"I know," she gulped. "I…I be sorry. Let me remain here alone…for a moment. I will be ready to go with thee to hunt…soon."
What could he say? He would grant this woman most anything. He crawled outside their shelter, and since he was required to wait, he pulled up a log, sat on it and began to fashion a new pair of moccasins for Otahki…these made withthe fur inside the moccasin. He had felt her cold feet upon him during the night. With these…no more cold feet.
As he worked, he began to hum the tune of an old, old Blackfoot love song. Crooning it softly, he put English words to the melody, and he sang:
If I could, I would love you forever.
If I could, I would tell you over and over how I love you.
If I could, I would keep you with me always.
You would never want for love. Always I would be there for you.
But, soon you will go away and happiness will flee.
What can I do to make you stay?
What can I do to keep you with me for all our lives?
But, if we cannot stay together,
You might never know the deep, deep love I have for you.
I tell you true, I will always belong to you.
He sang the song over and over, and in doing so, he opened up his very soul to her. But, at last he had completed the stitching of her new moccasins, and setting them aside, he looked up to see her sitting on her knees, there a little inside the opening of their tiny hut.
They stared at each other for a few precious moments. Neither of them spoke. But then, as though unable to help herself, she flung herself into his arms.
She was crying, and he was, too.
"Oh, what are we to do? I be not thinkin' I can bear it."
He petted her hair, and then, softly, he whispered in her ear, "We find…way. If I pray to Sun, our Creator, and ask Him…show me how it can be done. He will show…right path to me. Just do not…leave me…not yet."
As her tears fell upon his shoulder, he thought he died a little inside. Bringing his head down to hers, he choked out the words, "Stay little while. I not stop till…find…right path…somehow."
She nodded, and between her cries, she murmured, "Aye, just a little while. I will stay."
****
As the day progressed, they did not hunt the white mountain goats. Indeed, he didn't even go out to hunt. They did nothing more than hold each other, one touch quickly becoming another until they were soon naked within each other's arms, both knowing this trip across the mountains might be their last opportunity to ever again make love.
He heard her pray, and his heart beat furiously in his chest as he heard her words:
"My dearest Lord, please forgive me own self. Thou knows I have loved this man from the first moment we sang together to heal me own father. I was bein' his from that moment until now, and for all me own life. Give me thy grace and be allowin' me to love this man as he needs and as me own heart needs, too. I beg this in the name of thy son. Amen."
He felt her tears mix with his as he kissed her lips over and over, his tongue mating with hers. Then his lips explored outward, finding her eyes, her nose, her cheeks and ears. Wrapping one of his hands into her braided hair, he massaged her ears with his other hand. Then he stroked her neck, but soon he pressed on down her body to her chest, to each breast, paying them homage.
Her gentle, high-pitched sighs were all he needed to keep moving downward over her body, kissing every bit of flesh there at her stomach. Then he pressed on downward toward her femininity, and he kissed her there, too, lingering there when she began to move with him.
Oh, the heady sweetness of her; he would never forget her magic nor her fragrance. He wanted more, much more, and he thought he might never again wash his hand that touched her. His kisses there were eliciting a heated response from her, and his caress became even more impassioned. And, when he felt her reach the peak of her efforts, he felt as though he were as pleasured with their lovemaking as she.
But, it wasn't enough. He was more than ready to make love to this woman as the Creator intended, and he scooted back up toward her and kissed her over and over until their tongues were once again mating in this game of love. And, then when he became one with her in body, he knew he was tied to her soul to soul.
As they danced in the courtship of love, he felt the depth of her love within his heart. It was beautiful; it was so stimulating, exciting and stirring, he began to cry. Was this all they were to have? But, still they danced and danced with one another in the ritual of love until, at last, he changed their positions and came up to his knees in front of her, placing her legs over his shoulders. In this way, he could look down into her eyes and see her every response to their lovemaking.
When at last they reached the apex of their love, both knowing this might be the last time they could be together in love, he wept. She must have been feeling the same as he, for oo.
And, when at last their pleasure met its peak, they didn't pull away from each other. Instead, they stared at one another as though they might never again experience such an embrace.
Between their tears, he said simply, "We…find a way. Must be one."
His words, however, seemed to elicit more tears from her, and placing her arms around his neck, she brought his body down to hers and whispered, "Aye. If there be a way, we will be findin' it."
For the rest of the day, food was forgotten. They hungered only for one another, and they made love well into the evening and onward into the night, resting only a little between each glorious moment. And so, the night passed in this way, finding them pledging themselves to one another in body.
But, strangely enough, when the sun rose up in the eastern sky, tiredness did not overcome First Rider. Instead he felt empowered. He would find a way. He must find a way.
