Vision In The Wilderness
(Old West)

by Linda Como

The storm was moving fast across the prairie, kicking up great clouds of dust. Ezra knew he should have never agreed to meet Chris and Vin out in this godforsaken wasteland. "What I wouldn't give for a nice beer, a soft woman and a deck of cards!" he mumbled to himself for the hundredth time. Suddenly he smiled, "Of course maybe not quite in that order!" Lightning crashed and a small furry animal scurried for cover. This was more than his frightened horse could handle and with one huge lunge he bolted off into the brush. It took Ezra by surprise, so all he had time to do was hold on for dear life! No matter what he tried, he could not bring his horse under control. "I guess I'd better pray my gambler's luck holds out," he whispered into the wind. Suddenly out of nowhere there was a fence across his path. There was no way to stop his horse so he was hoisted into the air. His hold broke as the horse landed with a thud. Ezra's last conscious thought as his head struck the hard ground was, "I always thought I'd die with cards in my hand!"

She quietly crept out of her hiding place and stared at the still form of the man on the ground. She had been told since childhood not to trust the white man, but something about this one drew her like a magnet. She had a dream last night of a cardinal all red and proud landing in her lap. Seeing the man in the red coat lying there was like the dream coming true. "Maybe he is dead." she thought. "If another white man comes along he'll probably think I killed him" She told herself. Just as Little Deer turned to go, the man began to moan. She never could leave anything hurt, so against her better judgment, she bent and turned the man over. Briefly he regained consciousness and she gazed into the greenest eyes she had ever seen. She felt as if she were drowning in them. Just as quickly those haunting eyes closed and he lapsed into unconsciousness again. Little Deer was asking herself what to do, when suddenly mother nature took over. The rainstorm caught her by surprise. She knew if she didn't move fast, the man could be in big trouble. She knew she wasn't strong enough to move him too far, so she let her knowledge of wilderness survival take over. By the time she got the lean-to built and her horse secured, they were both soaked to the skin. Out here after sunset the temperature drops fast. She pulled the blankets out of her pack and went to work. Many years of physical labor gave her the strength to raise the man and remove his clothes. She had never been this intimate with any man, let alone a white man! She couldn't take her eyes off the pale skin her shaking hands were revealing to her. When he started to violently shiver, she quickly shed her own clothes and wrapped them both in the warm soft blankets. She hadn't realized how much strength it had taken to complete her task, until the warmth enveloped her. Even the strangeness of lying next to this beautiful man could stop her eyes from closing. "I'll just rest for a minute!" she told herself. "THEN I'LL LOOK HIM OVER MORE CAREFULLY". With a contented smile and a mischievous grin she drifted off to sleep.

Ezra was having the most wonderful dream. He was in a big comfortable bed, with a warm body to wile away the night. He didn't remember getting there, but as he ran his hands lightly over the wonderfully rounded curves, he was sure glad he was. He tried to turn his head and see the face of this dream lover. The blinding pain that sliced through his head, vividly brought back his horses mad flight and his headlong fall. "How did I get from there to here?" he asked his dazed mind. The effort cost him too much and he lapsed back into unconsciousness. As Little Deer felt his body relax, she let out the breath she had been holding. Never had she felt such feelings as those evoked by those roaming hands. A part of her told her to get up before he awoke again, but the awakening woman in her kept her tucked close to his side. Ever since the marauding bunch of outlaws had murdered her family, she had been wandering using her wits and skills to stay alive. She wanted nothing more than to keep the serenity she felt in this mans arms for as long as she could. Something told her that this was a turning point in her life and she accepted it.

Ezra awoke to the smell of a campfire and something wonderful cooking. Remembering the pain of the night before, he slowly turned his head in the di direction of those aromas. The vision that filled his sight drove the pain from his mind. She was not aware of him, so he was able to study his savior at his leisure. He had never seen a woman so beautiful. It wasn't just the long black hair that cascaded to her waist, or the curvaceous body stretching the animal skins she wore to the limit. It was the strength in her moves and an absolute sureness of herself that drew him. He had never met a woman that seemed to able to take care of herself and those around her so competently. He had an urgent need to see if the voice was as unforgettable as the rest of the package. Just as he was sitting up he made the startling discovery that he was as naked as the day he was born. Gambler he may be, but somewhere deep inside was enough of the gentleman in him to make blush down to his very naked toes. As if sensing his return to the living, she turned and looked him squarely in the eyes. There was no trace of embarrassment on her beautiful face. This only made him even more uncomfortable. The devilish part of him, wanted very badly to shake that serene look out of her. When she rose and slowly approached him with a piece of meat, he knew he had his chance. When she bent down to hand it to him, he grabbed her and pulled her down for a passionate kiss. What started out as a way to get even soon turned into one of the most explosive moments of his life.

It had taken every ounce of willpower Little Deer had not to fall to pieces, when she turned to find the green-eyed stranger awake. Her upbringing may have allowed her to walk to him steadily, but nothing could have prepared her for the inferno of his kiss. It started as some kind of game, but soon burned out of control. They had not even spoken a word yet, but it was as if there bodies talked to each other perfectly. As the sun climbed higher in the sky, they let there hands and mouths tell each other what they wanted and soared to heights that neither had ever been to before. It was long after that same sun started to descend that they allowed themselves to drift back to earth. As Ezra gazed into her eyes he whispered "Thank you!" Whether it was for saving his life or for the gift she had just shared with him he neither knew nor cared. His arms held her tightly as his bruised body pulled him into sleep.

When his deep breathing told her he was soundly sleeping, Little Deer quietly slipped out of the blankets. As she studied the face of the sleeping man her body told her to return to his side. The years had taught her not to believe what her body said, but to listen to her mind. Her mind told her to leave quickly, before he regained the strength to convince her to stay. She knew they were from two different worlds. They probably would never have noticed each other under ordinary circumstances. She would hold this day and this green-eyed man in her heart forever. Tears ran down her cheeks, as she made sure he was warm and packed her things. She bent and ran her fingertips lightly down his face. His image would always be in her heart and the feel of him would be forever on her skin. Like a ghost she quietly turned and disappeared into the wilderness.

Little Deer ran as fast as she could from the handsome stranger with the green eyes! She knew that if she didn't keep moving, she would turn back and this terrified her. Soon she had to stop and catch her breath. She found shade behind a large oak tree and leaned back and closed her eyes. Years of living in the wilderness had honed her senses to razor sharp. She sensed the riders, before she saw anything. Cautiously she peeked ought from her hiding place and the breath caught in her lungs. Three riders were approaching. Something about the lead rider sent shivers up her spine. When he reached a patch of sunlight, she had to press her fist tight to her mouth to stop her scream. Here was the face of death that haunted her nightmares. A little older and meaner but still the face of the renegade who had murdered her family. As they rode by, she could have reached out and touched them. As they got farther past her sigh of relief became a gasp as her mind received the message her senses had been sending. They were heading directly towards the place she had left the stranger. Even healthy he would have a hard time defending himself against such men, in his weakened state he wouldn't stand a chance. The thought of what these evil men could do, drove her to action. She knew the wilderness like the back of her hand so she took off on a short cut back to the man she had tried to flee from. As she moved through the trees, she thought she saw a red bird flash by. What ever misgivings she had vanished. Her indian teachings told her that this was a sign. Good or bad she accepted it and raced on.

Ezra's dreams flashed like lightning through his fevered mind. The feel of soft skin. Coal black eyes and hair. He never knew angels looked like this. For a brief moment he regained consciousness. His fevered eyes looked frantically around the campsite trying to find her. He tried to rise but the effort was more than his body could bear. With a sigh of delight he gave himself up to the dreams of his glorious savior. When

Little Deer burst into the clearing he didn't even know she was there. Her mind had been working quickly as she ran to make plans to hide the stranger. She didn't waste any time but gathered every dead branch she could find. Until they passed, she knew that the only chance they had was to make them blend in with the surroundings. She was glad that she had removed that red coat which she now hid in a hollowed out tree.

She piled branches and brush all around and over him. In the distance she heard the riders approaching. She scrambled in beside him and prayed for protection from her ancestors. They had almost passed when her dream man suddenly stirred and moaned. To keep him still and quiet. Little Deer did the only possible thing she could. She wrapped her arms tightly around him and put her lips on his. As the men disappeared into the forest, she told herself to let go. Her body refused to listen to her mind. Slowly the realization of the unnatural heat of those lips penetrated her mind. She knew that his life depended on what she did next.

She fashioned a litter out of branches and blankets and somehow managed to pull him up on it. Whether it was an answer from her prayer to her ancestors or just self preservation, but from some where she found the strength to drag him to a cave she knew of close by. Once she maneuvered him inside she collapsed into an exhausted heap. As her eyes closed she took another look at that handsome face that had made such chaos of her world. She knew she had passed the point of no return and now she accepted whatever the fates had in store for them.

"What happened to the sun?" "Why am I hot one minute then freezing the next?" "When I open my eyes will I see that haunting face or will she have drifted away with my dreams?" All these questions and more filtered through Ezra's mind as he drifted in and out. When they got too much for him and his body tossed around soft hands and a sweet voice lulled him into peacefulness. That same voice and hands coaxed him to drink a vile brew that burned its way to his belly. For three days Little Deer hardly slept watchful of his every need. At the end of the third day the fever finally broke and he lapsed onto a natural sleep his body already trying to mend itself. Too much pain had been etched into Little Deer's soul for her to cry anymore, but this night she did. For this man and for herself, for she knew without a doubt that she loved this man. She may not have a future with him But she had the present. Her robe whispered to the floor. As she slipped in beside him she prayed it would be enough.

Those green eyes sparkled as they examined the sleeping woman at his side. His feverish dreams hadn't begun to do her justice. Her skin was like warm honey, Her hair reminded him of the prairie sky on a moon less night. Black, but with star like highlights shooting through it. Her luscious mouth was curved into a sexy smile. Whatever she was dreaming was having a heated effect on her body. When she turned to him, he realized her eyes were open and warmed by an emotion he couldn't quite place. As he drowned in the warmth of her eyes, he murmured, "Lady Luck must be shining on you Ezra to drop this vision in your lap!" "If only you could tell me your name, then I'd be even luckier." Slowly her fingers feathered across his lips and in a voice as melodious as the song of a lark she said, "I am called Little Deer and I understand more than you know." His heart constricted at the sound of her voice. He placed her hand over his heart so she could feel the thunderous beating. "Honored to make your acquaintance MA'AM!" he responded with as much of a bow as her body would allow. The feelings that rippled through his body at this extra contact took his breath away. With his last bit of breath he told her. "My name is Ezra S..." Before he could finish she stopped him with a kiss. When they finally pulled apart she whispered with a smile "E Z R A S". As she came back into his arms and worked her magic on his body. They swept to the stars as they had the first time. As they slowly descended back to earth Ezra vowed to find a way to make what she said come true.

Somehow, she would be E Z R A S!! He'd bet his life on it!!!

TO BE CONTINUED!!!!!

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