Chief Long Knife carried the grisly spectacle in his right hand once more standing before John and Gavin at the fort. Although it went against his conscience, George had decided to join the chief, his conversation with Grentjen before dawn still fresh on his mind. If something went wrong, they might stand a better chance if he was there to mediate with his own people and earn the tribe’s trust.

From what George had seen of Gavin he wasn’t fond of the slender man, but those ...