"Nay," she said softly.
"Do not fear. I can scare him so he flees."
"I know. But, I must think about this. If thou go there, I be fearin' thou might not return. There are men there who believe the takin' of an Indian life is much akin to killin' an animal. Sometimes I am unsure such men be truly human. Will thou delay leavin' here on your own journey while our guests be here visitin'?"
"I will…stay while they here," he said. "But, not long. Must go over mountain before snows… But I wait, though have changed mind about journey. You come with me…now, too.Áa, you come now, too."
"What?" Liliann could barely believe what her ears were telling her was true. She asked, "Does thou honestly now wish me to go with thee? Across the mountains? To the Flathead camp?"
First Rider nodded as he glanced down at her, and he said, "Cannot protect…if you here and I not. You come now. You did no wrong. Many winters ago, there was Black Robe who live with Nez Perce; it another over-the-mountain tribe. I…will askscouts if they know if Black Robe still there. If he is, we…go there, too. You ask Black Robe if you still wife of Maká pato'si."
"Thou would do this for me?" she asked. "But, though this would bring me own self a spark of joy, what if thou discovers it be Tsistsaki true? And, she be needin' thee to rescue her?"
"We still try to find Black Robe," he answered.
"Why? If Tsistsaki returns and becomes thy first wife, I fear"—her voice caught—"I fear I would not be able to remain with thee. Why would thou risk a further journey into enemy territory?"
"Because it…important to you. You need…know what your God says in Good Book. You not be fooled by lies."
"And, Tsistsaki? What about her?"
"She not bad. She would want…come, too."
"And, if she does not be wishin' to come with us?"
He shrugged.
"What be your opinion? Does thou think…?" Liliann gulped, gathering her courage around her. "Does thou think I be adulterous?"
"Never!" he said without pause. "I know heart of you. I…on your side. Always…be on your side. You find out truth from Black Robe. Your father knows truth of…Good Book. He approve our marriage. But, Black Robe help…you to heal, I think. We wait till…your people go back to fort. Then we go over mountains."
Liliann chuckled. "Never did I think I'd be hearin' thou say 'we' will be goin' over the mountains. I thought I would be havin' to follow thee." She smiled up at him.
He grinned back at her, and when she looked up at him, all she could see within his dark, brown eyes, was love and his desire for her.
As if in answer to him, she wiggled a little against him, but whether she meant it to be sensual or not did not matter. He answered her in kind, and she felt his strength, even as he brought her hips in closer toward him.
He murmured, "We still married, until… Need make love… So much love for you."
"And, I love thee, too," she whispered. "But, if thou be married, in truth, to Tsistsaki, and… Please, understand. I cannot…"
"I know," he whispered. "But come, let me hold you through night. It give you strength."
And so, what had begun as an evening filled with hurt and surprise became instead a night filled with the comfort of having this man's arms around her, the entire night through.
****
Ah, the beauty of the Indian Territory.
Upon a high plateau, deep within the eastern side of the Backbone-of-the-world Mountains, Liliann sat upon her horse looking out toward the west, realizing she had never been treated to so many breathtaking views in her life. From the distant orange, red and pink sunset, to the sharp and majestic purple-colored mountain range, with its peaks and silvery-white-cut banks, to the valleys and coulees decorated with rushing streams and sweetly scented pines, she admired them all.
She and First Rider had now been on the trail for two days and were, at present, looking at the gap in the summit of the mountain range. The trail led up to that point and then continued over the mountains; there they would have to go.
As her gaze took in the beauty before her, Liliann relaxed a little, letting her mind go back to the last few days before they had set out upon the trail.
Both she and First Rider had waited to make preparations for travel until Liliann's father and the Féher family had left the Pikuni camp. But, it wasn't until the summer had passed into autumn when First Rider had become anxious to set out upon the trail. Still, he wouldn't even begin to make preparations for their coming journey so long as Liliann was surrounded by family.
Then, one day, after her father and the others had gone back to Fort Benton, at last both she and First Rider had hurried through their measures to leave. They had left the next day.
