Glancing sideways at First Rider, she asked, "Be we still plannin' to hunt the white mountain goat this very day?"
He nodded. "It still early in day. Need meat and very warm blanket."
Frowning, she asked, "Why be there no buffalo in these mountains?"
"Because Backbone Mountains are…barrier to them. They climb hills, but they love grassy plains where they…can run…wander as they will. This side…mountain has no buffalo. It why enemies come onto Pikuni land…steal horses, kill buffalo, then try…sneak away. Why you ask?"
"Well, I be thinkin' a good buffalo robe would keep thee and me from shiverin' at night and havin' to get up and down and stoke the fire. Now, if we could get a buffalo robe, it might be warmer than a sheep's fur and hide."
"White mountain goat hide warmer than buffalo."
"Oh?"
"It true. We get hide of goat…tan hide, it make us good bed…very warm. Now, we finish smoking rabbit meat, put away. Then we go find white mountain goat. Meat musky. But, good for few days. Let us hurry…finish here. Then we…take egg-shoes, climb mountain…this day."
"Very well," she answered, and set to work to slowly cook the rabbit meat by using a hole in the ground, some water, some very hot rocks and a hide, which lined the hole as well as acted as a lid. It was a very old way of slow cooking meat, but it worked well and was delicious when done. Plus, when they returned, she could roast the meat quickly over the fire for a fast and easy meal.
She accomplished it all quickly, and when they left to hunt the white mountain goat, the sun had only climbed a little into the sky over the eastern part of the Backbone Mountains. Indeed, it was time to go hunting.
****
First Rider stopped in his tracks to point out a moving white body on the side of another mountain which was, perhaps, a kilometer away. Though the snow was deep here where they were climbing, their snowshoes kept them safely atop the height of it.
Looking in the direction he was indicating, she could see the tracks of an animal and realized it had to be the white mountain goat. After all, what other animal would dare live in the height of these mountains?
Looking a little higher up the moutain, she could see an ice field, its dirty and greenish water glistening under the sun. She had never before seen a glacier nor an ice field, and for a moment she was surprised by the crystal-like green of its appearance as well as by the terrific amount of debris within it.
But, First Rider was urging her onward. And, when at last they came to a ledge on the mountain they were climbing, she stopped behind First Rider and peered over his shoulder to where he was pointing. There, ahead of him and up on a mountain adjacent to the one they were climbing, were goats, seen only when they shifted position, they being the same color as the snow.
However, it was severely cold where they were now standing, even though no wind blew here. Indeed, so cold was it, she saw First Rider shivering almost as much as she.
"We will go there," he said simply. "Must descend this mountain so we can climb…one where the goats are. Way not far now."
She grinned at him and nodded at the same time. In these last few months, she had noticed he was speaking better and better English. It was predictable that soon he would have full command over the language.
And so, they turned around to go back down the mountain the same way they had climbed up it. Though Liliann found the descent to be hard on her legs and knees, it was at least easier on her energy. But, soon they were at the foot of the mountain, and, looking up, they began to climb up to the ledges where they had seen goats.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, she was hit with a fluffy bit of snow. Looking forward, she could see First Rider, who was squatting in the snow. But, no sooner had she seen him, when he suddenly turned and…Whoosh! Another snowball came flying toward her.
She giggled, and, bending down, she quickly put together some snow resembling a ball and threw it at him. A snowball fight ensued until they both looked like moving snow creatures. Laughing, they fell against each other, and, sharing a kiss, he asked, "Have you…made love in snow?"
"I have not," she replied. "Have thou?"
"Saa.Want try?"
"Here?Now?"
"Saa.Snow too deep.But…later…?"
"Will it not be too cold?"
"We set out warm furs, hides…"
"Well…maybe."
He winked at her. "We go get warm hide, furs. Later, we try?"
