At Stands Strong's suggestion, Czanna had left Briella in the care of her almost-aunties, Laylah, Amelia, Sharon, Morning Sun Woman and Little Dove. Between all five of Briella's new aunties, she would be well cared for. Though Czanna had fretted over leaving her young sister behind, she had also realized Stands Strong's wisdom in suggesting it: Briella would be safer with her aunties than she would be were she to accompany the rest of herfamily into the mountains, where there was always the risk of encountering war parties.
Because it was late morning, the Bears Paw Mountains, which had looked black against the early morning's silver sky, were now beginning to show off their colors of green and brown as the sun climbed higher into the sky. For a moment, Czanna paused while Stands Strong paced up beside her.
He said, "Our country is beautiful. What a rich land this is, and we will fight to keep it."
"It is, indeed, beautiful, with its rolling green and brown prairies, its steep mountains and buttes, cut by clear streams, lakes and rivers. I have never seen a country so diverse nor so grandly beautiful. Nor one so rich in game. You truly want for nothing…and all this without the need of the evil golden rock."
"My heart is happy to hear you call this golden rock evil," said Stands Strong. "The stone is evil and perhaps worse than evil, if this is possible. It makes the white man's heart forget he is part of all things living upon this earth; he forgets he is also human, as are all those he loves, and it causes him to kill men of his own kind and to steal from them, not for his family or tribe, but for the rock, only. Does he not know that if he does this, he becomes enslaved by all manner of physical ills? Crueler still, does he not know his spiritual nature is at war with the physical? Always, the physical lures a man to become more like the solid earth beneath his feet. If he heeds the physical only, he will, without doubt, be made to be less spiritual, and he can come to be uncaring and unaware of the plights of others. This will always cause his divine degradation.
"Niitá'p," Stands Strong continued. "I fear a time might come when the evil golden rock could make slaves of men, white and red, and if this time ever comes to be, it will be a sad day, indeed, for my people, a people who are now your tribe, too. They might forget their God, who gives life to all creatures, and because the spirit of life is not physical, the people could become enslaved.
"I, for one, will not live as a slave," Stands Strong went on to say. "I would rather stand and die than be forced to do another man's bidding."
Czanna stood mute for several moments, recognizing the profound wisdom of Stands Strong's words. But, though her heart expanded at his astute observations, she wondered how he could have become so sensible about the world at so young an age? Perhaps he had learned it from his parents or maybe from others in the tribe…mayhap their medicine men?
And, when had she changed? So gradually had her views started to shift, she had barely noticed when she had begun to value friendship, family and marriage more than any show of outward material wealth. Only these—friendship, honor, courage, tribe and family—were important. Only these made a person "rich" in God's Creation.
She felt Stands Strong's arm about her shoulders, when he murmured, "This beauty I see all around us reminds me of you, who have brought so much grace into my life. Indeed, the softness of your voice lifted up in song, as well as your sweet spirit, makes my heart soar. Every day when I pray, I thank Sun, the Creator, for bringing you into my life."
Hearing these words, so dear to her heart, caused Czanna to cry, though she tried to not show it. Had she ever adored anyone more than Stands Strong? If she had, she didn't remember it.
All she could say in response was, "I, too, my husband. I, too, feel as you do. I have never loved another as I do you. Perhaps I shall tell this to you every day of my life so if and when we ever argue again we will be reminded of how dearly we love one another."
Turning toward her and bringing her closer into his arms, he bent down, bringing his forehead to hers, and he whispered, "I will pray it will always be so. But, perhaps we should use a trick if we ever feel we must argue."
"Oh?" asked Czanna. "What is this trick?"
"It is merely this: perhaps we should disrobe before we say bad words to each other. I think, then, our arguments could be less, or, if not less, they would be short."
She giggled, and then he kissed her.
****
As soon as they had returned to their temporary camp, George immediately flung back the entrance to the shelter he shared with Black Beaver and First Rider, while Stands Strong and Czanna continued toward their own small hut. While on the trail, there were three shelters the men erected each day, putting them up quickly after their nightly trek. The third refuge was shared by Liliann and her father.
As Czanna and Stands Strong crawled into their own tiny dwelling, they each disrobed, since they slept in only their underthings—he wearing his breechcloth alone, and she being clothed in only her chemise. As they fell onto their sleeping robes, it became obvious they were not, either one of them, exhausted enough to immediately fall to sleep.
Instead, as Stands Strong took her into his arms and brought her in close to him, he leaned over her to place a kiss against her lips, her nose, her cheeks and even her eyes. And, when he came down farther upon her, while his kisses ranged lower toward her breasts, he caressed first one and then the other of her feminine mounds. As a rush of pleasure washed over her, she wiggled a little; she couldn't help it, the pleasure was so powerful.
He whispered, "I love you more this day than even yesterday. How do you think this is possible?"
"I do not know, my husband," she murmured softly. "But I, too, feel the same. I had thought once we married, my wish to be close to you might fade. Instead, I find my yearning to keep you as near to me as I might becomes stronger."
He laughed a little, and as he looked up to her, he uttered, "It is good, I think."
And, then he kissed her a little lower still toward her femininity, and he said, "Perhaps this might help to ease this need of yours." And, then without any warning at all, he kissed her there at her core.
At once, a feeling not unlike a lightning strike cascaded through her body, and she jerked upward. But, he calmed her and said, "Lie still. You will like it."
And, he went about proving his words to be true.
Czanna had never known nor had been told about this kind of lovemaking by any of her nannies, and as the pleasure surged through her, she understood his words more exactly. If she had felt herself to be, at last, as one with him when they made love, it was nothing compared with what he was doing to her now. Indeed, she felt herself opening up to him spiritually, while physically she begged him to continue.
The ultimate pleasure went on and on, and when at last she met her release, she felt the essence of who she was again merge with him, and she wondered which was more pleasurable, the physical or the ethereal experience of meeting him on this plane, soul-to-soul.
And, then he scooted up over her, his face coming in close to hers as he kissed her ears, her neck, her cheeks, her nose and eyes, and then her lips, his tongue opening her lips and playing with her tongue as he became physically one with her.
They danced then—the dance of love. And, as their love blossomed between them and expanded into a beautiful movement, he caught her gaze and kept it, their look at one another not wavering until, at last, they both met their pleasure. And, still they gazed at one another.
