I rose and shuffled from the teepee with Roman at my tail. We would wait. And then, I hoped we would find some answers.
Olivia
The day crawled as I waited for tonight’s fire ceremony. At first, staying calm and centered amid such dire news was challenging. But then, Emily and I were invited to help prepare three bison for use by the tribe. We stayed swamped with tasks the rest of the morning and into the late day.
The young woman, Laughing Maid, told me several men went out to hunt buffalo at dawn. One of them, Lightning Foot, had a special relationship with the bison. He would don the head of a buffalo, with the pelt hanging around him, and head out where a scout had spotted the animals before the sun stirred the horizon.
Lightning Foot wandered among the herd singing his song of enchantment, and the great beasts would follow the pelt, thinking him one of their own. When Lightning Foot ran, the bison ran with him. That was when the other Native Americans who had hidden over the hills on their horses burst into view. They galloped beside the stampeding buffalo and shot the animals between the last ribs, killing them.
Lightning Foot was careful not to run them too far or fast, or the meat would turn bitter. And the hunters acted swiftly, moving like wolves to cull a select few bison from the herd.
Then came the hard work of harvesting. We walked out onto the plains and sliced hides from the flesh and muscle from the bone. As I’d learned in the 21stcentury, the Native people used every animal piece—nothing went to waste. As we worked, the women chatted and laughed. I could only understand what was being said—I didn’t have enough mastery of the language to respond. But I interpreted most of what was said so Emily could be included.
When the sun began to dip toward the horizon, we were exhausted.
After cleaning ourselves in the creek, Emily and I decided to take a bit of respite in our teepee. As we approached our hide-covered dwelling, I spied Roman just beyond the distance, speaking to Earth Bear.
Eager to connect with my lover, if only for a minute, I told Emily, “I’ll join you in a second, okay? I need to speak to Roman.”
A goofy smile crossed her face, and she clasped her hands in front of her hips and swayed side to side. “Of course! Who would I be to get in the way of true love? Take your time.”
My heart did giddy flip-flops as I crossed to where Roman stood.
He glanced my way, and a grin spread across his face. He held his arm to me when I grew closer, then put it around my shoulders and pulled me close. “Hello, my love.”
“Hi,” I said, experiencing excitement and bashfulness over all these joyous feelings bouncing around inside me.
“Earth Bear needs to show me something in his teepee. But I’m always happy for a chance to be with you, if even for a moment,” Roman said.
“I’ll head over and wait for you,” Earth Bear said, giving me a nod of acknowledgment before turning and striding away.
Roman turned to me and planted a tender kiss on my lips. When he drew back, he said, “There. That should keep me for maybe an hour.”
He laughed.
“You’re quite easy if you need one little kiss,” I teased.
“You’re right. I’ll take another.” He lowered his head to mine and kissed me long and hard. When he withdrew this time, his eyes sparkled. “Mm, much better. Now, what can I do for you?”
“I’ve been thinking,” I said, resting my hand on his hip. “Emily has become very important to me. I hate keeping secrets from her, especially after all she’s endured. If Balthazar is hunting us, she’s in danger, too.”
Roman nodded.
“I don’t want my darkness or Balthazar himself to kill her. That would destroy me.”
“I understand,” Roman said, cupping his hand behind my neck.
I pushed into his touch. “How would you feel if I told Emily the truth about us and who we are? Otherwise, she’s like a lamb surrounded by wolves. She’ll be caught completely off guard and be slaughtered. I couldn’t endure another death like that.”
A shudder twisted its way up my spine.
Roman placed both hands on my shoulders and looked at me intently. “My beloved, if your heart tells you it’s the right thing to do, tell her. I just don’t want you to make a mistake and alert Balthazar.”
My eyes widened. “Could that be possible?”
“I don’t know. Obviously, we don’t know all the wiles and treachery of the demon. So, I’d encourage you to listen to the quiet wisdom of your heart. If it doesn’t feel right to say anything, then don’t.” He gave my shoulders a squeeze.
“I love her so much already… I’d be devastated if anything happened to her. Completely heartbroken.” I hooked my hands around Roman’s wrists. “I don’t want her life to be in peril because of what I did or didn’t tell her.”
