Chapter 8

“Dakota?”

“Yeah,” she says, sleepily.

Sorbo puts his finger over her lips and says, “Shh, I hear something over there in the brush.” He feels Dakota jump. “Don’t worry, babygirl, it could just be an animal, but I need you to stay here and be quiet.”

“Don’t leave me.” She says, grabbing onto his arm as he is trying to get up.

“I’m not, Dakota, I am just going to position myself between you and whatever is coming this way.”

“I’m scared.”

“I know, but don’t you worry, your knight is here.” By the moon’s light he can see her nod her head in confirmation.

Sorbo is standing in the dark with his sword at the ready when all of a sudden a bear comes thumping out of the woods. “Son of a...” Sorbo takes a tighter grip on his sword.

“Oh, it’s a black bear,” says Dakota, standing just behind Sorbo now.

“Dakota, you stand back, I may have to maneuver quickly if it tries to attack.”

“Nonsense!” says Dakota, as she skirts around him skillfully.

Sorbo tries to grab at her, but she went around his right and that is the hand he has his sword held at the ready in. “Dakota, damn it, get back here.”

And to Sorbo’s amazement the little black bear smells Dakota’s outstretched hand. The little black bear sniffs her hand again and then waddles off into the woods in another direction.

“What the... ?”

“I’m a witch, remember?”

Sorbo sheaths his sword and grabs her up and while spinning her around he says, “You little brat, don’t scare me like that again.”

“I’m not a brat, I’m a princess.”

“Uh huh.”

“Well I am!”

Sorbo shakes his head in wonder and gives her a bunch of little kisses on her cheek and ear and then sits her down on the bedroll that was on the packhorse. He lies down on the left side of her and as he turns over onto his left she cuddles into him and then he wraps his right arm protectively over the petite and pretty princess while resting his right hand on his sword that is lying on the other side of her. “Goodnight, Princess.” Dakota giggles prettily.

The morning comes quickly, but with the promise of a nice day. The sun is rising through the trees and the birds are chirping joyfully as if they know they have a chosen one in their midst. The weather is never a for sure thing this late in the season and it is only going to get worse as the season progresses. Now that they are riding they will make much, much better time, but with it being in the early part of October, the rainy season is on its way and with Sorbo’s family cabin being in the Andromeda Mountains at an elevation of over three thousand feet they are going to want to get there before the snow starts to fall in heavy quantities.

“Well, young lady, where do you want to ride today?” Sorbo asks, as they are washing down their morning breakfast consisting of travel bread and jerked meat. Luckily one of their two saddlebags has a good supply of both.

“Hmm, I think I will try riding in back today.”

“Your wish is my command, Princess.” He says, bowing to her.

Dakota giggles in that way that lightens Sorbo’s heart and then she says, “Would you quit calling me princess. If you must call me by a name call me Dakota, but I really like it when you call me sweetheart, or darling girl, or oh yeah I really like when you call me babygirl.”

“You do, huh!”

“Yep!”

“Okay then, your wish is my command, babygirl.” As Dakota is gathering up the blanket and bedroll Sorbo has an idea. “Oh, wait a minute! I have an idea.”

“What?”

“We’ll use the blanket on the saddle instead of your nightgown.”

“Yeah, that will be better.”

“You continue to clean up the campsite and I will put the saddle on the horse and then we will give it a go.” At last they have cleaned up their campsite so as not to make it too easy for someone to track them and Sorbo waves Dakota over with the blanket in hand. Sorbo folds the blanket four times so it will hang down far enough on the saddle to protect the full length of her legs. “Alright, let’s give it a try.” Sorbo picks her up and sits her on the blanket on the saddle. “How’s that?”

“Much, much better! Thank you, Sorbo.”

“You’re welcome, prin ... You are most welcome, darling girl.” Dakota is looking down at him with her big blue eyes shinning. “You might want to duck when I swing my leg over.” Sorbo mounts and they again start heading west-southwest.

“Sorbo?”

“Hmm.”

“I think we should name our horse.”

“Alright, what name do you like?” Sorbo says, trying to twist around to look at her.

“Sorbo?”

“You want to name the horse Sorbo, and besides it is a girl. Are you trying to tell me my hair is getting too long?”

“No!” She says, giggling. “I was going to tell you something else.”

“Oh! What?”

“I don’t like riding back here. I can’t see nothin’.”

“You can’t see nothin’? I see we are going to have to keep your school work up.”

“Actually I love school work.”

“Good, once we get settled we’ll get you back on track. Yeah, I always liked school work myself.” He says, only half lying.

“I wouldn’t think a warrior would like school work.”

“Oh, on the contrary, little lady, a warrior isn’t a warrior because they like war, they are a warrior because that’s who they are and they are drawn to defend the meek and righteous. A true warrior would rather think his way out of a situation rather than have to take a lesser life.”

“Oh! Sorbo?”

“Yes.”

“I still can’t see nothing.” She emphasizes the ing on nothing.

“So now you are trying to tell me I’m fat?”

“No!” She giggles, getting frustrated and smacks him on the back.

“Alright, alright, don’t beat the help.” Dakota’s mouth falls open and then she giggles prettily again. Sorbo leans out to the left and twists to the right until he has both hands on her waist and then he picks her up and brings her around. “Stand on the saddle for a second and hold on to my left hand for balance.”

Sorbo turns his head and reaches back for the blanket. When he turns back around Dakota has her shirt pulled up to her belly button and she says, “Look, Sorbo, no redness on my thighs.”

Sorbo shakes his head with a smile. Apparently he has won her complete trust. He puts the blanket down in front of him and then turns her around and sits her down. “Better?”

“Much.”

“Well?”

“Well what?” asks Dakota, confused.

“What are we going to name the horse?”

“Oh yeah! Uh, how about Brownie!”

“Brownie? No, too literal.”

“Literal? What does that mean?”

“It means, huh. Well it means, huh!

“And you’re going to teach me schooling.” She says, glancing back and up at Sorbo with a gleam in her beautiful blue eyes.

“Hey!” Dakota giggles prettily again and another year of torment is lifted from his battered soul. “It means it was too easy, too specific. Maybe literal wasn’t the correct word. Brownie is too obvious. Let’s get creative and come up with something different and spectacular.”

“Spectacular, huh!”

“Yeah!” says Sorbo, who can already picture Dakota’s beautiful heart and mind hard at work.

If nothing else it makes the time go by. Sorbo hasn’t talked this much in decades. Even when his only friend Lawson would come over often times they would just sit there and drink in silence. Sorbo doesn’t fully understand what Andromeda means when she says he was destined for this too, but at least it is bringing action and joy back into his life.

And then with great sadness it hits Sorbo that this pretty and petite eight-year-old blonde-haired and blue-eyed little girl is all he has, and this six-foot-three man with medium length light brown hair and the almost exact same blue eyes, who is still slightly out of shape is all she has. And then with stunning clarity it hits him and a smile comes to his face because they at least have each other and that is more than some people have. You know things are changing for the better when you can see the good in any situation, no matter how dark the times.

Then Sorbo tightens his left arm that is safely wrapped around Dakota and then he bends over and kisses her on her right cheek.

She twists around so she can see him and she says, “What?”

“I just want to thank you for putting up with me in the beginning and for helping me through some hard times. I just want to thank you for being you. I am glad and honored that you have come into my life.”

“You are?” she says, standing up in the saddle and turning around and giving him a big hug.

He hugs the stuffing out of her while patting her bottom and says, “Oh yes, darling girl, oh yes!”