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Wyatt Eagle studied the meal. „This is a rare treat. I have not tasted such as this for a very long time.“
„Then I’m glad we had some to share with you.“ Grace glanced over at Josh. „I’m so glad you finished what I started. This is really good.“
He winked at her, causing her heart to do an odd little dance. „Happy to oblige, ma’am.“
They both fell silent as they savored their meal, but it was obvious that Grace wanted to know more about the legend.
When at last Wyatt Eagle sat back, sipping strong black coffee, she could wait no longer. „Did the maiden’s warrior return?“
Wyatt watched as both she and Josh shared their food with Barnaby. The dog ate his fill, before stretching out in front of the fire. Only then did the old man return to his tale.
„One day, as the bleak winter days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, the woman heard voices raised in celebration. Racing from her shelter she hurried to the cluster of people, searching for the face of her warrior. One of the young braves stepped forward to tell her that her beloved had died in battle. Dropping to the ground, she buried her face in her hands and wept bitter tears. As the hours passed, she realized how desperate her situation had become. A lone female, without the protection of a warrior, couldn’t possibly survive in this harsh land. Swallowing her pride, she made her way to the chief’s shelter. When she entered, the voices of the others fell silent. The chief stood, pushing his little daughter behind him. From the corner of her father’s robe, the child peered at the mother who was now a stranger. The woman bowed before the chief and admitted the shame she had brought to him, asking him to find it in his heart to forgive her. She promised from that day forward to lie with him and cook for him, so that together they could raise up their child to take her proper place among their people. The chief’s face became as dark as a thundercloud, and his voice roared like that of the black bear as he told her that because she had shamed him, he would never take her back. If she wished to survive, she must uncover the warrior within herself. Then he turned her fate over to the council, who ordered her to be tossed into the frigid waters of the lake.“
Grace put a hand to her mouth. „In the dead of winter? What a cruel death.“
Wyatt nodded. „Not so cruel. The woman was prepared to pay the price of her infidelity. The people knew that the Great Spirits lived in their kingdom beneath the water. Even now, the woman’s warrior lover was dwelling there with them. Now would she go to him. When the tribal elders tossed her into the icy water, moonlight glinted off the waves, like a beacon. At once her body went numb with cold. Within minutes she could no longer feel her hands or feet. Her body sank below the water and she gave herself up to the fate awaiting her. Suddenly, with a great rush of sound, the lake came alive. Waves rose up taller than the trees that ringed the shore. Fish that had been sleeping in the deep awoke and swam in wild profusion around her.
Water that had been laced with ice floes was now as warm as if it had been heated over a fire. A mighty wave lifted the woman on its crest, sweeping her above the waves. Her body began to take on a new form, and the form became that of a beautiful but fierce warrior woman in flowing robes, her hair golden, skin luminous as freshwater pearls. It is said that even now she waits out there in the lake, hoping for a glimpse of the daughter she loved more than her own life. Thus was born the legend of the warrior woman of the lake, for there is no warrior more ferocious than a mother denied the love of her child. Like a she-bear, she will wait and watch and do whatever is necessary to reclaim the love that was lost.“
Grace’s tone grew hushed. „Do you think she was able to make peace with her child?“
He fixed her with a dark, knowing stare. „What do you think, Grace?“
She was silent for a long time. When at last she spoke, her voice was troubled. „I can’t imagine any daughter who would be so hard-hearted that she could ignore her own mother’s anguish and refuse to forgive a solitary mistake.“
„Even if that mistake caused great pain to the girl’s father?“
„I wonder. Was it pain that drove the chief to punish her? Or his wounded pride?“
The old man shrugged. „Perhaps a little of both.“
Josh asked the question that was uppermost in his mind. „You said few had seen her, except for some of the old ones. Why do you think the warrior woman has begun showing herself again after all these years?“
Wyatt Eagle turned to him. „That is indeed a mystery. Perhaps it is she. Or perhaps a kindred spirit who must find some resolution to the pain of this life, before entering the Great Beyond.“
Grace mused aloud, „Why have I never read of this legend in any of my research?“
Wyatt smiled. „Much of my people’s lore has never been recorded, but rather passed from father to son. It is, after all, an ancient tale, and there are none of my people left.“ He set aside his empty mug. „I thank you for that fine meal. And for your pleasant company. But now I must leave you.“
As he stood, Barnaby looked up from the fire. At a soft command, the dog trotted over to stand beside the old man and looked up into his eyes as though sharing his i
Touching a hand to the dog’s head, Wyatt glanced from Grace to Josh. „It would seem that my companion feels at home here.“ He turned to Grace. „You remind me of the woman who left Barnaby in my care. She entrusted me with something else and told me I would recognize the one for whom it was meant.“ He reached into the pocket of his parka and handed Grace a manila envelope.
She stared at it, then up at him. „I don’t understand.“
„So much of life is a mystery.“ He bent forward and brushed a kiss on her cheek. „Good-bye, Grace Marin. I am honored that we met.“ He turned to Josh. „Barnaby loves the land. He would make a boon companion to one who enjoys exploring the wilderness.“
Josh chuckled. „I’m sure he would. But I travel alone.“
The old man opened the door and stepped outside, with the dog at his heels.
Grace and Josh stood in the doorway watching as Wyatt and Barnaby started toward the woods. Suddenly the wind picked up, yanking the door from Josh’s hands and slamming it shut.
„Getting colder,“ he muttered.
When he’d finally managed to shove open the door again, both man and dog were out of sight. Though Josh and Grace strained to see their figures moving in the woods, there was no sign of them.
„Odd. For an old man, he moves like lightning.“ Josh glanced at the envelope in Grace’s hand. „Going to open it?“
„Of course.“ But instead of tearing it open, she simply stared at it.
„You’re looking at it as though it’s some kind of magic bottle, and you’re afraid of the genie inside.“
„Maybe I am.“
He started out the door. „You can open that envelope, or just stare at it for the next hour. While you decide, I’m going to the shed and see if I can get that generator started.“
He sauntered away, leaving Grace alone in the cabin, her pulse racing, her throat as dry as dust.