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 smiled. Such was the nature of each child.


I kept the boys for another moon, during which I labored long into the night after they slept exhausted from the day’s fieldwork and their lessons. I knew what I intended to give Bear in payment for his work; Eagle’s wage took some thought and considerable labor in secret. First, I chewed pieces of buckskin until they were as soft as cotton and rubbed oils into the material before washing and bleaching it. Then I began cutting and sewing.


When the fields were well weeded and growing nicely, I told the boys to pack up. Eagle showed some eagerness at the prospect of going home, but Bear drooped at the idea. I wished Mary would permit them to feel their red blood more freely, but I understood her reasoning. The world in which they were growing up was a white one, not a red one. Still, the youngsters needed to understand that side of their nature, as well.


Chapter 101