Brave Beginnings

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “Onawa came over to give Amata a necklace,” his aunt told him. “Then she stayed for awhile.”

  “Yes,” Onawa replied. “But I need to go back before Woape comes looking for me.”

  His mother came over to her and took her hand. With a light squeeze, she said, “We are glad you’ll live here when you marry.”

  Unsure of what to say since she wanted to ask what happened between Chogan and Citlali but knew no one would tell her, she settled for another uneasy smile. She retrieved her robe and quickly put it on, feeling as if they were watching her to determine how much of the conversation she overheard. Without a glance back, she hurried toward the entrance of the lodge.

  On her way out, she almost ran into Citlali. She cleared her throat. If her face had been warm before, it was unbearably hot now. “I’m sorry.”

  “You have no need to apologize,” Citlali said.

  She dared to look at him, something she couldn’t often manage thanks to the wild fluttering in the pit of her stomach. “I wasn’t watching where I was going, and…” And what? She had no idea what to add, so she let the sentence trail off into an awkward silence.

  “You don’t have to explain,” he replied in a tone that was mildly pleasant. “Everything is fine.”

  Her mind raced through a million topics, but nothing seemed appropriate so she remained quiet. She took a deep breath and gave up. “I need to return to my lodge.”

  As she took a step away from him, he called out, “Onawa?”

  Startled, she paused and turned to face him. “Yes?”

  He waited, as if trying to determine what to say. Finally, he said, “It is good to see you.”

  She tried to thank him but the words wouldn’t come.

  With a nod, he sauntered into his lodge.

  Her heart beat resumed and she was able to move. Smiling, she spun around and hurried back to her lodge, more excited than she could ever remember being before in her entire life. Maybe, just maybe, a part of him wanted to be with her.

  ~~********~~

  Chapter 24

  Millicent sat in her bedroom, twirling the brush in her hand as she waited for her mother to tell her she could come downstairs. She could make out the voices of her father and Conrad, but since they were downstairs in the parlor and her mother shut her bedroom door, she couldn’t make out what they were saying. She suspected Conrad was asking her father’s permission to propose to her. She didn’t see any reason why her father would say no, but she still couldn’t concentrate on anything except the twirling of her brush.

  The knock on her door startled her. Bolting to her feet, she squeaked out, “Come in.” She cleared her throat and set the brush down on her dresser.

  Her mother opened the door with an excited expression on her face.

  “Is it a proposal? Did Father say yes?” Millicent asked, clasping her hands together.

  “I think so. Your father refused to tell me anything, but he’s got that mischievous spark in his eye.” She waved her forward. “Now, come along. Conrad wishes to speak to you. You don’t want to keep him waiting.”

  “Oh, right!” She hurried to the door and paused to hug her mother. “Do I look appropriate?”

  Her mother laughed and placed her hands on her cheeks. “You look lovely.” She gave her a kiss and said, “Let me know everything that happens?”

  “Yes. Definitely.”

  She let go of her and smiled.

  Millicent went down the steps, forcing herself not to run. She might be eager to find out what happened, but she didn’t have to let Conrad know that. She paused at the bottom step to get a moment to settle her nerves before she continued on to the parlor where her father and Conrad appeared to be having a good conversation.

  Her father glanced her way, and he and Conrad stood from their chairs. “Oh good, Milly,” her father greeted. “Conrad wishes to discuss some important things with you. I will leave you two alone.”

  She smiled at her father as he walked past her and left the parlor. Turning back to Conrad, she took a deep breath.

  “Millicent, will you please sit?” He motioned to the sofa.

  Nodding, she did so and smoothed out her skirt while he settled next to her.

  “When I asked your father if I could call on you, I told him what my job is.”

  “Right. You’re a detective,” she said.

  “Yes. But I don’t live here. My home is back in Fargo. I am staying with my brother.”

  “Oh, I didn’t realize this.”

  “I came here about two months before I met your father because I’ve been hired by a man to investigate a possible homicide. Now, I can’t go into the details, but I want you to understand that I will have to return to Fargo when I’m done with this assignment. I’ve been keeping the situation quiet. I can’t afford to alert the suspect. But I will be returning to Fargo this weekend to let the person who hired me know what I’ve learned so far.”

  “Oh?” She tried to think of something to add but her mind was blank.

  Conrad reached for her hand. “I want you to know I don’t usually stay away from Fargo this long, and I don’t usually take cases outside of Fargo. So you don’t need to think that I’ll be off and running around to leave you at home for long periods of time.”

  She nodded in expectation. The turn of the conversation made her stomach toss and turn, and had she not been sitting, she might have fainted.

  “Now, I work long hours at times. My schedule is erratic because it depends on whatever case I am working on at the time. I work when I get hired, so I’m not always home on holidays or weekends. I wanted you to know the nature of my profession before I asked you to marry me. I have your father’s permission. All that’s missing is yours.” He got on one knee before her and squeezed her hand. “Millicent, will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

  Forcing back the urge to do something as unladylike as shriek and jump up and down, she squeezed his hand in return and widely smiled. “Yes! I’d be most delighted.”

  “Wonderful!” He stood and she stood with him. “I will notify my parents, and they’ll come out to meet you. Then we can discuss plans for the wedding. I want to put my current case to rest before we marry. The man who hired me went through a terrible ordeal. He’s well off financially, but the tragedy’s taken its toll. I hope to resolve the matter before summer.”

  “Oh, alright.” She had no real knowledge of what being a detective entailed, and for once, she wished she’d taken more of an interest in the Sherlock Holmes books her father adored. “Um…then you think the killer is here? In Bismarck?”

  “Yes. The only thing missing is the body of the victim. My job is to keep tabs on the suspect while my partner is searching for the body back in Fargo. Of course, the body might be in Moorhead or even further out. You see, without proof, there’s nothing to resolve the case.”

  “It sounds dreadful.”

  “I often have a feeling the truth of the matter is so close I can’t find it.” He laughed. “It’s a contradiction, I suppose, but my instincts tend to be accurate. I made the mistake of not following them on my first case.” His mood grew somber for a moment. “I’ve learned a lot, and one of the lessons was to never underestimate a desperate man. Things beneath the surface have a way of emerging in the most unpleasant way.” Smiling again, he continued, “I don’t want tonight to be about the case. I asked to marry you, and you said yes. This is a good night.”

  “Yes, yes it is,” she replied, not quite as enthusiastic as before but still glowing from his proposal. She realized he was still holding her hands. Sensing he’d seen some distasteful things in the past, she kissed him on the cheek. “There are some beautiful experiences life offers. We will enjoy those.”

  “I couldn’t agree more. Shall we tell your parents the good news?”

  “That’s a good idea.”

  Letting go of his hands, she called out to them and clasped her hands together. She glanced at him and let out a soft chuck
le. “It really is good news, isn’t it?”

  “The best,” he softly answered.

  Her mother came into the parlor first, followed by her father who had a knowing grin on his face.

  “Mother, Father,” Millicent began, “Conrad asked me to marry him and I said yes.”

  Her mother hugged her and her father shook Conrad’s hand as they congratulated the couple. “Well, this is cause for a celebration.” Her mother turned to her father. “We should bring out that bottle of wine we’ve been saving for special occasions.”

  “That’s a good idea,” her father said.

  Her mother ran to get the bottle and glasses while her father led them to the dining room for supper.

  ***

  Julia studied the coyote fur and contemplated how she wanted to decorate it. She sat beside Chogan’s grandmother who offered to help her, and since the other women in the lodge were tending to the meat further from the fire, she was glad someone was able to show her what to do.

  His grandmother put her hands close to the fire and rubbed them together.

  Julia slid her hand over the soft fur. The Mandans didn’t waste anything from an animal, and they were surprisingly good at preserving the beauty of the animal’s coat. It would make a lovely shawl. With a glance at his grandmother, she thought of the right Mandan words to speak. “Um…fur…good.” She winced. She really shouldn’t have been so hard on Chogan when he was learning to better speak her language that summer they searched for her brother. Learning Mandan wasn’t easy.

  His grandmother chuckled. “I speak some English. I learn from Chogan.”

  “Oh, good.” Julia laughed and then cleared her throat, wondering if the comment came out right. “What I mean is that I’m not as good at learning another language as Chogan is.”

  “We need white man’s words. Our ways…they merge.”

  Realizing his grandmother had lowered her voice significantly, she leaned forward and softly asked, “Do the others know you speak English?”

  “Some not understand. It be secret?”

  She nodded and smiled. “Yes.”

  “My people become less and less. We cannot fight it.”

  She swallowed the lump in her throat as it dawned on her that this way of life was slowly being eroded. Scanning the lodge, she took in the peaceful existence here. Just as she shared these calming moments with her aunt, she was now sharing them with her in-laws. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Chogan said this way of life will not go on. It didn’t occur to me what that meant until…” Shrugging, she continued, “Until now.”

  His grandmother brushed a stray strand of hair from Julia’s face and smiled. “Do not be sorry.” She took Julia’s hand in hers and squeezed it. “His first wife…she nice. But she not make him happy. I like you. You make him happy. Before he left tribe, I tell him to seek love. He be sad too long. Now he happy.”

  She smiled. “Thank you.”

  “You want beads or paints?” She motioned to the basket and bowls spread out around them.

  “To be honest, I don’t know what to put on it.” Julia’s gaze fell to the fur as she turned it over and inspected the smooth surface.

  “We put things important to us. Make it have meaning to you.”

  “Hmm…” That sounded easy enough. She bit her lower lip. “Chogan has diamonds on his robe. I’ll do one to represent him.”

  She winked. “Now you think like Mandan.”

  “So that is what you do? You have pictures that represent people on your clothes?”

  “People, moments, things.”

  She considered his grandmother’s words and thought a bow and arrow might be nice. Every time she’d look at it, she’d remember the times Chogan had spent teaching her how to hunt for rabbits. Grinning at the memory, she decided she’d paint a bow and arrow on it. Maybe she would even add the necklace Woape had given her. The possibilities were endless. Feeling inspired, she began decorating it.

  ***

  Inside the lodge, it was easy to forget the blowing wind and the heavy snowfall. Julia snuggled up to Chogan under the furs of their bed. She had to admit that the Mandans’ idea for bedding was a wonderful one. She ran her bare foot along the furs and smiled at the soft texture.

  “You look nice in my bed,” Chogan whispered.

  Opening her eyes, she softly replied, “I didn’t know you were awake.”

  “I know. I was content to lie here and think of how fortunate I am that you married me instead of someone else.”

  She leaned up on her elbow, her blond hair falling over her shoulders. “Is this because I decorated my coyote shawl to tell the story of how we fell in love?”

  He chuckled and reached for her hand. “It is good for a wife to be glad she’s married to her husband.”

  “And it’s good for a husband to be glad he’s married to his wife.”

  “Yes. Very true. You complete me.”

  Smiling, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

  With an amused look, he asked, “Why do you give me that kind of kiss?”

  “What’s wrong with it? I thought it was sweet.”

  “Sweet is for babies. I’m not a baby.” He ran his hand up her arm. After he brushed her hair off of her shoulder, his hand traveled to her breast and cupped it.

  Wiggling closer to him, she rubbed her bare leg over his. “You’re definitely not a child.”

  “Definitely not.”

  His gaze met hers and her heart skipped a beat. She’d never tire of the sensual way he looked at her. With a wicked grin, she traced his smooth chest until her fingers brushed the tip of his erection. Her hand slid down the thick length of him and she squeezed him. He let out a low groan and shifted so that he could kiss her neck. She sighed in contentment, enjoying the slow arousal building between them.

  His thumb caressed her nipple, immediately hardening it. She shivered in response and moved her hand slowly up and down his erection, knowing that doing so would fuel his passions. He was a man of great passion and love, and it was exciting to watch that part of him come to the forefront.

  Letting out a low growl, he whispered, “You do this on purpose.”

  “Do what?” she innocently asked.

  “You know what.”

  “No. I really have no idea what you mean.”

  He took her hands and rolled on top of her, settling between her legs so that he was pressing intimately against her. She let out a soft groan and moved her hips, taking pleasure in the way the flesh between her legs ached to take him into her.

  “Not yet,” he said. “You tease me. I can tease you too.”

  She groaned. “You don’t play fair.” Her eyes meeting his, she smiled and wrapped her legs around his waist in an effort to prompt him to enter her, but he remained still. Had it not been for the knowing gleam in his eye, there wouldn’t have been any indication that her bold move aroused him. Finally settling for a playful pout, she asked, “Do you really want me to suffer?”

  “Suffer, do you?”

  He let go of one of her hands so he could slide his hand down her body, taking his time in stroking her breast and then her hip. Shifting so that her legs loosened around his waist, he touched the folds of the sensitive flesh between her legs. She bit her lower lip and groaned.

  “You have an odd way of suffering,” he noted in amusement.

  “I am suffering,” she replied in a raspy voice as he rubbed her sensitive nub and slid a finger into her. “I suffer greatly.” Even as she made her claim, she moved her hips to better experience the pleasure he was bringing her.

  He chuckled. “I can tell.”

  Though he teased her, he slid another finger into her and stroked her, increasing the rhythm to maximize her pleasure. Her body warmed as her hips rocked in time with his manipulations. He brought his lips to hers and kissed her. Reaching up, she ran her fingers through his hair which now went to his shoulders. She loved the silky strands and was glad he was growing it out again.

>   She traced her tongue along his lower lip until he opened his mouth to receive her. He moaned and deepened their kiss while his thumb worked in faster circular motions. The tension between her legs continued to build until she couldn’t take it anymore and cried out as her orgasm coursed through her. Her body clenched hard and fast around his fingers, and he brought her gently down from the heights of ecstasy with slower, more methodical circles over her nub. She gasped and clutched the fur beneath them, savoring the lingering effects of the bliss he’d given her.

  His lips traveled down her neck in gentle kisses. Coming back to her senses, she sighed with delight and rolled on top of him, her body eagerly wrapping around his erection as he slid into her. He put his hands on her hips and guided her movements. She watched him as she rocked in time to his thrusting, loving the fact that their coming together as man and wife could result in such pleasure.

  He moved deeper into her, his body straining beneath her as he increased the rhythm. She held onto his shoulders and gave a low moan as his arousal stroked her core. She gasped and grew more urgent for him, aware that she was about to experience another orgasm, and though it was gentler than the previous one, she tightened her hold on his shoulders and groaned, wondering if anything could feel as good as lovemaking. His release came within seconds after hers. His body tensed and he uttered a soft groan. She stilled above him and waited until the intensity of the moment passed. Then she leaned forward and rested on top of him as their bodies cooled and their breathing slowed. Chogan rubbed her back, and for the rest of the night, they enjoyed the comfortable silence.

  ~~********~~

  Chapter 25

  Julia glanced at Chogan and smiled at him. He smiled back before his friend Achai called out his name. She’d miss him as he went hunting, but she opted to stay behind on this particular day for a good reason. She needed to talk to Woape. The March weather was slowly warming things up, making some of the snow melt, but it would still be awhile yet before the green landscape would return. And in another couple of months, Aunt Erin would be coming to the tribe. Then everything would be complete. There was one missing piece to the puzzle, and Julia suspected it had fallen into place at long last. Her hand settled over her abdomen. A baby.