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Bryce slowly shifted his eyes to Kirk. He had taken his son aside more than once and had begged him to keep Jolena from the truth of who her true tribe of people were, at all cost.
But he understood too well that Kirk was the less willful of his two children.
If Jolena set her mind on something, nothing on God's earth would change it. Not even her devoted brother.
He threw his fork down and slapped at his legs angrily. "Damn these legs," he said, his voice breaking with emotion. It was his place to watch after his daughter and he was no longer able. "Damn them all to hell and back."
Tears came to Jolena's eyes as she witnessed her father's frustration. She felt utterly helpless and for a brief instant thought she should change her plans.
Then the dream of the handsome Blackfoot warrior came to her again in her mind's eye and she knew that nothingnot even a grieving, sad fathercould sway her decision from seeking out her destiny.
Chapter Four
Three Months Later
The Montana Territory
Montana. A wilderness of steep, wooded slopes and flowery mountain meadows, where streams tumbled over the waterfalls and blue lakes lay in peaceful valleys.
The leaves of the cottonwoods rustled and whispered in the wind, seemingly answering the soft sounds of the brook as its crystal-clear water rippled and splashed over the rocks.
The glow of the moon reached down from the velvety black sky of night, caressing the grassy mound upon which lay a fresh spray of wild flowers, the daisies with their gold and brown faces the most prominent of them all.
Spotted Eagle rested on his haunches beside the grave, something like a silent bidding that he did not understand having drawn him to Sweet Dove's burial spot. He had been there this time since the sun had begun its descent behind the distant mountains, praying and offering his gift of flowers to a woman who was long gone from him, yet who still remained within his thoughts and heart as vividly as when he had looked upon her lovely face as a youth enamored with an older woman.
When she died, a part of him had gone to the grave with her.
And because of his infatuation, even still at his age of twenty-eight, he had not yet found a woman who compared with Sweet Dove, and so his blankets were only warmed at night by his loneliness.
"Spotted Eagle, ok-yi, come. Wo-ka-hit, listen, my friend. If we are to make Fort Chance by morning, we must leave now," Two Ridges said, chancing disturbing his friend's private moment.
Two Ridges did not understand his friend's feelings for Sweet Dove, for he himself enjoyed the company of women his own age, having at sixteen taken many beautiful maidens to his blankets with him, enjoying the sensual moments shared with them. Although he knew that Spotted Eagle was not practicing celibacy, he still had not chosen a particular woman to sweeten his dwelling.
Two Ridges planned to make a choice soon, so that he would look older and more virile in the eyes of his more mature, special friend. Now it sometimes seemed to him that he was only an annoyance to Spotted Eagle.
Two Ridges felt his friend's annoyance even now, as Spotted Eagle turned angry eyes up at him for having disturbed his silent vigil at the grave site.
Yet Two Ridges did not allow this anger to reach inside him and make him lower his eyes in shame, for he knew that he was right to remind Spotted Eagle that time was quickly passingtime that should be spent in their saddles instead of beside the grave of a woman whose heart and soul had belonged to another man.
Spotted Eagle gazed up at Two Ridges. He had long ago welcomed this youth as a friend, at first amused by the young lad's way of shadowing him from the time he could walk. The bond of friendship had strengthened through the years and had matured into something special. Spotted Eagle could not help but admire Two Ridges' ability to shoot, ride, and hunt.
He smi
led to himself, even admiring his young friend's prowess with women. Spotted Eagle at times thought that he might learn from his friend's behavior with women, yet still could not allow himself to be that free with his heart and feelings.
He was one day to be a powerful chief.
He must present himself as a man of great pride and restraint!
Spotted Eagle took a last, lingering look at the grave, leaned a hand upon the grass still warmed by the sun, then turned his eyes up at Two Ridges. ''You are right," he said, rising to his full height, which was not much over his friend's height, Two Ridges standing at least six feet without moccasins. "We must leave for Fort Chance. It is an interesting time for us, would you not agree? Who of our people have ever seenhow do you say the wordlep-i-dop-ter-ist? I have to wonder if these white people will be as strange looking as the title they bear?"
Spotted Eagle chuckled as he swung an arm around Two Ridges' shoulder and then walked together toward their grazing horses.
"My heart is happy that you chose this Indian to join you in being a guide this time, to help protect the white people from the Cree renegades while they search for the rare butterfly that you, my friend, spotted in this area," Two Ridges said, casting Spotted Eagle a quick glance. He admired, yet envied more, this man who would be chief after the passing of his chieftain father. "I will learn much from you during this trip. Already you have taught me much that makes me look good to the women."
"There will come a time when you will find life as good without women as with them," Spotted Eagle said, offering a soft, amused laugh to his friend. "When you find that special woman and join hands with her, then perhaps you can find other purposes in life. She will tend to your nightly needs, and during the daytime hours you will not be as busy shifting your eyes from woman to woman, hungering for each of them. You will become a man whose wife is envied for the feats you will perform as a proud warrior of our people."
"Yes, soon I will choose that perfect woman to warm my bed at night and sweeten my tepee with her smile," Two Ridges said, nodding. "I have been thinking that Moon Flower might be the right one." He shifted his gaze once again his friend's way. "You, also, must find that certain woman. Is it not important that you soon bring a son into your life, to teach him all that you have taught this boy who is fast growing into ways of a man? To have a son, you must first have a nit-o-ke-mana wife."
