Another river, heavily forested on both sides by tall pines and willows, wound its way through the canyon down there, and the sight of the greens and browns, and the white bordering the water, was highlighted in the silvery glow of morning. It was a rare and beautiful sight—one so grand, she would not likely forget it.
First Rider stopped for a moment, letting her catch up to him, then he pointed down into a side of the valley below them, and he said, "Down there is place of good medicine. Water smells…bad; tastes bad. But, heals wounds…brings good health. Perhaps on way back, we go there."
"I would be honored to go there. Does thou bring many people up here to heal them?"
"Saa, no. Not needed. Long, dangerous way to come for person not well."
"True," she responded. "True."
First Rider didn't answer; instead, he continued to lead the way forward through the murky gray shadows of the forest. But then, when she thought she could no longer bear the dreariness of this miserable timber, they walked out of it and into a wide green valley that extended for a good distance into the west. A thin strip of willows lined the stream flowing through this valley, and Liliann drew in a deep breath of relief.
They camped there within the small strip of willows for the rest of the night and throughout the next day. But, when night came again, they found their way back to the trail and paralleledit, keeping their tracks off the pathway. Sometimes they jumped over the trail rather than walking across it to the other side.
And, then came the day when, having climbed up to the top of a small mountain, they looked out upon the lake where the Flathead usually made their encampment.
Said First Rider, "There, next to the lake is where we will find village of the Flathead. Though we cannot see their camp from here, I am certain it is there."
And so, they made their way down the mountain easily, since it was not high and its slope was straightforward. It was a few days later when, still following the trail but from a parallel position to it, they heard the voices of children, the beating of drums and the barking of dogs; it was this which convinced them the Flathead camp was nearby.
Slowly, on hands and knees, they made their way through a forest toward the Flathead camp, he instructing her that she was to not press down on a stick or anything else that could crack or make a sound. Soon they found a place within the timber to sit and refresh themselves with some of their store of dried meat.
Though she and First Rider were shielded here within this strand of elms, green ashes and willows, they were also hidden beneath the tall pines and cottonwoods. Still, Liliann was fretting to the point of nervously twisting her braids, first on one side and then on the other. In truth, despite the welcome fragrance of butterscotch emitted by some of the pine trees, as well as the singing-like echo of the stream flowing through the valley, she felt sad. Very sad.
She couldn't help the thoughts and questions spinning around her mind: would she and First Rider discover Tsistsaki in this camp? Would Tsistsaki have remarried? Or, was she a slave to some man who misused her? And, in their scouting of the camp, what if they were discovered?
But, most of all, she kept fretting over her own position in regards to First Rider and Tsistsaki. Yes, Liliann understood why she and First Rider had come here. Yes, he understood her beliefs on a man taking other wives. But, now that the time had come for determining the truth of Tsistsaki, Liliann was so afraid of what they might discover, she wasn't certain she could go on.
But then, though the urge to walk away from here and go home was almost irresistible, she couldn't help but wonder, to what home?
And, all this was in addition to the danger of walking straight into the Flathead camp. Would the Flathead be friendly toward them?
Her concerns became magnified when First Rider insisted they were to say nothing to one another. And, further, they would communicate using sign only. Why?
And so, she and First Rider sat within the dark timber, awaiting the moon to climb high into the sky before they could commence any kind of communication.
When, at last, the moon arose and soared into the sky overhead, First Rider at last began their conversation, but using only sign.
Seated a little apart from one another, First Rider signed, "Tomorrow I will hide you here in this timber of tall pines and bushes where no one will find you. But, you are not to make yourself known in any way while I am gone."
"But—"
He held up his hand and signed, "Though white people often interrupt a man when he is speaking, we Indians do not."
Liliann nodded, though her fingers now shook as she twirled her braids.
"Take courage, my wife. Take courage. Now," he signed, "we have managed to come in close to the Flathead campwithout being discovered. What I do from here could be dangerous…perhaps not. Last summer, we Blackfeet invited the Flathead to our camp to hunt. We made a peace. But, will they remember this peace? I do not know. As you are aware, I have been praying to Sun, the Creator, throughout this journey to give us safe journey and to help me determine what I must do to discover the truth, while at the same time keeping you as my wife. My plan is this: I will get closer to the Flathead camp to see if Tsistsaki is living here within it. I will also try to determine if she is now married or if she is a slave. Once I know these facts, I will return here to you with a plan of how we are to proceed."
"But, what if they find thee?" she asked.
"They will not find me. But, hear me well on this: I cannot worry about you being discovered. You must stay hidden in these bushes until I return, which I think might be tomorrow night. Do you think you can do this?"
She signed, "I cannot. I will not."
Even in the gloom of the timber, Liliann watched as First Rider raised up an eyebrow.
She signed. "I will go with thee. I will not remain here to worry about thee. If thou face danger, then I face danger. If they kill thee, they kill me, too."
"But, my wife, consider this: you are as yet untrained in the ways of a scout. You must remain unseen."
