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A soft rain had just begun to fall from the gray heavens, the dampness making the day cold and uncomfortable outside.
But inside Brave Wolf’s lodge, Mary Beth felt cozy and strangely at peace, even knowing that more than likely she might not be seeing her son today, or perhaps ever. Brave Wolf had such a way about him, he had made Mary Beth’s guilt and hurt lessen day by day.
They shared such a wonderful love, how could she not feel the bliss that came from being with him?
The fact that he had not pressed her or even mentioned making love, although she knew that he hungered for it, proved the sort of man he was.
He was honorable in every way. He showed such respect for a woman.
When they did make love, ah, how sweet it would be.
“I can never give up on finding David, not until . . . until . . . proof of his death is brought to me,” Mary Beth murmured. She shuddered. “But I can’t even think about that. I have to keep faith in the good Lord above that David is still alive, and that we will be reunited.”
She scooted closer to Brave Wolf, but not so close that she would get in the way of his arrow making. She was learning new things every day from him.
Of course, as a woman she didn’t really need to know how to make arrows. It was the man’s job to keep his cache of weapons ready in case a threat came upon his people. But she wanted to learn everything she could about his way of life.
Since it was raining, the people were doing their chores inside their lodges now. If it wasn’t raining, she would have sat with the women outside in the shade, learning either beading or how to decorate a cradleboard, which was used for carrying Indian babies.
She had even helped the women make pemmican. The women had dried a lot of thinly sliced meat strips. She had helped pound them into pemmican, which they mixed with buffalo-leg bone marrow and dried chokeberries. She had helped them roll this mixture into different-sized balls that they had then spread on a buckskin, and covered.
She was surprised that the women had accepted her among them so readily and she knew that Brave Wolf was responsible for their changed attitude. Surely he had met with them in private and explained his feelings toward Mary Beth, making it clear what he expected of them.
None showed resentment of her any longer, but she knew that surely many felt uncomfortable at her presence among them. She hoped that they would eventually care for her, for she was going to be a part of their lives forever.
She was going to marry their chief!
Yes! As unbelievable as it was to Mary Beth, she was going to have a future with Brave Wolf.
She was going to be his wife.
She thought further of the cradleboards. They were so lovely and sweet. Just thinking about having a child born of her and Brave Wolf’s love made her insides glow. To give David a brother or sister would be something she knew her son would enjoy. He had often spoken of having a brother or sister.
Since Lloyd’s army career had kept him away from her more than with her, it had been almost impossible for Mary Beth to provide David with a brother or sister.
And the problem wasn’t only that Lloyd was gone for such long periods of time. Even when he was at home, she could almost count the times she and he had made love these past four years.
She had known long ago that Lloyd’s love for her was more that of a brother than a husband, because even when he was home, he seemed more interested in reading books than making love.
That had came as a relief to Mary Beth, since she just enjoyed being with Lloyd, not making love to him.
Now she anxiously awaited the lovemaking with Brave Wolf, but she did hope he could be patient with her a while longer.
“I not only make my own arrows, but also my own bows,” Brave Wolf said as he saw her interest in what he was doing. As her eyes followed his hands’ movements, he explained, “My favorites are those made of two buffalo horns. I take a large horn and saw a slice off each side of it. These slices are then filed or rubbed down until the flat sides fit nicely together. They are then glued and wrapped at the ends.”
“Glue?” Mary Beth asked. “Where do you get your glue?”
“Glue is made by boiling buffalo gristle or various other parts of the buffalo,” he explained.
“And the arrows,” Mary Beth said. “Tell me about them.”
“The arrows I am making now are used for hunting standing or motionless animals,” Brave Wolf said, trying hard to keep Mary Beth’s mind occupied. Although she had said that she had not given up on finding her son, he knew that doubt was creeping into her heart.
Every once in a while she would lower her eyes, and he knew it was because she did not want him to see her pain. He knew that she was trying hard to be courageous, but that no matter how hard she tried, her hope was weakening.
“I am making a greasewood shaft for this arrow,” he continued. “Do you see its hardened tip?”
Mary Beth nodded, trying to concentrate on his words so she would not think about David. But as each moment passed with no good word about her son, she felt more and more hopeless.
