The Cavalryman's Girl...

Book one  1850 The Saskatchewan

In the beginning was fire. Battle and fire came to Emma's dreams.

Prairie wool burns fast in dry hot August Saskatchewan winds. The wind-blown smoke twists the scream, the shout, and the battle, the sound of hooves and of stone smashing bone. Acrid smell of grass, shrub, and roasting flesh panics both pack ponies. He slacks his reins, lets them rear, snubs them close. Ponies rub, nuzzle each other, and calm down. His oldest two sons remain on the pack ponies backs where he has tied their scalped bodies, this man who should bury his sons cannot stop. Ani’ni, the real people, lighting fire drags on the relentless dry wind, have forced their enemies to turn back and circle out of the fires path. Four women, three young boys, three girls he finds unhorsed, fearful, unable to outrun the shifting wind. Wapiti cuts towards them, reins his horses tight.

“Cut the bodies loose. Take the ponies.”

.A hide bag, half-full of stale water is handed down to them. One mouthful each. He feeds the rest to his war pony. He will ride dry until he reaches the round pond. Wind, quickening holds west burns a flame line to the coulees. Smoke clears. Land marker, he seeks a marker. Buffalo rub, an erratic, grey, He will find this rock, his dead sons, when he survives.

“Where to “says the tall woman, eyes hard. Widowed two weeks, leading the women, in charge. She will mourn later, for more death rides with the skirmish wind even if their enemy retreats. An alliance of the Cree and Assiniboine, fostered by the Bay factors, determine to drive the Gros Ventres from these plains, from Rupert’s land, from existence.

‘Good, winds turning in our favor, all good’ he calculates.

” South. Round the middle salt lake, then wait at the height beside the wooded salt lake. If there is no water, go straight east. The round pound, two miles. Always-good water. Our men will gather there. “

“And if other men ….”

“If the men are Assiniboine, try to surrender. Plains Cree, decide. The Moose Cree…”

”‘Moose Cree are scalping. Women and children…”

“Yes. The Bay factor is buying our scalps. Run if you can, fight if you must.”

As the smoke lifts and his kin flee south, Wapiti watches the Moose Cree follow their war leader along the lacustrine hard pan of the long shallow lake. Good, all good. They spot the women, children, old men fleeing on the far side of the lake. Whooping, the War leader gallops across the narrow salt.

” New to horses, North men” mutters Wapiti. He spurs toward the lake. Ani’ni warriors gather, ones, two, tens. With him behind the smoke wisps. They spur east quietly, the unsuspecting Moose Cree ahead. The smoke screen dwindles, flames between the warriors dying down and the enemy sees them... New to horse warfare the Woods Cree attempt to wheel, their mounts angry, thirsty, fearful,  Horses  buck, wheel fight their riders. The horses sensed danger as they slip in the greasy stink mud under the alkali crust. Horses scream, terror, rear, spin, throw riders as they pierce the sharp stakes set under the shallow mid water run of alkali mud. Salt water burns into cuts.

He screams his challenge, charges, leads his men. Woods Cree warriors spilt, one knot of riders retreats north, spurs, lives. A larger group falls amid the stakes, trapped, men and horses scream. A third group rallies near their leader, south, paralleling the states... riding for coulees where his Gros Ventres young riders wait in ambush.

  His men now near and with him firing their muskets aiming arrows at riders and their mounts. A wounded horse will panic, can be captured or dispatched later, exhausted and thirsty…



The Next Emma Chase  sequel: Now on Smashwords!https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/401530



THE UPDATED VERSION OF EMMA'S RIFLES IS CURRENTLY A FREE  READ ON SMASHWORDS