”

“I can’t leave ‘im a legacy of a murdering father either!” shouted Chris breathing hard. “I can’t run with them, Vin. They would be hunted like me and I ain’t gon’na have my family killed like some mangy dogs because of somethin’ I did!”

He was angry and disappointed, but not at his friends. It was at himself for believing that he could have a normal life with a family and friends. He forgot to remember that he was “the bad element” that everyone who led normal lives despised.

Vin was not insensitive to what Larabee was feeling. The connection that bonded him to Chris was throbbing with guilt and shame. He knew the blond gunslinger blamed himself for the death of the young youth, but he was not a murderer and he deeply believed that his friend deserved all the happiness he could get out of life. He saw too much of the pain he received from life already.

Vin looked at Chris in sympathy and knew this could not be helping with the healing the man needed. Damn! The man was white as a sheet and the dark circles around the glassy green eyes stood stark bright in contrast to his skin. He looked to be struggling to breathe and that concerned Vin.

Vin turned to Nathan, looking for some type of intervention to help him stop his friend from doing more damage to his already weak body.

Nathan knew what Vin was asking just by the look he gave him. He had seen also how the lanky lawman on the bed was breathing. It was not good. Not good at all. He had hoped that since the fever had abated some that the man was healing, but now he suspected it was only a brief respite from what was to come. The man was started to show signs of congestion and if that was true then Nathan knew he would be battling pneumonia.

“Chris, I need to take a look at ya?” said Nathan kneeling down next to the bed and starting to pulled the sheet a little ways back to examine the man. “Vin, go get my bag over there by the floor.”

“Sure, Nate,” said Vin walking quickly to the door and picking up the old battered bag which Nathan carried around his instruments. Vin then handed the bag back to him and stood waiting for any new instructions.

Nathan opened the bag and pulled out an old-fashioned stethoscope that was donated to him by one of the prominent townsfolk whose son he had saved. It was not in the best condition, but it served its purpose well.

“Vin, I need you and Ezra to left ‘im so that I can listen to his back,” instructed Nathan.

“I…I…can do…it…myself,” complained Chris, starting to feel a little lightheaded.

“Ya just lie there, Chris. Vin and Ezra can handle it. I need ya to keep still and ya ain’t gon’na do that as weak as ya are,” he said noticing that Chris was starting to shake with weakness at just trying to stay up the pillows he was on.

Vin and Ezra quickly did as Nathan asked and lifted the blond as gently as they could from the bed so that he was sitting straight up with his back exposed to the dark-skinned healer. Nathan placed the stethoscope to Chris’ back, making Chris jump with the touch of it.

“Nate! That’s…c…cold!” exclaimed Chris.

“Don’t worry none about that, just breathe in and out as deeply as you can,” replied Nathan.

Chris did as he was asked. He felt cold and another shiver rippled through his body.

Nathan listened while Chris breathed in and out and he could hear rattling that usually was the telltale signs of the start of pneumonia.

Once Nathan was done, he told Vin and Ezra to pile the pillows high up and lay Chris back on them so that he would breathe better.

Chris found that this did help and he could finally feel the air reach his already oxygen-starved lungs.

“Take slow, deep breaths, Chris,” advised Nathan. “Do ya feel like coughing?”

“Little…can handle…it.”

“Don’t want ya to handle it, Chris. I need ya to cough when ya have to, understood?”

Chris could only nod. Nathan then placed his hand on his forehead, checking for fever. It was slight, but Nathan knew it was just the start.

As Chris started to relax, he felt his eyes getting heavy. He was tiring fast and his eyes started to droop close.

Nathan noticed that the man was not going to be awake for long and motioned for Vin and Ezra to step outside into the hall so that he could talk to them privately.

Mapiya, who had finished feeding Chris’ son, had placed the baby into the cradle and had listened to the strange conversation between her husband and his friends. She did not understand most of it, but she did not know that whatever they were talking about was causing her husband pain and she did not like it, one bit.

“Nathan?” she called, before they could go out the door. “Is…there wrong?”

Nathan, not wanting to scare the young Cheyenne woman said, “No, no, Mapiya. He’s just feelin’ poorly right now. Can ya watch ‘im for me for just a moment?”

“I will do this.”

“Good. I’ll be right back.” Then he, Ezra and Vin walked out into the hallway.

Once the door was closed behind them, Nathan turned to his two friends and said, “It’s just what I thought. He’s startin’ to develop pneumonia.”

“Is it bad?”

“No. Not yet. But he can’t go gallivanting’ around town and he ain’t gon’na be able to confront those men,” explained Nathan.

“Nate, stay here with Chris and Mapiya. Ezra, go find out if JD and Josiah are back yet and then get Buck from the jail to join ya. As soon as I find Kovaahe, I’ll meet ya back in front of here.”

Ezra nodded and gave a two-finger salute as he walked towards the stairs that would lead him outside.

“Take care of ‘im, Nate. We’ll be back,” said Vin as he too then walked down the same stairs to find Kovaahe.

“I will,” said Nathan as he watched the man disappear down the stairs. “And good luck, Vin. I think ya gon’na need it,” he thought to himself as he walked back inside into Chris’ rented room.

TBC.

Translation:

tsêhésevé'ho'e – half-breed, half-white, half-Cheyenne

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