by Rita Hestand
The land here was not as cultivated, not as many settlers were here. There were no clear paths.
They trekked onward, climbing hills, crossing creeks, camping out under the stars. The kids were enjoying it, as an adventure, feeling safe with Hawk protecting them. But as evenings came, they were ready to rest. After they ate and played with the kids a bit, the kids were tired and went to bed without being coaxed.
"How soon will we be there?" Eve asked him as the sun began to set and she washed their dishes in the creek.
"We should run into their camp soon."
The joy of being together and being able to openly admire each other filled her. He wore his shirt and leggings and she stared at his strong thighs and arms. She thought about those arms wrapping around her. She blushed. A blissful peace surrounded them as he squatted down and tasted her lips.
"Make love to me Hawk…" She cried pulling him down to her for another kiss. He set the dishes away and lay beside her on the grassy banks.
"Do you think you are with child?" He asked her gently.
"I do not know. Look at my breasts are they fuller?" she pulled her shirt up for his inspection. He gasped, and touched his lips there.
He scooped her in his arms and his hands took possession of her. "I will plant my seed so many times; your body will nourish it and accept it as my child."
"Oh Hawk…I can't wait to have your babies…"
He looked down at her seriously, "We must go on the assumption that you are not pregnant and I must continue to plant the seeds…"
She smiled sexily at him. "Yes, my love…"
Gently peeling her clothes from her, he hurriedly threw his shirt over his head, and threw his leggings aside. He pulled her into the cool water and they came together.
He pulled her legs around him and entered her roughly, and she smiled like a temptress. As they began the rhythm, she leaned back in the water to give him access to her breasts. His eyes devoured her, as he bent to take her offering with a tender kiss to each nipple. He supped for a long while there as they took their time to build to the fire within them.
Her eyes glazed with heated desire. His smile surrounded her with his power to claim her. As they climaxed quickly he stood like a mighty oak tree, strong and virile running his hands over her delicate places. It had been too long since he'd touched her and his excitement melted the need to go slow. His hand reached to excite her further.
They climaxed together in a storm of passion, kissing, fondling, and touching each other with their love unable to quench the thirst they had for each other.
"You've been mine all along, but soon, even more so. Your body is that of a perfect woman, coming to me freely. No one can ever destroy the love between us, Eve, no one."
"Oh Hawk…I love the way you make love to me. I love that you are not ashamed of our bodies, but seek me out. I loved the way you plunged yourself deep inside me tonight to show me how much you needed me." She cried as she hugged him to her, kissing his strong arms, and moving to find his nipples and caress them with her lips. He jolted inside her, and she smiled.
"I want to lay my head on your breasts and go to sleep."
"Darling the children might see us…"
He carried her to the bank and laid her on a soft bed of grass. His lips dipped to nip the pointed nipples, laving them gently with his tongue. His hand reached to touch her core, stroking her there gently now as the tides of passion ebbed slowly only to reignite. She was tender from his rough manhandling but she seemed to enjoy it tonight, as though it expressed their eagerness to be with one another.
"Will it always be this wonderful?" She asked dreamily as she stretched herself now.
His hands cupped her bottom, erotically moving over the soft mounds there. "Roll over; I want to look at you."
She smiled and rolled over. His head bent to kiss the small of her back, and then his lips went all around her backside, kissing, nipping, and enjoying the feel of her round bottom, the shape, and the textures. He moved her hair and kissed the back of her neck as he laid over her gently, not putting all his weight on her. After he had explored her backside, she rolled over and began kissing him, first his hard nipples, then down his flat stomach to tapering hips and leaning over his manhood as she stared at it in the moonlight. She smiled up at him, "May I sup here and give you the pleasure that you have shown me?"
His eyes lit with a fire, "yes,"
She moved further down, so she could lie down and enjoy him fully. Her lips moved around him, from the base to the tip, slowly, kissing him. He moved against her. Then her hot tongue shot out to stroke him there, and he quivered with white-hot desire.
She smiled again, and this time her mouth opened to receive him, as she gently circled him with her tongue and he plunged deep into her mouth. She took him in, gently supping, until he could hold it no longer and moved to climax.
Kissing him, she moved upward slowly. He was panting and his eyes were like black diamonds staring into hers. "You give me such pleasure woman."
They cuddled, naked, unashamed of their taking.
Their love surrounded them.
They slept for a couple of hours, Hawk leaned over her, most of his body shielding her, until suddenly something cold touched his back. Since she was on bottom, she did not feel the point of steel.
Hawk rose up, but did not move, for he covered Eve because she was naked.
He saw an Indian staring at him.
"Is she dead?" The Indian asked in his language.
He was Shoshone, Hawk realized quickly.
"No…" He said his anger festering that they would take such an unfair advantage of them.
"Get up."
"No, bring me the blanket." He demanded of them.
The three warriors looked about the camp and grabbed the blanket. Hawk stood up, naked, but he quickly wrapped Eve and woke her.
She saw the legs of the warriors and was stunned; grabbing the blanket, she covered herself as she sat up.
"Who are they?" She asked Hawk.
Hawk put his clothes on and faced them squarely.
"They are Shoshone," Hawk voice was tight but controlled.
Scrambling to look dignified, she wrapped the blanket so they could not see her and she hovered about Hawk now.
"They will take us to their camp." He spoke with them for a moment, and he came back to Eve. "Get dressed, and then get the children up."
She nodded and obeyed.
However, as they would have pushed her around, Hawk came to her side and protected her from them. He said something in Indian and they put away their knives.
"What did you say?" She asked as she stared at them.
"I told them you were my woman that I was Arapaho and that my people would not condone our love." Hawk said, watching them as though he did not trust them not to hurt her.
"They are indifferent that I slept with a white woman." Hawk told her.
She glanced at him.
"Oh…is that all?" Eve smiled at him.
"That is enough. We will be seen by the chief." Hawk told her.
"Then we'll be married soon," She hugged him openly now.
Hawk put her away, "If they don't kill us first."
"Kill us? Why would they do such a thing?"
"Mackenzie's Raiders have been busy, even here. They are at war with them…"
"War! But…that can't be!"
"Stay beside me, you and the children. I will talk with the chief."
She woke the children and Matthew woke with a start.
"What do they want, Ma?"
"Right now, I'm not sure. Just stay close to me and Hawk." She told him.
Matthew nodded and held Jane Ann's hand. Jane Ann rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Is it morning?"
"No dear. We must go with these people." Eve told them.
They followed an unmarked trail. It took several days and Hawk tried to talk to some of them, about performing a wedding ceremony.
"It is a bad time to come t
o them…" Hawk sighed as he made camp with her.
"What will they do with us?"
Hawk's glance didn't reassure her. "I do not know yet. But I think I have convinced them to marry us."
"Hawk!" She came up to him.
"We must be calm."
"Do they speak English?"
"Some, yes."
"But they will marry us?" She asked him staring at his anger.
"They are discussing that now. The Chief and the Shaman are doing a pow-wow!"
"Is that a good sign?"
"The very fact that they will consider it is good. They are a more progressive tribe. Many work for the army as scouts. They are peaceful, and the army so far has not bothered them." Hawk told her.
The kids watched there were other Indian children playing and Matthew went right up to one.
Matthew offered him a piece of jerky, the boy took it, and they seemed to become friends right away.
The chief motioned for Hawk.
Hawk told Eve to wait for him.
When Hawk returned he was smiling. "They will marry us, but I must give them our horses for the ceremony."
"That's not so bad, is it?"
"No, we can find more horses. Wild ones, but horses. I will give them all we have, except some of our food."
"Oh Hawk…I can't believe it."
"We will marry at last."
"Yes, we must pick flowers now that will represent our love for each other throughout our life. And one of the elders of the women will make your dress. It will be full of beads, and feathers and beautiful things. We will each write poems to each other for the service, using nature's signs to represent our love for each other. The ceremony will take place in five days. Also…they will cut a lock of our hair and braid it together, and the chief will hold it for us."
"What does that represent?"
"Our coming together and it will remain that way unless we do not get along…"
"Then he'll hold it forever. For I will never leave you that is my promise from my heart, to yours."
He kissed her on the nose and smiled.
"Will you be married now, and us be a family." Matthew asked.
"Yes my son!" Hawk smiled at him.
"We will be a family now and forever. We must find our own place, and make a home, but after the ceremony, we will be welcome into the Shoshone camp at any time. So we can make trades with them and get along. It will be a good life."
Matthew, "Can I call you Pa?"
Hawk looked at Matthew and stared for a long time. "If you want…" he smiled.
Jane Ann came and lifted her hands for Hawk to hold her. He picked her up in his arms and she kissed his cheek. "I love you…"
"And I love all of you!" Hawk chuckled.
Chapter Seventeen
Once the Shoshone's were informed of the coming wedding, many maidens crowded around Eve and the children.
There were many people here, many tipis and they were sheltered by a dense forest and cut off from most trails.
Eve watched the women and learned many things, she watched as the old woman Chota made her dress, it was so lovely. Made of deerskin, it was soft as a baby.
The younger maidens talked of Hawk and how handsome he was, how lucky she was.
"You are very brave to marry an Indian," one of them told her.
"I love him. It's as simple as that."
The women giggled.
"You will have many children…" Chota told her.
"I hope so…" Eve smiled.
The children were free to play with the other children and Matthew learned many things from these people. Every evening he would tell of his friend Little Feather. He was Matthew's age and they played well together. Matthew showed him the slingshot Hawk had made for him and they practiced out in the woods. Even Jane Ann found a friend. It was a happy time for them and the wedding was a big occasion for the tribe.
One of the elder women came to Eve and showed her the dress she would wear for the ceremony. It was blue, with many beads and feathers and it fit perfectly.
Eve was flattered that they took so much time and effort for the wedding. They were strangers, but somehow it didn't feel like it to Eve. She was accepted and that shocked her.
On the eve of their wedding, the children were playing now that chores were done, and Eve was making supper for them as Hawk had hunted with the braves and they had brought much meat. There was squirrel, rabbit, and deer, one even brought a wild turkey and some of the younger braves killed sage hens. It was hours before Hawk came from the chief's tipi. He looked so relaxed and content.
"Tomorrow just after sunrise we will be married. The children will be kept by the elder women for three days, then they will join us and after a feast we will leave for our new home." Hawk told her proudly.
"Oh…I can't believe this is happening. I can't believe they accepted us." She cried hugging him to her.
"It is good."
"Did you write your poem?"
"Yes, did you."
"Yes…"
"Tonight I must sleep away from you and you will not see me again until the ceremony. So gather the children around me so I might tell them what to expect." Hawk told her.
She went to call the children and they came running.
"The wedding is tomorrow, and you will stay with Chota and her family." Eve told them.
"Why, why can't we be with you?"
"It is our honeymoon…Don't worry, you can play with your friends every day, and do the chores they ask of you. In three days we will come and get you, and then we'll go to our new home." Eve told them.
"Can we see the wedding?" Matthew asked.
"I think that will be good." Hawk agreed.
Both of them seemed very happy and Eve basked in the joy they all shared.
Chapter Eighteen
After the land and people had been blessed by the Shaman, the ceremony began. Hawk saw Eve coming to the ceremony on a white horse, clothed in the beautiful deerskin dress, and he couldn’t take his eyes from her.
The Shaman, Old Oak performed the ceremony, as both were shrouded in blue blankets. They read their poem to each other and looked into each other's eyes.
"I Hawk give to you Eve my wife, the strength of the wind. I give the mighty power of the sun, and the blessings of the moon upon you. I promise to protect you the land, and our children to my death. And to love you as fiercely as a summer storm. I have a promised heart."
Eve smiled into his eyes.
"I Eve, give to you my heart that is gentle as a summer rain. It grows strong like the oak. I give the fruits of the earth to nourish you forever. I promise my loyalty to be as strong as the blizzard in winter. And I pledge my love for as long as the wind might blow. And I too have a promised heart"
Everyone smiled at each other.
Matthew and Jane Ann were allowed the privilege of watching from the sidelines of the gathering.
As the ceremony ended, the Shaman took the blankets from them and replaced them with one white robe, signifying that they were as one now.
Hawk had given the presents of his horses to the chief, and a promise of good crops to share with them each year.
The chief, Black Eagle accepted them.
Then he placed Eve on the white horse given them for the ceremony and they rode off into the forest.
The whole camp celebrated their love and music and merriment lasted all day.
~*~
Hawk took her to a small tent that he had set up for the honeymoon time. He carried her inside and as he let her down, he kissed her.
"Now we are wed," He said with a rasp.
"Oh Hawk…I'm so happy!" She cried.
Already there was a fire inside, with blankets all about, and baskets of food to nourish them.
"No one can take you from me now!" He said, as he guided her to the blanket.
"It was such a lovely ceremony…" She said stretching herself on the blanket as he looked down on her.
Hawk ha
d worn a white deerskin pant and shirt with feathers and small stones sewn on it. Eve looked at him and smiled. "You looked so handsome."
"And you…were beautiful."
Eve looked at her dress. "I love this dress, I shall keep it always. And what you wear becomes you my husband."
He smiled sexily at her. "Yes, but this is not the time for clothes, is it?"
"N-no…" she sighed with such contentment.
"Rise up and let me take it from you."
She did so, pulling it over her body and putting neatly away from them.
"And you my husband…"
He lifted his arms for her to remove his clothes.
When they were both completely naked, he lay her down, and leaned over her. "You are more beautiful than a morning star."
"And you," she sighed aloud, "are such a man." She reached to touch the muscles of his arms. Then she rose to kiss him there. "I've never seen a man with such strength."
Her body met his and he pulled her against him. "One might think we would tire of making love so often, but perhaps it was the waiting those two long years to touch you, or the memory of the first time I touched you. I know not which, but my blood boils when I am near you."
"And my heart beats like a drum when I'm near you." She cooed.
His hand went up and down her now as he laid her down once more. He outlined her body with his fingers.
She copied him, her fingers running over him, and her fingertips tingled for the contact.
"Will you love me when I am fat and nine months pregnant with you child?" She asked with a knowing smile.
"I will cherish you even more then."
"You don't regret marrying me?" She asked in a soft voice.
"I only regret I did not do it sooner. For I knew all that time you were mine. My spirit called to yours, and I felt it return."
"Oh Hawk, it's such a miracle to be together like this, finally." She rose to plant a kiss on his chin.
His hand dipped to feather touch her nipples. Almost instantly, her nipples became hard.
With one hand, he flicked his thumb over the tops of her nipples and she began to squirm.
"I love how you touch me."