"I could not do it," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I loved him too much to deceive him. I… told him about the child. He… turned his eyes away from me and did not look back. He also banished me from his life."
Jolena was not certain how she felt about Kirk having done this to Moon Flower, but she knew for certain how she felt about Moon Flowershe admired her for her bravery and honesty!
From the beginning, after having become acquainted with Moon Flower, Jolena would never have thought her capable of carrying out such a deceit.
And she had been right!
Tears rushing from her eyes, and knowing how devastated Moon Flower must be feeling, Jolena went to her and drew her into her embrace. "I'm sorry," she whispered as the lovely, slight maiden clung to her, sobbing. "I'm sorry my brother couldn't accept both you and the child. I understand how you are feeling, and I want to be your friend."
Spotted Eagle watched the emotional scene with much love in his heart for his woman. He went to her and drew both her and Moon Flower into his arms.
Moon Flower enjoyed the closeness of her special friends for a moment longer, then broke away and went to Brown Elk. She gazed humbly up at him. "You will still have me in your dwelling?" she asked, her voice breaking.
"As long as you wish to be here," Brown Elk said, then drew her into his arms. "My little Blackfoot princess, you and your child will fill my dwelling with much happiness. That will be good for an old man like Brown Elk."
Jolena and Spotted Eagle crept from the tepee. When they got outside, Spotted Eagle swung Jolena around into his arms. He crushed his lips to hers and kissed her passionately, then swept her into his arms and began carrying her toward their tepee.
"Kirk? Did Kirk treat her terribly?" Jolena asked, as she peered up at Spotted Eagle.
"He said nothing to her after she told him," Spotted Eagle said. "He just mounted his horse and rode away. I stayed behind with her, to return her safely home. The other warriors went on with your brother."
Jolena sighed. "Well, at least the truth is out," she murmured. "Had Moon Flower waited, it could have been tragic for them bothand also the child."
Spotted Eagle carried Jolena into their tepee and laid her down on a pallet of furs beside the fire. Hurriedly, they undressed each other. Spotted Eagle knelt down over Jolena and brushed a kiss across each of her breasts, then moved his lips lower.
"Tonight," he said between kisses, "who needs blankets?"
He worshiped her flesh with his lips and tongue, then moved over her and filled her with his thick shaft. He held her hands above her head as he began his strokes within her, his mouth covering her lips with another fiery kiss.
Jolena could feel the passion rising in her. She lifted her legs and locked them around his waist, allowing him to move more deeply into her.
"I love you so," she whispered, as he slid his lips away from her mouth and moved them lower, where he could flick his tongue over her nipples. She strained her breasts upward, sucking in a wild breath of pleasure when he placed his mouth fully over one of them, sucking, licking, biting.
Spotted Eagle began moving his hands over Jolena, finding and caressing her every sensitive place until she was tossing her head back and forth, writhing from the rapture.
Then the explosion of their passion erupted. They clung and rocked and sighed.
Afterwards, they lay together, Jolena's leg draped over Spotted Eagle's thigh.
"Tomorrow you will be shown what is required of the Blackfoot woman before she becomes a wife," Spotted Eagle said, smiling down at her.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Spotted Eagle had eaten his morning meal of cooked sarvis berries without saying a word, making Jolena more anxious than ever. She had a hundred questions to ask about the marriage ceremony, and he had chosen to be uncommunicative. She was so excited that her life was finally turning into something sweet and peaceful, perhaps even normalhow could she not want to make sure that she did everything right at the wedding?
Picking at the berries in her wooden bowl, she kept giving Spotted Eagle harried glances but did not disturb him, for he seemed to be lost in deep thought about something.
Then she jumped with alarm when he set his bowl aside and rose to his feet. He began walking toward the door, still without saying anything to her. She wanted to go after him but refrained from doing so.
When he left the tepee, Jolena scampered to her feet, went to the entrance flap and slowly shoved it aside. Scarcely breathing, she watched Spotted Eagle walk through the village and then enter her father's dwelling.
''Why did he go there and not ask me to go with him?" Jolena whispered to herself, hurt that even in this way he was leaving her out this morning.
Her eyes widened when Moon Flower stepped from Jolena's father's tepee and headed toward Spotted Eagle's. When she got inside the tepee, Jolena gave her a warm hug, then took her hand and led her down on soft mats by the fire.
"I know that I should offer you food, but I'm so anxious to ask you about Spotted Eagle's strange behavior that I wish to discuss that with you first," Jolena said in a rush of words.
She moved to her knees and faced Moon Flower who was sitting calmly. In her eyes there was a mischievous, merry glint.
"Well?" Jolena prodded. "Why is Spotted Eagle in my father's tepee? He told me nothingjust left and went directly to my father's dwelling."
"You truly do not know, do you?" Moon Flower said, giggling behind her hand as she gazed into Jolena's anxious eyes. "You do not know the actions taken by a warrior when he wishes a Blackfoot woman's hand in marriage?"
Jolena's heart skipped an anxious beat, and she could feel a flush warm her cheeks. "That… is why he went to my father's tepee?" she murmured. "It's about our marriage?"
"Yes," Moon Flower murmured. "Everything today is about your marriage. And since you have no Blackfoot mother, I will take her place."
"You will?" Jolena said, her eyes widening. "You would do this for me?"
"It is not only for you, but also Brown Elk," Moon Flower said softly. "It is my way of saying thank-you for his kindness to Moon Flowerand yours."
Guilt momentarily tugged at Jolena's heart for having doubted Moon Flower's honesty for a short while. But wrapped up in the excitement of the day, she cast these feelings aside and allowed herself to feel wonderful over finally realizing her plans to marry the man she loved. There was no doubt whatsoever in her heart over her decision to stay in the Blackfoot village, to be one of them.
Everything looked so bright.
The future looked so promising.
How could she feel anything but blessed?
Euphoric, she listened raptly as Moon Flower began explaining what must be done to prepare her for her wedding day tomorrow.
"First, Jolena, you must move into your father's lodge," Mo�
�on Flower said, softly folding her arms across her breasts.
Jolena blushed, hoping no one, especially her Blackfoot father, saw her as shameful for having spent her nights with Spotted Eagle.
But she knew that Spotted Eagle wouldn't have encouraged it had he thought that it would damage her reputation in the eyes of his people. She had never taken the time to worry about it, for deep in her heart she had known that they would already have been married had there not been so many obstacles in the way.
In her heart, mind, and soul she was already his womanhis wife.
The ceremony was necessary only to formalize it.
"I look forward to spending this special time with my father," Jolena finally said.
"While there, you will select the choicest parts of the meat from your father's lodge," Moon Flower said softly. "You will cook these things in the best style, and in the company of Moon Flower you will go to Spotted Eagle's lodge and place the food before him. He will eat it. Then you will take the dishes, and we will return to your father's lodge. Everyone in the village who sees you carrying the food in a covered dish to Spotted Eagle's lodge will know that a marriage is to take place."
"And then what else do I do?" Jolena asked anxiously, thrilling inside to actually be talking about her marriage to Spotted Eagle. That made it so very real! Nothing would stop it now. There was only today, tonight, and then tomorrow it was to happen!
She was so excited, she could hardly sit still any longer. But she knew that she must listen to all of Moon Flower's teachings today. These were perhaps the most important lessons of all as she turned herself over to the Blackfoot way of life.
"If your mother were alive, she would make you a new lodge, complete with new poles," Moon Flower said. Her voice was filled with compassion as she remembered listening to her own mother tell the tale of Sweet Dove and how she had died giving birth to a child that no one had ever found. It seemed a miracle that here before Moon Flower sat this child who was now a woman.
How wonderful it would have been if Sweet Dove could have lived to see her daughter molded into someone as beautiful and sweet as Jolena, and to see the man she was to marry! No mother could have been more proud. She would have made the cowhide lodge with eager, happy fingers, as her heart sang and her eyes danced.
"And since she is not alive?" Jolena murmured. "Who then makes the lodge for me?"
"Your father appointed one of the women of the village many days ago to make the lodge," Moon Flower said, smiling at Jolena. "It is a handsome one that you will be pleased to erect in the midst of the village for all to see. It will be a lodge your father will be pleased with as his dowry is placed there."
"My father's… dowry?" Jolena said, gasping softly. "Whatever might it be?"
"It is not for Moon Flower to say," Moon Flower said, laughing softly.
Spotted Eagle sat opposite the fire from Brown Elk, staring across the flames at his future father-in-law, feeling humble in the presence of such a great and honorable elder as he.
Brown Elk rose and brought his beautifully decorated pipe with its long stem over to Spot- ted Eagle and handed it to him, to partake of a smoke with him.
Brown Elk waited until Spotted Eagle was blowing smoke from his mouth, then took the pipe back and again sat down before the fire opposite his future nis-ahson-in-law.
"You have come to speak of my daughter?" Brown Elk said, crossing his legs at his ankles and resting the bowl of his pipe on one of his knees.
"That is so," Spotted Eagle said, nodding.
"The time is good for a marriage," Brown Elk said, smiling at Spotted Eagle. "You will make a fine son-in-law. I gladly give my daughter to you, even though I have not had her long myself. I trust you will allow this elder to share his daughter who will soon become your wife? I will be the first to know of the growing of a child within my daughter's womb? I will be second to you to hold my grandchild once it is born?"
Brown Elk's eyes lowered to keep from revealing the sudden sadness that was creeping into them. At this time he couldn't help thinking of his son.
"This old man has known the joy of holding only one infant to his breast in his lifetime," Brown Elk said. "And he is gone from me now, as Jolena was gone from me when she was stolen by people with the white skins."
Brown Elk looked slowly up at Spotted Eagle. "I look forward to holding an infant again next to my heart," he said. "Make babies soon, Spotted Eagle, so this old man can watch the child grow some summers before wandering off to the Sand Hills to join his ancestors."
"There will be sons and daughters soon to fill your arms," Spotted Eagle said, smiling. "My womanyour daughterwill make beautiful daughters and strong, courageous sons. You will be proud, and yes, you will be drawn into their lives and your daughter's and mine as though we were of one heart and soul. My children will be blessed to have such a grandfather as Brown Elk!"
Brown Elk's eyes danced as he leaned closer to Spotted Eagle. "Jolena will soon erect her lodge in the center of the village. There I will place her dowry, for your taking. I hope what I choose for this dowry will be adequate to show my admiration for the man my daughter is to marry!"
"Having your daughter as my wife is dowry enough for this man," Spotted Eagle said, chuckling low. He rose to his feet and went around the fire and embraced Brown Elk as he rose and stood before him.
"It will be good to have two fathers," Spotted Eagle said, stepping back from Brown Elk. "I fear that my true father's summers are lessening much too quickly. He may not see his first grandchild. That saddens me."
"Do not bring such sadness into your heart until it happens and you are forced to accept it," Brown Elk said. "Cherish the time now with him, so that when he passes to the other side you will not be as heart sick over the loss."
"That I will do," Spotted Eagle said, then nod- ded a silent farewell. He went to the entrance flap and raised it, only to find himself peering down into the eyes of his beloved.
Jolena blushed and lowered her eyes, feeling awkward at this moment because of what was taking place between her and Spotted Eagle. For the first time in her life that she could recall, she was actually feeling bashful! She said nothing, nor did he, and she slipped past him into the tepee, laughing softly as she turned a wondering look at Moon Flower.
"This is such fun," she said, clasping her hands before her. "I suddenly feel more like a child than a woman preparing for marriage. It all seems so secretive. It makes it all seem sospecial, somehow."
"It is good to see your eyes shining and to hear the excitement in your voice," Brown Elk said, going to Jolena.
He drew her into his arms and held her to him. "My daughter," he said fondly. "Do you know how good it is to hold you? For so long this was denied me!"
"I, too, enjoy being h
eld by you," Jolena murmured, clinging to him. "You are everything I would ever want in a father."
Brown Elk stepped away from her and knelt down before a trunk that he was slowly uncovering by lifting one blanket and then another away from it. "This father has gifts for you from myself and your mother," he said, his voice drawn. He cast Jolena a glance and nodded for her to join him at the trunk. " Ok-yi. Come. See. They are yours to wear on your wedding day."
Her pulse racing, anxious to know what could be in the trunk that could be from her mother as well as her father, Jolena sat down on a thick cushion of pelts beside Brown Elk. Her eyes were glued to the lid of the trunk as her father's trembling fingers began raising it.
Her eyes widened when she saw the beautiful things inside the trunk, laid out so carefully. The light of the fire reflected on leggings adorned with many colorful beads and bells and brass buttons. As her father lifted the garment from the trunk and laid it on Jolena's lap, she saw that it was made of deerskin and was heavily fringed, as well as beautifully decorated.
Savage Illusions Page 34
