"You will go back there for the good reason that I will not allow you to come with me, especially in the dress you are wearing." As though it came to him by inspiration, a mischievous thought occurred to him. Maybe there might be a way to cause her to reconsider her actions. Raising one eyebrow, he smiled at her with perhaps too much irony before he continued, saying, "Do not fret. There might be a way—but only one—wherein you might convince me to allow you to come with me."
She muttered, "Somehow I think I am not going to like this."
He shrugged. "Perhaps not. Do you wish to know what you might do to change my mind?"
Although she looked at him doubtfully, she yet said, "I suppose so. But, if I do as you say, will you promise to let me accompany you?"
"I will make no promises to you about this.Ha',but I will tell you this: until you become learned in the skills needed to scout and to go to war, you will in the future remain in camp and defend our home and any children we might have. This is your duty."
"But I—"
He held up his hand. "I say this to you again: the dress you are wearing makes you an easy target. Did you know this when you set out upon the trail?"
"Of course I did not realize this, and I—"
"You must remove it."
"Excuse me? Remove it? Do you mean to say I should take it off?"
"Áa.If you truly wish to come with me, you will have to strip off all your clothing, for I know you wear white underthings beneath your dress. Those, too, make you an easy target. If you truly wish to accompany me, you must strip off your clothing until you are completely bare. In this way, you will, at least, fade into the environment and become less of a target." There. Having said this, he expected her to retreat at once and become more compliant about returning to camp.
However, instead of retreating, she asked, "Oh? Let me ensure I understand you. If I take off all my clothing and stand before you naked, you will take me with you? You don't mind my nakedness being witnessed by the others?"
He frowned at her. "Do not twist my words to say a thing I do not mean. You will not parade yourself naked in front of the others."
"Oh? Then, I would be traveling naked, but only with you?"
He scowled at her. "Like a newborn babe, you are missing the message behind my words. I am giving you an extreme example of what you might have to do in order to change my mind and allow you to accompany me. I do not truly expect you to become naked, and particularly not so in front of other men. I would never allow it."
"Then, why did you say it to me?"
"Because," he explained, "becoming naked in front of me in the light of day should cause you to reconsider your actions. I hope my words have made this impression upon you. And, now I will take you and my sister back to the Pikuni camp."
"No, you won't. I have not reconsidered, and I won't go back there. Instead, I will take you at your word and will strip off all my clothing if this is what you require. Hopefully, in this way, I will disappear into the environment, as you seem to think I need to do."
"Do not bother. I will not take you with me."
"My husband, don't you know?" she asked. "Don't you understand that if I were to return to camp and have to stay there, I would worry constantly about you and about Sharon? The fear for you and for her would eat away at me. I would rather be at your side and, standing with you, confront whatever it is you must face."
Although he was aware she was talking and had asked him several questions he should respond to, he didn't answer simply because her words might have been swept away by the prairie wind for all the effect they had on him. In truth, he barely realized she'd even spoken. How could he listen attentively when every bit of his interest was centered on her fingers as she slowly and suggestively undid the buttons of her dress?
And, she practically purred, "I intend to come with you, and if it means I must go with you naked, so be it."
He managed to scowl at her even though what she was doing was exciting him. And, his voice was rough as he said, "What I told you was said to be extreme and was not meant for you to take to heart; I said it only to frighten you into returning to camp."
"Thank you for caring," she replied as she undid the last button on her dress and wiggled out of it. "I am now well frightened."
He raised an eyebrow and frowned at her, intending to tell her he didn't believe she was scared in the least. But, the words never left his mouth. And, further arousing him, she calmly and deliberately threw her dress away from her, seeming to enjoy the obvious: he couldn't take his gaze away from her. And then, having divested herself of the dress, she came to stand before him in her tight-fitting white underthings.
Too late he realized he was not immune to her. Perhaps he had not been married to her long enough to allow him to watch her antics with impunity.
This was not good. Not good at all. A man did not make love to a woman when on a war trail or even when engaging upon a scouting mission.
He knew he should stop her from removing the rest of her clothing, but when she undid the hooks that kept the upper half of her white underwear in place, he felt as though he had turned to stone. He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. And, though he still frowned at her in disapproval, he did nothing but watch her take off her clothing, piece by piece.
As the top half of her underclothing fell away, there was yet another bit of clothing hidden beneath it, and, when a white skirt of sorts was removed, she stood before him in another white slip, which she removed quickly and easily, leaving her standing before him with only her beautiful breasts jutting out at him from the waist up. From her waist downward, she wore a type of leggings.
Once the leggings were removed, as well as her stockings and shoes and she stood before him completely naked, he wondered how he wasnotgoing to make love to her. Her slow and steady stripping off of her clothing was having quite an effect on him. He was ready for her.
