She felt awful. Oh, why had she come here?
She'd been wrong about Gray Falcon. She had thought he would welcome having a mere fling with her, if only because he had often told her he didn't wish to marry her.
What she hadn't known then were the consequences he would face if he were to give in to her suggestion. Despite herself, she cried, although the tears didn't fall from her eyes. How she wished she could marry him.
She sat up. Sharon hadn't yet arrived back after having left early in the evening to be with David. Soon Sharon and David would marry. Indeed, the wonderful event was planned to happen sometime during the upcoming week.
Amelia sighed. If only she, too, could marry the man she loved. But, it appeared it was not to be.
Still thinking of Gray Falcon, she shook her head, shut her eyes and breathed in deeply. It was this last that brought the scent of the fire to her. She wept again, and this time a single tear fell over her cheek. The fire and its smoky fragrance would most likely always bring Gray Falcon's image to her mind, if only because the invigorating fragrance, along with the scents of the buffalo-hide tepee and the elk-skin robes she slept on, were inextricably wound up with him.
Unfortunately for her, she couldn't stop thinking of him and of what had happened tonight. Everything within her wanted to marry the man, and now. But, she couldn't, and it was tearing her apart.
Well, if she weren't going to be able to sleep, the least she could do was arise and trek toward the river, where she might focus her attention on the loveliness of these Northwestern nights and the reflection of the moon and stars upon the water. She'd seen this beautiful scene once before, and suddenly she yearned to witness it again. Tonight. Yes, maybe this would pull her focus away from Gray Falcon.
Arising, she quickly threw on her dress—the blue one she had worn tonight. Maybe she would also bring a small blanket with her, the one she often used as a towel. Hopefully a vigorous swim would provide her with the physical exhaustion she needed to sleep. She could certainly hope this would be so.
With her gear held within her arms, she stepped over the tepee flap and began to walk slowly toward the trees that sheltered both the fort and the Indian encampment from the river. People were still awake in the Indian camp. Even now, drums and singing sounded in the encampment, though far away from her.
The grass beneath her footfalls hugged the solid ground in this place, which was helpful since its low height forbade it from tickling her calves. Looking up, she espied the moon which appeared to be slowly waning. But, it was the dark sky that caught her attention. The stars were so brightly lit tonight, and it seemed the blackness of the night sky was providing the twinkling lights with the backdrop they deserved. Indeed, she thought she might very well be able to pick out every constellation. Why, there was the Big Dipper, and over there was the Pleiades cluster of seven stars, though she could only see six. And, there, almost directly above her, was the Milky Way.
She sighed and gazed forward again as she entered the woods that hugged the Missouri River's shoreline. It was dark in these woods, and for a moment she felt frightened. But, with a gentle, warm wind blowing directly at her, she soon lost her fear. It was as though the breeze alone had swept away her panic.
Stepping out of the woods, she came upon the familiar shoreline of the river, and, placing the blanket she would later use as a towel on the ground, she sat down. Hugging her legs toward her chest in a childlike position, she looked out upon the river, where the moon and stars were reflected in its water. And, even though the water was muddy, its movement caused it to appear like there were tiny jewels being swept here and there within its depths.
The sight helped to calm her thoughts, and, feeling a little more daring, she rose up and stepped toward the same water where she bathed each day. The thought of a bath suddenly stimulated her. Perhaps if she swam vigorously in the water, it would wash away her feeling of guilt.
As she stared out at the water, she found she was looking forward to a good, tiring swim. Returning to where she'd left her blanket, she disrobed, taking off all her clothing like she did each day before bathing. Then, running toward the shoreline, she plunged into the water.
It felt perfect, and she let go of her cares as she swam across to the other side of the river and then back, repeating the exercise over and over until she started to feel exhausted.
Ah, this was good. Drawing in a breath, she swam back to the shoreline where she'd left her clothing. Perhaps now she would be able to sleep.
****
Gray Falcon was not without feeling the passion of her kiss. Watching A'sitápi leave, he realized his lust for her was clearly evident to all present, since he was wearing only a breechcloth, leggings and moccasins. His people were observant, and the reason for such erotic excitement would not go unnoticed.
Yet, he was not embarrassed to have caused the stir. In his own way, he was courting this woman, and it was his intention that he should be in her thoughts continually.
Nevertheless, he needed to cool this ache for her. Indeed, sometimes the yearning for her turned painful.
Spinning away from the dance, he strode from the scene of the gala and calmly walked toward the big muddy river. Oddly, he was beginning to enjoy these many cold baths, which, in addition to his usual morning and evening baths, were becoming a daily occurrence.
And, so it had been sinceherarrival in the Pikuni encampment.Hánnia,sometimes the unwanted, yet strictly male, predicament came upon him by merely looking at her, even from a distance. And, it was particularly disconcerting when others were nearby to take notice.
He could only hope the problem of being ready for her would go away once she was safely married to him. Perhaps indulging in a steady diet of making love with her would allow him to exert more control over his body.
But, that time was not now. He removed his leggings, but didn't bother to take off his breechcloth nor his moccasins as he waded into the water, then dived under the Missouri River's surface.
****
Amelia was pacing back to the shore when she caught a movement in the water, off to the left. She froze. What was it?
Soon enough, she saw a man stand up in the water, but he was distant from her, perhaps as many as fifty yards or more away from her. She brought her arms up to cover her breasts as she sank down within the water and then remained still.
The man didn't move. It seemed as if he, too, were surprised to find someone else sharing a late-night swim in the river.
What was she to do? She was as bare as the day she'd been born. Worse, all her clothing was laid out upon the shore. To retrieve her dress and cover herself, she would have to rise out of the water.
