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"I will introduce you to the elders. I have informed them that you are a healer, and they are glad of that. They will accept you into our tribe and then I will show you where you may wash, and what our boundaries are, so you are familiar with the land here. How long has your tribe been here?"
"Just a few weeks." She explained.
"Then you will need to know our boundaries here on the Wind River Valley reservation. We keep the white man's law. And we cannot argue about that. We have warred much, but it's time to put away the wars and get along. Do you understand this?"
She stared point blank at him.
"I understand it is a coward's way of doing things."
He stopped. "You think it easy to obey all their laws, and accept their ways?"
"Isn't it easier than war?"
"Yes, in some ways. But it is a daily struggle for our old people and some of the young. They grow restless and want war, and I must stifle this feeling in them, so it does not grow. For all the wars we fought, we lost many. And many to the white man's diseases. We must not war any longer. We must build our camps up. We must learn what we can from the white man and prosper. Or we will die out, and no one will remember us. A wise man once told me, that to know when to stop warring and try to get along, was much better than warring to extinction."
"I suppose you have a good point. We have lost many to both the wars and the diseases."
"It is time to learn now, to learn to get along, and to work hard to make our life worthwhile here. We must seek things other than wars to keep us happy."
He turned to stare at her, when she refused to look at him, he took her shoulders and turned her to face him. "I am not only going to be your husband, but your chief and you must do as you are told about such things. For women do not fight wars. There has been enough killing. Two weeks ago, we lost our Shaman and medicine man. All in one day. The Sioux. They were after me, but my people tend to protect me. I didn't hear them coming in time to save them. Of almost anything else, you can argue your points and I will listen, but the laws of my people must be obeyed, and we are no longer at war with the whites. You are free here, no one will harm you. But you must listen to me about these things. After our wedding you will no longer be Arapaho, but Shoshone. It is understandable that you will not agree with some of our beliefs and some of our laws. But you still must obey.
"I will help you in any way I can."
"I'm sure you've considered that if you run away, your own people will shun you, so I don't advise it. In time you will get use to me, and I you."
"Don't you think this is a bit unusual to take a wife from another tribe and make her one of your own?"
"It has been done many years now."
She frowned.
"If you try to run away, I will find you, and you will be my slave from then on. If you stay and try to get along, then you will be my wife in every way, when you are ready."
"You… mean you won't touch me until I'm ready?"
"That's right." He saw her shock and stopped long enough to explain.
"That's generous of you."
"If love is not in your bed, you cannot make-love. And that is the only way I will bed a woman."
"I suppose you are right about that. But what if I'm never ready, as you say?"
"Then we will talk of it later, much later. I will give you time to adjust, to get to know me. You may argue points with me, but once I decide you can no longer argue. Just as I'm sure you did not argue with your father once he made up his mind. Do you understand?"
"I guess I will come to." She sighed heavily.
"Good."
She fiddled with her hands, not knowing what to say, she didn't look at him.
"Now tell me something," he looked at her now.
"What?"
"What did you love about this Big Knife? Aside from the fact that he is big, and sort of handsome."
She looked a bit perplexed. "Well, I've known him forever. We grew up together. Once I was fully grown, he showed more interest in me. We saw each other every day. We kissed, and he asked me to marry."
