5

Magua found a overhanging rock to perch on in the forest and silently kept watch; until Grayhair's ward came walking with her mask up and picking wildflowers. She had moved far from the glade, no one seemed to notice or care, even Grayhair's offspring were too distract...What fools?

The Huron took the opportunity to lay over the rock, reached down and snatched the white mask along with the veil off the girl's head. Magua took a moment of glee to watch Moon Woman stumble before she falls to the ground.

"Moon Woman shouldn't wonder alone;" said Magua mockingly as he jumped down, "so easy to kidnap or take scalp!"

Magua took a moment to admire the mask and veil before looking towards Gwenhwyfar Moonshard as she stood up. He noticed the long wavy dark red hair with gold tints...How tempting it would be to cut a lock off?

Ugly; Magua snapped at him-self in reproach, the hair of the white man are ugly being of different colors or trying to change the color!

"May I have my mask and veil back please?" Gwen asked without turning but held her hand out behind her.

Magua was curious to see her face more and moved to face her; Gwenhwyfar sensed his movements and she turned keeping her back to the Huron warrior. His thin bronze lips twitched into a smirk of amusement as he tossed the mask and veil around her body.

The items landed on the ground before her and Gwen went to pick it up but she was grabbed and flung into a tree. Gwen hissed in anger as she glared at the red man before her and didn't realize her Phoenix eyes were glowing.

Magua thought he was staring at an Angel that the clergymen of the French and English had spoken of, and showed colorful images; the name of Moon Woman paled. But the sudden hiss and glare startled the warrior; when he saw her eyes there were no whites but solid sapphire eyes like the night sky stared at him, even the twin gold Sun iris seem to glow.

CRACK!

In a moment of being startled; Magua stepped back and broke Gwen's mask, he looked down to see the mask in four pieces. When Magua looked back at the girl; he noticed that her eyes were now normal but still night blue surrounding gold Suns and she looked slightly upset that her mask was destroyed.

"Why hide behind a mask?" Magua asked curiously and Gwen answered matter of fact: "Protection...I wore the mask and veil for protection because my looks have caused nothing but trouble!"

The Sly Fox can understand the logic; Moon Woman was prize to capture and only a worthy warrior would do anything to keep her as his own. Magua will make sure that only he will capture Gwen during the ambush; a great prize for a Great War Chief-to-be.

She'll be my lover and wife; came the sudden thought and an image of the young woman with her belly swelling with child surprised Magua but also gave him hope.

"Gwen;" they heard Alice call...

Gwenhwyfar Moonshard knelt and quickly gathered the pieces of her broken mask into the veil before scurrying back to the glade.

She caused quite a stir when Gwen came from the trees and she had a sad look on her face that tugged at the men's hearts.

"Firebird; your mask..." began Major Heyward until Gwen showed him the broken mask and he asked instead: "What happened?"

"It was accidentally broken;" replied Gwen with a sigh.

The Major was about to ask on the who when he spotted Magua entering the glade and Duncan scowled in realization that the Indian runner was the cause. He also did not like the red man's gaze on Gwen and moved before her to hide the girl from sight.

Everyone was ready and began their trek with Magua as their guide; the singing master David Gamut was kind enough to put Gwen's broken mask into his satchel. Alice rode next to her friend and she said: "I'm sure Papa can have the mask fixed..." but Gwen shook her head as she said: "What is done...is done; I can't hide forever!"

The Munro sisters shared a look of understanding and worry; their sister in all but blood will be facing her own challenges down the road ahead.