"Penny for your thoughts," said Michaela quietly, as she came up behind Dorothy who was leaning against the homestead porch railing. The older woman started and spun around to face her friend. Michaela smiled. "I was watching you," she explained. "You were a thousand miles away ..."

Dorothy lowered her eyes. "I .. I .. was just daydreamin' I guess," she disclosed sheepishly.

Michaela nodded in understanding and moved up to stand beside her friend. Her eyes caught Sully and Cloud Dancing disappearing into the barn and she suddenly understood where Dorothy's mind had been. "Nice daydreams?" she asked softly.

The red-head gulped. "Uh huh," she admitted. "But that's all they're ever likely ta be ... just daydreams."

"Want to talk about it?"

Dorothy shrugged. "Its kinda hard," she returned hesitantly.

"Its about you and Cloud Dancing isn't it?" probed Michaela gently. "I know your situation must be difficult."

Dorothy shook her head ruefully. "You don' know *how* difficult," she quietly admitted.

Michaela rested her hand on her friend's. "I know the problem isn't about your relationship ... that was obvious during supper ...," she prompted.

"Oh Michaela, you're right ... it aint between Cloud Dancin' an' me ... truth is ... we're closer 'an ever ... but ..."

"But?"

"But there aint nothin' we can do about it," Dorothy declared with some vehemence. She turned to face Michaela. "The other night ... Hank made a point o' warnin' me against keepin' company with Cloud Dancin'," she stated. "Said people were startin' ta notice things an' wonder ..."

Michaela's eyes opened wide. "He did?" she returned in shock. "He had no right ..."

"That's what I told him ... but I guess he ... well he thought he was doin' the right thing ... Told me I might git into trouble my friends couldn' help me out of ..."

Michaela shook her head. "Knowing his feelings about Cloud Dancing ..."

"That was the strange thing ... Hank said he didn' like me keepin' company with Cloud Dancin' ... but I got the feelin' he'd let it go, 'cept for how other folks feel about it ... an' what they might do ...," Dorothy explained.

"When did this happen ... this talk with Hank?"

Dorothy reddened. "Ah ... the night I went out to Palmer Creek to tell Cloud Dancin' about the newspaper article ... I ... I ... was kinda late gettin' back ..."

Michaela smiled. "You were ... were you?" she teased. "And Hank saw you .."

"Uh huh ... there weren't no-one else around ... I wasn't expectin' *him* ta be either ..."

"Must have been *very* late ..."

Dorothy's eyes went to the closed barn door. "I guess it was," she admitted dreamily. "I stayed to supper with him ... an' then we talked ... an' ..." She heaved a sigh. "An' time got away from us," she concluded.

"He means a lot to you, doesn't he?" urged Michaela, noting the look on her dear friend's face.

Again Dorothy sighed. "A lot," she admitted.

"And he feels the same ... about you?"

"He says he does."

"Cloud Dancing doesn't say things lightly."

"I know it ..." Dorothy's shimmering eyes met her friend's. "We dunno what to do Michaela ... There just doesn't seem to be a way we can be together ... When we're here with you an' Sully ... like tonight at supper ... its like we *are* together ... or when we're out at Palmer Creek ... just him an' me ... but when he's in town ... or we're with other people ..."

"You have to conceal how you feel ..."

Dorothy nodded. "It aint easy," she confessed. "And its gettin' harder ... The more time I spend with him ..."

"The more you find yourself loving him," finished Michaela, squeezing her friend's hand in sympathy. "I know exactly how that feels," she added softly.

"I guess you do," rejoined Dorothy with a wan smile. "Only you two could do somethin' about it ..."

"I know," returned Michaela somewhat sheepishly. "It seemed so hard at the time ... but ..."

"Now ya realise it weren't so hard after all .."

Michaela nodded. "I wish there was something Sully and I could do," she said wistfully. "We'd both love to see you happy ..."

Dorothy chuckled ruefully. "That's the strange part ... In a way we are," she returned softly. "At least ... well ... we're both a lot happier than we were a couple o' years back. We got each other. But its so hard not bein' able to be together ... havin' ta pretend ..."

Michaela again squeezed her friend's hand. "If there's ever anything ... anything at all ... that Sully and I can do ... you just ask ... alright?" she offered sincerely.

Dorothy nodded. "Just keep on doin' what you're doin' Michaela," she responded gratefully. "Its so nice not havin' ta pretend here ..." A slight noise took her eyes back to the barn and she watched longingly as Cloud Dancing and Sully emerged and made their way slowly up through the yard.

Beside her, Michaela silently sighed in vexation. Would there ever come a time when Dorothy and Cloud Dancing could be together? Perhaps one day? She bit her lip and taking her friend's hand, beckoned, "Come on ... we'll make fresh coffee ... and there's one of Grace's seed cakes ... Neither of you have to leave yet ..."

Dorothy smiled gratefully and nodded. They waited for the men to mount the porch steps and then all four entered the homestead together.

*******************
"Katie alright?" asked Michaela anxiously from their bed, as Sully quietly opened the door and entered the room.

He smiled indulgently. "Seems there was somethin' hidin' under her bed," he explained, quickly divesting himself of his buckskins and climbing in to sit beside her. "Had a bad dream I reckon ..."

"But she's alright now?" asked Michaela again. "Perhaps I ought to go to her."

Sliding down under the covers, he reassured her, "She's sound asleep again ... I stayed with her 'til she was ... Little kids often have bad dreams ..."

"I suppose," Michaela responded a little dubiously. "Did you?" she asked unexpectedly.

He shrugged. "I guess ... don' really remember ... Worst dreams've come later I reckon ..."

"They have?"

His jaw clenched, and he took a deep breath. "Uh huh ... an' sometimes I don' even have ta close my eyes ..."

"Oh Sully," she murmured softly, also sliding down and then sidling up close to his warm body.

Again he shrugged. "No matter ... can't do anythin' about what's happened ... only what's gonna ..." He edged his arm in under her and drew her head down against his chest.

"I wish we really could do that," she murmured, her breath warm against his bare skin.

"Really do what?"

"Change what's likely to happen ... I mean *really* change things ..."

"You got somethin' special in mind?"

Gently caressing his skin, she returned softly, "I was talking to Dorothy ..."

"Thought as much .... And?"

"They *do* love each other Sully ... very much ... only ..."

"Only ... there's no way for 'em ta be together ..."

She nodded and then mused, "And yet Dorothy said that in their own way, they're happy ... They have each other now ..."

"But there's more ta bein' together than visitin' an' sharin' supper ..."

She peered up at him. "I know ... I wonder ... well ..."

He frowned. "What are ya wonderin'?" he asked.

She swallowed. "I was thinking about Marjorie and Loren ...," she murmured. "At least they had some happiness together before she died ... If they'd waited until she was ready to marry again ..."

"They mightn't have ever bin together," finished Sully. When she nodded, he remarked, "Don' know whether you can compare the two situations ... People weren't gonna object ta Marjorie an' Loren bein' together ... not like they would with Dorothy an' Cloud Dancin'." He lovingly kissed the top of her head. "How would *you* feel about it if they ..."

"Weren't just visiting and sharing supper?" she finished in a whisper. She swallowed. "I don't know," she replied in a small voice. She peered up at him, her shimmering eyes locking with his. "But I do want them to have what we have ... to share the same kind of love we share," she said softly, sincerely.

He gently brushed back a wisp of hair from her forehead. "They mightn't have any choice," he rejoined, his voice a touch husky.

She unconsciously ran her tongue across her lips and nestled in more closely against him. "Then I wouldn't begrudge them their chance of happiness," she murmured breathily. "Only *they* can decide what's right for them ... no-one else ... not us ... not the townspeople ..."

Sully slid down further so that he could look into her eyes, only inches away. "You've come a long way Michaela Quinn," he murmured lovingly.

She smiled and gently cupped his cheek with her hand. "I've had a good teacher," she whispered. She tenderly, but insistently drew his face closer until their lips could finally touch. "If they can experience even half what we have," she breathed. "They'll be lucky ..."

He too smiled, then giving in to their unspoken, but all too evident desire, he claimed her mouth and body with his.

********************
Much to Michaela's chagrin, she found herself once again standing behind Preston Lodge as he conducted business at the telegraph office. Since their altercation at the same place over a week ago, she'd done her best to avoid the man. Somehow he always managed to leave her feeling disgruntled and resentful, relatively unfamiliar feelings where she was concerned. She gritted her teeth, and despite her proper upbringing, prayed that he would not notice her and so she would not have to address him.

"There's these two official lookin' letters from back east," Horace informed the banker, passing them over. "An' there's a package here somewhere ..." He stepped back from the counter and began to delve beneath it. At last he straightened. "Here it is," he announced, dropping it onto the counter.

Preston snorted with disgust. "I sincerely hope there's nothing breakable in that," he remarked cuttingly.

Horace shrugged. "Don' have 'fragile' written on it ... so how's a fella ta know ..."

Preston shook his head ruefully. "There are no telegrams for me?" he asked hopefully.

"Nope ... they'd've bin with the letters if there were."

The banker's jaw set. "Thought I'd have heard by now," he muttered. He stepped back from the counter. "You'll make sure I get any telegrams that come in straight away won't you ... no delays?" he demanded. "I'm a busy man."

Horace looked askance. "An' I aint?" he expostulated.

"I'm sure you're a *very* busy man Horace," offered Preston in an attempt to pacify the harried telegraph operator. "But the two situations hardly compare. Now I must be going ... please advise me at once if anything else comes in for me ..." Horace merely nodded resignedly, so the banker moved purposefully away from the window and in so doing cannoned into a hapless Michaela waiting quietly behind him.

In a split second, Michaela realised what was going to happen but could do nothing to avoid it. Unable to halt his forward motion in time, Preston's swinging arm caught her across her shoulder and chest and she lost her balance, teetering backwards towards the platform steps. Instinctively, he reached out to grasp her arm just as she was losing her balance completely and somehow managed to haul her upright to stand before him, her shawl dangling from one shoulder, her face flushed with both embarrassment and indignation. Before she could protest, he offered adamantly, "My sincerest apologies Michaela ... I .. I was unaware there was anyone behind me ... I should have been more careful."

"Yes, you should have Mr Lodge," she rejoined heatedly, reaching back to grasp her shawl and pull it around herself. She pointedly glanced down at the steps and railroad tracks, then back to his flushed face.

"I can only say again how very sorry I am Michaela," he entreated. "Are you alright? Does anything hurt?"

"No ... you're lucky ... I'm fine," she retorted. "Now if you'll move aside ... I'll collect my mail - my original purpose in standing patiently behind you ..."

The unsettled banker did indeed step aside and Michaela moved towards the counter, only to hear the abrupt tapping of the telegraph and to see Horace hasten towards his post. He gave her an apologetic smile and began to take down the incoming wire. Only a few seconds in, he suddenly called loudly, "Preston ... you still there? This is for you ..."

About to step down from the platform, Preston abruptly swung around and strode back to the window. Once more, Michaela moved aside, as, without an apology, he stepped in front of her. At last Horace finished, methodically checked the transcript for mistakes (testing Preston's patience) and then brought it to him. The banker scanned it anxiously and then suddenly let out a whoop. "Yes!!" he exclaimed. He spun around. "Congratulate me Michaela ..."

"And why would I do that Mr Lodge?" she asked, a sense of foreboding setting in.

"I have just secured my last investor for my new business venture!" he informed her victoriously.

"You have still to inform us what that venture is," she challenged.

He smiled smugly. "I am now able to divulge that information and assuage your curiosity," he replied. "But I think it best to tell everyone together as I suggested last time we spoke. Perhaps midday ... in the café?" he proposed.

She shrugged disinterestedly. "Your business ventures are of little interest to me," she rejoined. "However ... as I *am* on the town council ..."

His smile broadened. "I knew you'd be there," he stated exultantly. He doffed his hat. "Midday then," he repeated and strode away towards town.

*******************
"I still dunno how Preston managed ta persuade Dinston to sell him the Chateau," grumbled Loren to Hank and Jake as they waited for the banker in the café. "That letter seemed pretty definite ta me ..."

"What letter?" demanded Jake.

"Don' matter what letter," rejoined Hank. "Only, me an' Loren had it on good authority that Dinston weren't gonna sell the Chateau ..."

"Well Preston's not likely ta call us all here ta tell us he *aint* buyin' the Chateau," Loren whined.

"Never know what's goin' on in that man's head," rejoined Hank, stubbing his cigar out in the metal ashtray in the centre of the table. He looked around. "Quite a turn up," he commented. "Preston's gonna look a fool if this don' turn out right ..."

"Maybe he's decided ta leave town," Jake suggested, his eyes lighting up at the notion.

"An' he called us all here ta tell us?!" scoffed Loren derisively. "Aint likely."

Hank's eyebrows suddenly rose as he spied a latecomer. "Huh ... even Michaela's decided ta turn up for the announcement ... now we could see sparks fly," he commented hopefully.

"Well if Preston *is* buyin' the Chateau back ... it'll mean some changes with the clinic there I reckon," defended Loren. He frowned. "Maybe that nice Doc Fulton'll have ta go ... That don' seem fair ..."

"Hey ... slow down ... we don' know what Preston's got up his sleeve," rejoined Jake. "Here he comes now ... Look at him ... all puffed up an' cocky ..."

Preston Lodge entered the room and looked around at the townspeople in attendance. His smug smile broadened. "Ah good," he said with satisfaction. "I'm most gratified that so many of you are interested in hearing about my new business venture."

"Get on with it Preston," called Jake jadedly. "Some of us gotta work for a livin'. You buyin' back the Chateau or not?"

The banker frowned. "I am aware there have been rumours regarding my regaining the Chateau," he said haughtily. "However, they are false ..." A large number of eyes in the audience widened at the announcement.

"Just as well," yelled a voice derisively from the back. "I lost my farm cos o' you an' your bank Preston Lodge ... Wouldn' take kindly to you sittin' pretty at the Chateau while my family goes hungry ..." All heads swivelled around to see a large, burly man in his thirties standing, hands on hips, glaring at the banker.

"Ah ... yes ... well ... everyone was caught in the Panic Mr ... ah ...," stammered Preston uneasily.

"You're not doin' so bad ... are ya?" shouted the man. "An' the name's Sydes ... S ... Y ... D ... E ... S ... seein' as how you don' remember ..."

"Ah yes ... Mr Sydes ... Perhaps we could talk about this later?"

"Sick o' talkin' Lodge ... There's a lot o' us got no way ta support our families now ... thanks ta you ... What are ya gonna do about that huh?"

Preston unexpectedly smiled. "That's one of the reasons I wanted to make this announcement," he said determinedly. "No .. I have not bought the Chateau ... however ... only this morning I secured my last investor for a new venture ... a venture which will bring added prosperity to this town ... and with that ... employment ..."

"Alright ... ya got us interested Preston ... now tell us what you're up to," called Loren, sitting forward in his chair.

"Lumber, ladies and gentlemen," the banker announced grandly. There was a sudden buzz of talk amongst the gathering. "Lumber will be the future of this little town ... In just a few days I will begin hiring men to fell the trees on the land I have acquired ... and at the same time the erection of a lumber mill will begin at a point nearest to the railroad ..."

The buzz of talk grew louder. Above the din, Michaela's voice could be heard. "Ah Preston," she called. "Where exactly *is* this land ... Daniel ...?"

He held up his hand for quiet. "You can reassure your tiresome husband Michaela that the land is *not* Daniel's ... He, unfortunately, declined my generous offer for Palmer Creek ... even when I also offered a part of the business as an incentive ..." He paused and then smiled smugly. "My land does however, lie adjacent to Daniel's land ... to the north ... three hundred glorious acres of trees ..." Noticing that Dorothy was furiously scribbling in her reporter's notebook, he added proudly, "I also have options on another five hundred acres to the west and three hundred further north ... enough raw lumber to ensure the profitability of my new enterprise for some years to come ..."

"An' how's that supposed to help our town Preston?" called Loren. "All we've heard is how good its gonna be for you ..."

"Employment ... an increased railroad presence ... increased return on investments for those who utilise the services of my bank ... more customers for the various establishments in town ...," he itemised, sweeping his eyes over Loren, Jake and Hank in particular. His eyes rose to the back of the room and he called, "Perhaps you'd like to see me after this little meeting Mr Sydes ... that is if you'd like a new job? ..." Again there was a buzz of chatter around the room.

"Preston ... have you considered what effect this enterprise may have on the land and the game it holds?" called Michaela. "There are still a great many people around here who rely on nature's resources to provide their food and shelter."

"Aww ... Dr Mike ... you're soundin' just like Sully," groaned Loren. "Preston's right ... this could be real good for our town ..."

"There will be less reliance on such resources Michaela when people are gainfully employed and able to purchase whatever they need," rejoined Preston, undaunted by her obvious reservations. "And now ladies and gentlemen, I must get back to work. Perhaps those who are interested in a position at the mill would like to come by the bank tomorrow morning?" He began to back towards the door. "Oh, and Michaela ... tell Sully I was sorry to see he was not here for my announcement ... I was eagerly anticipating his reaction," he added. He pulled the door open and then another thought struck him. He looked up and smiled conceitedly. "Ah Loren ... you might be interested in the identity of my last investor ... It seems you now have a very good reason to hope the mill is a success ... Your Mr Plimpton decided the mill was a worthy investment."

"Harold's your last investor?" exclaimed Loren, his eyes following the banker as he exited the café. "Well I'll be ..."

"Lumber?!" exploded Sully, suddenly standing and almost tipping his wooden chair backwards. He ran his fingers through his hair agitatedly, his hot supper forgotten. "Lumber?!" he repeated. "Where?" Michaela took a deep breath, but before she could say anything, he queried anxiously, "Daniel? Palmer Creek?"

She quickly shook her head. "No ... not Palmer Creek," she said quietly.

"Where then?" he demanded.

She frowned and answered in a small voice, "Next to Palmer Creek ... north ..."

His jaw clenched and he took a deep, angry breath. "Some o' the most beautiful woods around here," he muttered. "Lot o' deer live in the foothills too."

She nodded. "I ... I mentioned that to him ... he doesn't seem to care ..."

"That figures ..."

"What'll happen to the deer pa?" asked Brian anxiously.

"They'll retreat further into the foothills maybe ... lot of 'em won't survive if their natural home's taken from 'em."

Brian shook his head in dismay.

"When's all this supposed ta start?" Sully asked of Michaela.

She swallowed. "He's going to start hiring men tomorrow ... It seems the cutting can start well before the mill is built ..."

"That soon?!" exclaimed Sully. "There's gotta be somethin' we can do about it?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "He owns the land outright Sully ... and has options on two other lots ... He can do what he wants with his own land ..."

He glared at her. "This is what you call progress, aint it?" he spat. She shook her head, but he continued. "First it was the railroad ... an' the buffalo disappeared ... not to mention the Cheyenne ... now its lumber ... Soon there'll be no deer ... birds'll disappear ... What about the hawks? If they go too ...." He trailed off and rolled his eyes.

"If they go too?" she queried timorously.

"Then this land aint gonna be what I knew ... it aint gonna be the land I stuck around for ..."

Her eyes widened and she reddened with indignation. "You stuck around for?!" she exclaimed.

Despite Katie now plaintively crying in the background, Sully strode away from the table. "You know how I feel about the land Michaela ... you know how I feel about what the white man's doin' to it," he implored furiously. "Don't *you* care?"

"Of course I care Sully but ..."

"But?! There's always a 'but' ... There always will be ... I don' want Katie growin' up in a land that's changed so much we have to tell her how it was ..." He walked purposefully towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Michaela called fearfully. "You haven't finished your supper."

He shrugged. "Aint hungry ... Need some fresh air ... before its all gone too ...," he rejoined sullenly. He grasped his coat from the hook, swung the door open and strode out before anyone could stop him.

********************
"I got these maps from Horace," said Dorothy, as she unfolded them and spread them across their knees. "From what I can make out, Preston's land goes from here .." She pointed to a section in the middle of the map. "To here ... where it runs into railroad land," she concluded, moving her finger up and across.

"And Palmer Creek?" asked Cloud Dancing, his brow furrowed.

"From here," she explained, pointing to a section to the left or east. "To here ... where it meets Preston's land."

"And there is no law that can stop him from stripping such a large piece of land?"

"Not that I can find," replied Dorothy. "Seems the same thing happened north of Denver ... Now they're startin' ta run out cos the town's spread out so much ... so Preston's mill will probably do well ... There's always a demand for lumber. I thought I'd get Matthew ta check it out when he gets back from Denver ..."

"Is no-one else angry about this?"

She shook her head. "There's a lot o' men who aren't able ta support their families since the Panic ... They're lookin' forward to workin' again ... an' of course the businessmen in town reckon it'll be good for 'em all ..."

The medicine man shook his head. "The land of my fathers will soon be so changed I will not recognise it ...," he mused with deep regret.

"I know," she replied. "As I was ridin' here, I tried ta imagine what the land would be like without any trees ... I couldn't ... This is how its supposed ta look ... supposed ta be ..." She paused and then added hopefully, "It won't be all the land ... just the parts he can buy ..."

"And if the mill is successful, he will be able to buy more ..."

She nodded resignedly. "I know it," she returned. "I guess I was just tryin' ta think o' anythin' that it would make it seem better than it is ..." She lowered her eyes, her heart heavy. But there was also something else tugging at her heart, something else she was afraid to voice. She swallowed and then murmured, "I guess Palmer Creek aint gonna seem such a good place to be huh?"

Cloud Dancing glanced around at his all too familiar surroundings. "This land means much to my people ...," he said quietly. "Before the white man, the Cheyenne used the land and what it provided freely ... This whole area ... including what is now Preston's, was our home ... The Great Spirit gave us much to be thankful for ... Then the white man came ... and our lands were gradually taken from us ... also the food it provided ... the deer ... elk ... buffalo ... And finally we were confined to the reservation not far from here ... After Washita, when I was left alone ... I was told Palmer Creek was to be my home ... along with the Arapaho and other tribes ..." He trailed off and shook his head. "I do not stay because of Palmer Creek ... In this place the white man treated my people worse than the horses they used to pull their wagons ..." He reached down and, picking up a handful of the soil from near their feet, weighed it in his hand. "The land ... the land of my forefathers ...," he murmured softly.

"That's why ya stay?"

He let the earth flow through his fingers and then turned to smile at her. "It is *part* of why I stay," he replied. "When I go to the northern lands ... there is always within me something pulling me home ..."

"Do ya think you'll feel the same when Preston's finished with it? Will ya wanna come back then?"

"As I said ... the land is only part of why I return here ..." He reached out and took her hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

She gave him a grateful smile and then tentatively said, "I ... I aint said this before ... cos I didn' want you to think you owed me anythin' ... More than anythin' I want you to be happy ... you deserve it ... but ... well ... I don' wanna lose you Cloud Dancin' ..."

"Nor I you," he replied immediately. "Our worlds prevent us being together as we would like ... I cannot ask you to join me here at Palmer Creek ... nor can I be with you in town ... but ..." He paused and rested his hand over his heart. "But you live here ... in my heart ... so when we are apart ... we are also together ..."

Tears glimmered in her eyes. "Oh Cloud Dancin'," she said softly. "I feel the same .... But I miss ya so much when you're away ... If it became impossible for you to live here ... at Palmer Creek ... I dunno what I'd do ..."

He grasped her hand and rested it over his heart. "We will always find a way to spend time together," he said sincerely. "And you will live here always."

She turned her hand in his and then brought their clasped hands forward to rest over her own heart. "An' you here," she said softly, her voice a touch husky. "Always ..."

Their eyes met and an irresistible force slowly drew them together to kiss deeply. At last Cloud Dancing drew back. "You will stay ... to eat with me? I will escort you back to town later," he stated rather than asked.

She smiled, then hesitated fractionally as an image of Hank warning her of the dangers of her liaison with Cloud Dancing sprang to mind. She immediately dismissed it. She'd waited a long time to feel like this about a man again and while she could, she would revel in the joy he provided her. "Of course I'll stay," she said lovingly. "As long as you want me to ..."

He smiled, brought her hands to his lips and then drew her to her feet and into his arms.

*****************
Sully pulled his jacket more closely around himself as the early morning air threatened to freeze him to the bone. Despite the escalating coldness of the wind the faster he rode, he again nudged his mount in the ribs, urging it to increase pace. He'd left the homestead just as the first rays of dawn lightened the sky above the mountains and now, an hour later, as the woods around him came into focus in the new daylight, he neared Palmer Creek and his brother. He knew Michaela would be worried when she woke and found him gone again, but right now, he just couldn't face her and her questions. She'd been asleep when he'd finally re-entered the house late the night before, and although he could tell from her breathing she'd woken when he'd slipped into bed beside her, she hadn't said anything. He felt guilty about that. He knew he was in the wrong - she had nothing to do with Preston deciding to ravage the countryside with his new lumber mill. He humphed in disgust at the thought. He knew Michaela cared greatly for the land also, but he hadn't known what to say to her. Somehow he'd have to put things right when he got home from Palmer Creek. He just wasn't sure how he was going to do that.

His mind had been on Cloud Dancing ever since hearing about Preston's grand plans. As the land surrounding Palmer Creek was gradually stripped bare, and the game moved on or died, would the lands of the northern Cheyenne become more attractive to the medicine man? Again he spurred his horse on.

Only a few minutes later he rode at full gallop into the clearing closest to Cloud Dancing's camp. He hauled on the reins and drew his horse to a stop, only to see with some surprise that his brother stood, apparently waiting for him, beside his own bridled horse. Sully slid from his mount to the ground and strode towards the medicine man, his expression solemn. They embraced briefly, then Cloud Dancing said, with a hint of a smile, "I was expecting you ..."

Sully swallowed and nodded. "Ya know then," he said.

Cloud Dancing nodded. "Dorothy has told me," he replied. He gathered his horse's reins in his hand and clambered up onto its bare back. Sully automatically did the same and they silently rode side by side in a northerly direction from the Palmer Creek clearing. After an hour's riding, the going becoming slower and slower with the increasing denseness of the woods, they stopped below a steep escarpment, slid from the horses, tethered them at some low hanging branches and then continued on foot, clambering upwards over the sharp, rough rocks to the summit. There, they stopped and in awed silence surveyed the seemingly never-ending miles of thickly wooded foothills nestled below the protective, jagged peaks of the Rocky Mountains.

At last Sully broke the silence. "It aint right," he muttered bitterly.

"Dorothy says there is nothing we can do about it," rejoined Cloud Dancing, his tone non-committal.

"There must be somethin'," Sully returned, his eyes fixed on some distant point.

"Dorothy says there is always a demand for lumber ... "

"But why does Preston have ta git it from here?" spat Sully angrily.

"What makes this place any more important than other places the white man has built these lumber mills?" queried Cloud Dancing mildly.

Sully spun around to face him. "Aint you angry too?" he asked incredulously.

"I am saddened," replied the medicine man seriously. "But you have not answered my question. Why is this place more important than ... say ... the woods north of Denver where Dorothy says there is a big mill?..." When Sully remained silent, Cloud Dancing answered for him. "Because here you will be reminded every day of the damage being done. You knew of the existence of lumber mills ... your homestead is built of wood purchased from such a place ... but you did not have to see every day the destruction ... you could put it to the back of your mind ... Here you will be unable to do so ..." He glanced across at the stony face of his brother and then sat himself down on the hard ground, cross-legged. After Sully had silently followed suit, the medicine man continued, "When I was a small boy I remember coming here with my father. We sat as we are doing now and looked out on the same scene, except that it wasn't. I remember asking my father why a large area stretching over many miles to the west was blackened and had few trees. He told me that a year before my birth a lightning strike had caused a large fire to burn out that area." He paused, again glancing across at Sully. "Can you see now the area of which I am speaking?" he asked quietly.

Sully's eyes narrowed. At last he answered, "Course I can't see it ... its grown over ..." He swivelled to face his mentor. "What are you sayin' Cloud Dancin' ... that I should just ignore what Preston's doin'? Just let him cut down as many trees as he wants? That forty or so years from now it'll all be grown over anyway so it don' matter?" he asked with indignation.

Cloud Dancing shook his head. "No ... that is not what I am saying," he replied calmly. "But from what Dorothy told me, Preston will go ahead with this plan no matter what you or I say ... or do ... He has bought the land and is able to do as he pleases with it ... so ..."

"So ... you *are* sayin' there's nothin' I can do about it ...."

Again the medicine ma shook his head. "No," he repeated. "But I do not believe we can stop this mill of Preston's. What we must do is urge him to look after the land ... so that it has a chance to recover." His eyes turned once more to the north west. "As land recovers after fire ..."

Sully snorted with disgust. "Preston aint ever gonna listen to me ... I don' reckon there's bin a civil word between us since he arrived in town ... Fact is, he's likely to do the opposite of anythin' I tell him ..."

Cloud Dancing smiled. "Then you will have to be very clever ... There are ways of persuading people to do things without ordering them to do so ..."

Sully shook his head. "Preston's a smart man ..."

"So are you," rejoined Cloud Dancing confidently.

"You'll help me?" asked Sully, his eyebrows raised hopefully.

"I will do what I can ..."

"So you're gonna stick around? I thought maybe ..."

"I would want to head to the northern lands?" completed Cloud Dancing. "I will still visit there often ... but for now ... my home is here ..."

"You might not wanna call it home when Preston starts," remarked Sully acidly. "You know he's startin' hirin' today? ... Probably start cuttin' early next week I reckon ..."

"Dorothy thought this would be so ..."

"How will ya be able to stand it?" queried Sully. "I don' know whether *I* can ... It just aint gonna be the same ..."

"It has not been the same for a great many moons," remarked Cloud Dancing resignedly. He pondered this thought for a few minutes and then surprisingly queried, "Do you remember when we visited Washington ... we passed a zoo and I asked you what it was?"

"Uh huh?" responded Sully, puzzled.

"I feel like one of those animals ... and the bars of my cage are closing in on me ... The only difference between me and them is that this is *my* land ... it will always be so ... no matter what changes the white man makes to it ..."

"An' you can live with that?"

Cloud Dancing turned to look into Sully's eyes. "What choice do I have?"

Sully bowed his head, ashamed.

Gazing off into the distance, Cloud Dancing continued quietly, "There is now more to keep me here than the land ..."

Sully looked up and suggested softly, "Dorothy?"

The medicine man nodded. "We have made promises to each other ..."

"Promises?"

"That we will try to stay together ..."

"Hard promises to keep ... seein' what's goin' on ..."

Cloud Dancing shook his head. "Not so hard ... when the heart says it must be so ..."

"She's become that important to you huh?"

"Very important ..." Again Cloud Dancing's eyes met Sully's. "My family is here now ... Dorothy, you, Michaela, the children ... So while I can ... I must stay ... I believe you said, a long time ago, that home is where the heart is ... did you not?"

Shamefaced, Sully nodded and then abruptly stood. "I gotta git back Cloud Dancin' ... there's somethin' I gotta do ... You comin'?"

The medicine man shook his head. "I will stay here a little longer ... I must commit this scene to memory ... and give thanks to the spirits that I was able to see it ... be a part of it ... before it was changed forever ...," he advised quietly.

Sully nodded, shook his brother's hand and hastily headed down the escarpment, his thoughts now on home and the woman who held *his* heart.

*******************
Sully took a deep breath and slowly pushed the front door open. He'd debated all the way home whether to head straight for town or to check the homestead first. Although Michaela was supposed to be at the clinic, there was a chance she may have stayed home to wait for him. As soon as he'd seen the smoke spiralling from the chimneys he'd known that's what she'd done. Now he had to find some way to explain his behaviour to her and ask her forgiveness.

The warmth of the homestead was what hit him first. After the cold wind in his face all the way home, the warmth made his skin tingle and glow. He rubbed his hands together to warm them and cast his eyes about for Michaela. He found her standing at the stove, stirring something aromatic in a large pan. The children were nowhere to be seen. He slowly and quietly walked up behind her. She gave no sign that she'd heard him and his heart sank even further. It seemed she was still angry. He reached out and gently rested his hands on her shoulders and her stirring stilled, then she unexpectedly leaned back against his chest. He swallowed deeply and then lovingly kissed her temple. "I'm sorry," he whispered against her ear. He felt her take a deep breath and then she silently lowered her eyes to the floor. He gently turned her around so she was facing him. "I really *am* sorry ... I was angry ..."

"So was I," she returned softly, her eyes still focussed on the floor. He was at a loss for words to explain, so he was startled when she suddenly raised her hurt eyes to his and asked quietly, "Did you mean what you said?"

He frowned. "What are ya talkin' about?" he asked, not sure exactly what he'd said before he stormed out.

"You don't remember?" she asked, the hurt in her eyes deepening.

"Like I said ... I was angry ..."

She pulled away from him and walked into the living room. Now *she* was the one uncertain as to what to say.

"You can understand why I was angry about the mill ... can't ya?" he asked, following her.

She turned to face him. "Of course I can ... I was expecting it," she replied quietly. "But I wasn't expecting the other things you said ..." She grasped her shawl off the hook and stepped out onto the porch into the early afternoon sunshine.

He followed and again placed his hands on her shoulders. "Tell me," he implored quietly. "Whatever it was ... it was said in the heat of the moment ..."

"You honestly don't remember?" she asked, turning to look at him.

"I said I couldn't believe Preston was doin' this ... that I was worried about the land ... the animals an' the birds ... that maybe they'd disappear ... that ..." He trailed off as realisation struck.

"That everything would be so different," she continued, tears glimmering in her eyes. "That it wouldn't be the land you stuck around for ..."

"Oh Michaela ... I didn' mean it the way you thought ... the way it sounded," Sully said immediately. "Please don't be angry with me ..."

"I'm not ... not really," she said softly, placing her hands on the porch railing and gazing out over the sunlit landscape. "But I am left wondering ..."

"Wonderin'?"

"Whether you'd have been happier if we'd gone to Yellowstone ... whether I had the right to make you choose ... whether its my fault you're unhappy ...," she admitted in a rush. When he looked about to interject she raised her hand and gently placed her fingers over his lips, silencing him. "Let me finish," she entreated softly. "Back before we were married, when I voted for the railroad to come through town, I promised you that if ever you couldn't bear what was happening we'd pack up and move on ... So much has happened in the intervening years .." She paused and gazed around. "You built me this beautiful home ... I finally gained some acceptance as a doctor ... we had Katie ... so I put my promise to the back of my mind. Even when you wanted to go to Yellowstone I worked hard to make you change your mind ... I had no right to do that ... not after what I said ..."

"You agreed to go ... It was me made the decision not to," Sully interjected.

"Because you knew I really didn't want to go ..." She stepped in closer to him. "You're the most important thing in my life Sully ... I want you to be happy ... and if that means moving on ..."

He shook his head. "It don't," he rejoined definitely.

"But .."

"No buts ... We don' have ta move ..."

She lowered her eyes. "You and I are so lucky," she said unexpectedly. "I see Dorothy and Cloud Dancing desperate to find a way to be together and I realise we *have * that ... I don't want to do anything to jeopardise it ..."

He rested his hand under her chin and raised her eyes to meet his. "You aint gonna jeopardise it. Like I said ... I'm sorry I reacted like I did yesterday ... but it weren't about you ..."

"But can you stand staying here ... seeing every day what Preston is doing?"

He at last smiled. "I asked Cloud Dancing that very same question this mornin'," he admitted sheepishly. "Ya wanna know what he said?" She nodded, so he continued, "He said the land weren't the only important thing ... Sure, he was angry about it too ... but he's stayin' .. cos his home is here ... the people he loves are here ... His heart belongs to Dorothy now ..." He bent to lightly brush her lips with his. "Like my heart belongs to you ...," he breathed.

"And mine to you," she returned softly. "But what about the mill?"

He smiled into her eyes, then said resolutely, positively, "Preston aint gonna have it easy while-ever he's cuttin' down the trees around here ... Cloud Dancin' says I gotta somehow persuade him ta look after the land .."

Her eyes opened wide. "And how do you propose to do that?" she asked sceptically.

He shrugged. "I dunno yet ... but I gotta try ... You understand that don' ya?"

She wrapped her arms lovingly around his waist and peered up at him, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Oh I understand very well," she said knowingly, proudly. "And I wouldn't have it any other way ..."