As Czanna stared up at this man, she became aware of each tiny line around his eyes, of the beauty of his deep dark eyes which, passion-filled, were looking back at her. There was a soft look in his gaze, also, when he stared back at her, reminding her of this man's heroism in her defense and his devotion to helping her. But, until now, she hadn't really seen his actions for what they were.
As she continued to gaze up into his eyes, she looked at him as perhaps she never had before, and with only a few evening stars overhead to light the evening's sky, she was dazzled by his utterly handsome countenance, the oval shape of his face, his dark, almost-black eyes, his perfectly straight nose, his full lips and firm jawline. The deepening sunset and the few stars overhead silhouetted each of his strong features as though it, too, embraced him. Yes, he was the handsomest of men, but he was also a man capable of great compassion and care, though it seemed to her he tried to conceal this particular quality, projecting instead a tough warrior's image.
She reached up to run her hands through his long hair, which was currently unbraided and falling about and over his shoulders. She whispered, "Thank you, my dearest husband. Thank you for what you have pledged to me. And now, I believe it is my turn, since I think I, too, should abide by the counsel of your wise men. And so, let me tell you what I promise you."
Stands Strong simply nodded, but he didn't utter a word. And, gaining comfort from the warmth of his embrace, she murmured, "I admit I was a little frightened of you when we first met. Yet, upon talking with you, I realized I had nothing to fear. It was then when I beheld the goodness of your heart. Yes, I could clearly see how handsome you were from the start, but a pretty face and handsome figure are not necessarily a woman's first concerns with a man.
"It was when you came to help us, bringing us food and staying with us to help guide us back to the fort when it happened: I was devastated when you bluntly inferred my kiss against your cheek was less than satisfactory. I felt as though I had been thrust into a world of an unknown quality. Yes, my reaction to you was partly because of the potential danger in the environment, but it was also due to my body's reaction to you—as though I would like nothing more than to kiss you over and over again until you agreed to make love to me. I was shocked at myself.
"And yet, you seemed unmoved by me. It seemed so unfair. How could you be unmoved by me when I felt on fire from merely being close to you? And then, the next morning when you came to awaken me and kissed me and massaged my back, I knew then that it was only a matter of time before I would come to love you much more than a friend.
"But, it has been hard for me because I am entrusted with a duty to my brother, my parents and the rest of my family, and we, you and I, were, and we still are, so different because we have been raised with conflicting views of life.
"And yet, every day thereafter, your kindness toward me, my brother and even Mr. Henrik has caused me to love you, as I have already told you. My husband—I like calling you my husband…" She sighed. "Loving you, however, has been difficult because I have wanted you to touch me, to kiss me and to love me. And yet, as you know, I couldn't envision my life with you. Only as a lover, I thought, could I ever allow you into my life.
"But, I have changed my mind about it all. I cannot, indeed, envision my life without you. And so, let me tell you what I promise you. Like you, I vow to take a moment before I say harsh words to you. Only when we both have let time cool our tempers, as you say, will we talk, and only then will I speak to you, with no anger left in my heart. This is wise. But, because I have no conception of what is yet before me as your wife, I can little give you promises about it. But, this I can promise: I will love you and no other, and for all my life. The idea of taking on a lover other than you, as I have believed is my right, is, from this moment forward, forever gone from my heart. Further, I will love any children we might make as much as I love you, and I will do all I can to raise them always with their good in mind, promising to shower them with the same love I hold for you. I will try not to interfere with important duties you may have in your life, but beyond this, I do not know what is expected of me, so I cannot say more about it.
"I can only give you this: I am yours, and I will try to bring you happiness in the life we will share together."
He didn't speak for several moments, and when she looked up at him, she saw his eyes were tear-stained. At length, he cleared his throat and whispered, "You have promised me more than I ever hoped to hear you say. And so, now let us look around us and see where we are so we may remember this moment at some time in the future when youth has fled from our bodies—let us look at the heavens above, the stars seen through the trees, the sound of the rushing stream, the smells of the forest, the trees, thegrasses and the firmness of the earth at our feet. Let us set to mind all these we sense so we can keep this moment forever in our hearts."
When she nodded but didn't also look around the environment, he continued and said, "I will direct you. Do you see the stars overhead?"
She nodded. "I do."
"Their light is strong in the east and weak in the west. Do you see this?"
"I do."
"Soka'pii. Now, take a look around again. We are here in my country, at Sacagawea Springs. It is spring, almost summer. The grass is green and soft. In the air is the scent of flowers, trees and bushes. The night sky is becoming dark, and there is a wind from the south, bringing us its warmth. Always, let us remember this time when we became one."
"Yes," she whispered.
Something was happening to her; oddly, as he spoke, she felt her senses expand out beyond herself and into the environment. In awe of the new feeling, she felt herself grow so close to him it was as though she became him, though she little understood how this could be. She was still who she was.
Looking up at him, she asked, "Do you feel it?'
He nodded.
And she murmured, "For a moment just now, it was as though I were you, though I was still very much myself. Oh, my darling, I do not know how to say this in words. I can only tell you this: you are now a part of me and I a part of you."
Standing on her tiptoes, she placed her arms around his neck. Then, with a soft giggle, she said, "Perhaps now I can find the closeness I have been craving with you for some time. Do you think we will be as close to one another as we truly desire?"
"We will try," he murmured. "But, it might take us a lifetime to fully realize it." He grinned down at her. "Yes," he said, then repeated, "it may take us a lifetime."
****
After hobbling the two horses and seeing to their comfort, Stands Strong led her to a shelter nestled in a deep wooded grove a little away from the noise of the rippling stream that ran through the bottom of the coulee. At first, she didn't even see the lodging, so closely did it resemble the environment. But, eventually, as they came in closer to it, she began to understand it was a structure and not simply more of the woods.
It was shaped somewhat like a tepee but made of tall wooden slabs of logs placed closely together, the limbs obviously being gathered from the many windfalls in these woods. There were also interlocking slabs of tree bark placed over the upright poles, and around the bottom of the structure were even more tree limbs arranged to about a two-foot height.
It was like nothing she had ever seen. At one of its sides was what looked to be a smaller, yet similar structure perhaps a little more than one meter in height and extending outward for what looked to be about seven meters. Made of smaller logs, it looked like an upside-down "V", and it appeared to be the only entrance into the larger structure.
As they stood together looking at it, he said, "This is a war lodge."
"What? A war lodge? My husband, I thought we were going to make love. Are we, instead, going to war?"
He chuckled, then answered, "Only if you wish there to be war between us. This is for our first night together. I wanted to build a structure where we might feel secure enough to relax. A war lodge is what Blackfeet men make when they come in close to an enemy encampment. Within this lodge, the smoke from a fire is not easily sensed by an enemy, and its light cannot be seen. It is a sturdy shelter. It was my wish for us to be able to be together thisnight and to be comfortable with a good fire, and without the fear of an enemy seeing its light or smelling its smoke."
