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"Our people never forgot those helpful wolves. And so, to this day, we call that trail, Makóiyoh'sokoy, Wolf Trail." He pointed to the Milky Way.

"'Tis a beautiful story," Otahki said as she came up to her knees and placed her arms around his neck; then she leaned in toward him, and, looking up, brought her lips to his in a sweet, but delicious kiss.

His arms immediately came around her, and he pulled her farther into his embrace while he shifted his own position until they were kneeling before one another, her curves imprinted upon his chest. Leaning down slightly, he kissed her with all the love and passion within him.

As his tongue explored the depths of her mouth, he nudged her backwards, bringing his body up and over hers.

But, the pleasing sensation of having her body beneath his didn't last long; he moved again and to the side of her.

He whispered, "Not safe…make love where enemy eyes…can see. Yet, I want…make love to you under stars."

Her soft, high-pitched sigh was like a lilt of music to him, and, as he took her hand within his own, he massaged both it and her fingers, the touch of her skin there feeling like the softest doeskin; it, in turn, made him burn with a yearning to touch her all over.

Her natural aura smelled sweet, clean and wholly feminine, and, as he drew in a deep breath, he savored the simple wonder of the beauty of her.

The urge to make love to her here, up high on a butte and overlooking the prairie, was urgent and almost impossible to resist. Yet, to make love to her here where any enemy's eyes could see…this land where predators and war parties nightly prowled—

"My husband?"

" áa ? I am listening."

"Do all the tribe's wolves look up when they be scouting?"

" áa, " he said. "Of course they do. They miss nothing."

"Even into trees? They be lookin' up into trees in the summer when the forest's heavy leaves hide its many branches?" she asked.

He frowned at her.

"When I be young, me own self hid amongst a tree's limbs and foliage. And, I could be seein' anyone comin' to look for me, but they could not be seein' me, and they be lookin' for me, right enough. None looked up."

He grinned at her, yet warned, "A tree…not very comfortable."

"It be comfortable if thou can make a platform between its branches."

He frowned. Then, talking to himself, he said under his breath, "I have rope in…shelter. Branches on ground in forest below us. Blankets in shelter, too." Aloud, he asked her, "Want…try?"

She needn't have answered. Her smile lit up her face, and, looking at her as she lay by his side, he thought he had never beheld a woman so stunningly pretty.

Pride lit up her countenance from within, and, as she smiled up at him, he was aware of how glad she was that she, alone, had thought of a possible remedy to ensure their nightly escapade under the stars would be safe from wandering war parties.

Always, he thought he might remember this moment and the utter goodness of her countenance, the sparkle in her eyes. He said, "Let us get…what need. We put up…platform. Make our shelter for…night within branches of tree."

"Aye," she whispered. "Aye."

****

Because this was Montana in the summer, the evening was not yet completely dark, and a body could well see one's way despite the late hour. Thus, the tree platform went up quickly.

From a nearby pine tree thicket at the butte's summit, First Rider found many fallen and dry limbs, looking much like poles. These he dragged behind him in an easy descent toward a big cottonwood tree standing amongst two other cottonwoods on a lower edge of the butte.

Otahki helped him to drag the logs to the cottonwood tree they had singled out, and then the both of them, climbing the tree, found the perfect spot to place the logs—between two parallel and strong tree limbs.

At once, Otahki climbed down to the ground and began to pass each pole up to him, one log at a time, along with the strips of the rawhide he had earlier retrieved from their shelter.

Within little time, First Rider had formed a wide platform, as long as it was wide, there nestled between two large and sturdy limbs of the tree.

It was quickly constructed, and returning to their shelter within the boulders, he and Otahki scooped up their sleeping robes and blankets, and, climbing the butte, they entered again into the pine forest.

Here First Rider picked up an armful of sweetly scented balsam branches. These would act as a cushion for their buffalo robe beds.

Returning to the tree, Otahki climbed up to the platform, and once she was settled there, First Rider handed up the balsam branches to her first and then their robes.

When done and he'd climbed up to join her in the tree, their little "lodge in a tree" was as comfortable—perhaps more so—as a refuge on the ground.

From his high perch, First Rider could clearly see the prairie, and, most importantly, he and his woman could lie here and look up into the night sky as they sealed their vows to each other, binding themselves together in marriage.

At last, they lay down, his arm around her shoulders and their heads cushioned on a pillow made from their saddle blankets. He heard her sigh softly before she whispered, "I love the smell of balsam, right enough."

He nodded.

"And, I be lovin', too, the scent of the tree's bark and leaves."

Again, he nodded.

After a while, she asked, "Are thou goin' to disrobe?"

"I am…wearing only breechcloth, leggings and moccasins. Do you wish me…take off moccasins?" He grinned at her.

"Indeed, I do. And, the rest, too. I be lovin' the feel of thee lying next to me own self when thou be unclothed."

A feeling of fire spread quickly through him, lingering in the mid-section between his legs, but all he did was chuckle before he said, " áa, a woman of my heart."

Quickly, he took off what little clothing he was wearing and, when done, reached out to do the same with hers.

But, he had as much trouble now as he'd had in the past with the buttons and hooks and other gadgets holding her clothing together.

In the end—and to his relief—she removed her own dress and underthings.

Yet, though his flesh was ready for her, he knew he could not let another day pass without inviting the Creator into their marriage.

Still, time was on his side, and, for now, he wished nothing more than to extend this moment of pure intimacy while they both gazed up at the stars.

Leaves and branches hid some parts of the sky, but overhead he could clearly see the Seven Brothers' handle pointing east, with its cup looking down, as though it were spilling its contents toward the earth.

"We have…whole night…be together here."

"Do we?" she asked. "How does thou know this?"

First Rider pointed upward toward the Big Dipper. "See Seven Brothers?" he asked. "See four stars making cup, looking down…to earth? See handle…pointing east? Means it middle of night."

"Oh. I be not knowin' this," she said. "Though I do know that a body can find the North Star from the last star in the cup."

"Can find Little Brothers, too, from star-that-not-moves."

"Oh?"

"Last star in Little Brothers's handle is star…never moves. It said…star that never moves…is hole in sky."

He turned his head, watching her closely as she smiled. "I be lovin' your legends."

"And, this one"—he pointed to himself—"loves you."

Turning toward her onto his right side, he brought up his right arm to brace his head, while at the same time raising up his left arm to trace over the curves of her hips, then up to her breasts, gently kneading them.

The sound of her high-pitched sighs sent fire to his loins.

But, he held himself back from making love to her, if only momentarily.

He said, "There…important duty we forgot…

on night we became one. We do it now. Must invite…

Sun…Creator…into our coming together. It sacred…

bond…between us. He part…of our pledge…

be together. Here." He brought her up into a sitting position as he sat cross-legged before her.

"It why…want be under stars. Even though it is night, here we close to Sun, the Creator.

This is pledge I give to you. Now listen: never will I…

hit you…speak to you bad words…say bad words…

about you…to others. Will be on your side.

If disagree…or anger at you…try first talk…

if cross with you still…will leave…returning when anger cools.

Never…go away for always. And…though more…

women can I marry…I not do it so long…we married. Respect…laws of your God…and you."

"I…I be ever thankful to thee and—"

"There…more," he said, interrupting her. Yet, he smiled at her before he added, "Your turn…come soon."

Continuing, he said, "This I pledge to you…too. Love I will…our children. Hunt for them…for you. Give them same love I have…for you. Protect them…you…with life. Promise this…vow to you and to Sun, Creator."

Because he was pledging his word of honor to her, he looked directly into her eyes, and seeing tears falling over her cheeks, he took her hand in his, the touch of her hand sensuous against his, serving to cause him to feel even closer to her.

While still holding her hand, he saw her lips were shaking when she murmured, "I would not be askin' thee to do all this thou be tellin' me.

I…I be humbled by thy promise, yet comforted.

And now, let me be makin' me own promise to thee before God of thee and me.

This I vow to thee: I will be givin' me own body and love to thee, and no other.

As thou hast promised, I be not speakin' bad words to thee, and I be not sayin' bad words about thee to others.

I promise to be makin' our home a good lodge, clean and welcomin' for thee and our yet-to-come children.

I promise, also, to keep thee above all others in me own heart, save our Lord.

If I be not able to keep from sayin' bad words, like thou, I shall be leavin' until I can speak to thee with sense.

I promise thee to love our children as much as I love thee and to treat them with kindness, even when I be needin' to keep them from doin' bad deeds.

I will be teachin' them about what be right and wrong and our way of life.

I be lovin' thee, right enough, and will be doin' all I can to bring thee happiness.

This I be promisin' thee for all my life. "

Reaching out, he brushed her tears away and pushed back her pale, yellow locks. He said, "Give you my life. Life not always easy, but will not direct…my upset on you. Together, we make…happy life."

He watched as she cried, and, in truth, there were tears in his eyes, too.