Testing a New Relationship

Dwaine watched her silently with a combination of pride at the fact she’d chosen him despite hardly knowing him. She was amazing and he counted himself lucky to have stopped to rescue that lone hitchhiker on route 90. But his newly discovered feelings of love for this woman a feeling he’d never experienced before were beginning to be tempered by apprehension. She was so obviously in her element in the Montana wilds he wondered about their compatibility in the long term. He’d chosen a career away from ranching and was immersed in the studies he’d done and longing to put that knowledge into practice now and it was obvious would be far from the ranch. She’d never be happy in a city environment even though she’d decided to hitchhike to Billings to seek employment there. She could never be happy there. He watched her immersed in her surroundings and knew what she was looking for. She was searching for the Canada lynx, The cougar trails, the wolverine, elk, white tail deer and knew as they approached the mountains she’d be alert for the grizzly bear, mountain goat and pronghorn. Now and then she’d look to the sky searching for the hawk, meadowlark, bluebird or Canada goose passing over. He could imagine her raising the rifle and apologizing as she selected a deer and shot with amazing accuracy alighting to use that hunting knife to skilfully skin that animal and hang skin to dry for processing later extracting the meat to cook over a fire of her making. This was her life and her passion. The more he thought of that the more discouraged he became. Up to this time they’d proceeded silently but as if reading his thoughts Shirleyann suddenly turned toward him and indicated they should stop briefly. His depression had been passed to her notice as if she was reading his thoughts. They alighted from the horses, and she removed the food prepared by Elizabeth. She inspected the fallen log with a practiced eye checking its base at ground level and behind as he secured the horses. She was looking for rattlers. Satisfied she retrieved the food and sat looking at Dwaine while she ate.

“Dwaine you are not happy with me, I’m sorry for putting you under obligation when I claimed you in the stables. You are not of my world, and I was selfish to claim you so I’m freeing you now. I’d like to have you take me to the mountains and leave me there and you can return to your chosen life and ask permission of Elizabeth for me to remain on ranch property temporarily. You are right I’d not be happy in Billings and over time will find my way to the reservation where they will accept me as one of them even though I look to you like a paleface. I’ve been reading your thoughts because I’ve come that close to you as you contemplated your mistake and agree with you, I’m not culturally suited to what you’ve chosen in life, and I wish you happiness as you seek someone to share that life with you.”

Dwaine wept loudly and Shirleyann stood in surprise and concern. She watched as he continued to weep and was at a loss to know how to react. Finally, Dwaine pulled himself together and reached out to her. Involuntarily she moved to his side to comfort him, and he held onto her tightly until she whispered, he was hurting her, so he relaxed his hug. He spoke at last.

“I’ve never felt more in need of anyone to share my life with and when you indicated an interest in me, I suddenly felt I’d reached the highest point in life it was possible to enjoy. My soul was permanently knit with yours when we made that joint commitment and to lose you now would destroy me. I have no desire to live without you. I can only beg you not to leave me, but I realize you’d never be happy living in a city. I’ll make changes to my life plans now if you stay with me. It may not be on this ranch as it’s my brother George’s right as an eldest son and I’d not be happy to live here when it’s his by birthright. I want to establish my own career somewhere else but will stay here a year while I decide what that should be. Will you stay with me as my wife here and we can decide what can make us both happy as we enjoy marriage together.”

They stood locked together for some time silently neither wishing to lose their hold on the other and there among the trees silent eyes watched it all undetected. But Shirleyann felt that presence and turned to listen. She called loudly in tribal language and waited. Slowly a form in the shadow of the trees emerged from the ground and responded in that language. She beckoned him to come to them, and he came smiling at her. A surprised Dwaine recognized the Crow as one of their long-term workers and he released his grip on Shirleyann and separated looking embarrassed. Shirleyann had a long conversation with the man and then turned to Dwaine.

“Elizabeth has sent him to warn the sentinels on our boundary guard huts we were coming, and they have been told to keep their distance but be there to protect us from animals or marauding unwelcome hunters and prospectors. I told him it was unnecessary, but he is under orders, so you’ll just have to put up with those prying eyes you won’t see in future, but I’ll be aware of. However, you can feel free to hold your future wife anytime you wish without embarrassment as I like that and have told him we are to wed. I won’t leave you after what you just said, because I now know the depth of your feelings for me. I’ll accept George’s offer of a job here on the ranch while you stay here and you can make plans to marry me as soon as we get back to the ranch after our trip around the ranch. I love it here. I trust you’ll try to make me happy knowing I won’t fit in with a city environment. After travelling these trails, I know you are right about that. I’ve also discovered that I feel so connected with you I can sense what you’re thinking. So, you better not ever think of another woman because I’ll know.”

That evening they climbed the mountain aware that it was late in the day probably eight O’clock in the evening with the sun not ready to set yet. They established a temporary camping site being careful to clear the area of anything flammable and dug a hole to use as a fire pit to try and prevent sparks as much as possible flying through the air. Dwaine dug the pit while Shirleyann quickly rubbed a dry stick in circular movements against a stump to produce a fire glow and coaxed it into flame taking it to the sticks they both had collected and using the flame to ignite dry leaves under the sticks. The fire started they waited and piled bigger sticks on until they had a blaze going then put dry logs over the top. Dwaine had done this many times in his growing up years but watched his wife to be use her tribal skills to get it working to perfection. They toasted flat bread over the fire and ate it with dried smoked meat and fish they had packed in their saddle bags finishing their meal with dried fruit. Then prepared a place around the fire to settle down for the night in their bed rolls. Normally they ‘d have taken turns to stay awake to be alert for danger, but Shirleyann was adamant there was no need as unseen eyes would be watching them all night. Dwaine thought he’d never get used to that. Had this been the situation when he camped out at night on the ranch as they went around checking on the livestock? For the first time he realized unseen eyes had watched over them as they slept too.

They lay in their bed rolls watching as the sun went down over the horizon and the stars came out with a clarity not observed in cities. Shirleyann began to sing melodies she’d learned as she grew up and was enjoying her experience immensely. Dwaine had the rudiments of the language as he mixed with the Crow children growing up so could follow some of her songs. She was separated by the fire from her man and suddenly felt the need of his touch. She got up and Dwaine sat up to see she was alright. She moved her bedroll over beside him and settled in to watch the heavens again reaching over and placing her hand on his arm. Dwaine felt an electric current pass through his body from her touch and a feeling of belonging swept over him. He spoke.

“Shirleyann thank you for accepting me as your man. You are now my other self, and I don’t know how to express the deep feelings I have knowing you want me.”

Shirleyann gave his arm a squeeze.

“You’ll never be able to pry me from your side now Dwaine. I think the great one in the sky bought us together on that freeway and it was planned we meet that way. I thank the Anderson boys for throwing me off their property or I’d have not met my destiny. I trust you with all my being and know you’ll find a way to make both of us happy as you plan our future together. Now go to sleep as I’m anxious to track my animal friends who live on this mountain and make their acquaintance. The sun rises early and we need to be well rested. What happens to the horses while we walk the mountain trails. They probably won’t be able to negotiate some of those steep narrow trails.

Dwaine laughed.

“Well, I haven’t walked those mountain tracks before content to be where horses can ride. Maybe you can summon our silent witness again like you did on the way here and leave them in his care.”

She laughed and then removed her hand from his rolling onto her side to sleep.

“Good idea Dwaine. Have a restful sleep.”

Within minutes he could tell she was asleep as her breathing changed to night mode. He lay awake for some time thinking of his sudden good fortune meeting this beautiful woman and thought of how wonderful it would be to be married to her. He could hardly wait and would begin thinking of a career that would satisfy him and keep her in the environment that would bring her the most happiness. He went to sleep and dreamed of the children this marriage would bring to the home. The silent witness observed it all. In the morning on waking Shirleyann immediately summoned that silent witness with a call in tribal language and he appeared suddenly by her side. Their conversation woke Dwaine from his deep sleep, and it startled him to see someone talking with his wife to be until he realized who it was. After breakfast they started to follow the trails into the thick of the dense treeline on the mountains both with rifles at the ready to warn off any dangerous animal. Shirleyann began to track explaining which animal had been on that path as they went. She was constantly on the alert and Dwaine realising her expertise in the wilds let her lead the way. They rationed their water intake to make sure it lasted the day and carried food in improvised pouches slung over their shoulders. She taught him how to walk stealthily so they didn’t alert the animals she wanted to see but realized that if the wind changed to behind them those animals would smell them coming and hide.

After hours of walking they took rest at the side of a cliff and sat looking back over the Johnson ranch. It was vast. Shirleyann reflected on the tribes that may have occupied this territory before the Apsaalooke or Crow nation as the palefaces knew them drove them out and later settlers moved in. It was survival of the fittest as the Crow nation accepted their own displacement of original tribes had now come home to roost and in fact, they’d welcomed the army that came with settlers as the other Indian nations were a common enemy and they sought protection from them. The Sioux and Lakota displaced by advancing settlers had invaded Crow territory and the Crow sought assistance from the US army and cooperated in driving these new invaders from the territory. But their protectors were soundly beaten by the Sioux and Lakota and it was a while before both Crow and the army could regroup to gain the upper hand over time. The Crow then became enlisted as members of the US army and provided tracking support. In the process they’d lost the bulk of their land to settlers but retained a slice of territory now called a reservation under treaty with the palefaces. That was life. The strong took all the losers had to live with it. Most of them lived now on the reservation but a substantial number were employed as valuable assets on the ranches. Dwaine reached out and put his arm around his woman protectively and she smiled approvingly then looked at the sky position of the sun.

“Time for us to retrace our steps to the camp Dwaine and check on the horses releasing our silent watcher.”

She was happy. She’d observed her bird friends, and they answered when she called looking curiously at these humans who’d invaded their territory. They’d seen grizzly bear tracks and were glad not to have met up on the narrow trail with guns at the ready. She’d seen a Canada Lynx scurrying into the trees to get out of their way watching from safety of those dense trees. She’d observed Cougar tracks and seen elk crashing into the trees away from them as they advanced. A mountain goat challenged them as they neared the end of the trail to descend into the previous night’s camping site. Dwaine fired a shot into the air, and the goat stopped its charge and headed for safety of the trees. Shirleyann gripped his arm.

“Thank you for not shooting that animal Dwaine. We should only shoot animals when in need of food and apologize to them before taking their life.”

He offered his hand to help her down the steep trail to the camp, but she smiled and said she could handle the decent without help. When they appeared at the camp the Crow tribal muttered his greetings and disappeared into the trees. They prepared for their last night on the mountain slope and went through the same procedure as the night before and sat watching the sun go down before preparing for bed. This time Shirleyann lined the bedrolls side by side and lay on her side staring at her future husband. He turned on his side and stared back smiling in the moonlight.

“Goodnight my beautiful bride to be. I can hardly wait to get back to camp and begin arranging for our wedding, but it will be a long ride, so we need to get some sleep. I’m exhausted after tracking around the mountain.”

He reached over and touched her face, and she took his hand and held it to her face. Then released his hand and reached over to touch his face. She spoke in the Crow language, and he understood the thought behind those words. He kissed her hand and she withdrew it and rolled over to her sleeping position and was soon breathing in night mode. Dwaine was the happiest he could ever remember being and looked forward to returning to the ranch home and declaring his intention to marry to his parents and the rest of the team there.

The next day they rose early and made the return trip as quick as the track allowed. On the way they passed a buffalo herd kept on the ranch for the Crow to slaughter for skins and meat when needed. The herd was considered under the control of the Crow foreman who acted as chief on the ranch to the tribe there though he considered himself to be in allegiance to the chief overseeing the reservation and that chief was a welcome guest to any celebrations the Crow had on the ranch. James and Elizabeth paid him respect when he came and showered him with gifts to take back to the reservation which included buffalo and hides from the red angus slaughtered for use of the whole camp. Braves were supplied from the reservation to replace those who left the ranch from time to time to relocate to the reservation with their families. Those who left were liberally settled with.

When they arrived back at the ranch that evening the tribals there came out in force to welcome them back and they offered their congratulations to Shirleyann who they addressed by her tribal name. Obviously, the silent witness had made it back to the ranch settlement and spread the news Shirleyann had shared with him. Their Dwaine was going to marry one of their own and they rejoiced at the news. Elizabeth and White Cloud were at the stables to welcome them knowing they’d care for the animals and settle them before taking rest in the home. Elizabeth moved forward as Shirleyann alighted from her horse and hugged her tightly welcoming her into the family and stating this was fulfilling the wish she had when they first met. White Cloud then moved forward and put a tribal necklace around Shirleyann’s neck whispering to her in the Crow language and Shirleyann paid her respect understanding the significance of the gesture. She bowed to White Cloud recognizing her as the ranking woman in their community. She spoke in her language acknowledging the gift and pledging to give respect to her authority over the tribe here and requesting she act as her mother figure here advising her of the appropriate behaviour to follow on the ranch. The old woman acknowledged this with pleasure showing her sign of approval. They settled the horses and unpacked the gear placing it in the proper storage places and only after feeding their horses they headed back to the ranch house followed by an approving crowd. When they’d settled in the home to rest Elizabeth spoke.

“We will have to take a trip to Billings to have a government official arrange documents for you to be married officially. Do you have any documents to prove your birth identity Shirleyann?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Good we will go to town tomorrow and attend to that, so it is in government records you’re married. Then would you like to have White Cloud plan a wedding celebration for you on the ranch or did you have other plans in mind?”

“I’d like to have White Cloud care for that if Dwaine approves?”

She turned to her husband to be.

“You must be the one to make the decision now Wayne.”

Dwaine smiled.

“I want my wife to plan the celebration and if she chooses White Cloud to arrange everything then that’s what I want too.”

Elizabeth turned to White Cloud who spoke.

“In the eyes of the tribe you are already married with the commitment you make to each other in our presence, so we are happy for you to live together now as one family. Where did you want us to prepare the first evening together to celebrate our approval. Would you like a traditional tent prepared?”

Shirleyann laughed because she knew this would shock the Johnsons and her husband to be.

“No White Cloud my respected mother I’ll celebrate when the entry has been made into government records of the palefaces tomorrow and if Dwaine approves, I’d like the traditional tent with all the ceremonies connected with it after a community celebration of our marriage.”

She turned to Dwaine and laughed inwardly as he saw him fidgeting in embarrassment. She didn’t want to shock the sensibilities of the Johnsons but would have been very happy to follow White Clouds suggestion if it was not for the feelings of the paleface knowing their customs.

To be continued.

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