I rubbed its neck to try to calm it then raised up as far as I was able to go to see our surroundings.
There was no sign I was headed anywhere but into the middle of the grasslands.
The horse nickered in greeting, and I sat, glancing in the direction of its head. I looked back, startled to see the forms of two men melting out of the grassy surroundings. One moved forward to hold the horse's head.
"You are lost," he said.
A flash of lightning revealed a native with a silver stripe in his hair. He was comforting my horse.
"I'm not lost," I replied. "I'm here to see your Chief."
One of his eyebrows went up, and he glanced at the man beside him.
"You come alone, in a storm, to trespass on lands that are not yours." This voice I knew as well, the low growl of Running Bear. I cringed inside, wishing we had a better relationship, especially since I was going to rat him and his brother out.
"It's important," I said. "Can I talk to him?"
A memory floated past me followed by another encyclopedic account of the natives. The images in my mind were a mini-history lesson about the Choctaw, a matrilineal culture. When his uncle died, the next man to marry his aunt, who bore the noble blood, would become chief. He was with one of the men who was next in line and debating how to handle my request.
Interesting. On one side of the road, I can't own land because I'm a woman. On the other, only women can own land.
There was a silence, and I suspected I had caught the warriors off guard.
"Or I can stay here and get hit by lightning," I added. "My father might not be happy about that, though."
"Are you a fool or crazy?" Running Bear asked finally.
"Right now, both. It's been an awful day."
The man with the silver stripe chuckled. "Take her, Running Bear. From what you have said, this girl is a lost sheep like those her father lets graze on our lands. I am almost curious what she will ask of us."
"She cannot be trusted, no matter how much you pity this lost sheep," Running Bear warned. He approached and gripped the reins of my horse, yanking them from my hands.
"Tell me what happens," the man with the silver stripe said, amused.
I focused on the empathic memories to distract myself from the lightning striking too close for comfort.
Running Bear, too, was curious but wary where his companion had been relatively unconcerned about the foolish white girl with the blue eyes. His thoughts went to his cousin, the sheriff, and I leaned forward, interested to get a glimpse into the life of the man I suspected was hiding a great deal without any idea of what that could be.