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"You do. But I see no wife."
"Anything else you ask me to do for our people, I would do, and gladly. But, I cannot do this. I am sorry father. I will hunt, plow, forage, I will trade, I will do anything else. But whomever I chose to marry is my concern. I must live with them, I will pick them."
"But you have not picked them my son. I have waited many moons to see if you would. You have not. I want grandchildren to pass down to the generations."
Lone Wolf shook his head. "I am sorry father. When the time comes, I will pick my own woman, and she will bare you grandchildren."
"And when will this come to pass?"
"I am not sure. No, I would bring shame upon her if you forced this father, as I would not have this Cheyenne woman. It would do no good for you to force me. You would have no grandchildren if you do this." Lone Wolf proclaimed.
Gray Eye looked at his son with disdain. "You would do this, my son?"
Lone Wolf sighed heavily. "I would. I have served my people, and my father well. I have taken work to provide more for our people, father. I have worked hard to help. But I will not marry a woman I do not care for. In this I must do my way."
"You would shame me in front of the Cheyenne?"
"If you bring me a Cheyenne woman, I will make her my slave, not my wife, for I must love my wife, and only her."
"That is the white man's way…" His father scolded.
"Perhaps, and perhaps it has been too long since my mother died for you to remember how you loved her."
The old
chief turned away and muttered under his breath, "I remember…"
"You loved her beyond compare. You were happy in those days my father. Can you not remember that love?"
"I do…. I hold it in my heart."
"So do I. But it will be my choice for a wife. Father I am half white. And I have found for myself that some of the white man's ways are good ways. One wife is all I need, but I must love her father. It is your way also. You seek peace with the whites, and yet you do not want their ways spoiling our people. Sometimes they are right, and we are wrong. A strong man sees this. I love you my father, but in this I must do my way. Please do not fight me." He left the tipi, unable to bear his father's displeasure.
Deer Runner saw his distraught face, "Did you speak with him?"
"I did."
"What did he say?"
"He is upset. I cannot do this, will not do this. Anything else my people ask, I will do, including die for them, but I will not marry for them."
"It is our custom to bring peace."
"Then it is not a good custom. For I will not marry a woman I do not love."
"It could bring trouble for our tribe." Deer Runner argued.
"Perhaps, but in time they will understand."
"I do not think so, my friend. The Cheyenne will consider it an insult. There could be much trouble."
Lone Wolf looked at his friend, Deer Runner was a tall and handsome man, he was married though to one of his own tribe and he was a happy man. Lone Wolf sought the same happiness, yet he had not found it with his tribe. He knew his father was upset. And the Cheyenne would not be pleased with his decision. But he would not marry what he did not love.
He understood his father's thinking as it was custom to pick a bride if he hadn't married, but Lone Wolf had seen many Indian marriages that were miserable.
His father was old, and his mother was dead, but the memories of her lingered in Lone Wolf's mind. His mother had been a white slave, and his father had loved her above all. So why did he not understand?
He had not told his father of the white woman from the store that he had looked upon. Perhaps it was an impossible thing, to look upon her as his. She was not his. And yet, Lone Wolf knew that this one woman stirred something inside his heart that no other had. It made no sense, but the feeling was there, and he could not ignore it.
