Page 34

Cheerfully, the family arose and, one by one, stepped toward the entrance.

But, before Czanna left, she turned and said, "I have loved being here this evening, and I thank you kindly, Liliann and First Rider, for your hospitality.

The family is staying with Stands Strong and myself, of course, and you are always welcome to visit. "

Soon their guests had all left amidst praise for Liliann and First Rider; all, that is, except Briella, who stayed behind.

Coming to stand before Liliann, the young girl gasped once, then again, before murmuring, "I'm sorry, Miss Liliann. I love you and I do not think the same way as the other children at the fort. I never have."

Liliann stood up and, reaching out, took Briella into her arms, hugging the child. "There be no harm done. Indeed, I am glad to know what is being said about me."

Briella nodded, and with a final look at her former nanny, she, too, left.

As soon as the tepee flap had closed behind the young girl, First Rider came up to his feet and paced toward Liliann.

Reaching out to her, he nestled her against him, hugging her tightly.

It was a precious moment as Liliann stood within his embrace.

And, so good did it feel, she hoped it wouldn't soon end.

At length, he whispered in her ear, "You…here. Those bad people not here…cannot get to you. If had known chief of fort also evil, I would have scared Maká pato'si away…he not stop running till back across Everywhere Water in East. Should your husband…do it now?"

"Nay," she said softly.

"Do not fear. I can scare him so he flees."

"I know. But, I must think about this. If thou go there, I be fearin' thou might not return.

There are men there who believe the takin' of an Indian life is much akin to killin' an animal.

Sometimes I am unsure such men be truly human.

Will thou delay leavin' here on your own journey while our guests be here visitin'? "

"I will…stay while they here," he said. "But, not long. Must go over mountain before snows… But I wait, though have changed mind about journey. You come with me…now, too. áa , you come now, too."

"What?" Liliann could barely believe what her ears were telling her was true. She asked, "Does thou honestly now wish me to go with thee? Across the mountains? To the Flathead camp?"

First Rider nodded as he glanced down at her, and he said, "Cannot protect…

if you here and I not. You come now. You did no wrong.

Many winters ago, there was Black Robe who live with Nez Perce; it another over-the-mountain tribe.

I…will ask scouts if they know if Black Robe still there.

If he is, we…go there, too. You ask Black Robe if you still wife of Maká pato'si. "

"Thou would do this for me?" she asked. "But, though this would bring me own self a spark of joy, what if thou discovers it be Tsistsaki true? And, she be needin' thee to rescue her?"

"We still try to find Black Robe," he answered.

"Why? If Tsistsaki returns and becomes thy first wife, I fear"—her voice caught—"I fear I would not be able to remain with thee. Why would thou risk a further journey into enemy territory?"

"Because it…important to you. You need…know what your God says in Good Book. You not be fooled by lies."

"And, Tsistsaki? What about her?"

"She not bad. She would want…come, too."

"And, if she does not be wishin' to come with us?"

He shrugged.

"What be your opinion? Does thou think…?" Liliann gulped, gathering her courage around her. "Does thou think I be adulterous?"

"Never!" he said without pause. "I know heart of you.

I…on your side. Always…be on your side.

You find out truth from Black Robe. Your father knows truth of…

Good Book. He approve our marriage. But, Black Robe help…

you to heal, I think. We wait till…your people go back to fort. Then we go over mountains."

Liliann chuckled. "Never did I think I'd be hearin' thou say 'we' will be goin' over the mountains. I thought I would be havin' to follow thee." She smiled up at him.

He grinned back at her, and when she looked up at him, all she could see within his dark, brown eyes, was love and his desire for her.

As if in answer to him, she wiggled a little against him, but whether she meant it to be sensual or not did not matter. He answered her in kind, and she felt his strength, even as he brought her hips in closer toward him.

He murmured, "We still married, until… Need make love… So much love for you."

"And, I love thee, too," she whispered. "But, if thou be married, in truth, to Tsistsaki, and… Please, understand. I cannot…"

"I know," he whispered. "But come, let me hold you through night. It give you strength."

And so, what had begun as an evening filled with hurt and surprise became instead a night filled with the comfort of having this man's arms around her, the entire night through.

****

Ah, the beauty of the Indian Territory.

Upon a high plateau, deep within the eastern side of the Backbone-of-the-world Mountains, Liliann sat upon her horse looking out toward the west, realizing she had never been treated to so many breathtaking views in her life.

From the distant orange, red and pink sunset, to the sharp and majestic purple-colored mountain range, with its peaks and silvery-white-cut banks, to the valleys and coulees decorated with rushing streams and sweetly scented pines, she admired them all.

She and First Rider had now been on the trail for two days and were, at present, looking at the gap in the summit of the mountain range. The trail led up to that point and then continued over the mountains; there they would have to go.

As her gaze took in the beauty before her, Liliann relaxed a little, letting her mind go back to the last few days before they had set out upon the trail.

Both she and First Rider had waited to make preparations for travel until Liliann's father and the Féher family had left the Pikuni camp.

But, it wasn't until the summer had passed into autumn when First Rider had become anxious to set out upon the trail.

Still, he wouldn't even begin to make preparations for their coming journey so long as Liliann was surrounded by family.

Then, one day, after her father and the others had gone back to Fort Benton, at last both she and First Rider had hurried through their measures to leave. They had left the next day.

By this time, many of the trees were already turning yellow and orange.

Yet, despite their beauty, First Rider was moody.

There was a good reason for it. Upon inquiry, First Rider had related much to her about the weather conditions in the mountains and the differences between the snows on the eastern side of the mountains as opposed to the western side of the range.

In the mountains, First Rider had explained, winter was often known to come early, and on the western side of the Backbone-of-the-world Mountains, the snows did not come and go as they did on the eastern side.

The warm chinook winds on the eastern or prairie side of the mountains came and went all winter long, melting the snow so it did not accumulate.

But, this weather was not repeated on the western side of the Backbone mountains.

On the western side of the range, because there were no warm chinooks, when snow fell, it stayed and when it snowed again, it accumulated, sometimes creating walls of snow eight to twelve feet high.

Traveling through such an accumulation was all but impossible for their ponies.

Yes, man, himself, could make snowshoes and, thus, travel.

But, to leave their ponies was unthinkable because, if the ponies wandered too far and stepped into one of these drifts, they might die there.

And so, if they lingered too long and did not push through the mountains fast enough, they could be caught in one snowstorm after another.

They could become stranded, creating a survival, do-or-die situation.

It would also require them to wait until the Season -of-the-birds-come-back—spring—before they could travel anywhere.

But, he added, if they left soon and did not linger on the prairie (eastern) side of the Backbone mountains, perhaps this trouble might never come to pass.

After all, the trees had only recently begun to change their colors.

Surely, the two of them had enough time to journey up and over the entire mountain range.

But, for now, sitting atop her pony on a lonely slope of a mountain, these worries did not concern her. Somehow they would survive. Survive… This was, after all, the reason she had been so insistent on accompanying First Rider. It was not jealousy, as one who did not know her well might assume.

First Rider might have had his own reasons for bringing her with him, but, for her, she was here to ensure he lived. Her dreams had warned her of impending danger, and she had become "Indian" enough in her thinking to know better than to ignore the threat.

Glancing at her dearly beloved companion, she swooned a little. She loved him so much. Indeed, how could she not love this man? He was so handsome. Standing as he was at the edge of a cliff and holding his pony's reins in his hand, his attention was outward, giving her a chance to study him.

Tall, manly and lean with straight shoulders that narrowed down to slim hips, even the capote he now wore didn't detract from his manhood.

He carried his gun always in his arms, unless he was riding his pony, at which point, he stored it upon his horse in its grandly and colorfully beaded buckskin case.

And, the rifle was always within his easy reach.

Warming to her subject, she noted again how his complexion was a gorgeous color of brownish red and, oh, how she wished her skin tone were the same.

And, like all males in his tribe, First Rider wore a great deal of masculine jewelry, from ermine-fur earrings hanging down to and past his shoulders, to a white looping, beaded necklace, one she knew that draped down his chest, though the full effect of it was hidden by his capote.

And, like the others in his tribe, First Rider trimmed the forelock of his hair and pulled it straight up in a pompadour style, while the rest of his hair was very long and consisted of three braids, two in front and one in the back.

She smiled, for it was she who braided these for him now—each and every day.

She sighed. Indeed, even on the move, First Rider looked well-groomed.

How she had managed to capture this man's love, she didn't know, except that perhaps there was a reason why her infatuation with him as a young girl had become full-blown love: they had touched one another deeply and spiritually when he had saved her father's life.

Of course, she had loved him then. But, now her love for him was more of a woman's abiding and nurturing adoration.

True, she would have to walk away from him if Tsistsaki should return into his life and take her place as his first wife. And, Liliann knew she would have to live apart from them. It would be painful to be so distant from him, but her faith in God did not allow her any other choice.

But, with him or without him, she knew she would never stop loving First Rider. Never.

She slipped down from her pony, and, coming to stand beside him, she took his hand and brought it up to her lips, kissing it. But, he didn't react. Indeed, his gaze and his attention were outward.

"What is it thou sees out there, me own husband?"

He didn't answer.

Looking toward the mountain range, he pointed. "See you there…gap in summit of the Backbone range?"

"I do," she answered.

"It a difficult pass. Must get to it before…rain or snow. If snow comes, cannot go over pass. Three Pikunki men die…going over pass in snow."

"What would we do, then, if it does rain or snow?"

"We wait, but where?"

"I not be knowin'," she answered.

"We not wait in these mountains, even though it Pikuni territory. Mountain tribes made trail we following. Mountain tribes travel it. Mountain tribes our enemy."

"Be this why we have been travelin' at night and sleepin' by day? Because men from other tribes be travelin' the same trail?"

He nodded.

"Be this also why we have been travelin' in the woods beside the trail instead of on it directly? And, be it also why thou hast wiped away any sign of us passin' along the trail?"

" áa , yes."

"This be why our shelters have been made small and in the bush? And why our ponies have been hobbled deeply in the forest?"

" áa ," he said again.

"I think I be understandin' now why we have started no fires, have eaten only dried meat and buffalo back fat, and why we be whisperin' or speakin' only in sign. 'Tis because enemies be around us?"

" áa . But, rest of trail…bad…from now to Kal-is-pel tribe."

"Kal-is-pel tribe?"

"Flathead," he answered.

"Who be the mountain tribes?"

"Kootenais and the Snakes…guard these trails, and they know them better than I," First Rider answered her. "All way to Flathead camp, we must stay off trails as much as possible, and we must leave no trace…of passing."

Liliann simply nodded.

Turning his head, he gazed down at her, and, as though only realizing she held his hand, he brought both their hands up to his lips and placed a kiss upon hers. Then, releasing her hand, he put his arm around her shoulders.

"We go to gap in summit. Sun leaves…the blue…

early these days. We go to gap now. Not far.

If still light, we cross. If dark, we camp, cross pass next day.

Perhaps, I think, should not…brought you.

Bad pass. Hard even for men." Liliann was about to speak, when he said," Come, we go…

if still light, we cross pass. If not, we find good place…

for camp. I take watch through night. You need… strength for pass."

"And, thou? Does thou not also need sleep?"

"I know pass. Have been across it. I…strong enough…without sleep…get across it."

Liliann didn't argue. She was already tired, and they had yet several kilometers to cross before they would reach the gap in the range's summit.

As though he knew her thoughts, he said, "You tired, but you…strong, too. We go now."

And so, mounting their ponies, they made their way along the high plateau, keeping to the trail.