Excerpt
Standing Deer was getting ready to eat his morning meal when out of the blue heavens she appeared. All of a sudden, there she was; a very beautiful woman, just barely able to reach his shoulders. This white woman had long wavy hair with curls cascading down from her shoulders to her waist, like a waterfall. The rays of sunshine through the clouds and sky cast its light upon it causing her hair to sparkle and shimmer. There were so many streaks of colors in it that he wasn't sure what color to call it. It appeared to have all the colors of autumn leaves one saw in the mountains just before the winter snows. He wanted to reach over and touch its beauty.
How ironic that she would appear just when he thought the whole trip was a waste of his valuable time. He’d been scouting for days and had not seen any Pawnee war parties or scouts. This woman, dressed in clothing he had never seen before, was quite different from other white women. What has the Great Spirit planned for him by bringing this woman to him? Where did she come from? How did she get here without him seeing her? He didn’t see a horse. Confused, Standing Deer wondered how she entered the campsite without him seeing her.
He didn't move, nor did Standing Deer want to move. If he scared her, she might leave in the same way she arrived. From his own experiences and those of others, he knew white women were cowards. They tended to get very skittish when they were around Indians. He didn’t want to scare her away. He wanted answers to his questions.
The training of a Hunkpapa warrior prepared Standing Deer to be ready for anything. This was different. It was magical how she appeared before his eyes. Standing Deer could feel his palms sweating, and his heart beating faster. He felt an attraction he hadn’t allowed himself to feel in years. What kind of spell had she cast over him?
Standing Deer was thorough as he stood silently admiring and observing her. She was indeed in strange attire, with practically nothing covering her body. This woman with the colorful hair and strange clothes didn’t appear to be shaken by his presence. Grinning, her attire didn’t leave much to the imagination. She was quite striking; her body was well-formed and well-endowed. She appeared to be strong and healthy for a white woman. It pleased him to see the muscles throughout her arms and legs. Yes, she was quite a specimen. This woman was a strong one.
She would be able to work hard, stand her own ground among the other captives and possibly even among the Indian women of the tribe. She would surely bring him good fortune and many horses when he traded her to the Cheyenne. He should bring this white woman back to camp with him. Perhaps, keep her for himself.
Nodding, the decision made, he would definitely keep her for himself.