Born into a society tolerant of homosexuals, River Otter is confused by the white culture’s persecution of such men. As the war begins to wind down, Otter leaves the only home he has ever known to help Major James Morrow, commandant of Ft. Yanube, build a farm north of the fort. He begins a new life with the handsome major while coming to grips with growing hostility toward natives and rising danger from a local militia bent on eliminating all bloods from the territory.<br><br>As his physical attraction for the blond soldier slowly grows into a love perilous to both of them, Otter is distracted by personal challenges. As he struggles to survive the social and political upheaval sweeping the plains, can remain true to his own set of values?

River Otter

I talked my way to the dead man’s mount grazing not far away and hoisted the corpse aboard the nervous animal, not an easy task for a man of my middling size, but I got it done. Then I used a stone to scratch a message in sign language in the sand to warn Cuthan of the attempt on his life. He was a thorough and cautious man; he would investigate and discover my message. Then he would erase any trace of what had happened here. Even if he failed to find it, the scratches in the earth would be meaningless to others. Satisfied I had done all I could, I made for the trail north of the river toward my buckboard, trailing the roan bearing the corpse along behind me.


Chapter 10