"Because I did not wish to tell you, and, at the time, I asked both your brother and my sister to refrain from mentioning it to you. Do you understand now why we must live elsewhere?"
"I do, my husband. I do. But, what you do not understand is that I cannot do as you ask me to. I have pledged my word of honor to marry this man, arrogant and gutless though he may be, and besides, he put words to a paper to this effect and I had to sign it or he would not agree to become betrothed to me. Please, you must know I value my word of honor as do the Indian people. You must know this, since it is you who taught me about keeping one's honor once pledged. Do you now expectme to go back on my word, as well as my oath to Max, to my father and my brother?"
Red Fox didn't answer at once. Instead, he contemplated the problem for a moment. At last, he said, "Did you not tell me you intend to act as though you have not married this man?"
"It was part of the bargain between the two of us, and it is why I felt there was little harm done. He agreed to my staying here with you."
Again Red Fox hesitated to speak until he had thought over her words. But, at length, he said, "This would mean you would then have two husbands, especially if you would be required to spend at least one night with this other man."
"Perhaps, if I am required to do this in order to make the union between us legal, then we could go and live with the Gros Ventre."
"But—and this is important—you have also said you would be required to go before your God and pledge yourself to this other man, regardless of whether or not you must spend the one night with him?"
"Yes," she replied.
"Have you considered the consequences of defying He who has made you? After you have given your pledge to your God to be the wife of this other man and have made the union so in the eyes of your God?"
She looked away from him, her face appearing whiter than its usual color. But, after a moment, she said, "Only recently have I been brought to understand there might be consequences to this act, as you have mentioned before. I had not thought of this when I made the pledge to Max. Yet, your words are a gentle reminder. Please, Red Fox, you say you understand why I did what I had to do. Won't you stand beside me in this?"
He didn't answer.
"Won't you?" she asked.
"I fear…I fear…" he stumbled as the stark reality of what both he and she were facing came over him.
"Yes?" she asked. "What is it you fear?"
"I…I fear the impossibility of our future life together." He paused for a moment to collect his wits about him before saying more. But, at length, he said, "When you first returned, as you know, because of the conflict between the Indians and the whites, I had thought to become no more than your friend again, as we once were. But, upon seeing you after these last two winters apart, and being unable to keep myself from making love to you, I knew a mere friendship was no longer possible. I then put together a new idea, one where I hoped to persuade you to go away with me."
"And, if you could not persuade me?"
He sighed. "I…I… There is much you do not know about me, much I have not communicated with you, and I fear I must now tell you more about who I am and what is expected of me. I must do this so you will understand the consequences to me and to my people if I act as you now ask me to do."
"But, there is no need for you to tell me all about yourself. Truly, I already know who you are and I am in love with this man you are," she responded. "Indeed, I have done what I have done because I love you and wish to be with you, and only with you."
He hesitated to say another word. After the adventure of seeing each other again and realizing their carnal and immediate lust for one another was shared, he had known he had been a fool to imagine they could share a mere friendship. However, when she had at last confessed what she had been forced to do in order to return to her home, he had seen a deeply entrenched problem in her plan—of course, it was one she could have had no way of knowing.
Perhaps in the past, if he had been a little more open with her about his own goals in life and how this would affect themboth, what they were going to have to face now would not be the problem they must solve…if they were to be together.
Niitá'p,he had prayed about this to the Above Ones. And, his prayers had been answered…or so he had thought. Essentially, there was a simple way he could avoid heartache for themselves and for their families: they two could go away and live in another camp until the hostilities between their families had ceased. But, now…
"Come," he said at last. "Let us dress, and then I will tell you what I must now say to you. I will go to the stream in the canyon not far from here, and I will bring back water for your bath so you might bathe while I see to the needs of my wolf and my horse."
"No. I will go with you into the canyon, and I will help you to attend to your horse and the wolf."
He signed his agreement, then said, "Quickly dress, and we will both bathe, then we will care for our animals. Only then do I feel I can say to you what I must now tell you."
"All right," she agreed as she reached for her chemise and pantalettes. "But, this sounds serious."
He merely smiled.
****
"Please know this: I do not ever wish to marry another," Red Fox confessed to her now their bath was done and they were sitting together in their little sanctuary. They were facing one another.
"Nor I," Briella responded.
Briella watched Red Fox carefully, her stomach twisting inside her. He had become so solemn during their bath, his attention so inward, she was a little fearful of what he had to say to her.
