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“You were not the first to bring horses to my father,” Sky Dancer said, reaching a soft, tiny hand to his cheek when she saw an instant anger light his eyes. “But I turned them away. Not my father. When I saw you entering my village with your horses, I could hardly believe my eyes. I had prayed often to the Great Unseen Power that you would come for me.”
“While you were praying, not only did the Great Unseen Power hear, but also Thunder Hawk,” he said, smiling down at her. “You beckoned. I came. Now we are linked together, as though one. No one can take that from us.”
Sky Dancer turned her eyes slowly around, flinching when she saw Sage as he waited for their arrival. She had been around Sage many times when her chieftain father had combined forces with Chief Sage.
Until now, she had seen Sage as a man of many smiles and courtesies. Today she was seeing a different man. She almost feared him, except that she knew that he was a most gentle, kind man at heart and would do nothing to hurt her.
As for Thunder Hawk, she was not certain about his relationship with his father. There was much she did not know about him, perhaps too much. At this moment she was wondering if she should have found out more about the man behind the handsome face and gentle smile before she had shared vows with him.
Thunder Hawk wheeled his horse to a stop a few feet from his mother and father. He paused before dismounting. Sweat beaded his brow as out of the corners of his eyes he saw the people coming from their hogans, staring. Some were coming close on both sides of him, gazing up at Sky Dancer with wonder. He knew that everyone knew her. He knew that everyone adored her.
Taking a deep breath, then slowly exhaling it, Thunder Hawk finally slipped out of his saddle. Ignoring everyone but his wife, he placed his hands at Sky Dancer’s tiny waist.
“Husband, I am so nervous,” Sky Dancer whispered as Thunder Hawk helped her to the ground.
“You need not be,” he whispered back.
He took her hand, and together they turned and faced his parents, then walked toward them.
When they reached Sage and Leonida, Thunder Hawk smiled awkwardly from one to the other.
“Sky Dancer?” Leonida said as she stared at the young woman. Then she turned questioning eyes to Thunder Hawk. “Thunder Hawk, why is Sky Dancer with you?” she murmured.
Sage took a step toward them. He clasped a hand on Thunder Hawk’s shoulder. “You have much to explain,” he said. “You continue to miss school. You have been gone two days.” His eyes slid over to Sky Dancer. “And now you are here with Chief Red Moon’s daughter.”
He looked past them, his jaw tightening when he saw the bundles on Thunder Hawk’s horse, knowing whose they had to be. They were travel bags of women, not men. They had to be Sky Dancer’s. That could mean only one thing: this son, who was scarcely old enough to make his own decisions, had taken a wife.
He leveled a steady stare at Thunder Hawk again. “You paid a bride price for this young woman?” he said, his voice drawn.
Leonida paled. “Bride . . . price?” she gasped, yet saw that it must be so. She knew Chief Red Moon’s reputation for watching his daughter like a hawk, not allowing any men close to her. He never would have allowed his daughter to leave the village unless he had agreed to it.
Thunder Hawk placed a possessive arm around Sky Dancer’s waist. “Many horses were left at Chief Red Moon’s village,” he said, lifting his chin proudly. “Fifteen in number. The bride price was enough. Sky Dancer is now my wife.”
“I see that she is,” Sage said, shifting a quick smile down at Sky Dancer, then frowning over at his son again. “This is something you do after much thought? Or was it done hastily? My son, must I remind you that you are still of school age. How do you plan to behave as a husband in all ways to your wife? Where will you lodge her? What will you feed her?”
“A certain number of sheep are mine,” Thunder Hawk said, relieved that in the wonder of him having taken a wife his father had momentarily forgotten to insist on knowing how he had acquired the horses for the bride price. His thoughts were only on the importance of schooling, not horse stealing.
“Father, only one moon ago you gave me several sheep that I could call my own,” Thunder Hawk continued. “I will see that these multiply into many. This will be my way of supporting a wife. As for lodging? Sky Dancer and I will, together, build a hogan for ourselves. Until we get this done, we will live in a tent on the edge of the village. Does this meet with your approval, Father?”
He shifted his gaze to his mother. “Do you find fault with any of this, Mother?” he said, his voice filled with caring.
Leonida sniffled as tears sprang into the corners of her eyes. And it was not from being sad over what her son had chosen to do. It was the fact that she was now a mother-in-law, and to the most precious young woman that one could ever choose to meet.
She was touched deeply inside her heart that Sky Dancer saw the side of Thunder Hawk that Leonida knew so well, which fathers never saw. The gentle, caring, loving that a man could reveal, but not in front of a father who might think it a show of weakness.
“I welcome Sky Dancer into our family,” Leonida said, flicking tears from her eyes as she went to Sky Dancer. She gave Sky Dancer a sincere, warm hug, and kissed her softly on the cheek. Then she went and stood beside Sage again.
“I love your son,” Sky Dancer quickly blurted. “My heart has been his for many moons. Since we were children and brought together when our families met on special occasions have I known that I wanted your son for my very own. As we grew older and our gazes grew bolder, I knew that, in time, he would be my husband.” She locked an arm through his. “And he is my husband. We spoke words between us already that make us man and wife.”
Leonida looked at Thunder Hawk wistfully. “I would have enjoyed preparing for a wedding celebration,” she said, her voice breaking.
“Sky Dancer preferred something more simple,” Thunder Hawk said, exchanging smiles with his wife.
“We will discuss schooling tomorrow,” Sage said, frowning from Thunder Hawk to Sky Dancer.
Sage saw Sky Dancer’s smile fade when he looked at her, and realized that he had not yet welcomed her, so he stepped forward and took her into his embrace.
“I welcome you to my family,” he said, still disbelieving that Thunder Hawk could do anything as foolish as taking a bride while he was so young. But it was done.
