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First Rider wasn't away too long, even though it seemed to her as though he had been gone for hours and hours.

But, she did as he had asked of her, and, closing her eyes, she sang the medicine song over and over, keeping her hand in the same place and position it had been in from the first moment she had placed it over White Necklace Woman's heart.

And, with every breath and note of the song, Liliann prayed for this woman's recovery.

Liliann was well aware of First Rider's return.

Rushing in through the entry flap, he came quickly to her side and put his hand on Liliann's shoulder.

Then, bending down beside her, he whispered in her ear, "You…

do good. Keep hand where it over…heart.

I mix herbs with mud, clay. When I say…

'now,' you let go, take hand away. You understand? "

Liliann nodded. She didn't even look at him, so intent was she upon keeping the woman's heart beating with nothing more than a song and her hand.

She heard him mixing the herbs and clay together, their scent earthy, but not unpleasantly so.

Again, time seemed to pass slowly until, at last, First Rider commanded, "Now! "

Liliann removed her hand at once and sat back, giving First Rider more room in which to do whatever had to be done.

She watched as he quickly positioned one of his own hands on the skin over the woman's heart, lifting his hand up slightly to push the healing mixture underneath his hand. This he did over and over as he sang and sang, Liliann's voice accompanying his.

And then, when the mud was fully spread over the woman's heart, he smeared some of it onto her neck. With this completed, First Rider bent over the woman's face, and Liliann heard him say, " Ipookaki ! Awaken! Ipaitapiiyi ! You live!"

With a sharp indrawn breath, the chief's sits-beside-him-woman opened her eyes, glancing up at First Rider.

" Oki " was all he said to the woman. Then, motioning to the chief to come forward, First Rider said in Blackfeet, as well as sign language, "Take hold of your woman's hand. I make tea…for heart."

The chief nodded.

Liliann watched as First Rider turned to her and said, "Get water…fresh…we make tea…strengthen heart."

Liliann felt incapable of uttering a single word.

Instead, she immediately arose, and, stepping forward, she climbed over the entrance flap, ran to the lodge she shared with First Rider, and there she grabbed the specially made hide bag she used to obtain and store water.

Hurrying to the lake, she filled the bag with cool, fresh water.

Then she walked quickly back to the chief's lodge, being careful not to spill any.

As soon as she entered Chief Yellow Hawk's tepee, First Rider looked up at her and asked, "Boil water?"

"Aye, aye, this be somethin' I can do."

He simply smiled at her.

****

Much later, First Rider and Liliann returned to their own lodge, having stayed with White Necklace Woman and the chief until First Rider felt certain the injured woman would recover.

And, no sooner had he thrown back the tepee flap to their own lodge when his beautiful Otahki asked, "Did the chief tell thee what had happened to White Necklace Woman? Has she been ill?"

"She not ill," he responded. "Her son…almost trampled…by buffalo bull. Old bulls sometimes…crazy…come into camp…run through tepees. Sometimes people…killed. On prairie, she saw son in path of bull…could not save him…she faint…not wake up."

"Nay! Her son…be he alive?"

"His older brother…a quick runner. He save him."

"Oh, I be thankin' the good Lord for that. But, why could she not be awakened?"

First Runner shrugged. "I not know. But, when I ran hands over…woman's heart, Creator show me…how to heal…what plant…how to use. Tea strengthen her. She live…long time now."

Because the hour was late and there was no fire lit within their lodge, it was dark within the tepee, and, turning around suddenly, he let Otahki bump into him, giving him a good reason to pull her in close to him, and bringing his head down to hers, he kissed her.

Then, with his lips against hers, he whispered, "Remember you what we said, what we do when return to tepee? "

She laughed a little, the sound more beautiful to him than the lilting song of the meadowlark. She then lifted her arms up, and, placing them around his neck, she scooted in so close to him, he could feel every rounded hill and valley of her figure.

She asked, "Are thou hungry?"

He growled a little before replying, "I very hungry…but not for food. Have I other plans…to…relieve hunger."

She laughed, then wiggled her hips a little. And, he thought he might go crazy with the need of her.

As if by mutual agreement, their clothes came off in a frenzy of quick motions, and within the pulse of an instant, he had her positioned beneath him on their sleeping robes. He murmured, "At last, have you…where want you. I your captive."

"Nay, man of mine. I be your captive. What will thou do with me own self now thou has me?"

He chuckled. Rising up slightly, he grabbed hold of her wrists and placed her hands over her head. He whispered, "I could tie hands…look at…admire you…nothing can you do…stop me."

"Stop thee? Never!" She wiggled her hips a little as she spoke, and, looking there, he thought he might burst with need.

As it was, he answered her wiggling hips with the touch of his fingers, giving her what she seemed to be begging for.

And, when she whimpered in a high-pitched, soul-inspiring sigh, moving her hips against the movement of his fingers, he knew the time had come for him to act.

He didn't withdraw his touch from her, there where she was demanding it, but he leaned his head down toward hers, bringing his lips to hers in a kiss that was both hungry and giving.

He said, "I love you. I tell this from true heart.

Though passion beats within heart, I tell… truth. I love you for all life."

"And, I love thee," she whispered. "Husband, I need thee. Please. I need thee now."

Changing his position until he lay over her, he answered her plea and gave her all of him, body and soul, loving her and moving with her as joy took hold within his being, both physical and spiritual.

And, when at last their love peaked and he gave his seed to her, he felt himself uniting with her in spirit.

Never had he been this close to another being.

Never had he ever felt a oneness with another like he did with his woman.

Indeed, his love for this woman brought on the sensation of spiritual release, and he felt himself go up into the air above them both. And, there she was right beside him, so close…so very, very close.

She whispered, "I love thee, husband of mine. I belong to thee."

" áa. And, I belong…to…you, here…my world. It now your own. Come, we learn about world…together."

"Aye, husband of mine. Aye."

****

And so, the season of Home Days passed in a lazy, blissful way.

There was much to do when one was in camp; after all, there were arrows and arrowheads to make, sacred shields to create and paint, as well as the required daily hunt for food and for skins to trade…

and all this to do before the winter set in.

True, there was always the real threat of a surprise attack from some ambitious war party or, more often, a horse raid. But, as one moon followed upon another, even these didn't affect First Rider's enjoyment of his marital life with Otahki.

Indeed, he considered himself to be a lucky man.

Each day followed a similar pattern. Either First Rider went out on the hunt, or if there was enough meat to last a few days, he would lounge around their lodge, watching Otahki at work while he pretended to be involved in some project.

Often when he was in camp he was called to council, and now and again he was asked to attend to an injured or sick person.

In the evening, there were dances to attend or friends to visit. And, sometimes there was not much else to do but watch Otahki go about her daily chores.

On such days, he would seat himself outside their lodge, and while feigning to be engaged in one task or another, he would, in reality, do little more than watch his beautiful woman work and laugh with her friends.

In the evening, there were always invitations to feast in some friend's lodge.

But, usually he and Otahki preferred their own company, their darkened lodge proclaiming their private inclinations to one and all.

Indeed, First Rider could not remember a happier time in his life.

Otahki was now accompanying him whenever he was called upon to attend to the sick or the injured. Truly, she was gaining a good reputation as a medicine woman, her repute spreading through many of the bands of the tribe.

And so, it came to be that these long summer days passed, each in a similar manner. In years to come, First Rider supposed he might come to think upon this, their first summer together, as one of discovering the joy and peace of the two of them finding each other again.

It was on such a warm sunny day when it happened. First Rider had been sitting outside his lodge, smiling at the easy companionship of his wife with his almost-sister, White Weasel Woman, as well as Czanna, the wife of his friend Stands Strong.

" óki napí, " greeted a man known as Heavy Storm, a man who was about the same age as First Rider. So quietly had Heavy Storm approached him, and as distracted as First Rider was by the beauty of his woman, he had been taken by surprise.