looked down into the young girl’s face, her eyes still red and wet with tears, he smiled. And then he said, “Nit-aahkoomohsi, I promise.”
White Eagle straightened away from the wall, shocked. He had forgotten.
That had been so long ago. In truth, it seemed like another lifetime ago.
How could he have overlooked this?
He had promised to marry her; in truth, according to his people, he had done more than that: he had vowed to marry her, a much stronger commitment.
And yet, until now, he had not remembered it.
He was certain Shines Like Moonlight would not recall this, either. It appeared, in fact, that she recollected nothing from her former life.
Should he tell her?
Perhaps. But it would not be easy. It would not be something she would want to hear, especially now that she no longer belonged in his world.
Or did she?
He watched her through the shadows as she swayed to the music of the drum, seeming to reach out toward it.
He looked away from her, and suddenly other aspects of White Eagle’s life began to make sense to him. White Eagle leaned back against the wall of the bastion, as images replayed through his mind.
Could she be the reason he had never married? Why White Eagle had done everything in his power so far to avoid the matrimonial tie?
Even though he hadn’t remembered this incident consciously, had he always “known” it? Sensed that he belonged to another?
It would seem possible.
It would explain a lot about him, about his life, also. It would give reason as to why he had always made excuses to himself and to others as to the cause of his unmarried state.
He had grown used to telling others that he was struggling to earn his place within the tribe, and this was why he could not marry.
But while this was true, the professions of hunter and warrior came easily to him.
Always he gave away the animals and the food he collected, never keeping any wealth to himself. He had thought he had done these things because he was kindhearted. While there might be some truth to this, could he have, unknowingly, kept himself from the matrimonial tie because of a vow he had made to a little girl?
In his more recent past, he had never really stopped to analyze the why of his actions…until now.
What would Shines Like Moonlight say if he told her this? She had asked him what he’d known of her in the past, and he had said he would talk to her about this in their next meeting.
Should he reveal any of this to her? Now, when she was about to marry another man?
True, if she married this other man, her actions would free White Eagle from his vow to her, and he would be able to carry on his life as though he’d never said anything to her at all.
But he dismissed this idea immediately. This was not only dishonest, it was extremely unappealing. And he knew why.
He wanted her.
Simple, really, but powerful. He wanted her. She made him feel…alive.
Quite something for a man to realize, and White Eagle, who was willing to confront a grizzly bear or to lay down his life for a friend, suddenly found himself growing weak over the thought of…a woman.
He wondered, if he told Shines Like Moonlight of their childhood vow, would she feel obligated to keep it? It seemed reasonable, he assumed, to think that she would. Particularly since no Indian of his acquaintance ever reneged on a promise, once given.
But he didn’t want her obligation.
He wanted her to ask him again, as she once had, for his vow of allegiance. He wanted her to want him.
Could he do it? Could he woo her and steal her away from the white man and his civilization? Could he make her want him again?
He remembered the kiss he had shared with her several days earlier. It had been a wonderful explosion to his senses, and to hers, too, he thought, since she had responded to him without reservation, as though she…cared for him.
Could it be? Could she still nurture a spark of need for him? Not consciously, of course. But could she know, perhaps
White Eagle straightened away from the wall, shocked. He had forgotten.
That had been so long ago. In truth, it seemed like another lifetime ago.
How could he have overlooked this?
He had promised to marry her; in truth, according to his people, he had done more than that: he had vowed to marry her, a much stronger commitment.
And yet, until now, he had not remembered it.
He was certain Shines Like Moonlight would not recall this, either. It appeared, in fact, that she recollected nothing from her former life.
Should he tell her?
Perhaps. But it would not be easy. It would not be something she would want to hear, especially now that she no longer belonged in his world.
Or did she?
He watched her through the shadows as she swayed to the music of the drum, seeming to reach out toward it.
He looked away from her, and suddenly other aspects of White Eagle’s life began to make sense to him. White Eagle leaned back against the wall of the bastion, as images replayed through his mind.
Could she be the reason he had never married? Why White Eagle had done everything in his power so far to avoid the matrimonial tie?
Even though he hadn’t remembered this incident consciously, had he always “known” it? Sensed that he belonged to another?
It would seem possible.
It would explain a lot about him, about his life, also. It would give reason as to why he had always made excuses to himself and to others as to the cause of his unmarried state.
He had grown used to telling others that he was struggling to earn his place within the tribe, and this was why he could not marry.
But while this was true, the professions of hunter and warrior came easily to him.
Always he gave away the animals and the food he collected, never keeping any wealth to himself. He had thought he had done these things because he was kindhearted. While there might be some truth to this, could he have, unknowingly, kept himself from the matrimonial tie because of a vow he had made to a little girl?
In his more recent past, he had never really stopped to analyze the why of his actions…until now.
What would Shines Like Moonlight say if he told her this? She had asked him what he’d known of her in the past, and he had said he would talk to her about this in their next meeting.
Should he reveal any of this to her? Now, when she was about to marry another man?
True, if she married this other man, her actions would free White Eagle from his vow to her, and he would be able to carry on his life as though he’d never said anything to her at all.
But he dismissed this idea immediately. This was not only dishonest, it was extremely unappealing. And he knew why.
He wanted her.
Simple, really, but powerful. He wanted her. She made him feel…alive.
Quite something for a man to realize, and White Eagle, who was willing to confront a grizzly bear or to lay down his life for a friend, suddenly found himself growing weak over the thought of…a woman.
He wondered, if he told Shines Like Moonlight of their childhood vow, would she feel obligated to keep it? It seemed reasonable, he assumed, to think that she would. Particularly since no Indian of his acquaintance ever reneged on a promise, once given.
But he didn’t want her obligation.
He wanted her to ask him again, as she once had, for his vow of allegiance. He wanted her to want him.
Could he do it? Could he woo her and steal her away from the white man and his civilization? Could he make her want him again?
He remembered the kiss he had shared with her several days earlier. It had been a wonderful explosion to his senses, and to hers, too, he thought, since she had responded to him without reservation, as though she…cared for him.
Could it be? Could she still nurture a spark of need for him? Not consciously, of course. But could she know, perhaps
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