Trail of Hope (Tales of the Scrimshaw Doll) Read Online Free Page B

she’d walked hundreds of miles. Threadbare blankets draped over hunched figures as they began a new day’s march. She shook her head, and the tears dropped, interrupted by the movement. She pressed her lips together to stop their trembling and forced herself to stand as Bryan made his way through the silent people and mounted his horse. She didn’t want to think of these lifeless bodies lying where they’d died. She knew that without a proper burial, their souls couldn’t follow the path to their Great Spirit. Every chance she got, she helped a few of the older kids cover frozen corpses with anything they could easily pick up. She looked down at the scrapes and bruises on the palms of her hands, then tightened them into fists. “I have made a difference.” She let out a slow breath and forced her sad thoughts back to the present, thrusting one foot in front of the other over the rough terrain. She didn’t even try to stop the persistent thoughts pushing through her worn-out mind. Will we make it? What will happen when we get there? How many of us are going to die?
    When they finally arrived in Tennessee, they camped next to the town of Nashville for several weeks. She watched an animated discussion between Martin and Bryan and wondered what they argued about. Martin’s morose disposition since his illness didn’t bode well. The fire had returned to his eyes, but it wasn’t friendly, and his tight lips and scowl sent a frisson of dread scurrying through her. Whatever the subject, it hadn’t been a pleasant one.
    She let him brood a while longer. Finally, after listening to him grumble and growl, she couldn’t take it anymore. “Martin, why are you so upset? What did Bryan tell you?”
    He grumbled a few more times, then took a deep breath, which ended in a cough. “The man leading us to the new lands was called back to Washington. It seems that General Winfield Scott appointed Major Todd to lead us the rest of the way.” He turned a knowing gaze to her face. “I fear for your safety, Sophia. Bryan has told me of his cruelty, both to animals and to his men. But especially to the Cherokee.”
    She sighed. “I guess somewhere deep inside I knew I wouldn’t be able to escape him.”
    Silence covered them like a shroud, broken only by the clopping of the soldiers’ horses as they did their night-time rounds and an occasional creak from the wagons at the movement of the Indians fortunate enough to sleep there. She stared at the spread of blankets a few of the men had tied onto poles to keep the snow off while they slept. Her mind, however, wouldn’t slow down, and sleep remained elusive. She focused instead on what she could do to stop the major from whatever he was planning. While she lay there, a prickling sensation inched its way over her skin. She sat up and glanced around, but no one was there. Not even the soldiers were nearby.
    She pulled her arms tight around her waist and tried to concentrate on three small rocks lying next to her moccasins. Someone watched her. She’d felt an uneasy presence since they arrived in Nashville. Unseen eyes burned a trail over her body, making her feel exposed. Dirty. A hard shiver traveled through her body and caught Martin’s perceptive gaze.
    This wonderful man had attached himself to her heart. The last thing she wanted was for him to worry about her too. She smiled and forced the corners of her mouth to turn upward. “Only a shiver. I think the weather is getting colder, if that’s possible.”
    He nodded. “Very possible, unfortunately.” He pointed to the darkening skyline and the thick layer of billowing clouds. “The sky grows heavy. We are in for another bad storm.” She watched his eyes unfocus, glazing over as his thoughts turned inward. “I miss her. My Klara.” A wry grin split his face. “She had the warmest feet.”
    Sophia slipped her hand into his large one, gnarled and rough from age and hard work, but his grip was still strong. In the