She couldn't help herself. She laughed and shook her head.
Leaning down again, he brought his lips to hers in a sweet kiss. He said, "Had talk with your…father. He tells me…you could be…second wife. He told me, also…your Holy Book allows."
"Oh my. Did me own father read the Good Book's passage to thee sayin' this?"
"Saa,no," First Rider answered, then he went on to say, "He told me wife can leave husband…woman not married to husband…if he beats her."
"Then, I be not married? I need never see Ernest again?"
"Áa," he said, signing the word "yes," also.
"Then, I be allowed to say to thee, 'Aye, I will be thy woman'?"
"Áa," he responded. Then, looking at her sheepishly, he asked, "Will you?"
"Aye," she agreed without the least hesitation. "I will." Then she added a little shyly, "I guess, Mr. First Rider, that I might be allowin' thee to remove me own clothing, after all."
He laughed, and, bending over her again, he kissed her gently. But, she wanted so much more. And, when he threw off her covers and reached out to her, she thought she was, at last, going to experience the full impact of his embrace.
However, all he did was pat the side of her rump and turn her onto her stomach. He said, "Now…see if there…damage…to your back."
She chuckled a little and murmured, "I thought thou had somethin' else in mind."
He laughed. "We have rest of lives…be together. Need you…get well."
Oh my. How was she, who had been so low and feeling so cursed only a short while ago, to experience such unexpected happiness?
She didn't know. But, from this moment forward, she was going to bask in the warmth of this man's love, giving him all the love and passion she had to give.
"Lay down," he said, turning her over onto her back once more. "Rest. I go…seek right herbs…find out where husband went. Soon…scout's revenge."
She sighed. "I think I be too tired to argue with thee. Promise me…thou will not be killin' him."
He grinned at her. "I do…only…scout's revenge."
She closed her eyes. Truly, she was too exhausted to argue with him. Later, she would discover what this "scout's revenge" was. But, for now, sleep beckoned to her.
First Rider was holding her hand when she drifted off to sleep. Sighing, she thought she had better pinch herself to ensure this was all real. But, even the mere thought of the effort it would require to reach up and take a nip at her skin seemed to require more energy than she, at present, possessed.
****
On the next day, early in the morning, First Rider set out to find his friends Stands Strong and Red Fox, who had gone on ahead to find Ernest Stuart's trail. First Rider was mounted upon his pony,Ikkaaya'y,Fast Runner, riding over the prairie as swiftly as he could, catching up to his friends.
"Have you discovered Stuart's tracks?" asked First Rider in the mind-to-mind speak, confident from his scan of the environment, that he was in no danger from roaming war parties.
"We have his path well within our sight," came the reply from Red Fox. "It was easy to find, since he is not covering his trail. He is not too smart, I think. He must believe no one is coming after him."
"We assume his destination is the small settlement at The Medicine, or as the white man calls it, Sun River," said Stands Strong in the same manner of mind-speak. "There he will find those who indulge in the white man's firewater and gambling. We think he plans to gain back what he lost at Fort Benton."
"Yes, I believe you are right," First Rider answered in mind-speak. "I have looked at the prairie around me and I haveseen where you are, there, encamped within a shelter of pines within a coulee."
"You are right," came Stands Strong's reply. "We will await you."
"Good," acknowledged First Rider. The communication dropped.
And so, it was only a short while after their mind-to-mind communication when First Rider strode into the small camp of Red Fox and Stands Strong. The camp was hidden within a thick shelter of pines next to a stream flowing rapidly through the shallow coulee. The scent of the trees was strong in the air and reached out to First Rider even before he came into the grove.
He approached their camp as silently as possible. But, because he was leading his pony behind him, there was no disguising his footfalls.
