Red Harvest's Winter

The Broken Woman

I was sitting in a slight alcove in a small cave. My horse was tied up sleeping just inside. The fire I had made was burning and crackling in front of me, and occasionally a harsh gust of wind would come and blow the flames closer to my face, warming me from the snow that had just stopped falling. It was a very quiet and peaceful night, but I was very tense. There was a small town just a mile away from the rock formation I had found; i'm sure a white man would be very aggressive if he found that a Native was so close to the town. I shivered against a large gust of wind.

"Get back here," My head snapped up as heard a faint yell, which was followed by a even quieter scream. 

"Are you really trying to run?" I quickly rose and ran to grab my bow the was slung on top of a nearby rock. The snow began lightly crunching under feet as I slowly moved towards the tree line. I could here the sound of horse hooves against the ground growing louder and harsher; its coming here. And then my ears picked up on the faintest sound. A set of footsteps on the snow, running. Just as I reached the tree line, a figure busted through to my left.

It was dark out, yet I could still make out some features. It was a woman. She was short, 5'1" maybe 5'2". She was in a long white nightgown that pooled around her feet, it hung from her right shoulder, exposing her collar bone. There was a long rip on the left side that showed red around the strings indicating blood underneath. Long hair curled around her petite face. A face that I just then noticed, was looking directly at me. A face that was home to two wide eyes, tears streaming off cheeks, and dirt that was smeared on the whole left side as if she was shoved into the mud. My reflexes took over and I aimed my bow directly at her.

"Please," she whisper yelled, "please don't let him find me," Her body shook as a loud horse neigh followed a harsh wind. My bow snapped to a new figure emerging from the same place that this woman had just emerged. 

She fell to the ground directly under the large brown stallion. On top of the menacing horse was a looming figure that was barely illuminated by the moon. The only thing I could make out was a broad frame and a large cowboy hat drawn over the face. The girl began crying out.

"Hail Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with thee," she sobbed out with her face buried in her hands, front half in the snow.

"Found ya, princess," The figure chuckled, and the horse's hooves landed sending snow flying into the air and onto her

"Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus," she whispered, quieter than before. He continued laughing. I slowly shuffled closer, careful that he didn't see me.

"Get up! It is time to go home, baby girl," The horse lunged forward slightly, she pushed herself farther into the snow. I kept making my way closer.

"Holy Mary Mother of God," 

"Oh shut up!"

"Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death," She looked straight into my eyes. I turned towards the figure and let the arrow go right into the man's leg.

"Oh, damn!" The man hollered, and his horse reared up neighing loudly. I ran over to the base of the horse and wrapped my arms around the woman curled on the ground. My horse was trying to break free of his lead as I rushed over dragging her with me, she was still chanting the same prayer. I quickly untied him as the figure was still recovering. I hiked her up onto my horse and jumped on behind her. She gripped onto my forearm that was wrapped around her shoulders and chest. A gun shot went of next to my head.

"You filthy Injun!" He shouted. We took off into the trees, hooves prints being left in our wake. 

After what seemed like an hour, we reached an old rundown farmhouse.  This will have to do. I looked behind us, no one followed us. Strange. I jumped off the stead and caught the woman as she slipped off the side, asleep. I could feel the warm blood soaking into my arm where her leg was. It was still to hard to make out distinctive features. The farmhouse had an old tattered blanket laid on top of a stack of hay. I set her down there. As I pulled away and straightened my back, I turned to leave.

"Don't," Came the whisper. "Please," Turning back around, I could feel her looking at me. Her fragile hand gripped my pant leg as I sat next to her. 

Soon, the sound of her breathing evened out, and I slowly rose from spot. I exited the structure, and laid down under the stars, on a fallen tree trunk that rested on the thin, fresh layer of snow. My eyes closed as I drifted off to sleep, thinking of the strange broken woman.